Codie A. Sanchez

Investing millions in Main St businesses & teaching you how to own the rest | HoldCo, VC fund, Founder

On a mission to create financially free and free-thinking humans.I founded a advisory and investment company called Contrarian Thinking that helps owners buy and scale businesses.Our newsletter has over 1M+ weekly readers, here → contrarianthinking.biz/liOur community has taught 9,000+ members biz buying, biz growing, and doing deals. We value experience over degrees.Betting on yourself over building someone else's dream.Main Street over Wall Street.My mission is less suits, more boots. Meaning: we the people holding the power… and the purse strings.🔗Join 1M+ others who get our free newsletter: contrarianthinking.biz/li🔗YouTube: @CodieSanchezCT🔗Instagram: @codiesanchez🔗Twitter: @Codie_Sanchez🔗Weekly business-buying newsletter Main Street Minute: contrarianthinking.biz/minute-li

Founder

We help free minds and build bank accounts.

Investing millions in Main St businesses & teaching you how to own the rest | HoldCo, VC, Founder | NYT best-selling author

My husband said five words to me that made my worldview flip on never missing a chance to see a loved one: “Measure in times, not years.”

We were debating whether to go home and see our family for Thanksgiving and my husband said...

If your parents are 65, it’s not 20 or 30 years you might have with them, it’s maybe 20 or 30 visits you get with them.

One in four Americans don’t live in the same hometown as their family. How would you change your decisions if you’d only get to see your loved ones for 20 or 30 more days?

You’d change everything to be with them, wouldn’t you? Same if it was six months. And yet when those days are separated by years we let them slide through our fingers.

Next time don’t count the years, remember the days… and treasure them.

3 harsh truths I've been thinking about a lot lately...

1. Most successful people I've met aren't that smart. They move fast, they take risk, they work a lot. That's it.

2. The world is run by C students & failed employees. You can't underestimate yourself.

3. Managing what you choose to sell, do and focus on is more important than how hard you work or how smart you are.

Example:

You can, for the next 40 years:

- Climb up the corporate ladder
- Grind for a mission you don't believe in
- Spend 50hrs/wk+ away from your family

All for a 401k and a white picket fence at the end to show for it.

OR

You can learn how to buy a business and:

- Own a cashflowing biz in your community
- Touch your work with your own two hands
- Disconnect your money from your time
- Spend more time on the things that matter
- Become one of the few... an Owner.

Ownership is not for everyone.

But it could be for you.

I don’t blame you if you're nervous to take the first step on your own.

If that’s you, I’m hosting an event that's just what you need to start acting on business-buying…

Get details & sign-up here → https://lnkd.in/g3V6NrTZ

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Arfan Iftikhar

A hard truth I've learned in business.

It's always who not how.

1. There's only so much time in the day.
2. There's always going to be someone smarter and better than you.

These aren't problems. They're levers.

Every time you struggle with an issue, don't try to figure out how to solve it. Instead, ask yourself what type of person could solve it for you.

You don’t have a HOW problem, you have a WHO problem.

Solve that and you solve everything.

↓ ↓ ↓

This is a strategy I think of as “stealing someone’s 10,000 hours.”

And I’m letting you take my 10,000 hours for free at my Main Street Millionaire Live Event…

I’ve bought & sold 20+ small businesses. I’ve failed a couple, scaled several, and I’m sharing a condensed version of how to buy a biz over 3 days. 

It’ll be beginner-friendly and perfect if you're still in your 9-5.

Save your spot here today → https://lnkd.in/g7mjjqYQ

My coworker got the promotion over me.

Numerically worse at the work. Great at politics.

I brought in deals. Fixed messes. Hit all goals

He was 10x better than me at managing up.

He got the title. I got “keep doing what you’re doing.”

It took 10+ years for me to click that most companies reward politics, not performance.

So I left. Started buying boring businesses and building my own thing.

Now I make many times what my old bosses did. No corporate games.

The best operators don’t usually climb the ladder. They are the ladder everyone else climbs.

Corporate optimizes for compliance. Owners optimize for competence.

If you’re elite at the work but trash at politics, don't give up, I was just like you.

