Your ability to change your beliefs and shift your narrative determines the trajectory of your business and your life.

I'm Michael Kelly, founder of Scale Your Offers. I've gone from being a drug addict to building a thriving business. The shift didn't start with tactics or strategies. It started with destroying the limiting beliefs that kept me stuck.

In this post, I'm going to show you one of the most powerful concepts I've learned over the past few years. It's simple. And it works.

Everything Is a Story

Every belief you hold, every memory you carry, exists as a story in your mind.

The problem is that most of the stories we tell ourselves are completely false. We made them up. We repeated them. And eventually, they became facts in our subconscious.

I used to tell myself that because I wasn't good in school, I could never be good at learning. I had this story about how I was going to fail, how I couldn't remember things, how I just wasn't smart enough.

As I got older, those thoughts followed me. I'd forget where I put my phone. I'd lose my keys. And every time it happened, it reinforced the story. See? I knew I had a bad memory.

Those beliefs were ingrained in my subconscious mind. And because they lived there, my brain made sure they played out as fact. Over and over again.

The Stories Holding Back Your Business

The same thing happens with business beliefs.

"People aren't going to pay me $5,000 for my coaching program."

"There's no way I can scale to $200,000 or $300,000 per month."

"Nobody's going to pay for my knowledge. How would I even package it into a course?"

"Money is the root of all evil. People with money are greedy."

Whatever stories are running in your mind right now, they're shaping your reality. You can't build a $300K per month business while telling yourself it's impossible. The two can't coexist.

Until you know what stories are playing out, you can't rewrite them.

Step One: Extract the Old Stories

Get them out of your head and onto paper.

What do you believe about money? About your ability to succeed? About your worthiness to charge premium prices? About the kind of clients you can attract?

Write down every limiting belief you can identify. Don't filter. Don't judge. Just extract.

This might feel uncomfortable. That's fine. The discomfort means you're hitting something real.

Step Two: Create New Stories

Once you have the old stories documented, you rewrite them.

Take each limiting belief and flip it into an empowering statement. Write them as "I am" affirmations.

Old story: "I'm just not smart enough to be a business owner."

New story: "I have everything I need to achieve as an entrepreneur. I have everything I need to become who I need to become in order to create a thriving, growing business."

Old story: "I have a terrible memory."

New story: "I have a fantastic memory. I remember everything throughout my day."

Old story: "People won't pay premium prices for my expertise."

New story: "I attract clients who value transformation and gladly invest in themselves."

The new stories don't need to feel true yet. You're creating the neural pathways that will make them true.

Step Three: Burn the Old, Read the New

Every single morning, read your new stories.

The old stories? Throw them away. Literally burn them if you want. They're not you anymore. That's not your identity.

The new stories are who you're becoming. Every time you read them, you're reinforcing those neural pathways in your subconscious mind. You're training your brain to operate from a different belief system.

When I started telling myself "I have a fantastic memory," I stopped losing my keys. I stopped forgetting where I put my wallet. The story changed, and reality followed.

Why This Matters for Your Business

Your business can only grow as fast as you do.

If you believe you can't scale past a certain revenue number, you'll unconsciously sabotage every opportunity to break through. If you believe premium clients won't pay you, you'll price yourself low and attract bargain hunters.

The beliefs come first. The results follow.

This framework also applies to copywriting and marketing. When I'm writing copy, I look at what old stories are playing in my prospect's mind. Then I craft messaging that shifts those stories and creates new possibilities.

It's the same mechanism. You're helping someone move from a limiting identity to an empowering one. That's what great marketing does.

Keep It Simple

This can get heady. Don't let it.

Write down your old stories. Rewrite them as "I am" statements. Read the new stories every morning. That's it.

Shifting your mindset starts with this one practice. When you change your beliefs, everything around you starts evolving. You level up in every area of your life.

The business you want, the income you want, the team you want—it all starts with becoming who you need to become. And that starts with the stories you tell yourself.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are limiting beliefs in business?

Limiting beliefs are false stories you tell yourself that constrain your potential. Common examples include believing you can't charge premium prices, that you're not smart enough to succeed, or that scaling beyond a certain revenue is impossible. These beliefs become self-fulfilling prophecies because your subconscious acts on them as if they were facts.

How do I identify my limiting beliefs?

Pay attention to the thoughts that arise when you consider taking bigger action in your business. Notice what you tell yourself about money, success, and your capabilities. Write down every negative or constraining thought without filtering. The beliefs that create the most resistance are usually the ones most worth examining.

Do affirmations actually work for business success?

Affirmations work when used consistently to rewire subconscious beliefs. Reading "I am" statements daily creates new neural pathways that replace limiting stories. The key is repetition and emotional engagement. Affirmations alone don't build businesses, but they remove the internal resistance that prevents you from taking effective action.

How long does it take to change a limiting belief?

Timeline varies based on how deeply ingrained the belief is and how consistently you practice replacement. Some beliefs shift within weeks of daily repetition. Others take months of consistent reinforcement. The change happens gradually—you'll notice yourself taking actions you previously avoided before you consciously recognize the belief has shifted.

Can limiting beliefs affect how much money I make?

Absolutely. Your income tends to match your identity. If you believe deep down that you don't deserve to earn six figures, you'll unconsciously sabotage opportunities to get there. Shifting money beliefs often produces immediate changes in how you price your offers, which clients you attract, and what opportunities you pursue.

What's the connection between identity and business growth?

Your business reflects who you believe yourself to be. If you identify as someone who struggles, your business will struggle. If you identify as someone who builds successful companies, your actions align with that identity. Changing your business starts with changing who you see yourself as—and that happens through the stories you tell yourself.

Should I focus on mindset or tactics to grow my business?

Both matter, but mindset creates the foundation. The best tactics in the world won't help if you're sabotaging yourself with limiting beliefs. Start with mindset to remove internal resistance, then apply tactics from a place of aligned identity. Entrepreneurs who skip the mindset work often implement tactics inconsistently because their beliefs don't support the actions.