The Two Most Expensive Words in Your Business

I talked on the show this week about what I think are the two most damaging words in small business right now. And they’re not “no money” or “more marketing.” They’re “what if.”

What if the economy gets worse. What if I raise my rates and lose clients. What if I hire somebody and it doesn’t work out. What if I quit this thing I’ve been doing for years and the new thing flops. We make decisions based on a future we can’t predict and we can’t control, and the result is that we hold on to things way too long and we don’t take the risks we know we should be taking.

So I asked everybody on the show a question and I wanna ask you the same thing: if you wake up six months from now and nothing has changed in your business...is that success? Because for most of us, the answer is no. And yet we keep choosing the safe play because we’re afraid of a “what if” that probably won’t happen.

You’ve already proven you can survive. You’ve got years of evidence that you can figure things out and stay in business. So stop letting an imaginary future hold your real business hostage. And if the worst thing actually happened...you’d react, you’d adapt, and you’d figure it out. You always do. That “what if” you keep carrying around isn’t protecting you. It’s the thing keeping you stuck.

Tweet of the week

A great reminder when you’re creating content:

Put the Phone Down

We talked about the Masters on Monday’s show and something that really stuck with me. If you watched any of the coverage, you noticed it...the crowds at Augusta are actually present. Phones are banned on the course, and what you see is people watching golf with their actual eyes instead of through a screen. It’s weirdly inspiring.

It got me thinking about what a “no-phone zone” could look like in your business. Your next client meeting with phones face-down. A networking lunch where everyone is fully in the room. Even just an hour of your own work time where you close every tab and every notification and actually focus on the big-picture stuff that keeps getting pushed to “someday.”

We spend so much energy talking about what tools to add to our business. Sometimes the best move is to take one away for a little while and see what happens when you’re actually present.

Select Sponsor Opportunity:
Stage time, huge promotion, and more

I’m looking for a strategic partner for the 6th Annual SBOC Conference that wants to help lead the discussion, include their clients, and take time on stage to share their story with the attendees. Not every partner fits the bill, but maybe you do: Sells a B-2-B product, targeting the business OWNER not employees, established and growing businesses are a perfect fit, knows that getting in the right room is half the battle you also must showcase why they should do business with you and you have enough “game” to get on stage and share a compelling story about why people should do business with you.

If that sounds like YOU, I want to talk with you about our 6th Annual 2026 SBOC Conference is coming in September 15-17, 2026 in Brookfield, WI. I’m looking for a Platinum Sponsor to help lead this year’s event.

REPLY TO THIS EMAIL and let’s build a special partnership that works for you.

Now, GO SELL SOMETHING!

Pat