From Sticker Badge to True Belonging

Darshan Chavan, Get My Course

When I first joined the EO Accelerator program, I was in the very early stages of building my business. We had just reached $400K in revenue, and I was doing everything myself—wearing every hat, making every decision, and hoping I could somehow figure it all out.

I remember showing up to EO events and feeling… small.

The full EO members had proper, hard coloured name badges. I had a sticker. It might sound small, but that sticker hit hard. It reminded me I wasn’t there yet. I was on the outside, looking in—and that feeling stuck with me.

But now, I see how valuable that discomfort was.

That sticker pushed me. It lit a fire. I didn’t just want the badge—I wanted what it represented. A sense of belonging. Confidence. Leadership. Growth. And I knew I had to earn it.

EO gave me the tools—but I did the work. In Accelerator, I learned how to step up as a real leader. I stopped doing everything myself. I started building a team. I moved from hustle to strategy. I stopped chasing sales and started focusing on marketing systems. I empowered others and, in doing so, started to really grow.

But the biggest shift wasn’t in my business—it was in me.

I had always believed that leaders needed to be strong and composed. Vulnerability didn’t come naturally. But through the forum process, and EO mentors like Gerard, Sandy, and Shivani, I learned that being open is actually what makes you strong. Slowly, I started to share more—first at EO, then with my team. And what I found was connection. Real connection.

That changed everything. It changed how I led. It changed how people responded to me. And it reminded me that leadership isn’t about knowing all the answers—it’s about being real, and building trust.

Since graduating from Accelerator in 2020, I’ve grown to leading two businesses with a combined 173 staff. I’m proud of that. But what I’m most proud of is how I’ve changed in the process.

I joined EO because I wanted to grow my business. I stayed because EO helped me grow into the kind of person who could lead it.

And that sticker badge? I keep it. As a reminder of where I started—and who I chose to become.