In this week’s episode of The Accidental Business Owner Podcast, I take you behind the scenes of a real client journey from 10 years ago — one that completely transformed the way I teach business owners to make decisions. It’s the story of how saying “no” to a big, exciting opportunity ultimately enabled my client to sell their business for a significant profit down the line.

🔥 In this episode, I break down:

📊 1. Why Data Beats Emotion Every Time

❌ 2. The Power of Saying No

🚧 3. Growth Pitfalls Most Entrepreneurs Miss

🧪 4. Why Testing & Validation Are Non‑Negotiable

At the time, the opportunity looked incredible on the surface. Most entrepreneurs would have jumped on it immediately. But instead of reacting emotionally, we slowed everything down and dug into the data using my #ADDAZERO methodology. What we uncovered changed everything — and prevented them from walking straight into a decision that would have stunted their growth, drained their resources, and tied them more deeply to the business they were trying to scale.

This episode is all about the kind of decision‑making most business owners think they’re doing… but rarely are.

I share how using evidence, trends, and validation helped my client see the long‑term implications of their decision — not just the shiny short‑term potential.

Good opportunities are everywhere. The right ones are rare. I talk about why learning to say no is one of the most profitable skills in business.

From founder dependency to resource stretch to operational chaos, I highlight common blind spots that kill momentum.

Before committing to any major opportunity, you need clarity on risk, reward, and downstream impact. I walk you through how I help clients stress‑test decisions, so they don’t end up firefighting later.

After working with hundreds of business owners and analysing more than 150 business failures, I’ve seen one pattern repeat again and again:
Businesses rarely fail because of one huge mistake; they fail because of dozens of untested “good ideas” that slowly drag the business off‑course.

This episode gives you the tools to stop that from happening to you.

If you’ve ever found yourself overwhelmed with opportunities, unsure whether to say yes or no, or worried you might make the wrong call, this story will give you the clarity and confidence to decide with intention, not emotion.

👉 Take the free Business Freedom Assessment
https://www.mytruenorth.biz/work-with-me/

👉 Learn more about the #ADDAZERO methodology
https://www.mytruenorth.biz

👉 Subscribe for new episodes every week
https://www.youtube.com/@MyTrueNORTHUK

In this episode of The Accidental Business Owner Podcast, Jay Allen from My True North breaks down why constantly fixing other people’s problems can quietly kill your business — and why being a little more selfish is sometimes the smartest move you can make.Jay shares real-world insights from the wide range of businesses he works with every day, all facing the same trap: putting clients, staff, and “urgent issues” ahead of their own growth, structure, and long-term goals.You’ll hear:Why business owners fall into the problem-solver roleHow saying yes to everything limits revenue and scalabilityWhy passion matters more than hustleWho Jay won’t work with — and why that mattersHow My True North helps businesses grow to 6 & 7-figure turnoverWhen it’s time to build for growth — and when it’s time to plan an exit strategyIf you’re running a business you care deeply about but feel stuck doing things you were never trained to do, this episode will challenge how you think about leadership, boundaries, and growth.🎧 Listen now and stop being everyone else’s solution at the expense of your own success.Please visit my website to get more information: http://www.mytruenorth.biz/ ✨ Check out the ADDAZERO Free Scaleup audit report here: http://www.addazero.co.uk/free-scale-audit🔔𝐃𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐮𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬.https://www.youtube.com/@MyTrueNORTHUK/?sub_confirmation=1 ⭐⭐⭐Audio Podcast is currently on your favourite platforms:Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/6DUyVgA3TjsQmyjgP4CInG?si=1ac052c8ef7a42df ApplePodcast:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/addazero-business-challenge/id1808888157Podbean:https://www.podbean.com/podcast-detail/a8c28-1c5065/%23ADDAZERO-Business-Challenge-Podcast🔗 Stay Connected With Me.Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MyTrueNORTHUK/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mytruenorthuk/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayallen-mytruenorth/ Website: http://www.mytruenorth.biz/ 📩 For business inquiries: Enquiries@MyTrueNORTH.Biz =============================✅ About My TrueNORTH - The Ethical Coaching Company.Welcome to My TrueNORTH – The Ethical Coaching Company! I’m Jay Allen, a 2x Global Entrepreneur Award winner and former British Army medic turned business scale mentor. After leading change at the board level and scaling & exiting multiple businesses, I now help business owners grow sustainably and ethically. Through My TrueNORTH, I coach purpose-driven entrepreneurs to scale with integrity and clarity. I also founded the #ADDAZERO Business Challenge with a bold goal: to help 1,000,000 business owners add a zero to their income. Join me for real, ethical growth strategies that make a lasting impact.For Business inquiries, please use the contact information below:📩 Email: Enquiries@MyTrueNORTH.Biz🔔 Ready to scale ethically and sustainably? Subscribe for ethical business mentoring, expert business coaching, growth strategies, and the tools to grow your business!https://www.youtube.com/@MyTrueNORTHUK/?sub_confirmation=1 =================================#AccidentalBusinessOwner#BusinessOwnerLife#EntrepreneurMindset#SmallBusinessTips#BusinessGrowth#ScalingABusiness#BusinessCoaching#LeadershipInBusiness#StopPeoplePleasing#ProblemSolverTrap#WorkOnYourBusiness#6FigureBusiness#7FigureBusiness#ExitStrategy#BusinessPodcast#EntrepreneurPodcast#MyTrueNorth#JayAllen#BusinessBoundaries#BuildToExit

