This is Nicholi.

He's very affectionate and really likes being pet... he's also smart and crafty.

When he wants attention, he approaches it from many angles.

First, he comes close and waits for me to initiate petting. If that doesn't work, he meows to indicate he's there, in case I missed it. If that doesn't work, he climbs on top of me. If that doesn't work, he softly taps me 3 times. If that doesn't work, he taps me again — this time with claws out. Finally, he starts ramming his head into me.

He never tries once and gives up. And he never tries the same thing five times in a row, either. He escalates. He adapts.

Here's what I think we can steal from Nicholi:

1. Persistence beats a single attempt.
It's so easy, as an entrepreneur, to try something once — a Reels strategy, a newsletter format, an ad — not see instant results, and declare "that doesn't work for me." Most marketing tactics need repetition before you can actually judge them. One meow isn't a failed strategy. It's step one.

2. Escalate, don't repeat.
Nicholi doesn't meow 47 times in a row hoping the 47th lands differently. He switches tactics. If email open rates are flat, the fix usually isn't "send more emails exactly like the last one" — it's changing the subject line style, the send time, the format, or the offer. If a launch post isn't landing, try a different angle: a behind-the-scenes photo instead of a straight announcement, a poll instead of a statement, a story instead of a stat.

3. Don't take it personally.
When something doesn't work right away, Nicholi doesn't spiral into "nothing works" and give up on getting attention altogether. He doesn't post about his failures. He just tries again, slightly differently, completely undeterred.

Nicholi would make a great author and business owner. Low ego, high persistence, always adjusting.

Where in your business could you use a little more Nicholi? A marketing channel you gave up on too fast? A tactic you've been repeating without adjusting?