The riskiest part of sending a manned rocket into space isn't once it's up there.
It's getting through the Van Allen Belt.
That's where the radiation is highest. Where the friction between Earth's atmosphere and space is most intense.
Where the most energy is required just to keep going.
But once the rocket breaks through?
It's smooth sailing.
Every bit of energy produces more lift. Small bursts of propulsion carry you a long way.
The hard part is already behind you.
I think about the first 100 days of a new advertising or lead-generation program the exact same way.
The natural instinct...especially if you've been generating leads for weeks or months without a sale...is to panic.
To second-guess the strategy...declare, "This isn't working," and pull the plug.
Worse, people retreat back into the comforting arms of a more familiar, bottom-of-the-funnel approach.
It feels sensible.
It feels safer.
But it's the wrong move.
I've seen this pattern play out so many times that I started doing lead audits to see what was actually happening beneath the surface.
In one recent audit, I looked at 336 leads who had opted in for a book on How to Sell Your House for Top Dollar. At the one-year mark, 89 of those people had listed or sold their homes.
That's almost 25%.
And here's the important part: the data tells us that when you extend that horizon to two years, those results nearly double.
This isn't unique to real estate.
I see the same thing with fence buyers. Shutters and blinds. E-bikes. Franchises. Roofs. Kitchen remodels. Hot tubs.
Same pattern. Every time.
The people who win are the ones who get through the Van Allen Belt.
They don't abandon the mission just before the physics start working in their favor.
When you commit to staying the course, it becomes a win-win reality.
So if you're starting the adventure, make this one decision up front:
Resolve to stick with it through the first 100 days.
Because once you break through, the momentum changes and that first transaction feels a lot like orbit.