Your Social Is Impressive. Your Legacy Is Bullshit.

On that creative hustle since 1991.

Let’s be honest. You see my Instagram and it’s great. It’s a pretty fab life in NYC, and I built every single piece of it myself. That's the "cool" part. It’s the highlight reel. The part that doesn’t matter and that part that is bullshit.

What that 3-second IG story doesn't show you is the other 86,397.

It doesn't show the 3 a.m. obsessions, going down random rabbit holes to research unknown brands, people, concepts, failures or global legacies no one has ever heard of. It doesn't show the stacks of books I devoured in my life to educate myself. It doesn’t show me finding bugs in the WERULE app when I have -10% energy left. It doesn't show the decade of hustling when no one was watching.

And most of all, it doesn’t show the gut-wrenching, soul-leveling work of making the really hard decisions—like cutting away the losers and the users to protect my energy. It doesn’t show you my horrific and painful past as a kid. Now, I am living the dream, but childhood was almost pure hell (story for another day).

The profile shows the wins (and not even all of them). It doesn't show the fight. And my reality is this: I wake up every single damn day, and I fight. Hard.

Our culture is drowning in performance. We are saturated with "founders" who are just faking it, people who are more in love with the idea of being an entrepreneur than the grueling, thankless reality of the work. They are playing a part, wearing the costume, and they are doing it all so they can look "cool" on a platform that doesn't care about them.

They're not building a business. They're building a profile. And a profile is a fragile, hollow thing. The people with the coolest photos are the biggest users and users. They’re the most insecure and empty people who can’t handle other’s success.

Royalty users to be born, now it’s made. It’s something one of my soul mentors Gianni Versace said. It’s the truth.

The Seduction of the Profile

Why do so many people do it? Because it’s easy. It’s a quick, cheap dopamine hit. You post a picture from a chic working space, add some BS about being a founder, and you get a small rush of validation. You have randos applauding you and you feel like a special snowflake.

The "pretender" is easy to spot. They talk more than they listen. They “network”, but they don't build. They mimic the language of success without understanding the sacrifice of it. Then, when people around them succeed, they explode.

And the truth is, most of them are faking it because they are deeply insecure. They are acting from a place of unhealed, past trauma, desperately seeking the external validation that they think will finally make them whole. They think a "like" is a stand-in for love, and a "follow" is a substitute for respect. It’s not. They think they’re better than you and you believe them. It’s just bullshit.

The 20-Year Gamble

This isn't a game for the faint of heart. This is a question of endurance.

So many people give up after a few years because the likes didn't come, the funding didn't land, or the "win" wasn't as fast as they thought. They were never really in it; they were just trying on the identity. They just wanted the wins without putting in the damn work, which is non negotiable.

So, I have a real, no-bullshit question for you: If someone told you that you would have to gamble 20 or 30 years of your life on your vision before you "made it," would you still do it?

Think about that. Not one year. Twenty.

I once told myself, about 10 years ago, that if someone gave me a sandwich a day and a place to sleep, then I would say yes to doing it for the next 20 years. Guess what, I’m in.. in and in. For life. WERULE is my mission and good luck telling me otherwise.

If your answer to that question is anything but an immediate, visceral "duck yes, sign me up," then you don't have what it takes. And that's okay. Go get a job. But stop pretending. Stop cluttering the space with your noise.

This journey is for the ones who can't not do it. You’re not worse than them for quitting. It’s just not your journey. Stop pretending.

I’m 10 years into my mission at WERULE. I keep going. I don't give up. I keep fighting, I keep moving, I keep improving, I keep growing—spiritually, intellectually, and skillfully. Because my "why" is not attached to an outcome; it's attached to the process.

The 99% The Invisible Architecture of a Legacy

The "fab" 1% you see on Instagram is built on a "99%" foundation of invisible, unglamorous, and often lonely work. This is the real hustle. This is the "invisible architecture" of a legacy.

It’s not just "long hours." It’s the brutal, disciplined work of:

• Devouring Knowledge: Actually reading the books, not just posting their covers. Educating yourself on spirituality, growth, finance, strategy, and leadership so you actually know what you're talking about. It’s all about building yourself up and fixing all the bullshit mindset your past taught you. This is the hardest work you will ever do, but it’s the. most important. Without it you’re just a pretender.

• The Spiritual Grind: Taking care of your soul. Meditating. Going to therapy. Telling your friends about your trauma. Doing the deep, internal work to heal your own trauma so you don't project it onto your team or your brand.

• The Hard Decisions: This is the real gut-check. It’s the courage to fire people who aren't a fit. It’s the strength to walk away from a "bad money" deal. It’s the brutal, soul-leveling task of cutting away the losers and the users who drain your energy, copy you, envy you, and dim your light, even if they're people you once loved.

This is the work. It’s not "sexy." You can't post it on Instagram. But it is the only thing that matters.

The Unapologetic Creed

In a world of fakes, being authentic is the most provocative, baddie move you can make.

It takes balls to be you, unapologetically. It takes balls to say "no" to the things that don't align with your soul. It takes balls to choose the 20-year gamble over the 2-year performance.

This is the real work. Are you pursuing what you actually love, or are you just doing bullshit to look cool on Instagram?

This is the dividing line. The fakes will feel attacked by this. The real ones will feel seen.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the main difference between building a "legacy" and a "profile"?

A "profile" is built for external validation and short-term attention, often seen on social media. A "legacy" is built from an internal, purpose-driven mission, requires long-term resilience, and is focused on the real, often unglamorous work of building something that lasts.

Why do so many new entrepreneurs fail?

Many are in love with the idea of being an entrepreneur, not the work. When faced with the reality that success can take decades of sacrifice, resilience, and navigating failure, those who lack a deep, authentic "why" are the first to give up.

What is the "real hustle" of a successful founder?

The "real hustle" is the 90% of the work that is invisible. It’s not just long hours; it's the constant, disciplined commitment to personal growth: reading, learning, developing new skills, and the deep emotional and spiritual work of building resilience and protecting your energy.