Entrepreneurship Means Fires—Stop Wishing For Calm
I’ve built and sold companies, grown sales fast, and run Hawke Media. People often think that means smooth sailing. It doesn’t. My view is simple: if you’re building something real, you’re always managing fires. That’s not failure. That’s the job.
This hit me hard after a rough day when a partner almost tanked a major deal. I called my dad—an entrepreneur with decades in the game—to vent about how big the damage could be. He listened, then brushed it off with the kind of calm only time teaches.
“Yeah, that happens all the time. Anyways, I gotta go.”
To me, it felt like losing half the business. To him, it was Tuesday. That reset my expectations fast.
The Job Is Solving Problems—Every Day
Entrepreneurship is not about control. It’s about response. You can hire well, plan well, and still get hit: supply chain hiccups, platform changes, trade rules, market shifts, or someone simply dropping the ball. If you’re pushing for growth, something will be on fire.
“Every single day as a business owner, you’re going to be dealing with bullshit or some sort of fire. That’s your job.”
That line runs through my head. If nothing shows up on your desk, you’re not needed. As I like to remind my team, if it wasn’t a problem, it wouldn’t come to you. You can choose steady maintenance—that’s valid. But if you want growth, you’re signing up for constant pressure.
Pressure Is Proof You’re Building
My partner, Tony, and I remind ourselves of this weekly. We don’t chase chaos, but we don’t flinch at it either. During the trade wars with China, I walked into the office thinking about Tim Cook and Apple. The biggest company on earth, and he’s still navigating politics, policy, and risk every day. Not because he messed up—because that’s what leadership looks like at scale.
“Think about Tim Cook and dealing with geopolitical climates as part of your day to day running a business… it just never goes away.”
That example reframed the stress. The goal isn’t to dodge fires. The goal is to build the muscles to handle them.
What To Expect If You’re Actually Building
Here’s how I think about the daily grind of growth.
- Fires are normal. Plan for them. Don’t take them personally.
- Speed beats perfection. Quick, informed action wins over flawless plans that arrive too late.
- Calm is a skill. Your reaction sets the tone for everyone else.
- Boundaries matter. Push hard, but don’t burn out. You need energy for the next hit.
- Make it a system. Build playbooks so repeating fires become routine, not crises.
These principles don’t make problems disappear. They make them manageable.
Counterpoint And Why It Falls Short
Some argue that a great operator can “design out” most issues. Sure, you can reduce them with smart processes and strong leaders. But reality doesn’t care about your org chart. External shocks, human error, and fast markets will keep coming. Operational excellence cuts the noise; it doesn’t erase uncertainty.
Reframe The Game
Once I accepted that unplanned problems are the point, I stopped wasting energy wishing for calm. I started grading myself on how fast I spot issues, how cleanly I move through them, and how well my team learns from each one. That shift turned dread into fuel.
So here’s my stance: if you want growth, stop chasing a day with no problems—chase being the person who can handle them. That’s where confidence comes from. That’s how companies scale.
Action You Can Take This Week
Don’t wait for the next fire to practice. Build the habit now.
- List the top three recurring problems you face.
- Write a one-page playbook for each: owner, steps, timeline.
- Run a drill with your team. Time it. Improve it.
- Set a rule: problems escalate fast, not late.
- Post this on your wall: “If it wasn’t a problem, it wouldn’t come to me.”
You didn’t sign up for easy. You signed up to build. Act like it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How do I stop feeling overwhelmed by constant issues?
Adopt a triage mindset: sort by impact and speed, act on the top item, and ignore the rest until it’s their turn. One clear move at a time beats panic.
Q: What’s the first system I should build?
Start with an escalation process. Define who owns what, decision deadlines, and communication channels. Fast routing prevents small sparks from becoming full fires.
Q: How do I keep my team calm during chaos?
Model it. Speak plainly, set short time windows, and share the plan. Confidence is contagious, and so is fear. Leaders teach by tone as much as by tactics.
Q: Can a company grow without constant pressure?
You can stabilize and maintain. Growth, though, creates stress by design—new markets, new systems, new people. Expect pressure and build capacity to handle it.
Q: How do I know when to push versus pause?
Use a simple check: Is the next move likely to break cash flow, quality, or trust? If yes, slow down and fix the weak link, then push again with intent.
