Why is it that two business owners can start in the same place…
Have similar skills…
Face similar markets…
And one wins, while the other stays stuck?
In this episode of The Profit Generator Show, I sat down with Mike Michalowicz (author of Profit First and The Money Habit) to unpack what actually separates winners from the rest.
And no, it’s not talent.
It’s not luck.
And it’s definitely not a silver spoon.
The Learning Loop That’s Killing Your Momentum
One of the biggest traps we see in business is what Mike calls the learning loop.
You’re frustrated.
You’re not getting the results you want.
So what do you do?
You buy another course.
You read another book.
You get another qualification.
You prepare more.
But you don’t launch.
You don’t ask.
You don’t act.
And here’s the uncomfortable truth:
It’s easier to learn than to risk rejection.
The winners?
They launch before they feel ready.
They learn through the burn.
They adjust after action, not before it.
Rejection vs Regret
Mike shared a story about being too afraid to give a girl chocolates in high school.
The fear of rejection stopped him.
But here’s what he realised later:
Rejection hurts.
Regret lasts.
In business, the same rule applies.
You can:
- Ask and hear “no”
- Launch and fail
- Try and get burned
Or…
You can live wondering what would have happened.
Winners choose rejection over regret.
The Identity Shift Most Business Owners Never Make
This part hit hard.
Most business owners still identify as:
- “I’m an accountant.”
- “I’m a builder.”
- “I’m a chef.”
But if you identify as the technician…
You’ll stay stuck in the job.
Mike reframed it powerfully:
Don’t say you are an accountant.
Say you are a shareholder of an accounting firm.
That one shift changes everything.
A technician works in the business.
A shareholder builds the business.
And until you make that identity shift, you’ll stay capped by your own effort.
Fear vs Meaning
When Mike started, he was driven by fear.
Fear of not making money.
Fear of failing.
Fear of not being enough.
Fear can drive you for a season.
But it cannot sustain you.
Eventually, your drive must shift to meaning.
For me, my drive started as proving people wrong.
Now it’s bigger.
It’s about reshaping how business owners think.
It’s about psychology.
It’s about helping entrepreneurs stop suffering in silence.
If your drive is small, you’ll quit.
If your mission is meaningful, you’ll persist.
So… Are Winners Born or Built?
They’re built.
Built through:
- Burn
- Rejection
- Identity shifts
- Systems
- Meaningful missions
Winners aren’t fearless.
They just act before they feel ready.
Final Question for You
Right now…
Are you learning?
Or are you launching?
Are you preparing?
Or are you acting?
Because the line between winners and everyone else isn’t talent.
It’s courage.
If you want help building a business that actually works – financially and structurally – reach out.
And if you haven’t yet, read Profit First.
It might just change how you operate forever.
Mike Michalowicz – Author of Profit First and The Money Habit