The Worst Business Advice I Ever Heard

You Can’t Care About Closing the Sale If You’re Starving

There’s bad business advice, and then there’s dangerous business advice. This is the worse business advice I’ve ever heard: "Increase your overhead to keep you motivated to grow.".  I’m being nice here to illustrate the point, but the actual advice was “Yes, buying a Porsche is much more then you can afford. That’s good because those extra payments are what will motivate you to make more money!”.

Seriously? That’s like saying, "Set your house on fire so you have no choice but to build a mansion." or “Piss all your customers off so they all dump you and force you to find new ones!” Sounds bold. It also sounds incredibly reckless and, for lack of a better word, stupid! It’s a fast track to high stress, bad decisions, and potential financial ruin. Let’s break this nonsense down.

The Logic (Or Lack Thereof)

The idea behind this advice is that if you take on more expenses such as renting a bigger office, buying a nicer car, hiring more staff, upgrading all your equipment, you’ll be forced to work harder and scale faster to cover the costs.

That’s not motivation. If you are lucky, that’s a panic attack waiting to happen… but most likely, that’s a fast-track to bankruptcy!

Throwing money at expenses doesn’t magically grow a business. Having a solid plan, strong offers, repeat customers, and filling a need for your clients do!

The Smarter Approach

Instead of blindly increasing overhead, do this:

Invest in revenue-generating activities. If it won’t help you make more money, rethink it.

Grow your expenses in proportion to your income. Hire, upgrade, and expand when and if, it makes sense—not out of pressure.

Stay lean as long as possible. Profitability matters more than flashy expenses.

Bottom Line

Plenty of business owners operate lean and highly profitable companies. Some of the most successful service-based businesses start from home, using a laptop. Overhead doesn’t make you legit; Profits do!

 Growth should be intentional, not a desperate scramble to cover an inflated burn rate.

Ready to build a smart, profitable business? I’d love to have a chat with you.

Price Yourself To Survive

One of the biggest mistakes new entrepreneurs make? Charging only for the time spent with clients.

If your pricing doesn’t cover the real cost of running your business, you’ll burn out and still be broke.

Employee vs. Entrepreneur: Different Game, Different Math

As an employee, your salary covers everything: meetings, admin, breaks, even the time you waste scrolling. Your boss builds in overhead, vacation, and benefits when setting your pay.

But now you're the boss. And if you only charge for the hours spent delivering your service, you're missing the bigger picture.

Billable vs. Non-Billable Hours

Billable hours: The time a client pays you for.

Non-billable hours: The rest—emails, marketing, admin, networking, bookkeeping, professional development.

Your pricing needs to cover all of it.

How to Price Like a Business Owner

1. Set Your Income Goal
How much do you want to take home? Let’s say $5,000/month. That’s $60,000/year after tax.

2. Add Taxes
You can’t ignore taxes—they’ll catch up with you fast.

For example, if you live in Ontario, you’d need to make about $83,300 before tax to take home $60,000 (based on an average tax rate of 27.97%).

Use an online tax calculator and reverse-engineer your pre-tax income. Don’t overthink it—just get close.

3. Add Business Expenses
Tally up your annual business costs—phone, gas, internet, software, insurance, etc. Don’t forget to include a buffer for those unexpected expenses.

Let’s say they total $35,000. Add that to your $83,300 income goal. Your business now needs to earn $118,300/year.

4. Subtract Time Off
You probably won’t (and shouldn’t) work 52 weeks a year.

Let’s say you want six weeks off. That leaves 46 working weeks.

$118,300 ÷ 46 = $2,572/week in sales to hit your goal.

5. Set Your Rates
Let’s say you spend 20 hours per week on billable client work.

$2,572 ÷ 20 = $128.60/hour

That’s your minimum rate. Not what you want to charge—what you have to charge.

If you’re charging less, you’re working hard for too little. Time to adjust.

Need help with your numbers?
Download the free 2-Page Business Plan & Pricing Worksheet and take the guesswork out of your rates.

If you want personalized support, reach out. I’m happy to help.

