Any work that’s worth doing has its challenges as well as its opportunities. That’s true if you’re running a business, it’s true if you’re trying to help on a campaign.

Fiorina frames difficult work as inherently dual-natured: it brings both obstacles and openings. By pairing “running a business” with “help[ing] on a campaign,” she generalizes leadership and civic engagement as comparable arenas where progress requires persistence through setbacks. The quote functions as a motivational realism—rejecting the idea that worthwhile endeavors should be smooth—while also implying that challenges are not merely costs but conditions that create opportunities for learning, innovation, and impact. It encourages listeners to stay engaged when work becomes hard, because difficulty is evidence of significance rather than a sign of failure.