On being underestimated.
Something tells me some of you need to hear this today. Because, unfortunately, the world is full of people who are going to doubt you.
I’ve been doubted so many times
On two occasions, I was offered a rather insulting price for my first business, Spunlogic.
The first time, my partners and I, up to our ears in credit card debt, headed down to Florida to meet with a friend’s wealthy father. We were desperate, and he knew it.
So he offered us an insultingly low offer for 50% of our company.
We walked into the other room and talked amongst ourselves for a few minutes, told him that was far too low and countered with something less egregious but still far less than our value, and (THANK THE LORD) he turned us down.
We sulked back to the airport and flew home.
The second time we were offered a very low valuation for our business, this time not by some successful businessman in his Orlando-based condo, but instead by the world’s largest digital marketing agency at the time, I was literally threatened after turning that one down.
Years later, I thought I was getting another offer to buy my agency, this time from the owner of a larger agency in town. Instead, I was told I might be able to be a project manager at the guy’s company one day. The implication being, once I stopped screwing around with my adorable little side-project company, he might hire me. (It was the ‘one day’ that hurt the most on that one, like I wasn’t even qualified at that moment to be a project manager for him.)
48in48—in which we build 48 nonprofit websites in 48 hours—I’ll admit sounds ridiculous. Pretty much every agency leader turned me down that first year, citing the impossibility of the idea.
Even starting Purpose Group in 2023, most said that building profitable companies that stand for good cannot be done. I’m still on the path to proving them wrong.
Overcoming the doubters
What those doubters taught me was to stop comparing myself to others or society’s expectations.
I talked about this in my TEDx talk last year: you need to get really clear on why you’re on this planet (Purpose) and what you want to do with your life (Vision).
Decision-making can get very easy if you know where you are headed and why.
What did I do after the doubting doubters doubted me?
After the first low-ball offer for my business, we got back to work.
Second low-ball offer: we got back to even more work.
That guy who offered me the job as his Project Manager: you guessed it, we got to work with the goal of overcoming his agency, and in two years, we did.
48in48 doubters? We never looked back, and now have built over 1,300 nonprofit websites over the last ten years.
And while we’re still early into Purpose Group, I can’t wait to prove all the doubters wrong and show them, and the world, that for-profit businesses can truly be profitable forces for good.
The Point
I’m not saying to completely block out the doubters. Sometimes they have some good points. Sometimes they care about you and just need to express that.
And sometimes they can provide the motivation you need to kick even more a$$. Because, screw those doubters 😎
But don’t let them stop you from pursuing your dreams.
You’re amazing, and you deserve to do great things, whatever that might mean for you.
I hope you’re happy,