Take the risk in 2026.

↓↓↓

If you want to learn how to buy a business in 2026 and become an owner, I’m doing this 3-day virtual workshop for you: https://lnkd.in/dYP5dr-T

21 tips to be the first gen wealth builder in your family:

1. The Law of Two Hours: 2 hours of dedicated work is worth more than most people’s 8 hours.

2. How to never fail with a business: Start as a side project. Keep your job. Use your salary to fund. Quit when you have enough cashflow.

3. It's not about time. It's about the F word. Focus. You don’t need 24 hours a day to build a business.

4. Think about your salary like a Silicon Valley investor. Treat every single dollar you give to your side business like an investor would.

5. Hope is not a strategy. “Pray like it’s up to God, but work like it’s up to me.”

6. You don't need more time, you need a deadline.

7. Decrease the time between having an idea and getting it done. Money loves speed. Poverty loves waiting.

8. Small & consistent beats big & sporadic. Long hours at a desk is counterproductive.

9. If you want to make more money, be more useful to people who have more money.

10. It is very hard to change the world when you are broke. So don't apologize for chasing money.

11. Nobody cares about your life...They think about you for one second and then think about themselves again. So you might as well do what you want.

12. You must be just dumb enough to believe in yourself, just smart enough to execute.

13. If you say you will do a thing, then actually do the thing. 90% do not do this.

14. No one is coming to save you. You want a better life, go build it.

15. You must learn to be disliked or you’ll find yourself stuck in a prison of other people's desires.

16. Tasting freedom can make you unemployable. Get that initial momentum, and watch your life start to change.

17. You are paid exactly as much as the problems you solve are worth. Bigger problems = bigger $$$

18. Parkinson’s Law: Work expands to fill the available time. Just because you quit your job doesn't mean you'll magically have all of these hours.

19. If you're not currently doing whatever that thing is inside of you, you're not going to do it after you quit your job.

20. Startups are for masochists. If you want that life, I commend you. If you want a slightly less rocky path to ownership, buy a business instead of starting one.

And lastly, there are 2 types of people:

Those who build wealth through ownership. and those who work to make others wealthy.

The dividing line isn’t talent or luck. It’s action.

↓↓↓↓

P.S. If you have yet to take action in 2026 but are interested in becoming an owner...

Come to my business buying masterclass tomorrow. 

It's free. 90 minutes long. And walks you through how to find the right business for you.

Find all the details here: https://lnkd.in/g3V6NrTZ

I sometimes pinch myself. I don't deserve this life.

Knew nothing about finance.
Public schools.
Parents who worked nonstop.
Party school for undergrad.

But my family taught me about hard work, God, responsibility, and never quitting.

It makes no sense, except for the grace of God. Grateful.

I’m 39.

27 lessons I wish I learned in my 20s: 

1. As soon as you hit your 30s, you’ll understand... Your 20s actually suck. If you feel like it sucks right now, guess what? It’s supposed to. It gets better.

2. Your first job is like the DMV. Awful. Everyone’s mad. Nothing works. But the key is.. You are not supposed to stay there.

3. It is very hard to change the world when you are broke. So don't apologize for chasing money.

4. Meet everyone. Say yes to everything. You narrow the field later.

5. Do it all. Because you’ll die eventually and life will make you slow down. But up until then, eat the world.

6. You are not everyone’s cup of tea, that’s a good thing.

7. The most lucrative things you can do in your 20s: 1) learn how to invest, 2) apprentice in PE, real estate, or venture.

8. If they’re not interesting when you’re sober, don’t drink until they become it.

9. Never buy to impress. Being wealthy > looking wealthy… even when that first big-kid check hits your bank account.

10. The most important question you can ask yourself often: Does this bring joy?

11. Do favors, don’t take them. There’s often a hidden price.

12. If I was in my 20s, I’d try to work for one type of company… One where they reward outcomes not hours. Winning > running really hard for a really long time.

13. Seed is only as good as its soil. Where you live during your 20s matters. Take some time away from your hometown.

14. If you feel cynical about the world… I don’t blame you. But always remember the number one superpower for your generation is HOPE.

