Does Your Success Feel Off?

Yes, you’re stacking revenue.

Hiring team members.

Getting attention.

Growing fast.

But it still feels unstable.

Cash is moving, but not flowing.

Decisions feel rushed.

You’re reacting instead of leading.

And deep down, you know something’s off, even if the spreadsheets say you're crushing it.

That feeling isn’t fear, but rather you're business is missing something.

It’s awareness.

Success without structure isn’t success.

It’s a ticking clock.

There's nothing we can do at this point!!

Ever heard that from your CPA?

Usually comes around February or March, when you ask about your business tax bill.

And technically, they're right.

By the time you're filing, most strategies are off the table.

But here's the question nobody asks –Why didn't we do something when there was still time?

The answer is that nobody was planning to reduce your biggest business expense – taxes..

Your CPA was waiting for your documents. 

You were waiting for your CPA to call. 

And the year ended without anyone taking action.

This is the cycle that keeps business owners overpaying year after year.

Stryde breaks that cycle.

We work with you throughout the year — when there's still time to make moves — not in April when it's too late.

When things get quiet it tests people's dedication more than anything else.

Contracts slow down. Orders take a hit. No one's responding to your paid ads or interacting on your social posts.

It'll mess with your mind and make you doubt your abilities.

Doubt causes you to make irrational snap-decisions. Usually bad ones.

Bad decisions lead to lost money and bigger messes... and more frustration.

Stop. Breathe. And listen to me when I say you need to learn how to use this time to build your confidence and reignite your drive.

My anxiety still shoots through the roof when I can't control the exact timeline of what I want to happen. When things don't work out they way they 'should' have.

But in most cases, they end up working out. Or my initial plans blow up and get replaced with something better. In other cases I learn what NOT to do.

And guess what?

Pretty soon the next 'down time' is coming. It's part of life in this game. Just be prepared to ride the wave.

And never confuse quiet times with 'time to quit.'

Why doesn't my CPA mention most tax strategies?

It's not because they're hiding something.

It's because they're paid to prepare your return — not to reduce taxes.

Tax preparation and tax planning are two completely different services.

Preparation – "Here's what you owe based on what happened."

Planning – "Here's how to change what happens to owe less."

Most CPAs are excellent at preparation.

They're trained for it.
They're efficient at it.
It's what they sell.

But tax planning? That requires a different skillset, a different mindset, and different tools.

Stryde was explicitly built for tax planning.

Our team analyses your business against 30+ tax incentives to find what you're missing.

Your CPA can still file your return. But Stryde makes sure you're not overpaying!!

Living with grit.

Grit is “the combination of passion and perseverance for long-term goals.”

I’m not just talking about being tough or grinding through. But standing for something you believe in despite the struggle. 

It's the CEO choosing to work with ethical labor standards, even when pressured by shareholders to chase higher profits.

It's the mom pursuing a classroom that includes her child with special needs, even though she might get labeled "too much” by some parents.

It's my teammates at Stryde who stay in the fight against rising business cost day after day even after seeing some business' fail.

I think Churchill was spot on.

We must stand for what's right. 

Even if some might say you’re wrong.
Even if progress might take years.
Even if it might cost you. 

Sometimes it's good to have enemies!!

 

We recently came across this quote:

"If you have enemies, good. It means you stood for something at least once in your life." — Winston Churchill

At first I thought, “How can it be good to have enemies?”

But look what happened to Churchill.

British generals questioned him.
Americans doubted his competence.
His own government nearly voted him out.

But he stood by his convictions.

By the end of his life, the same people who once criticized eventually came to respect him. Not because he softened his stance, but because he held to it.

As someone who can be a bit of a people pleaser, that really convicted me.

Use these magic words, if you're like my brother who likes to yell at people on the phone!!

 

Say you’re calling customer service because you need help. Maybe your bill is wrong, your service is down or you want a refund. Instead of a person, a cheerful AI voice answers and drops you into an endless loop of menus and misunderstood prompts. Now what?

That’s not an accident. Many companies use what insiders call “frustration AI.” The system is specifically designed to exhaust you until you hang up and walk away. You want a human. For starters, don’t explain your issue. That’s the trap. You need words the AI has been programmed to treat differently. Nuclear phrases: When the AI bot asks why you’re calling, say, “I need to cancel my service” or “I am returning a call.” The word cancel sets off alarms and often sends you straight to the customer retention team. Saying you’re returning a call signals an existing issue the bot cannot track. I used that last weekend when my internet went down and bam, I had a human. Power words: When the system starts listing options, clearly say one word. “Supervisor.” If that doesn’t work, say, “I need to file a formal complaint.” Most systems are not programmed to deal with complaints or supervisors. They escalate fast. Technical bypass: Asked to enter your account number? Press the pound key (#) instead of numbers. Many older systems treat unexpected input as an error and default to a human If direct commands fail with AI, be a confused human. The Frustration Act: When the AI bot asks a question, pause. Wait 10 seconds before answering. These systems are built for fast, clean responses. Long pauses often break the flow and send your call to a human. The Unintelligible Bypass: Stuck in a loop? Act like your phone connection is terrible. Say garbled words or nonsense. After the system says, “I’m having trouble understanding you” three times, many bots automatically transfer you to a live agent. The Language Barrier Trick: If the company offers multiple languages, choose one that’s not your primary language or does not match your accent. The AI often gives up quickly and routes you to a human trained to handle language issues. Use these tricks when you need help. You are calling for service, not an AI bot.