If I had to give one life-changing tip, it would be this:
Stop preparing to live your life. Start inconveniencing yourself by actually living it.
There is a particular species of human—and I know because I belong to it—that mistakes preparation for progress.
We don’t have ideas. We have systems for managing ideas.
We don’t write books. We build Notion dashboards about writing books.
We don’t start businesses. We spend six months choosing a logo because, obviously, investors care deeply about kerning.
Our browser has 427 tabs open. Every one of them is titled “I’ll definitely read this later.” We own more frameworks than functioning revenue streams. We can diagnose capitalism, AI, democracy, and the dating market before breakfast, yet still spend forty-five minutes deciding where to have lunch.
For years, I thought the missing ingredient was one more insight.
One more course.
One more spreadsheet.
One more perfect plan.
It turns out life is deeply unfair to people who love planning. It rewards people who are willing to look slightly foolish.
The first draft teaches more than the fiftieth outline.
The awkward sales call beats the perfect pitch deck.
The article you publish changes you more than the masterpiece you keep editing.
Most breakthroughs arrive embarrassingly underprepared.
I’ve realized that intelligent people have a peculiar curse. We can simulate success so convincingly in our heads that we confuse the simulation with the experience. We optimize routes we haven’t walked, solve problems we don’t yet have, and build second brains while occasionally forgetting to use the first one.
So if I could offer one piece of advice, it would be this:
Trade one hour of preparation for one hour of embarrassment every day.
Ship the imperfect thing.
Make the awkward phone call.
Publish the clumsy essay.
Ask the stupid question.
Start before your framework is finished.
Because eventually you discover that life isn’t changed by your best ideas.
It’s changed by the handful you were brave—or impatient—enough to put into the world.
I Don’t Own My Audience on Any Platform Except One
Every platform I post on will, at some point, without asking me, change the rules of how many of my own followers actually see what I make. This is not a conspiracy theory. It’s just how the business works — attention is the product, and I am, at best, a supplier who doesn’t get a vote. I’ve made peace with this the way you make peace with weather. I just stopped pretending any of those platforms were mine.
I do own one thing, though, and I didn’t fully appreciate it until I watched a video quietly reach a fraction of the people who’d deliberately chosen to follow me for it.
The moment this actually became real to me
I posted something I was genuinely proud of, to an audience I’d spent 18 months building, and watched it get shown to a noticeably smaller slice of that audience than the post before it, for reasons nobody explained to me, because nobody owes me an explanation — I’m a guest there, however long I’ve been visiting. Nothing had changed about the content. Something had changed about the rules, quietly, upstream, somewhere I don’t have access to.
That’s the moment I stopped thinking of platforms as places I “have an audience” and started thinking of them as places I’m allowed to rent attention, on terms that can change without notice, forever, as a permanent condition of doing business there.
The one exception
My email list — which for me lives inside Substack — doesn’t work that way. If someone subscribed, they see what I send. Not “might see, depending on an algorithm’s mood that week.” See. That’s the entire deal, and it’s a deal so simple it almost sounds naive to say out loud in an industry this obsessed with growth hacks and engagement rates.
I don’t say this to be precious about email newsletters, which I understand is a slightly unfashionable thing to be precious about. I say it because it’s the one piece of this whole system I actually own outright, and everything else — the clips, the reposts, the cross-posts — I’ve started thinking of as advertising for the one channel where the rules can’t quietly change under me.
Why this changes how I think about the whole workflow
Every platform still matters. I’m not walking away from any of them — that would be its own kind of self-sabotage, given how much of this system depends on reaching people who’ve never heard of me yet. But I’ve stopped treating them as equally mine. The clips and social posts are outreach. The home-base post, the one going to people who already opted in, is the actual relationship. Everything else is just how I introduce myself to strangers who might eventually want to be there too.
I used to measure success by whatever the biggest number was that week — most views, most likes, whichever platform had a good day. I measure it differently now. How many people are on the list I actually own. Everything else is weather, and I’ve stopped checking the forecast quite so anxiously.
What I’d tell someone building this for the first time
Build the audience you rent. You have to — that’s where discovery happens, that’s where strangers become readers. But build the one you own at the same time, from day one, even when it feels smaller and slower and less exciting than watching a clip take off. The clip’s numbers will humble you eventually, on a schedule you don’t control. The list won’t, because nobody but you decides what happens to it.
The Most Undervalued Skill: Turning Your “Invisible Expertise” Into an Income Stream
I wrote my book, How to Start a Small Business That Actually Makes Money, in the messy, disorienting wake of a total career collapse. One Monday, I was a senior engineer with a ten-year plan; by Friday, a corporate layoff had erased years of careful architecture. In the vacuum that followed, I tried to pivot based on pure passion—launching an artisanal candle business that left me inhaling fragrance oils while my savings bled dry.