PS: I’m not an accountant and the above is generic advice that works for pretty much anywhere in North America BUT, as a business owner, you should check with your accountant or tax lawyer to make sure all your financial planning including taxes meet all your jurisdiction’s guidelines.

Wrong Expert, Wrong Result!

Imagine you have a bad toothache. Instead of calling a dentist, you walk into a mechanic’s garage and say, “Hey, can you pull this tooth out for me?”

It sounds ridiculous. But people make this kind of mistake all the time when it comes to business. They ask the wrong people for advice and then wonder why nothing improves.

The Source of Advice Matters

A mechanic might be amazing at fixing engines, but they are not trained to handle molars. The same logic applies to business.

Too often, people ask for business advice from their uncle who has never run a business, or from friends who hate their jobs. Sometimes they rely on random opinions from strangers on social media. These sources might mean well, but that does not make them qualified.

If you want serious business advice, ask someone who has experience in the field!

Free Advice Can Be Expensive

There is no shortage of free opinions and free advice. But bad advice can cost you time, money, and momentum. If you are planning to start your own business, talk to a coach, a mentor, or someone who has done the work.

Don’t limit yourself to asking advice from people who have succeeded. Sometimes, the best advice you can get can come from someone who failed. Learning from their mistakes is much easier than hitting the wall yourself!

Ask Better Questions Before You Act

Before you follow someone’s advice, ask yourself this very simple question:

Does this person have real experience in what I am asking about?

Remember that good decisions come from good data and good analysis. If you get advice from unqualified sources, that’s bad data leading to bad analysis, leading to bad decisions.

Ready for Real Guidance?

If you are serious about building a business, stop relying on guesswork and unqualified opinions. Reach out and let’s have a real conversation about your goals and how to reach them.

You do not have to waste time chasing bad advice.

… And to Add Insult to Injury, I’m a Full-Time Airline Pilot!

So, let’s recap: I’m an introvert (strike one). I’m a Type B personality (strike two). And just to push the limits of what a “proper” entrepreneur is supposed to be… I’m also a full-time airline pilot.

But here’s the kicker, I’m not new to business. Before flying full-time, I built two businesses: one in financial services and the other in Consulting. I know what it takes to start, grow, run, and fix a business. What it takes to grind, find clients, and sell. I understand the ups, the downs, and the pitfalls new business owners encounter along the way. Most importantly for you, I fully understand the reality of both worlds: that of being an employee while starting a business and that of being a full-time business owner.

“But How Do You Have Time?!”

I get this question a lot.

The short answer? I don’t. Nobody has time. The trick is to make time for what matters. I still have to deal with the same 24-hour day you have to deal with.

I don’t have the luxury of pretending I can work 12-hour days on my business. Instead, I focus on what actually moves the needle. No fluff. No wasted effort. Just what gets results.

How Being a Pilot Helps me Run and Build my Business:

People assume that running a business while flying airplanes is an impossible mix. But in reality, my career as a pilot has given me some unfair advantages.

I don’t panic under pressure. Whether it’s handling turbulence or an emergency at 40,000 feet or navigating business challenges, staying calm and making logical decisions is non-negotiable.

I trust the systems. Pilots don’t fly on gut instinct alone. We follow checklists, protocols, and proven processes (Yes, as a Type B I hate structure… but I can manage within systems). Business is the same. If you build the right systems, you don’t have to constantly reinvent the wheel.

I know how to course-correct. Flights don’t always go exactly as planned. Neither does business. The trick is to adjust without losing sight of your destination.

I know that entrepreneurship isn’t about being busy. it’s about being effective. I’ve built businesses before, and I can tell you this: success isn’t about how many hours you grind. It’s about focusing on what makes you money.

You Don’t Need 40 Hours a Week to Start a Business

Too many aspiring entrepreneurs tell themselves they’ll start their business "when they have more time." Spoiler alert: that day never comes. You have to create your “more time”.

If I can build and run businesses while working full-time as an airline pilot galavanting across North America, you can start something right now. Don’t let others (or yourself) tell you you can’t. Surround yourself with people who believe and you and push you to take action.

