They told you starting a business would bring freedom.
Instead, you’re working longer hours for less money—and losing the people who matter most.
Your day starts before everyone else wakes up. If you’re lucky, you have a plan. But most days, you’re just reacting—putting out fires, scrambling to fulfil orders, answering endless customer messages.
By the time you lock up at night, your body aches, your mind is exhausted, and your bank balance doesn’t reflect the effort you’ve put in.
Tomorrow? The cycle repeats.
You tell yourself it’s temporary. Just for now. Just until things pick up.
But when?
The Hot Seat
I asked Babs why he likes putting people on the spot.
He looked surprised. “When?” he asked.
“During these sessions,” I responded.
He smiled.
“Is that what you think?”
“That’s what I see.”
He leaned back. “Tell me, can a mechanic tell you what’s wrong with your car without running a diagnostic?”
I smiled. I knew where this was going.
Today, Tunde was in the hot seat.
No one knows in advance if they’ll be called. Babs says it’s to ensure they don’t show up with rehearsed answers—the ones they think he wants to hear.
Babs leans forward, his eyes steady. “Alright, Tunde. Walk us through your day.”
Tunde rubs his temples, exhales sharply, then leans back in his chair.
“I wake up at five to get to the market early. If you go late, the best stock is gone. I bring everything back, stock the shelves, then open by eight. Customers start coming in by nine.”
Babs nods, waiting.
“I do everything myself—stocking, selling, handling payments, social media. I even deliver orders sometimes.”
“You run deliveries too?”
Tunde shrugs. “Not all the time. Just for my loyal customers.”
A few people exchange glances. Someone mutters, “That’s a lot.”
Babs lets the comment settle. “And what time do you close?”
“Around nine. But I stay later to clean up and restock for the next day.”
Babs taps his fingers against the table. “So, that’s… what? Sixteen-hour days?”
Tunde shrugs. “Something like that.”
Babs leans back in his chair. “And how much are you paying yourself?”
Silence.
Tunde forces a laugh. “Whatever is left after expenses.”
Babs tilts his head. “And how much is usually left?”
Tunde looks down at his hands. “Not much.”
A murmur ripples through the group. Someone sighs. Another nods knowingly.
Babs lets the moment breathe before leaning in.
“So, let me get this straight. You work sixteen hours a day, six—maybe seven—days a week. You do everything yourself. And at the end of the month, your business barely pays you.”
Tunde’s jaw clenches.
Babs’ voice softens. “If you took a week off, what would happen?”
Tunde scoffs. “A week off? I can’t even take a day.”
Babs sighs. “So, you don’t own a business. You own a job.”
The words hit hard. A few people chuckle, but it’s not funny. It’s the truth.
Babs lets the silence stretch before delivering the final blow.
“And the worst part? Your boss—who is you—doesn’t even pay well.”
A ripple of laughter. Tunde tries to smile, but it doesn’t land.
The Real Cost
Babs leans forward, but this time, his voice softens. “How’s your family handling all this?”
Tunde shifts in his chair. “They understand. It’s for them. I’m doing this to build something for them.”
Babs watches him. “Your wife and kids see it that way?”
Tunde’s throat tightens.
“My wife… she’s frustrated,” he admits. “She says I’m never home. And even when I am, I’m too tired to be present.”
Babs nods. “And your kids?”
Tunde swallows. “They keep asking why I don’t have time for them. My youngest told me last week, ‘Daddy, you’re always at the shop.’” His voice cracks slightly. “I didn’t know what to say.”
The room is silent.
Babs leans in. “And how does that make you feel?”
Tunde looks down at his hands, his voice barely above a whisper. “Like I’m failing them.”
A deep sigh escapes from him, as if he’s been holding this in for too long.
“I got home late last week,” he says. “My son was waiting up—his eyes barely open. He ran to me and hugged my leg. ‘Daddy, I waited for you,’ he said. I told him to go to bed, that I’d see him tomorrow. He frowned. ‘No, you won’t.’”
His voice falters. He clears his throat. “I don’t want to lose my family because of this business.”
Babs lets that sink in before speaking. “You see, Tunde, you’re working so hard to provide for them, but in the process, you’re losing them. And that’s the problem. If your business demands that you trade your family for success, is it really worth it?”
Tunde exhales sharply. He’s never thought about it like that.
Babs sits back. “Something has to change, my brother. The way you’re working—it’s not sustainable. And it’s not leading you where you think it is.”
Tunde rubs his temples. “So what am I supposed to do?”
Babs smiles. “I’m glad you asked.”
He picks up a marker and turns to the whiteboard.
The 6 Shifts You Need to Make
- From Revenue to Profit – Stop chasing sales. Start keeping more money.
- From Worker to Leader – If your business dies when you step away, you don’t own a business—you own a job.
- From Products to Systems – Selling a product makes you money. Selling a system makes you wealthy.
- From Word-of-Mouth to Marketing – Hope isn’t a strategy. You need a system for visibility and sales.
- From Random Networking to Strategic Partnerships – The right relationships will grow your business faster than hard work alone.
- From Chaos to Systems – Build systems that run without you. Freedom is found in structure.
Tunde stares at the board, his mind racing.
It makes sense. But… could he actually do it?
He exhales. “So you’re saying I’ve been doing everything wrong?”
“No,” Babs says, shaking his head. “I’m saying you’ve been doing everything the hard way.”
Tunde leans forward. “So what’s the first step?”
Babs smiles. “Start by tracking where your time is actually going. Write down everything you do for the next three days. No judgment, just data. Once we see where your time is leaking, we can fix it.”
Tunde nods slowly. It’s small, but it’s something.
As the session wraps up, Babs claps him on the back. “We’ll break this down next time. You’re not stuck, my brother. You just need a new way of thinking.”
Your Turn: Is Your Business Running You?
Are you constantly working but barely making enough? Do you feel stuck in the hustle, unable to step away?
What’s keeping you trapped in hustle mode? Drop a comment.
