The Weirdo Advantage: Why Not Fitting In Prepared You for Entrepreneurship

I’ve kinda been a weirdo my whole life.

I was the Apostolic Pentecostal, tongue-talkin, holy-rollin, long jean skirt wearing teenager quoting Bible verses on campaign flyers when I ran for sophomore class president.

I was one of the only Black kids in a mostly white suburban school.
Bused in every day.
Living in that in-between space.

Too “white” for the Black kids.
Too Black for the white ones.
Too saved.
Too ambitious.
Too much.
Not enough.

I’ve never really fit in.

And that used to feel like a liability.

Now? I know it was training.

Being an Outsider Teaches You Things Belonging Never Will

When you don’t quite fit anywhere, you learn how to sit with yourself.

Solitude stops feeling lonely.
It becomes attunement.

Your inner ear gets sharper.
Your inner voice gets louder than other people’s opinions.
Louder than automatic negative thoughts.
Louder than the narrative that says, “You’re too different.”

I stopped trying to belong.
And I started paying attention to who showed up when I told the truth.

After my divorce, a lot of “friends” disappeared.
When I needed a couch, a shoulder, support — silence.

When I left the church after 40 years, my sanity and salvation were questioned.
But the people who questioned me weren’t the ones holding me up when I was breaking.

And when I joined my New Afrikan Vodun ile?
I found community.
Alignment.
Support for who I actually am.

That’s when I learned something important:

When you root into your truth, the right people find you.

Every Identity Shift Has Paid Me Back

Every time I’ve let myself evolve —
Every time I’ve shed an old version of myself —
Every time I’ve chosen my truth over someone else’s expectations —

It’s paid off.

Personally.
Spiritually.
Financially.
Professionally.

Not immediately.
Not without discomfort.

But consistently.

When I follow my truth instead of performing for approval, I create something better than what I left behind.

That includes entrepreneurship.

Entrepreneurship Is for the Weirdos

Let’s be honest.

Entrepreneurship isn’t for the rule-followers who need consensus before they move.

It’s for the ones who:

Never quite fit in.
Ask questions they weren’t supposed to ask.
Leave institutions that “work” but don’t feel aligned.
Build something new instead of shrinking to fit what already exists.

It’s for the too-much ones.
The not-enough ones.
The ones who learned early how to be alone — and turned that into clarity.

If you’ve ever felt like the outsider in medicine, in your family, in your friend group…

That might not be your weakness.

That might be your edge.

The Weirdo Advantage in Business

When you don’t need to belong, you don’t need to copy.

You’re willing to:

Pivot publicly.
Price differently.
Build offers that don’t look like everyone else’s.
Walk away from money that costs you your alignment.

That’s not rebellion for rebellion’s sake.

That’s leadership.

And leadership always looks weird before it looks visionary.

So Let Me Ask You…

What’s your weirdo story?

What part of you felt like “too much” or “not enough” — that actually prepared you for entrepreneurship?

Because I promise you this:

The very thing that made you different
Is probably the thing that makes you powerful.

Want to Follow the Journey?

I’ll be sharing more reflections on identity, evolution, healing, and entrepreneurship — both on Instagram and through my email list.

🌀 Follow along on Instagram: @drkimberlyb
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If you’ve ever felt like the outsider building something unconventional…

You’re in the right room.