I just watched a 2.5-hour Q&A to figure out how CoolTrainerRyan amassed his vast, million-dollar Pokémon card collection. Of course, I already knew the answer.
Ryan talked a bit about how he got back into the game. He talked about his day job, how everything was cheaper a few years ago, and how grading companies turned around submitted cards a lot faster. But everything you need to know about “making it,” be it as a collector or anything else, you could learn from a single sentence: “I took that shit eleven times.”
“That shit” is the CPA exam, which verifies your ability to work as an accountant at the highest level — if you pass it, that is. The exam consists of four big sections, tested in four hours each, and you must pass them all within 18 months to get the certification. Ryan didn’t make it the first time around. Or the second time. Or the third. Then, he started studying. Four hours a day. Eight hours a day. Twelve hours a day.
Eleven times. That’s more than a week’s worth of pure exam-taking time — studying not included. Nor the emotional turmoil or physical fatigue. As soon as you know this one little fact about Ryan, you know it all. You can picture him refreshing the new eBay listings every ten seconds. You can imagine him driving a U-Haul halfway across the country to pick up a huge collection on the cheap. And you just know he worked like crazy to build up his collection.
If you really want it, get it. It’s only a matter of work and dedication, applied over a long enough period. And if you must retake the exam? Then you show up five, eight, eleven times — until you pass the test, make the deal, or hit 100,000 subscribers.
The next time might be the one that breaks the dam. Keep believing, and don’t quit too early.