Build a thriving digital-first business

I grew up in a working-class family—poor at first, then less poor when my parents opened their first business. Over time, one beauty salon grew into two and then a chain. And I was lucky enough to get a front-row seat to see what happens when someone risks it all to build a better life.

These days, we are living in unprecedented times.

Trust me when I say, I’ve spent my life watching entrepreneurs like you and me navigate uncertainty, chaos, loss and disappointment. Still, nothing compares to what we’re up against now: the rate of change combined with rapid AI transformation, geopolitical instability, macroeconomic volatility and valid concern over the strength of democracy are enough to keep anyone up at night.

I watched my parents bet everything on a dream, not once, but over and over again. I saw what it took to build something that could support a family and lift a community.

But I also saw the toll it takes when you are figuring it out alone.

I built a scale-up and sold it for $18 million. I launched a startup that ultimately failed. I even taught entrepreneurship at the MBA level. I began seeing the bigger picture, and I decided to create a solution for start-ups and small businesses.

I wanted to make sure early-stage founders didn’t have to guess their way through it. I wanted them to have a guide, a process and a community that reminded them they’re not alone in this journey. Our Entrepreneur Ready immersive online accelerator program empowers individuals with a repeatable value-creation process. Designed for all industries, business types and experience levels, it helps build long-term business strategies to drive lasting success.

We are living through a time of immense change, and yes, AI is part of that. For early-stage, digital-first entrepreneurs, it can feel like stepping into a storm with no map—new tools showing up by the hour, platforms constantly shifting and a constant pressure to be everywhere, seen and valuable all at once.

But the call to build something real hasn’t gone away. I believe entrepreneurship is one of the most powerful tools we have to reclaim agency in our lives and to shape a future we actually want to live in.

And some of the most important lessons I’ve carried into my digital-first business came from watching my parents build theirs, long before the internet. After my dad fell from a construction project and could no longer work in the trade, my parents decided to franchise the hair salon my mom had frequented as a client. But they needed $10K to get started. With nothing to spare, they did what all resourceful entrepreneurs do: they negotiated.

The bank agreed to lend them $5K if they could raise the other half, and that loan became the seed of what would become the fastest-growing salon in the U.S. Within two years, my parents, neither of whom had college degrees, were the highest-grossing franchisees.

My dad traded in his work boots for a leisure suit. My mom turned the spare bedroom into a home office. And my sisters and I, well, we were recruited into the business.

I was the cleaner. I vacuumed hair, scrubbed hairbrushes and served coffee to ladies in rollers. Then came bookkeeping, payroll and eventually, running salons. As their confidence grew, so did their ambition. They bought a regional franchise territory, brought on partners and kept expanding. Around that time, the nation's number one hair franchise company announced the introduction of unisex hair styling. The beauty salon was soon to be replaced by the salon and my parents saw the writing on the wall.

They tried to pivot by becoming franchisees of the new concept, but were blocked. So they sold their stake in the original franchise business and launched out on their own, opening their very first unisex salon in Boise, Idaho.

Three months later, the worst recession of their lives hit. Suddenly, they found themselves flush with debt and no foot traffic. Pivoting, they rebranded the salons as walk-in family haircare and ran specials on kids' cuts and family discounts whenever two or more family members visited together. Game. Set Match.

They went on to build a chain of 60 salons with $12 million in annual sales and launched a franchise division that generated $8 million annually.

The best defense is offense

Today’s economic shifts and uncertainty are real.

But my father’s voice still echoes: “The best defense is offense.” And in business, as in life, you go where you're looking. So, what if, just like my parents, you and I refused to allow things outside of our control to block our hopes and dreams, our families' well-being and even our communities and nation?

Playing offense means having a bias for action, iterating daily and refusing to let fear or uncertainty paralyze us. The truth is, had my parents ignored the seismic shifts happening in the hair industry, they might never have employed 500 individuals and financed the college and postgraduate journeys of three children. Perhaps their three children would not have had a front-row seat to what it means to be an owner, to take risks. Perhaps my siblings and I would never have become entrepreneurs.

