RR#132 - The hardest part of running a business.

I’ve been making a lot of changes in my business lately. You know, the kind that keep you up at night—big, strategic moves that can feel like massive gambles in the moment.

We’re talking about things like:

• Launching a new high-ticket service to a new market, which means rethinking everything—strategy, ideal client profiles, and the offers that will actually sell.

• Migrating technology, making some pretty heavy investments that won’t see a return for a while, and managing contractors through the chaos.

• Restructuring the team, which means making tough calls on who stays and who goes, and following through on decisions that I’m very much aware change people’s lives.

The funny thing is, none of these decisions involve what we traditionally think of as "hard work." The long hours, being chained to the desk, or burning the midnight oil.

No. The real hard work is the mental and emotional labor behind making these decisions—and then acting on them.

The Tough Calls We Don’t Want to Make

It’s tough to spend serious money without an immediate ROI.

It’s tough to niche down on your ideal client profile (ICP) when you know it means leaving money on the table from potential clients outside of that market.

It’s tough to look someone in the eye and tell them their time with your company is up. And it’s tough to handle the fallout of reassigning the work they were doing—even if not doing it particularly well, often to yourself.

But the hardest part? Getting brutally honest with yourself that these decisions need to be made in the first place.

The “Other” Kind of Hard

Here’s what’s even harder though: not making those tough calls.

That’s a different kind of hard.

The kind of hard you’ve been tolerating for a while, maybe even years.

It’s the slow burn of settling for the status quo. It’s like that frog sitting in water, slowly boiling without even realizing it’s in danger.

Let’s be clear: avoiding tough decisions will kill your business—it’s just a slower, more agonizing death.

• Not making strategic changes in technology today means you’ll still be stuck a year from now, grinding away inefficiently, relying on gut decisions rather than data.

• Not investing in the right tools or people means deals will keep slipping through the cracks, your processes will stay broken, and you’ll keep losing time—and money.

• Not letting go of underperforming employees? That’s how you end up working harder, putting in more hours, all while paying them for the privilege of watching your business stagnate.

And the worst part?

Deep down, you know you’re avoiding the real hard work.

You feel it gnawing at you, chipping away at your self-respect, leaving you stuck in a loop of fear, insecurity, and constant firefighting.

The Death of a Thousand Cuts

Avoiding tough calls is like choosing the death of a thousand cuts.

It’s the pain you live with every single day, the frustration that builds, the small compromises that lead to big problems. It’s a slow bleed that eventually leaves you drained, burnt out, and wondering where it all went wrong.

But here’s the truth: it doesn’t have to be that way.

The Power of Making Tough Decisions

Here’s what’s interesting about making these hard calls: When you actually make them, you realize your fears were exaggerated. It’s rarely as bad or scary as you imagined.

And more often than not, you feel an immediate sense of relief. You see the positive impact unfold over time, and that serves as a powerful feedback loop.

With every tough decision, you build a muscle. The more you exercise it, the stronger it gets.

Tough decisions start to feel less intimidating, and you begin to trust your judgment more.

That momentum carries forward, leading to more strategic choices, better results, and, ultimately, a stronger business.

So, What Tough Calls Are You Putting Off?

Stop hiding in your inbox or behind busy work. It’s time to face the real hard work.

You already know what needs to be done. Now’s the time to act on it.

Because the toughest work isn’t working long hours—it’s having the courage to make the tough calls that will set you up for long-term success.

So, tell me: What’s a tough call you’re going to invest the hard work into making today?