15. If you’re prone to loneliness and isolation.. do NOT work a remote job. A small team with sleepless nights and shared goals is a powerful thing.

16. Touch grass. A walk outside will be better for your brain than anything you find on your phone.

17. Burnout doesn’t come from working too hard. Burnout comes from working too hard, on things that don’t light you up.

18. Learn how to save now, but understand that saving isn’t what makes you rich.

19. If you want to make more money, be more useful to people who have more money.

20. You must learn to be disliked or you will find yourself stuck in a prison of other people's beliefs.

21. Most successful people I've met aren't that smart. They move fast, they take risk, they work a lot. That's it.

22. If old you doesn’t make you cringe, you haven’t grown enough.

23. Do something hard every day. Then watch that “something” evolve as you become stronger and stronger.

24. If you haven’t done it, you just have an opinion.

25. Marrying well is the biggest life hack of all. Marrying poorly is a costly path to misery. Choose wisely.

26. Working smarter not harder is a beautiful lie. You will not know how to work smart until you've worked very hard for an irrationally long time.

27. Take notes from old people… Waking up early, being married, reading books, going to bed at 10pm, and drinking less is actually amazing.

Ramota Oladejo

There’s no such thing as the right or wrong business.

There’s only the business that’s right or wrong for you.

One of the most common DMs I get is:

"Should I buy a laundromat, car wash, or storage units?"

But that's totally the wrong question to begin with...because everyone has different goals.

That’s why I created the Contrarian Deal Clarity Framework to help first time owners buy a biz.

You need to define 5 components:

1. Your Ideal Owner Experience

Saying “I want to leave my 9-5” is too wishy-washy.

To trade in your W2 form, your vision board needs to be specific on three things:

- Personal goals (do you want more family time or grind for yourself)
- Income goals (replace your $75k salary or build an empire)
- Business goals (be a hands-on operator or absentee owner)

2. Your Zone of Genius

Think of this as the intersection between:

- Passion (what you love)
- Skills & Experience (what you’re good at)
- Network (who you know)

Most people ignore this and buy businesses they eventually hate running.

Don’t be most people.

3. Business Size

It’s easy to fantasize about buying a Fortune 500 company.

But we’re not playing the billionaire game here.

As a first-time time buyer, look for micro acquisitions:

- <$1M cost
- $50K-$200K profits
- 1-3X multiples

Less competition, more opportunity, fewer headaches.

4. Profit

Remember...you’re not just buying a business for the sake of it.

Your acquisition MUST be an income stream that can cover:

1. Debt service
2. Operator salary (if relevant)
3. Growth/working capital
4. Your earnings

Use these two tests to evaluate if a deal is worth looking at:

The SOWS Test

Before I buy anything, I ask if the business is:

- Stale - Does the owner still use fax machines
- Old - Is it 5+ years old with repeat customers
- Weak - Does competition suck at marketing
- Simple - Can an 8-year-old could understand it

The more boxes it checks, the better.

The BRIT Test

Then I check to see if it’s BRIT:

- Buy - Must be a cashflow, not cash-suck businesses
- Resist - Recession-proof
- Increase - Can I raise prices (most owners undercharge by 30%)
- Tech - Can I add simple technology to improve it?

5. Industry

There are certain industries you should avoid for your first biz.

Think restaurants or hotels...

On the flip side, these are my favorite businesses for first-time buyers:

- Digital Businesses (build once, sell forever)
- Home Services (roof repair / lawn care)
- Professional Services (e.g CPAs)
- Real Estate Enhanced (laundromats/car washes)

Once you get clear on your Deal Box, you stop wasting time on deals that don’t fit your criteria and get closer to buying the biz that FEELs right.

↓↓↓

Want to go even deeper than this post did?...

Next week, I'm running a Masterclass breaking down exactly how to buy the perfect business for YOU. 

Check it out: https://lnkd.in/g3V6NrTZ

6 other traits of rich people no one tells you:

1. Rich people want you to sell them something.

2. Something 99% of rich people have in common: they own. Most often, they own businesses & real estate.

3. Most people complain about taxes, then pay them. Rich people study taxes then outsmart them.

4. In my experience, almost all successful people are competitive. More competitive you are, more likely you are to succeed.

