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This week, I’ve been sitting in a room full of entrepreneurs whose businesses make anywhere from $1M to $100M a year.
Only 5% of businesses will ever make $1M. But in this room, 59% of us have done it.
And 17% have crossed the $50M–$100M mark.
The biggest difference?
We stopped thinking like hustlers and started operating like CEOs.
Below are some of the most powerful lessons I’ve heard this week—plus how I’ve applied them over the last 5–6 years to build two 7-figure businesses.
If you’re trying to grow, scale, and win long-term, read this carefully:
1. Great CEOs think like investors, not managers.
Managers focus on tasks.
Investors focus on returns.
Every move I make in business is based on: “What’s the ROI?”
My time and my dollars—it all has to move the needle.
I don't stress about how save money. I stress about how to make more of it.
If you’re drowning in busy work and can’t measure the payoff, you’re not thinking like a CEO yet.
2. Right problem. Right way.
A lot of people are working hard, but they’re trying to solve the wrong problem, or solving the right one the wrong way.
Example:
You think sales are low because of your product, so you change it.
But the real problem is your traffic system. You’re solving the wrong thing.
Before you “fix” something, slow down and ask:
Is this actually the problem? And is this the best way to solve it?
3. Focus on value adders first, then risks.
Most people are too busy “playing defense” in business.
They spend all day putting out fires and avoiding loss and trying to save money or do cheap things... meanwhile, they never make bold moves that lead to actual growth.
Your first priority should always be revenue-driving activities.
Then manage your risks smartly, after you’ve created value.
4. Nail the model, then scale the model.
If it doesn’t work at $5K/month, it won’t work at $50K/month.
Before you invest more money or effort, prove that your product, your marketing, and your systems actually work.
I tell my clients this all the time: “You don’t need more. You need it to work.”
5. Allocate more resources to solving the constraint.
Think of your business like a bottle with a narrow neck.
That narrow point—your constraint—is what’s slowing everything down.
Maybe it’s content.
Maybe it’s conversions.
Maybe it’s your inventory planning.
Whatever it is, throw resources there. Fix the bottleneck, and the whole system flows faster. (Resources = time or money. Time = slower return. Money = faster return)
6. Find the nerve and tweak one thing at a time.
When something isn’t working, don’t panic and change everything.
Find the most likely culprit and tweak that first.
Think of it like this:
You don’t fix your whole car just because the engine light comes on.
You check one part at a time until the problem’s solved.
Same with your business.
7. All businesses have risks. Knowing them helps reduce them.
There’s no such thing as a “safe” business.
But the better you understand your risks, (key man risk, channel risk, supplier risk, data risk) the more proactive you can be.
Imagine if you could see the potholes before you drove into them.
That’s what knowing your risks gives you: vision, clarity, protection.
8. Stop expecting one person (or one tool) to do everything.
I see this all the time. You hire one coach and expect them to be your strategist, your content expert, your tech person, and your mindset coach all in one. When they can’t do it all, you’re disappointed.
Same thing with tools. You’re trying to run your whole business off one platform and wondering why you’re still stuck.
Truth is: there’s no magic person or magic tool that does everything.
Instead of looking for a unicorn, break your needs into clear parts:
- Who (or what) helps you grow your audience?
- Who helps you with conversions?
- Who helps with backend systems?
Don’t overload one person or platform. Build the right mix that works together.
That’s how you build a real business, with clear roles, not wishful thinking.
(And that's exactly why we have 5 expert coaches instead of one inside my program. Everybody has a role and a specialty).
9. More whales. Less minnows.
You don’t need more customers. You need better ones.
Big-ticket buyers. Repeat buyers. Loyal brand advocates.
It’s easier to get one $200 order than ten $20 orders.
Design your marketing and your offer to attract whales.
This changed my life and it's a mindest that I'm serious about my clients and students adopting. It's called working smarter, not harder.
10. 1 Avatar. 1 Platform. 1 Offer.
Simplify to scale.
Too many of y’all are trying to sell too many things to too many people on too many platforms.
Focus = profit.
11. A great operator can’t outwork a dead market.
You can do everything “right,” but if the market is shifting or dying, you have to pivot.
Adaptability is what saves you, not perfection.
Pay attention to the market. Move with it, not against it.
THIS IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST REASONS WHY SO MANY BRANDS ARE FAILING TODAY. They aren't adapting to the changes in the market.
People ask me all the time: “How did you make money so fast?”
The truth?
I started thinking and acting like a CEO long before most other business owners.
I focused on systems, strategy, and structure even when my revenue was still small.
And that mindset is what took me from $0 to $1M FAST.
If you’re ready to stop winging it and actually build something that lasts…
Let’s talk.
Click here to book a free call and let’s see how we can help you map out your path to 7 figures.
—Jance
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