February 20, 2025 • 9 mins
Entrepreneurship requires commitment and resilience, with a truthful look at the challenges that often go unspoken. Success in this realm hinges on embracing chaos, focusing on customer solutions, and understanding that personal problems may be amplified through business pursuits.
• Accept overwhelming work hours in the beginning
• Prioritize understanding customer needs and offering solutions
• Consider scalable business models for long-term success
• Confront personal problems rather than expecting business to solve them
• Use practical strategies to maintain daily focus and productivity
• Recognize motivation as a practice of persistence, not just feeling good
• Prepare for the challenges of entrepreneurship as a means to personal growth
Share your thoughts on this episode! Let us know what topics you want next.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome back to the Seth Sedditt Show, where we talk
about business, life andeverything in between.
I am your host, seth Mills, andif you're here looking for a
feel-good, everything-is-easytype of podcast, you're in the
wrong place.
Today we're talking about thereal side of entrepreneurship,
the part that isn't sugar-coated, the part that nobody wants to
talk about, but the part thatwill make or break you.
So grab a coffee, an energydrink or whatever keeps you
(00:22):
going and let's get into it.
If you're starting a businessthinking that it'll be an easier
route than a job, you'realready setting yourself up for
failure and disappointment.
In the beginning, you're workingmore than a nine to five.
It's a 6am to midnight kind ofgrind, and sometimes it's even
longer.
When I first started, therewere days that I'd be up 20 to
(00:43):
22 hours at a time just betweenwork, owning my own business and
trying to get it started,schoolwork and trying to
maintain what little personallife I had.
And it doesn't just stopbecause you're tired.
Your business doesn't care ifyou're sick.
It doesn't care if you're goingthrough personal problems or if
you just don't feel like it.
(01:04):
Today, when you crawl out ofbed, it will take as much time
and energy as you're willing togive it.
And then some, the ones whomake it.
They all generally accept this.
The ones who don't well, theyquit when reality hits them.
A lot of people talk aboutbalance, but when you're
starting out, there is none.
You'll miss events, you willlose sleep, you'll have days
(01:26):
where you wonder if it's evenworth it.
But here's the truth If youcommit now, you can create
balance later.
In the first few years, yourbusiness is like a newborn baby.
It needs constant attention andeventually, if you build it
right, you can step back alittle.
But in the beginning, forgetabout work-life balance and
accept the chaos.
(01:47):
I've noticed that a lot ofpeople go into business trying
to sell whatever they can towhoever will buy.
That's a mistake.
You don't sell the product, yousell the solution.
But in order to do that, youhave to understand who your
customer is.
What do they actually need?
What problem are they trying tosolve?
How does your business fit intotheir life?
If you can answer that, youdon't have to push the sale.
(02:09):
The sale will come to you.
I was asked if I had to do itagain, what would I do?
And I personally, I would thinkbigger and maybe not even do a
service-based business.
Looking back, I'd tell myyounger self think bigger sooner
.
Service businesses are great.
They make money, low startupcosts and they give you freedom,
(02:31):
but they also have limitations.
If I could start over, I'dconsider a product-based
business with scalability, abusiness that makes money
without directly needing my time, or something that you could
use per se as a passive income,right, or even this is a big one
(02:53):
for me because I was originallya computer engineering and
cybersecurity major.
I would even look at tech,because the growth potential is
nearly unlimited, especiallywith AI and all of these
different technologies comingout.
So I guess what my point isdon't just start a business for
today.
Look ahead and start a businessthat will make sense five years
(03:14):
from now.
Again, service-based businessesare great.
I personally love doing what Ido and engaging with the
customers that I engage with,but at the same time, the
scalability is I don't want tosay limited, because there's so
many franchises out there that,like fish window cleaning, for
(03:38):
example, they have locationseverywhere, they have so many
employees, but the possibilityof getting a service-based
business to that level, it takesextreme dedication and it also
takes cutting your prices to thecustomer If you can get that
(03:59):
much volume, you're able toscale your prices down a little
bit.
But I personally have a hardtime doing that because I don't
like joining a bidding war.