I eventually realized that I didn’t need more “hustle.” I needed to master a skill that is technically basic, yet one that most people completely ignore: The ability to audit your own life for “invisible expertise” and solve an obvious problem for a specific price.
The Curse of Familiarity
The most reliable source of a business idea is the expertise you’ve already built over years of trial and error. The problem is that expertise is invisible from the inside. Because you have lived with these skills for so long, they feel “normal” to you. You assume that if a task is easy for you, it must be “cheap” or of low value to the market.
This is a fundamental error in judgment. Most people spend their lives chasing a “lightning strike” of original genius, while they completely overlook the “leaks in the plumbing” they are uniquely qualified to fix. In reality, originality is not required; execution is.
The Skills You Are Taking for Granted
When I ask people what they are good at, they usually give me a resume title. But the money is in the granular tasks. To stop undervaluing yourself, you have to look at three specific areas:
Professional Skills: A project manager’s real value isn’t “management”; it’s vendor negotiation and risk identification. A teacher’s real skill is explaining complex topics simply and managing resistant people.
Informal Skills: These are the things friends and neighbors already “consume” your time for—like reorganizing a kitchen or fixing a recurring tech problem. If you are already doing it for free, you have a validated skill that people want.
The Insider’s Advantage: Applying an ordinary skill to a specific industry you understand deeply makes it extraordinary. A bookkeeper who specializes in restaurant tip pools and POS systems can charge a 30% premium because they speak the industry’s language.
The “Boring” Truth About Success
Most aspiring entrepreneurs “play business” by spending months on logos, websites, and business cards. This is productive procrastination—a way to feel busy while delaying the uncomfortable moment of actually asking for money.
The “basic” skill most people lack is the discipline to build a Minimum Viable Business: an offer, a price, and a way to reach someone who needs help. I’ve learned that the “cool” startups often just pay for therapy, while the “boring” businesses—the ones that solve recurring, unglamorous problems—are the ones that actually pay the mortgage.
Stop Dreaming and Start Engineering
My goal isn’t for you to just read a book; it’s for you to have a real business by the time you finish it. If you can’t make $500 from an idea in thirty days using only your current resources, you don’t have a business—you have a concept.
If you are currently standing in your own “messy middle,” stop looking for inspiration and start looking for the expertise you already own. To get the clinical, data-driven blueprint I used to rebuild my own life—including the exact worksheets for the Skills Inventory and the Five-Conversation Validation Method—grab your copy of How to Start a Small Business That Actually Makes Money.
Let’s get to work on building a foundation that provides structural stability in an era of uncertainty.
What Makes Sauli—My Tornado in the Body of a Belgian Malinois—So Special?
“Some dogs fetch tennis balls. Mine fetches chaos… and somehow leaves behind a little more love every single time.”
When people meet Sauli for the first time, they usually say one of two things.
“She’s beautiful.”
Or…
“Wow… she has a LOT of energy.”
Both are true.
But neither explains who she really is.
Sauli isn’t just a black Belgian Malinois. She isn’t simply the inspiration behind The Adventures of Sauli the Rescue Pup. She’s the reason those books exist at all.
Every page began with her.
Every laugh was earned.
Every tear was real.
She Was Never Just a Rescue Dog
People often assume that rescuing a dog means changing their life.
Feed them.
Train them.
Love them.
Give them a second chance.
That’s only half the story.
The other half?
They quietly begin rescuing you.
I didn’t go looking for a character to write about.
I rescued a puppy.
The books happened because life with Sauli became too unbelievable not to write down.
She Lives at 200 Miles Per Hour
If you’ve never lived with a Belgian Malinois, imagine combining:
the curiosity of a toddler,
the athleticism of an Olympic gymnast,
the determination of an FBI detective,
and the impulse control of… absolutely nobody.
Now multiply it by ten.
That’s breakfast.
Sauli doesn’t simply walk into a room.
She arrives.
Every shadow deserves investigation.
Every squirrel is a national emergency.
Every open gate is a personal invitation.
And every quiet afternoon somehow ends with me asking,
“How did you even manage that?”
Chaos Isn’t Her Personality.
Curiosity Is.
This is the part most people miss.
People see destruction.
I see investigation.
Sauli isn’t trying to be naughty.
She’s trying to understand the world.
Why does that cupboard open?
What’s behind this fence?
Where does this trail go?
Why is everyone running after me?
Her curiosity has no off switch.
And honestly…
I hope it never does.
Because curiosity built civilizations.
Curiosity writes books.
Curiosity rescues dogs.