5. Most rich people I know don't care about their title at all. Business owner > visionary, industry disrupter, startup CEO

6. You'll learn the most from asking rich people this question: "When did you almost lose it all? What did you learn?"

💥 For more like this, feel free to follow me → Codie A. Sanchez

Story from my dad today.

If you’re a business owner, it may hit you as deeply as it hit me...

He said, you know you’ve met another builder or doer when they’ve felt that flinch at the second Friday of the month.

My father has never bounced a check.

But he remembers this…

It was payday, his business was owed money, and they couldn’t bridge the gap between the two in time.

He could just picture the guys’ faces.

Those last two workers, who had done more than anyone else, stayed later than anyone else…

And they were about to be punished for that by not getting paid.

So he called up his banker, told him he needed a line of credit, and pulled out $100,000 give or take to make sure that every single one of their checks cleared.

At the time, my dad had a business partner who was a different type of guy.

He was the sort to make excuses, pay himself first, and not particularly care if everyone else’s checks cleared as long as he got his.

That partner has since had many businesses fail - and many more employees go without a paycheck.

And my dad has never in all these years had a business fail, or lost anyone a dime.

He often attributes his business success to the fact that he would never let his hardest working guys go hungry...

People will always be your biggest struggle and your greatest gift in business. Treat ‘em right.

↓↓↓↓

P.S. I’m hosting a free masterclass next week covering 4 practical growth levers that help maintain healthy cash flow and predictable payroll.

Sign up here (for free): https://lnkd.in/gSfvX_AF

Nish Thakker

If you have had:

• a terrible boss
• workplace ptsd
• a bankruptcy
• a huge failure

GOOD.

Chips on shoulders > easy roads.

The more you do hard things, the more you'll get what you want.

Because doing hard things, makes hard things easier.

If you're doing it right, the failure that leveled you last year, won't even register this year.

↓ ↓ ↓

If you're ready to seek out your next hard thing, let's buy a business this year ;)

Here's a list of 130 boring biz's I'd start with → https://lnkd.in/eGpHZtx3

You aren’t here to be liked.

You’re here to be respected.

Don’t be easy. Be hard.

Be righteous in what you do and believe.

Don’t be less for other people.
Don’t let them bend you or break you.
Don’t be a doormat walked upon.

Be a f*cking pointed nail… they’ll remember you.

If you’re bringing this energy into 2026, feel free to repost this.

And if the way you want to do it is by trading in your 9-5 for financial freedom without starting from scratch? Come to my Main Street Millionaire Live next month. 

All you need is determination & desire…. and 72 hours of your time.

You’re invited, just reserve your spot here → https://lnkd.in/gf6hPHdF

This is the hiring framework most small business owners never figure out:

Unicorns vs Donkeys

Unicorns = A players, high performers, self starters... aka, the person you WANT to hire for every role at your company.

Donkeys = B and C players, lacking initiative, unmotivated, task-oriented.

The truth every business owner knows but hates to face:

Donkeys are common.

Unicorns are rare.

Unfortunately, MOST people are donkeys. And as a smaller-level business, it's very hard to build the profit needed to attract unicorns.

So you're left with 2 options. You can either:

1. Build a business that can actively search for unicorns.

2. Build processes so good that donkeys can win the race.

Many problems in your business are a WHO problem. But you'd be surprised that solving the HOW often enables the people you have now to succeed.

Processes are your secret weapon.

Decrease the time between having an idea and getting it done.

Money loves speed. Poverty loves waiting.

How I like to start my week.

The 1 in 60 Rule:

↓ ↓ ↓

Feel free to follow me Codie A. Sanchez if you found this useful.

