Contractor business coach

Are your goals to buy a bigger house or a new car? Maybe take your family on a great vacation? Do you want to Double Your Business? Be debt free?

 

The person we are now, is not capable of achieving our goals.

 

We can’t. Here’s why:

Yes, I dropped the “C” bomb, but bare with me. 

We’re not great salespeople. We’re not great leaders. We’re not great entrepreneurs.

… yet.

We can be. We just have to commit ourselves to growing beyond who we currently are.

And that’s painful. 

 

Not only are we going to make lots of mistakes, but we’re going to feel like a fool 90% of the time and others around us are going to make sure we know that they know we screwed up. Those are the “crabs in a bucket” and there are crabs at each level. 

We’re also going to have to work harder than we’ve ever worked in our life.

I hear people say they work hard, but they don’t know hard work. 

 

First it starts with working harder on ourselves than we do on our business. 

But before we even have a chance of doing that, we must first take complete responsibility for where we are. 

It goes like this,

“I am where I am because of every decision I have made up to this point.”

 

Now, it might not be completely true, but it empowers us to make a change. 

See, as long as we blame our situation on the government, our parents, or worse, a competitor, there is nothing we can do. 

So, take complete ownership. 

But here’s the thing:

Normal people run away from the pain. They think it’s unnatural. To them, every moment of their lives supposed to be a march toward comfort and tranquility.

 

High achievers, on the other hand, believe the opposite. They understand that, the more pain they can endure, the faster they grow.

Instead of worrying about mistakes, they embrace them.

Instead of worrying about looking stupid, they take other people calling them an idiot as a sign they are on the right track.

Instead of clocking out at 40-50 hours a week and pursuing a “balanced” life, they dedicate themselves –mind, body, and soul– to the work, typically working so hard they endanger their relationships and even their health.

“Work as if somebody else is working 24 hours to take your business from you” -Mark Cuban

The bottom line?

Building a six or seven-figure business has very little to do with tactics. Yes, it’s a factor, but if we’re struggling, it’s almost certainly because we need to develop ourselves.

And it never stops, by the way.

The person I had to be to start my first business back in Michigan back in 96’ is totally different from the person I had to be to start all over again in Florida in 05’.  Which again is completely different from the person I had to be, to be able to sell it and then start a whole new business in a whole new space. 

And so it goes to hit our next goals. 

 

The questions is…

How much pain are you willing to endure?

Decide today to build and grow a new you, to get to the next level. 

 

 

Action Steps:

  • Get up early and work 2 hours before everybody else and work on your most important project or task for the day. We call these Jam Sessions. Uninterrupted, focused, single-tasking, high level productivity. Once we complete a Jam Session, the whole day can unravel, come crashing down and we’ll still feel great, on top of the world, actually, because we have already confidence completed our most important task for the day.
  • Schedule and commit to a weekly date night.
  • Cancel your TV subscription. It’s nothing but a mental pacifier and, for heaven’s sake, stop watching the news. We did this about 7 years ago and, trust me, life is much better. 
  • Find a mentor, and when they give you advice, DO IT! Then report back to them how it went. Once that relationship gets going, find another mentor for another area of your life. You cannot have to many and no one mentor is the perfect for every area of you life.
  • Read and/or listen to a book a week. But not just for the feeling the good ideas give you, but for the action task you can implement from them. 

 

Get my list of the top 50 books CLICK HERE.

 

“You are the same person today as you will be tomorrow except for the books you read and the people you meet.”  

                                                               ~Charlie “Tremendous” Jones 

 

P.S.  It always helps to #KeepItCaffeinated

 

About the Author

As many of you know, my journey has been one of grit, grace, and transformation. At 19, I was a high school dropout, single father, and struggling paint contractor in Michigan. I later moved to Florida, where I faced both personal and professional hardships. With nothing left to lose, I turned to prayer—and was blessed with a relentless hunger to learn. I devoured books, attended seminars, and discovered better ways to streamline and grow my business—even through the Great Recession (and yes, I did hit the wife lottery along the way!). In 2014, I published How To Double Your Business and later sold the painting business, launching a new chapter: coaching others to grow their businesses. For the past 10 years, I’ve dedicated myself to helping business owners scale through the DYB System, while also drawing from frameworks like EOS, Scaling Up, and The Four Disciplines of Execution. Yet something was still missing—something more adaptive, integrated, and complete. Then I found Pinnacle. After months of research and interviews with other Guides, I joined Pinnacle. Their tools and strategies have exceeded every expectation. Now, as a Pinnacle Business Guide, I help leadership teams implement a custom-tailored operating system that draws from the best in the industry—but flexes with your unique business. It’s a dynamic, proven approach to achieve clarity, momentum, and lasting growth. I’m no longer taking on any more 1:1 coaching clients… Instead, I now specialize in working with visionary business owners who are ready to get their leadership teams aligned—around a clear vision, a focused strategy, and an actionable execution plan. With the tools and process I now have as a Pinnacle Business Guide, I help turn alignment into momentum, and momentum into results. If your business is growing—but your leadership team isn’t fully rowing in the same direction—let’s talk.

Tess Wittler - July 25, 2015

Very interesting, Steve, and I totally agree. As we “evolve” so does the dedication that is necessary to achieve our goals. In addition to all of your suggestions (many of which I do), I also make it a point to excerise daily – preferably outside. Not only is it good for the body but for the mind too.

    Steve Burnett - July 25, 2015

    Indeed, Tess. Another good one I left off the list, but reminded by Cliff Tucker, was to mentor another. Definitely needed to grow to the next level. Thank you for stopping by.

Mike Pope - July 26, 2015

Very inspiring post Steve. Thanks for sharing. It’s 5 am on a Sunday morning, and I’m getting some work done while my son is still sleeping.

    Steve Burnett - July 26, 2015

    Hi Mike,

    Thank you for stoping by.

    Dark and early is also the best time for me to crank out some Jam Sessions.

    Keep pushing forward. You’ve got this!

Lisa Moon - July 28, 2015

Excellent, Steve!!!

    Steve Burnett - July 29, 2015

    Thank you very much, Lisa!

Cleve Dayton - July 29, 2015

Steve…great article. I totally agree. I have always said “You are responsible for every situation you find yourself in. All of your actions and thoughts equal your reality”. I believe in always working on yourself to be a better and smarter person. Think about everything that happens to you and around you and learn from it.

    Steve Burnett - July 29, 2015

    Thank you Cleve and you are spot on my friend. Keep Rockin’ !

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