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Key Takeaways Busy schedules can hide broken economics; profitability comes from leverage, focus and aligned customers.
Niching down sharpens value, accelerates growth and turns demand into sustainable, enjoyable work.
Entrepreneurs love to talk about being busy. I used to be one of them.
In 2015, my production company was filming close to one hundred weddings a year. We were booked every weekend, answering emails nonstop and constantly “in demand.” From the outside, it looked like a thriving business.
Inside, it was something else entirely.
I remember telling my mentor how slammed we were, almost bragging about it. Then I casually mentioned that I was paying myself about $2,000 a month.
He paused and asked a question that completely reframed how I thought about my business: “How are you eating?”
That moment forced me to confront a hard truth many entrepreneurs avoid. Hustle had convinced me I was successful when, in reality, I had built a high-stress job with thin margins and no leverage. I wasn’t running a business. I was trapped inside one.
Busy is not the same as profitable
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