This Routine Will Change Your Life

How to never fail with a business:

- Start as a side project
- Keep your job
- Use your salary to fund
- Don't use debt
- Quit & go all in ONLY when enough cashflow

15 years of biz & life lessons in <500 words:

↓ ↓ ↓

1. Marrying well is the biggest life hack of all.

2. Be the type of person who reaches out to others... when you don't need something.

3. The greatest muscle you can build is urgency.

4. Most successful people move with this mindset: Entitled to nothing, willing to earn everything.

5. Pray like it's up to God. Work like it's up to you.

6. You don't need more time, you need a deadline.

7. The success you are looking for is waiting for you in the work you are currently avoiding.

8. Biographies of billionaires teach you more than self-help books.

9. Your lack of focus will kill you before your competitors ever get a chance.

10. Winning isn't an accident, it's earned.

11. Underrated superpower: Just dumb enough to believe in yourself, just smart enough to execute.

12. Complexity makes you seem smart. Simplicity makes you money.

13. Surround yourself with owners, the conversation is just different.

14. The more you learn about money, the more you realize most of us play with Legos while the really rich play chess.

15. Beginners do too much. Pros do only what's needed.

16. Underperformers want ease. Midperformers want credit. Winners want pressure.

17. Your most expensive mistake will be a "who," not a "what."

18. If you've survived this far, the odds are actually are in your favor.

19. The formula is: keep going after it gets hard.

If you liked this post and you're NOT signed up for my newsletter... you're seriously missing out. Get it here → https://lnkd.in/ggN9g-BX

The greatest muscle you can build is urgency.

Shrink your timelines...

When you say next quarter, push for next 60 days.

When you say next month, push for 2 weeks.

When you say next week, push for 24 hours.

Not everything will get done on the new timeline, but you'll build a habit that will make you more successful than other people.

Decrease the time between having an idea and getting it done. Everything changes.

↓ ↓ ↓

If you want to push forward serious financial goals in 2026, you should look into this…

It’s live event on what I think is the single greatest skill you could learn this year to change your financial future forever.

It’s called a 3 day live event called Main Street Millionaire where we’re going deep on exactly how to find, buy, run, and scale a profitable small business.

If this sounds remotely interesting, save your spot here → https://lnkd.in/gf6hPHdF

The #1 killer of businesses is bad cashflow.

15 other harsh business truths for you:

1. The greatest muscle you can build is urgency. Bureaucracy is business poison.

2. Decrease the time between having an idea and getting it done. Everything changes.

3. Never sacrifice reputation in the name of business. You can always start another company. You can never create a new reputation.

4. Long-term games and long-term people compound. Resist shiny objects.

5. Hire smart people, pay them well, set them up for success... Then leave them the hell alone.

6. “There’s nothing worse than being sick, fat, tired and trying to run your business.” - Dana White

7. The highest ROI investment founders & owners can make is in themselves. Health shapes mindset. Mindset shapes action.

8. You're better off learning negotiation than financial modeling. Business is less spreadsheets than words.

9. The best business of all time has only you, a computer, and the send button.

10. Every additional employee increases complexity. Hiring is a last resort.

11. The best advice comes from those just a couple steps ahead of you. These people still vividly remember the problems you're facing today.

12. Sell painkillers, not vitamins. There's more money in needs than wants.

13. No discounts. Compete on value, not price. Any biz with $$$ can enter your market and bleed you out. Differentiate beyond commodity.

14. A happy customer is the most powerful marketing. Prioritize reviews. Humans are social animals.

15. If no one thinks you’re crazy, you’re too late. If everyone thinks your idea is good? Even worse. Outsized returns lie in non-conformism.

↓↓↓↓

P.S. I'm running a free masterclass for business owners (next week).

What we'll cover? 4 growth levers to increase cash flow in your biz. 

Grab your spot here (for free): https://lnkd.in/gSfvX_AF

Steven Yeh, EIT

Turning Invisible Brands into Unforgettable Legacies | Founder, BetterEver

You’re already the best in your space.
I make sure the market sees it that way.

You have the results, the story, the soul.
I engineer perception so your expertise dominates, not competes.

👋 Hi, I’m Sujoy Basak
Founder of BetterEver | Neuroscience Marketer | Strategic Partner to ambitious service founders tired of being invisible.

With 23+ years of entrepreneurial grit and a deep obsession with psychology, neuroscience, and first-principles thinking, I’ve built a proprietary framework that transforms service brands into the obvious choice.

