Grounded Growth Coaching

08/25/2026

Business moves fast.

No matter how prepared you think you are, there are times when things simply aren’t going to go as planned.

We took ownership of a new business on August 1st, and the last few weeks have been a crazy ride.

Six months ago, when we decided to buy the company, we already had a trip to Europe booked. We expected to be home well before taking ownership.

Hello, curveball #1.

Our flight home was cancelled amid the WestJet strike, stranding us in Ireland. When our doors opened August 4th, we were somewhere over the Atlantic at 30,000 feet.

We landed at YYC at 2 p.m., grabbed our bags, headed straight to the office and jumped directly into the deep end.

Talk about hitting the ground running.

Long days. New systems. A revolving door of questions, concerns and fires to put out. Learning on the fly and occasionally feeling like we’re running in 47 directions while 92 different things are still burning.

Because that’s business ownership.

You can plan.
You can prepare.
You can have the experience.
You can think you’re ready.

Then something unexpected happens and business says, cool… now pivot.

That’s where entrepreneurs set themselves apart.

You figure it out. Solve the problem in front of you. Build resilience. Learn a hell of a lot. Get up the next morning and do it again.

I won’t sugarcoat it—the past few weeks have been stressful. The days have been ridiculously long, the to-do list on our whiteboard is even longer, and I’m pretty sure we still have jet lag.

But when we finally looked at everything we’d tackled in three short weeks, we realized just how much we’d accomplished.

At some point, there’s nothing left to do but look at the person beside you and laugh your ass off.

Seriously. What a crazy few weeks.

We’re tired. We’re learning. We’re getting our feet underneath us. We’ve solved some pretty big problems.

And we’re still laughing.

Right now, that feels like a pretty damn good win.

07/03/2026

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06/25/2026

🥹 Business ownership is one of the loneliest and most stressful roles a man can take on.

We’re wired to provide. To solve problems. To carry the load. We bottle it up, push through, and tell ourselves “I’ve got this.”

But that mindset — while admirable — often becomes the silent killer of our health, relationships, and businesses.

In a recent More Profit Less Stress Podcast conversation with our licensed coaches Ron Farrell and Todd Fyfe, we unpacked the real mental health challenges facing male business owners and how to break the cycle.

The Hidden Pressure of Being “The Provider”

As business owners, the weight isn’t just on providing for your family. It expands:
- Your team relies on you for their livelihood
- Your clients depend on your consistency
- Your own identity often becomes tied to the success (or survival) of the business

This creates a perfect storm where stress builds quietly. Many men don’t talk about it because they feel they’re supposed to have all the answers.

“Men in general like to give solutions, not get solutions from others.”

The result? We isolate. We grind harder. We delay asking for help until the pressure becomes unbearable.

Signs Someone in Your Life (or You) Might Be Struggling

Look for these common red flags:
- Looking absolutely haggard or beaten down
- Sudden withdrawal or wanting excessive alone time
- Losing interest in things they used to care about
- Increased irritability or “jerk face” mode (as Todd humorously called it)
- Over-focusing on work while neglecting health, family, or hobbies

If you see this in a friend, brother, or yourself — don’t wait. Reach out.

Practical Ways to Protect Your Mental Health as a Business Owner

1. Build Your Support Network

Find people outside your business and family where you can be real. Mastermind groups, trusted friends, or coaches create a safe space to unload without judgment.

2. Create Physical Outlets

Chop wood. Go camping. Join a sports league. Volunteer as a firefighter (like Todd). Physical activity and hobbies aren’t luxuries — they’re reset buttons.

3. Separate Work from Home

Change clothes. Change mindset. Create rituals that signal “I’m off the clock.” Your family deserves the best version of you, not the leftover stressed version.

4. Build the Business to Serve Your Life — Not Consume It

Stop treating your business like a needy child that demands all your time. Implement systems. Delegate. Create an exit plan. A valuable business should give you freedom — not steal it.

5. Ask for Help Before You Need It

Ego is expensive. The strongest leaders aren’t the ones who do it all alone — they’re the ones who build the right support around them.

The Bottom Line

Mental health struggles don’t make you weak. They make you human.I f you’re a male business owner carrying silent weight right now, know this: You don’t have to carry it alone. Reaching out for help is one of the most powerful business decisions you can make.

To the wives, partners, friends, and family reading this — your check-in matters. A simple “Want to go for a walk?” can open the door.

What’s one thing you do to protect your mental health as a business owner? Or what’s one sign you’ve noticed in someone close to you? Share below — this conversation needs to be normalized.

If you’re struggling, reach out. There’s strength in the support.

05/03/2026

03/29/2026

Most buyers see problems.
Operators see levers.

The difference between a bad business and a great buy isn’t luck—it’s perspective.
When you know what to fix, where to tighten, and how to rebuild margin discipline, what looks unremarkable on entry becomes a win on exit.

You don’t buy what it could be at full price.
You buy what it is—knowing exactly how to make it better.

That’s the operator mindset.
And that’s where real money is made.

03/28/2026

Our furry friends are important to us. Nicole and I fostered this beautiful little Terrier Pitbull cross we called Jake through AARCS recently, and we are so pleased to say he has found his forever home.

We had a contractor working in our home recently as part of a renovation. That's when he met Jake and fell in love. Their family had recently lost their dog so this felt like the universe was guiding them to adopt this little fella. It took only about 3 days for him to bring the family out to meet Jake, submit an application for adoption to AARCS and come back to take him home.

We wish all the best for Jake in his new happy home, and for the family that will get so much joy from this bundle of energy.

03/27/2026

Most business owners don’t have a hustle problem.

They’re in it all day.
Working. Fixing. Responding. Keeping things moving.

It feels productive.
It feels necessary.

But it’s also why nothing really improves.

Because when you’re buried in the day-to-day, you’re not running a business.
You’re maintaining one.

No time to look at performance.
No time to fix pricing.
No time to step back and ask where this is actually going.

So things keep moving…
but they stay the same.

The shift isn’t complicated.

2–4 hours every week.
Non-negotiable.

No calls. No reacting. No “quick check-ins.”

Just time to step back and think.

And here’s where it gets interesting:
Even when owners do this… they’re still thinking inside the same box.

Every industry has its own way of doing things.
The habits. The patterns. The “that’s just how it’s done” thinking.

And no one questions it.

That’s where real opportunity gets missed.

Some of the biggest gains come from a different perspective.
A better way of doing something you’ve just accepted.

But you won’t see it if you never step out.

Hustle keeps you busy.
Perspective is what actually moves the business forward.

03/24/2026

We looked at two deals recently.

One didn’t make it past early conversations.
One is deep in due diligence and likely closing.

The difference wasn’t opportunity.

It was:
• clarity vs guessing
• systems vs chaos
• trust vs doubt
• transferable vs owner-dependent

Here’s the truth most people miss:
A buyer doesn’t just evaluate what your business earns today.
They evaluate how confident they are it will keep earning tomorrow.

That’s what drives:
• valuation
• deal structure
• speed of sale
• and whether the deal happens at all

If a buyer has to work hard to understand your business…
they won’t work hard to buy it.

Read the full story on our substack https://groundedgrowthcoaching.substack.com/p/why-most-deals-die-before-due-diligence