Built in Repetition

By: Jonathan Briscoe

“The expert in anything was once a beginner.” – Helen Hayes

Experience rarely announces itself. It doesn’t arrive with ceremony or clarity. More often, it unfolds quietly through repetition, observation, and the subtle transformation that comes from simply showing up. The beauty of experience is that it quietly rewires you.

That reality came into focus recently as I stood inside a rodeo arena, watching my three kids each take their turn in a mutton busting competition. My oldest son was making his third-year ride. My middle child followed, braving his second year. And then our youngest, she climbed onto that sheep for the very first time. She rode with the confidence of a seasoned veteran!

It wasn’t strictly bravado because she clearly does not lack that quality. It was familiarity.

She had seen her brothers go before her. She had watched the nerves, the falls, the recovery. She knew what to expect, not because she’d done it, but because she’d been near it.

Somehow, that proximity became its own kind of preparation.

We see it in business, too. The first time vocalizing your deal may sound clunky. The first time leading a team may be nerve wracking.

A banker in their first loan committee meeting may second guess everything. But the second time gets a little better, and eventually a rhythm is found. What used to rattle you becomes second nature.

There’s something powerful about simple exposures, something that repetition teaches us that strategy alone cannot. Whether you’re leading a team, structuring a deal, or starting something from the ground up, it’s the accumulated weight of quiet experiences that often builds the strongest instincts.

We may not always realize it in the moment, but the reps matter. The small, repeated exposures shape our thinking, reduce hesitation, and refine our judgment. Eventually, what once felt daunting becomes a rhythm we carry without even noticing.

Veterans aren’t born, they are built, over time, with scars and stories to prove it. The ones worth following have been bucked off more than once, yet still show up for the next ride. Before you know it, you’ll be the one others are watching, wondering how you make it look so easy.

I will leave it with this: How often in our careers and life do we confuse inexperience with incapacity?