Startups are built on belief, the belief that you can change the world. Maybe not the entire world, maybe not even an entire industry, but at the very least, the world of your niche. Every founder is, in some way, a disrupter. Because if you're not, then what are you really doing? You might as well just be running a franchise.
But as you push forward, you have to ask yourself:
What do you really want this year?
A Simple Ask: A Chance
At the heart of it, every founder, every creator, every person trying to bring something new into the world, just wants a chance. A chance for someone to listen. A chance for someone to believe. A chance to prove that what you're building matters.
But every mission comes at a cost. And that cost is forgiveness.
It’s not until we forgive ourselves, others, even the industry itself, that we truly give ourselves the freedom to start fresh. Grace allows us to move forward. It clears the path for real change.
Lessons from "Better Days"
The Goo Goo Dolls’ Better Days isn’t just about hope, it’s about what really matters. It reminds us that success isn’t found in “boxes wrapped in strings” or empty things. It’s about faith, trust, and peace while we’re alive.
The same applies to startups.
It’s not about chasing external validation, the highest valuation, the flashiest PR, the fastest flip.
It’s about finding what you can truly impact, not what’s trendy, not what everyone else is doing, but what you know, love, and understand.
It’s about the tools we create and the opportunities we give. Just like Better Days reminds us that one poor child can change the world if given the chance, there are millions of brilliant minds out there who could do the same, if only they had the right tools, the right guidance, and the right forgiveness.
Tonight, the World Begins Again
So today, take your words, your mission, your vision, and your forgiveness and remember that this is a new week. This is a new day.
And tonight, in your heart, you can choose to change.
Because no matter where you are in your journey, whether you’re just starting, pivoting, or walking away from something that no longer serves you, you have one simple gift to give:
The ability to make tomorrow better than today.