Founder of 1% Better™ | Former accountant, future author | Follow me for the best self-development content on LinkedIn

Former accountant.
Future author.

I share actionable, educational, and entertaining self-development content to help my readers live their best lives.

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Colby Kultgen

I dealt with negative self-talk for years.

And believe me when I say, It's no fun going through life as your own worst enemy.

That's why I love simple reframes like this.

They’re the tiny course corrections that, over months and years, can completely transform the way you speak to yourself.

Source: Coral Santoro on Instagram

The only way to become the kind of person who can do the thing…is to start doing the thing before you feel like that kind of person.

Read that twice.

Most people get this backwards.

They wait until they feel like a "real" writer to publish.
They wait until they feel like a leader to speak up.

But here’s the thing: 
Identity doesn’t come first, action does.

The evidence you're searching for only shows up after you start.

So if you're feeling stuck right now.

Overthinking. 
Overpreparing. 
Overconsuming.

Ask yourself:
1. What would the “qualified” version of me do today?
2. What small move could I make in that direction?

Then do that.

Act like the person you want to become.
Eventually, you won’t be acting anymore.

End-of-year reminder:

You’re allowed to be proud of things that have nothing to do with income or promotions.

The friendships you strengthened.
The habits you kept.
The boundaries you honoured.
The health you protected.
The person you’re becoming.

Success is a much bigger pie than job titles and salaries.

If you grew, healed, learned, showed up for people, or protected your energy this year—that counts.

Celebrate the parts of your life that don’t get LinkedIn announcements.

Image credit: 6secondseq on IG

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a study everyone should know about:

Your brain is lying to you about the past.

Research shows we overestimate how predictable past events were by 30-50% (hindsight bias).

Translation: 
You think you "should have known better" way more often than you actually could have.

When you catch yourself spiraling about a past decision, run it through this filter:

1. Information gap - What did I not know then that I know now?
2. Resource gap - What didn't I have access to? (time, money, support, tools)
3. Awareness gap - What emotional patterns or blind spots hadn't I recognized yet?
4. Growth gap - What skills or wisdom hadn't I developed?

Your brain rewrites history to make past outcomes seem obvious. 

The reality is:
You did the best you could with what you knew. Now you know more. 

That's not failure, that's the whole point.

Remember:

It's better to admit you walked through the wrong door than spend your life in the wrong room.

I see this everywhere. 

The soul-crushing job we keep because it sounds impressive on paper.
The toxic relationship we cling to because leaving feels like giving up.
The outdated belief we defend because we've already invested so much of ourselves into it.

The hard part isn't recognizing this, it’s admitting it.

Because admitting you're in the wrong room means admitting you made a mistake. It means backing out. Confronting the sunk cost. Disappointing people. Starting over.

But here's what nobody tells you: staying costs more.

Every day in the wrong room is a day not spent in the right one.
It's not just wasted time, it's the compounding loss of what could have been.

The opportunities you'll never see. 
The version of yourself you'll never become.

Sometimes the bravest thing you can do in life is simply say: "This isn't right for me anymore.”

And then move on.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again:

Developing a bias for action is one of the most valuable things you can do in life.

This advice isn't anything new, Rumi was preaching the same thing almost 1,000 years ago: "As you start to walk on the way, the way appears."

As far as making this part of your every day working process goes, here are a few ideas:

1. Start every morning with one “move it forward” task. Pick the single smallest action that will advance your most important project, and do it before checking anything reactive.

2. Shrink every task to the next physical step. Not “write the article” but “outline the first three points.” Not “launch the product” but “draft the landing page headline.”

3. End the day by setting tomorrow’s first action. Before you close your laptop, write down the exact task you’ll start with in the morning.

♻️ Repost if this resonates.

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An idea that genuinely changed my life…

The Average Tuesday Rule:

The quality of your ordinary Tuesday is the best measure of your life satisfaction.

Think about it.

We spend 80% of our lives on these “nothing special” days, yet we obsess over optimizing the other 20%—weekends, vacations, milestones.

We tolerate miserable Tuesdays while dreaming about spectacular Saturdays.

