Some of your wins came with a head start. Saying so doesn’t shrink them. It makes you honest.

A head start and real work can both be true of the same result. The coaching you got, the family that could cover the fee, the teacher who put your name forward: none of that did the work for you, and none of it is nothing either. Leaving it out is what makes the story fragile, because everyone else can see the parts you skipped.

When you tell someone how something went well, include one advantage you had. It costs nothing and it tends to make people trust the rest. Then notice who around you does not have that advantage, and whether you can pass any of it along.