Blog 25: Pour, Prime, Persist – Leadership Lessons from Desert Pete
Leadership Is a Well, Not a Faucet
When I launched SemitaCor in March, I poured out everything I had, time, energy, and belief. But starting a business, much like leading through uncertainty, is a lot like Desert Pete’s well.
You’ve only got one jar of water.
You pour it in, every last drop, before you see anything come back.
And then you work that handle with everything you’ve got.
The well is deep. The water doesn’t rush up to meet you. You earn it through persistence, trust, and patience.
Early Days, Long Game
I knew this wouldn’t be instant. Years of leading complex projects taught me the first phase is more about laying pipe than pumping water.
But I’ll be honest: part of me hoped the first gush would come sooner.
Three weeks in, I had my first lead, a referral from a friend. We shared four mutual connections, and every instinct in me (ENFP, Enneagram 7, Galvanizer to the core) screamed: “Push now. Close it fast. Make it happen.”
Instead, I paused.
I wrote him a personal letter about a topic we both cared about.
No deal closed, but a friendship began.
That connection is now a supporter, someone who knows I value relationship over transaction.
And that’s a well worth priming.
Trust: The Currency of Leadership
Last week, I wrote about margin, the space leaders need to imagine and connect. But margin without trust won’t take you far.
Launching without a salary is its own test of trust:
Trust in my wife—who carries the role of sole breadwinner without adding pressure.
Trust in my network—believing the right doors will open through authentic connections.
Trust in myself—that experience, creativity, and values-driven purpose can build something sustainable.
Since March, I’ve poured into:
Supporting others—like a fellow founder at STartUP Northshore who walked away with the win.
Quiet work—writing Cor Messages, shaping proposals, testing tools through free coaching sessions.
Coffee shop conversations—building real relationships instead of chasing transactions.
And people have poured back—sharing networks, reviewing business plans, offering encouragement when results still felt far off.
When the Water Finally Comes
The pump is finally starting to produce. One client signed. More leads developing.
That first taste of water? Sweeter than I imagined—because it came through persistence, trust, and not forcing the flow.
Leadership is often this way:
You pour what you’ve got.
You work the handle.
You trust the well is deep enough.
And when the water rises, it’s sweeter because you worked for it.
Your Reflection
Where in your leadership are you being asked to pour it all in and keep working the handle long before you see results?
