Employee Habits Kill Profits

You know what's funny about money?

The more you hold onto it, the less it grows 🌱

The more you fear losing it, the less it flows.

And if you're thinking about it like an employee... it might be costing you everything 💭

Why Your Employee Money Habits Are Killing Your Business Growth

Here’s the truth: Even after working in banking for years and completing my accounting degree... I was still thinking about money like an employee.

And it was costing me everything.

See, in 2015 when I started my mortgage brokering business, I thought I had this money thing figured out. I mean, come on - I'd spent years in the financial industry! I knew the ins and outs of nearly every financial product out there...

But I was dead wrong.

Because here's what nobody tells you: The very same money habits that make you a "responsible" employee can actually sabotage your success as a business owner.

And the worst part? Most aspiring business owners don't even realize they're trapped in this employee money mindset until it's already holding them back.

The Employee Permission Trap

Here's something I noticed in my own journey - a pattern I struggled with when starting my first business:

As employees, we've been conditioned to:

• Seek approval before making decisions

• Wait for the "right time" to invest

• Need perfect conditions before taking action

• Have all the answers before moving forward

I remember sitting on business decisions for weeks, sometimes months, waiting for the "perfect moment" or trying to get validation from everyone around me.

You know what happened? Opportunities passed me by while I was waiting for permission that would never come.

The Money Mindset Shift That Changed Everything

The breakthrough came when I realized this: The same thinking that made me a "good employee" was making me a hesitant business owner.

Here's how my thinking shifted:

From Employee Me (Then): "Is this the right time to invest that much in advertising?" "What if it doesn't ‘work’?" "Maybe I should wait until next quarter..."

To Owner Me (Now): "How much revenue am I leaving on the table by waiting?" "If this tool saves me 5 hours a week, what could I do with that time?" "Is my fear of spending $500 stopping me from making $5,000?"

The Money Mindset That Changes Everything

Let me share something that transformed my own journey:

There are two fundamentally different ways to look at business money. I learned this the hard way, and I see it every day in the digital space:

🚨 Employee Money Mindset:

• "I'll invest when I can afford it"

• "Let me save up first"

• "What if it doesn't work?"

• "I need to hold onto every dollar"

💡 Owner Money Mindset:

• "How can I make this investment pay for itself?"

• "What opportunities am I missing by waiting?"

• "How can I test this smartly?"

• "Money is a tool for growth"

My first time in business, I was guilty of this. I hesitated on advertising, delayed investing in better systems, and waited for "proof" before making moves.

Classic employee thinking - and it was killing my growth.

The breakthrough came when I learned something crucial: If you treat business money like paycheck money, you'll never escape the 9-to-5 mindset.

Here's the truth: Employees see costs. Owners see opportunities.

Think about it - every major business expense is really a question of perspective:

• Marketing isn't a cost - it's a revenue generator

• Systems aren't expenses - they're efficiency multipliers

• Training isn't spending - it's an investment in growth

The money wasn't different - but my approach to using it was completely transformed.

Want Proof This Mindset Works?

Think about Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak starting Apple. They didn't wait for market validation. They didn't wait for the perfect office space.

They didn't even wait to have a proper business plan.

Instead, it’s been said they:

• Started building in Jobs' garage instead of waiting for a "proper" facility

• Sold Jobs' VW bus and Wozniak's HP calculator to fund their first order

• Showed an unfinished prototype to a local store owner to secure their first sale

They didn't ask for permission to disrupt the computer industry. They just started building.

And here's the kicker: If they had waited for "perfect conditions" or "market validation," we might not have Apple today.

That's the difference between employee thinking ("We need to be sure this will work") and owner thinking ("Let's make this work").

Your Permission-Free Action Plan

Here's what I've learned works (often the hard way):

1. Audit Your Decision Patterns

   • Look at your last 5 business financial decisions

   • How long did you sit on them?

   • Who were you waiting to validate them?

2. Set Your Investment Criteria Instead of seeking permission, create your own decision framework:

   • What's your minimum expected return?

   • What's your risk tolerance?

   • What's your testing budget?

3. Create Your Opportunity Framework For each business decision, ask:

   • "How will this investment multiply itself?"

   • "What's the cost of NOT doing this?"

   • "How can I test this quickly and smartly?"

This Week's Power Moves:

1. List three business investments you've been "waiting to afford"

2. For each one, write down how it could pay for itself

3. Choose ONE to take action on this week

Remember: Every day you wait for the "perfect time" is a day your business isn't growing.

The difference between staying stuck and breaking through often comes down to this:

Are you thinking like an employee who needs permission, or an owner who creates opportunities?

I'd love to hear from you: What business decision have you been sitting on that you're ready to make a decision about in the next 48 hours?

Hit reply and let me know! 🚀

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