The Edge
What Most Entrepreneurs Don't Realize When They Start
I’ve been building something new for almost a year to get to this place I am right now.
The Edge.
The first year of building a business is not actually the launch.
That first year?
That’s the prologue.
The beginning of the journey.
The start of the quest.
That first year? It’s the path TO the mountain you have to climb. It’s the finding of the mountain you need to move.
The one you dreamed about.
Heard whispers about as a possibility.
That you envisioned.
And suddenly, there it is. Right in front of you.
That’s when the real work begins.
Yes, it starts with an idea.
An “I wonder...”
“I wonder if I can get a bunch of Great Men around a fire to smoke cigars and get real.”
“I wonder if I can build a community, a life, a living around this dream?”
Let’s see...
But, an idea is not enough.
Then, you have to put the first shovel in the dirt. Break ground. Level the earth, build the road TO the mountain.
The first post on social media about your half-formed idea. Then the next. Then the next. Working your voice out as you go. Clarifying the vision with uncomfortable trial and error.
The first words on the page of a new book.
The first imperfect, janky, not-even-close-to-done minimum viable home page.
The first imperfect, cluttered, makes-no-sense-to-anyone-but-you product.
The first people that trust you, your reputation, and your vision enough to try it out.
The first podcast where you have no idea what you are saying or where the conversation is going.
The first invitation to meet you at a retreat in the mountains, where you barely even have an idea what’s going to happen yourself.
The first feeling like you are insane. “Is this even a good idea?” And the next. And the next…
The first doubt when things get tough. “What the hell am I trying to do here?”
The first unsolicited advice telling you you are doing something wrong. Often from people who are not doing anything at all.
The family that thinks you are crazy. The friends who don’t understand why you want to do something different than everyone else.
The bizarre hate mail from that first email announcing your idea. Often from people who don’t get it and are not even your avatar.
All of it still stings. All of it threatens to derail your plan. Haters. Doubters. My own doubt. My own disbelief. Aimed at something that is painfully, slowly coming into focus. Never on the timeline you expect.
But then something resonates. Then someone gets it. Then another. Then another. So you keep going. Digging. Creating. Iterating. Integrating lessons.
And finally, you are there.
At The Edge.
That’s the moment you either turn back or go all in.
That moment you are exhausted from the prologue, the work you have already done but have seen only glimpses of return on your investment.
That moment you want to slow down.
That moment you want to surrender and take two steps back to something safer, something more status quo.
Then you turn the corner and you see the mountain you have been trying to find.
It’s intimidating. It’s uncertain. But there is no way to know if you will move it or climb to the top of it until you try.
I’ve worked with thousands of entrepreneurs. I’ve seen many turn back at The Edge.
Don’t do it. The Edge is where you opportunity actually begins!
This is when you have to believe, because no one else will for you.
This is exactly when you double down and push forward. No matter what.
You earned the opportunity in the prologue, now you have a chance to write the story you dreamed in your head.
You now have the chance to climb the mountain you chose to find. Or move that SOB out of the way so you can get to the other side.
For you.
And the people you lead.
For you.
And the people you serve.
I’ve moved many mountains. And many mountains have moved me.
Some to joy. Others to tears.
Others still stand with nothing more than a few scars at the base where I made my attempt and failed.
All part of the journey. All lessons that led to now.
And now I see the next mountain clearly right in front of me. Took a minute to get here, but I have no doubt this is the one I’ve been looking for.
Will it give up its summit? Will it resist my climb?
Will it crush me instead of me moving it?
We’ll see.
One way or the other, we are going to find out.
And from what I can see looking over The Edge...
I wouldn’t bet on the mountain.
Next week we are launching two new programs for our community at GreatMen.org.
We already have hundreds of men in the community, waiting lists filling up for our upcoming Guys Trips, and in April 2027 we are planning our first Gathering of hundreds of Great Men in Denver, Colorado.
Everything up to this point has been about getting to The Edge.
Now I can see the mountain clearly. Good.
This is where the true leap of faith begins.
Time to jump.
And if you are an entrepreneur who started a business and has been working hard but has not quite seen the results you want yet.
Congratulations. You probably found The Edge.
Your mountain is up ahead.
Don’t turn back.
You’ve earned the opportunity from everything you’ve done up to this point.
Many of your competitors are walking back down the trail, intimidated but what they’ve found.
Not you.
This is where you keep going.
This is where your climb actually begins.
Keep creating. ⚡
Shane Sams is a speaker, entrepreneur, author, and founder of The Great Men Project: a movement for driven men who have everything on paper, but still feel like something is missing. For men who’ve tried all the “man up” programs, overpriced masterminds, sappy retreats and know there’s something more. Men who are done living a good enough life based on “shoulds,” and are ready to build a great life on their own terms.
Shane releases a weekly podcast talking to men pursuing great lives on their terms. Covering topics related to midlife, physical health, brotherhood, men’s mental health, business, family, investing, and higher consciousness. Listen to Great Men w/ Shane Sams wherever you get podcasts. Learn more at GreatMen.org.