Dream Prison

The Simple Newsletter - Issue # 064

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Adam’s Thoughts:

Early this Saturday morning I was driving to record a podcast with a group of other CEOs.

As I drove, I noticed people showing up to work.

It was Saturday.

People were getting out of their cars looking miserable.

Others were next to me in traffic, suited up, coffee in hand, clearly not thrilled about where they were headed.

I even saw someone waiting for a bus, and their whole posture said, “I don’t want to be here.”

And it struck me.

These were employees.

As business owners, everything we do matters. Even when we don’t love every single task, we go do it because we’re building something.

We’re impacting someone.

We’re creating something.

We’re chasing something.

It’s a very different existence.

Employees do things because they have to.

Business owners do things because they’re building something that matters to them.

But here’s the strange twist.

That same existence… can eventually become a prison.

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Adam’s Lessons

I’ve noticed something with many founders.

They started their business because they wanted to change something.

They wanted to do what they once did in the corporate world, but do it their own way.

And eventually, they built it.

The thing they dreamed about became real.

But then something happens.

Everything matters so much… that they won’t let it grow.

They won’t let it leave their control.

They won’t send it out into the world because it’s not “perfect” yet.

They only allow the hand-selected few to experience it.

And that’s when the dream quietly becomes a prison.

My friend Steve once said something that stuck with me.

He compared it to musicians.

Some musicians become incredible. They write amazing music. But then they become terrified of being labeled a “sellout” if they take the record deal or play the big show.

But here’s the reality.

If you want to be a starving artist… you’re going to be starving.

Taking the next step doesn’t mean selling out.

It means evolving.

It means shifting your identity.

It means accepting that the thing you built is ready for the next phase... and that phase requires a different version of you.

The only question is:

Are you ready to become that person?

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So here’s my question for you this week:

Have you built something that’s ready to grow, but you’re holding it back because you’re not ready to step into the next version of yourself?

Reply and tell me. While I can’t respond to every message, Tom and I read every response, and we genuinely appreciate hearing from you.

That’s all for this week.

See you next Saturday.

P.S. Many self-employed people start their business to escape the prison of employment… only to slowly build a new one they can’t step away from. Click here to find out why so many founders get stuck in that situation.