The Problem Paradox | Why What You Think Is Wrong Might Actually Be Right

Buckle up my friends.

This one is going to get a bit 'deep' but it's absolutely critical if you want to unlock your business (and life) to the next level.

I've been reflecting a lot lately on this idea of freedom - real freedom, not just the "work from the beach" stuff you see plastered all over social media.

And I kept coming back to one question:

What actually stands in the way of the freedom we're all chasing?

Usually it's the 'problem' or 'problems' that are right in front of us. They eat up our time, drain our energy, fill our head with noise & stop us from being present in the moment.

But here's the thing I've learned through years in the trenches...

What we THINK the problem is? Often it isn't actually the real issue at all.

And because we get so fixated on solving what we THINK is wrong, we can end up spinning our wheels & getting nowhere.

Let me share a recent story that perfectly illustrates this...

When Everything Felt Wrong

Earlier this year, I found myself in a pretty weird spot.

I'd stripped my business down to one core offer before my son Hendrick was born (made sense at the time - new dad, new priorities).

But as 2024 kicked off & I started ramping things back up...something felt off.

Creating content felt like dragging a boulder uphill.

Opening my DMs made my skin crawl.

The business that used to light me up felt heavy & draining.

My brain started spinning through all the logical explanations:

"Maybe I've changed since becoming a dad & just don't love this anymore?"

"Could be trying to ramp up too early?"

"Might just be getting lazy & need to push through?"

I kept grinding away but things only got worse.

Content felt heavier & harder to write.

DMs were absolutely draining (which made no sense - they're not hard & they print money).

And because of all this, I felt completely out of alignment with the business.

The anxiety started building. Even though I was grateful the business had served me well enough that I didn't NEED the money, I don't like sitting on my hands.

Something had to give.

The Light Bulb Moment

April 2024 rolls around & my Grandad's in hospital after his health took a turn.

I'd spent the day up there with him...

Hopped in the car for the drive home, emotionally drained from a heavy day...

And BOOM.

An idea hits me like a ton of bricks.

I get home, grab my laptop & a coffee, perch up on the balcony with the waves crashing in the background & start typing.

30 minutes later, The Academy was born.

What happened next blew my mind:

The excitement to post came flooding back instantly.

I couldn't stay OUT of the DMs.

That old familiar fire was back.

We even went on a short holiday down south around this time & after Hendrick & Liana were asleep each night, I'd sneak down to the hotel lobby & keep building.

Not because I had to.

Because I couldn't help myself.

The Real Problem

Here's where it gets interesting...

When I stopped to reflect on what had actually changed, I realized something huge:

The content was never the problem.

The DMs were never the problem.

I hadn't fallen out of love with the business at all.

The real issue?

I had a massive gap in my offer suite - my only offer was for folks making $10k+/month.

This meant:

• 90% of my audience had no way to work with me

• All that content was reaching people I couldn't help

• DM convos outside that top 10% felt pointless because I had nothing for them

The moment I launched The Academy for folks under $10k/month?

Everything clicked back into place.

Why This Matters For You

This happens way more than you'd think.

Take the most common example I see:

"I need more traffic"

People get obsessed with this idea that more eyeballs = more money.

But dig a bit deeper & usually there's an offer problem hiding underneath:

• Either their offer isn't converting (so more traffic = more wasted time)

• Or they're not putting their offer in front of their existing audience enough

A few tweaks to the offer...

Ramping up how often they actually make offers to their current audience...

And suddenly they're making more money WITHOUT any new traffic.

Then when you add traffic to this? Things go bananas.

How To Spot The Real Problem

Before you try to solve what looks like an obvious problem, pause & ask yourself:

Are you signing clients that make life harder?

Any tough conversations you're avoiding?

Have you outgrown any offers or long-term clients?

Are you overcomplicating things?

Is there a new offer you're itching to launch but holding back on?

Are you still doing stuff you should outsource?

Has your business gotten bloated?

One More Quick Example

In June I relaunched my Facebook Group.

It had been basically dead for 12 months & I thought I knew why:

• The algorithm

• Facebook itself

• Not enough time

• Just over it

Turns out? Wrong again.

I just didn't have a clear plan that fit with how I want to run my business these days.

Spent one afternoon mapping out my new $100k Powerhour strategy to run it all in 60 minutes per week.

Almost instantly:

• Engagement went through the roof

• New members started flowing in

• Clients started landing every week

Another case of fixing the real problem instead of the surface-level stuff.

Here's The Truth

It's rarely as bad as your head makes it out to be.

And the fix is usually simpler than you think.

Sometimes what feels like you need to burn everything down can be solved with a simple Google Doc & new offer (like in my case).

The key is to:

1. Stop when things feel off

2. Question what you think the problem is

3. Look for the gaps you might be missing

4. Make focused changes instead of massive overhauls

Final Thoughts

Business isn't meant to be a constant grind.

When things are clicking, you should feel that excitement in your gut.

That positive anxiety.

That "can't sleep because you want to build" energy.

That "wake up early because you're pumped" vibe.

Let that be your compass. When things really click, that excitement comes rushing back.

That's how you know you've found the real problem & the right solution.

What's got you stuck right now? Before you try to fix it, take a step back.

Are you sure you're solving the right problem?