Success leaves clues, but they’re not always the ones people expect. After years of working with entrepreneurs who actually made it, Adam Graham spotted patterns that had nothing to do with business plans or funding rounds. Adam’s seen enough wins and losses to know the difference between what sounds good and what works. Now, as founder and CEO of JustFix, he’s boiled it down to three traits that keep showing up. They’re not complicated, but they’re not easy either.
Resilience
Nobody talks about the hard days enough. That’s why Adam puts resilience at the top of his list. “For me, resilience is non-negotiable as a founder,” he explains. Business throws curveballs – that’s just how it works. Adam’s seen enough ups and downs to know that success isn’t about avoiding problems. “Life’s always going to throw you setbacks, business is never plain sailing,” he points out. “It’s how you respond to those setbacks that defines you as a person and will ultimately define the success you achieve in business.”
Growth Mindset
The second trait might surprise people who think they’ve got it all figured out. Adam’s worked with enough successful people to spot a pattern: they never stop learning. “Successful entrepreneurs view themselves as a work in progress,” he notes. “They’re always open to taking on new information, they’re always looking for opportunities to improve themselves.” It’s not just about reading more books or taking more courses. The best entrepreneurs Adam’s worked with have this built into their DNA. When you’re “continually looking to improve yourself and expand your horizons,” he says, “you can do amazing things.”
Positive Attitude
The third trait ties everything together: attitude. Adam’s seen too many people get stuck complaining about problems instead of fixing them. His advice? “Always look for solutions rather than problems.” But it goes deeper than just positive thinking. Success takes work – there’s no way around it. “Taking the initiative, taking responsibility, and making things happen for yourself are absolutely fundamental if you want to be successful in business,” Adam emphasizes. He’s direct about what it takes: “The world does not owe you a favor. You need to get out there, hustle, and make things happen.”
Putting Ideas Into Action
These aren’t just observations from the sidelines. After years of consulting, Adam founded JustFix by putting these principles to work. He’s seen enough success stories to know what works, and enough failures to know what doesn’t.
The patterns he’s noticed aren’t complicated, but they’re not easy either. Resilience keeps you going when things get tough. A growth mindset keeps you learning when others get comfortable. And a solution-focused attitude keeps you moving forward when others get stuck. These three traits – resilience, a growth mindset, and a positive solution-focused attitude – show up again and again in successful entrepreneurs. They’re not flashy, but they work. And in business, results matter more than theory.
For entrepreneurs wanting to build these qualities, Adam offers ongoing support through his newsletter, The Growth Mindset. It’s where he shares weekly tips on personal, financial and business growth. But he knows the real work happens in the day-to-day grind of building something worthwhile.
Adam keeps it simple because simple works. Show up, keep learning, solve problems. Do that long enough, and good things tend to happen. It’s not always easy, but nothing worth doing ever is.
To learn more about Adam Graham and JustFix, check out his LinkedIn profile or visit his website.
