Skin in the Game: How to Invest Smartly in Building Skills to Sustain Your Business
Struggling with the pressure of building skills while growing your business?
Do you feel frustrated when you spend good money, time, and energy on a course, but you still feel stuck and like it was nothing but a big waste?
I’ve (we’ve all) been there. You start with big ambitions, ready to invest whatever it takes to build a successful business. So, you throw money at courses, new software, or books from “experts” who seem to have it all figured out. But instead of a breakthrough, you end up overwhelmed, staring at a long list of things you should do. And worse—your business hasn’t budged an inch.
It’s enough to make you want to quit. It feels like you’re pouring everything in and getting nothing back.
But here’s the deal—I know you’ve tried. You’ve worked hard. You’ve read the books, taken the courses, and followed all the advice, but somehow, it feels like spinning your wheels. The progress just isn’t showing up, and you start to wonder if maybe you’re not cut out for this whole “entrepreneur” thing after all.
That’s precisely where I used to be.
Why Most People Fail When Trying to Invest in Themselves
Most people are told that to succeed in business, you need to build your skills and invest in yourself—whether that’s paying for a business coach, signing up for the latest online courses, or buying fancy tools to streamline your workflow.
Here’s what most people do when they try to solve the problem:
1. They throw money at it. They think the more they spend, the faster the solution will come. Not only that, but they shell out hundreds thousands, for programs that promise results, only to find themselves with more knowledge but no change.
2. They go into debt. Many people believe that going into debt is a sign of commitment. After all, aren’t we told “If you’re serious, take out that loan or max out my credit card to prove it.” While I did not put myself in debt monetarily, I wasted my fair share of time.
3. They focus on finishing courses or books, but forget the follow-through. Raising hand here, guilty as charged. You get that rush from completing the course or finishing the book, and then… you move on to the next thing without implementing any of it.
So what happens? The same results over and over again.
• You feel broke and stretched too thin, financially and mentally.
• You lose momentum because you’re overwhelmed by all the information and options.
• You start to question whether this whole “building a business” thing is even a thing.
And listen, I get it. It feels like everyone else is moving ahead while you’re stuck in the same place, even though you’re doing all the right things.
How I Broke Out of the Cycle
I know all of this because I was exactly like that.
I had a budget for professional development and I used to believe that if I just invested enough money or finished enough books, my business would take off. But I’d still find myself in the same place—overworked, overwhelmed, and underperforming. With courses unfinished and books on my to-read list.
At some point, I hit a wall. I realized something had to change because, I love building businesses and helping people… but how could I keep doing this if I wasn’t walking the walk? How could I suggest learning if nothing was moving the needle forward?
That’s when I asked myself the most important question:
What if the investment isn’t just about money? What if it’s about the commitment of my time, energy, and effort in the right ways?
Change is good, right?
I stopped throwing money at the problem or mindlessly checking boxes off my “learning list”. Every investment I made—whether in time, money, or energy—had to be smart, sustainable, and action-driven.
The Secret to Smart Investing in Yourself
Most advice about investing in personal development misses the mark. It focuses too much on the money part and not enough on the action part.
It’s not about how much you spend. It’s about how committed you are taking one small step forward.
So here’s my best advice for putting skin in the game the smart way:
1. Invest only what you can afford. Don’t go into debt trying to buy your way to the top. You don’t need to spend thousands to make progress. Start small and scale up as you grow. You can learn so much with a $20 book, a low-cost webinar, or even just asking the right questions to the right people. Don’t let anyone make you feel like you need to forgo that “cup of expensive coffee” to be “serious” about your business.
2. Make it count. Every time you sit down to learn something new, don’t focus on just finishing the course or the book. Focus on implementing what you learn. Even if it’s one small thing, it’s better than rushing through content for the sake of saying you’re done. Learning without action is just busywork and consumption.
3. Celebrate action. This one is key! Too often, we reward ourselves for finishing things, but not for actually applying what we’ve learned. Next time you take action on something—whether it’s a new strategy, a marketing technique, or a workflow improvement—reward yourself then. Celebrate the fact that you’re moving forward.
Why This Advice Works
Most people don’t succeed because they’re focused on spending more money or collecting more certificates and badges. They forget magic happens when you take action and the results you bring to the table.
This advice works because it’s sustainable. You’re not burning out, financially or mentally. Instead, you’re building real, lasting skills that will actually help your business grow over the long term.
Sure, investing in yourself does take money. But it’s more about where and how you spend that money, as well as the time and energy you put in.
You don’t have to be the person who spends thousands of dollars on courses you never finish. You don’t need to run yourself into the ground to prove you’re serious about your business. And you definitely don’t need to follow every single piece of advice out there just because some expert said it’s what you should do.
What Do You Truly Want?
Do you hate the pressure to spend thousands of dollars just because some expert says you need it to grown your business?
Do you hate that sinking feeling of being overwhelmed by all the options—books, courses, coaches, programs—without knowing what will actually work?
Do you hate the cycle of working hard but not seeing the results you hoped for?
Yes, yes and hell yes.
What you really want is:
• To see real progress from the skills you’re learning and applying.
• To feel confident that you’re making smart investments in your business growth, without the pressure of going broke or burning out.
• To enjoy the process of building your business, without the constant feeling of overwhelm.
Here’s the bottom line:
Putting skin in the game is crucial, but do it wisely.
Invest in your skills, but only what you can afford. Apply what you learn. And most importantly—celebrate every little win along the way. Those small actions will snowball into big results if you stick with it.
So, next time you’re about to hit “buy” on that expensive course, or when you’re feeling guilty for not finishing yet another book, ask yourself: “Am I investing wisely? Or am I ready to make this investment count?”