I want to tell you about my friend Janice. She runs a small bakery, and for years, everyone told her she was doing it wrong.  

“You need to focus on wedding cakes,” said one expert. “Cupcakes are where the money is,” said another. “You should go online and ship nationwide,” said a third.

Janice tried all of it. She stressed herself out making elaborate wedding cakes she didn’t enjoy. She pumped out boring cupcakes that felt like factory work. She spent hours packaging cookies to ship across the country.   And you know what? Her business was okay. Just okay.

Then one day, Janice got fed up. She looked around her bakery and asked herself a simple question: “What would I do if I could do anything?” The answer surprised her.

She wanted to make bread. Real bread. The kind her grandmother made. Sourdough that takes three days to make properly. Crusty loaves that smell like heaven and taste even better.

“But nobody makes money on bread,” everyone said. “The margins are terrible. You’ll work twice as hard for half the profit.” Janice didn’t care. She started making bread anyway.  

Here’s what happened next

People started lining up outside her bakery at 6 AM. They came for the bread, but they also bought her pastries. They brought their friends. They posted pictures on social media. They started calling her “the bread lady” with huge smiles on their faces.

Her revenue doubled in six months. Not because she followed the rules, but because she broke them.  

We ALL have our own version of bread

Maybe you’re a lawyer who wants to focus on small businesses instead of big corporations. Maybe you’re a consultant who wants to work with non-profits instead of Fortune 500 companies. Maybe you’re a teacher who wants to try a completely different way of helping kids learn.  

But somewhere along the way, someone told you that your way was wrong. Or risky. Or impractical.  

And maybe they were right about the risk part. But they were wrong about something much more important: they were wrong about you.

You see, when you do things your way, something magical happens. You bring energy to it that you can’t fake. You notice details that others miss. You care about things that others overlook. You solve problems in ways that others never think of.  

Your way isn’t just different

It’s better. At least for you.

I’m not saying you should ignore good advice. Smart people have valuable insights. But there’s a difference between learning from others and letting others decide for you.

The world doesn’t need another person doing things the “right” way. The world needs you doing things your way.  

Think about the people you admire most. I bet they didn’t get where they are by following someone else’s playbook. They figured out their own path.

They tried things that seemed crazy to everyone else. They failed at some things and succeeded at others. But they kept going because they were doing it their way.

So here’s my challenge

Pick one thing you’ve been doing the “right” way that doesn’t feel right to you. Maybe it’s how you run your meetings. Maybe it’s how you talk to customers. Maybe it’s what you focus on first thing in the morning.  

For the next week, try doing it your way instead.  

Don’t ask for permission. Don’t wait for the perfect moment. Don’t worry about what others will think. Just try it.

See what happens when you trust yourself. See what happens when you stop trying to fit into someone else’s mould.   The worst thing that can happen is it doesn’t work, and you go back to doing things the old way. But the best thing that can happen is you discover something amazing about yourself that you never knew was there.  

And here’s what I’ve learned after years of watching people try things their own way: The best thing happens way more often than the worst thing.  

Your way is waiting for you. It’s been waiting for you all along. What are you going to try?