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The Secret to Margin (When Everything Wants to Take It From You)

The Problem with Margin? It’s Fragile.

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Life has a way of testing our peace.
Right when you think you’ve got margin—time, space, energy—it feels like something tries to pull it all away. At least that’s how my life’s been feeling lately…
A team member leaves unexpectedly. You lose a key client. Cash flow dries up.
We’ve all been there. It’s frustrating, right?
But here’s the thing: What if you could prepare for those disruptions BEFORE they happen?
What if you could create margin, even in the chaos?

Today in 5 minutes or less:
✔️ Bubble wrap for your business
✔️ The reality of "making margin“
✔️ When a key team member leaves… and how we recovered

BUBBLE WRAP FOR YOUR BUSINESS
I recently had the chance to sit down with some top-tier entrepreneurs at Ryan Deiss’ Mexico Mastermind.
One thing they did there that really stuck with me? They rehearsed worst-case scenarios.
And it wasn’t just hypothetical fluff—it was real practice for potential challenges. Like a fire drill for business emergencies.
Some of the scenarios we ran through were:
What if you lose 20% of your market share?
What if a key leader quits?
What if the market crashes or your financing falls through?
What if burnout sets in for you, the founder?
What if a growth partnership looks amazing, but you lose control?
These aren’t just worst-case fears. They’re very real scenarios you’ll probably face at some point if you keep at this game long enough.
The truth? Rehearsing your response in advance helps you stay calm when chaos hits.
That way, when life throws a curveball—when your margin feels threatened—you’re not scrambling. You already know how you'll respond.
Your business is bubble-wrapped and therefore, less fragile.

THE REALITY OF “MAKING MARGIN”
Here’s what I’ve learned: margin isn’t just about time or money.
It’s about having space—mentally, emotionally, and operationally. Margin is what allows you to make decisions, to breathe, and to adapt when everything feels out of control.
I know it’s easy to get caught up in the chaos of business. Trust me, I’ve been there.
But the key is simple: Don’t wait for margin to show up on its own.
Rehearse for disruption. Be proactive.

WHEN A KEY TEAM MEMBER LEAVES... AND HOW WE RECOVERED
In one of the scenarios we ran through at the mastermind, we discussed what happens when good people leave the business.
And sure enough, not long ago, we had a key team member decide to leave the company.
It was unexpected and tough, especially in the midst of everything else going on. But here's the interesting part: we were ready.
Because we’ve been rehearsing for scenarios like this. We’ve already talked about how we’d respond if key leaders left. So when it happened, we were able to step in, maintain momentum, and keep things running smoothly without missing a beat.
Now, here’s the real lesson: When good people leave, it forces the company to become even greater. Not because those people were bad—but because they were so good that they raised the bar. They pushed us to be better.
This change prompted us to innovate and rethink how we were doing things.
The biggest lesson I learned? 👇️
Margin is fragile. But the more you rehearse your response to the bad stuff, the more margin you have when life throws you curveballs.
I know it sounds counterintuitive—how can you have margin when everything feels like it’s going wrong?
But here’s the key: when you prepare for the worst, you can respond with confidence when it happens.
This is how you keep margin when it feels like life is stealing it from you. You don’t have to be prepared for everything, but you do need to protect your margin at all costs.
THOUGHTS ON TODAY'S MARGIN MAKERS? |

To profiting more and working less. 💸
-Matt

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