A couple of weeks ago, one of my best clients, Charles Swihart, posted a chart on social media that showed how much his MSP grew after joining our program. An an aside, I did not ask him to do this, pay him to do this or even know he was going to do it.
It was delightful until I looked at the comments.
Yeah…but what ELSE was going on in your business that contributed to that? Yeah…your sales grew, but were you PROFITABLE? Yeah…but what else did you change besides just marketing?
As usual, people don’t want to give Charles (or me) any of the credit. They automatically think that when someone succeeds at anything, or when they see someone achieving above-average results, there MUST have been some other “secret” to their success that isn’t being revealed, or some other factor being left out. Doesn’t he deserve a little credit?
Had he posted a chart showing his business tanked, I guarantee a bunch of trolls from this Facebook group would have assigned ALL of the blame to “RR’s” bad marketing, sharing their own “It doesn’t work” stories, quick to blame ME for any failures in THEIR marketing, taking zero responsibility. People LOVE to jump on the blame bus.
MSPs have the exact same problem. When IT is working, you get ZERO credit, gratitude, thanks or appreciation, but if one thing goes wrong, they line up with pitchforks at your door, blaming YOU, not the skin sack sitting between the chair and the keyboard. “But I didn’t do anything!!!” SUUUUURE…
You get NONE of the credit when it goes right, ALL of the blame when it doesn’t.
More to the point, this “It wasn’t me” finger pointing also gets right to the heart of why only 5% of the population is truly financially independent and 1% really, really rich. Wealthy, successful people own the BLAME as well as the credit. As Earl Nightingale once said, “We’re all self-made, but only the successful will admit it.”
This is at the root of an ongoing fight over the inequality of income. Many passionately believe there’s an “all-powerful” evil 1% who are oppressing the “hardworking, underprivileged” working class, making it impossible for them to raise their income or status. They want to blame this group, the government or the “system” for stacking the odds against them.
But it’s simply not true. If it were, 100% of the wealthiest people in the world would have been raised in good homes with two loving parents, gone to the best schools and had zero disabilities and personal challenges to overcome. Here’s a tip – that’s NOT the 1%.
One of the most powerful themes used by marketers of weight-loss products is the “It’s not YOUR fault” mantra. Nobody wants to accept their responsibility (blame) for the 20, 30 or more extra pounds they’re carrying around. A friend of mine has a very successful weight-loss program for women, with the entire pitch hinged on blaming out-of-control hormones for weight gain. Is there truth to that? Yes, some. Is it entirely the reason an older woman is overweight? Absolutely not.
Another example: In a salary poll, respondents who received pay increases last year stated that it was due to their “job performance” (59%) or “additional responsibilities given” (24%), while people who earned LESS last year blamed it on “economic conditions” (56%) and “changed companies” (25%), which is probably another way of saying “got fired” because nobody moves to another job for lesser pay unless under duress.
ANY person of sound mind and body has the ability to raise themselves up in status, skills and income – the question is, do they have a deep, burning desire to do what’s necessary to get it? Not always, but often enough, the term “less fortunate” is used to describe the “less ambitious.” Because IF you are going to raise your status and income, you must be willing to take full and complete responsibility for your current and future lot in life, refusing to blame others if your income is less than what you want it to be.
Will it be easy? No. Never is. There are sacrifices to be made. Risks to take. LONG hours to put in with no guarantees of success. Lots and lots of setbacks, problems, frustration and disappointments. Your enemies will laugh at you and celebrate every setback or ding you get. You have to really want it, not just wish it. There’s a BIG difference.
If you want to win at anything, here’s a mantra for you: I BLAME ME. I accepted and quoted the job. I hired, trained and managed the people who did the work. I chose the vendors. I chose my location, my customers, my price points, my services. I chose my line of work and industry. I chose to not inspect what was going on. I chose to leave it up to someone else to do the right thing. I chose to take someone at their word. I chose to follow their advice.
If you truly want to live a life on your own terms, become financially free, run a thriving, profitable business or accomplish anything of significance in your life, then seek to embrace total and complete ownership of EVERY outcome, EVERY circumstance and EVERY failure in your life. Only by taking complete ownership and owning ALL the blame can you make change happen.
Then you can say, “I’m in the 1%…and I BLAME ME.”
Charles Swihart shared the growth his MSP achieved after putting in the work—and of course, the trolls came out to discredit it. But results don’t lie. His success is a direct reflection of ownership, execution, and commitment.
Applications are now open for the 2025 MSP Titans of the Industry Awards, recognizing MSPs and IT leaders for real business growth, innovation, and achievement. Apply to be recognized for the success you’ve worked hard to earn: https://msptitansoftheindustry.com/apply.