🔍 What I Do
I help service businesses position themselves so clearly, so powerfully, they stop chasing clients and start attracting the right ones.

Here’s how:
✅ Positioning that pierces the noise – your message becomes unmissable
✅ UVP that sells before you do – clients “get” your value instantly
✅ Audience alignment – ideal clients feel like you’re speaking their language
✅ Competitor pattern recognition – exposing gaps that put you in front
✅ Predictive brand resonance – ensuring your signals connect before launch

All powered by the BetterEver Neural Positioning System™.

🧬 Why Neuroscience + First Principles?
Because buyers choose with emotion and defend with logic.

BetterEver uses implicit emotional triggers, market pattern recognition, and predictive modelling to wire your brand for trust, recall, and loyalty.

This isn’t hype. It’s how the brain works.

🎯 Outcomes You Can Expect
✔️ Brand identity that commands trust, not just attention
✔️ Messaging that earns loyalty and drives conversion
✔️ Market clarity that kills pricing resistance
✔️ Positioning that earns leadership by being unforgettable, not louder

Why Work With Me
I’ve lived the founder’s struggle — building, failing, learning, and winning.
I don’t sell theory. I build one-of-one brands that work in the real world.

💬 Ready to Own Your Market?
📱 WhatsApp: +91 9830066453
📩 DM me right here.

Your legacy starts with positioning.
Let’s make it unshakable.

SUJOY BASAK 🧠💡

We talk about wanting big things.

Success.
Freedom.
Love.
Recognition.

But desire is the easy part.
What most people underestimate is the 
cost of becoming the person who can hold those things.

Real change doesn’t fail because the goal is too big.
It fails because the identity required feels unfamiliar, 
exposed, and heavy with responsibility.

So the mind does what it’s designed to do.
It protects the familiar self.

It delays.
It rationalises.
It reframes fear as “timing” or “more preparation.”

Growth is not blocked by lack of opportunity.
It’s blocked by the parts of ourselves we’re not ready to let go of.

This carousel isn’t about ambition.
It’s about the moment ambition meets transformation, 
and most people quietly step back.

Neuro-Positioning Architect For Category-Defining Identity And Pricing Power | Founder, BetterEver

The Desire Paradox.

Most marketing agencies keep selling 
“better content” and “better design.”
 
But the real leak is usually upstream.
How the market files you before it ever considers you.
 
If that file is “replaceable vendor,” 
Everything downstream gets harder.

More explaining.
More price pushback.
More ghosting.
More churn.
 
This is why we started treating positioning 
like a measurable signal, not a creative exercise.
 
When you can measure the signal, you can improve it deliberately.

Not by posting more, but by tightening what buyers understand, 
what they trust, and what stays consistent over time.
 
This carousel introduces the three metrics 
We use to diagnose that signal and fix it at the root.
 
If you’re tired of being compared, 
Stop polishing the surface.
Start fixing the file.

Turning Your Expertise Into Instant Trust, Higher Prices, Faster Wins With Neuro-Positioning™ | Founder, BetterEver

Make Positioning Measurable.

People love beauty until they realise it comes with edges.

A rose gets admired for its colour and fragrance.
Then someone complains about the thorns.

That’s exactly how value gets treated in business.
Everyone wants the bloom.
Few want the boundaries that protect it.

Here’s what I learned from my experiences.
The thorns are not a flaw. They are a filter.

Real love comes with hard conversations.
Real success comes with boring discipline.
Real leadership comes with lonely decisions.
Real growth comes with discomfort you can’t outsource.

In business, it shows up the same way.

High-quality work carries higher prices.
Clear contracts carry clear scopes and deadlines.
Honest feedback stings before it strengthens.
Positioning comes with saying “no” to the wrong buyers, 
even when revenue looks tempting.

Those are the thorns.
They protect what’s alive.

Most people don’t reject value because they can’t afford it.
They reject it because it demands responsibility.

A premium fee demands a premium standard.
A strong niche demands trade-offs.
A clear brand demands that you stop trying to be liked by everyone.

