What I See Entrepreneurs Getting Wrong Every Day and What to Do Instead

I work with a lot of entrepreneurs. Here’s what I see them getting wrong every day and a few things to do instead.  

Focus

They’re focused on the wrong things. They get stuck in details that don’t really matter, changing a few words on a landing page, rewriting an email for the tenth time, or continuing to tweak something that hasn’t even been launched yet.

Yes, messaging is important, and you want to get it right. But if you never get it out the door, it doesn’t mean shit. Launch it. See how people respond. You can update it later based on actual feedback instead of what you think might happen.

Priority

This is in the same lane, but it’s a little different. Entrepreneurs prioritize projects and tasks that don’t actually move the needle in their businesses. They talk to vendors, sit in on unnecessary meetings, and handle administrative work when they should be creating content, connecting with prospects, foll...

I’ve launched businesses. I’m a patent holder. I got a product on the store shelves at Babies R Us.  I’ve helped clients launch businesses. I even created a franchise for one of them.  Yet, I haven’t met my business goals or aspirations. Why? Because I have a pattern of consistently sabotaging myself every time there’s a chance I might get there.

I’ve had support. I’ve had encouragement. I can launch like a mo fo. I don’t procrastinate. But, yet around and around I went for years, dare I say decades. In fact, I only recently (within the past few years) even recognized the pattern, the self-sabotage, the imposter syndrome.

What is imposter syndrome? 

Imposter syndrome is a weird phenomenon that shows up in smart, capable people, making them feel not enough. Or, as the theory postulates, an imposter- a person who isn’t capable, doesn’t deserve to be successful, and shouldn’t shine their star. Maybe they feel they don’t have the right education, talent, attractiveness, or qualifi...

RISE stands for Recognize, Investigate, Shift, and Evolve.

RISE Cognitive Blueprint® is a science-informed framework that helps people understand the beliefs, thought patterns, behaviors, and habits shaping their lives so they can make more intentional choices and create lasting change.

The framework follows four phases:

Recognize the influences and patterns shaping you.

Investigate how those patterns affect your life today.

Shift the thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors that no longer serve you.

Evolve through intentional choices and consistent habits.

The first application of the framework is the RISE Curriculum, created specifically for young adults ages 16 to 23.

The curriculum brings together established concepts from psychology, neuroscience, and habit formation in a practical, accessible format. Through short video lessons, guided reflection, and real-life application, students learn to better understand themselves, build confidence, develop healthier habits, and...

So you’re thinking about building something online. A course.  A coaching offer.  A membership.

And before you even begin, your brain is already spinning.

You think you need:

Every platform. Every tool. A perfect landing page.  A massive following.

Or you’re completely frozen because it all feels like too much.

I’ve been there.  So have most of the people who reach out to me.

Here are the three myths that keep capable people stuck before they ever get traction.

Myth #1: I Need Multiple Products and a Full Suite of Offers

No.

You need one clear offer for one specific audience.

That’s it.

Not five tiers.
Not a podcast, YouTube channel, mastermind, and membership.
One defined transformation for one defined group.

If you’re teaching baking, teach one cake.
If you’re teaching marketing, teach one channel.
If you’re helping business owners, solve one painful problem first.

Clarity creates momentum.
Complexity creates paralysis.

Start focused. Expand later.

Myth #2: It Has to B...

For most of my life, I thought my approach was common.

If someone said, “I have this idea,” I immediately see the final product and the steps needed to get there.

I could see who it’s for, how to position it and different use cases.

That always felt obvious to me.

So I didn’t treat it like anything special.

I thought, this is so easy. I don’t even think this is a thing.

Fast forward 30 years.

I now understand that what feels easy to you is often the thing other people can’t access on their own.

Not because they aren’t smart.

Because they aren’t built like you.

What feels simple is the result of your wiring, your education, your lived experience, your perspective.

It’s the combination.

You don’t notice it because you’ve always had it.

When something feels effortless, we dismiss it.

We assume it’s basic.

We assume everyone sees it.

We assume it doesn’t count.

But ease is often the clue.

If you find yourself saying,

“That’s so easy.”
“I don’t even think this is a skill....

