Lately, I’ve been feeling a bit stuck in my business - like I’m sprinting on a treadmill, putting in all the effort but not actually getting anywhere. No matter what I do, it feels like I’m just treading water.

And yep, I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned this before in a previous post. Lately, I’ve just been wondering how to grow and how to do it right. I definitely overestimated how much I’d grow in the first year or two. But hey, there’s that good old saying:

"You always overestimate what you can achieve in the short term but underestimate what you can achieve in the long term."

Or something along those lines.

The Life-Changing Advice?

So, I did what any slightly desperate business owner would do - I reached out to a business coach.

His advice?

Grow to £300k as quickly as possible.

Oh. That’s it? Just a casual £300k? 🙃

The thing is, I already knew this. Mostly because I actually read this guy’s emails (one of the very few newsletters I actually read). But sometimes, you need someone to spell it out for you - someone who’s been there, done it, and isn’t just another random LinkedIn guru peddling their “7-figure business secrets.”

The Advice That Slapped Me in the Face

What really hit me wasn’t just the advice itself - it was how generous he was with his time.

I’m not going to lie; I felt a bit ridiculous - like a kid asking a Michelin-starred chef for cooking tips while still burning toast. Here I was, running my little business with a turnover of not even half of that, and yet he took the time to talk to me and give me advice. Feeling bold, I thought, Hey, I’ll ask about his coaching course! …and that’s when he (very politely) let me know I wasn’t quite ready for it. 😐 

But his advice? 

✔️ Surround yourself with as much support as possible.
✔️ Stop trying to do everything - outsource to specialists.
✔️ Focus on what you’re actually good at: getting more clients and providing high-quality advice.

Spoiler Alert: There’s No Secret Shortcut

I think, deep down, I was hoping for some magic solution - some kind of hack that would make everything easier. But there isn’t one. There never is.

And this week, in particular, felt extra hard because I was ill - not in a dramatic, bed-ridden, Victorian-era fainting sofa kind of way, but that annoying level of sick where your head aches, your throat’s scratchy, and even the simplest tasks feel exhausting.

So, I guess I’ll keep grinding - but this time, with a mission to offload those time-consuming tasks that are eating up my days (and possibly my sanity).

The Truth No One (including me) Wants to Hear

Can I just say - anyone who tells you that you can make a ton of money easily or grow a business overnight is lying to you.

All those flashy social media posts promising effortless success with minimum hustle? Yeah. Complete and utter nonsense. 🙄

The reality is:

👉 You have to work.
👉 You have to push through.
👉 You have to be prepared to put in the damn effort.

No secret formula. Just consistent, persistent effort - even when it feels like nothing is happening. 🫤

And that reminds me of one of my favourite quotes from James Clear:

“When nothing seems to help, I go and look at a stonecutter hammering away at his rock, perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the hundred and first blow, it will split in two, and I know it was not that last blow that did it - but all that had gone before.”

 

So, if you’re feeling like you’re running in place - keep going. That rock will crack. You just have to keep hammering away… even if it feels like the biggest, toughest, most unbreakable rock known to man! 😣