Permission To Build Different

You Need To Trust Your Gut When Building Your Business Model

There's a pattern I see happening over and over with successful coaches:

First, they follow someone else's blueprint and crush it.

Then they realise they've built a prison, not freedom.

So they burn it all down and start over.

This isn't failure. It's evolution.

And it might be the most important phase in your entrepreneurial journey.

I was reminded of this recently while talking to Tom, a coach who'd had a shift in his personal life, and came to realise…

He actually hated his business.

On paper, his business was "working."

He had the right funnel, the right offer structure, the right marketing strategy.

But something was deeply wrong - for him.

"I think what I do is I teach people to be mentally fit," he said during our call, an edge of revelation in his voice.

The relief was palpable as he finally admitted what he actually wanted:

To be a craftsman. To work closely with a small number of people. To go deep instead of wide.

Not to run the "light touch" leveraged business model that everyone told him he should want.

But to have closer contact with his clients.

To hold 1:1 time where they spoke to him directly.

And to have a very lean business, without a bunch of success coaches getting involved with the client journey.

And in that moment, I saw a transformation. From tension to flow. From forcing to allowing.

"It seems more like I don't have to try," he said. "It's more that I could just speak what I speak."

That's when you know you're on the right track.

This isn't just Tom's story. This is a pattern I've witnessed hundreds of times, especially in the fitness and coaching industries.

Here's why it matters…

The Mentor Fast-Track (And Its Hidden Cost)

Let's be honest - coaches are GREAT at investing in mentorship.

Being willing to invest in help is one of their superpowers.

They'll drop 1, 2, even 10K on programmes that promise to show them the "proven path" to success.

And you know what? These blueprints WORK.

(It all works, though.)

The problem isn't that these business models don't generate revenue.

The problem is that they might not be aligned with who YOU are and how you want YOUR business to feel.

I've seen it play out over and over:

• The introverted coach following an extrovert's high-volume sales call strategy

• The deep-work specialist trying to run a low-touch group programme because “that's how you scale”

• The methodical systems-thinker trying to become a charismatic “personality brand” to try to go viral

The misalignment tax is BRUTAL.

You're working twice as hard for results that you don’t even want.

You're making good money… but hating every minute of it.

The Second Rebirth

What's fascinating is that many of the most successful coaches I know have gone through this exact evolution:

1. Follow the blueprint and achieve "success"

2. Realise the success feels empty or unsustainable

3. Burn it down and rebuild on their own terms

I call this the "Second Rebirth."

It's when you shed the skin of someone else's business model and finally emerge as yourself.

I went through this myself last year when I massively pared back my VIP client base.

Successful by industry standards doesn’t mean shit if you’re building something you don’t like.

So recently, I’ve been giving myself permission to rebuild differently.

(Again).

I’m starting to think that’s going to be a cycle.

The Authenticity Advantage

The most successful businesses I know are built by people who eventually throw away the rulebook and build something uniquely theirs.

This is incredibly hard - because their old business “works”.

So it feels like something is wrong with YOU for wanting to burn it down and walk away.

But you can’t scale by doing more of what makes you unhappy.

You can’t become happy by doing stuff that zaps your energy.

And forcing yourself into strategies that don’t feel right for you means you’re probably overlooking your natural strengths.

Being your full, unapologetic self is a competitive advantage.

That’s when everything clicks.

The Permission Paradox

So why don't more people build their business this way from the beginning?

Because entrepreneurship is terrifying.

There are a million problems, and a million opportunities, and a million ways to do things.

And that’s too much choice.

Following a proven blueprint gives you guardrails. It reduces uncertainty.

It gives you permission to believe that success is possible & it lets you get paid very well and get a buffer of cash behind you.

It’s not a mistake to do things that way.

For some coaches, this is exactly the business they always wanted.

But there comes a point where the training wheels become restrictive.

So if your current model is stopping you from building something you love - you’ll need courage.

That's when you need to give yourself permission to build different.

To take risks.

To make mistakes.

To trust your gut.

Signs You're Ready For Your Second Rebirth

I’ve seen this pattern play out in countless businesses - including my own.

Here’s what to look out for:

• You’re successful, but exhausted

• You dread huge chunks of the business

• You find yourself saying “that’s just how it works”

• You envy businesses that are nothing like your own

• You fantasise about burning it all down and starting over

• You’re more excited about the money than the work you’re doing

• Your work feels hollow, and you’re not connected to the impact any more

If that sounds familiar, I know how scary that can be - but it’s not a failure.

It’s an evolution.

You’re ready to shed the skin of the model that was given to you, and build something that’s truly yours.

The Craftsman's Approach

Tom referred to himself as a "craftsman" during our call.

That stuck with me.

Because the best coaches I know…

The ones with sustainable, fulfilling businesses…

Approach their work as craft, not just a means to an end.

They care deeply about:

• The quality of their work

• The depth of transformation they create

• The relationships with their clients go beyond transactions

• The integrity of their methodology

• The alignment between their values and their business

• They're willing to make less money to do better work.

(Though ironically, this authentic approach often makes them MORE money in the long run.)

Craftsmen measure success not just in money, but in:

• Their personal fulfilment

• Client outcomes and wins

• Sustainability of the business model

• Alignment with their natural strengths to feel flow

• The fundamental joy of being connected to their work

The Alignment Audit

Here are a few questions to check if you're building someone else's business or your own:

1. If I was starting from scratch, what parts of this would I keep?

2. Which client interactions do I look forward to?

3. What communication methods feel effortless to me?

4. What parts of my business do I love?

5. When do I lose track of time in my business?

The answers reveal YOUR natural business model.

It WILL work. Because everything works.

It’s just about finding what works best for you.

The Bottom Line

I’ve been journaling around this question myself recently.

Giving myself permission to scrap things that weren’t working for me.

To take risks. To reject “best practices”.

I recently journaled: "What if feeling safe & creating wealth isn't about pushing more... but rather, a creative alignment?"

That question changed everything for me.

First, you get curious.

Then, you give yourself permission to build a business YOUR way.

To take risks that others wouldn't take.

To reject "best practices" that don't serve you.

I don't want a business I'm trying to escape from.

I don't want to flex about only working 10 minutes a month.

I want a business I actually LOVE.

You probably do too.

So stop building someone else's business.

Stop forcing yourself into models that don't fit.

Stop ignoring your nervous system’s signals that something's wrong.

Give yourself permission to build different.

Because a business built around YOUR strengths, YOUR energy, and YOUR values isn't just more enjoyable...

It's actually more successful in the long run.

No one else has your unique combination of strengths.

No blueprint can capture your magic.

Trust yourself.

Build different.

You have permission.