Instagram/@claressashields
Mark Minard’s hard truths about the so-called myth of overnight success must have generated an incredible outburst of discussion on the internet. The entrepreneur and podcaster shared clips from his interview with boxing great Claressa Shields, in which both of them chipped away at the harsh reality behind the big dreams: It’s never fast nor easy.
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The clip shows a pensive Shields remembering how she won the Olympic gold at 17, emphasizing all the years of dead sweat and broken lips that went into that moment. Minard was speaking of his decade-long struggle to start and grow his developmental disability company and build a podcast from 70 subscribers to 182,000 with nothing but grit. “Overnight successes take 10 years,” he wrote.
Comments came faster than any trending TikTok could. One commenter congratulated someone for nine years and said, “Looking forward to hitting our 10yr mark,” while another said, “Purpose over comfort!!! Purpose over happiness!!!” This really hit the spot, and Minard responded to it with clapping emojis.
From then, the comment area transformed into a master class in perception versus true perseverance. When someone commented that legal social media success usually takes five years, Minard dropped the bomb about Dreamshine’s beginnings in 2007 to teach true foundations take decades to build. He even referenced Mark Cuban’s favorite parable, where the turtle wins every single time.
Some comments were nasty. A couple of trolls questioned Shields’ looks and glory days, but they were drowned out by the fans. One of the collective retorts really resonated: “And people think she’s so worried about Papoose ex? When she’s achieved so much already. It’s ridiculous.” Truth.
The greatest insight came as Minard opened up about his own early struggles, his videos getting about 10 views, instances of almost giving up, and him sticking it out because “this isn’t about you. It’s about who we help.” That shifting of focus away from self and on to service appears to be the secret sauce he and Shields attribute to their eventual breakthroughs.
As the conversation developed, it became apparent that this wasn’t some cookie-cutter motivational post. With the champion sharing her war stories and the entrepreneur plus-minus 10 years of grind, the message hammered home with brutal clarity: what looks like an overnight explosion to outsiders is a slow burn of insane consistency. Or, as one person said so well: “Hard work eventually pays off.”
Then, a teaser for Minard’s full interview with Shields came out, where he says he’ll gladly send the full interview to anyone commenting “GWOAT” (Greatest Woman Of All Time – Shields’ boxing nickname). Several participants have taken the bait, including one who gushed, “This I needed to hear 🔥,” which proved that even in a culture of instant gratification, some truths about long-game success still hit home.
At a time when social media sells all the beautified fairy tales about quick-escalation-easy-money roads, these two high achievers just kept it real about their messy, years-in-the-making ordeals. Pretty soon, the comment section became a study itself-a good balance between inspiration, fiery debate, and utter nonsense-that echoed the persistence expounded upon by Minard and Shields. Over ten years in the making, indeed.
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Claressa Shields is often hailed as the GOAT of women’s boxing, a title that resonates with many fans of the sport.
This story originally appeared on Celebrityinsider
