“If I slow down, I’ll lose my edge.” — Every Founder I Talk To
The Fear of Slowing Down
I have a lot of conversations with founders who are proud of their capacity to work hard, to grind, to do as many things in a day as possible, to be a hero.
When I point out that their pace is unsustainable, they agree. But they confess they have no idea how to slow down, and frankly, they aren’t sure they want to.
To them, the grind isn’t a cost, it’s a benefit.
You tell yourself the long hours, the intensity, the constant motion are what got you here. You push through the health scares, the strain at home, the gnawing sense that life’s passing by, that you’ll miss your children growing up. You convince yourself it’s necessary, that you’re doing it “for them.” Because the work feels important and urgent and you’re terrified you’ll miss your moment.
You hope all that grind will be worth it, and that you can fix everything you break once you hit your goal. Even if that’s after a decade or two.
But what if the very thing you’re afraid of losing is the thing that’s waiting to emerge?
What Your Edge Really Is
Most high performers mistake their edge for their speed.
They think:
- My ability to grind makes me different.
- My stamina is what keeps me ahead.
- I have to capitalize on this moment or I will lose it forever.
If your idea requires you to be first, it’s not a very sustainable idea.
If your edge relies on going faster than everyone else, it’s not an edge—it’s a coping mechanism.
Your real edge is your perspective.
It’s the unique mix of experience, insight, and values that no one else has. Your edge doesn’t come from pushing harder; it comes from getting still enough to hear your own voice.
The Secret No One Tells You
Slowing down doesn’t dull your ambition—it sharpens your aim.
When you stop running on adrenaline, the noise in your system fades. You start hearing a quieter signal: guidance, intuition, insight. The work that comes from that place isn’t just more sustainable—it’s unmistakably yours.
You become what I call an N of one—impossible to replicate, incomparable in the market. Building unique, sustainable things that no one can compete with. I’ve seen this in personalized industries like private air travel and health care, but I’ve also seen it in roofing, in construction, and even employee benefits administration.
How to Claim Your True Edge
You don’t need to meditate for an hour a day or escape to a retreat. Start with one minute of quiet—
- Use a binaural beats app or playlist to drop into stillness faster. (Training wheels for the meditative state!)
- Go for a run or even a walk in the park.
- See what’s humming beneath the noise—a feeling, an image, a knowing.
- Act on one small piece of that guidance each day.
Embrace what you find, even if, especially if, it makes no logical sense. This isn’t about huge leaps. It’s about slowly building trust in yourself, and those around you, for the sake of a bigger vision.
A vision that will be more and more deeply your own.
What You’ll Discover
When you slow down, you’ll see how much of your old drive was about proving something—to your parents, your past, or the mirror.
You’ll see your need to be enough in full force. And you’ll see it’s been running the show.
That insight is the beginning of freedom.
Freedom from the stories you keep telling yourself. The disastrous futures you make up at 4 in the morning.
You’ll start creating not from fear, but from freedom. Not only freedom from that stress, but freedom TO finally speak and be your truth. To step into your unique vision and create something from the sense of purpose that emerges.
When you can create anything, not just the thing you think will make others happy.
When you that, you customers find you. Your employees find you.
Because had the courage to show them the real you.
Want to Take This Deeper?
I’m creating a tool to help founders get unstuck from the daily grind. To start to get back to themselves while making decisions faster then ever.
Want a copy? Comment “Pick Now” and I will send you a copy when it’s ready.