That's the race to the bottom,and I'm pretty sure nearly
everybody who is listening tothis.
If you're an entrepreneur evenif you're not you can kind of
(04:19):
agree with me on that concept ofnot wanting to do a bidding war
with competitors.
What I've noticed also is a lotof people think that business
will solve your problems, and tothat I'll say business doesn't
solve your problems, it willamplify them.
If you're thinking about beingyour own boss and thinking that
(04:41):
it's going to fix your problems,it won't.
It'll make them louder.
If you have money problems,running a business will make
them much more large in concept.
If you have self-disciplineproblems, running a business
will expose them.
If you have emotional ups anddowns, running a business will
push you to your breaking point.
(05:02):
But the good news is, if youface those problems instead of
avoid them, business will forceyou to grow.
And that's where the reward is,because if you are rewarding
yourself by growing, you arelearning more, you're increasing
your knowledge in the landscapeand it is going to ultimately
(05:23):
help you succeed.
One thing that I've starteddoing very recently and that I
would recommend everybody who islistening to this to do would
be to write three things downevery day that you have to get
done before sleeping.
I learned this from RobertHerjavec.
He is a very well-knownentrepreneur and y'all might
(05:45):
know him from Shark Tank but hesaid to do this and he said when
things get crazy, it's easy tofeel overwhelmed.
And he said when things getcrazy, it's easy to feel
overwhelmed.
And that's why I took that, andI took what he said about
writing three things down, and Ikeep it simple Every morning, I
write down three things that Ihave to get done before the day
(06:06):
ends Not 10, not 20, just three.
I don't want to flood my daywith things because at that
point, it's just tasks and it'snot real actionable items.
And, with that being said, itdoesn't have to be on a piece of
paper.
That's how I do it.
I have a little notepad that Iuse for business and I would
(06:28):
take notes on, and that's how Ido it.
But you can put it in yournotes app on your phone.
You can put it on your calendarapp.
I don't know if any of y'all dotime blocking, but put it on
your time block app.
It will keep you focused, it'llkeep you moving forward and
when you hit those three, you'llbuild momentum to keep on going
day after day.
And finally, the truth aboutmotivation.
(06:48):
It is the biggest lie peoplebelieve about business.
Successful people are alwaysmotivated.
They are not the difference.
They keep going even when theydon't feel like it.
Real motivation isn't aboutfeeling good.
It's about taking action wheneverything feels like it's
falling apart.
(07:08):
If you can wake up on yourworst day, the day when
everything's going wrong, whenyou feel like a failure, when
nothing's working, and still dowhat needs to be done, that
right, there is motivation.
Business isn't about enthusiasm.
It's about persistence and theones who succeed.
(07:32):
They go from failure to failurewithout losing momentum.
What I mean by this is they canhave a day where nothing goes
right.
They'll go to sleep, wake upthe next day again, nothing goes
right.
They'll wake up the next dayand something will go good, and
that's their win.
They don't focus on the losses.
They don't necessarily focus onthe wins either.
(07:52):
They just know that if they canrepeat the task as much as
possible and keep on working onit.
Eventually it will work out.
This episode was not meant toscare you away from business.
It was not meant to scare youaway from going and opening a
business.
It was meant to prepare you.
The ones who hear this and sayI'm still in, those are the ones
(08:14):
that will make it.
If you're still listening tothis and you're feeling
overwhelmed good, that meansthat you're thinking.
That means that you're stilllistening to this and you're
feeling overwhelmed good, thatmeans that you're thinking.
That means that you'reprocessing what it really takes
to open your own business.
But here's my challenge to youDon't let the difficulty stop
you.
Let it shape you.
What I hope you guys take awayfrom this episode is that
business is not easy and thetime commitment is massive in
(08:36):
the beginning.
Forget work-life balance atfirst.
Grind now balance later.
Don't focus on selling thebeginning.
Forget work-life balance atfirst.
Grind now balance later.
Don't focus on selling theproduct.
Focus on the customer.
If I was starting over, I'dthink bigger sooner.
