The Hidden Power of A Support System
At 22 years old, Millie Bobby Brown has achieved more success than most people will in an entire lifetime.
She has had major roles in 8 films and 8 television shows (plus one more for each as I write this article), 6 music videos, and 3 video games. She is a highly successful actress, producer, youngest-ever UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, business woman, and has published her fictional novel, Nineteen Steps.
Her success leaves you asking yourself, “How did she do it all at such a young age?” It would be okay to feel a bit jealous and shrug it off to pure luck.
But!
Like most overly-high-achievers, Millie shares common threads of success. Threads that we can follow and learn. These threads are the foundational strings of success that high achievers rarely explicitly talk about. This is because it is tied to their environment rather than sought. The details are generally brushed over in standard interviews. But if you pay close attention, you can figure it out.
In this article, I will examine one of those threads.
The Right People In Your Corner
Recently, Millie sat down on Jay Shetty’s On Purpose podcast to share a glimpse into her world. Jay asked her about a childhood memory that defined who she is today. She spoke about shaving her head when she was ten years old. This showed her deep dedication to her craft. 1
But then, Millie mentions someone else. She keeps coming back to this person throughout the podcast. This person is her mother. Her mother helped her realise that no matter what people thought or said, she was doing this because she loved it.
And throughout the podcast, Millie consistently credits her mother and father. I was intrigued. So, I did a little research.
According to people.com when an agent suggested the family move to California to give Millie a shot at bigger acting roles, her parents didn’t hesitate. They packed up their lives to place her in an environment where her talent could thrive. 2
Just think about that for a second. Would you be willing to put your life and career on hold, pack up and sell everything, say goodbye to your friends and loved ones, just to relocate so that your little girl/or boy has a chance at making it big in Hollywood? It certainly is a tough decision.
Let’s continue.
Her mother became her mentor, advisor, and closest friend. Beyond career guidance, her parents built a safe haven around her.
At the family dinner table, differences of opinion were actively welcomed, discussed, and laughed about. Millie was taught to speak her mind.
Then again while living in Georgia during the filming of Stranger Things, her parents chose to homeschool her to protect her from the noise of Hollywood. They created a safe space away from the limelight, allowing her time to think and grow up unjaded by the industry.
When she had panic and anxiety attacks, it was her mother as the person who could talk her out of that dark space. To paraphrase Millie, mom intimately understands the exact vocabulary to use during moments of panic.
Millie’s talent is undeniable. Her thirst for learning is admirable. But, the question remains. Would Millie be where she is today without parents who put everything on the line. Everything! From investing time, money, and emotional energy to give her a fighting chance in a brutal industry.
We will come back to Millie’s story.
Not An Isolated Situation
Let’s look at another incredible individual. Enter Alysa Liu. Alysa won not one but two gold medals at the 2026 Winter Olympics in the women’s singles and team figure skating events. People are inspired by her bubbly down-to-earth attitude and work ethics. But, behind her incredible victories stands another supportive father, Arthur Liu.
In fact, when Alysa talks about her father in interviews, it becomes clear that he wasn’t just a supportive parent; he was the absolute engine of ambition, as described by 60 Minutes. 3
60 Minutes journalist Sharyn Alfonsi said it best, “It was Alysa’s father who was the engine of ambition.“
Arthur took her daughter around the world. From Japan to Canada to learn from the world’s top coaches. When asked how much he spent to help Alysa become an Olympic champion, his answer was W-T-F moment: between half a million to a million dollars.
I spared no money, no time,” Arthur stated simply. When asked why, his reply was instant: “I just saw the talent.”
When was the last time you spent half-million dollars on your kid or even on yourself in the form of education and upskilling? I am not trying to make you feel bad, I want you to think about what it takes.
Millie and Alysa’s stories are far from isolated incidents. Let’s dive deeper.
The Lie of the Self-Made Individual
We love a good story of rags to riches. It makes us feel good. It makes us feel like it is possible for us as well. But, behind almost every great individual success story is a hidden dedicated team helping that person cross the finish line.
