- Sam Monea
- Feb 5
- 3 min read
That's what she said. Literally.
I was in my early 20s when I decided to start Iron Tanks.
At the time, I was working at Bennettswood Gym, which was on its way to shutting down.
One particular Saturday, in what would end up being my last ever circuit class, some of the members asked what I would do next after the gym closed. I told them I had a side gig in the works and that I planned to start my own business.
I guess that's when the cold, hard reality of entrepreneurship first set in.
One of the women in the class looked me and said, "Oh, that will never work. You’ll be back in full-time employment eventually."
Now, I don’t know what possessed her to say that.
Maybe she had a bad experience with business herself, or maybe she had just watched one too many episodes of Shark Tank and thought she was Kevin O’Leary.
But whatever the reason, I took it personally.
Michael Jordan-style personally.
Use the naysayers. Listen to the skeptics. But most importantly, back yourself.
I’ve thought about her words often over the years. At first, I wondered—why would someone say that so bluntly?
Was it a warning?
Envy?
Just a general lack of tact?
In any case, I hold no animosity towards this person.
In fact, I’d probably thank her for adding more dry tinder to my early ambitions.
Not all doubt is bad doubt.
Over the years, I’ve realised that there are two types of critics who will try to rain on your parade: naysayers and skeptics.
A naysayer doubts you outright. They don’t see the potential, don’t care about the details, and often just assume failure. They tell you it won’t work—not because they’ve thought it through, but because they can’t see past their own limitations.
A skeptic, on the other hand, challenges you with genuine concern. They might point out risks, ask tough questions, or suggest alternative approaches—not because they want to discourage you, but because they want you to think critically.
I’ve had both in my life. Over the years, friends and family have questioned whether a move I was making was the right one.
They weren’t trying to be callous—they were trying to protect me from a costly mistake. Their concerns were valid and well-meaning.
It comes down to understanding what kind of critic you’re dealing with—and, most importantly, not letting negativity or uncertainty stop you.
Perhaps you’re sitting on an idea.
You might have a vision.
Something you believe will be valuable and impactful.
But maybe, deep down, you doubt yourself and your ability.
Maybe it’s a little voice in your head—much like the lady at the gym—telling you, "That will never work."
I always try to remind myself:
The only thing that’s guaranteed not to work is not trying at all.
So, embrace the naysayers. Let them light a fire under you and use their doubt as fuel.
But listen to the skeptics—the people you trust—when they raise a valid concern. Assess it, learn from it, and keep going.
At the end of the day, it’s not the doubters or the critics who matter.
It’s you—the one who steps into the ring and takes the hits. The person willing to try.
This quote from Theodore Roosevelt really recalibrates me whenever that doubt or uncertainty creeps in:
It is not the critic who counts; not the person who points out how the strong person stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the person who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends themselves in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if they fail, at least fails while daring greatly, so that their place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.
