[#015] My First Billion: The Cost of Bad Momentum

This week wasn’t about pushing harder.

It was about stopping long enough to fix the right problem.

Last month, I paused all ads and cancelled all virtual events we had planned.

Not because demand is low, but because quality was off.

We’ve been great at generating leads.
The data made it clear we haven’t been as disciplined about who those leads are.

Lower offer rates.
Even lower close rates.
Missed payments.
No-shows.
Clients who don’t execute.

The pipeline was busy, not healthy.
So I slowed everything down.

We went back and aggregated six years of data, properly.

Some of it had to be redone because it wasn’t right the first time.

It’s mundane, mentally draining work. But it’s essential.

And it’s easily $10,000-an-hour work.

Most won’t do it, which is why most don’t make $10k an hour.

You don’t make clean decisions without clean inputs.

This week was full of meetings on paper:
→ CFO check-ins.
→ Sales alignment.
→ Same-page conversations with my Leadership team.
→ Event strategy calls.

But the real work happened underneath all of that.

In two words: The Purge

Purging the product suite.

The first thing Steve Jobs did when coming back to Apple after being fired was eliminate products.

This saved them from bankruptcy and was the foundation of their now $3 Trillion Company.

Purging misaligned messaging.
Re-clarifying our ideal client.
Choosing quality over quantity.

There’s a moment that happens when you do this kind of work.

Things quiet down.

And if you’re not careful, that quiet can feel like something’s wrong.

I told Rachel, on our content team this week:

Founders can go through withdrawal when momentum pauses.

We get addicted to movement.

So when things slow down, even for the right reasons, it can feel Uncomfortable.

Sometimes nothing’s broken.
You’re just rebuilding the foundation instead of stacking higher.

I’ve been intentional about staying grounded through it.

Training sessions stayed locked in.
Morning routines have been solid.
Weekly breakfast syncs with Vanessa have stayed consistent.

That steadiness matters when everything
else is being recalibrated.

This week wasn’t about acceleration.
It was about recalibration.

The wins are quieter now.
But they last longer.

That’s the work.

Marquel