👇 TL;DR: This Week in The Digital CEO Weekly👇
✅ Thinking differently is what separates the successful entrepreneur from the average person – and one of the BIGGEST distinctions is how they think about money.
âś… Stop focusing on making money. Start building a machine that makes money, then use that money to build wealth that lasts.
âś… 2 conversations you need to hear if you're serious about transforming your wealth in 2026
From the Desk of James Wedmore:
It doesn’t take long to recognize that the way successful entrepreneurs and business owners think is WILDLY different from the public at large.
That’s not to say one group is “smarter”... this has nothing to do with IQ! Or that one group is inherently “better”... no!
...but there is something to be said about “workability.” As in... creating a LIFE that works.
We all go through hard times (that IS a part of life), but if your ENTIRE life has been hard, then you’re missing something... and that's not to be rude, presumptuous or judgemental... quite the opposite!
You're not "dumb" or "broken" or doomed to a life of misery... NO! It’s an opportunity right now to see that the shift in just one thought... one idea... could radically transform your life.
As simple as going from "why do I always...[fill in the blank]" or "when will I ever..."
To: "What if I could..." or "what would it be like to..."
I know this to be true, because I’ve lived it. I AM the proof of that.
I worked on several FAILED businesses for over 4 years straight, didn't make a dime, went into debt and had to move back in with mom and dad.
I hit a bottom... several actually. And it all changed with one single offer that generated over $400k in sales. BOOM! My life went from broke and destitute to success in just 8 months time. That's how fast something can change.
It’s also why I say, “how you see ANYTHING determines what is possible."
And today, we're gonna talk about MONEY and BUSINESS... because I think that the “average person” is thinking about BOTH ALL WRONG.
People think money is the answer. IT IS NOT.
People CHASE money, and make it the most important thing. Again. IT IS NOT.
...and that’s not to say “be broke, be happy.”
NO, I'm still saying be as wealthy and abundant AF! (which is why I'm telling you to stop making money your target!)
If you FOCUS on money, your focus becomes "how do I make it?! How do I make it!?"
Win the lottery? Get a job? Rob a bank?
Why isn't your attention on, "what problem can I solve?", "What is missing in the marketplace?", "How can I help more people and solve bigger problems?"
Changes the conversation, doesn't it?
You see, the most successful people I know aren’t chasing money (that’s what commoners do). Instead, they build MACHINES.
They have machines that produce leads...
Machines that produce sales...
Machines that produce RESULTS and SOLVE PROBLEMS for their clients...
AND (here's where it gets REALLY fun!) machines that create WEALTH. (i.e. get your moola to make you more moola!)
THAT is how successful entreprenuers think... and act.
If you stick with me, this will be paradigm shifting...
Because, YOU are not a machine. A machine is something that has an input and an output. A machine assumes LEVERAGE. Put one thing in... TWO things come out. It insinuates efficiency, optimization, scalability.
...you are not those things. YOU need rest. YOU are limited by time (you can only be in one place at a time). THIS is why so many entreprenuers burn the F out. They don't think in terms of "machine-building" or leverage. They think like an employee.
"Work harder!"
"Do it yourself."
Ok... how sustainable is that?
This is why I am saying STOP making "making money" the GOAL. If it is, you will constantly do short-termed, nearsighted activities to “make money now” at the expense of your brand, your growth and true wealth.
...and you never BUILD the machine. YOU become the machine. The only cog in the wheel, driven by coffee and motivational videos.
Plus, this puts you on the endless hamster wheel of looking under every rock and stone for where you can make more money next month and the month after that.
If this is making sense, let me tell you WHY it's so hard for so many entrepreneurs to actually think and operate this way.
It comes down to short-term vs long-term thinking. PERIOD.
Most people need money NOW. So they do something now to get a little bit. Cool! But they didn't see their opportunity cost. What it's costing them to say "yes!" to these little activities.
Successful Entrepreneurs are VISIONARIES. They build stuff today for the next 3 to 5 years. They delay the instant gratification for the long term expansion.
Here's a fun little example of this:
In 2020, all my friends made fun of me for playing "handyman" as I fixed up properties in Sedona. I was painting, building out bathrooms and remodeling kitchens.
"Did you hang up the digital business to become a sub contractor!?"
Ha. Ha. For a full year I refurbished and remodeled a small fleet of homes. It was a lot of time and money... and some tears, probably some tears in there.
Then, one day, I had four Short-Term Rental properties all paying 3-6x multiples on their respective mortgages. And a team and software in place that allowed me to be 100% hands off.
People couldn't see my long term vision... only I could.
Which brings me to the MOST important MACHINE of all: the one that gets your money to make you more money!
Simply put: The most successful entrepreneurs I know don’t focus on making money, they focus on building a MACHINE that makes money...
...then, they use that money to create wealth.
So, what I'm getting at is this: it’s not the entrepreneur with the biggest sales quarter that wins... or the biggest launch.
But rather it’s the entrepreneur with the most staying-power... longevity... AND...
It’s what you DO with that money... That. Is. Everything.
Therefore “making money” is not the answer. But creating Sustainable Cash Machines and Wealth Machines are.
Which means, when your business does start taking off, don't do dumb shit (like I did!) and buy a bunch of random stuff you don’t need just to signal to others you are rich.
Big deal. What will you do with that money?
Is this making sense?
Let’s run a simple scenario.
Let’s say you have a business machine that generates $500,000/year in revenue right now. And you have a 50% profit margin. If you grew 30% year over year, and put 20% of that money away, and had an average return of 12% on that money...
In 10 years, you wouldn’t just have a business that generates MULTIPLE millions in revenue... but you ALSO would have turned $$$ into almost $3M.
This is what my good friend Mel Abraham teaches and preaches from the rooftops. I heard the message. I made the changes, and it's changed my life.
And we JUST recorded a little call of ourselves discussing market updates, economic changes, and what we as "Wealth Builders" should be looking at as we go into 2026.
Have a listen to this important conversation here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RaI4AT5rfRY
This Week on The Mind Your Business Podcast
How to Transform Your Relationship with Money with Kate Northrup
Speaking of money... you simply can't build a thriving business if your relationship with money is working against you. And the truth is, we all carry money stories – old patterns, beliefs, and inherited narratives that have wired our nervous system and silently shape every financial decision we make.
In today's episode, I'm joined by the brilliant Kate Northrup (who you'll also see on stage at BBD Live this year!) for a powerful conversation on healing money trauma, reshaping your financial identity, and transforming the way you attract money – so it flows in with more ease, alignment, and consistency.
If you're serious about expanding your income and stepping into a new level of abundance in 2026, you can't just look at your "business problems." You have to look at you. And this episode shows you exactly where to start.
🎧 Listen To The Episode Here
