If you’re starting a business, you’ve probably heard all sorts of advice—some from books, some from so-called “gurus,” and plenty from social media. People love to share their “secrets” to success, but here’s the truth: much of what you’ve been told is misleading, oversimplified, or just plain wrong.

I learned this the hard way. When I first started my journey, I believed a lot of these myths, and they held me back more than they helped. The reality of running a business or being an entrepreneur is nothing like the Instagram highlight reels. It’s not just about motivation, passion, or sacrificing sleep—it’s about understanding what actually works, doing some basic math, and filtering out the noise.

In this post, I’m breaking down five of the biggest business lies that new entrepreneurs fall for. If you can unlearn these now, you’ll save yourself time, money, and frustration. Let’s dive in.

Myth One : Passive Income 

Ah, good ol’ passive income—the dream of making money while you sleep. We’ve all seen the vision that’s been sold to us: moving to the Caribbean, checking your spreadsheets from a tablet while sipping a Bahama Mama. If you’ve spent any time on YouTube, you’ve probably been hit with ads promising the secret to financial freedom through passive income streams.

Now, I’m not here to crush your dreams. Yes, some people do achieve that kind of lifestyle—major investors and high-level entrepreneurs come to mind. But here’s what most new entrepreneurs aren’t being told: getting to that point takes years of work, precise budgeting, and a level of commitment most people underestimate.

Let’s break it down practically. If you want to live solely off passive high income, you likely need a high six- or seven-figure business with a well-oiled system in place—one that requires staffing, responsibilities, and ongoing management. And those YouTube videos that show someone casually glancing at a spreadsheet? Chances are, they have multiple revenue streams, each requiring its own level of oversight (more on that later). Getting there is hard. It takes years—sometimes decades—of grinding, 80-hour workweeks, missed weekends, and sacrificing short-term pleasures to build something sustainable.

And even if you’re making serious money, you’re likely not just sitting back and relaxing. If your business is pulling in that kind of revenue, you probably have a team—and even if you’re not directly managing them, hiring a competent CEO or director to do it for you will cost you six figures alone. That’s not exactly "set it and forget it."

YouTube will sell you on vending machines, franchises, real estate, and drop shipping as easy passive income sources. And while these are real business opportunities, they aren’t as effortless as they’re made to seem. Take vending machines, for example: even if you sell 200 items at $1 each profit, that’s only $200 in revenue. Factor in restocking, maintenance, location rent, and other expenses, and suddenly, it’s clear that this is a business, not a magic ATM. You’d need literally hundreds of them nationwide.

I’m not trying to discourage you—I’m trying to prepare you. Passive income is possible, but only after years of intense, expensive, and strategic effort. The key is to go into it with your eyes open, plan realistically, and focus on building something sustainable rather than chasing a fantasy.

In closing, some of the world’s wealthiest individuals—like Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and even Jeff Bezos during his time at Amazon—still work actively in their businesses. In my opinion, reaching those kinds of numbers almost always requires doing something you’re truly passionate about. And even if you happen to strike gold, chances are you’ll still be deeply involved in the day-to-day operations of your business—because at the end of the day, it’s still your baby.

Myth Two : Investors Will Fund Your Idea

Let me be clear: convincing a stranger to give you their money—especially large sums—is hands down one of the hardest things you’ll ever do. Even with a six-figure business operating across multiple states and a solid team in place, I’ve only successfully raised venture capital twice. It’s tough, and here’s why.

When it comes to venture capital, the reality is that investors are taking a huge risk. They don’t just want their money back; they want massive returns. Here’s how it works: venture capitalists typically fund a portfolio of 10 companies. Of those 10, they expect at least 9 to fail. So, the one that succeeds needs to generate enough return to cover the losses from the others and still make them a significant profit. This is the harsh reality of what it means to get venture capital.

For example, if you’re asking an investor for $200,000, they’re not just hoping to see you break even. They want to know that your business can not only generate a solid return on that $200K but it needs to scale and create the potential to return $2 million—or more. That’s the bar you need to clear.

Unfortunately, many new entrepreneurs believe that getting investment is as simple as creating a flashy pitch deck and presenting it to investors, Shark Tank style. In reality, it’s not nearly that simple. Investors want to see traction. Traction means that you’re already making money before they commit to giving you theirs. If you need capital to build out your idea, well, that’s on you to figure out. It’s a tough pill to swallow, but here’s the truth: venture investment is gas, not the car.

