One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned in business is this: I used to build everything based only on my own ideas. I would sit down, come up with a concept, and truly believe that because I thought it was great, the world needed it. I trusted my thoughts, my feelings, and my vision completely. Products were designed how I wanted, packaged how I liked, and put it out there, expecting it to sell. But I was missing the most important piece: I never studied the market. I didn’t understand the customer. Taking Chicken to the Fish Market It sounds strange, but that’s exactly what I was doing. Picture this: You go to a fish market. People are there because they’re hungry. They came to buy fish. But I showed up with chicken. I stood there trying to sell chicken to people who clearly wanted fish. Then I’d wonder, “Why isn’t anyone buying? They’re hungry. They have money. What’s the problem?” It didn’t make sense. I wasn’t targeted. I wasn’t listening, I was trying to sell to everyone, forcing my offer on people instead of giving them what they were already looking for. And honestly, that’s the most exhausting way to run a business. When you try to force something that doesn’t fit, everything feels heavy. You work harder but get worse results. You end up drained, wondering why it’s so difficult when the truth is simple. You’re selling the wrong thing, to the wrong people, in the wrong place. The Ego Trap: “My Way or the Highway” At the root of it all was ego. The mindset was: “This is my idea. This is my vision. This is what’s best.” I see this mistake all the time. People get caught up in being the “boss.” They want to be the one with all the