Building from the Ether
The founder’s journey isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s a rollercoaster powered by sleepless nights, caffeine overdoses, and an almost delusional belief that you can pluck an idea from the ether and turn it into something real. It’s about building with nothing but grit, determination, and a to-do list that grows like a mythological hydra, cut off one task, and three more appear.
You have to rally people around a vision that, at best, is still a work in progress. Make decisions based on incomplete information. Push forward even when the road ahead is a murky soup of uncertainty. It can be overwhelming. But here’s the reality check: You didn’t get here by accident. You are the sum of your experiences, your talents, and your unique brilliance. The real power move? Owning that, embracing it, and, this is critical, not letting internet peanut galleries tell you otherwise.
And here’s a little secret, if people are taking shots at you, congratulations! You now have critics. Guess what? That means you’re doing something right. Nobody aims at a target that doesn’t matter.
The Imposter Syndrome Gremlin: Your Uninvited Dinner Guest
Imposter syndrome is like that oddball relative at Thanksgiving, the one who corners you to explain why birds aren’t real. You didn’t invite them, but suddenly, there they are, ruining the mashed potatoes with existential dread. It whispers, “You don’t belong. Any minute now, they’ll realize you’re just making it up as you go.”
Newsflash: everyone is making it up as they go. That’s called being human.
But here’s the kicker: you didn’t just luck your way into success like a raccoon falling into a dumpster behind a five-star restaurant. You built this. You earned this. And yet, confidence and narcissism are often mistaken for each other. One is a trusty warhorse that carries you forward; the other is a mechanical bull that lets you believe you’re invincible, until you’re airborne.
Social media makes this even murkier. The dopamine hit from likes and shares can trick even the best into believing validation equals value. It doesn’t. True confidence comes from knowing your worth, not from watching the engagement metrics tick up.
And if someone’s calling you out? That’s just proof you’re playing at a level that people notice.
Critics and the Power of "Owning It"
Coming back from MURTEC, I posted a fun photo from the cockpit, a well-earned moment of joy at the end of a relentless 76-hour networking marathon. I had walked 60,000 steps, shot 1.5TB of content, brokered partnerships, made valuable introductions, screened 4 job candidates, interviewed 15 startups, wrote three blogs, laid the foundation for two new business units for Inc Tank GTM, conducted SWOT research, hosted and participated in 3 dinners, 2 lunches and one masterful bout of air guitar to cap it all off. Yet, "The Grinch" swooped in to pass judgement on me by declaring the post as "ridiculous" and in a second entry called it an act of "self-embellishment" all from the relative safety and comfort of his home office. Hmmm
After a perfectly innocent and fun picture came this:
"What value does this bring, oh wait self-embellishment!!! That is something"
For a brief moment, I found myself second-guessing my whole approach... (For a heartbeat) Then I did what any logical person would do: I ran the numbers. That post wasn’t about ego, it was about showing that you can have fun and still be a serious businessperson. More than that, the flight crew had a blast with it. They were so thrilled for the change of pace that they gave me free snack and drinks for the flight and asked me to share the moment with them to promote on the airline's socials.
Additionally, this kind of thing tends to send signals to family and partners alike that "We did great and Pappa's coming home!"
Here’s the thing: I’m wired to turn up the volume, shake the room awake, and build something that actually matters, something bigger than myself. That’s not performance, it’s purpose. And if that makes some people uncomfortable, well, maybe they should ask themselves why that bothers them so much.
Because the real game isn’t just about being seen, it’s about being unmistakable. It’s about building a platform so solid, so damn undeniable, that it follows you everywhere, like a loyal dog or an unpaid intern who still thinks exposure is currency. When you do that, when you show up as your full-throttle, unapologetic self, you don’t just create noise. You create a signal. A beacon for the people who need to find you (Like Incky's glowing antenna?), and a runway for others to take off from.
Pedestals are for statues.
Platforms are for people who move.
Platforms, my friends. Not pedestals.
And if the critics are lining up to take their shots? Fantastic. That means you’re building something worth aiming at.
I learned this early on from my good friend and industry peer Jeremy Julian his podcast, The Restaurant Technology Guys. He didn’t just slap a mic on a desk and start talking into the void, he built a platform where others could tell their stories, share their hard-won insights, and maybe, just maybe, help someone else avoid a faceplant off the entrepreneurial high wire.
That’s exactly what I strive for with Inc Tank GTM, not just another soapbox for shouting into the digital abyss, but a high-powered signal booster for the stories that matter. The ones that challenge, inspire, and shake things up. Because the real magic isn’t in being the loudest voice in the room, it’s in making sure the right voices get heard.
Pattern Interruption: The Art of Being Unforgettable
I grew up watching Cal Worthington, who’d sell you a car alongside "his dog Spot", which was never a dog and frequently a tiger. Then there was Crazy Larry, the electronics salesman always "going out of business" but somehow never actually closing. These men weren’t just marketing. They were creating moments people couldn’t ignore.
That’s the game. Pattern interruption. You don’t capture attention by blending in. You don’t build something memorable by whispering politely into the void. You do it by showing up, shaking things up, and making people feel something.
So when "The Grinch" labeled my post as self-aggrandizing, my response was the most professional version of "Thanks for your opinion, but also, no." Because at the end of the day, I know what I’m doing. And the world has always needed people willing to break the mold.
