Your Choices Define You—and Your Business
Who you are today is the sum of every decision you’ve made. Every choice—big or small—shapes your future. It’s not fate. It’s not luck. It’s you. Your choices.
Epictetus, one of the great Stoic philosophers, said, “If your choices are beautiful, so too will you be.” In simple terms: your choices matter. They affect your personal success and that of your business, your sales team, and your life. It's about how you show up, lead, and what you prioritize.
So, what kind of leader are your choices making you? And what choices are shaping your sales team’s performance?
Here’s the hard truth: success in sales, business, and leadership doesn’t happen by accident. It requires discipline. It requires deliberate action. And, like Stoicism teaches, it’s not about what happens to us but about the choices we make in response.
The Daily Choices That Make or Break Leaders
Let me share a story about two leaders I worked with.
Both ran $10–20M companies. Both used EOS to keep their operations tight. Both faced the same issues: off revenue forecasts, lacked accountability in the sales teams, and deals took forever to close.
The difference? Choices.
Leader A made excuses for his team’s poor performance. He chose not to address the accountability gaps. He avoided tough decisions. He didn't re-evaluate his talent, or coach his sales managers. His choice? To ignore the problem and hope for change.
Leader B took a different approach. He embraced the discomfort of accountability. He faced the truth about his team’s weak pipeline and unpredictable forecasts. He chose to act. He created a clear sales process. He retrained his team and held individuals accountable for their performance. He didn’t just tweak things—he committed to building a culture of discipline and ownership.
Six months later, Leader B’s revenue had grown 18%. Leader A? Still stuck.
This is the difference between beautiful choices and poor ones. Success, as a leader, comes from showing up consistently. It’s about controlling what you can, not waiting for fate or luck to fix your problems.
The Stoic Mindset: Choices Shape Everything
In his Daily Stoic newsletter, Ryan Holiday talks about the beauty of choices. He shares Epictetus’ wisdom: “You are what your choices make you, nothing more and nothing less.”
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The choice to get out of bed at 5 a.m. to exercise instead of hitting snooze.
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The choice to prioritize your family instead of staying late for yet another unproductive meeting.
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The choice to read and invest in your personal development instead of zoning out on Netflix.
These decisions aren’t one-offs. They stack up. They compound. The same holds true for your sales organization.
Think about it:
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Are you choosing to hold your team accountable?
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Are you coaching your sales managers to lead better?
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Are you investing in professional development for your team, even when it’s uncomfortable or costly?
Or are you taking the easy way out? Ignoring the gaps, tolerating mediocrity, and avoiding tough talks?
Your choices are your leadership.
Health, Wealth, and Family: The Three Pillars of a Balanced Leader
As entrepreneurs and leaders, we get busy. We convince ourselves that it’s okay to cut corners in one area of life because we’re focused on another.
“I’ll skip the gym today because work is crazy.” “I’ll miss dinner with the kids because I need to close this deal.” “I’ll hire fast instead of hiring right because we need someone now.”
The problem? Your business, your health, and your relationships are intertwined. To scale your company, you must be a great leader. You need to build a high-performing sales team. You must stay sane while doing it. To succeed, you need discipline in all three areas.
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Health: You can’t run a company if you’re running on fumes. Physical, mental, and emotional fitness require consistent, daily choices. Show up for yourself first—because if you don’t, you won’t have anything left to give your team.
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Wealth: A business isn't just about revenue. It's about creating systems that deliver results. They must be sustainable. Coaching your salespeople, refining your sales process, and developing leaders grows wealth.
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Family: Success at work means nothing if you lose what matters most. Stoicism teaches us that a balanced life requires good choices. Sometimes, that means saying "no" to fun opportunities. It lets you say "yes" to your kids or spouse.
Every day is a chance to make a better choice.
Your Sales Team: Are They Making Beautiful Choices?
Let’s apply this idea to your sales organization.
Are your salespeople making beautiful choices every day?
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Are they choosing to pick up the phone and prospect when it’s uncomfortable?
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Are they choosing to prepare for sales calls instead of winging it?
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Are they choosing to stick to your sales process, even when a shortcut looks tempting?
Or, are they skipping steps and avoiding accountability? Are they defaulting to the buyer's process?
As a leader, it’s your responsibility to set the tone. Hold your team to a standard of discipline and excellence. Build a culture where the right choices aren’t optional—they’re expected.
Because when your sales team makes better choices, results follow:
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Sales cycles shorten.
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Revenue forecasts improve.
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Win rates go up.
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Margins hold firm because your team knows how to sell value.
Beautiful choices lead to beautiful results.
The Stoic’s Challenge for Leaders: Make the Hard Choices
You won't fix accountability issues, sales turnover, or missed forecasts overnight. These are hard problems. But that’s what leadership is about—choosing to confront the hard things head-on.
If you’re reading this, you’re already on the right path. You’re seeking knowledge. You’re looking for better ways to lead. Now, it’s time to act.
Epictetus reminds us: “We face choices not just daily, but here and now.”
Right now, you face a choice:
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Do you keep running your business as it is—accepting missed opportunities, weak accountability, and underperformance?
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Or do you step up, make a better choice, and commit to improving yourself, your sales team, and your company?
Let’s Make the Right Choice Together
To build a sales team that shares your vision and delivers results, you must take action.
Subscribe to my Sales Velocity newsletter. It has tips and lessons on sales leadership. They are from my hard-won experience. I share stories and strategies to help you. Use them to make better choices, build better teams, and grow your revenue.
Because the truth is simple: Beautiful choices build beautiful businesses.
