April 1, 2015 - Success is the easiest way to change the narrative

Recently Creative Loafing wrote a short article on the new approach we’re taking with Startup Atlanta.

There’s some skepticism in the piece from both the author and the community. So a few people have asked for my response.

The truth is I’m no stranger to skepticism. In 1995, when I quit my first job at the age of 14 and told my coworkers at Winn Dixie that I was going to start building websites for local businesses they thought I was crazy. I didn’t listen.

I went door to door trying to sell the potential of the Internet to downtown businesses in the small town of Statesville, NC. Within a year, a web site I’d built for a local furniture store was driving just under $1M per year in revenue.

When I moved down to Atlanta eleven years ago at age 23 and opened the doors of Nebo Agency people were skeptical that we could make it. Myself nor Brian had agency experience. We didn’t have a robust list of big brand clients out of the gate. The skepticism was warranted. It didn’t bother me then, and it doesn’t bother me now.

I’ve always been of the opinion that the easiest way to overcome people’s doubts is to do something better than they expected. Succeeding at something is the only surefire way to change the narrative.

Together, we can make an impact in the Startup Ecosystem. We can create shared experiences that connect the community, we can celebrate and promote the great things happening in this city, we can have an impact on policy and we can help inspire a great group of kids in the boulevard corridor that startups are a viable career path.

Once we do those things, the narrative will take care of itself.