The Sunday Setup: Stop Building Someone Else’s Business
Why operating in the wrong model costs more than just money and how to break free
Like me, you probably aren’t aiming to build a business you hate.
Yet, that’s where I’d found myself.
Years ago, I unknowingly built someone else's vision, and it cost me. I was unhappy, inconsistent, and questioning why everything felt so difficult.
I doubt my experience is unique or uncommon.
I believe it’s a systemic issue that occurs when we blindly follow frameworks unintentionally, allowing industry norms to dictate our path rather than making a conscious choice.
Last week, I proposed that we merely recognize and give language to various models:
1. The Transactional Model: High-volume, highly automated, impersonal. It prioritizes speed over relationships, often leading to burnout.
2. The Systemic/Industrial Model: The middle ground that blends relationship-building with systematic outreach. Think client appreciation events and "by-the-numbers" prospecting. Often leads to relational friction and exhaustion.
3. The Identity-Based Model: Aligns your business with your authentic self. Rather than conforming to industry norms, you build around your unique strengths and values. It feels risky, takes time, and requires some vulnerability to get started.
The fatal mistake? Applying tactics from one model to another without understanding what kind of business you’re trying to build.
What model are you intentionally working? Why?
This thought experiment directly relates to the Law of Business Evolution, which encourages you to think less like an employee and more like an owner who makes strategic decisions that are directionally aligned.
Alignment matters because effective messaging needs consistency, and if your business model doesn't match your true self, inconsistency will inevitably follow.
Your actions feel forced.
Your message lacks conviction.
Clients sense the disconnect.
Not to mention the hidden personal costs. Taxes you never knew you were paying.
The Hidden Tax of Framework Misalignment
When you operate in a business model that conflicts with your identity, you pay taxes that don't appear on any balance sheet:
The Authenticity Tax: The energy drained pretending to be someone you're not. Every forced script, every unnatural interaction depletes your reserves.
The Consistency Tax: The mental effort required to maintain behaviors that don't come naturally. This tax compounds over time.
The Innovation Tax: The creative ideas lost because you're too busy forcing yourself into someone else's business model.
The result? A business that technically functions but slowly erodes your well-being.
Today, pause the tactical pursuit and ask yourself: "Which model am I operating in, and is it aligned with the type of business I’m trying to build?"
Breaking free starts with simple recognition. Identify which framework you're unconsciously following, assess the hidden taxes you're paying, and make one intentional shift toward alignment this week.
Framework Flexibility: When to Pivot
Frameworks aren't permanent prisons. Check in with yourself. Are you feeling one of these pivot points?
The Scalability Threshold: You’re at capacity. Ask yourself if a selective element could provide leverage, or if you need a new model.
The Burnout Warning: You’re feeling empty or depleted. What elements can reconnect you to purpose?
The Differentiation Crisis: Your systemic model has you in the "sea of sameness." If you’re tired of looking and sounding the same, it’s time for a shift.
The most sustainable businesses aren't purist—they're intentionally hybrid, drawing strength from multiple frameworks while maintaining architectural integrity.
Breaking Free: The Next Seven Days
If you're trapped in framework misalignment, start here:
Conduct an "energy audit" — which tasks energize versus deplete you?
Identify three "architectural adjustments" that would bring your business closer to your chosen business model.
Remember: Business architecture isn't about perfection—it's about intention. Even small adjustments toward alignment create exponential returns in fulfillment and sustainability.
Here’s to a week of building with intention and conviction.
If you’re new here, below are what I call “The Five Laws of IBRE.” They’re the five truths of building a brand based on your identity;
The Law of Authenticity
Success comes from claiming who you truly are - not who you think you should be. Your clients prefer the real you over any idealized version of a realtor. Never trade credibility for likability. Never.
The Law of Business Evolution
You are not an employee with a job—you’re a business owner. Owners are responsible for growing and evolving their own brand. Generic sales tactics and "copy-and-paste" cultures create sameness. True success requires evolving beyond standard selling systems, so keep growing.
The Law of Value First
Before you can articulate your value, you must know what it is. Once you do, it’s your responsibility to honor it.
The Law of Boundaries and Bravery
Success requires both courage to claim your identity and discipline to maintain boundaries. Don't treat prospects like clients before they commit. Create clear rules of engagement, know who you serve, and be brave enough to say "no" to those who aren't your ideal clients. The right doors won't open until you're brave enough to claim the version of yourself meant to walk through them.
The Law of Guide Evolution
Transform from selling to solving, from chasing to attracting, from hero to guide. This evolution requires you to identify your specific problem-solving abilities and the courage to claim them publicly. When you operate as a guide rather than a salesperson, you naturally attract those who need your style of expertise.
