Beyond Profit First: Mike Michalowicz on Purpose, Freedom and Building a Business That Serves Your Life

And the reason behind this purpose is because I lived it for way too long.

Decades of if I just work harder, if I just... sell more.

If I just push, I'll get there.

And came to hate my business, was exhausted.

I remember paying my colleagues more money than I was making.

I remember refinancing my house to cover payroll one day.

It was miserable.

And that gap is what we call entrepreneurial poverty.

It represents over 80%.

The statistics show about 83% of businesses are in that state at any given time of small business.

And there's 350 million small businesses globally.

So it is the mass of people.

And I think it was, Thoreau, who said something like the mass of humanity lives in quiet desperation.

Yes.

It's

entrepreneurs.

It's us entrepreneurs.

Yeah.

And the most perverted part, Debra,

is I will meet with another entrepreneur.

And I used to be this way.

Now...

I've rid myself of this behavior.

I see it all the time and I get it.

As someone will say, oh my God, I worked so hard last night.