She Doesn’t Love Halfway
When Sauli loves…
she commits completely.
She’ll lean her entire body against you.
Rest her head on your lap like you’re the safest place she’s ever known.
Follow you from room to room because apparently privacy is optional.
She has no interest in pretending to care.
It’s all or nothing.
There’s something incredibly refreshing about that.
Humans complicate love.
Dogs simplify it.
She Taught Me That Trust Is Earned in Tiny Moments
People think trust happens in one magical moment.
It doesn’t.
Especially with rescue dogs.
Trust happens…
…when you sit beside the crate instead of forcing them out.
…when you celebrate the first tail wag.
…when you realize progress isn’t measured in weeks.
It’s measured in tiny victories.
One look.
One lick.
One sigh.
One nap where they finally decide they’re safe enough to dream.
Those moments changed me far more than they changed Sauli.
She Has Absolutely No Interest in Being Perfect
I love that about her.
She has escaped daycare.
Created bathhouse disasters.
Started neighborhood chases.
Made professional groomers question their career choices.
She’s knocked over furniture.
Embarrassed me in public.
Destroyed toys within minutes.
And somehow…
every single one of those disasters eventually became a story.
Not because chaos is funny.
Because life is.
Perfection isn’t memorable.
Authenticity is.
She Reminds Me That Adventure Is Usually Unplanned
Nobody plans to write three children’s books.
Nobody plans for their rescue dog to inspire thousands of readers.
Nobody wakes up thinking,
“Today my dog will accidentally become a literary character.”
Yet here we are.
The Adventures of Sauli the Rescue Pup wasn’t born from brainstorming sessions.
It was born from living.
Real moments.
Real mistakes.
Real laughter.
Real love.
Every Book Carries a Piece of the Real Sauli
Readers often ask,
“Did that really happen?”
Usually…
yes.
Sometimes it’s exaggerated.
Sometimes it’s softened for younger readers.
But every adventure carries the heartbeat of the real Sauli.
The fearless explorer.
The professional escape artist.
The cuddle expert.
The tornado disguised as a Belgian Malinois.
Why Readers Connect With Her
Children don’t fall in love with perfect characters.
Neither do adults.
They love characters who make mistakes.
Who keep trying.
Who get scared.
Who find courage anyway.
Sauli reminds us that it’s okay to be wonderfully imperfect.
She isn’t trying to become someone else.
She’s simply becoming more herself.
Maybe that’s why readers root for her.
Maybe that’s why I do too.
The Rescue Mission Continues
The books may be about a mischievous Belgian Malinois, but they’ve always been about something much bigger.
Second chances.
Family.
Adventure.
Belonging.
Resilience.
And the quiet truth that Adopt, Don’t Shop isn’t just a slogan.
It’s an invitation to change two lives at once.
Mine changed forever the day I met Sauli.
I hope someone else’s will too.
Join Sauli’s Adventures
If you’ve ever loved a dog who refused to fit neatly into anyone’s expectations…
If you’ve ever believed that the best stories are the ones that actually happened…
Or if you’re looking for heartwarming children’s books that celebrate rescue dogs, family, adventure, and the beautiful chaos of growing together…
The Adventures of Sauli the Rescue Pup is for you.
From cross-country journeys and globe-trotting adventures to unforgettable escapes, every book is inspired by the real life of one extraordinary rescue pup who proved that sometimes the biggest hearts come wrapped in muddy paws and endless curiosity.
Because Sauli isn’t just the hero of these books.
She’s the reason they exist.
And somehow…
I think she’s only just getting started.
Celebrating One-Year of Adventures of Sauli the Rescue Pup!
Stop Hiding: The $500 Test That Will Fix Your Business
We have all been there. You have an idea, and instead of taking it to market, you spend three weeks debating brand colors on Canva or building out a complex project management system in Notion.
You convince yourself that you are “building a business,” but in reality, you are just playing house—you are playing CEO of a company with zero customers.
In the latest episode of Diary of Clichés, we break down a concept designed to strip away this “entrepreneurial theater” and force you to face the reality of starting a business: The $500 Test.
What is The $500 Test?
The test asks one highly constrained question:
If you had to generate $500 in pure revenue from your business idea within the next 30 days, using strictly the resources, skills, and network you possess right this second, how exactly would you do it?
The catch? You must follow these strict rules:
No building a website.
No running paid ads.
No incorporating an LLC.
Why It Works
When faced with the terrifying prospect of asking a real human being for money, our brains naturally turn to productive procrastination. We hide behind software and design to delay the possibility of rejection.
The $500 Test destroys that hiding place. It forces you to abandon the “cool” startup fantasy and get granularly specific:
Who are you calling or emailing on Monday morning?
