Never say never.
Or a minute of trials.
The other day, while reflecting on entrepreneurial risks and my own transformation over the past three years—from running a large IT outsourcing company to becoming a solopreneur and business consultant—I caught myself constantly repeating Charles Dickens’ famous words: "Never say 'never'".
Life loves throwing curveballs at us, proving it really couldn’t care less about our arrogant certainty.
I remember back in school, despite getting top grades for my essays, I used to say in frustration:
"I will never be a writer!"
Well, turns out… Reality had other plans.
At different stages of my business journey, I found myself writing:
- Client emails.
- Commercial proposals.
- The company’s annual corporate book.
Every single time, it was stressful.
I would put it off until the last possible moment.
So when I finally got the chance to delegate it all to marketers and copywriters, I breathed a sigh of relief.
They even wrote “my” social media posts.
And yet… here I am. Writing.
By myself.
Again.
Yes, it’s partly out of necessity.
Yes, I still wrestle with self-doubt.
Yes, imposter syndrome sometimes hits hard.
Yes, re-reading my own writing can be painfully cringe-worthy.
But little by little, I’m starting to enjoy it.
Somewhere, somehow, things are beginning to click.
And when someone says "thank you" for what I’ve written, I realize—it’s not so bad after all.
Writing Is a Critical Skill
Even in the age of TikTok and YouTube, the ability to structure thoughts into text remains essential.
Especially for entrepreneurs.
Even more so for business consultants.
The ability to clearly communicate ideas, knowledge, and experience directly impacts income.
Diving deeper into the craft of writing reveals endless nuances.
You start to see that writing comes in many forms:
- Journalistic, marketing, sales-driven, or inspirational.
- Complex or simple.
- Short or long.
Each has its own purpose and unique power.
And that opens up limitless opportunities for self-expression and growth.
Never Say "Never"
- That you’ll never quit.
- That you’ll never betray.
- That you’ll never do that.
- That you’ll never stumble.
- That this will never happen to you.
- That you’ll never make the wrong choice.
- That you’ll never face your own weakness.
Never say "never."
- That you’ll never succeed.
- That you’ll never achieve it.
- That you’ll never be capable.
- That things will never get better.
- That you’ll never make it through.
Life offers no absolute guarantees.
I Never Thought I’d Be Happier After Letting Go of My "Successful" Business
When I built my company—first a small design agency, then a full-scale IT firm—I was convinced it was for life.
I celebrated every milestone, welcomed new employees, built departments, refined processes, and delegated.
I loved watching the company grow, become stronger, wealthier.
I was proud of it.
But I never imagined that one day, my own creation would nearly destroy me.
What started as a tight-knit team of like-minded people turned into a soulless machine where I no longer felt at home.
Every entrepreneur, at some point, eventually reaches a moment of clarity realizing what enough means to them.
Some thrive on building billion-dollar unicorns.
Some prefer a small team, serving a select group of clients.
Some create digital products alone, reaching hundreds of thousands of users.
Some just do what they love, with no intention of turning it into a corporation.
There are no universal rules.
But never say "never."
A unicorn founder may one day find happiness being alone in a remote Bali retreat.
And an indie SaaS creator might end up partying in Dubai.
Life tests us every single day.
How we handle it is up to us.
Where our choices lead us is unpredictable.
But one thing is certain:
Never say "never."
Disclaimer.
Every business has its nuances, and every founder has their unique context and resources. Whether or not my advice applies depends on your situation, experience, and needs. But one thing is universal—use your brain.
Think about how to apply the advice in your context before acting.
Your way.
Every founder has their own way of getting through hard days.
Her journal reminds me (and maybe you) that it’s okay to struggle — and still move forward.
The journey will be painful.
But.
There are no great achievements without great challenges.
Believe.
And move forward as if failure is impossible.
From the journal of Nyx Thorne.
- Eugene
Join the “most offbeat” Businessletter on entrepreneurship.
Hi, I’m Eugene.
Over the past 20+ years, I’ve grown an international agency from one-person freelance to a multimillion-dollar business. I’ve led teams, scaled systems, burned out, rebuilt, and learned (the hard way) what it really takes to run a business that doesn’t consume your life.
I help them make sense of complexity, design simple systems, and create the kind of business they actually want to run.
More Stories
Burnout, Downshifting, or Downsizing? What to Choose — and What Systems Have to Do with It
Founder Stories
The real reason you’re stuck isn’t what you think
Or minute of brutal honesty
The Strength You Didn’t Want — But Needed
Or minute of cracking, and staying unbroken.
