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Sam Vander Wielen

Why waiting for perfect is ruining your business


🌶️ A Spicy Deal

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Scoop up my Late Payment Email Template that shows you what to say, when and what not to do to accidentally waive your rights. Get paid and avoid legal hot water? Yes and yes.

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Will Things Ever Be "Perfect Enough"?

🤬 UGH, I wanted to slam my tennis racket McEnroe-style at my lesson this morning...

The clay courts were so dry from a bad combo of heat and a lack of rain.

I'd line up like Serena (in my head), but then boom! The ball would either barely bounce or take a hard left/right.

"I can't hit the ball! It's not bouncing right today!" I yelled to my coach, Paul.

"We adjust to the conditions given to us. We don't wait for the conditions to be right for us to show up."

Damn. Paul served me up the truth I needed to hear.

The courts not being in the "right" condition "for me" today could've been my excuse for why I hit all these balls ^^ into the net today.

But that's not how we do things around here.

I've built and maintained a multi 7-figure business 5 years in row through countless personal and business challenges.

I haven't made excuses for them -- I pivoted and showed up how I could.

When my Dad was diagnosed with leukemia and I became his caregiver, or I had brain surgery, or when my Mom was killed just 1 year after my Dad passed... I learned how to create more evergreen content to bring in consistent leads so I didn't have to rely on daily IG stories anymore.

When my launches flopped, or I wanted to throw my phone in the ocean if the algorithm changed again, or copycats stole my website/content/branding for the umpteenth time... I've innovated and come up with a new strategy.

I haven't waited for the (business) ball to come to me. By now, I'm attune to where it's headed and I'm already changing to meet it where it's going.

Anyone of my rough patches would've been reason to give up. "Enough!" I could've said, "this is why I can't build my business/put my program out there/show up on social."

But that's not the reality of building a business online.

Loads of things are outside our control (ie, algorithms, AI, law changes, etc.).

If you enter each day thinking things need to be perfect for you to show up, perform well, or be successful.... your business won't last long (if it ever takes off).

So when it feels like imperfect-for-you court conditions are the only thing standing between you and being Serena.... adjust. And hit the sh*t out of the ball anyway.

That's what I'll be doing.

You've got this.

PS. Hit "reply" and let me know if this inspired today. I want to hear from you, Reader. This is a 2-way street 😉

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When you’re ready, here’s how I can help:

💌 Get my free Legal Guide [Free] - A step-by-step legal guide that teaches you how to start and legally protect an online business without accidentally breaking any laws.

📝 Shop my DIY Legal Templates [Starting at $47] - Get your lawyer-drafted contracts and website policies done in 15 minutes or less with my fill-in-the-blank templates.

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📚 Read my Book - [$30 where ever books are sold] This isn’t just another business book. When I Start My Business, I’ll Be Happy is your no-nonsense guide to build and grow your online business. I teach you my fluff-free proven marketing strategies, funnel tactics, and email list-building tips that actually work. Whether you're just starting out or looking to level up, this book gives you the roadmap to success.

💬 SUBSCRIBER QUESTION OF THE WEEK

"Why do you form a DBA?"

Imagine walking up to a Target store, and instead of seeing this:

You saw this instead...🤔

Because that's what Target would need to have if they didn't have a d/b/a of "Target."

A "dba" -- which stands for "doing business as" -- is a way to register a business name you want to go by in your marketing, branding, labels etc. that's different than your "officially registered" name.

So while Target's "official" name is actually Target Brands, Inc. they registered a "dba" with their state (MN, in their case) to be able to market themselves as Target instead.

That way, they have a legal way to tie themselves back to their corporate name -- which gives them the legal protection they're entitled to from it.

PS. Do you love my legal Q&As? Then submit one! ⤵️

Got a legal question? Submit yours here →

🎙️ PODCAST EPISODE OF THE WEEK

☀️ Real Talk: I Need a Bit of a Reset [Introducing: Summer Series]

You know you're "supposed to" put out this or that type of content... but you just want to do something fun that doesn't feel so strategic...

You feel so much pressure to do content a certain way that it's zapped the joy out of why you got into this in the first place.

I feel that in my soul right now.

That's why I decided to kick off a Summer Series on my podcast, On Your Terms®.

Each Summer Series episode will be 5-15 mins of a:

  • business lesson I learned recently and how I'm implementing it in my 7-figure business
  • hot take on what role I really think social media should have in your business
  • honest chat about something I'm struggling with in business right now.

🎧 Listen to the first Summer Series episode→ ☀️ Real Talk: I Need a Bit of a Reset [Introducing: Summer Series]

🔗 Links You'll Love

🥤 This lady chose violence when she sued my beloved Poppi soda, claiming their "healthy gut" branding is misleading. Lady, pick a less delicious company, please.

💰 It's getting harder for creators to earn money on social apps. This article details the journey of several creators who benefited from programs put in place during the pandemic, which the apps have since canceled or significantly changed.

(PS. The mean, judgmental comments section on this article ^ are a huge part of why I wrote my book, When I Start My Business, I'll Be Happy: A Practical, No-BS Guide to Successful Online Entrepreneurship. It's clear that people don't understand how hard it is to be a creator, put content out there, or try to build a business online.)

🗞️ The Latest Online Business News

👩🏻‍⚖️ THE CHANGE: The Supreme Court ruled in the Government's favor to be able to regulate misinformation on social media platforms.

👀 WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU: don't post misinformation on social media. Not only do most platforms have rules against it, but now the government can regulate their removal of it.

✔️ Finally, Your Task This Week

Take everything off of your desk or work surface, wipe it down, and put back only what you need (and what makes you happy!). Bonus points if you can add a fresh flower or plant.

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Sam Vander Wielen

My weekly emails are half “how not to break online biz laws.” And half “marketing that actually works.” If you’re interested in growing (not just a legally sound online business), but one that sustains you for YEARS to come by focusing less on trends and more on sustainable strategies that work while you're not — join 46,000+ others who love having me in their inbox each week:

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