Yes: The Mindset That Built My Entire Career
There’s something about me that most people don’t immediately notice — not unless they’ve watched me closely, worked beside me, or relied on me during a difficult moment in their business. It isn’t loud. It isn’t flashy. But it has shaped every version of who I am: the business owner, the consultant, the partner, the dad. It’s a mindset that’s been with me since I was a kid, long before I understood what entrepreneurship even was.
It’s simple: My entire life approach is built around finding the yes.
Most people love to tell the story of all the times they were told no. And sure — I’ve been told no plenty of times, too. Some of those no’s were devastating. Some were exactly what I needed. Some stung for years. Many were timed perfectly in ways I couldn’t see at the moment.
But here’s the truth: I don’t operate from the no. I operate from the yes.
My default thinking is — and always has been — the answer is yes… or give me a minute to figure it out, and I’ll turn it into a yes.
Sometimes that stubbornness can create problems for me, but more often, it’s the reason I’m still here.
The Early Years: Eliminating the “No”
This mindset didn’t suddenly appear when I became an adult. It showed up early — long before I ever fully understood what business actually was. I was a stubborn kid who did not like being told no. If I wanted something and someone told me it wasn’t possible, I didn’t argue or complain. I went looking for a workaround.
And honestly, I did have an entrepreneurial spark — even at nine or ten. So I started selling candy, brownies, cookies — mostly to my own family. Not because I was chasing some childhood version of wealth, but because I learned something simple and powerful early on: if I could create my own solution — whether that meant earning money or just figuring something out — I didn’t have to wait for anyone else’s yes.
That was my first experience building my own yes.
And that mentality didn’t fade as I got older — it grew with me. It’s what led me to sign a lease at seventeen, and dive headfirst into running a business when most people my age were doing anything but that. It shaped how I spent my time, what I prioritized, and the way I approached every challenge that came next. And if you asked me today whether I’d make those same decisions at this age? Honestly, probably not.
But that’s the beautiful advantage of being young and naïve: you don’t know enough yet to be scared. And sometimes, that’s exactly the ingredient that pushes you forward when nothing else will.
Corporate Lessons That Reinforced the Mindset
Years later, when I found myself working in corporate environments, something clicked that fit perfectly with how I was already wired:
Don’t present a problem without a solution.
That principle became second nature to me. If I spotted an issue, I didn’t sound the alarm and wait for someone else to figure it out. I started working toward the fix — sometimes quietly, sometimes urgently, but always with forward motion.
Some solutions revealed themselves in a few minutes. Others took days or weeks of trial, error, and persistence. But there was always a path forward, even if it wasn’t obvious at first.
And until I found that path, the only reality I was willing to accept was that there was a way forward.
What This Looks Like in Business
For founders, sellers, operators, executives — everyone — you hit points where the next step looks impossible. You plan the year, set the goals, and quickly realize you don’t actually know how you’re going to get there.
This is where the yes becomes real.
And I don’t mean delusion. You can’t sell $5 toy trains and decide you’ll hit a billion dollars next year if you’re starting from zero.
I mean something far more grounded: You figure out how to make what needs to happen, happen.
For sellers especially:
• It starts on day one when your idea becomes something real.
• It matters when Amazon deactivates your listing out of nowhere.
• It matters when cash flow gets tight.
• It matters when you finally succeed and now need to scale responsibly.
Whether you’re growing, rebuilding, or just getting started, the mindset stays the same: Don’t stop. Stay agile. Keep moving. Seek solutions.
Sometimes all you’ve got is passion and a small dose of naïve belief. And more often than not, that’s enough to get you moving in the right direction.
The Real Barrier Isn’t the Marketplace — It’s Us
Working with CEOs, founders, VPs, solo sellers, billion-dollar teams… I’ve seen two types of stuck people:
Those who are blocked by someone else
Those who are blocked by themselves
They can be equally paralyzing, but both are fixable.
When you can recognize when people are unknowingly holding things up — and when you’re doing the same to yourself — it becomes much easier to move forward.
And that’s why it’s so important to have people around you who aren’t just employees or contractors. You need partners. Sounding boards. People who don’t just tell you “yes,” but help you reach it.
It took me years to realize I needed those people. I worked alone for too long. Today, those relationships are some of the strongest tools I have — for myself, for my clients, for their businesses.
Where This All Lands
The truth is, my career hasn’t been shaped by luck or perfect timing. It’s been shaped by a mindset I’ve carried with me since childhood: you move forward, even when the path isn’t clear.
Sometimes you won’t see the path until you’re already walking it. Sometimes you’re building it in real time. And sometimes the step that felt wrong ends up being the one that moves everything in the right direction.
Trust your strengths.
Check your blind spots.
Be bold when the moment calls for it.
Be curious when it doesn’t.
And when the way forward still isn’t clear?
Start with a yes — and force the path to reveal itself.