If you are reading this and thinking, “Well, I wasn’t lucky enough to be born to wealthy, supportive parents who could relocate across the world for me, so how do I even stand a chance?“.
Relax! There is still hope. Matter of fact, more than hope. I’d argue on your behalf and make a bold statement. You do stand a chance. You have every opportunity to reach the level of success and happiness you deserve. You just have to build your own corner.
If you weren’t handed a support system by birth, you can intentionally build one. Today, support comes in the form of mentorship, coaching, online videos, courses, and digital education. The internet has democratized access to world-class guidance. In my opinion education has become egalitarian.
Just because your family didn’t move you to California or Japan doesn’t mean you can’t construct a chosen family of advisors and educators to back your ambitions. Or relocate anywhere in the world. You have the power to build your support system.
If the self-made individual is a lie and all we need is a great support system, then shouldn’t everyone be successful? No, and let me explain.
Action Still Requires a Willing Attitude
To be absolutely clear, having a support system does not diminish individual effort. Millie and Alysa’s success is not solely the result of their parents. Both individuals are fiercely ambitious who constantly pursue self-improvement.
As Millie noted on Jay’s podcast, “Knowledge is power. I do a lot of reading. Lack of knowledge is what gave me the most anxiety.“
After all, there are plenty of children that grow up in wealthy families, only to end up as a beneficiary of Bank-Mom-And-Dad.
A supportive team provides the foundational support, but the individual must still do the heavy lifting. You can outsource mentorship, but you cannot outsource execution. As the old adage goes: you can teach almost anything, except a willing attitude. You have to want it and you have to do it. You have to show up. When your mentor recommends something for your benefit. Do it.
How To Add The Right People In Your Corner
You might not have had a dinner table where differences of opinion were celebrated, and you might not have had managers guiding your early choices. In fact, you might have had “do as I say, not as I do parents” and weak managers that were easily threatened by your ambitions. But that shouldn’t stop you from achieving your goals. Understanding that success is a collective, team effort allows you to actively seek out the missing pieces of your puzzle – the right people.
Let’s look at a very simple, everyday goal: getting into shape.
Getting into shape is hard, when you do it alone. But the journey becomes a thousand times easier when it is treated as a team effort rather than a solo struggle.
For instance, you could be starting out from the couch and never have been to a gym or track-and-field in your life. What do you do?
You go out and find a personal trainer, because you have no idea what you are doing. That act of hiring a personal trainer is your initial support system. This support system teaches you proper form, technique, schedule, and acts as an accountability partner. You have now added one right person in your corner.
And as you level up your fitness and inevitably hit a wall. You will find more people that could be added into your corner. Like adding a strength coach, nutritionist, and physio therapist. These people in your corner will provide you with the expert adjustments needed to smash those plateaus.
And by this point “getting into shape” has become part of your life. Because you have surrounded yourself with fitness communities, podcasts, and training books to keep your mindset sharp and your motivation high.
These are the people in your corner. They are the support system that helps you achieve your goals, no matter how big or small.
Yes, at some point you will have to pay for the expertise. Free only gets you so far. But in doing so, you are buying the very support system that Millie and Alysa were blessed to receive from their parents.
And don’t forget! You have one advantage over Millie and Alysa. You are in control of who enters and exits your corner.
Where To From Here
Anyone who tells you success is a one-man band is trying to sell you something. Success is never a solo journey. Whether you are trying to add a few kilograms to your barbell squat, mastering a new professional skill, or launching a business, you need the right people in your corner.
If you weren’t born with a built-in team, gather your threads from online courses, pull wisdom from podcasts, and tie new strings of support through books and mentors. Else, you could be spending years learning lessons that you could have avoided.
We are all weaving the story of our lives, one thread at a time. But we don’t have to do it alone. Your support system provides the strings; you provide the willingness to pull them together. Keep learning, keep pushing, and remember: I am in your corner.
Footnotes
- On Purpose with Jay Shetty. Netflix. ↩︎
- All About Millie Bobby Brown’s Parents, Robert and Kelly Brown. Written by Ilana Frost. ↩︎
- Television broadcast 60 Minutes. ↩︎
