Ahhhh, entrepreneurship. A life of Lambos, luxury yachts, mega mansions, and endless vacations to exotic destinations while your loyal employees do all the work and you live the life of luxury you always dreamed of.
At least, that’s what social media gurus want you to believe.
In reality, owning a business is more like chewing glass while staring into the abyss (according to Elon Musk’s friend, which he wholeheartedly agrees with).
There’s nothing sexy about tagging 87 people on Facebook to promote your cookies. Or mixing every batch of cookie dough by hand with a wooden spoon because you can’t afford a mixer (though you do end up with great forearms). Or working 18–20 hours a day as the baker, cleaner, head of sales, head of marketing, and customer service rep, all in the hopes of making enough sales to pay your bills and do it all over again tomorrow.
Nothing about that makes you scream “Sign me up!” Especially when it’s seven days a week, holidays included, with zero vacation.
But you’re told it’s easy. That anyone can do it. That you can become a millionaire in six months if you just follow “these five steps” (and of course, buy their course).
The truth? Everyone can’t run a business. In the U.S., only 49% of businesses make it past five years. And lasting that long doesn’t mean you’re buying a third vacation home. Only 46% of businesses operate at a profit, 19% break even, and 35% run at a loss.
Owning and running a business is TOUGH. You’ll burn through a lot of cash and a lot of brain cells stressing about how to stay afloat and profitable.
This newsletter is dedicated to the real lifeblood of the economy: the more than 35 million small and medium-sized businesses in operation today (96% of which make less than $1 million a year).
The barber shops. The bakeries. Clothing stores. Convenience stores. Cleaning companies. Plumbers. Electricians. Restaurants. Car washes. Dry cleaners. Laundromats. Liquor stores (can’t forget y’all). Beauty salons. Supply shops. Every hardworking business owner who knows the financial and mental burn of entrepreneurship.
Sometimes you just need to know you’re not alone in this firefight.
Our goal is to provide REAL stories from our 13+ years of owning and operating businesses, so you know we truly get it. We’ll share our wins, losses, regrets, and strategies that kept us sane (most days).
Subscribe NOW so you don’t miss the first REAL story that we drop next week!