@James C Ricketts This is strong bro 👏 And the biggest win here is that you got specific. You now know:• who you help• what result you help them achieve• the timeframe• and why it matters to you That’s clarity. Also, the fact you felt nervous posting it is actually a good sign. It means this matters to you. Now the next step is simple:Don’t stay in planning mode too long. Start thinking:Could you help 1–3 students first?Could you create a simple 6-week framework?Could you document small wins and transformations? One thing I’d also encourage you to think through carefully is:Who exactly do you want to target and who is actually making the buying decision? Because the user is the student, but the buyer may be the parent. That can get a bit tricky. For example, in one of my companies we sell premium skincare for teens and tweens. What I found is:you have to appeal emotionally to the kids (“this is cool”, “this helps me feel confident”), but logically to the parents (“this is safe”, “this is trustworthy”, “this is worth paying for”). And because you can’t really advertise directly to kids outside things like organic content or influencers, especially kid influencers, it becomes a much more expensive and nuanced marketing process. Product costs and marketing can eat into profits quickly. So ask yourself:Do you want to target the GCSE students directly?Or do you want to target worried parents who want their child’s grades and confidence to improve? Or do you want to change your avatar completely? That clarity will really help your positioning and messaging moving forward 👊

@James C Ricketts Brother, this is exactly the kind of conversation and growth I hoped this community would create 👊 And honestly, I think your instincts are right. Personally, I would probably do both:Create a rough 6-week framework BUT treat it as a live document while speaking to real people. Because the danger is building something in isolation for months only to realise people wanted something slightly different. So initially, I’d keep it simple:Week 1 = thisWeek 2 = thisetc. Just focus on:• the outcome• the benefits• the transformation• the biggest problems you solve Then start speaking to parents and validating:• what they’re actually worried about• what grades/problems their child has• what they’ve already tried• what outcome they really want The market will help refine the framework. Also, if you haven’t already done this, I actually created a research prompt you can run through ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity etc (using the research/deep research option) to help flush out:• the biggest pain points• language parents use• fears• desired outcomes• objections• opportunities in the market. (See attached👇) That could really help you get started and refine your positioning further. And the mindset work you mentioned is massive by the way. Most people think business problems are strategy problems when often they’re identity, fear, confidence, or avoidance problems underneath. Also appreciate the words brother ❤️ And I agree — impact, purpose, growth, family, helping people… those things matter deeply. But money matters too. Because without money, it becomes harder to care for your family properly, harder to create freedom, harder to grow, and harder to make a bigger impact in other people’s lives as well. Money by itself isn’t purpose.But used properly, it can support purpose. I hope that helps. Lights out for me😴

@James C Ricketts — quick follow up brother 👊 Haven’t seen you this week so just checking in: Have you written dowm your Business Direction V1.0 yet? Remember — the goal here is not perfection. It’s direction. Most men stop at the clarity stage because they keep refining things internally but never make the vision visible. As I mentioned in the blueprint:“Insight feels powerful. Execution changes your life.” Once you post your Version 1.0, we can move into the next phase properly: • validating the idea • simplifying the path • building around your real-life constraints • and turning the vision into practical 90-day actions Not polished. Just honest. That single action separates thinkers from builders 👊”

@James C Ricketts Ahh brilliant brother 👊 And honestly, that’s the important thing — you finished it. Most people start these kinds of exercises and never complete them because clarity forces you to confront yourself a bit. I’ll check it out properly when I get a moment. Looking forward to seeing the direction you landed on. Hope you, the family, and everything else are doing well too brother

Just to expand on this. Last month one of my businesses was accidentally flagged as fraudulent by Amazon’s AI. Not a competitor. Not a customer complaint. An AI mistake. Even after providing company documents, video interview and proof, it still took a month to unlock the account. A month of: • no sales • no income • frozen payouts from previous sales • ongoing expenses And now it’ll likely take another 2–3 months plus extra ad spend just to recover the lost momentum. This is why I keep saying: As a dad, relying on ONE source of income is dangerous. Doesn’t matter if it’s a job or a business. Systems fail. Companies make mistakes. Markets change. AI gets things wrong. So here’s my 2 cents: Start building survival money. If you can, put away a third of your income. If that’s unrealistic right now, start with £100/month. Automate it. Standing order. Separate account. Non-negotiable. Goal 1: 1 month survival money. Meaning: Enough to keep food on the table, bills paid, and panic low if income stops. Then build: → 3 months → 6 months → 12 months Most dads aren’t stressed because life is hard. They’re stressed because there’s no margin for error. The moral of the story? Security is not your salary. Security is having enough time, savings, skills, and options to survive when life punches you in the face.

@James C Ricketts That’s brilliant James 😂 Honestly, that’s exactly how real change happens — small practical systems that make the right action easier and the wrong action harder. And what’s great is you’re not just relying on motivation anymore. You’re building structure around your behaviour. The phone across the room thing sounds simple, but it’s powerful because you’ve added friction to distraction. Also, the reading-before-scrolling rule is smart. You’re effectively making growth the default before entertainment. Keep stacking those small wins. That’s how momentum compounds over time.

@James C Ricketts Always mate! 👊