Hey, hey! It’s Friday, and you know what that means — time for Friday Bullpen Sessions!

Today’s topic is a critical one. It’s something that I know has touched my life many, many times, and I know it’s impacted a lot of other people too, especially in the business world. I’ve had so many conversations with other folks on this topic, so I thought it was time I addressed it on the show.

So today, Coach Andy is coming at you with some advice. We’re about to sit down and have a heart-to-heart about how you can leave your doubters in the dust.

Here are the facts: We’re all going to face doubters. We’re all going to have people in our lives who feed us negative energy that makes us lose confidence in ourselves and our ability to have a positive impact on the world. A stranger on the internet might leave a negative comment on one of your posts. You might have a sibling or parent who consistently makes you feel discouraged or talentless. If you are an entrepreneur and you are starting a business to make an impact, you are going to meet haters and doubters along the way.

But you don’t have to listen to them. You can prove them all wrong and leave them in the dust by doing this ONE thing! Ready to find out what it is? I’ll tell you in just a minute! But first — I want to share a personal story that I think will lend some useful context for today’s lesson. So grab a pen and some paper and get ready to take notes because today’s episode will change the way you do business! Let’s go!

My High School Baseball Experience

I grew up in a town of about 10,000 people in south-central Wisconsin called Oconomowoc. Fun fact: That’s actually the only town in America with five O’s in its name! And when I was growing up, it was the town where my father was the long-time head coach of the high school baseball team.

When I was little and my dad was coaching my peewee and little league teams, it wasn’t such a big deal. He was the coach, and he also happened to be my dad, but nobody thought much of it. But that changed when I got to high school. Now, I was being coached by someone who had been head coach somewhere for a long time. I was in a totally different arena.

When I was a freshman, my dad moved me up to the sophomore team. I played pitcher, shortstop, and second baseman, but my number one position was definitely pitcher. It was clear that that’s where my skills were, and even as a freshman, I was capable of playing alongside the sophomores.

So at the end of that season, my dad moved me up to the varsity team for the playoffs. Now, he didn’t do that because I was good enough to play on the varsity team yet. He did that because he needed another pitcher as a backup. I’m pretty sure I sat on the bench the whole time we were at the playoffs, and anyway, we didn’t make it very far.

But that set the stage for what happened during my sophomore year. Now, my school had two school papers — one called the Cooney Crier, the official school paper, and one underground paper written by a group of seniors who wanted to publish their editorials anonymously. And right before the spring baseball season started, a group of guys published an article in the underground paper that angrily cut at both my father and me. It basically said, “Coach Neary, if you are even thinking about moving Andy up to varsity, you should resign immediately.”

Those guys absolutely ripped on my talents and abilities. And as a 15 or 16-year-old, I just didn’t have the emotional maturity to let that roll off my back. I cried at the time I saw the article, and I was upset again when I found out that the guys who published that article were guys I’d grown up playing with. They cut right to my heart, and they made me feel incredibly discouraged.

So what did I do? Well, I did get moved up to the varsity team as a sophomore, and I earned first-team all-conference. My performance proved that I was right where I belonged. 

The ONE Thing You Can Do to Get Even with Your Doubters

When those guys cut down my talents and made negative comments about my dad, I was upset for a while, but eventually, I had to get on with my life. I was moved up to the varsity team, and I knew I had to do one thing: prove them all wrong. I had to show everybody that I was worthy of being on the team — not through angry words but through my actions. I showed up on the field, and I pitched at the height of my ability, and I showed my doubters that I was talented.

And that’s my advice to you today: Prove them wrong. Don’t get angry and fire back negative comments. Don’t react out of frustration, fear, or discouragement. Fight back with your actions, and let your incredible performance speak for itself.

If you’re running a business and you’re terrified to post your content on social media — don’t worry about your doubters. You’re inevitably going to meet them. There will be people who leave negative comments on your posts. But you don’t have to let them discourage you. You just have to keep showing up, keep performing to the best of your abilities, and keep making your impact on the world.

And if your doubters are friends, family members, or others in your community — you may not be able to ignore them entirely, but you can continue to grow, and you can prove them wrong with your performance. Show them all your true abilities and keep following your passion. Your doubters won’t know what hit them!

Here’s What’s Changed for Me

In the last 25 years since I was that 15-year-old kid on the baseball team, not too much has changed. Those words I saw printed in that underground newspaper are the same words I see in negative comments on my posts today, but that’s okay. Now, I continue to let those words drive me to have even more success. 

That first article drove me to succeed on the mound in high school, at the University of Wisconsin, and in the Milwaukee Brewers Organization. And the negative words of my doubters today drive me to keep creating a successful business and keep impacting others for the better.

As a business coach, I talk to a lot of people who fear judgment. I have had so many conversations with business professionals who are terrified of using social media to promote the great work that they do because they’re paralyzed by perfection. They believe that to be successful, they have to present a completely perfect image of themselves and that anything less will be a complete failure. But my advice to them is the same advice I’ve given you today: Don’t worry about the haters. Let your performance speak for itself. Show up, work hard, take action, impact lives, and let your doubters watch you succeed.

Here’s the bottom line: When you take action, there are going to be people who cut you down. The truth is, they don’t want to have to look in a mirror, and your actions force them to look at themselves and realize they’re not having the same success that you are. They don’t like it, so they lash out with rude and judgmental words. But you can let those words go. You can keep your mouth shut and let your actions speak for themselves.

Don’t Give Your Doubters Another Thought

Don’t listen to your doubters. Prove them wrong. When you do, you’ll have so many more fans, supporters, and internal happiness. You won’t feel pressure to be perfect or please anybody — you’ll be more successful than you could have dreamed of being, you’ll impact the lives you were meant to impact, and you’ll finally get even with those doubters!

I hope you enjoyed this episode, everyone! If you did, please let me know on Instagram! Share a screenshot with your biggest takeaways, and make sure to tag me, @andy_neary.

And if you have an extra minute today, please leave this podcast a five-star rating and review over on Apple Podcasts. Help us get the word out — every review helps!

Thanks so much for joining me today, guys! Before I go, I want to give you two special offers: Number one, I want to invite you to join my Complete Game Mastermind. This is my coaching program, and it starts in just a few days! Masterminds are a great way to get coaching and put yourself in rooms with other entrepreneurs just like you. You can start building your community and gathering people around you who will support you and your growth.

You can also join my FREE text community! Just text the word “Mindset” to 414-622-1462, and I’ll give you access to a TON of free weekly coaching. If you’re not quite ready to take the plunge and join the Complete Game Mastermind, this text community is a great way to see if my coaching might be right for you.

Until next time — prove them wrong with your performance. Go make it happen today.

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