the power of saying no (and why most people never get there)

Author

Vessal Jaberi
February 16, 2025

one of my favourite things about being in my position is being able to say “no” 

some say that being able to say “no” is a privilege,

but i think that’s reductive, because truly being able to say “no” requires strategic decision making. 

even people of high status, like brain surgeons or CEO’s can’t say no.

the brain surgeon needs to be available for his patients at all times,  

and the CEO is a white collar slave to the shareholders. 

those positions do come with many perks: money, status, women, 

but to me, it’s nothing but golden handcuffs. 

i learned very quickly that i didn’t want that, 

i would way rather go to bed on a week day and not have to set an alarm for the next day. 

i would rather my office be the tiny table in the mom & pop cafe in some small french town, than in the 49th floor in downtown manhattan. 

my version of saying no might be different from yours, 

maybe you are just starting your entrepreneurial journey,

but learning to say no is still important for you as well. 

you have to say no to a lot of things you want to do, like hang out with friends on the weekend, or watch your favorite tv show after a long day, 

and instead say yes to every opportunity, every meeting, every late night working on your side hustle because that is THE ONLY WAY for it to become your main hustle. 

but once you get to a position similar to mine, and i believe if you are reading my newsletter, you will, 

you will learn to say no to anything that doesn’t fit your priority. 

story time: 

recently, a friend reached out to me about getting in on a medical spa deal. 

a while ago, i would’ve jumped at the opportunity. 

i even looked into it myself at one point, thinking it could be a great investment. but now? hard pass.

not because it’s a bad deal, but because i’ve changed.

a few months ago, i was itching for something new, looking for a project to sink my teeth into. but if i’m being honest, i wasn’t looking for a good business, I was looking for a distraction. 

i wanted to be busy, because that’s a lot easier than investing the time to figure out who i am and what i actually want, 

but having invested that time and effort, i have now learned that no amount of money is worth my time freedom and my independence. 

after a certain point, money stops being the motivator. 

once you can take care of yourself, your family, and afford a few comforts, what’s the point of more?

i’m not saying money doesn’t matter, it does, especially in the early days. 

but there’s a shift that happens when you realize that more money is not worth the cost.

early on, “yes” moves mountains, 

but once you’ve built something solid, once you’ve put in the years and created systems that allow your business to run without you being in the trenches 24/7,

“no” bends time and space.

for me, the only businesses i want to work on moving forward are the ones that let me keep my time and location freedom. 

nothing else is worth it.

this realization was a good reminder that life moves in phases. 

sometimes, you need to hustle and say yes to everything. other times, you need to protect what you’ve built by saying no.

knowing which phase you’re in is the real game.

till next time,
 vessal