Beyond the €35,000 Days: What It Really Takes to Build a Business

Entrepreneurship - The Highs, The lows, and The Reality No One Talks About.

I see it all the time on LinkedIn - posts boasting, “I made €35,000 in a day” or “10X your income overnight.” I take these with a pinch of salt. Because after 64+ years on this planet, three-quarters of which I have spent as a business owner, I know the reality of running a business is far from an overnight success story.

I have had my share of success, the financial rewards, the so-called trappings of wealth. I have also lost everything. I’ve experienced financial ruin, marriage breakdown, family turmoil, identity loss, and even moments where I lost the will to continue. No business is easy. On many occasions, you feel like throwing in the towel. Progress can be painfully slow. Sometimes, you go backwards. The mental strength required to keep going when the chips are down is immense.

Six years ago, I started my current business, walking away from a secure, well-paid position because it wasn’t where I felt I should be. I won't lie, It has not been easy. Business and leadership coaching, especially the kind I do, was not widely understood or sought after in my market. It took years to build a foothold. Keynote speaking helped, but there were plenty of times I questioned if I had made the right decision.

I really believed I could find my niche. From my own past experience especially. I knew what I needed during those years when running my businesses, I knew what was missing that would have helped me enormously. That is why I felt so strongly about starting my coaching business.

Today, I can say that I have made more money in the first two months of 2025 than I did in the last three years combined. But that is not the full story. It took years of persistence, setbacks, and hard decisions to get here.

If you are running a business or thinking of starting your own business, let me be honest, being your own boss has incredible rewards, but it also comes with massive challenges and responsibilities. Do not underestimate the stress, the sacrifices, or the resilience required. Don’t be afraid to ask for help and support when you need it.

If you find yourself struggling, reach out. Get support. Share the load when you can. Success is not just about the numbers, it’s about staying in the game long enough to create something meaningful.

"Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts." – Winston Churchill

Your Thoughts?

Have you ever felt like giving up in business? What kept you going? I’d love to hear your experiences.

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