Step into Episode 109 of The Accidental Business Owner Podcast as Jay Allen shares a powerful mindset shift that can transform how you navigate your business. Jay breaks down the practice of projecting yourself one year into the future and looking back at your business from that vantage point. This forward-focused, retrospective view cuts through stress, reframes challenges, and gives you the clarity you’ve been craving.He opens up about how this approach helped him shake off the lingering weight of COVID setbacks, budget failures, and years of frustration, allowing him to see his business with fresh energy and renewed optimism. Instead of carrying the past, he uses the future to guide his next steps—bringing a clearer head, stronger confidence, and a genuinely positive outlook for the year ahead.Jay challenges every business owner to try it: shift your perspective, gain mental breathing room, and rediscover what’s possible when you stop staring at the struggle and start learning from the future.If you’re ready for a mental reset, strategic clarity, and a motivational boost, this episode is exactly what you need.Please visit my website to get more information: http://www.mytruenorth.biz/ ✨ Check out the ADDAZERO Free Scaleup audit report here: http://www.addazero.co.uk/free-scale-audit🔔𝐃𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐮𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬.https://www.youtube.com/@MyTrueNORTHUK/?sub_confirmation=1 ⭐⭐⭐Audio Podcast is currently on your favourite platforms:Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/6DUyVgA3TjsQmyjgP4CInG?si=1ac052c8ef7a42df ApplePodcast:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/addazero-business-challenge/id1808888157Podbean:https://www.podbean.com/podcast-detail/a8c28-1c5065/%23ADDAZERO-Business-Challenge-Podcast🔗 Stay Connected With Me.Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MyTrueNORTHUK/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mytruenorthuk/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayallen-mytruenorth/ Website: http://www.mytruenorth.biz/ 📩 For business inquiries: Enquiries@MyTrueNORTH.Biz =============================✅ About My TrueNORTH - The Ethical Coaching Company.Welcome to My TrueNORTH – The Ethical Coaching Company! I’m Jay Allen, a 2x Global Entrepreneur Award winner and former British Army medic turned business scale mentor. After leading change at the board level and scaling & exiting multiple businesses, I now help business owners grow sustainably and ethically. Through My TrueNORTH, I coach purpose-driven entrepreneurs to scale with integrity and clarity. I also founded the #ADDAZERO Business Challenge with a bold goal: to help 1,000,000 business owners add a zero to their income. Join me for real, ethical growth strategies that make a lasting impact.For Business inquiries, please use the contact information below:📩 Email: Enquiries@MyTrueNORTH.Biz🔔 Ready to scale ethically and sustainably? Subscribe for ethical business mentoring, expert business coaching, growth strategies, and the tools to grow your business!https://www.youtube.com/@MyTrueNORTHUK/?sub_confirmation=1 =================================#AccidentalBusinessOwner#JayAllen#BusinessMindset#FutureSelfPerspective#BusinessClarity#EntrepreneurLife#SmallBusinessTips#MindsetShift#BusinessGrowth#EntrepreneurMindset#PositiveThinking#BusinessMotivation#OvercomingChallenges#PostCovidBusiness#BusinessStrategy#ThinkAhead#PerspectiveShift#ClarityAndFocus#BusinessInspiration#LeadershipMindset