When an investor provides capital, they’re solving an expensive problem for you that’s holding you back—whether it’s scaling your team, increasing marketing efforts, or expanding your infrastructure. They’re not funding your startup from scratch. For example, early on, I couldn’t avoid trade expos to showcase my product, but this ended up holding back my business growth. The reality was I couldn’t afford to splurge $5,000 to $6,000 on traveling to a conference, buying a table, flights, hotels, and all the associated costs. I could probably do that once, but I’d be broke again really soon. So, my pitch to potential investors was this: I need $50,000 to attend 10 trade shows across the country, in addition to purchasing swag and promotional materials. Every customer I secure is worth about $30K in profit. If I could succeed just 20% of the time at these shows, I’d be on track to double my revenue.

Now, this may not be super precise as I’m speaking off the top of my head, but this is the kind of approach you need to take. The key is understanding that the investor's money is a tool to help me scale faster. Yes, I could save and try to do this on my own, but the investor's capital would allow me to capture the market more quickly, ahead of the competition, before they catch up. That’s venture capital in a nutshell: leveraging money to accelerate growth and gain an edge.

Now, I’ll admit, there’s always that 1% who manage to raise venture capital purely on an idea. I’ve done it myself. But to be honest, when I raised funds for SUPIR, while we were just an idea at that point, it had the potential to become a multi-billion-dollar business. The risk was high, but so were the rewards. Furthermore, even if we missed the moon, I could still take the conventional approach and land on a star—which is exactly where the company stands today. So while it’s possible to raise capital with just an idea, it’s rare. And it’s important to remember that if you’re not presenting something with massive upside potential, it’s going to be a tough sell.

Bottom line: Raising venture capital isn’t easy. It takes more than a good pitch. You need traction, a proven model, and the ability to demonstrate that your business can generate a return that justifies the risk. It’s a hard, long road, but if you’ve got the right foundations, it can be done.

Myth 3: You HAVE to be an Entrepreneur

You remember that Dame Dash interview a few years back, I believe it was on The Breakfast Club. The cliff notes version is that everyone should be a business owner, and if you're not, you're less of a person. As ludicrous as that sounds, you'd think he'd be alone in this thinking—but I promise you, you can probably turn on YouTube right now and find a dozen motivational speakers saying the same thing. Own a business, own your time, only employees are poor, and so on.

Let me ask you this: if everyone is an entrepreneur, then who is actually working the jobs? Or in this alternate universe, is everyone a solo-preneur selling to other solo-preneurs? When you really break down this philosophy, you see just how much it doesn’t make sense.

The reality is, not everyone is cut out for entrepreneurship or business ownership. It’s hard, and there are plenty of other ways to make a ton of money without the risk, stress, sacrifice, and downs that come with owning a business.

You all know I love the Bible, right? I truly believe it’s one of the best business books available. In its pages, we learn that God created each of us uniquely, to reflect His glory and the distinct aspects of who He is. He intentionally made us this way so we could rely on each other’s strengths, compensating for our individual weaknesses. It’s a system built for collaboration, where the whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts. From this perspective, I believe everyone should strive to use their God-given gifts to earn a living and contribute to the greater good. But here’s the key: that doesn’t always mean that owning a business is the best way to do that. Sometimes, your gifts might be best utilized in another role—one where you work alongside others, helping a company grow without bearing the weight of entrepreneurship yourself.

For context, let me tell you something personal—I absolutely despise TikTok. I don’t get it, and frankly, I don’t aspire to be a part of it. But here’s the catch: leveraging TikTok could help grow my business. This is where the person who would love nothing more than to get paid to create content on TikTok comes in. They could become a full-fledged content creator, taking on all the stresses and responsibilities that come with it, or they could simply use their talent to work within a pre-existing infrastructure, with a guaranteed paycheck, weekends off, and less stress.

The point here is that business ownership isn’t the only path to success. You don’t have to be an entrepreneur to contribute value to the world or to live a fulfilling, financially stable life. There’s plenty of opportunity in being part of a team or working within a framework that already exists. Not everyone is cut out for the chaos of entrepreneurship, and that’s perfectly okay. God designed us all with different gifts for a reason—what matters is using your unique abilities in a way that aligns with your purpose, whether that means running your own business or contributing in another role.

Myth #4: Entrepreneurship Leads to a Ton of Money

Can I let you in on a little secret? My highest-grossing year as a bus driver still hasn’t been achieved yet in business ownership, and I probably work alot more. The irony, right? We talk all the time about how entrepreneurship is the "path to wealth," but the reality is, in order to generate that sort of money, a lot of things need to go right. You’ve got to build a brand, create systems, hire the right people, deal with taxes, marketing, and, oh yeah, manage your own stress levels.

Here’s another truth: There are plenty of people who own their jobs, and you know what? That’s not a bad thing. The internet will tell you owning a job is the “wrong” path, but that’s not true. Think about truck drivers, real estate agents, freelance artists, musicians, barbers, stylists, advisors, or public speakers. These people own their jobs, and that’s a valuable thing.

