The Ultimate Underdog Tool

That turns pain into glory

Read time: 4 minutes

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Why Perspective is Your Most Valuable Asset

When it rains outside, the pessimist groans about their plans being ruined.

The optimist smiles, thankful that the crops are watered.

But the entrepreneur? 

They’ve already turned the weather into an opportunity. Maybe they sold the world’s best raincoat and are now dancing in the storm, soaking up not just the rain but the fruits of their relentless drive for success.

The point is: Your worst day is someone else’s best.

Now you’ve probably been told a thousand times that the odds are stacked against you.

‘You’re too small, too inexperienced, too much of a nobody to make it’ – the timid soul cries.

‘The Goliaths have already won, so you may as well stay in your corner’.

Listen David: The only thing stacked against you is your mindset.

The answer?

Reframing. 

It’s the ultimate cheat code and it works in every situation.

It’s the underdog’s most lethal weapon. 

It’s the reason why one person’s obstacle is another person’s launchpad.

It’s the essence of entrepreneurship.

In hard times you don’t have the luxury to complain like the pessimist or naively hope like the optimist.

You have to create your reality.

And reframing is how you do it.

Now, let me tell you a short story about a young entrepreneur.

Stress Isn't the Enemy, It's the Doorway

Tobi Chapman, a founder of an email marketing agency I’ve been advising, recently asked me to jump on a call. He was worn out and stressed like you wouldn’t believe.

As a fast-growing start-up suddenly he finds himself juggling hiring, managing clients, sales, marketing and accounting all at once.

Just 3 months ago, his only stress was trying to win new business.

Now he’s overwhelmed by the success he initially craved.

This is where reframing comes in.

I looked at him dead in the eye and said, “Remember Tobi, this is exactly where you wanted to be”.

The very stress you’re feeling now is the result of the success you fought tooth and nail to bring into reality.

Reframing is not about denying stress or hardship.

It’s about flipping the narrative so that what feels like a weight dragging you down becomes the fire pushing you forward.

When Life Kicks You in the Teeth, Ask "What's the Alternative?"

Now let’s talk about rejection.

• Clients bail

• Deals fall through

• Life turns its back on you.

You’re on your knees, staring at a mountain of "no's," wondering if you’ll ever hear a "yes."

Welcome to entrepreneurship.

I’ve been there. Rock bottom, staring into the abyss after I left my last agency, Alpha Inbound with suicidal thoughts.

I left a CEO position, left America, and was standing on the precipice of the unknown, about to start David to Goliath.

I thought to myself, "What’s the alternative?

Mediocrity? Safety? A slow, agonizing fade into irrelevance?

Every time I’ve asked myself that question, the answer has always been a resounding NO!

Because every setback is a setup - if you so choose. 

You’re not losing; you’re learning how to strike harder, faster, stronger. 

This is the moment that separates those who talk from those who take action.

For Tobi, the choice was simple: he could give up, go back to a "safe" life, or lean into the chaos and rise. 

And it’s the same for you. 

Are you going to crumble, or are you going to turn every punch life throws into the fire that fuels your next move?

Reframing is a mechanism that turns rock bottom into a trampoline.

That drags you out of the pity party and drops you into the driver’s seat of your life.

Control the Controllables

In a few years, you won’t even remember 90% of the problems you're sweating over today.

The stress. The rejection. The doubt. It’ll be a distant memory, one of those "man, I can’t believe I was so stressed about that" moments.

But that doesn’t mean you sit back and do nothing.

Hope isn’t a strategy. 

Vision boards don’t meditate themselves into existence.

Reframing doesn’t absolve you from action; it pushes you toward it.

Control the controllables, and let fate handle the rest.

When I hit my lowest point, I didn’t wait for a miracle. I moved. I started this newsletter. I reached out to the people who fired me up. I controlled the few things I could, and slowly, I built momentum.

Slowly but surely, the storm began to pass.

But not because the world changed—because I reframed my situation, and I took action based on that new perspective.

For Tobi, that means diving headfirst into the very chaos that is stressing him out. 

Hiring faster. Delegating more. Becoming the business owner he always knew he could be and setting his family up for life.

Reframe the stress as a sign of growth, not failure.

The only way out is through.

And the steering wheel is in your hands.

So if you’re stressed ask yourself - “What’s my alternative?”

Because whatever pain you’re facing I can pretty much guarantee it isn’t as bad as that.

Now, the choice is yours.

Choose wisely, friend.

Yours truly,

-Nigel Thomas

P.S. If you wanna check out how I’m putting the above into action and building my personal brand on LinkedIn connect with me Here