Hey honeys and hustlers,

After many years of intermittent therapy, I have come to the conclusion that I need a business coach. This probably sounds like another creator throwing money at their problems, so let me explain why this realization feels so weighted—and why it matters for every entrepreneur trying to build something sustainable. Yes, I use AI in my business, and it’s been extremely valuable. Yes, I would still go see a therapist. No, neither one is sufficient in helping me reach the level of business growth I’m trying to achieve.

America's express lanes are the perfect metaphor for entrepreneurship. Those who can afford the toll get to their destinations faster, often with less resistance. Meanwhile, the rest of us sit in traffic, listening to podcasts about productivity while watching Teslas and BMWs zoom past in the HOV lane.

For entrepreneurs, startups, and creators, the express lane isn't just a metaphor—it's a very real system of paid growth strategies that can accelerate your business in ways organic growth simply cannot match. I’m not talking about simply paying for ads. I'm referring to:

These investments work. They work because they give you access to three things that are nearly impossible to obtain on your own—expert knowledge, valuable networks, and structured accountability.

For years, I've taken pride in being scrappy. I bought one course in 2020 as a birthday gift to myself, but I've mostly built my business through networking and community building, YouTube videos, and sheer determination. And honestly? I've gotten pretty far. But "pretty far" isn't the same as "where I want to be."

The truth is, I've been spinning my wheels on the same problems for months. I know I need to systemize my creative sprints. I know I should be scaling my email list more strategically. I know my revenue streams could be more diverse. But knowing and doing are two different things, and without external accountability and expertise, I keep defaulting to what's comfortable rather than what's effective.

A business coach won't magically solve my problems, but they will do something even more valuable: they'll hold up a mirror to my blind spots and create structure around my goals. That's worth paying for.

Every successful creator has invested in their growth, whether that's through formal paid programs or informal investments of time and money. The person who "organically" grew their audience to 100K followers? They probably spent thousands of hours studying algorithm patterns and trends, testing content strategies, and networking with other creators. That's still an investment—it's just paid in time rather than dollars.

The question isn't whether to invest in your growth. The question is how to invest strategically, and whether you can afford to accelerate that investment with actual capital. Not every paid opportunity is worth the investment. Here's how I think about it:

These investments should solve a specific, identifiable problem in your business—not just make you feel like you're "doing something." I know friends who have spent $15K on business coaching and still brag about it to this day. If you’re going to spend that much money, you should feel the exact same way about the outcome. But spending this amount of money is something very few people can do, especially when you’ve been in business for 5 years or less.

This is where the express lane metaphor breaks down, and where my discomfort with the whole system lives. Because the reality is that access to these accelerated growth opportunities often correlates directly with existing privilege. Those who can afford to invest $5K on a mastermind or $10K on a business coach are often those who already have financial safety nets.

I don't have a neat solution to this problem. But I think the first step is acknowledging it exists. The playing field isn't level, and pretending that "anyone can make it if they just work hard enough" ignores the very real advantages that capital provides.

What I can say is this: if you're someone who can access these opportunities, consider how you might share what you learn. Write about it. Teach it. Make it more accessible to others ethically in a way that doesn’t cannibalize the person you learned from. The express lane doesn't have to be a one-way street.

I'm hiring a business coach to help me prepare for 2026 (and really the next 5 years). I'm treating it as a strategic investment in my business, and I'm going to be transparent about the process—what it costs, what I learn, and whether it actually moves the needle on my business. We need more honest conversations about what it actually takes to build a sustainable creative business. Not the highlight reels, but the real investments—of time, money, energy, and ego death—that growth requires.

What's your take? Have you invested in business coaching, courses, or other paid growth strategies? I'd love to hear about your experience—what worked, what didn't, and whether you think the investment was worth it.