Let’s break it down: when you own your job, you’re only responsible for yourself. No big teams, no major overheads, no complicated taxes or government regulations. You can generate enough income to support your lifestyle, which for many, is just what they need to live comfortably. And that’s powerful.

As for the "more money, more stress" thing—yeah, it's a real dynamic. There’s an undeniable pressure that comes with entrepreneurship, especially when you're pushing for scale. You're not just responsible for your income, you're now the manager of your business, your employees, your expenses, and your future growth. More money does come with more stress, and with that, greater responsibility. That’s why so many successful entrepreneurs talk about the importance of balance and knowing what you truly want out of your business and life. It’s not all about making millions. For some, modest but steady income from owning your job may be the ideal lifestyle.

To be totally honest, I know plenty of people who make a great living and are happy as clams—because they’ve found what works for them. They own their job, and they’re in control of their time and their income. They’re not burning out trying to scale something just because “more money equals more success.”

So yes, entrepreneurship can lead to significant wealth, but it’s not always the best path for everyone. Owning your job and making a comfortable living with less stress is just as valuable—and often more fulfilling. In fact, for some, it’s the most rewarding way to earn.

In reality, owning your job can actually be one of the most practical ways to become an entrepreneur. You’re in charge, but you’re only responsible for yourself—not a whole team, not endless overhead, not managing marketing campaigns or juggling investors. You focus on your skills, your work, and the clients or customers you serve. It’s a simple, straightforward model, but it can provide a stable and sustainable income.

Sometimes, the best path to financial freedom isn’t about managing a huge business empire. It’s about using your own talents and working hard to generate income on your terms. And if you’re not into the hustle of running a big company, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with owning your job. It can be just as fulfilling, and in many ways, a smarter, more reliable approach to entrepreneurship.

Myth #5:  “All you need is my _______”

"If you're struggling to achieve business success or passive income, all you need is to subscribe to my website and purchase this $40 E-Book. But hurry—this price won't last long! You need to take action today and make this investment in your business. All your dreams are just one course away!" Sound familiar? It's the classic pitch from an ad promising to unlock the secret weapon that'll help your business grow, catapult you into success, and have you lounging on a beach, sipping drinks while spreadsheets magically fill themselves out.

Let me tell you something: that’s a myth. There is no magical formula, no secret hack, no one-size-fits-all product that will instantly take you from struggling to thriving. Business success isn’t about finding the perfect course, ebook, or "quick fix." These ads are selling you a fantasy. The truth is, business takes a lot of things to go right—and there won’t be one course, one video, one training, or one coach that gets you to where you want to be. The reality is that building a successful business or achieving passive income is a long-term process. It takes years, not months, and certainly not a one-click solution.

I remember hearing a quote a while ago that perfectly captures the essence of this journey: "If you hang in the barbershop long enough, you're eventually going to get a haircut." The point here is that success comes from consistent exposure to the process—showing up every day, learning, failing, adjusting, and then trying again. It’s a cycle of trial and error. Yes, you can use tools to help you along the way, but they aren’t the solution on their own. Even the products being sold to you, including my own offering, are not magic wands. They are tools to help you during your journey, but they are just that—tools.

What gets you from point A to point B is not the latest ebook or course. It’s the work you put in day in and day out, continuously learning, adapting, and taking consistent action. These tools can make the journey smoother, but the real magic comes from perseverance, grit, and the willingness to keep pushing forward even when it’s tough.

Here’s the thing: you’ll need to take countless small steps to build your business. And yes, that means failing sometimes. But those failures are stepping stones to success. They show you what works and what doesn’t. Over time, you learn to refine your approach, and that’s how success is built.

So don’t fall for the pitch that promises overnight success or a shortcut to success. There’s no magic course or product that will get you there faster. But with the right tools, the right mindset, and a lot of persistence, you’ll get to where you want to go—just be prepared to put in the work.

Building a successful business can feel like a lonely road, but it doesn't have to be. Don’t do entrepreneurship alone.

With my Zero to One Plan, you don’t have to navigate the journey by yourself. This plan puts me in the game with you, offering hands-on support to help you scale your business. It’s more than just a product or a service; it’s a partnership. You’ll have access to a real business owner who’s been through the highs and lows of entrepreneurship, offering real advice, actionable suggestions, and guidance that’s tailored specifically to your business needs.

Whether you’re struggling with scaling, managing your team, or just need someone to bounce ideas off of, I’m here to help. The Zero to One Plan connects you with someone who’s been where you are—and is here to make sure you avoid common pitfalls and accelerate your growth.

Let’s make sure you're not just building a business, but building it right. Reach out today, and let’s get started on the path toward real, sustainable success. You don’t have to do this alone—let’s work together to make your entrepreneurial journey a lot more manageable and a lot more rewarding.