It took over 1,500 Broadway performances of Jersey Boys for me to finally see it, an odd fact when you consider I am Italian-American and grew up in New Jersey. But see it I did recently and like so many others, found it wildly entertaining.

That’s the fan of Four Seasons music in me talking, the one who was in the moment with the acting, the unfolding story and the overall crackly atmosphere that is part of being at a Broadway show.

But then there is the life coach in me, the one who marvels at the persistence of those aspiring young men who eventually made it big. It brought to mind one of the intrinsic challenges of being a life coach. One day a prospective client comes to you with a goal -- dream? -- and it is your job to encourage him and help him create a plan to make it happen.

For me that encouraging part comes naturally. Someone recently called me a “can-do” coach and that is an apt descriptor. The question then becomes, what is the timeframe on the goal? If there are glimmers of progress along the way, it is easier to instinctively keep encouraging the client to move in that direction. However, what if he is continually coming up against dead ends? Doors are slammed. Leads go nowhere. What do you do?

For the record, I don’t believe there’s just one answer. It’s a case-by-case situation. As a coach, you look at things like focus, commitment to the idea, the ability to weather disappointment, and belief it can happen. That part isn’t always black and white.

So I can’t help but ask myself what I would have done if I was coaching Tommy DeVito -- one of the original Four Seasons -- and, between carousing and crime, he was hell-bent and determined to be part of a successful singing group. Perhaps I would have been heartened by his unwavering persistence that produced a variety of group names, sounds and venues. According to Wikipedia, “Frankie Tyler, Frankie Valley, Frankie Valley and the Travelers, Frankie Valle and the Romans, The Village Voices, and The Topics are some of the 18 ‘stage names’ used individually or collectively by the members of the group.”

From roughly 1953 to 1962, they were in a mode where they kept throwing things against the wall to see what sticks. For those keeping score at home, that’s nearly a decade! This was really driven home in the play, as there are 14 songs in the program before the ever-popular “Sherry,” which is the first one performed by what came to be – finally -- known as the Four Seasons. Their popularity exploded from there, but that didn’t mean there weren’t plenty more challenges.

The bigger point is, how many of us know people who keep trying things because they think their ship is about to come in? Family members? Friends? Or is it once-but-now-former friends? How many of us sustain belief in these ambitious people and how many of us lose patience and faith? How do we know the difference between a “dreamer” and one who is going to make that dream a reality at all costs?

The answer is we don’t. There may not be an actual formula, but I think it’s pretty safe to say that persistence is a running theme in success stories. Each time I’m with a client, I am gauging and nurturing that persistence. I don’t balk at slides backward in enthusiasm or energy because that comes with the territory. A sustained effort won’t be without its bumps.

One of the goose bump-raising moments in Jersey Boys is when, after much buildup, they perform “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You.” Guitarist/keyboardist/composer Bob Gaudio, pretty much the brains behind the operation, pushes and pushes for that song because he so believes it will be a hit. It’s a case of persistence breeding success, then increased confidence, then more persistence and, well, you get the idea. The cycle just continues.

The same sort of steadfastness is woven through the plot of Walk The Line, the 2005 film about the story of the life of Johnny Cash. The rough spots are very rough and the triumphs are oh so sweet, but the lure of money and fame and the challenges of being a married artist are illuminating. Imagine trying to nurture a loving relationship when your spouse is looking for something traditional, but as a creative you must constantly strive to crank out more and find the right sound and get it to the right people. It can be tenuous.

The message, I suppose, is this: If you believe in what you’re doing, persist and then persist some more. It’ll increase the chance that there’s a ship out there with your name on it. But be prepared for some roadblocks along the way.

Nancy Colasurdo is a practicing life coach and freelance writer. Her Web site is www.nancola.com. Please direct all questions/comments to FOXGamePlan@gmail.com.