The Secret to Success: Stop Taking it Personally
Tue Jun 03 2025
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Have you ever wondered why some coaches thrive while others with equal talent struggle? The answer might surprise you. During a recent interview with my mentor Will Schiller for the Successful Solopreneur Summit, he revealed the single most important factor that determines a coach's long-term success—and it's not skill, followers, or even your network.
After a decade in the industry, Will has observed that emotional maturity—specifically, the ability to not take business outcomes personally—separates thriving coaches from those who remain stuck. When we interpret unsubscribes, low engagement, or client rejection as personal failures rather than business data points, we create an exhausting internal battlefield. This emotional pattern prevents talented professionals from scaling their impact, regardless of how capable they are of helping others.
This insight hit close to home. Looking at my workspace filled with notebooks containing years of unrealized ideas and innovations, I see the tangible evidence of how taking things personally has limited my creative output. As solopreneurs working in isolation, we're particularly vulnerable to self-doubt and insecurities without daily team interaction to provide perspective.
For those struggling with this pattern, I recommend Dr. Michael Gervais's work on "FOPO" (Fear of Other People's Opinions). As a high-performance psychologist who coaches elite athletes, his book "The First Rule of Mastery" provides practical strategies for separating business outcomes from personal identity. Breaking free from taking things personally may be the most important psychological shift you can make as an entrepreneur.
Are you ready to stop letting the fear of judgment hold back your business potential? Consider how differently you might approach your work if rejection no longer felt like a personal attack. Your best ideas deserve to see the light of day.
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IG: @matthewpaetz
Click Here to Unlock Your Unfair Advantage
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Send us a text Have you ever wondered why some coaches thrive while others with equal talent struggle? The answer might surprise you. During a recent interview with my mentor Will Schiller for the Successful Solopreneur Summit, he revealed the single most important factor that determines a coach's long-term success—and it's not skill, followers, or even your network. After a decade in the industry, Will has observed that emotional maturity—specifically, the ability to not take business outcomes personally—separates thriving coaches from those who remain stuck. When we interpret unsubscribes, low engagement, or client rejection as personal failures rather than business data points, we create an exhausting internal battlefield. This emotional pattern prevents talented professionals from scaling their impact, regardless of how capable they are of helping others. This insight hit close to home. Looking at my workspace filled with notebooks containing years of unrealized ideas and innovations, I see the tangible evidence of how taking things personally has limited my creative output. As solopreneurs working in isolation, we're particularly vulnerable to self-doubt and insecurities without daily team interaction to provide perspective. For those struggling with this pattern, I recommend Dr. Michael Gervais's work on "FOPO" (Fear of Other People's Opinions). As a high-performance psychologist who coaches elite athletes, his book "The First Rule of Mastery" provides practical strategies for separating business outcomes from personal identity. Breaking free from taking things personally may be the most important psychological shift you can make as an entrepreneur. Are you ready to stop letting the fear of judgment hold back your business potential? Consider how differently you might approach your work if rejection no longer felt like a personal attack. Your best ideas deserve to see the light of day. Connect with Me IG: @matthewpaetz Click Here to Unlock Your Unfair Advantage