10/28/2026
There have been times when I seriously considered walking away from Felipe’s Backyard. Not because I stopped believing in its mission, but because I never imagined that trying to do something good could come with so much negativity.
When I created felipesbackyard.com, I thought the idea was simple. Give local businesses a place to promote themselves for FREE. Highlight them to thousands of people on social media for FREE. Help connect our community, support small businesses, promote jobs and events, and ask for absolutely nothing in return.
Eventually, we even became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit to take that mission further.
To me, it was a no-brainer. Who wouldn’t want free exposure for their business?
But I quickly learned that not everyone sees the world the same way.
Some questioned my intentions. “Nothing is really free. What’s his angle? What’s he getting out of it?”
Others saw an opportunity to copy the concept and turn it into something profitable. Some marketing companies and social media managers saw it as competition rather than another resource to help their clients.
And then came the criticism, the assumptions, the negativity, and the people who seemed more interested in questioning my motives than understanding my mission.
And I won’t pretend it didn’t hurt. It did. It still does sometimes.
Because behind every post, every business listing, every conversation, and every opportunity to help someone is real time, effort, personal money, sacrifice, and sometimes stress that most people never see.
There have been moments when I’ve asked myself, “Why am I putting myself through all of this?”
But then I remember…
❤️ The small business owner who told me a simple post helped bring in new customers.
❤️ The business that sold out of inventory after getting some exposure.
❤️ The person who found a job through an opportunity we shared.
❤️ The family that discovered a local event through our page and made wonderful memories together.
❤️ The people who send messages of appreciation, not because they have to, but because something we did genuinely made a difference.
Those are the people who remind me why I started.
I’ve come to realize something important: Not everyone will understand your heart. Not everyone will appreciate your efforts. And not everyone will believe that someone can genuinely want to help without expecting something in return.
And that’s okay.
I don’t need everyone to believe in me to keep believing in what I’m doing.
I’m not here to convince people to like me. I’m not here to compete with anyone, take anyone’s clients, or prove my intentions to people who have already made up their minds.
I’m here to serve my community, support local businesses, create opportunities, and hopefully leave things a little better than I found them.
Felipe’s Backyard is available to everyone. Our directory is free. Our services are free. The door is open.
Those who see the value will use it. Those who appreciate the mission will support it. And those who don’t? I sincerely wish them success, too.
Because someone else’s success doesn’t take anything away from mine.
I’m learning to spend less energy worrying about those who question what I do and more energy serving those whose lives and businesses I can positively impact.
I may not be able to help everyone. I may never make everyone happy. And yes, there will probably be days when I feel discouraged again.
But if even one small business grows, one person finds a job, or one family discovers something special because of this platform, then what we’re building has meaning.
I didn’t start Felipe’s Backyard to be liked by everyone. I started it to make a difference.
And as long as we’re making a difference, the mission is worth continuing.
Less energy proving my intentions. More energy living my purpose. ❤️
www.felipesbackyard.com
