It's a dog-eat-dog world in business, but GoDaddy founder and Yam Worldwide CEO Bob Parsons' said it's important for new entrepreneurs to remember that "they can't eat ya."
What he calls his No. 1 mantra is meant to convey that future business leaders shouldn't be afraid of failure.
"If you stumble in the United States and you truly fail, you're going to be OK," he said.
However, Parsons acknowledged that it's not always easy to get a new business up and running.
"It's hard to be brave, and when you're being brave, it's the loneliest spot in the world," he said.
Parsons is familiar with that feeling, having started many ventures. In the case of both Parsons Technology and GoDaddy, he felt as though it took three years to get out of the gate. But he never stopped trying, he said. It was his willingness to adapt, his belief in himself, and acting on opportunities that made the difference in his business — all values he imbibed from his stint in the U.S. Marine Corps.
For future business leaders, it's also important to define your own success, Parsons said.
"If you really want to be successful, you need to find your own way. Don't do what other people are doing. Do what you think that works, and eventually you will find the key," he said.
For Parsons, that key was resolving to be happy, no matter what.
"If you're happy, you're successful, and beyond that everything else is a sideshow," Parsons said.
