9 Lies I Told Myself About Being a Successful Entrepreneur
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When I started my first agency, I was drowning in BS beliefs about success. Looking back, these beliefs held me back FAR more than any external challenge ever did. Here are the 9 biggest lies I told myself —and the truths that set me free 🕊️🕊️🕊️: 1. "I have to hustle 24/7 to succeed" Truth: Hustle gets ya started, but systems, focus, and consistency keep you going. Burnout doesn’t make you a hero, it makes you useless. 2. "I need to have it all figured out." Truth: You don’t need a map, you just need a compass. Clarity comes from action. Take the messy first step and don’t be afraid to bump around in the dark a bit. 3. "If I just do great work, clients will come." Truth: Great work is the entry fee. If you don’t know how to generate leads, you don’t have a business. 4. "If I’m a failure, I’m a fraud." Truth: Failure isn’t the opposite of success; it’s the path to it. Every loss is a lesson if you’re paying attention. Take the L’s, enjoy them. 5. "When I hit [insert goal], THEN I’ll feel successful.." Truth: If you can’t enjoy the game, you’ll never get the trophy. Celebrate the little wins because the journey is long and the road is tough. 6. "I can do it all myself." Truth: Solopreneurship is a phase — not a flex. You don’t need a massive team, but you do need a supporting cast to get leverage on your time. 1 or 2 key players can open things up in a big way. 7. “If I delegate, it won’t be done right.” Truth: Delegation isn’t about perfection—it’s about leverage. Done is better than perfect for 80% of the tasks you waste your time on. 8. "Revenue growth means success." Truth: Revenue is a vanity metric if your margins are trash. Profitability > chasing bigger numbers for the gram. 9. "I have to be an expert at everything." Truth: Expertise isn’t about knowing everything, it’s about knowing more than the person paying you. Narrow your scope, reach mastery quicker. The TL;DR? We entrepreneurs are predictable creatures. We cling to myths about success that sound good but hold us back. The real breakthroughs come when you stop buying your own BS, challenge those beliefs, and focus on what actually moves the needle. What’s one lie you’ve been telling yourself that you’re ready to drop? 👇 — Shane |