The Power of No
(Why Growth Sometimes Means Letting Go)
What Marcus Aurelius Knew About Success That Most Entrepreneurs Ignore
Sometimes the hardest business lessons come from saying “yes” when you should have said “no.”
I learned this through experience when we expanded our home health agency by opening a branch in a new geographic area. On paper, it looked perfect. The numbers worked. The need was there. That area eventually grew to represent half of our business.
But success isn’t just about numbers. Managing teams across locations meant weekly two-hour plus drives (each way!), often with key team members. Every leadership change in the new area required someone from our home office to fill in until we could recruit and train new leaders. This pulled our strongest people away from our core operations, affecting both areas.
We didn’t know the new community like we knew our home territory. Building relationships with referral sources meant trusting people we barely knew to represent our values and to do things our way instead of falling into the industry’s usual patterns. The constant drain on resources and attention meant we were doing more but struggling to maintain the quality we demanded of ourselves.
Marcus Aurelius wrote, “If you seek tranquility, do less.” At the time, I thought tranquility was a luxury I couldn’t afford. I was wrong.
The Personal Cost of Growth
The true cost wasn’t just operational. Those long drives and occasional overnight stays meant missing more of my children’s activities and family events. My wife had to manage everything at home while I was building the business. There was no single crisis moment that let me know I needed to sell that branch—just the slow realization that the toll on my family and my business wasn’t worth the growth we were achieving.
Eventually, I chose to sell that part of the business to someone better positioned to serve those patients and employees. The good news is that after we refocused on our core area, our growth accelerated. Sometimes less really is more.
The “Perfect” Opportunity Trap
Then there was the time when an expert in a specialized type of care (psychiatric nursing) practically fell into our lap. She came with another psych nurse and a built-in clientele of complex patients who needed their care. It seemed like a gift—instant diversification, a new revenue stream, and minimal startup costs.
Except that it wasn’t that simple. These patients needed specialized care that our regular staff wasn’t comfortable providing. When our specialists got sick or went on vacation, we struggled to find the right staff to provide the right care at the right time. What looked like an easy win became a constant source of stress for our team.
In the end, I chose to shut down that service line and help those patients find an agency better equipped to serve them. Another lesson in the cost of saying “yes” to opportunities that pull you away from your core mission.
Making Hard Choices
These transitions, while necessary, were never easy. When we sold the branch operation, we ensured all employees could continue with the acquiring company. When we closed the specialized service line, we helped those nurses transition to an agency where their expertise would be a better fit.
I remember having a hard conversation with a sales representative we’d hired to develop a specialty vision program that never gained traction. After months of effort, we had to accept it wasn’t working. Unlike our clinical staff, who could move to other roles, this meant a genuine layoff. These moments remind you that business decisions affect real people’s lives.
The Hidden Cost of “More”
Because we’re all constantly connected, saying no is more important than ever. Every notification might bring a new opportunity. Every email could be the next big thing. But here’s what I’ve learned about growth:
Quality requires focus
Teams need consistent leadership
Culture doesn’t scale without intention
Some opportunities cost more than they’re worth
Recognizing When to Say No
Looking back, the warning signs were consistent:
When success in one area starts undermining another
When growth creates more complexity than your team can manage well
When opportunities pull you away from your core mission
When saying “yes” starts affecting your family life
Marcus Aurelius also wrote, “Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking.” In business terms, that means success often comes not from adding more, but from focusing intensely on what you do best.
The Strategic Power of No
Today, when I work with coaching clients, I help them evaluate opportunities differently. We look at:
How new initiatives affect their core business
The true cost to their team and culture
The impact on their personal lives
Whether growth serves their mission or just their ego
Just because something is a “once in a lifetime opportunity” doesn’t mean you have to say “yes.” Every time we said no to something that wasn’t core to our mission, we created space for something better. After selling off that geographic expansion, our original area flourished. After closing the specialized service line, our core services grew stronger.
Making Peace with Focus
Marcus Aurelius reminded us, “The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.” Sometimes what looks like an obstacle—the need to say no, to pull back, to let go—actually shows you the path forward.
I had to learn these lessons through experience. Now I try to help others recognize these patterns before they take the toll they took on me and my family.
Your Turn to Choose
Look at your business right now:
What opportunities are actually distractions?
Where is growth coming at too high a personal cost?
What would you prune if you had the courage to focus?
Remember: sometimes the best way to grow is to let go.
What will you say no to today?
