Come for the perks, stay for the work
““Profit isn’t a purpose, it’s a result. To have purpose means the things we do are of real value to others.” -- Simon Sinek”
There’s a bit of a war in the entrepreneur world.
Which makes it tough to know who to trust.
But I don’t think these two camps have to clash.
Some people obsess over lifestyle perks.
Others preach legacy above all else.
For me, entrepreneurship initially attracted me because:
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“I could control my schedule—no one telling me what to do.”
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“Time + money = freedom.”
But those perks don’t show up right away.
In fact, they usually take a long time.
I don’t blame anyone who buys into the “lifestyle business” or “passive income” sales pitch—who wouldn’t want a four-hour workweek and millions in the bank?
So, I looked past the big red flags in those aggressive sales funnels, hoping it would all work out.
But working on things I didn’t believe in or enjoy didn’t give me the drive to stay disciplined—shocker.
After making the same mistake over and over, I realized those external rewards were just immature reasons to start the entrepreneurial game.
Eventually, I moved to the other side of the aisle: the “legacy” crowd.
They’re not flashy, but easy to spot.
They usually promote timeless principles—hard to argue with ideas that have lasted for ages.
But besides reminders to “stay positive,” “work hard,” and “think with a growth mindset” (I’ll rant about that term another time), I didn’t get practical lessons I could apply right away or in the modern era.
And to their defense, maybe they’ve forgotten what living paycheck-to-paycheck felt like.
But when you stay at 30,000 feet, you don’t get your hands dirty, and it’s easy to lose touch.
So how do you build a brand that people connect with—and is (buzzword alert) authentic?
Be honest.
I learned that the work itself is the real reward (though, yes, I’d still like a Lambo someday).
Finding your unique way to serve the world is our generation’s big opportunity.
But if you start by parroting legacy talking points, people won’t believe you.
And if you chase quick, cheap attention, you won’t have a brand worth standing on.
I got rid of the imposter syndrome when I switched talking about “you should…” to “here’s how I…”
And if eliminated a lot of unnecessary pressure.
Because nobody else has your exact blend of perspective, interests, and experiences.
And that’s your best edge.
— And if you’re interested in broadening your perspective, head over to readar.ai to find the right book for you to read next.
Keep seeking,
Michael
PS Meme — don’t be like the OG internet marketers