Cavaliers, Cubs, and Trump: What 2016 Taught Me About Winning

by Jordan-Ann Powell | Dec 13, 2016

It seems like this has been the year of the unexpected wins, the underdogs pulling through and stealing unprecedented victories. Regardless of who you root for, what team you pull for, or where you stand politically, there are things we can all learn from 2016.

We make changes, we grow, we move on — but we never give up.

Keep pushing, especially when you’ve got it all to prove.

With the Miami Heat, LeBron James won two consecutive NBA Championships. Making the move back to his hometown in 2015, it seemed impossible that LeBron James could maintain his Miami Heat momentum with the Cavaliers. Not only were the odds stacked against the Cavaliers, there were a lot of haters toward James and his decision to get back in the game in Ohio.

My role at Syrup involves jumping into things that many would call impossible. You could say the media are the haters that tell us we simply can’t make it happen, but my team always pushes through to pull off great results. When you find yourself in the face of adversity, keep going!

When you’re down, you’re not out.

The last 10 teams to pull ahead 3-1 in the World Series have gone on to win. While it wouldn’t be as unprecedented as a 3-1 comeback in the NBA Finals, the odds of a Cubs comeback were incredibly slim.

My team has taught me that when the odds are against us, we never give up. We make changes, we grow, we move on — but we never give up.

Don’t underestimate the underdog.

Who else even thought, “man, a better blog title would have been Cavaliers, Cubs and Clinton?” Well, you’re not alone, and all the preliminary polls predicted Hillary Clinton to win the presidency by a landslide.

There’s not much that you can predict when it comes to our world of small companies. Our clients aren’t giant corporations; they’re often considered the underdogs in their industries, but we see them grow and win every day. Even if you’re not the predicted winner, you always have a chance. Take it.

If there’s one thing we can all learn from 2016, it’s that anything can happen. Let’s move into 2017 ready to grow, learn, make changes, and to prove everyone wrong.