There’s a story I love about a dog lying on a porch, moaning. A neighbor hears the whining and asks, “Why is your dog making that noise?”
The owner replies, “He’s lying on a nail.”
“Why doesn’t he move?”
“I guess it just doesn’t hurt bad enough yet.”
That one always hits people right in the gut — because we’ve all been that dog. Lying on a metaphorical nail, uncomfortable, annoyed, and complaining… but not moving.
In my work with entrepreneurs and leadership teams (especially in the home improvement world), I see it all the time. Business owners stuck in the same patterns — fighting fires, carrying dead weight, running meeting marathons with zero finish lines. And yet, they stay put. Why?
Because it’s familiar.
Because change is scary.
Because the nail doesn’t hurt bad enough… yet.
But here’s the truth: whining never pulled out a nail. Movement does.
How Do You Know You’re on a Nail?
Let me give you a few telltale signs:
- You’re constantly firefighting
- Your meetings feel like hostage situations
- Your team? Not rowing in the same direction (heck, some may not even have paddles)
- You’re growing, but your bank account hasn’t gotten the memo
- The same issues keep popping up like whack-a-mole
Sound familiar? That’s your business moaning louder than a porch hound.
So Why Do We Stay Stuck?
Weirdly, there’s comfort in chaos.
The devil you know, right?
When you’re consistently miserable, at least you’re being consistent, right? .We convince ourselves that now’s not the right time… we’ll change “later.”
But spoiler alert: later usually shows up after burnout, breakdown, or bank account doom.
Enter EOS
EOS® (the Entrepreneurial Operating System) is the toolkit that helps you finally get off the nail and build something better.
It’s not fluff. It’s not theory. It’s a simple, proven system to get:
- Everyone aligned on a clear vision
- The right people in the right seats
- Decisions based on real data, not gut feelings
- Issues actually solved, not endlessly rehashed
- Processes that scale (not duct tape and prayers)
- Real traction — the kind you can see and measure
My Favorite Part? Traction.
This is where the rubber meets the road. Accountability. Consistency. Progress.
In home improvement, we know that no job gets done without tracking — measurements, timelines, inspections. Why would your business be any different?
Tracking progress isn’t micromanaging — it’s how you get lift-off.
And if your team is still “on the nail,” then accountability is the crowbar.
From Nails to New Growth
I’ve lived this metaphor in more ways than one. I’m also a breast cancer survivor. A year of chemo, radiation, hair loss, and hard lessons. And I learned that discomfort is part of the deal — but staying stuck is optional.
You can build a business (and a life) that doesn’t hurt.
You can stop settling for barely tolerable and start creating something aligned, profitable, and — yes — even fun again.
Ready to Get Off the Nail?
Let’s talk.
I’ll bring the dog story, the whiteboard, and a plan.
You bring the willingness to finally stand up and move.
Because moaning won’t fix your business. But EOS might.