You followed the advice. So why does your business still feel off?

[0:29] Hi there! Welcome or welcome back to Inner Impact. This episode is the first in a short mini-series which I called In 2026 You Don’t Need Any More Advice. So over the next few episodes we will explore what happens when advice stops being helpful, what it means to have and trust a personal compass, and how it feels to start making truly aligned decisions and taking action on them. And today we are starting with exploring where and why we keep seeking advice, but also what the cost of this advice seeking is and what happens when we stop looking for advice.

[1:13] But before we dive into it, let me address something first. I know that the series title feels like a very bold statement, and of course that’s intentional. Because I think this is a conversation that so many of us, and by us I mean socially conscious small business owners and creatives, well, so many of us need to have this conversation. So, here’s the thing. I’ve noticed something over the years, both in my own life and in the lives of my clients. Well, we’ve become almost obsessed with advice. We are kind of constantly seeking it, consuming it, and trying to apply it. And while advice can be helpful in certain situations, I think that we have reached the point where it’s actually holding us back more than it’s helping us. So today I want to unpack this. Let’s start with the kinds of advice I see seeking over and over again by small business owners and creatives like you, like my clients, and like myself too.

[2:24] So, well, they, we tend to seek advice in four main areas. One is marketing, like how to create content that truly reaches their audiences, how to market their businesses, or what are reliable, repeatable ways to find clients. Another area is creating offerings and pricing them. Like, do I create a group program or a project-based service and how much should I price it?

[2:51] Another area is work project management or productivity, if you like the word, like how to manage the day-to-day work without missing any piece or getting overwhelmed. And finally, another area is relationships and communication with those involved in your business, like your clients, your collaborators, your partners.

[3:14] Like how to set boundaries with them when and how to be available to them or communications processes and tools. And of course, our businesses also include other areas. The ones where seeking advice makes total sense, like admin or tech staff or bookkeeping. But the main difference is that in those last areas I mentioned, you are legitimately looking for instructions. Like, how do I fill out a tax form? Or how do I set up a welcome sequence in my email marketing platform? And the answers here are usually pretty much one and the same for everyone or for every person in a similar situation to yours, right? While when we talk about marketing, offerings, pricing, work management, and relationships and communications, what works for one person might not work for another. Think about managing and working on your projects, for example. So the advice we often get in this area like time blocking or using specific apps or following certain routines.

[4:28] A, doesn’t work for everyone, and above all, B, doesn’t always address the deeper issue. Because the truth is, productivity isn’t just about techniques. It’s about understanding your own rhythms, your own energy, your own context, your own cognitive and executive functioning, and ultimately what actually works for you. So the answers in this area aren’t one size fits all. And yet, we keep looking for that magic formula, that blueprint, that perfect strategy, technique, or tool that will solve everything. But there are kinds of decisions that no one else can really make for you, right? So, sure, you can get input or inspiration from others. But at the end of the day, these are deeply personal choices that require you to trust yourself. And I am sure that at some point you too have started thinking that advice isn’t the answer. You know, when you take all the courses, read all the books, listen to all the podcasts, watch all the videos, hoping this time you will figure it out. But in the end, it feels like you are still kind of missing something. Well, that’s what many of my clients and I experienced.

[5:54] Sometimes my clients would follow the advice to the letter and it just wouldn’t work. Other times it would work, but it didn’t feel good. And that’s when they started to realize that the problem isn’t the advice itself, but that there’s something deeper, a different root cause. So I see this with my clients all the time. Like they come to me saying, you know, I’ve done everything I’m supposed to, to build a sustainable business and it looks like it is working, but actually I am feeling miserable. And why the hell is that? And when we start exploring inward, they realize that the many things they tried didn’t work for them because they didn’t feel aligned. They didn’t feel true to their core selves. And that the problem was that they were outsourcing their decisions to other people instead of trusting themselves.

[6:56] And here I want to mention that there are also amazing people out there who can give you helpful advice, a kind of advice that is not cookie cutter, but involves active listening and tailoring to your needs. And that makes sure that you keep your agency in the process. Well, connecting with your inner guidance, what I call your personal compass, and trusting it allows you to seek that kind of advice in a healthier way, empowering you to either embrace that advice or challenge it. But the first step is building trust in your own inner guidance system.

