Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. We’ve all been sold a glossy version of success. Flashy titles, bigger houses, picture-perfect bodies, a feed full of milestones.

I learned something painful about career growth when someone I was mentoring came to me frustrated last year. "I've been hitting my numbers for three years straight," she said. "But I feel stagnant.

There’s a lie many founders hear on day one: you need outside money to build a real business. You don’t. The first step isn’t a pitch deck. It’s a customer. My stance is simple and firm. Funding ...