Last Friday, during the SBC M&A Deep Dive, one of the participants said something that nailed what’s wrong with most business owners in our region:
“Everyone thinks every problem can be solved by throwing more money, time, or effort at it.”
He was right.
A business goes flat?
“Hire more people.”
Profits drop?
“Spend more on ads.”
Sales lag?
“Chase more new customers.”
But sometimes, the smartest move isn’t to speed up — it’s to slow down or even stop and figure out what needs to actually be done.
I worked with an owner from one of my Profit and Dine Masterminds who was obsessed with growth.
Every quarter he chased new products, new partnerships, new hires.
Yet his business kept spinning in circles.
His Problem?
Customers were leaving in droves through the back door while he was busy hustling and grabbing customers to come in through the front door.
We made a deal: Let’s Pause. No new funnels or customer acquisition campaigns for 90 days.
No shiny objects. No new campaigns.
Just finish what was started and fix what was broken.
In a few months, his retention rate doubled.
His profits climbed without new spending.
And for the first time in years, he could see the wisdom in it…
The irony?
That pause — the one he was scared to death would slow him down — made his business move faster than it ever had.
In M&A, the behaviour of your existing customers — how long they stay, how much they buy, how much they refer — determines whether you get a life-changing offer or a lowball one.
In your day to day business, those existing customers will determine if you enjoy running a growing and profitable business on your terms…. Or if you’re stuck in a daily hustle and grinds you to the ground.
But this breakthrough doesn’t come from doing more.
It comes from doing less — but doing it better.
Join the Q4 Lab to learn how to pause with purpose and grow with clarity.
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P.S. I’m not the “systems,” “finance,” or “fix your processes” guy.
I help you fall in love with your business again—Because it finally gives you the life you want today
While setting you up to exit on your terms tomorrow.
Join my list for blunt insights and practical strategies to build a business that gives you your life back – and the power to walk away, when you’re ready, on your terms