Isaiah Mustafa — better known as the “Old Spice Guy” — is being talked about around the world these days. Even if you don’t know him by name, odds are you know his face or his voice (or his abs)… and you’ll know him by name soon enough!
Since February of this year, there have been over 16 million views of the original “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” commercial featuring Isaiah on YouTube, and over 122 views of Old Spice’s full video collection there (most of which feature Isaiah).
His commercial is nominated for an Emmy.
He was recently cast in a movie with Jennifer Aniston.
He’s signed a talent deal with NBC.
Lucky guy, huh? Overnight success. Must be nice. Yada yada yada…
Wrong.
Prior to becoming the face of Old Spice in February, Isaiah was just another guy trying to make it as an actor in Hollywood, playing bit parts in TV episodes here and there.
Prior to that, he was a receiver in the NFL and played for four different teams over four seasons (he was cut from the squad each time).
He also had a brief sting as a restaurateur, owning a barbeque restaurant that closed in less than six months.
As with most all “overnight” success stories, there were plenty of failures and less-than-glamorous stops along the way for Isaiah. Now he’s in the spotlight and the world is talking — and many are asking, “Why couldn’t that happen to me?!”
Well, there’s only one sure way it won’t happen to you, and that’s if you give up.
If you quit.
Sure, it’s one in hundreds or thousands or millions who have stories as dramatic as Isaiah’s, but the principle applies to all of us.
We must press on.
We must not quit.
You may think about quitting from time to time — I know I have. That’s okay. It’s actually natural.
But keep going. That breakthrough you’ve been waiting for may be just around the corner. It could be in the next email you receive. The next time the phone rings. The next person you meet.
You just don’t know!
This is all summed up in a quote from my good friend Byrd Baggett, shown in the image above: “Don’t quit before the blessing!”
It’s one of my favorite quotes of all time and one I’ve clung to on many occasions. In case you needed to be encouraged today, I wanted to share it with you, too.