Question is– which one will you be today?

As a business owner, your goal should be to piss off the wrong people.

The people who don’t really want to get what you’re saying anyway. Those who are too tangled up in their own subconscious emotions that they’d rather use you as a deflection tactic to hate on what you’re doing rather than face their own feelings of inadequacy. You’d never convince them to hear you out. They’re not ready to listen.

But the right people? They will absolutely love what you have to say. They shake their heads “yes” at every point you make. They stop what they’re doing when they get a new email from you just to see what you have to say this week. They become fanatical fans because they feel that you understand who they are. They identify themselves through you.

That’s why you should be force-feeding the world exactly what you think about it and all the people in it. You should be shouting it from the nearest toll booth. Declaring it to all who will listen. Unapologetically standing up and representing your thoughts no matter how beautiful or horrific to others.

Having a polarizing opinion will not diminish your credibility like most of us tend to believe– it actually does the opposite. People are drawn to unapologetic thought leaders who say the things everyone else is too afraid to say.

They are in awe and amazement when you have the courage not to care what blowback you may get and choose that discomfort for the opportunity to state your truth. And the very fact that you are willing to stand up automatically sets you apart as the one percent of the one percent of the population. It’s the one thing that will get you seen as an expert and authority faster than anything else.

But there’s a trick– your hardest hitting opinions should be delivered as a bat signal for a powerful purpose. They should not be used as a weapon to complain or whine. This is important to get right. People don’t want to follow whiners, they want to follow leaders. And leaders have the discernment and wisdom to determine what is fair and right and just. Don’t use your power as a whip to beat down others. Use it as a torch to light the way for them to follow you.

Because in the end, you’re not trying to figure out what other people think. You’re trying to figure out what YOU think so you can stand up and say it. The right people will love and follow you for that.

Failing to stand up is what makes you a coward.

But risking any possible fallout so that your message saves your people is what makes you a hero.