A Thanksgiving Reflection: Gratitude Through Struggle

Hey there, Entrepreneur! 👋

This week, I want to share a story that's been heavy on my heart. I'm a few months into this newsletter, and I debated sticking to the usual business content… but with the holidays coming up and some recent moments that hit me pretty hard I felt called to open up a bit. And honestly, I think what I'm about to share may help some of you in business too.

Like most entrepreneurs, my journey with DB Impact and even long before it, hasn't been easy. There were times I wanted to quit, times I fantasized about moving to an island and bartending, times I wanted to do anything other than keep pushing this business uphill.

Without diving into every detail, the last five years came with personal struggles and business challenges that put me in some dark places. There were days I didn't want to get out of bed. Days I questioned if people would be better off without me. Days where my self-worth was so low I couldn't answer one more phone call.

And while that may sound dramatic to some, I know there are business owners reading this who get it. The mental game of entrepreneurship is no joke. Most people in our lives don't truly understand the daily internal battles, especially when you're building something new, when cash flow is tight, when you don't know how you're going to pay your team, or when everything feels one bad week away from falling apart.

I've been there more times than I can count. And if I'm being fully transparent, even though my life and business are in a much healthier place now, I still have days where I feel it.

But this week, something came full circle for me, and it completely reframed how I see the last few years.

Over the past couple of months, I've been leaning more into my faith. Reading the Bible. Visiting different churches. Joining a few Bible study groups. I won't go too deep into that journey today, but it matters for what happened next.

I joined a small men's group, a handful of guys who meet weekly to talk openly, challenge each other, and ground our conversations in scripture. Most of the time we're just trying to make sense of life.

Last week, our discussion took a turn, and I felt led to open up about some of the battles I've been through over the past few years, with the church, with faith, with self-belief, with feeling unworthy… all of it. I laid it out there.

Then something unexpected happened.

Another guy in the group, someone I've only known for a couple of weeks, opened up about something extremely personal he was dealing with right now. And in that moment, because of everything I had gone through, I genuinely understood what he was feeling. I could meet him exactly where he was. I could share what helped me. I could speak from experience instead of theory.

And it mattered.

After our hour-long conversation, I got in my car… and I was overwhelmed. For the first time, I was grateful…truly grateful, for all the hard years I went through.

Because if I hadn't gone through them, I wouldn't have been able to help him. Not the way I did.

People talk all the time about "enjoying the process," or "falling in love with the journey," or "how things start clicking when you stop trying to control everything."

If I'm honest, that's never been me. I'm a driver. I'm emotional. I feel things deeply. "Enjoy the process" always felt like a nice motivational quote… but never something I understood.

Until last week.

Sometimes the struggle shapes you into the exact person someone else needs. Even if it's just one person. Even if it's just one moment.

And I realized, If everything I went through over the last few years happened only so I could have a positive impact on that one guy in that one conversation… it was worth it.

It was worth the pain.
Worth the confusion.
Worth the "why me?" moments.
Worth the nights I felt alone.

Because someone walked in feeling like they had to face life by themselves… and sixty minutes later, they knew they weren't alone. And I got to play a tiny part in that.

Key Takeaway: Your struggles aren't roadblocks, they're preparation for the impact you're meant to make.

This hit me like a ton of bricks, fellow entrepreneurs. All those sleepless nights worrying about payroll? The rejection calls that made you question everything? The moments when you felt like you were failing everyone who believed in you?

What if those weren't signs you were on the wrong path? What if they were exactly what you needed to become the leader, mentor, or friend someone else desperately needs?

So in true Thanksgiving-week cliché fashion, I'm grateful. Not just for the good things in my journey, but for the things I thought were bad in the moment. I'll probably revisit this email often to remind myself that even when things don't look like they're going well, if I keep moving forward and trust the process (even when I don't enjoy it), eventually it will make sense.

Even if it's just for a small moment that helps someone else.

Your struggles have purpose. Your pain has meaning. Your journey, all of it, is preparing you for something bigger.

And to all of you reading this, thank you. Thank you for helping this newsletter grow so quickly. One of my biggest life goals is to positively impact one million people. In some way, shape, or form, I want to help millions. And right now, this newsletter is one of the ways I'm trying to do that.

If you're struggling right now, whether it's with your business, your personal life, or that voice in your head telling you to give up, I want you to know something….You're not alone. And your story isn't over.

That dark chapter you're in? It might be preparing you to be exactly what someone else needs. Your resilience is building. Your empathy is deepening. Your capacity to help others is growing.

Here's what I want you to do this Thanksgiving week:

✅ Acknowledge where you are: Don't minimize your struggles or rush to "be grateful"
✅ Look for one person you can help: Even if it's just listening or sharing your story
✅ Trust the process: Even when (especially when) you can't see the bigger picture
✅ Celebrate small wins: Like the fact that you're still here, still fighting

Bottom Line: Your journey matters. Your struggles have purpose. And the person you're becoming through all of this? Someone needs exactly who you're becoming.

I appreciate you spending time with me this week. Wishing you and your family an amazing and safe Thanksgiving.

-Drew