underdog advantage
Christian Ray Flores here, reflecting on underdogs — and why the best ones I know still feel like one.
I just shot a video for a client — I know you’ll love it when it comes out. It’s built around the ultimate underdog story: a shepherd boy named David versus a giant named Goliath. We all know it, even if we’ve never opened a Bible.
I pulled five insights from David’s story that I think will hit close to home — especially if you’re in that place where what got you here won’t get you there.
Your sense of destiny arrives before your first win — learn to trust it. David was told by the prophet Samuel that he would be king long before he became one. He walked back to his sheep carrying a secret destiny with zero proof. Every person I know who built something real lived in that gap — knowing before proving.
Your past experiences equip you for future victories — learn to make the connection. When Saul said David had no business fighting Goliath, David didn’t argue qualifications. He pointed to a lion he killed with his bare hands and a bear he fought off to protect his flock. Experiences that looked like shepherd problems but were actually warrior training. Most people are sitting on more than they realize. They just haven’t read their own story the way David read his.
Your range of life experiences is as important as your specialized skill. David was a fighter — but what got him into the king’s inner circle was music. He had been playing the harp for King Saul, literally performing in the palace, long before anyone knew him as a warrior. The breadth of who you are opens doors your expertise alone never will.
The weapon you’ve mastered is always better than the weapon the world hands you. Saul dressed David in his best armor. David took a few steps and took it all off — impressive as it was, it didn’t fit his way of doing things. He picked up his sling instead. A shepherd’s weapon. His mastery of it gave him an unfair advantage in a fight he couldn’t win up close.
Attach motivation to the reward — it will carry you through the rough seas on the way there. David asked specifically what the reward was for the risk nobody else in Saul’s army was willing to take. The king’s daughter. Freedom from taxes. Every successful person I know accepts high risk when the reward is high enough. Clarity on the reward isn’t greed. It’s fuel.
“Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will stand before kings.” - Proverbs
King Solomon wrote that. I think he was writing about his father — a shepherd boy who got skilled in private, in a field nobody was watching, and eventually became a king.
You don’t need to be a giant to win. You just need to keep getting skilled in the work — especially when no one is watching.
If you’re ready to take on your next giant, the Passion to Profit Lab will equip you for the fight. Click here.
If you’ve missed my epic story of having Michael Jackson at my event and what he taught me about personal branding. You should definitely check it out.