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Michel Schefman, 321 Liftoff

Starting a business is exciting and ambiguous – and that’s the fun. It’s a time of possibility, experimentation, imagination, and showing the world what you can do. But, it can also feel slow, frustrating, and full of traps and distractions, leaving potential entrepreneurs to question their self-worth and to wonder why they started in the first place. As a small business coach, I’ll help you cultivate an entrepreneur’s mindset, so you can start and grow your businesses with confidence and step boldly into the role of business owner. Subscribe to get access to weekly tips, small business interviews, and more.

Featured Post

🧪 How Do You Move Work Forward?

We’re teaching our kids to ride their bikes. So far it’s… not going great (or it is going as expected?). There’s a lot of wobbling. A few dramatic and grumpy hops off the bike. Some long pauses where they just sit there with their feet planted on the ground, unwilling to push off again. Sometimes they get overly confident after a few successful pedals. They haven’t made consistent progress yet because the process is uncomfortable. They want to ride. They like the idea of riding. They just...

This week's newsletter comes with an ask for your help – but first... Tell me if this sounds familiar: An idea sparks, but you don’t know how to put it into action. A machine breaks or a customer gets angry – you freak out. A new opportunity pops up – you overthink and hesitate. A surprise shift (inflation, AI, you name it) changes the landscape overnight… again. Now what do I do? This isn’t what I planned. Am I missing something? This is Ambiguity – having no clear path forward; noise &...

I used to worry constantly about being too busy. I never liked to have too many projects at once. I said no – a lot. To meetings, to calls, to opportunities. When my calendar filled up, I felt stressed and overwhelmed. I lived under the assumption that my time was precious and therefore was to be guarded and protected. That last part is still true – to some extent. Your time is precious. You only have this one life. You should be intentional. You should prioritize. But I had overcorrected in...

Happy early Valentine’s Day. Let’s talk about love – specifically, being too in love with your own ideas, perspective, or worldview. I recently finished a massive project. Honestly, it was a real success. The data is stronger, leaders are changing behavior, stakeholders are genuinely happy with the outcome, and… …this was probably my fifth or sixth attempt at doing almost this exact project. Earlier runs at the same problem fizzled out. We struggled to generate buy-in. We missed key...

One of my first jobs out of college was ordering and managing inventory as it moved through a retail supply chain. If you set the system up right, most of the time, the inventory flowed smoothly. But, the output had a lot to do with the input. We had a saying: garbage in, garbage out. Similarly, your work (output) is fueled by what you feed your brain (input). If you aren’t intentional, the algorithm will happily choose for you, keeping you stuck in cycles of outrage, noise, and distraction....

Hi Reader, Running a business means facing daily frustrations: plans fall through, projects drag on, results don’t come fast enough. It’s easy to focus only on what’s missing or not working. I’ve been there plenty of times. I know it sounds cliché, but gratitude offers a different lens on things. It doesn’t erase the challenges, but it helps me reframe them. Gratitude allows me to pause and notice what's working, helping me remember the foundation I'm already standing on. That shift can turn...

Hi Reader, Over the last few years, I’ve experienced periods of extreme productivity as well as my share of creative slumps. Looking back, I’ve noticed clear patterns for when I’m at my best – my most innovative, which is leading me to structure my routines and habits differently. When I read (a lot), I get more ideas and I ask better questions. My brain sparks with wonder and imagination, fueling new insights and experiments. When I focus on what’s within my control – including my response...

Hi Reader, There’s always a gap between where you are and where you want to be. Sometimes it feels like a chasm: How could I possibly get there?! I feel this all the time. I’ve got a long-term vision for where I want my business and career to go. And even on a smaller scale, I have a vision for how I want to show up in the next coaching session or meeting. But when I spend too much energy thinking about the end goal, I get stuck. The distance feels overwhelming and I tend to be overly...

Hi Reader, When you’re building something new and ambitious, feeling fear is natural. It’s that shiver down your spine before stepping onto a stage, or the goosebumps when you hit “publish” for the first time. But fear, like all emotions, is just a signal – it's telling you: this matters, pay attention. A little fear is healthy. It sharpens your senses, like the tense music in a haunted house. Panic, on the other hand, is dangerous. It scrambles your thinking, pushing you to make rash...

Hi Reader, Over the last few years, I’ve experimented with a lot: social media videos, podcasts, this newsletter, different coaching methods, website layouts, lead magnets, digital tools, program designs, in-person events, different taglines on my business cards. Some of it stuck. Some of it flopped. All of it taught me something. There's value in spreading out — exploring widely, experimenting with new ideas, and stretching your belief about what you're capable of creating. Spreading out...