Entrepreneurship

Making $$$ has nothing to do with business itself...

Making money has nothing to do with BUSINESS itself

Before you dive headfirst into starting a business, let’s clear something up: making money isn’t exactly the business itself. Spoiler alert – the real foundation is… you! Yep, your business will only go as far as you do, so if you’re a mess, well, guess what happens to your business? There are a few things about you that need to run smoother than a coffee-fueled Monday morning before we even touch the business stuff. Don’t worry, I’m not here to serve up the usual life-coach jargon. But buckle up – a little practical advice is coming your way!

Five points to consider

1. Preparation and struggle

Are you ready to wrestle with life like it’s an MMA match? Starting a business is about as easy as convincing your grandma that TikTok is the future. Entrepreneurship is a rollercoaster, and that’s on the good days. So, prep yourself for the struggle. Imagine hiring a personal trainer who doesn’t stop until you collapse on the floor, begging for mercy—that’s the mindset you’ll need. Jot down everything in your life that’s a hot mess and get to work. Cry a little, be brutally honest, and when you’re finally feeling like a human machine, then—and only then—are you ready.

2. Love life

People ask, “Why aren’t you starting another business and making it rain?” Easy—my love life is like a rollercoaster at an amusement park that’s always breaking down. You can’t build a business if your love life is a chaotic mess. The same principles apply to both: Can you give without expecting anything back? Are you happy with who you are, or at least pretending well? If you’re failing at love, you’re probably going to fail at leading a team or loving your customers. So, let’s get real—sort out your love life before trying to love a startup. If you can’t manage your emotions in a relationship, how are you going to manage a quarterly budget crisis?

3. Small daily habits

Forget those grand, Instagram-worthy habits like running marathons at dawn or meditating on mountaintops. What I’m talking about are the tiny things—like how you sneak that 4th donut when no one’s looking. These small habits are the foundation of your discipline, and if they’re a mess, so will be your business. 

I believe from experience that you need to: read daily, watch what you eat, go to bed no later than 10 pm, surround yourself with positive people and chill out with meditation. It’s not because I’m a hippie; it’s because it freaking works.

4. The comfort zone factor

Look, we all love being comfy—sipping lattes while lounging in yoga pants. But if that’s your vibe 24/7, you’re not ready for entrepreneurship. Business is all about discomfort—I’m talking about giving a presentation to 2,000 people, helping strangers, or doing something wild like kitesurfing when you can barely swim (I survived, by the way). If you live your life wrapped in the cozy blanket of your comfort zone, your business will flounder. Do the uncomfortable stuff daily, and trust me, you’ll thank yourself when the big challenges come.

- What do you eat?
- What time do you hit the sack?
- Who do you spend time with? Do you spend your days with people who are as positive as a motivational speaker on caffeine? 
- Are you reading, or is Netflix your life coach? 
- What do you do to keep calm after a hectic day?

5. Believe in yourself

This is where you might expect some “rah-rah” motivational speech. But no, believing in yourself isn’t about ego—it’s about having the quiet, stubborn faith that you can make it through when everything’s going sideways. If you don’t believe in yourself, neither will your team, your investors, or even your cat. It’s the kind of belief that laughs in the face of failure, flips failure off, and then keeps going. You must genuinely believe that you’re capable, or your business will crumble faster than a house of cards in a windstorm.

Portions of Article adapted from Business Insider

Bonus Wisdom: Why Valedictorians Aren’t Changing the World
Here’s a shocker: the straight-A valedictorian types rarely become the ones who flip the world upside down. It’s the rebels, the out-of-the-box thinkers who disrupt industries and build billion-dollar empires. Schools reward playing by the rules, but business? Oh no, business loves a rule-breaker. So, if you’ve been waiting for permission to shake things up—consider this your green light.

Think! Entrepreneur or CEO

Think of the entrepreneur as the wild inventor, always chasing the next big idea, building it up, and then getting bored once it’s all up and running. Entrepreneurs thrive on novelty and creation; they’re the ones bringing things to life. But once that spark of excitement fizzles out, the entrepreneur is off to the next shiny thing. And that’s where the CEO steps in. The CEO is the one who takes this freshly birthed idea and turns it into an empire. They’re the nurturers, the builders of structure, the ones who grow the business with precision and strategy. But to do this successfully, CEOs (and even entrepreneurs who wear both hats) need to follow these three key principles:

  1. Learn to DELEGATE
    Time, my friend, is your most valuable asset. There are exactly 86,400 seconds in a day, and guess what? You’re not getting any more. Every time you waste those precious seconds doing mundane tasks, you’re tossing away something far more valuable. It’s time to put a number to your time—whether in dollars, moments with family, or minutes spent working on a passion project. Ask yourself: What’s your time really worth? What tasks can you delegate right now so you can focus on the bigger picture? Let go of the small stuff and keep your eyes on what matters. Delegate today, because tomorrow might just slip through your fingers.
  2. Admit Your WEAKNESSES
    We all have them—weaknesses that, if left unchecked, can lead us straight down the path of losing credibility with both employees and customers. The first step is admitting you have a problem (sounds familiar, right?). Once you’ve identified your weak spots, it’s time to plug those holes. Sure, there are a few things you’ll need to learn to overcome yourself, but for 90% of the gaps, delegate! Don’t be a hero—find people who excel where you struggle. Some people can write killer copy, while others can network like they were born doing it. Know where you fall short and hire the experts. You can’t be good at everything, and trying will only slow you down.
  3. Income Business vs. Value Business
    Not all businesses are created equal. You’ve got your income business, which is all about generating revenue now, and your value business, which is where the growth happens. It’s here that you’ll need to invest your time, energy, and strategic mind to build something that lasts. For the income side, you focus on bringing in the cash flow; but the value business is where you build the empire. This is where the CEO in you needs to shine. And if you can’t find your inner CEO? Well, go back to steps 1 and 2—delegate and fill in those weak spots. You’ve got this.


In summary, whether you’re the visionary entrepreneur, the steady-handed CEO, or somewhere in between, remember: delegation, honesty about your weaknesses, and understanding the balance between income and value are the keys to building something that truly lasts. The magic happens when you stop trying to do it all and focus on what you do best. Now, go forth and build that empire—with a little bit of humor and a whole lot of heart.