Business amplifies yourproblems.
It doesn't solve them.
Write down three must-do thingsevery day and real motivation
is pushing through, even wheneverything feels like it's
(08:59):
falling apart.
If this episode hit home, shareit, leave a review and let me
know what topics you guys wantnext.
Until next time, I'm your host,seth Mills, and keep on
grinding.
Welcome back to the Seth Sedditt Show, where we talk
about business, life andeverything in between.
I am your host, seth Mills, andif you're here looking for a
feel-good, everything-is-easytype of podcast, you're in the
wrong place.
Today we're talking about thereal side of entrepreneurship,
the part that isn't sugar-coated, the part that nobody wants to
talk about, but the part thatwill make or break you.
So grab a coffee, an energydrink or whatever keeps you
(00:22):
going and let's get into it.
If you're starting a businessthinking that it'll be an easier
route than a job, you'realready setting yourself up for
failure and disappointment.
In the beginning, you're workingmore than a nine to five.
It's a 6am to midnight kind ofgrind, and sometimes it's even
longer.
When I first started, therewere days that I'd be up 20 to
(00:43):
22 hours at a time just betweenwork, owning my own business and
trying to get it started,schoolwork and trying to
maintain what little personallife I had.
And it doesn't just stopbecause you're tired.
Your business doesn't care ifyou're sick.
It doesn't care if you're goingthrough personal problems or if
you just don't feel like it.
(01:04):
Today, when you crawl out ofbed, it will take as much time
and energy as you're willing togive it.
And then some, the ones whomake it.
They all generally accept this.
The ones who don't well, theyquit when reality hits them.
A lot of people talk aboutbalance, but when you're
starting out, there is none.
You'll miss events, you willlose sleep, you'll have days
(01:26):
where you wonder if it's evenworth it.
But here's the truth If youcommit now, you can create
balance later.
In the first few years, yourbusiness is like a newborn baby.
It needs constant attention andeventually, if you build it
right, you can step back alittle.
But in the beginning, forgetabout work-life balance and
accept the chaos.
(01:47):
I've noticed that a lot ofpeople go into business trying
to sell whatever they can towhoever will buy.
That's a mistake.
You don't sell the product, yousell the solution.
But in order to do that, youhave to understand who your
customer is.
What do they actually need?
What problem are they trying tosolve?
How does your business fit intotheir life?
If you can answer that, youdon't have to push the sale.
(02:09):
The sale will come to you.
I was asked if I had to do itagain, what would I do?
And I personally, I would thinkbigger and maybe not even do a
service-based business.
Looking back, I'd tell myyounger self think bigger sooner
.
Service businesses are great.
They make money, low startupcosts and they give you freedom,
(02:31):
but they also have limitations.
If I could start over, I'dconsider a product-based
business with scalability, abusiness that makes money
without directly needing my time, or something that you could
use per se as a passive income,right, or even this is a big one
(02:53):
for me because I was originallya computer engineering and
cybersecurity major.
I would even look at tech,because the growth potential is
nearly unlimited, especiallywith AI and all of these
different technologies comingout.
So I guess what my point isdon't just start a business for
today.
Look ahead and start a businessthat will make sense five years
(03:14):
from now.
Again, service-based businessesare great.
I personally love doing what Ido and engaging with the
customers that I engage with,but at the same time, the
scalability is I don't want tosay limited, because there's so
many franchises out there that,like fish window cleaning, for
(03:38):
example, they have locationseverywhere, they have so many
employees, but the possibilityof getting a service-based
business to that level, it takesextreme dedication and it also
takes cutting your prices to thecustomer If you can get that
(03:59):
much volume, you're able toscale your prices down a little
bit.
But I personally have a hardtime doing that because I don't
like joining a bidding war.
That's the race to the bottom,and I'm pretty sure nearly
everybody who is listening tothis.
If you're an entrepreneur evenif you're not you can kind of
(04:19):
agree with me on that concept ofnot wanting to do a bidding war
with competitors.
What I've noticed also is a lotof people think that business
will solve your problems, and tothat I'll say business doesn't
solve your problems, it willamplify them.
