You hate your job. Every morning feels like torture, and you’ve convinced yourself that starting a business is your ticket to freedom. I get it. But before you march into your boss’s office and quit, you need to hear something that nobody else will tell you: most people who quit their jobs to become entrepreneurs fail.
I’m not saying this to crush your dreams. I’m saying it because I’ve built multiple million-dollar businesses, and I’ve watched hundreds of people crash and burn along the way. The difference between those who make it and those who don’t isn’t luck or intelligence. It’s about facing reality head-on before you jump.
Stop Believing the Instagram Success Stories
Social media has fed you a dangerous lie. You’ve seen the headlines: “How I Built a Million-Dollar Business in 30 Days” or “I Fired My Boss and You Can Too.” Those stories sell courses, generate clicks, and make money for the people promoting them. What they don’t show you is the pile of failures that came before that one success.
Success doesn’t happen overnight. It happens after you’ve been knocked down repeatedly and still found a way to stand back up.
When I started out, someone I trusted stole my entire business plan and launched their own company with my ideas. It crushed me. But I didn’t have a fancy degree to fall back on, so I had no choice but to adapt and build something even better. That’s when I learned the real difference between wanting success and needing it. When you have no backup plan, you fight harder.
You’re going to fail. Multiple times. Accept this now, or reality will force you to accept it later in a much more painful way.
Your Current Circle Will Hold You Back
Entrepreneurship is lonely. Not because you want it to be, but because the path you’re choosing separates you from everyone living a conventional life. While you’re working weekends and obsessing over your business, your friends will be at brunch complaining about their jobs. Eventually, they won’t understand you anymore.
Nearly half of Americans report feeling lonely, and I’d bet that number is even higher for entrepreneurs. You’ll lose friends. You’ll grow apart from people you once felt close to. This isn’t a bug; it’s a feature.
If your current friends can’t grow with you, you need new friends. Find a co-founder who’s in the trenches with you. Join communities where other entrepreneurs are fighting the same battles. Surround yourself with people who push you forward, not hold you back because they’re comfortable where they are.
Money Needs to Stop Scaring You
Most people treat money like it’s precious and scarce. That mindset will destroy your business before it starts. One of my mentors once told a struggling salesman to carry $1,000 in cash everywhere he went. It sounded insane, but it worked. After a few weeks, that money felt like pocket change, and his entire relationship with money transformed. He became a multi-millionaire in his twenties.
If you’re working a regular job right now, you probably view money as something hard to earn and easy to lose. You need to flip that script. Money is everywhere, and as a business owner, you need to spend it without hesitation to grow. I spend hundreds of thousands every month on staff, inventory, and technology because I know it’s coming back multiplied.
Stop hoarding. Start investing.
Build Systems Before You Need Them
Running a business means you’re constantly overwhelmed. You’re making decisions about today while planning for tomorrow, trying to keep revenue flowing, and somehow maintaining relationships outside of work. When someone tells me, “You’re the boss, take the day off,” I want to scream. Business owners never truly clock out.
The way you survive this pressure is by building systems early. Create processes that work without you. Document everything like you’re writing a manual for someone who’s never seen your business before. When your key employee quits suddenly (and they will), you need a system that keeps things running smoothly.
This also makes your business far more valuable if you ever want to sell it. Buyers want plug-and-play operations, not businesses held together by one person’s knowledge.
You Can’t Do This Alone
Nobody builds an empire solo. You need a team, and you need to choose them wisely. When you hire your first employee, don’t look for someone exactly like you. If they were like you, they’d be running their own business instead. Hire people who are better than you in specific areas. Let them elevate your business by doing things you can’t do well yourself.
Your team is your pack. Share success with them. Invest in them. Treat them well. They’re the difference between building something that scales and burning out alone.
The Decision Is Yours
Starting a business isn’t for everyone, and there’s no shame in choosing stability over chaos. But if you have that burning need to build something of your own, if you’re ready to face failure repeatedly and keep pushing forward, then go for it. Just do it with your eyes wide open.
Kill your delusions. Embrace the struggle. Build something that matters.
The journey won’t be easy, but nothing worth doing ever is.
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