Today’s shifts seem to magnify daily with new government regulations and the transformation AI continues to bring. Each of us must exhibit the courage my parents demonstrated and face this reality, then rapidly leverage new tools as a multiplier and accelerator of our visions.

So let's talk offense.

Start by asking yourself this question:

What does offense look like for me— right now— personally and in my business work?

One person's offense may look like another's defense, the key is to be crystal clear on what your priorities are. Here’s what I do to stay clear and move forward.

I continually revisit my why for being on the planet and the why behind my work and businesses.

Then I dive deeper and ask myself, “What has to happen for me to be successful now? What does success look like on my terms?”

Finally, I check in with my life and my business. I ask what needs more attention, then review my business metrics and give it a quick health score. Knowing where I stand, personally and professionally, keeps me grounded and motivated to build with integrity.

This is how I show up as both CEO of my life and CEO of my business. What you and I repeatedly do—we become.

Here’s my current offense list

These are the nine core strategies I use for the entrepreneurs I work with, developed in detail in my Entrepreneur Ready online accelerator program. Work your way through it and you’ll move from inner clarity (#1) to external structure and execution (#9).

1. Tell yourself the truth: Be radically honest about your life, business and the world.
2. Assess AI’s impact: Will AI reshape your offer, positioning, or outreach? What stays uniquely human?
3. Move fast: Run 30–90 day de-risking tests. Kill, keep, or double down. Stay agile.
4. Build your cash ramp: Cut costs. Forecast cash flow. Shift fixed expenses to variable. Eliminate debt that doesn’t earn.
5. Form an unpaid advisory team: Surround yourself with experienced voices who challenge and support you.
6. Own your audience: Build your email list and community from day one. Don’t rely on algorithms.
7. Turn customers into collaborators: Interview your top 20% of clients. Let them guide your marketing and product development.
8. Get capital ready: Tighten your books. Prepare to act in a crisis—or seize an opportunity. Use capital to fund smart, de-risked growth.
9. Guard your time: If it’s not a “HECK YES,” it’s a no. Use async tools to reduce meetings. Work on the business, not just in it.

Offense in action: stories from the field

Fast action sparked funding (#3): one nonprofit leader in our program hit a wall with funding. She went back to the root of her work and began hosting curiosity-driven conversations with her audience (thanks to some prompting from our online program). That one shift helped her realign her message and secure the backing she needed. That’s the power of a de-risking customer discovery sprint; when you stay close enough to your market, you can spot creative solutions in real time.

A cash ramp transformation (#4): one of our wellness entrepreneurs used this framework to re-envision her acupuncture practice. She shifted from selling individual services to service packages, and nine months later, her revenue had quadrupled. She worked smarter, not harder, with a clearer business model and better cash visibility.

Purpose-driven growth (#7): a fitness coach in our program grew his business to over $100,000 in year one. He did it by leading with purpose, creating a space for people with disabilities to access high-quality training. He didn’t chase the market. He connected deeply with the people who needed him most.

Capital-ready resilience (#8): During the pandemic, one of our entrepreneurs saw his service options disappear. He innovated new services and reimagined his model to meet the moment—and give his family more freedom. Capital readiness is about acting with clarity when it counts.

You’ve got this

I know you don’t always feel like you’ve got this, but trust me, you do.

You and people like you are the hope and future of this nation.

We need you. We need your vision, resilience and your imagination. We need more people choosing to be owners, creators, changemakers and leaders — especially now.

So, if you're tired, burnt out, stressed or discouraged, I see you. Reconnect with your personal WHY, the reason you started this in the first place. Take time to clarify what success looks like to you now, what difference do you want to make for yourself, your family or your community?

The world has changed. What got us here won’t get us there.

Now is the perfect time to let go of what is no longer sacred or working, and at the same time, double down on your vision and dreams.

I tell my team the truth every day: in education and training in the Age of AI, we either innovate or we die (meaning we pivot our value proposition to something that AI alone can not do). That’s our reality. What’s yours?

So, whether you are thriving and ready for the next challenge or tired and looking for the escape route, just remember:

Your life is your business.

And you are CEO of both. It’s time to go on offense.