So stop waiting for the perfect moment. Start small, start messy—but start.

Want to launch your business while juggling a job? Let’s make it happen. Don’t hesitate to reach out and book a discovery call.

And Just to Make It Worse, I’m a Type B!

As if being an introvert wasn’t bad enough in the world of business, let’s pile on another so-called "flaw": I’m a Type B personality.

That’s right. I’m not the hyper-organized, always-hustling, schedule-every-minute kind of entrepreneur. I don’t wake up with a 37-step morning routine, attack the day like a corporate warrior, or measure my worth by how "busy" I am.

But… Isn’t That Bad for Business?

We’ve all been sold the idea that success belongs to the Type A crowd: the high-strung, ultra-driven, hyper-competitive people who live and breathe productivity hacks.

Meanwhile, Type B’s (like me) are supposedly too chill for business. Too relaxed. Not aggressive enough. And yet… here I am, running a business, coaching entrepreneurs, and making it work without the stress-fueled urgency of a Wall Street trader.

Why Type B Entrepreneurs Win Too

If you’re a fellow Type B, here’s some good news: you don’t have to force yourself into a Type A mold to succeed. You just have to leverage what makes you you.

We play the long game. While Type A’s chase instant results, Type B’s focus on sustainable success. We don’t burn out trying to win today—we build businesses that last.

We stay flexible. Type A’s love rigid structures. Type Bs consider plans and structures about as rigid as a bowl of Jello. Type B's adapt. When things go sideways (which they will in business), we pivot without having an existential crisis.

We’re easy to work with. No one likes a boss or business partner who treats everything like a life-or-death competition. Type B’s bring a level-headed, low-stress approach that keeps teams and clients happy.

Success Isn’t About Personality—It’s About Strategy and Action

Here’s the truth: success isn’t reserved for a specific type of person. It’s not about being an extrovert, a Type A, or some coffee-fueled productivity machine. It’s about knowing your strengths, acting on them, and refusing to believe that being different is a disadvantage.

So yeah, I’m an introverted Type B entrepreneur. And somehow, I’m still making it work.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re “too laid-back” for business, think again. You might be exactly what the business world needs.

Thinking about starting your own business but worried you're "not the right type"? Don’t hesitate to reach out and let’s talk.

Believe It or Not, I'm an Introvert

Most people assume that being an entrepreneur, especially one who coaches, sells, and builds businesses, requires being an extrovert. Someone who thrives in crowds, loves networking events, and never runs out of things to say.

That’s not me. Believe it or not, I’m an introvert.

But You Talk to People All Day?!

Yep. And I’m good at it. But here’s the thing: being an introvert doesn’t mean being shy, socially awkward, or allergic to human interaction. It means that socializing drains my energy rather than recharges it. While extroverts might leave a meeting buzzing with energy, I need a quiet break to reset.

The key difference?

Extroverts seek social interactions to feel alive.

Introverts manage social interactions so they don’t burn out.

Introverts Make Great Entrepreneurs

There’s a myth that successful business owners need to be loud, constantly selling, and always "on." But some of the best entrepreneurs are introverts. Here’s why:

We listen more than we talk. Sales isn’t about who talks the most. it’s about understanding what people need. Introverts excel at that.

We think before we act. Ever met someone who just says whatever comes to mind? That’s not us. We take time to process, which makes for smarter business decisions.

We thrive in deep work. Running a business isn’t just about networking and sales calls. It’s also about strategy, planning, and execution… all things introverts do exceptionally well.

Business Success Isn’t About Personality Type

I know plenty of outgoing, talkative people who struggle in business because they focus on talking instead of solving problems. And I know plenty of quiet, analytical folks making six figures because they’ve learned how to position themselves.

The real secret to success? Learning to work with your strengths, not against them.

If you’re an introvert thinking about starting a business, don’t count yourself out. You don’t need to be the loudest in the room, you just need to be the most strategic.

Thinking about starting your own business as an introvert? Let’s talk.