Let’s get something straight: you are not disqualified.

I don’t care what you’ve done, where you come from, or how messy your past looks. You’re not broken beyond repair. You’re not too late. You’re not too far gone. In fact, your past might just be the most powerful part of your future.

Yeah, read that again.

See, too many entrepreneurs, dreamers, and go-getters are out here, stuck in shame. Paralyzed by guilt. Obsessed with hiding the messy chapters of their story. They think, “Who am I to build a business?” “Who’s going to take me seriously when they find out where I came from?” “I’ve made too many mistakes.”

Let me flip the script for you.

In the Gospel of Matthew, there’s a genealogy, a family tree, that lists the ancestors of Jesus. And let me tell you something: this family tree isn’t exactly squeaky clean.

You’ve got liars, cheaters, outsiders, and some straight-up scandalous characters in there. Tamar, who posed as a prostitute. Rahab, who actually was one. King Manasseh’s list of evil deeds is extensive, including sacrificing his own son. Bathsheba, involved in an affair. King David, a man after God’s heart, who also arranged a murder. That’s just scratching the surface.

And yet, despite all that, God chose to bring greatness through that very line.

Why?

Because God doesn’t need perfection. He needs purpose. He doesn’t disqualify people based on their past. He uses the broken, the flawed, the underestimated, the left-out, and He builds something incredible with them.

"But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong."
— 1 Corinthians 1:27

So, let me talk to the hustler in you. The one who’s trying to level up while still battling self-doubt. Let me talk to the dreamer who keeps questioning if they’re worthy of success. Let me talk to the visionary who's afraid their past will always overshadow their future.

Stop it. Right now!

Your past? That’s your power.

It’s what gave you grit. It’s what taught you resilience. It’s what gave you empathy, hustle, and hunger. It’s the reason you’ve got fire in your chest and fight in your soul. People who’ve never been through anything, can’t lead others through anything. But you? You’ve been tested. You’ve been through the fire, and now you’re being forged by it.

Entrepreneurship, or going after your goals, is not about having a clean record. It’s about having a relentless spirit.

Look around—some of the greatest success stories started from the lowest points. People who came from nothing. People who were written off, counted out, and laughed at. People with addiction in their past. Poverty in their bloodline. Trauma in their childhood. And yet they made it!

Not despite their past, but because of it.

So here’s the mindset shift: Your past isn’t a prison. It’s a passport. It’s the proof that you’ve been somewhere. That you’ve grown. That you’ve survived. And now it’s time to lead with that story instead of hiding from it.

Own your story.

Tell the truth about where you came from. Not for pity, but for power. Because someone out there needs to hear that someone like you, someone real, someone imperfect, someone with scars, made it!

Your mess doesn’t disqualify you. It qualifies you.

It means you’re relatable. It means you’ve got depth. It means you’ve got substance. People don’t follow perfect. They follow real. And the more real you are, the more powerful your impact will be.

So stop apologizing for your past. Start using it.

Build the business. Chase your goals. Share your story. Make the impact.

Because the King came from a so-called “ratchet” family tree, and still changed the world! So what’s stopping you??

Now go make it happen...and Dare To Be Great!

— Manny D. Rosa
Entrepreneur  Author  Coach  Podcast Host