You will never make it on your own

As a society, we love the narrative of someone pulling themselves up by their boot straps and clawing their way to the top without assistance. We celebrate people with gritty resolve - people who were told “no” a million times and still persisted. Personally, I think that obsession is due to the fact that we want to believe we are capable of achieving incredible things, so long as we simply believe in ourselves and put in the work. Think Luke Skywalker from Star Wars. 

The reality is very different. 

In my experience, nothing can be achieved without an incredible amount of support. It makes me crazy to see people advertising that they did something all on their own. I think it does a disservice to the people in their life who helped them to accomplish something great. We all want to be like Luke, but it is vital to remember that without Obi Wan and Yoda, Luke would still be a demoralized moisture farmer. 

It is important to note that support and adversity can coexist. Just because someone has support does not mean that they have not faced challenges. I have faced plenty of challenges throughout my life and career, and I can admit that my knee-jerk reaction is often to think Fine, I’ll just do it on my own. But when the rubber meets the road, when it comes to actually sitting down and getting something done, I have never once been alone. 

The support in my life has come from both professional teams and personal networks. I am constantly amazed and impressed by the people I work with. I think it is harmful to assume that founders care more about their companies than anyone else. Throughout my career I have had the privilege of working with some incredibly talented people who undoubtedly care about the company as much if not more than I do. I happily share the glory of success with them because without them, I could not have built and sold what I did. Personally, I lean on a lot of people. My family provides an emotional respite from the stresses of a high-stakes career, and friends allow me to bounce ideas off of them and often offer invaluable insight. I have not made it to where I am today on my own. I don’t believe that anyone could. 

The next time you catch yourself celebrating something that you achieved “all on your own,” take a moment to really consider the people in your life who helped you to get there. They were behind you the whole time, I guarantee it.