The "self-made" myth is a dangerous lie

The very independence that drives many of us to start businesses or side-hustles can become our biggest limitation to growing them.

We've been sold a dangerous myth.

The self-made entrepreneur. The visionary who sees what others don't. The maverick who breaks all the rules and succeeds anyway.

Great story for a Netflix documentary.

Terrible strategy for actual business growth.

Look at any "self-made" success story and you'll find a network of people who were crucial to that success.

But for some reason, we keep glorifying this lone wolf approach – even when research shows that connected founders grow 3-5x faster than isolated ones.

So why do we resist what works? Is it pride? Stubbornness? The belief that we're the special exception?

Maybe it's all three.

When you're doing everything yourself, there's something weirdly satisfying about it. "I built this." "I don't need anyone else." "I've got it all figured out."

I've been there. I 100% get it.

It's what pulled me into entrepreneurship too.

But this mindset comes with hidden costs:

Decision blindness:

• You can't see your own blind spots.

Opportunity invisibility:

• The best chances come through unexpected connections that isolated founders never encounter.

Time bankruptcy:

• Learning everything yourself takes 10x longer than leveraging collective wisdom.

Mental fatigue:

• Carrying the entire burden alone leads to burnout and poor decision making.

You might be thinking, "This doesn't apply to me. I talk to people all the time!"

But here are the warning signs I've noticed in founders who are suffering from isolation without realising it:

• You've changed your pricing strategy three times this year and still can't decide if it's right

• You scroll LinkedIn and feel like everyone else has it figured out except you

• You've rewritten your homepage copy 14 times (and it's still not "perfect")

• Your family has started rolling their eyes whenever you talk about your "next big pivot"

• You secretly worry that you've been making the same mistakes for years but can't see them

• The last time someone gave you honest feedback about your business was... actually, you can't remember

• You keep having the same conversation with yourself about what to focus on next

• Your "to learn" list keeps growing while your revenue stays flat

• You rarely hear perspectives that challenge your core assumptions

If that's hitting a bit too close to home, don't worry. The solution isn't complicated.

You don't need random networking events with lukewarm coffee and awkward small talk.

You need a community of people who:

• Call you on your BS (respectfully, of course)

• Share what's actually working in their businesses

• Hold you accountable when you procrastinate

• Connect you with opportunities you'd never find alone

The most successful people I know aren't necessarily the smartest or most talented.

They're the ones who've built the right community around them.

So Iif you're building in isolation, try something different. Find your people. Create your circle. Join a community.

Obviously I'd love for that community to be Think Like A Creator, where we're helping of creators, founders and career driven legends break through isolation-induced plateaus. Our 14-day risk-free trial lets you see if it's right for you.

Check it out here.

Remember, the creator mindset is all you need to grow 🌱

Did someone forward this to you? Sign up here to get the next one straight to your inbox.

If this email landed in your spam or promotions folder, move it to your primary inbox so you never miss an update from me.