What do Thomas Edison and Lady Gaga have in common?

If you stand in enough places, you’re bound to be in the right place at the right time.

My dad often said this to me as I grew up. He encouraged me to explore my entrepreneurial side and instilled in me the importance of persistence.

The example he used back then was Thomas Edison. Edison held over 1,000 patents, but most of them never took off. He failed countless times before inventing the phonograph and the practical electric light bulb.

My dad never knew Lady Gaga, who spent years performing in small clubs, getting dropped by labels, reinventing her image, and exploring the boundaries of art and fame before becoming a global icon. If he had, he would have seen the same spirit and determination in her.

Edison and Gaga may seem completely unrelated. Edison wasn’t a lounge singer, nor was Gaga a scientist or inventor, but they do share a few indomitable traits. What unites them isn’t just innate talent.

It’s persistence.

It’s experimentation.

It’s showing up again and again until one of the rooms they’re standing in becomes the stage.

Success often isn’t about finding the perfect idea - it’s about being in motion long enough that opportunity finds you.

So keep moving. Keep building. Keep showing up.

The right place and the right time may be closer than you think.