Two months, twenty applications, zero replies. Each “no” felt heavier than the last. One drizzly afternoon, I clipped the dad character to my bag, stared at his determined eyes, and thought, “What’s one more try?” That night I rewrote my cover letter with fresh energy and three days later, an interview invite came through. I learned that perseverance can come in tiny, steady beats.

If you don’t try at anything, you can’t fail… it takes back bone to lead the life you want

At the interview, I took a deep breath and touched Dave’s clip for courage. His quiet confidence reminded me that every setback was just part of the journey. When I got the job offer, I knew it wasn’t luck, it was all those small steps I’d taken, one after another.