They want you to win (until you do)

I'm writing this poolside at my apartment.

The sun's hitting just right, reflecting off the water and making those little diamond patterns on the concrete.

Some guy across the pool is trying to subtly flex while his girlfriend takes photos. Honestly, I respect the hustle.

I've been thinking a lot about something lately...

Everyone wants you to succeed... but only to a point.

When I first started building my personal brand, I had tons of "supporters."

Friends would like my posts, share my content, and tell me how proud they were.

"Man, it's so cool what you're doing."
"I wish I had the courage to put myself out there like that."
"You're gonna make it big, I can feel it."

Those same people went radio silent the moment I actually started winning.

See, there's a weird psychological shift that happens.

People root for the underdog, the one who's struggling, the one who's "trying their best."

It makes them feel good. It's safe. It's non-threatening.

But the moment you surpass them?

The moment your income doubles theirs?

The moment you move into that nice place in the Gulch while they're still complaining about their roommate situation?

Suddenly you're "lucky" or "privileged" or "selling out."

You become a walking, talking reminder of what they could have done but didn't.

Your existence forces them to confront their own lack of action.

Instead of looking inward and asking why they haven't achieved what you have, they project their insecurities onto you.

"Oh, Grant's just good at talking."
"He probably had connections I don't have."
"He's just in the right place at the right time."

Anything to avoid the painful truth:

I'm not special. I just did the work they weren't willing to do.

I sent the outreach messages when they were scrolling Instagram.

I built systems while they were "planning to start" for the third consecutive year.

I learned from my failures while they were avoiding any possibility of looking bad.

The lesson?

Don't expect the people around you to cheer when you actually win.

The louder your success, the quieter their support will become.

And that's perfectly fine.

Your success isn't about making them comfortable. It's about pushing yourself to become the person you're capable of being.

So keep climbing, even when the cheers fade to whispers.

Keep building, even when the likes and comments disappear.

Keep winning, even when it makes others uncomfortable.

Because the alternative is staying small enough to make everyone else feel good about themselves.

And we both know that's not why you're here.

I'll be at E+Rose tomorrow morning if you want to chat about this more.

Until then, keep winning,

Grant

P.S. If you're tired of playing small to make others comfortable, I can help you build a personal brand that stands out even when others want you to sit down. Let's talk.