5 Ways Being Bullied Helped Shape This Young Entrepreneur’s Success

According to StopBullying.gov, a U.S. government organization, bullying affects one in five American children ages 12 to 18. As a teenager in Australia, Cassandra Hili, founder and CEO of a PR and marketing agency called Millennium Communications, faced severe bullying for being overweight.

But as awful as bullying is, Hili says her journey shows that it doesn’t have to haunt you forever. “In fact, surviving relentless bullying in my youth made me a more resilient, self-assured person later in life. Now, with two staff and a client portfolio of international brands, I wouldn’t change my past – even though I wouldn’t wish it upon anyone. It brought me here, to being the successful business leader I am today.”

Millennium Communications connects consumers and brands via personalized, down-to-earth messaging and experiential campaigns. With her work, Hili aims to bring authenticity back to the public relations industry, understanding that consumers want more than just a product or service – they want a story. Millennium also works with entrepreneurs to develop their personal brands and become key figures within their industries.

Here are five ways in which Hili feels that being bullied helped to shape her business success. The experience taught her:

1.      Trust your intuition.

It was being bullied that taught me to trust my intuition. Trusting my intuition has led me towards fantastic partnerships and clients, along with huge wins. When I listen to that inner voice, it always tells me who to trust and who not to trust. In the moments where I’ve brushed my intuition aside, things haven’t worked out and I’ve learned valuable lessons.

Intuition doesn’t lead me blindly, but it acts as a guide. It steers me towards my passions rather than settling on something that doesn’t align with my values.

2.      Value and believe in yourself.

After years of being bullied, I learned how to challenge people and when to stand up for myself. I don’t do this in a nasty, confrontational way. But in situations where I’m being taken advantage of or overlooked, I have my own back. This energy gets transmitted to my clients and my team at Millennium PR.

Starting a business takes a huge amount of self-confidence. You must value your skillset and feel as though you can make a real difference in society. The confidence I gained from overcoming bullying has helped me take ownership of my abilities and execute the huge undertaking of starting a business, even when I wasn’t certain about the outcome.

3.      Kindness and authenticity get you much further than ego.

Being bullied made me want to be someone else. I thought if I were different, maybe they wouldn’t pick on me. But nothing I did seemed to make them give up. Meanwhile, trying to be different left me feeling empty and even worse about myself.

Being able to value my true self took many years, but now I know that authenticity is the key to my business. It helps me build genuine relationships. It is also key to my reputation in PR, with everyone from media to influencers.

Kindness is another key pillar of my business arsenal. I strive to always leave a good impression, even when things don’t go well. In a meeting where both parties aren’t happy, being kind and thoughtful helps to find a solution.  

4.      Not everyone is going to like you, and that’s okay. 

This was the hardest one for me to accept. Being bullied turned me into a people-pleaser when I was younger. As I got older, that attitude left me empty and tired. As humans, we want to be liked and accepted. Now I’ve changed my tune.

Rather than worrying about if people like you or not, just aim to be yourself and accept things how they are. Whilst one person may not like you, there will be dozens out there who do. Aim to impress yourself and leave a positive mark, whether it’s meeting someone for the first time or presenting in a board room.

5.      Don’t take it personally.

Bullying was personal. Each taunt targeted my flaws to make me feel “less than.” But as I grew older, I realized that those who were bullying me were doing so because of their own unhappiness. It actually had little to do with me.

Thankfully, business is not about you as a person; it’s about the work. Keep in mind that at the end of the day, business is just business. There are highs and lows. As an entrepreneur, you’ll celebrate milestones, then experience times when you want to hide under a desk and cry. Own your personal magic. Know that you’re amazing despite the bumpy ride – otherwise, you wouldn’t be doing it.

Hili got her start in PR by writing a blog in which she documented losing 120 pounds. This led her to becoming a social media consultant, offering tips to friends on how to become an influencer and manage media relations. She was only 22 when she officially launched her business, Millennium Communications. “I just trusted myself and my instincts,” she says. “I have never felt more of a purpose in my life.”

The Covid-19 pandemic has presented Hili with her biggest challenge yet as an entrepreneur. She has had to look at business differently, become creative and pivot. “I have gone through stages of grief with the business. But it has also reminded me how passionate I am about what I do. Ultimately, I have been forced to take new approaches and think outside the box,” she says.

To young people looking to following their life purpose, Hili counsels, “Trust yourself and the journey. Forget about what other people think. If I listened to what everybody else wanted for me when I was younger, there is no way I would be where I am today. Figure out how you want to spend your life. Do something you love that gives you a sense of accomplishment at the end of every day.”