But when your average Tuesday is an 8/10, everything changes:
↳ You stop counting down to Friday.
↳ Small moments start mattering more than big events.
↳ You start enjoying the entire ride, not just the peaks.

Most self-improvement advice focuses on reaching the ceiling.

The Average Tuesday Rule flips this approach: focus on raising your floor.

Here’s where to start:

➊ Design your ideal ordinary day:
 From wake-up to bedtime, craft a realistic blueprint for an 8/10 Tuesday.

➋ Take small steps to close the gap: 
- Identify one daily friction point and solve it permanently. 
- Add one small joy to your routine and protect it fiercely.
- Subtract one energy leak that consistently drains you. 

❸ Keep doing this until your reality matches your ideal.

Because life isn’t made up of mountaintop moments.

It’s made up of average Tuesdays.

How to remember almost everything you learn (science-backed):

how to remember almost everything you learn

I’m 34. 

Here’s what I would tell my 24-year-old self:

I’m 34. Here’s what I would tell my 24-year-old self.

How to do a hard reset on your life before 2026:

How to do a hard reset on your life before 2026

How to unrot your brain (step-by-step)

Reminder:

You don’t have to wait until January 1 to change your life.

Here are 6 questions to close out 2025 strong and hit the ground running in 2026:

6 questions to answer during the last 6 weeks of 2025

30 short habits with a massive return on life:

What would you add to this list?

30 short habits with a massive return on life 

Well, it's that time of year again.

Before we rush into 2026 with a fresh set of goals and big plans, there's something important we should do first:

Reflect on the 12 months behind us.

Wins, losses, lessons. The stuff most people skip over in their rush to plan what's next.

I originally created this set of 7 questions for myself, but after seeing how impactful they were, I knew I had to share them with you.

2025 Personal Year-In-Review

5 non-negotiable daily routines every person should have:

5 non-negotiable daily routines every person should have

A "razor" is a rule of thumb for simplifying complex decisions.

Here are 8 everyone should know:

8 decision-making razors everyone should know

How to get more done in less time (8 daily non-negotiables):

How to get more done in less time 

How to do a digital declutter before 2026:

How to Do a Digital Declutter Before 2026

Sergiu Bungărdean

I run a B2B messaging and homepage copywriting consultancy called Demand Hive.

At Demand Hive, we unf*ck your messaging in 3 weeks by helping you explain what you do more clearly and rewriting your homepage so you can win more projects.

We do this because most B2B messaging is f*cked - unclear, confusing, and you know it.

I’ve already done this for 100+ founders of design agencies, IT companies, software houses, consultancies, solopreneurs, and more.

Learn more about what we do and book a call below:

Founder & LinkedIn Personal Brand Manager

We help solopreneurs, founders, coaches, CEOs & executives build their personal brand on LinkedIn in order to increase visibility, generate inbound leads and improve credibility.

Most B2B founders struggle to clearly explain what they do.

Of course, they win fewer projects because of this.

But why does this happen?

Why is something so simple so difficult?

After working with 100+ clients, I noticed why.

I explain the reasons and how to fix it in today's carousel.

You can find everything below:

Unf*ck Your Messaging | B2B Messaging & Homepage Copywriting | I’ve helped 100+ founders explain what they do more clearly, rewrite their homepage, and win more projects.

Why most founders can't explain what they do

Knowing if your messaging works is difficult.

I know because I have done 100+ projects on messaging.

I've also talked with probably 1,000+ founders of service businesses.

Yet, there are a few key things you could look at.

They'll give you the answers you were looking for.

You can find everything below:

How to know if your messaging is actually working

This is the best way to unf*ck your messaging ↓

1) Delete everything you wrote about your ICP:

- Where they live
- How much money do they make
- How big their businesses are

Etc.

2) Rebuild your ICP starting from this:

- What's the main problem they face
- What are the top 3 symptoms of the problem
- What are the top 3 ways they can solve the problem

Then, build your solution as an answer to these.

After that, make sure:

- Your website copy reflects that
- Your content, outreach, etc, reflects that
- Your sales process is built around that

It doesn't matter if I'm from X, making Y, with a team of Z...

It matters if I have a headache and you have the pill to make it go away.

Your homepage doesn't describe exactly what you do?