What exactly are you offering them?
How much are you charging?
How will you collect the payment?
If you are currently navigating the “messy middle” between the life you knew and the one you are trying to build, you don’t need more hustle or inspiration—you need a clinical, data-driven framework.
Stop being a passive listener and start engineering your own foundation.
We’ve all heard it a thousand times: “Do what you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life.” It’s a compelling narrative, but as discussed in the latest episode of Diary of Clichés, it might actually be the advice that’s holding you back from real success.
The Passion Trap
The “follow your passion” ideology often ignores a fundamental truth: the market is entirely indifferent to your enthusiasm. You can have immense talent and deep personal interest in your craft, but that doesn’t magically generate recurring demand for your product. As the video highlights, there is a dangerous gap between our internal motivation and external market economics.
The Reality: Passion keeps you motivated, but it doesn’t negotiate margins on supplies, handle commercial rent, or solve customer acquisition problems.
The Result: A landscape littered with talented, passionate people who end up resenting their work because they can’t make the math work.
Navigating the “Messy Middle”
If you are currently feeling the friction of starting a business, you don’t need more “hustle” or inspiration—you need a clinical, data-driven framework. The “messy middle”—that high-stakes territory between the life you knew and the one you are building—is where most people get lost.
The goal isn’t to kill your passion, but to engineer a foundation that actually supports it. Stop looking for “cool” startup ideas that only pay for therapy and start looking at the unglamorous, “boring” businesses that actually pay the mortgage.
Check out the video below to hear more about breaking free from the cultural conditioning of the 90s and starting a business that actually makes money.
We often see a huge disconnect between the business models we idolize and the ones that actually build long-term wealth. Society constantly glorifies the “cool” startup—the one that requires a massive vision, constant pivots, and often, an expensive therapy bill to cope with the stress.
But what about the “boring” businesses?
In my latest video, Boring Business vs Cool Startup, I explore a powerful perspective from a founder who cut through the noise:
“The boring business paid my mortgage. The cool startup paid for my therapy.”
It’s time to stop chasing the hype and start looking at the unglamorous, reliable businesses that consistently generate real income. Whether it’s an office cleaning service or another “unsexy” industry, these are the ventures that build a real foundation.
Key takeaways from this episode:
The “Messy Middle”: Understand the high-stakes territory between your past security and your future business.
Engineering vs. Hustling: Move away from pure inspiration and adopt a clinical, data-driven approach to decision-making.
Prioritize Sustainability: Stop being a passive observer and start building a foundation that supports your life, rather than draining it.
If you are currently navigating your own “messy middle,” you don’t need more hollow advice. You need a practical framework.
The smartphone has become our most intimate “pocket-sized portal,” a gateway into a “fragile sanctuary” where we share our “purest thoughts” and digital confessions through a “flicker of electric messages”. Yet, as explored in Kay Jay’s Fever Dreams, this portal is often a “cage” that reinforces a profound “digital paradox”: we are technologically hyper-connected yet fundamentally isolated.
In this “digital abyss,” the screen acts as a filter, tempting us to build people in our minds and fall in love with a “projection of our own desires” rather than the full, messy truth of a tangible human being. Within this portal, the promise of “tomorrow” often becomes a “flickering mirage” that perpetually recedes into a “heavy fog,” leaving us as “spectators in our own lives”.
While this portal offers “intensity without grounding,” it ultimately leaves us wondering if we are truly being seen or if we are merely “echoes of ourselves” lost in a labyrinth of pixels. True intimacy, the sources suggest, requires the “quiet courage” to step out from behind the screen and embrace the “raw, unfiltered, and humiliating” honesty of physical presence
You believe you are choosing freely, but most of the time, you are simply repeating fluently,,. We all carry “invisible scripts”—those socially approved clichés like “everything happens for a reason” or “it is what it is”—that act as beautiful excuses for staying exactly where we are,,. For the high-achiever, this is the ultimate “self-trick”: you have become so efficient at reframing your discomfort into “wisdom” that you have lost the ability to hear the actual data your life is trying to send you,,,.
These clichés are incomplete truths; they offer a false sense of “narrative coherence” while keeping you quietly constrained,,,. They allow you to narrate your hurt with such composure that the world calls it strength, but your nervous system knows it is just passive endurance,,,. You aren’t being “resilient”—you are just suppressing elegantly,,.
True growth begins when you pause before the borrowed sentence completes itself,,. It starts when you stop using language to “soften chaos” and start using it to define your boundaries,,. Self-authorship is the act of finishing the sentence yourself—moving from a life that is merely “functional” to one that is finally alive,,,.
Stop living a borrowed sentence. It’s time to rewrite the ones that trap you.
