No One Is Coming to Save Your Business (And That's the Good News)
If you run a small business, this is a loving slap in the nicest possible way: it is not your fault, but it is your responsibility.
There is a book called The Courage to Be Disliked, based on Adlerian psychology. The core idea is simple. You cannot control what you were given, but you are responsible for what you do with it now. That principle hits differently when you are running a small business.
This blog is based on this Instagram reel.
Let's Be Honest About the Economy Right Now
It is a difficult time to be in small business. Inflation is climbing. The cost of living crisis is real. Clients are taking longer to make decisions. There is a long list of external pressures stacking up, and almost none of them are your fault.
You did not tank the economy. You did not change the algorithm. You did not decide what your landlord charges for rent or what the supermarket charges for basic groceries this week. You are simply the person trying to keep a business alive in the middle of all of it.
Life is unfair sometimes. Small business owners genuinely get a raw deal in this economy. That part is real, and it deserves to be said out loud.
Here's the Truth Bomb
No one is coming to save you. Not the government. Not Instagram. No one.
It is not your fault. But it is your responsibility to do something about it.
That responsibility looks like:
- Looking at your numbers instead of avoiding them
- Admitting your old pricing does not work in this economy anymore
- Letting go of running your business the way you did back in 2019
- Following up on the leads sitting in your DMs
- Sending the email you have been putting off
- Pitching the podcast you have been procrastinating on
- Posting the reel even when you are not sure anyone will watch it
The external stuff is not your fault. But staying underpaid and invisible because the situation is unfair and you are exhausted — that part is on you.
This Doesn't Mean You're Alone in It
To be clear, this is not about leaving small business owners to figure it out by themselves. The fight to call out how small business owners get screwed by an unfair system continues, and if anything, that fight is getting louder.
But there is a difference between validating how hard things are and leaving someone stuck in an "it's so unfair" loop forever. The more useful question is always: yep, this sucks, so what are we going to do about it?
That is the conversation worth having. Not just naming the problem, but building the plan that moves you through it.
Ready to Turn Frustration Into a Plan?
If this hit home and you are ready for an actual strategy rather than just commiseration, the next step is building real visibility and demand for your business — regardless of what the economy is doing.
The Media Members Inner Circle gives you the tools, training, and ongoing support to take control of your media presence, your authority, and your growth, one practical step at a time.
