People are generally quick to say that age is just a number, but most young entrepreneurs would admit that that is far from the truth. They often fall victim to reverse ageism. Reverse Ageism is the practice of discriminating against young people, and it is most commonly used in reference to professional growth and advancement.
Societal stereotypes have a way of coming into play for young entrepreneurs, and these stereotypes present youth as a liability rather than an asset. Young entrepreneurs often find themselves working twice as hard to secure their place in the business world, as they work on thwarting the obstacles that get thrown their way. For instance, more seasoned professionals might instinctively judge younger entrepreneurs as being inexperienced, refusing to give a chance to earn their trust.
“This is an issue I frequently faced when I started my first businesses years ago,” says young self-made multi-millionaire serial entrepreneur Gustavo Geraldes. Geraldes is the Founder and CEO of the highly successful Florida-based performance marketing company Milkit, which specializes in high volume direct response marketing with a focus in eCommerce and lead generation. Milkit has been leveraged by both private and public companies to acquire millions upon millions of new users and customers.
When speaking of the reverse ageism he faced in his earlier days, Geraldes says, “During my earlier years in business, I didn’t have the mentorship I have today. I attempted various businesses, some of which failed miserably while the latter ones did very well. My acquired knowledge directly impacted my success. The reverse ageism was disheartening at times, but it also helped me develop thick skin. I realized the importance to keep pushing forward and not lose focus, mostly to achieve my goals, but also to be in a position of freedom, and have the ability to help those I care about.
Oftentimes, the reverse ageism starts from the closest inner circles. Family members and friends might not share the same passions or support the ideas of the young entrepreneur. It’s naturally a major letdown to not receive endless encouragement and support from loved ones. “I’m fortunate to say, that was not the case for me,” says Geraldes. “I received endless encouragement from my parents while growing up, both directly and indirectly, in countless ways. I watched my parents work around the clock to support me and my siblings. It was tough for them. They sacrificed a lot raising us, and I can not thank them enough. I respect everything they did for us, and their tremendous work ethic. I also realized I wanted to do everything in my power to avoid having to deal with that hardship myself, and they knew that. Despite being the black sheep through most of my childhood, I was determined to find a way to be in a position to provide my family with the abundance they deserve, and they encouraged me when no one else would. This dream and their motivation was my spark. It became my purpose. I was always fascinated by how entrepreneurs built and scaled companies since I was young. My earlier ventures positioned me to be where I am today. I am grateful to be in a position where I can provide for those I care about. It is and will continue to be the driving force behind my obsession for success, and has helped me push through the struggles along this journey. My advice to young entrepreneurs that lack the support system is to create one of their own- by finding mentors which will guide them, and networking with other young entrepreneurs that will help support and encourage them every step of the way.”
Under the Milkit umbrella, Geraldes also owns several other successful companies. There is an SMS and voice marketing platform Sendii along with a private affiliate network which boasts some of the worlds strongest publishers. Outside of this, Geraldes owns The Health Awareness Project, a direct-to-consumer preventative health care company that utilizes genomic testing to deliver personalized patient care, and AmeriHealth, a diagnostic testing laboratory specializing in toxicology, infectious disease and respiratory pathogen testing. Geraldes leveraged the skills he acquired in lead generation and conversion rate optimization whilst developing Milkit to accelerate the growth of his other companies, and managed to turn each of them into winners that generate between seven-to-nine figures annually. He has won numerous global awards for the record-breaking success of his companies, and his clients. Geraldes also gives back, and often consults with various other publishers sharing his knowledge on Performance Marketing to help them scale to seven figures a month and beyond.
Young entrepreneurs regularly hear people criticizing their ideas or second-guess their plans. “There will be plenty of people that will constantly evaluate all your business decisions and say they could have done better by doing x, y, and z,” says Geraldes. “Then there will be others that will be quick to criticize you personally, blatantly doing their best to discourage you from pursuing your dreams. That says more about them than it says about you. If they aren’t being constructive, just use their criticism as a motivation to succeed. Only allow positive influences to take precedence, and don’t waste your time on the negative influences.”