[7:40] Now, let’s talk about what advice-seeking is really costing us. And I dare say a lot, honestly. Because first of all, it costs us energy. Think about how much time and mental bandwidth you’ve spent consuming advice. Whether it’s through courses, it’s through books, podcasts, or social media posts, or articles, or newsletters, it can be exhausting, and it is never-ending. Second, it costs us confidence and self-trust. The more we rely on other people’s advice, the more we get into the habit of doubting our own instincts. We start to unconsciously believe that we don’t have the answers, that we’re not capable of figuring things out on our own. And third, it costs us clarity. Because when you’re constantly trying to follow someone else’s blueprint, it’s easy to lose sight of what you actually want. You end up chasing someone else’s version of success instead of defining how success looks like for you. And then it costs us money. Because whether you are enrolling in a program or taking a course or buying a book or, I don’t know.

[9:06] In the end, everything adds up, right? And if that advice doesn’t actually help you, well, that’s frustrating.

[9:15] But I guess that the highest cost is agency, because when we rely too heavily on advice, we give away our power. We let other people’s opinions and strategies dictate our choices instead of trusting our own inner wisdom. So why do we do this? So why are we so unconsciously quick to give away our agency? Well, I guess I think it’s because we’ve been trained to. I mean, at least in the Western society, which I can speak to, we are taught from a young age to look to others for answers, whether it’s our parents, our teachers, or the experts in any kind of field. And let’s not forget that we live in a culture that’s built on selling solutions to problems we often don’t have. Every ad and every commercial is designed to make us believe that someone else has the answer we’re looking for. So I think it’s no wonder we’ve learned to distrust our own perceptions and timing and pacing. I also guess capitalism and advice culture go hand in hand, and they both thrive in making us feel like we don’t have enough, or worse, we are not enough. And that we need to buy something to fill the gap.

[10:41] Also, if you are anything like the people I work with, you care a lot about the work you are doing, about what you are creating, what you are bringing to life. And you care about making a difference in any capacity you might. So what you are creating is meaningful and so your decisions tend to feel especially important, which is why you might feel you need advice. Now, let’s imagine for a moment that you stopped seeking advice tomorrow. What would happen?

[11:18] Well, the first thing you would probably feel is discomfort. Because advice gives us a sense of certainty, it makes us feel like we’re in control, even if you’re not.

[11:32] Without that external guidance, you’re left with uncertainty. You are left with the question, what do I do now? And that can be really uncomfortable. But if you are willing to sit with that discomfort for a moment, you will be able to start experimenting.

[11:50] Assessing, and finding what truly works for you. So yes, it is uncomfortable at first, but it is also empowering. You try new things, you notice what works and feels good, and adjust as you go. You stop looking for the right answer, quote-unquote right, and start focusing on what feels right for you in this exact moment. And that’s where the magic happens. Now, you may be wondering, hey, Giada, but are you giving me advice about not taking advice? Well, it may sound like that, but what I am actually sharing with you is my experience. my experience witnessing my clients, realizing that advice doesn’t work for them. But does it work for you? You know what I’m all about? Well, I’m all about reconnecting with your own personal compass and building trust in your personal guidance system. So let’s start doing it right now. Feel free to pause the episode after the prompts to reflect on them or come back to them later. So, first of all, how does all that I shared land with you? Take a moment to notice what’s coming up for you.

[13:08] And now think about some past business decisions. Looking back, what helped you move your business forward and what didn’t? What insights can you gain from these reflections in terms of seeking external advice or trusting your inner guidance? Hi, if you pause to reflect, welcome back. As we wrap up, I want to leave you with this. If anything in today’s episode stirred something in you, a sense of recognition, discomfort, or curiosity, maybe, that’s worth paying attention to. And if you’d like support as you start exploring what letting go of advice seeking could make possible for you, you can book a complimentary clarity session with me. It is a space to explore where you are, what you are noticing, and whether coaching could support you in reconnecting with and trusting your inner guidance. Thank you so much for listening today. In the next episode, we will explore what might actually support you if advice isn’t the answer, and we’ll start getting familiar with the idea of a personal compass. Until then, start tuning into your inner guidance.