Two ways to fail

There are two guaranteed ways to fail at building a business:

1. Never start.

2. Start… and never finish.

I’ve done both.

I’ve had ideas stuck in my head that I never acted on.

Result? Nothing.

You can’t expect results without action.

But the second path is sneakier, and more dangerous:

You get a great idea. You start with excitement. Buy a domain. Build a landing page. Begin creating...

Then…

Doubt creeps in: Is this even going to work? 

Fear follows: What if I put it out there and they think I’m an idiot? 

Hesitation hits: Maybe I should take a few more courses first. 

Life gets busy. A tough day breaks the streak. The momentum slips.

And just in time… another shiny object promises faster results with less effort.

The cycle begins again.

It’s dangerous because in some ways you feel like you’re making progress.

But really you’re just running in circles and getting no closer to your goals.

That might sum up the last few years of my life:

Start → stall → start again → stall again → repeat.

Here’s what I know:

Nobody builds anything meaningful stuck in that loop.

If you believe like I do that email is the foundation of a freedom business, then you have to hit send.

Even when life gets in the way.

I wrote this on a Saturday night. I missed a few days this week. Doctors. Dentists. Field day with my daughter. Life.

But I’m here. Writing. Because I’m done with the loop.

I’m still going to write. Still going to ship. Even when it’d be easier to quit and chase something new.

Years ago, I built a hotel in Colombia.

There were many dark and difficult days, and my mantra then was:

The only way out is through.

I need to apply that to what I’m doing now, and finish what I’ve committed to.

Everything we want lives just past that mountain of doubt, fear, and hesitation.

And this time, I’m trying something different.

I’m not pretending I’ve got it all figured out. I’m sharing the journey as I go. Real, raw, and honest.

And yes, I’m using AI to help.

I dumped this idea into ChatGPT. It helped me shape a first draft. I edited. Rewrote. Asked for a polish. Gave it a final run-through. Now it’s ready to send.

That’s the real game:

Start. Then keep going.

Even when it’s messy. Even when the excuses are loud.

Especially then.

Want to break the loop? Here’s a simple exercise:

1. Pick an idea you’ve been sitting on.

2. Dump your messy thoughts into ChatGPT.

3. Ask it to turn that mess into a decent draft.

4. Edit it.

5. Post it to your list, blog, LinkedIn, wherever you’re building.

6. Then reply to this email with the link. I’d love to see it.

No overthinking. No perfection.

Just proof that you showed up.

Thanks for reading.

Nathan

P.S. If you’re a purist who thinks using AI to shape your thoughts or clean up a draft is some kind of sin against writing, you’re on the wrong list. Feel free to hit unsubscribe below. No hard feelings.

When you’re ready, here’s how I can help

I build personalized AI Voice Bots that turn your own words and stories into ready‑to‑send drafts in seconds so you can hit Send on time and on brand.

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