A few weeks ago, I came across this article on the Money, Meaning & Beyond blog where Andrea Lee talks about the keys of reaching that 7-figure mark with your small business. It struck me as wrong when I read it, and it’s been gnawing on the back of my mind ever since I read it. I had to get this out of my system and offer a response.

She says that one of the keys to reaching 7-figures is to realize that you’re not in control in your own business.

“Key #1: Come to realize that your business is not yours; it’s only on loan to you

YOU are *not* in control.”

Further down the article she cites the former business-owner’s spiritual view of the company:

“CoachVille is like a giant tiger, with a tail that thrashes around as it runs back and forth. Riding on its back, you can’t control it, you can only ride with it and from time to time, you might be able to lean into it with one knee or the other. But whatever you do, if you try to control it, it will break your back.”

I’m not a control-freak nor was I ever a micro-manager. But to imply that you should just let go of the reigns of your business and let it go where it may is just plain wrong. I will concede that you can’t lead the “tiger” by the nose. But you can certainly alter the environment in which it runs that can have a massive impact on it’s behavior. I can put the tiger in a cage or I can fence it in so it only runs where I think it should. I can entice the tiger with food and water to behave a certain way most of the time.

That takes planning and forethought…a goal.

But, as we read further in Andrea’s article, we discover that we shouldn’t do that (plan) either.

“Andrea, we don’t work from a blueprint here. We have no idea what CoachVille will be in 2 years, much less 10. We’re smart enough not to throw a pile of bricks on the ground and call it a house, but all we do is lay one brick at a time while holding a big space for great things to unfold, however they unfold.”

Geez, maybe we should just watch Forest Gump to learn how to start and run a business. “Business is like a box of choc-o-lates, you never know what you’re gonna get.”

I assure you that the founder of CoachVille knew exactly what he wanted for the business when he started it. He knew what the company would offer. He knew which kinds of customers they would target. He knew what kind of people he wanted working there. He knew how they would service their clients. Did he have to adjust some of his thinking along the way? You bet, any good business owner does. But to imply that there’s no vision or plan is fashionable, touchy-feely nonsense.

Welcome back again!