Why 99% of Entrepreneurs Are Doing It Wrong (And the 1% Who Get Rich)
Are you a chicken or an eagle?
Here's something I've noticed after nearly a decade in business.
While most small business owners are running around like headless chickens, jumping from opportunity to opportunity, the most successful ones do the exact opposite.
They pick one path carefully, stick with it, and back themselves to make it happen.
It's the difference between a sniper and someone firing a machine gun blindfolded.
One approach is precise, patient, and devastatingly effective. The other just makes a lot of noise.
The Shiny Object Syndrome
We live in the age of infinite opportunity. Every day, there's a new business model, a new market, a new "guaranteed" path to riches. Dropshipping, crypto trading, acquiring main street businesses, affiliate marketing, AI automation... the list goes on.
And here's what happens to most people: they get seduced by the next shiny object.
They start an e-commerce business. Three months in, they hear about someone making millions with AI. So they pivot. Two months later, crypto is booming, so they jump into trading. Then they discover affiliate marketing. Then coaching. Then communities.
Five years later, they're still broke, still searching, still convinced that the next opportunity will be "the one."
The Chicken or The Eagle?
Picture a chicken in a farmyard. It runs around frantically, pecking at everything, constantly distracted by the next potential meal. It's busy, it's active, but it never goes anywhere meaningful.
Now picture an eagle. It soars high, surveys the landscape, identifies its target, and then commits completely to the hunt. It doesn't get distracted by every small movement below. It waits, it focuses, and when it strikes, it's devastatingly effective.
The chicken gets slaughtered. The eagle becomes the apex of the sky.
Which one are you in business?
The Power of Commitment
Here's what I've learned from building a successful business over the past decade: commitment is everything.
When I started my lead generation agency, I could have easily jumped ship when things got tough. There were moments when other opportunities seemed more attractive, when the grass looked greener elsewhere, when I questioned whether I'd chosen the right path.
But I didn't run. I doubled down.
I committed to becoming the best at what I did. I studied my market. I refined my processes. I built relationships. I developed systems. I hired the right people. I stuck with it through the inevitable ups and downs. I reminded myself that it’s supposed to be hard - because if it was easy, everyone would have done it.
And here's what happened: the business grew. Steadily. Predictably. Profitably.
My revenue increased year after year. My reputation in the industry grew stronger. Word-of-mouth referrals started flowing. My skills compounded. My team got better. My systems became more efficient.
None of this would have happened if I'd been hopping from opportunity to opportunity like a headless chicken.
The Compound Effect of Focus
Warren Buffett has a brilliant way of explaining this. He says if you spread your bets across 40 different stocks, you're guaranteed to get average results. But if you put all your money into your top 5 best ideas and really know those businesses inside and out, you're far more likely to get exceptional results.
The same principle applies to entrepreneurship.
When you focus on one business model, one market, one approach, you start to develop "deep expertise." You understand the nuances that others miss. You spot opportunities that generalists overlook. You build relationships that take years to develop.
This compound effect is impossible to achieve when you're constantly changing direction.
The Art of Strategic Patience
Now, I'm not saying you should never pivot. Sometimes market conditions change. Sometimes you discover you've chosen the wrong path. Sometimes new information comes to light that changes everything.
But here's the key: successful entrepreneurs are quick to pivot when it's absolutely necessary, but slow to change course once they've made a decision.
They don't panic at the first sign of difficulty. They don't abandon ship when things get tough. They give their chosen path enough time to actually work. They hold their nerve like an eagle on the hunt, while their peers go into headless chicken mode.
I've seen too many new business owners give up on perfectly good ideas simply because they didn't see immediate results. They expect overnight success in a world where real success takes time to build.
How to Pick Your Path
So how do you choose the right path to commit to?
First, find something you're genuinely good at or can become good at. Don't chase trends. Chase your strengths.
Second, pick a market with real demand. Don't try to create demand where none exists. Find an existing problem and solve it better than anyone else.
Third, choose something that aligns with your lifestyle goals. If you want location independence, don't start a business that requires you to be in a specific place every day.
Fourth, make sure it's something you can stick with for at least 3-5 years. If the thought of doing it for that long makes you want to run away, it's probably not the right path.
The Tortoise Wins Again
Remember the tortoise and the hare? The tortoise didn't win because it was faster. It won because it stayed on the path while the hare got distracted.
In business, the headless chickens are the hares. They're fast, they're energetic, they're always moving. They’re the loudest people in the room - telling you about what they’re going to do. But they're not making progress toward their destination.
The successful entrepreneurs are the tortoises. They move deliberately. They stay focused. They don't get distracted by every opportunity that crosses their path. They quietly and confidently make progress month after month.
And guess what? They're the ones who reach the finish line. The headless chickens look on in astonishment that the stealthy eagle has become the dominant force in their industry.
Stop Being a Chicken
Here's my challenge to you: stop being a headless chicken.
Pick one path. Commit to it. Give it the time and attention it deserves. Stop looking for the next opportunity and start maximizing the one in front of you.
Yes, it's scary. Yes, it means saying no to other opportunities. Yes, it requires faith in your decision.
But it's also the only way to build something meaningful.
The most successful entrepreneurs aren't the ones with the most ideas. They're the ones who execute one idea exceptionally well.
Choose your path carefully. Then back yourself to make it happen.
Sometimes the secret to moving fast is to slow down.