I’m going to say it because it needs to be said: people are legit even when they don’t have little blue checkmarks that some random platform gives out.

Or when they have less than a certain amount of followers. On ANY given social platform.

I’m also going to say this: that the opposite can be true, too!

People aren’t always legit just because they have blue checkmarks. Or lots of followers.

I’m just here to tell it like it is.

Don’t judge a book by its cover. Or its blue check.

No one gets to decide if you’re “legit” but you.

Going to share a little story with you now; a very, very relevant one, in fact.

A while back, I was working with the Teachable app and someone in their ranks must have identified my account as being someone with some “influence”. I think that they saw that I held a degree, and that I was growing something. Maybe they saw my name in one of the media outlets in which I have appeared.  They had recognized the potential to work together, and so they set up a meeting with a “higher up”.

I logged into that meeting excitedly, because this was a completely new realm for me (this was a few years back), and I was stoked to know that my work had been noticed, and that I could potentially work with a bigger, more successful brand.

But lo and behold, the excitement melted right off.

I could tell, as our conversation moved along, that the person on the other end was weighing me based solely on my numbers.

Now please understand this (I’m stressing it): I can’t really blame her. I understand how the game works. I didn’t have millions of followers. Heck, I don’t even think I had tens of thousands at the time.

But guess what? I had an idea. And it was a damn good one.

I also had drive.

And perseverance.

And I had a community of people that were following my lead.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t necessarily think that anyone is kicking themselves quite yet, for not having worked with me, or giving me a chance. Hell, I don’t know if that’s ever going to happen, where some personalities are involved.

I’m not upset at having had the door slammed on my face, either. That’s the way business works.

Two or more sides pitch working together. They size each other up to decide if it’s worth their time, based on various factors (read my “How Much Should I Be Paid For My Speaking” for more on this). Sometimes it’s fruitful. Other times, as in my case here, one side thinks that it’s not. And sure, sometimes they both walk away (and maybe return at a later date).

Here’s what I do know.

There’s talent everywhere.

There are important voices and messages and ideas around every corner, and behind all kinds of accounts, regardless of where they stand in their “numbers”.

THAT is exactly the basis of why I built SoMeDocs. Because my colleagues – really, really smart people who don’t necessarily have time to play the “numbers” game – deserve to be heard. And because I’m skilled at the digital world, and building things bigger & better, it’s exciting to do this here for them.

So listen, if you’re that person – the one that’s reaching for the stars – keep going. Don’t let a door that slammed in your face discourage you from twisting the handles of others. The more doors you try to open, in fact, where it comes to the online world, the better your chances of growing (and even increasing those “numbers”).

This advice holds true not only for my doctor colleagues, but also for my children and their friends. You are so much more than a number. Believe in yourself and keep pushing. The rest will come.