You Gotta Cry Tough To Make Your Dreams Happen

Some days, I wonder what the hell I’m doing.

When I started Big Fig Biz, it was just an idea—a vision. I had a struggle I was trying to solve for myself and figured others were facing the same problem.

I remember the excitement when I first started my service business. The late-night conversations with my wife about the future. The belief that this business would give us freedom—more time together, less stress, and the ability to work on my own terms.

But reality hit hard.

Instead of running my business, my business was running me. Instead of spending time with my family, I was out on jobs, fixing problems, putting out fires. I was barely keeping my head above water.

And I started asking myself: Is this how it’s always going to be?

I know I’m not alone. Other business owners—especially guys like me—carry the weight of providing for their families. We had a dream that starting a business would be the solution. That it would give us control, not take it away.

But building something new? It’s hard.

Because I’m not just fighting for my own future. I’m trying to help others in their journey, too. And some days, that feels impossible.

How do I help business owners get control of their business when I’m still fighting to get control of mine?

How do I lead when I feel like I’m still barely keeping my head above water?

A Song I Had Heard a Thousand Times

You know those days when you’re just trying to shut your mind off? When you turn on the radio just to fill the silence?

I had one of those days recently.

I was flipping through stations, numb to the music, mouthing words to songs I had heard a thousand times. And then a song came on—"Cry Tough" by Poison.

Now, I was never a big Poison fan in the '80s. The glam band thing wasn’t my style, but their music was everywhere—on MTV, on the radio, impossible to avoid. I never really paid attention to their lyrics.

But that day? For the first time, I actually listened.

I don’t know why that song hit me differently at that moment, but for the first time since it came out, it meant something to me.

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"Remember the nights we sat and talked about all our dreams..."

The Vision Is Clear, But the Road Feels Distant

When I first had the idea for Big Fig Biz, it wasn’t just about starting another business. It was about building something that helps business owners escape the trap I’ve been in for years.

It was about creating a way for guys like me—who feel the weight of providing, who started their businesses with a dream but ended up feeling trapped—to take back control.

I sat down, mapped out ideas, and saw a future where this thing was real.

But here’s the hard truth: having a vision is one thing. Building it is another.

Right now, I’m in the messy middle—where the excitement of starting meets the frustration of figuring it all out.

And that’s where doubt creeps in.

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"You gotta cry tough out on the streets to make your dreams happen..."

Winning Starts with Showing Up, Even When You Feel Unqualified

I’m still in the trenches of my service business. I’m still figuring out how to balance my time, how to build something new while keeping the old thing running.

Some days, I feel completely unqualified to help anyone.

• How can I teach business owners to build something better when I’m still working through my own struggles?
• How do I talk about escaping the daily grind when I’m still in it myself?
• What if I’m just another guy with another idea that never takes off?

But then I heard those words—"You gotta cry tough."

And I realized: I don’t have to be perfect to start.

I don’t need a customer yet. I don’t need a huge following.

I just need to show up.

Because the truth is, the people who win aren’t the ones who waited until they were ready—they’re the ones who started before they felt ready.

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"Life ain't no easy ride, at least that's what I am told..."

The Struggle Is the Fuel

There’s no easy ride in business. Not when you start your first one, and definitely not when you start something new while still running the first one.

But what if the struggle isn’t a sign that I’m failing—what if it’s exactly what I need to go through?

Right now, I’m living the reality that most business owners face:

• Balancing growth with survival.
• Fighting the urge to quit before momentum even starts.
• Wrestling with doubt, fear, and the pressure to make it work.

And maybe that’s the whole point.

Big Fig Biz isn’t supposed to come from a place of “I figured it all out, and now I’m here to teach you.”

It’s supposed to come from being in the fight, right now, alongside every other business owner who’s trying to build something better.

The struggle is the fuel. The fact that this is hard proves it’s worth doing.

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"Sometimes the rainbow, baby, is better than the pot of gold..."

What If Winning Isn’t Just the End Goal?

For years, I’ve measured success by numbers—revenue, profits, business growth.

But what if that’s not the real prize?

What if the real reward is the journey itself? The growth, the lessons, the process of becoming the kind of business owner who creates something meaningful?

I used to think success was reaching a destination—hitting a number, getting a business to run without me, finally feeling like I made it.

But sitting in my truck that day, I started to question that.

What if the real win is building something that actually fuels my future instead of draining it?

What if winning isn’t just about making more money, but about creating a business that gives me my life back?

Big Fig Biz isn’t about chasing numbers—it’s about building something that matters. And if I can do that for myself, I can help others do the same.

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"You've got to stick it out whether you're wrong or right..."

The Only Way to Lose Is to Quit

Every day, I battle self-doubt.

• What if this doesn’t work?
• What if I never get a customer?
• What if I’m just spinning my wheels?

But here’s what I realized:

The only way I lose is if I quit.

I don’t have to get everything right. I don’t have to have the perfect launch. I don’t have to have all the answers.

I just have to keep going.

Because most people don’t fail because they aren’t good enough. They fail because they quit too soon.

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Big Fig Biz = Cry Tough and Win

That moment in my truck wasn’t just another bad day. It was a wake-up call.

If I want this to work—if I want to build Big Fig Biz into something that actually changes lives—I have to stop overthinking and start doing.

I have to Cry Tough.

I have to step up, push forward, and own the fight.

Because no one is coming to save me.

This is my future. My dream.

And the only way to win is to fight for it.