[INTERNAL MEMO]

Team,

I want to start with a story that stuck with me from an event last week:

A founder approached me, clearly frustrated. She said, "I can't find good salespeople. There are literally no talented salespeople in my market. Everyone I hire disappoints me."

I asked her a simple question: "What if there ARE salespeople in your market, but you don't have the skill to attract, hire, and train them?" 

She went silent. Then her whole face changed. "Oh my god," she said. "I've been making myself a victim this whole time."

That conversation reminded me of something I learned the hard way in my own journey. For years, I would say things like:

  • "Good talent doesn't exist in this industry."

  • "People don't want to work hard anymore."

  • "My market is too competitive to find good people".

Until Alex called me out one day and said: "Money doesn't discriminate who puts in the work. Neither does talent. It goes to those who have the skills to attract it."

That's when I realized every excuse I made was actually a skill deficit in disguise.

Why This Matters

Here's the brutal truth: When we say "there are no good people" or "the market sucks" or "people don't want to work," we're giving away our power to change the situation.

But when we switch our phrasing to ownership statements, everything changes:

  • "There are no salespeople in my market" → "I don't have the skill to attract and hire salespeople"

  • "My team doesn't listen to me" → "I don't have the skill to communicate effectively"

  • "People keep quitting" → "I don't have the skill to retain talent"

This isn't about being hard on ourselves. It's about taking back control.

Because here's what happens when you make that switch:

  1. You stop being a victim of circumstances.

  2. You identify exactly what skill you need to develop.

  3. You can actually DO something about it.

So HOW do we implement this?

Starting this week, I want all of us to catch ourselves when we're making excuses and reframe them:

  • When you think "This client is impossible" → Ask "What skill do I need to manage difficult clients?"

  • When you think "My team doesn't respect me" → Ask "What behaviors am I exhibiting that don't command respect?"

  • When you think "There's no time to get this done" → Ask "What skill do I need to manage my time better?"

Remember: Every problem in business is a skill problem in disguise. And skills can be learned.

The moment you stop saying "I can't because..." and start saying "I don't have the skill YET," you've already taken the first step toward solving it.

Let's make this our standard. No more victims. Only owners.

Have a powerful week 🙏🏼

Leila

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