And if people are throwing tomatoes? Congratulations, you’re on stage.
Giving Credit Where Credit is Due
If I didn’t give a proper shoutout to Shawn P. Walchef, I’d fully expect to be hit by a bolt of karmic irony, probably in the form of an existentially confused seagull mistaking me for a breadstick. Because here’s the thing: when I was stumbling around, trying to figure out if my voice even mattered, Shawn didn’t just give me a pep talk. No, he metaphorically grabbed me by the shoulders, shook me like an Etch A Sketch, and said something close to, "For the love of all that is good and caffeinated, just be you. At full volume. No filter. No permission slip required."
That moment it was as if Shawn strolled up, smacked the warp core with a wrench, and said, "Engage." Suddenly, I wasn’t just in the game, I was hitting Warp Factor 10, which, for the uninitiated, means infinite velocity. As in, I wasn’t just showing up, I was everywhere at once, moving so fast the haters couldn’t even get a good shot in.
And that’s the play, isn’t it? You don’t need validation. You need momentum. You need to do the damn thing. Because the biggest mistake? Sitting around waiting for someone to tell you it’s okay to go all-in. Spoiler alert: It already is.
Following, Community, or Echo Chamber?
There’s a fundamental difference between:
- A following: A crowd of people who listen, watch, and occasionally engage.
- A community: A group of people who collaborate, trust each other, and work toward a shared goal.
- An echo chamber: A reality distortion bubble where a self-proclaimed guru surrounds themselves with sycophants who parrot back their brilliance.
The latter is comfortable, sure. It’s also useless.
Building real influence is about starting conversations that matter, not just gathering a choir of "yes-men."
And if you’re getting pushback? That’s just proof you’re leading, not following.
The Right Metrics: What Actually Matters
A wise person once told me: Don’t take criticism from someone you wouldn’t take advice from.
Sit with that for a moment.
If your audience is growing, engagement is positive, and your work is leading to real business conversations, you’re doing something right. Not everyone will resonate with your approach. That’s fine. They weren’t your people to begin with.
Real metrics aren’t about vanity. Real metrics track growth, engagement, and actual business outcomes. If you’re measuring yourself by anything else, you’re just playing the "look at me!" game. And personally, I’d rather play a game that matters.
The Reality of Showmanship
Let’s be real: anyone in the business of influence is, in some way, a showman. Some do it with raw authenticity. Others craft a persona. The best know how to blend the two.
But beware: not everyone is who they claim to be. Some of our so-called heroes crumble under scrutiny, while others turn out to be exactly who we needed all along.
If you’re stepping onto this stage, building an audience, leading conversations, understand that you are, by default, performing. Just make sure you know the rules before you play.
And if you’re ruffling feathers along the way? Good. That means you’re flying.
"Whether you think that you can, or that you can't, you are usually right." Henry Ford
After all, Dumbo didn’t need the feather. He could fly all along. But sometimes, we all need a reminder that we’ve had the ability within us the entire time. The belief that we can is what makes it possible. So, if you’re out there pushing boundaries, taking hits, and still soaring? You don’t need the feather.
You just need to keep flying.
Now go make some noise.
This edition is for all the Square Pegs, Loudspeakers, Pioneers, Platformers, Promoters, Podcasters, Story Tellers, Agents of Change and those that cannot and will not be ignored...
Thank you for showing me how it's done, thank you for your leadership and thank you for doing what you do!
Jeremy Julian Paul Barron Jimmy Frischling Michael “Schatzy” Schatzberg Julie Zucker 🍔Brian Klinger🍟 Shawn P. Walchef Carl Orsbourn Ashwin Kamlani Amy Hom Josh Halpern Samuel Stanovich 🐔 Troy Hooper 🍽️Zack Oates🍕 🍔🍟🍕🎙 David "Rev" Ciancio Anthony Zaller Kelly Sennatt Esten Phil Crawford Christopher Voss Justin Honaman Noah Glass Sterling Douglass Jay Ashton 🇨🇦🍁 Domenic Pedulla Chrissy Ouellette Danny Klein Angelo Esposito Skip Kimpel Geoff Alexander Justin Ulrich 📢🎙️ Bill Oakley Simon Sinek , Susan Barry Michael Tingsager (MCIPD) David Arraya Dan Ryan Phil Street FIH Chip Klose, MBA Eric Cacciatore Andrew "Kappy" Kaplan Court Allam Meredith James Allie Haskell🎩 Alayna Sullivan Michael Ungaro Matt Wampler Cijoy Olickal Beth Hussey Scott McManigal Lauren Selman, CMP Yaro Tsyhanenko 🟦 Melissa Hughes, Ph.D. 🟦 Christopher Sebes Seth Temko Abigail Lorden Leonhard Angela Diffly Melissa Fahs Marcus Wasdin Victor Go Kendall Ware, CFE Bijan Sami Anthony Presley 🖖 Audrey Hogan ⏳ Paul Rubin Andy Freivogel Shereen Qumsieh Brock Weeks Chris Harrison, MBA Alexandra Clark Kyle Welch Fred LeFranc Shaun Shankel Hamed Mazrouei David Jobe Chon Nguyen Stephen Ribble, EA Lisa Landsman Matt Plapp 🎥 🎤 🍴 📚 David Greschler and everyone else I didn't mention here off the top of my head!
