Control what you can. Let go of what you can’t. Simple advice we’ve all heard. Yet most operate on a model that contradicts this wisdom.
Children don’t wake up thinking about what they should learn today. They simply soak in their environment. They learn by practice. By observation. I believe we’ve done more telling than showing in leadership today. Trust me, I believe in learning, sitting and soaking wisdom in from others. But sometimes we just need to be more like children. Enjoy the moment, start with what you know.
Learning to read English presents a fascinating paradox. The alphabet introduces itself with such simple confidence, each letter standing tall with its own name. Yet beneath this surface lies a labyrinth of inconsistency that challenges young minds.
Take ‘C’ for instance. We’re taught it pronounces as “see”, but then discover it often sounds like ‘K’ in words like “cat.” Or consider ‘Y’, introduced as /waɪ/ but frequently pronouncing itself as /ɪ/ or /i/ when embedded in words. These contradictions create a fundamental disconnect between theory and application that can frustrate learners.
Just the other week I tried explaining this to my young daughter and oh boy, what an undertaking.
This phenomenon extends well beyond language learning. Life consistently presents situations where theoretical knowledge fails to prepare us for practical reality. What seems straightforward in concept often becomes bewilderingly complex in execution. The classroom versus the workplace. The recipe versus the actual cooking. The manual versus the assembly (yes even Ikea sometimes).
We’re taught to create a business plan. Rarely however do I see successful entrepreneurs have success because of their business plan. It might help you get a loan or financing but it won’t help you grow your business. Another big thing is people say you have to be consistent in posting every day. It’s not really about the frequency but about the quality.
I used to always look for the next working strategy but now I’ve learned that if I just apply what I know, I tend to have the best results. Simply because I’m mostly already a veteran so there’s nothing new under the sun. For someone starting out this is true as well though. Start where you are and as you receive revelation you will grow into other things naturally. Don’t chase something you’re not ready for. First you need the roots before you get the fruits.
Nothing beautiful grows without resilience. Before a seed bears fruit it must get down into the ground and lay roots. Grow deep into the dark, damp ground. Once it’s positioned correctly it can grow up and get the sunlight. We want the sunshine first, the lights on us first, however we must grow down in order to grow up.
Perhaps this disconnect serves as an early lesson in adaptability, teaching us that rules provide framework, but exceptions demand flexibility. The journey from alphabet to literacy mirrors countless other learning curves we encounter throughout life, where mastery requires navigating the gap between what we’re told and what we experience.
We distinguish what actions are root and what are fruit. How do you go from root to fruit, what needs to be in place. Some spend too much time in roots, and never see the light of day while others spend too much time in the sun, getting scorched, and also not bearing fruit.
There is a popular saying: when everything zigs, you zag. When everyone goes left, you go right. It’s very simple to stand out if you do this. It’s important to find areas in your business where you can be polarizing. If you try to stay neutral it will be much harder to attract your ideal client.
I think people are afraid to step on other peoples’ toes and of course we don’t want to do it intentionally but when you know your audience, it happens naturally. And that’s good because you want to turn away unqualified people who will not be a good fit for your business.
For example, often I’ll use biblical principles or talk about my faith even in regards to business. It might be unattractive to some but that’s okay. I have clients who don’t share my faith but they still appreciate and value my expertise, even when it comes from a biblical standpoint. Why? Because it works.
You will try out 20 things and 2 might work. When you’re implementing a new framework or system, and you get an idea to tweak or change something, don’t be afraid. I once implemented a funnel for a client and the results weren’t as I liked. I simply made one simple change that went against the “system” and all of a sudden all the wheels were turning correctly.
This observation reveals a universal truth: the path from theory to practice is rarely a straight line. Instead, it’s a winding road of exceptions, adjustments, and occasional frustration that ultimately leads to deeper understanding.
People say build a good product and the users will come. Or provide a good service and people will come to be served. However, I find this far from the truth. I know people who had great products, great companies, good ideas but they never saw long lasting fruit because there was no marketing system behind what they were doing. Marketing is necessary to make anything work. They just need to be in communication together.
