My old boss told me I'd 'never make it' in this field - stuck with me for 5 years

Back in 2019 I was a junior at a marketing firm in Austin. My boss pulled me aside after a client meeting and said I didn't have the 'creative instinct' for this work. He was a senior guy with 20 years experience. That comment made me second-guess every project I did for almost a year. I ended up switching agencies and getting promoted twice since then. Has anyone else had a manager say something that just hung around in your head way too long?

3 comments

3 Comments

sammoore1mo ago

A buddy of mine had a similar thing happen, his music teacher told him he'd never be a good guitarist. Three years later he was playing small tours around the country and that guy is still stuck teaching middle school. Funny how those comments say more about the person saying them than you.

james_kim1mo ago

College buddy was told by his professor he'd never be a writer, now he edits for a major magazine.

the_xena29d ago

Them old bosses and teachers really got a way of projecting their own limits onto us. It’s like when people constantly complain about traffic being 'so bad' but never notice they're the ones driving slow in the fast lane, you know? They've got this whole narrative in their head about what's possible and they just hand it to you like a gift you never asked for. Same thing happens when someone tells you your idea won't work at work, or that a certain hobby is too hard to learn (like juggling or painting). Their own fear of trying gets dressed up as 'tough love' advice. It’s honestly kind of sad when you step back and see it for what it is.