Most visitors take the train up to Machu Picchu, the site of rugged mountains and sweeping Incan ruins.

But once in a while, some brave soul makes the hike.

That is, they spend four to five days climbing the steep Incan trail, carrying tents, food, and everything else on their backs.

The journey’s gorgeous, not to mention excruciating… but those who make it savor victory in a way that no train rider ever will. They’ve hiked, not commuted, to Machu Picchu.

And while that time on the peak is straight-up euphoric, the weariest hiker knows when it’s time to gear up, find the trail, and start on down.

No one stays at the summit forever.

There’s a whole return journey waiting for us… one that we don’t want to even think about.

And like it or not, there’re people counting on us to make it back down.

Screaming in the Station Wagon

Odds are, you’re no tourist.

Whether you’ve started your own business, broken ground on a construction site, or employed hundreds of thousands of people, you’ve climbed a mountain or two.

So you know, as we do, that once you’re up in victory heights—where the air is clear, and all-knowing insight bubbles up like a fountain—something inside you wants to stay.

We’ve all seen the screaming child. That one who fights against going to that new, frightening thing called summer camp, only to find out it ain’t half bad… and then starts throwing elbows when it’s time to go back home.

If we’re talking about fear, hesitation, and that return journey we’d rather not take, a screaming child’s not a bad spirit animal.

And for good reason.

Who wants to return to a world of pain and trouble?

Who wants the thankless task of bringing insight, a higher calling, and hard-won truth to yet another cage match?

Just like every movie hero who refuses the invitation for ridiculous reasons, we wobble, rationalize, make excuses. We let inertia keep our ass on the couch.

After all, it’s not like anyone needs the best version of ourselves or the insights we’ve won along the way to our incredible victory.

Perhaps we get stuck in a fixed mindset, one that devalues our ability to grow, adapt… and break old beliefs with a tire iron.

Or we doubt that going back will bring any real change.

Maybe it will… maybe it won’t.

But if we refuse to take that return journey, we’ll never know.

Meanwhile, we’ll atrophy. We’ll waste hard-won victory and let down those counting on us to bring the treasure home.

Like every step in the hero’s journey, this reluctance to go back and apply what we’ve learned has a pattern… and a name.

Refusal of the Return.

And most movies leave it out.

When Spiderman, Wolverine, or even Han Solo kill the bad guy, master themselves, and step up that higher calling, we cut right to end credits… and miss a badass part of the story!

Turning in the Badge and Gun

In crime dramas, there’s always a scene when the lone wolf turns in his badge and gun. It comes late in the story… right when he’s hot on the trail of some menacing killer, the otherwise lawful hero goes a little too far.

Having pissed off the authorities, he moves to forbidden territory, where there’s less protection, more resistance, and greater consequences for failing.

And he keeps on going—rules be damned.

It’s the moment we’ve waited for, the turn where we’ll lean in closer and see what our hero’s really made of… on a return journey that goes right through the underworld.

Author Steven Pressfield argues that this is the moment that makes or breaks a hero: “If he or she were to back off at this moment, we would hurl tomatoes at the screen. We want our protagonist to be all-in, hell or high water, do or die.”

And he’s right.

We may not be Dirty Harry, but once in a while, we face a similar choice.

Quit while we’re ahead, or turn in that badge and gun.

While it takes wisdom to see choices for what they really are, sometimes the way forward is obvious. Going back down the mountain means more painful growth.

But if that path means bringing our unrealized potential to a hungry world, and ultimately empowering those around us… what are we waiting for?

Dare’s Big Picture

Going back to Dare Capital—and to the times we’ve slid and stumbled on our own way back—what’s the takeaway?

Intentions matter.

Whether it’s navigating the finer details of lending, factoring, or ABL… or just staying calm in the thick of some new storm, we keep ourselves and our clients grinding because there’s a higher calling.

Striving to be the best guide we can.

For us, it’s all about sharing resources, not just money. It’s about sharing experience and know-how—not to mention our picture of the map.

We’ve been there, we’ve returned, and we’re ready to bring our ‘boon’ back to you.

One of our niches is construction.

When you’re lending and working with people who are building things or knocking them down with a wrecking ball, there’re certain risks that come with the territory.

Our lending system, enhanced by technology, addresses those risks and sees you through them.

You can’t not be better off by becoming our client… and P.S. it ain’t easy money to get.

Our other niche market is a white label product for capital providers, who want to wade into our business. Over billions of dollars and thousands of clients, we’ve learned a few things and brought a few lessons to bear for our partners.

So… our core value of ‘Further and Onwards’ is our talisman, and a reminder to keep going, come what may.

There is always more to learn, more treasure to carry down the mountain.

We hear the words of Carol S. Dweck in her groundbreaking book ‘Mindset’ where she reveals the differences between a Fixed and a Growth mindset.

A Fixed mindset means stopping… guarding because everything’s already set in stone. But a Growth mindset shows that it’s all about effort and the intention behind that effort.

We intend to grow.

That means we’re learning from challenges, embracing problems.

We see clearly what we need to… and when it’s time to start the long trek home, we get moving.

Looking for an Ally?

Look no further.

Whether you’re starting some new climb, scrambling for the summit, or just looking to lay your claim and get to work, you’re probably what we’re looking for.

You don’t need a gun and badge to give us a shout!