A few years ago I started working with a woman who had a steady, healthy business.

Not loud.
Not online-famous.
Not launching every five minutes.

She just did good work.

She helped people clean up their finances. Month after month. Quietly.

One day she shared something almost offhand.

“I made this for my clients.”

It was a workbook.

Nothing fancy. No polished branding. No big reveal.

Just a simplified way of approaching budgeting.

She had built in monthly income tracking.
Expense categories that actually made sense.
Clear visibility into cash flow.
Decision checkpoints woven into the process.

It was the exact rhythm she walked clients through every single month.

And it worked.

Clients stuck with it.
They made better decisions.
They stopped feeling reactive.

What she had done, without labeling it, was create a system.

It was repeatable.
It was structured.
It removed guesswork.
It delivered a consistent outcome.

And most importantly, it existed outside of her personality.

You may have not even given it a second thought, but the truth is we all interact with licensed methods, frameworks, and curriculum every day.

And if you’re a coach, creator, or curriculum builder, you probably already have licenseable assets that you use yourself.

Here are 10 recognizable examples of licensing in the coaching, curriculum, and training world.

1. CrossFit® Classes

Local gyms don’t just decide to “teach CrossFit.”
 They pay for a licensed affiliation that allows them to use:

• the CrossFit name
• the workout methodology
• the branded training system

It’s one of the most successful licensing models in the fitness world.

 2. Zumba® 

Every Zumba teacher pays a monthly license to:

• use the Zumba brand
• access choreography
• teach official Zumba classes

It’s licensed group fitness — not just a type of dance folks enjoy.

3. The Gottman Method™ for Couples Counseling

Therapists can’t teach Gottman techniques without:

• completing licensed training
• using the lice
...

If you’re anything like me, you get a great idea and you’re all in.  You want to license your content. You start mapping out every piece. You want to organize it, package it, and get the whole thing ready.

And I get it — the creator brain kicks in and you start thinking about every aspect.

But here’s the thing:

The biggest mistake you can make is trying to license everything at once.

It feels like the “right” way to do it. But licensing isn’t about volume — it’s about creating a simple, repeatable process.

This is where one of my favorite principles comes in:

KISS — Keep it simple, silly ;)
(Because I only talk to myself with kindness… but that’s a story for another day.)

The simpler your starting point, the stronger your licensing foundation becomes.

Start with one asset — your simplest, strongest, most consistent method.

Not the 12-step signature program you’ve been refining for years. Not the entire universe of PDFs, videos, worksheets, and tools.

Just the one method you u...

The Question Every Entrepreneur Should Be Asking

You've built something incredible.

Maybe it started as a side hustle. Maybe it was born from solving your own problem. Or perhaps you've been grinding for years, perfecting your systems, refining your processes, and building a brand that actually means something to people.

But here's what keeps me up at night: How many entrepreneurs are sitting on licensing gold mines without even knowing it?

The Revenue Stream You're Not Seeing

I've watched too many business owners pour everything into growing their operations—hiring more people, opening new locations, taking on more overhead—when they're literally sitting on intellectual property and systems that could generate exponential revenue through licensing.

Think about it. What if instead of doing all the heavy lifting yourself, you could have other entrepreneurs pay you to use your proven framework? Your brand? Your systems?

That's not a pipe dream. That's licensing. And it might be th...

Hey there, coaches and creators! Let's talk audience. Common wisdom tells us that the greater the pool, the better the opportunity. In our case, it just isn’t true. It’s one of those “less is more” things. The more you try to talk to everyone, the more you connect with no one. So, how do you narrow your audience? How do you find your tribe?

1. Identify Your Niche Focus
   Think about the unique problems you solve. Who benefits most from your skills, knowledge, and passion? Stay-at-home moms, people training for marathons, people with a specific ailment? For example, if you’re a fitness coach, maybe you’re also a single mom with MS. You can speak to that audience with greater conviction and relevance. They’ll see you, identify with you, and connect with you much easier than they would with a twenty-something fitness guru.
2. Define Who You Do and Do Not Want to Work With

Who do you love working with? Seriously, think of that one client or follower that makes your day—the one who gets your...