If you're thinking about beingyour own boss and thinking that
(04:41):
it's going to fix your problems,it won't.
It'll make them louder.
If you have money problems,running a business will make
them much more large in concept.
If you have self-disciplineproblems, running a business
will expose them.
If you have emotional ups anddowns, running a business will
push you to your breaking point.
(05:02):
But the good news is, if youface those problems instead of
avoid them, business will forceyou to grow.
And that's where the reward is,because if you are rewarding
yourself by growing, you arelearning more, you're increasing
your knowledge in the landscapeand it is going to ultimately
(05:23):
help you succeed.
One thing that I've starteddoing very recently and that I
would recommend everybody who islistening to this to do would
be to write three things downevery day that you have to get
done before sleeping.
I learned this from RobertHerjavec.
He is a very well-knownentrepreneur and y'all might
(05:45):
know him from Shark Tank but hesaid to do this and he said when
things get crazy, it's easy tofeel overwhelmed.
And he said when things getcrazy, it's easy to feel
overwhelmed.
And that's why I took that, andI took what he said about
writing three things down, and Ikeep it simple Every morning, I
write down three things that Ihave to get done before the day
(06:06):
ends Not 10, not 20, just three.
I don't want to flood my daywith things because at that
point, it's just tasks and it'snot real actionable items.
And, with that being said, itdoesn't have to be on a piece of
paper.
That's how I do it.
I have a little notepad that Iuse for business and I would
(06:28):
take notes on, and that's how Ido it.
But you can put it in yournotes app on your phone.
You can put it on your calendarapp.
I don't know if any of y'all dotime blocking, but put it on
your time block app.
It will keep you focused, it'llkeep you moving forward and
when you hit those three, you'llbuild momentum to keep on going
day after day.
And finally, the truth aboutmotivation.
(06:48):
It is the biggest lie peoplebelieve about business.
Successful people are alwaysmotivated.
They are not the difference.
They keep going even when theydon't feel like it.
Real motivation isn't aboutfeeling good.
It's about taking action wheneverything feels like it's
falling apart.
(07:08):
If you can wake up on yourworst day, the day when
everything's going wrong, whenyou feel like a failure, when
nothing's working, and still dowhat needs to be done, that
right, there is motivation.
Business isn't about enthusiasm.
It's about persistence and theones who succeed.
(07:32):
They go from failure to failurewithout losing momentum.
What I mean by this is they canhave a day where nothing goes
right.
They'll go to sleep, wake upthe next day again, nothing goes
right.
They'll wake up the next dayand something will go good, and
that's their win.
They don't focus on the losses.
They don't necessarily focus onthe wins either.
(07:52):
They just know that if they canrepeat the task as much as
possible and keep on working onit.
Eventually it will work out.
This episode was not meant toscare you away from business.
It was not meant to scare youaway from going and opening a
business.
It was meant to prepare you.
The ones who hear this and sayI'm still in, those are the ones
(08:14):
that will make it.
If you're still listening tothis and you're feeling
overwhelmed good, that meansthat you're thinking.
That means that you're stilllistening to this and you're
feeling overwhelmed good, thatmeans that you're thinking.
That means that you'reprocessing what it really takes
to open your own business.
But here's my challenge to youDon't let the difficulty stop
you.
Let it shape you.
What I hope you guys take awayfrom this episode is that
business is not easy and thetime commitment is massive in
(08:36):
the beginning.
Forget work-life balance atfirst.
Grind now balance later.
Don't focus on selling thebeginning.
Forget work-life balance atfirst.
Grind now balance later.
Don't focus on selling theproduct.
Focus on the customer.
If I was starting over, I'dthink bigger sooner.
Business amplifies yourproblems.
It doesn't solve them.
Write down three must-do thingsevery day and real motivation
is pushing through, even wheneverything feels like it's
(08:59):
falling apart.
If this episode hit home, shareit, leave a review and let me
know what topics you guys wantnext.
Until next time, I'm your host,seth Mills, and keep on
grinding.
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