And yes, you can choose the painless version.

You can build the plastic flower.
Looks perfect. Harmless. Easy to sell.
Also forgettable. Interchangeable. Dead.

That’s what I’m grateful for.

To the clients who embraced the thorns.
The ones who didn’t just want results, 
but were willing to adopt the standards 
that make results repeatable.

To the people who challenged us.
Who questioned us.
Who pushed back.

You helped us sharpen our thinking, 
not just our messaging.

To the ones who walked away because 
it felt “too direct” or “too specific.”

Thank you too.
You reminded me that clarity is 
supposed to repel as much as it attracts.

Do you want something real with its edges.
Or something painless that was never alive to begin with?

Share your opinion in the comments below.

Most people treat positioning like a shrinking exercise.

Cut the audience.
Cut the offer.
Cut the message.
Until nothing feels like them anymore.

That’s not positioning. That’s hiding.

In 2026, the real advantage is not being narrower.
It’s being unmistakable.

Because AI can generate decent messaging for everyone.
The only thing it can’t generate is your judgement, 
your standards, and the specific trade-offs 
you are willing to make.

When your market can’t recognise you instantly, 
They compare you.

And comparison is where 
Premium pricing goes to die.

This carousel lays out a practical way 
to position without losing yourself.

Not by copying templates, but by translating 
What makes you different into a signal buyers can feel fast.

If you’re building something serious this year, don’t aim to be “better.”
Aim to be impossible to confuse.

Positioning in 2026.

Growth doesn’t fail because people aim too high.
It fails because they underestimate what growth quietly takes away.

Every meaningful upgrade creates a gap.
Between who you were and who you’re becoming.
Between what felt safe and what now feels necessary.

That gap is uncomfortable.
It can feel lonely, confusing, even disorienting.
Not because something is wrong, but because something is changing.

Most people interpret that discomfort as a signal to stop.
The few who move forward learn to read it differently.
As evidence that the old frame is breaking.

This carousel isn’t about motivation or ambition.
It’s about the invisible exchange that comes with progress.
What you release shapes what you can hold next.

The Trade Nobody Mentions.

How to Price Your Service Right in 2026
 
Last month, I watched a consultant with 
12 years of experience price herself at $50/hour.
 
Her work had generated $2M+ for clients. 
She was charging less than her babysitter.

When I asked why: 
"I'm not sure I'm good enough to charge more."
 
Here's the truth:
Your pricing has nothing to do with your expertise. 
It has everything to do with perception.
 
The mistake killing your revenue
We think clients buy our time or skills.
They don't. They buy the transformation.
 
Research shows psychological pricing can increase deal sizes 
by 25-60%, not by working harder, but by framing value differently.
Yet we price based on what feels "fair" or what competitors charge.
 
Three questions that change everything
Stop asking "What should I charge?"
 
Start asking:
1. What does it cost them if they DON'T solve this? 
Lost revenue? Failed launch? Market share?

2. What's the lifetime value of my solution? 
Not the immediate fix, the compounding benefit over the years.

3. What would they pay internally to attempt this? 
Senior salary + benefits + learning curve + mistakes.
 
Suddenly, your $50,000 fee looks like the bargain it is.
 
Your pricing is your positioning.

Charge premium → attract quality clients → do better work → build reputation → command higher rates.
 
Charge budget → attract price shoppers → scope creep → damaged reputation → stay stuck.
 
It's not a spiral. It's a choice.
 
The bottom line?
Pricing isn't about what you're worth. 
It's about what your client's problem is worth solving.
 
If you're still pricing like it's 2016, 
you're not just leaving money on the table, 
you're leaving the respect and clients you actually want.
 
Stop waiting to feel "ready" for higher rates. Nobody ever does.
Price the transformation, not the transaction.
 
What pricing belief did you have to unlearn? Comment below.
P.S. Send this to that talented friend still chronically undercharging.

If I read your website and can’t tell who you’re for in 5 seconds, 
I already know your biggest business problem.

It’s not leads.
It’s not content.
It’s not “branding.”

It’s that you don’t know your real ICP yet.

