"You're Not Built For This"

The Power of Being Underestimated

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"Everyone thought I was stupid—even my own mother said that at one point. No one believed in me." -an Executive

These words came from an executive who worked incredibly hard to be part of an early stage company. Years later, he achieved a life-changing exit, secured generational wealth, and now he never has to worry about finances again. Not bad for a “stupid” kid, eh? He transformed others' dismissal into his driving force, and worked incredibly hard to rise.

If you look, these stories are everywhere—telling of those who rise from harsh beginnings, and use others' underestimation as fuel. While being underestimated cuts deep early on, many successful people will never let it define them. Instead, they look at it through a different lens, and take charge of their outcomes…easy to say, hard to do.

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Over time, being underestimated is something that many people need to reckon with. And if they’re smart, they’ll use it to their advantage—whether in negotiations, advancing their career, or building companies.

If you’ve ever been underestimated, here’s a new way to think about it, and some real talk on how to use it to really knock it out of the park.