“But the Pearls Were Accidents, and the Finding of One Was Luck”

How Life’s Challenges Can Break You, Elevate You, or Shape You...

John Steinbeck’s The Pearl, published in 1947 doesn’t just tell a story—it hands us a mirror. That line in the book, “But the pearls were accidents, and the finding of one was luck, a little pat on the back by God or the gods or both,” feels like the kind of thing you’d hear someone say at age 90!

Someone who has been weathered by life—from diving deep into the messiness and realising that while "luck" (as Steinbeck calls it) can light the way, it’s your choices and actions that ultimately create something extraordinary.

Steinbeck knew that just like in pearl diving, where the rarest, most valuable gems may appear as if by accident, success on a dive wasn’t guaranteed. So like a pearl, there are business and life's challenges where success isn't instant, but it is worth every effort, every setback, and every moment of uncertainty along the way...

Adversity: The Currents We All Swim In

Life throws curveballs—that’s a given. Sometimes you’re coasting along, and then suddenly, a wave comes out of nowhere and flips your boat. Maybe it’s a heartbreak, a failed business, or a random Tuesday when everything feels harder than it should.

Adversity has a way of showing up uninvited, testing whether you’ll sink or swim.

Samira Vivette, a writer who knows a thing or two about life’s tougher moments, puts it like this: “Sometimes, it is in the breaking that we find what’s worth mending.”

That hits deep, doesn’t it? You’ve probably felt it—that moment when something shattered inside you, and instead of crumbling, you picked up the pieces and rebuilt something new.

The Pearl of Adversity

Here’s a story to dwell on: I once invested in someone in Perth, who was homeless after a series of personal setbacks. It was rock bottom—they had nothing but a few belongings and a determination to survive. For weeks, they lived out of their car, stuck in a haze of "how did it come to this?" But then, they started offering cleaning services to local businesses.

That cleaning hustle turned into a steady income stream. This person worked tirelessly, saved every dollar, and eventually built a small cleaning business of their own. Over time, they hired a team and started generating enough capital to stabilise their life. But they didn’t stop there. With the discipline and resilience forged in those tough times, they used their profits to invest in a new dream: developing an Artificial Intelligence (AI) platform.

Was it luck that they found clients willing to give them a chance? Maybe. But it was also effort, grit, and sheer refusal to let circumstances define them. That’s the thing about adversity: it doesn’t ask permission, but it always leaves a choice. You can let it bury you, or you can use it as a foundation to build something extraordinary.

The result? A thriving AI company, built by someone who proved that no matter how far you fall, you can rise again with perseverance and purpose.

Luck Is Just the Start

You ever notice how some people seem to "get all the breaks"? They’re in the right place at the right time, doors magically open for them. But if you dig deeper, you’ll see there’s usually more to the story. Luck might open the door, but effort walks you through it.

Think about a diver searching for pearls. Sure, finding one might be an accident, but they had to dive in the first place. They prepared, braved the waves, and took a risk. That’s life in a nutshell. You don’t just wait on the shore, staring at the water, hoping a pearl will wash up. You dive.

Vignette: The Girl Who Dared to Dive

There’s this entrepreneur I know, let’s call her Emma. She had a dream of launching her own software company, a platform she believed could revolutionise how small businesses manage their finances. But her life wasn’t picture-perfect. She was juggling the demands of her startup with a rocky marriage. Arguments at home left her drained, and the weight of both personal and professional stress made her feel like giving up more than once. Most people in her position would’ve either put the business on hold or walked away entirely, but not Emma.

Every night, after putting her kids to bed and navigating difficult conversations with her partner, she sat at her laptop, tweaking her code, refining her pitch, and researching potential investors. She attended every networking event she could, even when she felt emotionally exhausted.

One evening, at a tech conference, she gave an impromptu demo of her platform to a small group of attendees. One of them happened to be a venture capitalist looking for exactly the kind of software Emma had been developing. He stayed afterward to ask questions, offered her mentorship, and eventually provided the funding she needed to scale her business.

Was meeting that investor luck? Maybe. But it was also Emma showing up, working through her challenges, and pouring her heart into her vision every single day—even when it felt impossible. See, luck, these opportunities find you when you’re in the water, not sitting on the shore.

Adversity: Breaking or Elevating You

Here’s the raw truth: adversity will hit you. Hard. It’s the fight with a friend you never saw coming, the business that falls apart, the relationship you thought would last forever but didn’t. And when it does, you’ll have a choice. You can let it break you, leave you bitter, or you can let it elevate you.

The thing about adversity is that it’s a magnifying glass. It shows you who you are and what you’re made of. Are you willing to rebuild when everything feels lost? Can you find meaning in the mess? It’s in those moments that you grow into someone who can handle the bigger waves life throws later on.

Vignette: The Business Owner Who Rose Again

There’s a winery I advised some years ago, let’s call them Riverstone Estates, nestled in the heart of Margaret River. For years, they were known for their premium cabernet sauvignons and chardonnays, had a loyal following. But as the business grew, they started expanding their product range—adding sparkling wines, fortified wines, and even a limited line of experimental rosés. Before long, they were juggling too many SKUs, struggling to maintain quality and consistency. Rising production costs and operational inefficiencies began to erode profits, and long-time customers started gravitating to competitors who stayed focused on their signature offerings.

The owner, Claire, realised something had to change. After conducting a thorough cost-benefit analysis, she made the difficult decision to streamline the wine range, eliminating underperforming products to refocus on their flagship reds and whites. But Claire didn’t stop there—she also saw an opportunity to innovate. At the time, WA’s craft beer scene was exploding, and Claire decided to use the freed-up resources to create a premium craft beer line under a new label, complementing their established wine reputation while reaching a broader audience. The lesson here is always streamline first. Innovate second.

The shift wasn’t without challenges. Craft beer required new equipment, a dedicated brewing team, and a distinct marketing strategy to differentiate the new product from their wines. But Claire approached it strategically, leveraging Riverstone’s existing relationships with local distributors, building a loyal customer base, alongside a new venue. Soon, their craft beer took off and is now national, providing what is now a strong additional revenue stream and it revitalised their brand.

The Dive Is the Reward

Here’s the kicker: the pearl isn’t really the point. It’s the dive. It’s about who you become while braving the waters—the courage, resilience, and perspective you gain. Sure, you might find the pearl, but by then, you realise it’s the journey that mattered all along.

Ray Dalio, the billionaire investor and philosopher of sorts (in his book, Principles) talks about life as a constant feedback loop. You dive, you fail, you learn, and you dive again. Adversity isn’t the enemy—it’s the teacher. Every time you dive, you grow. Every time you grow, you’re better prepared for the next wave.

Final Thought: Let the Waves Shape You

Whether it’s in life, business, or a quiet personal struggle, remember this: adversity will come, but it’s not here to destroy you. It’s here to shape you, to show you who you can become if you let the waves work their magic.

You might not find a pearl every time, but if you dive with heart, you’ll find something even better—a stronger, wiser version of yourself. And maybe, just maybe, that’s the real reward.

Keep diving,

TK