As a youth, my hair was routinely massacred by Adventure Barbers. A couple of middle-aged gents operated a lucrative gig on the outskirts of my community. No matter what style you requested, you always got short back and sides. School principals loved them. My community was fueled by civil service employees, my dad being one of them. From an early age, we were groomed to go study, get a good degree, and secure a good job, whether it be in accounting, architecture, or academia. Ironically, the very patrons who eschewed “alternative jobs” supported Adventure Barbers for decades.
Even in school back then, entrepreneurial thoughts were rudderless. “It won’t work” was the stock phrase to dismiss anything beyond the safe options. I once told a teacher, “Those huge companies had to start somewhere, maybe even in backrooms or garages.” I was reprimanded.
“It won’t work.” If you subscribe to that reductive language, you are correct, it won’t. The companies that now receive your résumé began as a thought. Often that thought wasn’t “Will it work?” but “Ok, sounds like a plan, let me try it!”
Starting something new will still be brutal. You’ll face malicious managers, anxiety about mortgages, and mindless scrolling when failure feels too heavy. But the choice of using different language is the hub where it all starts. Language like: I’ll find a way because it beats burnout. Let me try something different instead of dying from stress. Or, it’s worth testing because my soul is dying. All of these beat “It won’t work.” Once that phrase is gone, start tackling “I don’t have time…” Good luck with that one.
I can’t teach you tai chi or how to sell automotive parts online. I’m not even offering advice. My suggestion is that you choose language that moves you, instead of words that shoot you in the foot.
Beyond that, failure is inevitable. Don’t let the “success illusion” fool you; every hustle hits invisible walls early on. Build that into your budget emotionally and financially. Failure isn’t a bug; it’s a feature.
Eat and sleep properly. If you collapse, it all does. The language choice is simple: “My health is non-negotiable, even if I’m stuck in a toxic shithole of a job at present.”
Once you’ve actually started, the hustle becomes tedious. Planning is more exciting than doing. Knowing it helps.
Don’t talk too early. Outside critique will sap fragile confidence. Keep your circle tight. And don’t mention your plans at work.
Cullen, a colleague who passed away, always had a sheet pinned to his board. He had successful businesses, and when the last one failed, he went back to a paycheck, but with the knowledge he had done “it” before and would do it again. His phrasing wasn’t “if,” but “when.”
On his sheet, he printed this:
10 AM Coffee Break. Extra Strong!
12 PM Lunch. Stretch!
5 PM Snack!
At the bottom, he printed the date and a motivational quote. “Positivity fuels the grind!” Nobody noticed. When he confided in me, he said, “At 10 AM, I reinforce my ideas for getting out. At 12, I work on my stuff for 30 minutes. At 5, I ready myself for an hour of hustle after hours. Nothing more. If the quote ends with an exclamation mark, I succeeded the previous week. If not, I try again this week.” He smiled and admitted, “Sometimes I fail at the basics too.”
Cullen’s sheet was a manifesto in plain sight, a rebellion to keep momentum. He did get out. Sadly, he passed away later, but he escaped because he chose his words carefully.
Not everyone will get out. Many will stay trapped, following the scripts they were groomed to accept. The Adventure Barbers proved it: year after year, same cut, same conformity, and everyone thanked them for it. Better to choose your own words than end up with the haircut someone else decided for you.
Which words will you choose today?
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