In the online business world, choosing to deviate from the established status quo means you’re subject to the tax of non-conformity.

But what even IS this tax? And don’t we already pay enough taxes? (ha, seriously!)

It’s simple really. Choosing to run your business differently than what the self-proclaimed experts say you should means that you may grow slower or leave money on the table. Ugh, sounds awful right? (Don’t give up yet, I promise this isn’t all bad news.)

To get the full picture I think we need to clearly define what the status quo is and why any of us would CHOOSE to grow slower or make less money to avoid the status quo.

Trading One Status Quo For Another

It’s a little like the saying “out of the frying pan, into the fire.” Many of us left the world of traditional work because we didn’t want to live the same life as everyone else. We wanted more freedom, control over our schedule and the opportunity to do work that matters to us.

What we didn’t expect was to find ourselves entrenched in another status quo.

In the online business world, we’re told hustling 24/7 to build a personal brand, amassing a bunch of followers and using high-pressure, manipulative sales tactics to hit 6, 7 or even 8 figures is THE path to success.

Nevermind that the goal post for success is constantly changing, so it’s near impossible to hit. A few years ago 6-figures was the ultimate, then it was 7 and now we’ve got people bragging all over about their 8-figure businesses (which of course they run in 2 hours of work per week 🙄).

And hey, if that’s your goal and you’re ok with what’s required to get to those revenue levels – go for it. I’m not here to shame anyone for their choices.

But I’ve noticed an increasing number of business owners who are fed up with this being touted as THE ONLY PATH to success. Frankly, it’s total bullshit.

To be clear: I’m not saying the status quo doesn’t work – it does! But at what cost?

The Cost Of Deviating From The Status Quo

Marketing Or Manipulation?

I’ve been asking this question for quite awhile now. When “experts” say that high-pressure, manipulative marketing tactics “work” and back it up with the fact they’re based on sales psychology I want to scream.

Yes, we know sales psychology works – it’s literally the study of how the human mind works during the buying process. 🙄 My problem is that we’re using that knowledge as a means to manipulate people into buying things they might not otherwise buy.

Not to mention the arrogance of thinking you know better than the buyer about what they need. Instead of respecting people’s ability to make their own decisions, we’re forcing them to do what we want for the sole purpose of improving our bottom line.

One of my favorite voices in the marketing space – Tad Hargrave of Marketing for Hippies – said in one of his YouTube videos “If it’s not easy to say no, then the yes doesn’t count.”

In digital marketing, we make it nearly impossible to say no. Urgency and FOMO, highlighting pain points ad nauseam – it’s all designed to get the most people possible to say yes (and quickly!), without regard to the cost.

So again, my question is: yes, the status quo works but at what cost?

If we all know marketing is a way to manipulate us, does it make us trust the person doing it? Does it make us want to buy from them again? How about tell our friends about them?

Obviously there is some nuance to this, but I think we can all agree that treating potential clients/customers/students like nothing more than a walking ATM you can bend to your will is not a good look.

Hustle Culture As The Gold Standard

I’ve also got a major issue with the effect of hustle culture on business owners. We’ve already established many of us left the traditional work force in search of something different, but in many cases where we end up is worse than what we left behind.

Social media glamorizes entrepreneurship as if it’s all cute coffee shops, photoshoots and money raining down on you without doing much work.

In reality the opposite is true. Running a business is hard. You are responsible for EVERYTHING. Even if you’re not particularly skilled at marketing or graphic design or bookkeeping, you’re now responsible for it all. Sure you can hire someone to help, but that assumes you have extra revenue to do so.

When you’re solely responsible for whether your business succeeds or fails, it makes it really hard to turn work off. Most of us go through a phase early on where we feel chained to our laptop during every waking hour.

We don’t end up having more time to do the things we wanted because we’re too busy trying to figure out how to set up a website, find clients or create a never-ending stream of social media content (more on this fucked up hamster wheel another day!).

Instead of acknowledging that it’s a struggle, the online business world leans into this as something to strive for. Hustle Hard is an anthem. And, sure, for a time-limited period a little hustle is fine.

But what about when hustling becomes the norm for months or even years on end? What is the cost to your health, wellbeing or relationships?

Out of the frying pan and into the fire, couldn’t be more true.

Choosing To Pay The Tax of Non-Conformity

Now that we’ve established the status quo isn’t all it’s touted to be, let’s circle back to our main topic – The Tax of Non-Conformity.

No this isn’t a literal tax, but rather a way to describe that deviating from the status quo can have financial effects. Does it mean it’s not worth it? That’s not something I can decide for you.

Here’s what I can tell you: if you’re miserable hustling 24/7 and noticing your wellbeing and relationships are suffering, growing slower or making less revenue may not be such a bad thing.

Also, if you’re uncomfortable using fake urgency, pressuring people to make a buying decision within a few minutes or encouraging them to invest large amounts of money into your programs – even if it’s way out of their budget – then you may find that switching up your sales and marketing tactics feels more aligned.

There are so many voices in the online space telling us that our follower count or revenue numbers are the most important measure of success, but I’m here to offer a different perspective.

Your Definition of Success Matters

I’m not about telling other people what to do. I respect that you’re an intelligent human who is capable of making your own decisions. But I also know that in a space crowded with voices telling you THIS IS THE WAY, it can be hard to go against the grain.

My message to you is:

• It’s ok to not want to follow the crowd
• It’s ok to market in a way that feels good to you
• It’s ok to embrace a slower pace of growth
• It’s ok to opt out of hustle culture
• It’s ok if your definition of success or fulfillment is different than everyone else

When you’re building a business, YOU are the ultimate authority on what matters. YOU get to decide what success means to you and let that guide all of your decisions.

If you decide you only want to work a few hours per day, make just enough to have a little spending money on top of covering your bills, or design your schedule to include a morning routine, lunch with friends and evenings with your family then you, like me, are choosing to pay the tax of non-conformity.

You’re saying your priorities are more important to you than rapid growth, massive follower counts and chasing more and more revenue by any means necessary. And contrary to what the gurus will tell you, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

The Origins of “The Tax of Non-Conformity”

A few months ago I saw a post on Twitter by Milly from Generalist.World where she mentioned an upcoming newsletter on the career tax of not conforming. The newsletter was geared towards generalists in traditional careers and discussed what it was like to lean into being a generalist in a specialists’ world.

While the topic was different, the title caught my eye and with a few tweaks it was a perfect description for what I’d been discussing offline with other business owners – and so The Tax of Non-Conformity came to life.

I understand this post may come off a bit ranty, but I’m on a mission to make business more human. I can’t do that without pointing out where we tend to get off the rails.

As with anything else on the internet (and generally in life) take what works for you from this and leave the rest.