Why Growth Was Slowing Me Down

Dear Reader,

For years I ran a boutique consulting firm. We did good work. I was proud of the results we got for clients. And if you asked me then, I would have told you I was content. Things were going well.

But beneath that surface was a quieter truth. I had plateaued. The intensity of the work didn’t line up with the life I wanted to build. I was working harder, not smarter. And I felt it.

Then one day a friend handed me a copy of Million Dollar Consulting by Alan Weiss. That moment changed everything.

I didn’t know how to make the transition from firm owner to solo practitioner. But something clicked. I saw the opportunity, a path that offered more value to my clients and more freedom for my life. I took action. I invested in mentorship. I hired Alan as a coach and immersed myself in his programs. He is one of the most respected entrepreneurial coaches in the world, and I decided I was going to learn from the best.

That was over two and a half years ago. Since then, purpose, action, and discipline have converged into a force that has reshaped my career and life. My purpose was to build a business that supports a meaningful and balanced life. That gave me the compass. Taking action by learning and applying gave me the momentum. But it was discipline, showing up again and again, that delivered the transformation.

The results speak for themselves • I reduced my team by 85 percent with only a small drop in top-line revenue • My daily labor intensity dropped dramatically. Consulting is now part of my day, not all of it • I landed my first book deal with a commercial publisher • I used the mindset shifts I developed to level up my trading and investing • Most importantly, I created a life that feels lighter, more spacious, and deeply fulfilling

This transformation didn’t come from a hack or a shortcut. It came from living at the intersection of purpose, action, and discipline. Once you find that crossroads, you never want to leave it.

What Have I Been Learning?

Marie turned one this weekend.

Becoming a dad has been the most profound learning curve of my life. I wasn't ready when we decided to begin this journey. Not really. I don’t think anyone is.

But purpose showed up immediately. I’m here to steward this little human through her early years with love, care, and presence.

The action has looked simple. Change diapers. Sing silly songs. Hold her when she cries. Feed her. Laugh with her. Show up every day. But it has demanded everything — energy, humility, and constant adaptation.

The discipline has been in returning to this role again and again, especially when I felt tired or unsure or stretched thin.

And what I’ve noticed is this. That same intersection of purpose, action, and discipline that transformed my work is transforming me as a parent. I’ve grown into this role in ways I couldn’t have imagined a year ago. And I know I’m just getting started.

What Am I Reading?

Lately I’ve been diving into The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell. His exploration of the hero’s journey — the call to adventure, the trials, the transformation, and the return — feels deeply personal.

When I reflect on my business shift, my journey into fatherhood, even my evolution as a trader and thinker, I can see how each has followed that same mythic arc.

But here’s what strikes me most. The hero’s journey isn’t powered by bravado or luck. It’s powered by purpose. The call is always connected to something bigger — to meaning, contribution, growth. And answering that call requires action. It demands discipline to stay the course when things get hard.

The magic happens when all three align.

Reading Campbell has given me a new lens through which to see my own journey. I’m not chasing dragons. I’m building a life. One that’s grounded in values, driven by commitment, and fueled by a clear inner compass. And that, in its own quiet way, is heroic.

Closing Insight

When you know where you're going, take a bold step toward it, and keep stepping every day, remarkable things happen.

The formula isn’t flashy. It’s simple. But it’s also rare. Most people wait for clarity before they act. Or act without knowing why. Or burn out for lack of discipline.

But when you live at the intersection of purpose, action, and discipline, you become unstoppable.

Until next time, Kursten