Make sure you never NEED praise or recognition , or you ’ ll end up constantly frustrated and disappointed .
I feed and clothe myself , and quite literally , how do I make enough money to pay the rent so I won ’ t be homeless again ?
Fast-forward to 2021 , and obviously God has blessed and kept me , and I ’ m at the point now where I ’ m no longer ashamed of my lack of an education , including the fact that I don ’ t even hold a high school diploma .
So , when Dr . Qubein offered to give me a bachelor ’ s degree , I actually turned him down and told him that while I appreciated the gesture , I had already moved beyond having to prove my skills and abilities and had made peace with the fact that I don ’ t have a degree in anything but the school of hard knocks .
I suppose another reason is that , very early in my career , a mentor of mine told me , “ Robin , make sure you never NEED praise or recognition , or you ’ ll end up constantly frustrated and disappointed .” And he was right .
I see the hard work you put in . I see the dedication you have to serving and protecting your customers . I see how you work around the clock to make sure your clients aren ’ t down . I see how you are repeatedly disrespected by many other professionals who won ’ t listen to your advice . I see how people routinely undervalue what you do .
So , the Titans award , and the Gala we hosted in December 2024 , was our way of elevating our industry . It was my love letter to MSPs to give you the recognition you truly deserve . Because , like the great philosopher Lizzo famously said , it ’ s about damn time .
To see the full list of winners and details from the evening event , scan the QR code or visit MSPSuccess . com / awards
But then I thought about it and realized that not accepting this honor was wrong — and it was wrong because when someone wants to give you recognition for something you ’ ve achieved in your life or some good you ’ ve done , you should let them do it , NOT because you need the recognition , but because , if you refuse , it shows a lack of gratitude for the people who are bestowing it on you , and because if you believe in giving praise and recognition to others for their accomplishments , you need to be gracious in receiving it when it comes to you .
Let me also add this .
When Dr . Qubein offered me the scholarship , there was nothing in it for him . I didn ’ t ask him to do it . I didn ’ t pay him to do it . He simply wanted to use his position to say to me , “ I see you . I see what you ’ ve overcome . I see the hard work you ’ ve put in . I see how you bring value to people . I see how you operate with integrity and faithful courage .”
And it is in that same spirit that I decided to host this event and create the MSP Titans award . I want you to know that I SEE YOU , the MSPs in our community .
Robin Robins is the IT industry ’ s most in-demand marketing consultant , sales trainer , and direct response marketing consultant who specializes in developing strategic marketing , sales and lead generation systems for MSPs , VARs and IT services companies .
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