Written by: Tom Brady

I've been called a lot of things over the years. Sixth-round pick. System quarterback. Too slow. Too old. Washed up.

If I'd listened to all that noise, I wouldn't have lasted one season in the NFL. What I learned instead was that the only opinion that matters, the only voice that matters, is the one in my head. That's what BE U is about.

When I walked into the Patriots' locker room as a skinny kid from University of Michigan, I didn't try to be Drew Bledsoe. I didn't try to be Joe Montana. I didn't even try to be the quarterback people thought I should be. I leaned into who I was: disciplined, obsessive, competitive to the bone. That wasn't always glamorous, and it wasn't always easy, but it was real. I didn't feel like I was pretending. And it worked.

That lesson never goes away. Whether you're training for a season, grinding through work, or just trying to be a better parent, the trap is to chase someone else's version of success. To measure yourself against what the world says you should be. That path always leads to disappointment.

The truth is, there's only one person you must measure up to: yourself. To me, BE U means being honest about your flaws, being proud of your strengths, and showing up every day as your authentic self—not the filtered version, not the "likes" version, not the crowd-pleasing version.

In a very real way, it's about being accurate. There are certain facts about ourselves that need to be understood and accepted in order to grow. Take our weakness for example. They thrive in the shadows. The more you deny them, the stronger they get. But when you shine the light of awareness on them, they can't survive. Most people are afraid to do the hard and uncomfortable work around looking at those areas of our lives that could use improvement. But when you get brutally honest and accurate with yourself, it's empowering.

That's why I believe in NOBULL. It's not a brand that hides behind slogans or fake promises. It's about getting stronger—physically, mentally, emotionally—so you can do the hardest and most important work of all: become the strongest version of yourself.

Because in the end, it's not about being great in the eyes of others. I'm not running someone else's race and the only person I answer to is the one staring back in the mirror.