“To anyone I’ve offended, I just want to say: I re-invented electric cars and I’m sending people to Mars in a rocket ship. Did you also think I was gonna be a chill, normal dude?” – Elon Musk
Normally, I like to think I’m a pretty chill dude.
Agreeable. Easygoing.
Even downright pleasant, on a good day.
And I think the entrepreneurs I coach would agree.
Normally.
But sometimes…
Once in a while…
Easygoing just don’t get the job done.
Sometimes, the only answer is violence.
Here are three of those times, pulled directly from real client interactions over the past few months.
(coaching clients in bold)
“My team is pissed at me, Stripe just held a huge payout, and a client just quit. I feel really overwhelmed.”
“You gonna pack it in and go back to school?”
“Hell no.”
“Then shut the fxck up and get back to work. This ‘aint cuddle-your-feelings time, this is war.”
“I’m doing well but my mind keeps saying ‘oh shit this could blow up at any moment.’ How do I get rid of those thoughts?”
“You don’t. You listen to them.
Your business could blow up at any moment, and it likely will, unless you patch the vulnerabilities that could make it blow up.
Your mind is telling you something you need to hear…
…And just because it doesn’t feel good doesn’t mean it’s not true.”
“My family has been calling me all week, asking me to stop because they know I’m really stressed out.”
“Get out of here with that family shit.
If they’ve never run a business, they don’t get a seat at the table.
Men in the arena don’t take advice from spectators.”
I share these examples for two reasons:
- I find them entertaining.
- Most people radically underestimate the violence involved in high-level entrepreneurship.
I’m not saying you need to Goggins yourself.
(you don’t, and you shouldn’t)
But I am saying that if you enter the arena:
Be prepared to fight.
I hope these examples help fuel your own fight, whatever it may be.
Happy Friday.
– T
P.S. In case you missed it earlier this week, here’s…
How To Build A Business While Working 9 to 5
And, here’s…
3 things that will make your weekend better
What to read, watch and be inspired by this weekend.
Lamb: The gospel according to Biff
The story of Christ, as told by his childhood best friend… Who also happens to be a hilarious twat who punches angels in the face, hits on Jesus’ Mom, sleeps with the concubines of one of the Three Wise Men, and much more. A damn good time.
Naval on Modern Wisdom
Finally making my way through this beast of a podcast episode, now that I’m out of my solo retreat. Naval’s first appearance on Rogan (in 2019) is often called “the best podcast episode of all time.” I have no doubt this one will hit just as hard, if not harder.
OCEAN: John Butler (66M Views)
So glad I stumbled back across this video earlier. This song carried me through some wild backpacking adventures in my mid-20’s, and is one of the best displays of mastery of a craft I’ve ever seen (wait ’till you hit the ~5 minute mark).
“Children see magic because they look for it.” – Christopher Moore, Lamb