It never will until you change this:

Talk less about you and more about them.

"We do..."
"We helped..."
"We're good at..."

All these means you talk about you... for you.

Some of you might even think this is a good idea.

"We talk about us so they trust us."

Trust you for what?

Before trusting you, they have to understand you...

That happens only when they feel you get them.

Talk about THEIR problems.
Talk about THEIR success, not yours.
Talk about your solution for THEIR needs.

This doesn't mean to say, "We increase revenue."

It means saying things like, "We do X so you no longer..."

Always talk from your clients perspective, not yours.

P.S.: This advice applies to all your marketing and sales.

If you want to win more projects, check this free resource: https://lnkd.in/dkg4agEE

Are you selling the wrong thing or just selling it wrong?

Most founders don’t ask that, even if they should.

They just rebuild.

A new offer.
A new tactic.
A new "everything".

They do it just because something "wasn't working."

But here’s what I’ve seen after 100+ projects:

What you're doing is often fine. It’s the framing that’s broken.

So before you reinvent everything…

Pause.

Read this essay and go through:

1) The most common mistakes.
2) The key things you need to fix.
3) 3 questions you need to answer clearly.

After that, go back to reinventing.

But odds are, you won’t need to.

Are you selling the wrong thing or just selling it wrong?

Can you clearly explain what you do?

If yes, you're ahead of 99% of your competitors.

That's because most of them can't do it.

They either said it loud or noticed the symptoms:

1) Their prospects are confused about what the business provides.
2) Sales conversations are often about explaining the service instead of selling it.
3) Marketing and sales don’t produce the expected results.

These problems are solved when you unf*ck your messaging:

1) You clearly explain what you do and trigger people.
2) They pay attention and feel you understand them.
3) They choose you because you're the most relevant.

Isn't this cool? I bet it is...

I recently recorded a free training about this topic.

It's finished and goes live tomorrow morning.

Everyone inside my email list will get it, for free.

Make sure you're there too: https://lnkd.in/dtwaM-sv

This is the best way to win more projects as a service business.

Yet, 8 out of 10 founders don't do it.

The truth is, most of my clients didn't know how.

That's why I decided to put everything in today's carousel.

You can find everything below:

How to win more projects by naming the ignored problems

There’s a moment in sales that decides everything.

It happens before price, fit, or objections.

It’s when the other person thinks:

“I get what you do and this is what I need.”

If that moment never happens, the sale won't happen.

I’ve seen it over and over.

Calls go well. Rapport is good. Interest is real.

But then nothing moves forward.

The buyer still doesn’t have a clear picture in their mind.

After 100+ projects, I've seen why it happens:

You’re too close to your own work to describe it simply.

That's why I built something to help you with this.

It's a free 19-minute training. It will show you:

1) How to clearly explain what you do
2) How you can easily win more projects

It's short, practical, and packed with real examples.

You can watch it here: https://lnkd.in/dQhYruEx

There’s a big chance the way you present your offer is wrong.

I know because I’ve reviewed hundreds in the last few years.

Most founders present their offers like a full package.

"We can do A, B, C... fix X, Y, Z..."

Even if it feels right because there's a lot of value... it's not.

People don’t take action until there’s a real, felt problem in front of them.

If their problem is X, why would they pay for Y and Z?

Because that's the correct way of doing things, right?

Well, it doesn’t matter what’s right to you but what’s right to them.

If you had a headache now, which one would you buy?

1) A pill that takes your headache away in 30 minutes.
2) A plan that involves blood tests, lifestyle changes, etc.

You’d choose number 1 even if number 2 is the “correct way.”

So why not build your business the same way?

Don’t sell “blood tests” when people have headaches.

Sell the headache pill. Focus on the felt problem.

P.S.:

I just finished writing an in-depth issue about this.

It goes out tomorrow at 11 a.m. EET.

I’ll show you how to turn your offer into the pill everyone wants.

Subscribe if you’re not on the list yet: https://lnkd.in/dtwaM-sv

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Colby Kultgen

Sergiu Bungărdean

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The Battle

Colby Kultgen

Sergiu Bungărdean

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Colby Kultgen's LinkedIn Performance

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