Agency quoted $18k for a workflow they said "requires custom development." Built it in 7 minutes. Zero code. THE SETUP Client: "Need approval routing based on invoice amount" Agency response: "Requires custom backend logic" "Need database for approval rules" "API integration necessary" Quote: $18,000 Timeline: 6 weeks Client: "For approval routing?" Agency: "Complex conditional logic" THE CALL Client: "They said it needs developers" Me: "What does it need to do?" Client explains: - Invoice under $500: Auto-approve - $500-$5k: Manager approval - Over $5k: Director approval - Send notifications - Log decisions Me: "That's 3 conditions" Client: "They said it's complex" Me: "Give me 5 minutes" THE BUILD Opened Skada.ai Described the workflow. Generated in 4 minutes. Tested with sample invoices: - $200: Auto-approved ✓ - $2,000: Routed to manager ✓ - $8,000: Routed to director ✓ Total time: 7 minutes. Client: "That's it?" Me: "Want to see it process a real invoice?" THE TEST Client submits actual invoice for $3,400. Workflow triggers. Routes to manager. Manager gets Slack notification. Approves. System updates. Accounting notified. Works perfectly. Client: "The agency wanted 6 weeks for this" THE COMPARISON Agency plan: - Week 1-2: Requirements and architecture - Week 3-4: Development - Week 5: Testing - Week 6: Deployment - Cost: $18,000 My delivery: - Minute 1-3: Requirements - Minute 4-7: Build and test - Cost: $2,400 THE AGENCY'S RESPONSE Client: "We found another solution" Agency: "It won't be production-ready" Client: "Been running for 2 weeks" Agency: "What about edge cases?" Client: "Handled 247 invoices, zero issues" THE PATTERN Counted 9 similar cases last month. "Needs custom code" really means: - Needs IF statements (apparently "complex") - Needs data lookup (apparently "requires database") - Needs notifications (apparently "API integration") Average agency quote: $16,400 Average my build time: 8 minutes Average my cost: $2,800 CURRENT RECORD

Sometimes in life you get what you want. Other times… you get what you need to grow into the person who can actually handle it. Most people see that as failure. They think the delay means they’re not ready, or the setback means they’re off track. But after doing this for decades, I can tell you...those “setbacks” are often the reps that build your strength. The lesson you’re learning right now may feel inconvenient, even unfair. But it’s actually preparing you to carry the success without crumbling when you get it. The truth is this: wanting it isn’t enough. You’ve gotta become someone who can sustain it. And that happens in the uncomfortable seasons...not the easy ones. Confidence comes from showing up again after you stumble. Clarity comes after the messy attempts, not before them. The struggle builds capacity if you let it. So no...you’re not behind. You’re being conditioned. You’re being shaped into the person who will not just reach the goal… but hold it, grow it, and lead with it. If you stop looking at this moment as proof you’re failing and start seeing it as the phase that’s building your foundation, everything changes. Because the people who learn in the struggle become the ones who are unstoppable when the opportunity arrives.

Within the SAME chatgpt/claude/deepseek conversation, run these prompts in this exact order: Prompt #1: Based on everything you know about me, what is the fastest way for me to make <INCOME GOAL>? Limit to 1 offer and 1 channel. Prompt #2: Who is the #1 person I should learn from to succeed? Prompt #3: Pretend you are that person. Create a simple 90-day action plan that needs <$1,000 upfront and has a 95% chance of success. List the top 3 risks.

I’m disappointed by how the $1 VIP offer was presented. It was framed as charitable access, yet my card was later charged for a monthly community membership I did not knowingly agree to or want. The event itself offered very little substance and felt designed to tease people into paid programs. For a brand built on empowerment, this lack of clear disclosure feels misaligned with the values being promoted. Transparency matters, especially when people are showing up in good faith.