That charity gala my company sponsored last month — everyone in tailored suits discussing Q4 projections over oysters, and me still smelling like the espresso machine I'd fixed that morning. The marketing director asked which firm I consulted for before "joining the team," and I had to explain I built my first store from a bedroom in Queens with $300 and a lot of YouTube tutorials. Nobody was rude about it, they just... didn't have a category for that. 🤷♂️