And yes, you might be getting clients.
But you’re paying a hidden tax.

A recent B2B buyer survey found 73% actively 
avoid suppliers who send irrelevant outreach. 

That’s what broad messaging creates, 
relevance decay at scale. 

The same research found many buyers prefer 
to do early stages without a rep, so your message has 
to land before a conversation even starts. 
 
Most founders think they have an ICP.

They’ll say: 
“SMEs.” 
“Founders.” 
“Service businesses.” 
“Anyone who needs us.”

That’s not an ICP.
That’s a crowd.

When something is hard to understand, it feels risky.
When it is easy to process, it feels more credible. 

This effect is well studied in 
psychology under processing fluency. 
 
So when founders tell me, 
“We don’t want to narrow,” what they are really saying is:
“I’d rather be acceptable to many than undeniable to a few.”
 
That choice shows up later as:
- slower sales cycles,
- more price pushback,
- more churn, 

Because expectations were never precise
 
The real ICP is not the people who can buy.
 It’s the people who get the maximum benefit from your expertise.

The ones who:
-feel the pain right now
-have the budget to solve it
-value the outcome enough to act
-and stay, because it worked

Most businesses don’t lose because they target “wrong.”
They lose because they target lazy.

They don’t know:
- what their best client’s income bracket looks like
- what “expensive problem” keeps them up
- what event triggers urgency
- what they already tried and why it failed
- what they will gladly pay for without negotiating

And here’s the punchline most people hate.

If you don’t choose your ICP, 
the market chooses it for you.
Usually the cheapest one.

Micro-homework. Don’t overthink it.
Answer these three lines:
1. We are best for: (role + situation)
2. When: (trigger moment)
3. Because: (your unfair advantage)

DM your current “who we help” line.
I’ll tell you in one sentence whether it’s an ICP or a crowd.

Great brands don’t even need to sell. 
They make you feel like you’re missing out if you don’t choose them.

The thing is, a lot of businesses think they have a sales problem, 
but in reality the problem is a lack of clarity. 

When your brand is dialed in, 
your messaging is undeniable, 
your positioning is rock-solid, 
and your offer is irresistible. 

When that happens, people don’t just consider working with you, 
they know they have to.

Ever wonder why some brands have clients lining up 
while others are out there practically begging for attention? 

The reason is simple: top brands do something most others don’t. 

They don’t just offer value, 
they make it clear that saying “no” to them would be a big mistake. 

Plus, they remove every bit of friction and wipe out any doubt, 
making the decision to work with them a no-brainer.

So here’s the real question: 
Are you just selling, or are you making it 
nearly impossible for people to say no to you?

That annoying pause before an ATM gives you cash is not always “bad UX.” In high-stakes moments, a small delay can act like a safety signal. It tells 

Open article: The “slow” moment that makes people trust you by SUJOY BASAK 🧠💡 • 4 min read

The “slow” moment that makes people trust you

You don’t get paid for what you think, 
you get paid for what you ship. 
Harsh? Yes. True? Absolutely.

Everyone has ideas. Few have execution.
You know the ones:

🧠 “I had that idea before it was cool.”
🧠 “We thought of doing that last year.”
🧠 “I was just about to launch something similar.”

But did you ship it?
Did you test it, 
market it, 
position it, 
make it real?

Let’s be honest:
The internet is drowning in brilliant ideas.

Everyone has a concept, a framework, 
a “game-changing” strategy.

But ideas don’t build brands.
Execution does.
❌ You don’t get known for what you think.
✔ You get known for what you ship.

❌ You don’t build positioning in your Notion doc.
✔ You build it in the market, by showing up, 
standing out, and staying consistent.

Here’s the hard truth:
💡 “Someday” never scales.
🧠 Action does.

If you're sitting on a goldmine of knowledge, but no one sees it…

You’re not in the game.
And in today’s world, the best executor wins, 
not the loudest thinker.

💡 Want to be the obvious choice in your market?
 Don’t just plan. Position, publish, perform.

Because done > perfect.
Action > theory.
Execution > everything.

👉 Follow me if you’re building a brand
that positions to win, not just to wonder.

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