I didn’t start my firm to build an empire. I started it to escape one.
Sometimes I forget that I never actually had a job.
Just internships.
One after the other.
And yet… those internships were enough to show me what I didn’t want.
I remember watching people around me - working 12, 14, even 16 hours a day.
Chasing deadlines. Running on fumes.
Trying to impress seniors who barely noticed them.
And the worst part?
Most of them weren’t even getting paid properly. Or at all.
That’s when it hit me:
I’m not built for this.
Not because I’m lazy. Not because I can't work hard.
But because I couldn’t picture spending the next ten years like that.
Long hours.
Low pay.
No time.
And no real control over your own work or life.
That’s what I was trying to escape.
So when I started my own thing, it wasn’t some brave leap into entrepreneurship.
It was me saying - I don’t want that.
I didn’t have a big vision.
I wasn’t dreaming of a team. Or high-paying clients. Or even respect.
I just wanted time.
Time to breathe.
Time to pick who I work with.
Time to do deep, quiet work without being on someone else’s clock.
That was my version of success.
But here’s the part I didn’t expect.
Even when you try to build something small and simple…the pressure finds you.
People talk about scaling.
Growing fast.
Hiring.
Packaging.
Branding.
Posting.
Becoming a “real” firm.
And I’ve felt that. That itch to look more serious.
To chase more. To grow faster. To do what everyone else seems to be doing.
But I always come back to this one thought:
Am I building something I actually want to live inside?
Because I didn’t start this for status.
I started this so I wouldn’t have to live someone else’s idea of success.
One thing that helps me stay clear:
Every time I’m tempted to chase what looks good…
I pause.
And ask myself:
“Is this moving me toward the life I want? Or just making me look more impressive?”
It’s not a fancy framework.
But it’s saved me again and again.
Have questions about building your firm, getting clients, or positioning your services? I offer 30-min strategy calls. No fluff, just practical answers that fit your situation.