It’s All Your Fault

Alan Pentz says you need to face the brutal truth: Everything that happens in your business is your doing.

Good Morning!

Here are today’s highlights:

• The Trump administration shares more information about its plan for reciprocal tariffs.

• Here’s how one owner announced a price hike—with a window of opportunity.

• An executive order has put millions in small business lending at risk.

• The wholesale price of eggs has fallen sharply.

MANAGEMENT

It’s all your fault, says Alan Pentz, and that’s a good thing: “I'm about to tell you something that might piss you off. But it's the most important lesson I learned in 18 years of building a business: Everything in your business is your fault. You either hired it, did it, or allowed it to happen. Harsh? Absolutely. True? One hundred percent. I've coached dozens of business owners, and here's how those conversations often start: ‘My employees just don't take initiative.’ ‘My clients keep asking for discounts.’ ‘My vendor keeps missing deadlines.’ ‘My sales team isn't hitting their numbers.’ Notice the pattern? ‘My’ business, but ‘their’ fault”

• “I used to do the same thing. Blame the client who was ‘too demanding.’ Blame the employee who ‘just doesn't get it.’ Blame the market for being ‘too competitive.’ Meanwhile, my business stayed stuck at $4 million for years.”

• “My breakthrough came when I finally looked in the mirror and asked: ‘What am I doing wrong here?’ Turns out, a lot: I hired people without clear expectations. I took on clients without setting boundaries. I tried to run everything myself instead of building systems. I avoided tough conversations until things blew up. Everything that wasn't working was because of decisions I made or didn't make.”

• “If everything is your fault, that means everything is in your control. And that's power. Think about it: If your employees aren't performing, that's your fault. ... Which means you can fix it by changing your hiring, training, or management practices.” READ MORE