If expertise alone was working, they wouldn’t be talking to me in the first place, so immediately it showcases a gap in their business.
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When we implement our systems, we don’t rely on one channel. That’s another bad marketing advice. People tell you to dominate one channel but in reality you need multiple. We always start with organic and paid media first because it’s the fastest way to results.
A business who is getting off the ground, and doesn’t have a big following is not going to be super successful posting every day. It’s a low priority item. The question should be what system can we implement to acquire new leads every day so they no longer need to worry about sales. That should be priority one and that’s what we do for our clients all day long.
With our thought leadership system, our AI extracts thoughts and expertise from the user so we actually have a practical way to extract theory. When the right rules are used, both theory and practice can be extracted.
Like the English alphabet, business principles often present themselves with deceptive simplicity. The letter ‘C’ sometimes sounds like ‘K’, sometimes like ‘S’. Similarly, business rules sometimes apply perfectly, sometimes need complete reinvention. The ability to discern when to follow convention and when to break it separates those who merely learn from those who truly master.
Children don’t approach learning with structured goals and frameworks. They immerse themselves in experience, absorbing knowledge through practice rather than theory. As entrepreneurs, we often forget this natural learning style, becoming overly focused on strategies, frameworks, and business plans rather than simply applying what we already know.
What if we approached business growth more like language acquisition? What if instead of seeking the perfect framework, we focused on immersion, practice, and adaptation? What if we recognized that just as language has exceptions and contradictions, so too does business success?
The journey of business mastery follows natural laws, not unlike those governing plant growth. A seed must first establish roots before it can bear fruit. Similarly, entrepreneurs must build foundations before seeking visibility.
Yet our instinct often drives us toward premature exposure, wanting the spotlight before we’ve established the strength to sustain it. We chase strategies we’re not ready for instead of mastering what’s directly before us. The wisdom lies in recognizing your current season: Are you in a root-building phase or a fruit-bearing one?
The most successful entrepreneurs understand when rules serve as helpful guidelines and when they become limiting constraints. Like a child learning that the letter ‘Y’ sometimes breaks its own pronunciation rules, business leaders must develop an intuitive sense for when conventional wisdom no longer applies.
This isn’t random rebellion. It’s strategic divergence based on deep understanding. When everyone zigs, you zag, not for the sake of being different, but because you recognize an opportunity others miss. This strategic polarization naturally attracts your ideal clients while repelling those who wouldn’t benefit from your approach.
Perhaps the most dangerous business paradox is the belief that expertise alone creates success. Just as knowing the alphabet doesn’t automatically make one a writer, having technical knowledge doesn’t automatically build a thriving business.
I’ve seen countless entrepreneurs with brilliant products and services struggle because they lacked effective marketing systems. The harsh reality is that superior solutions don’t automatically find their audience. The bridge between expertise and audience is systematic, intentional marketing.
Another theory-practice gap appears in marketing advice. While many experts preach single-channel dominance, reality demands multi-channel presence. New businesses particularly need diverse approaches rather than putting all their energy into daily content creation on a single platform.
The priority isn’t consistency for its own sake but implementing systems that generate leads daily. This shift in focus, from activity to outcome, represents another way business reality contradicts conventional theory.
The paradox of learning, whether in language or business, ultimately teaches us that mastery comes not from perfect rule-following but from embracing contradictions. The letter ‘C’ can sound like ‘K’ or ‘S’, and successful business strategies can follow or break conventional wisdom.
This flexibility, this willingness to adapt theory to reality rather than forcing reality to conform to theory, distinguishes true masters from perpetual students. By approaching business growth with a child’s immersive learning style while applying an expert’s discernment, we navigate the gap between what we’re told and what actually works.
The winding path from theory to practice may contain frustrations and adjustments, but it ultimately leads to deeper understanding and more sustainable success than any straight-line approach ever could.
Control what you can. Let go of what you can’t. Simple advice we’ve all heard. Yet most operate on a model that contradicts this wisdom.
Business owners wander. Far from home. Chasing marketing miracles that never materialize. You know the story. A company builds something that works. Their marketing funnel generates leads. Their…