Episode Details

Stop worrying about "spiritual alignment" and "mental head trash." I know that might sound harsh, especially if you’ve been listening to the podcast for a while and know I don’t usually talk highly of those grand-sounding concepts. It’s not that things like motivation and believing in yourself aren't important; they are simply advanced techniques. Most of you listening right now aren't at that level yet; you are at the point where you simply don't know the next practical step to move your business forward.

I’m writing this because something is "vexing my spirit." I recently followed up with an individual—let’s call him Solomon—who runs a luxury car rental business in Lagos. A year ago, Solomon was convinced his business was so "unique" that his challenges were entirely new and never-before-seen. A year later, he is still saying the exact same thing.

Here is the hard truth: Your business is not unique. There is nothing new under the sun. Even if you have a slight 5% or 10% twist, someone else has thought of it, and if it’s profitable, others will eventually rush in. 

When you hide behind the "my situation is unique" excuse, you are just justifying why you are stuck. You’ve fallen into "naval gazing"—a term from my days playing blues guitar in Scotland—where you’re so focused on your own playing that you aren’t even interacting with your audience or the world.

While you sit there saying "woe is me" and blaming the economy, time is passing. In fact, if you are in the same place you were a year ago, you’re actually moving backward because of hyperinflation and the rising cost of living.

If you want to stop being stuck, you need to ignore the "mentalist" stuff and focus on the fundamentals of deal flow. A business needs money to survive just like a body needs blood. Whether your situation is "unique" or not, you must follow these steps every single day:

Prospects: Start with educated guesswork. Who might need your service? If you’re in luxury car rentals, is it brides in Lagos? People attending weekend parties? Write down every group or individual name you can think of.

Contacts: You cannot close a sale in the abstract. You need specific details—a name, a phone number, an email, or an office address—so you can initiate contact.

Leads: A lead is someone who has done something overt to show interest. For example, if you hand out flyers and they call you back, they are a lead.

Deals on the Table: This means you have made a formal proposal that the person is currently considering.

Closing: You "fire quick quick" and try to close a couple of those deals, then take the feedback, learn, and do it all over again.

I just did a 15-minute business audit with another listener, Natachi from "My Food Bank," who sells non-perishable food subscriptions. We didn't talk about motivation; we talked about unit economics and conversion rates. We looked at how a 100 or 200 naira profit per unit can lead to real wealth if you have the scale of 50,000 or 100,000 customers.

The challenge I have for you today is simple: Do you want to be right, or do you want to make money? You can stay "right" and keep insisting your problems are unique while you stay broke and stuck. Or you can wake up, find your prospects, and get to work.

If you’re ready to stop the naval gazing and actually move the needle, connect with me. 

You can send me a text or a WhatsApp message at 08064662140

I’m still offering those 15-minute sales audits—it’s no obligation, but if you want to actually start solving the issues, be ready to put some skin in the game. You can also join my WhatsApp channel through that same number for updates.

Stop making excuses.