219: The Most Counterintuitive Business Advice That Actually Works

Organic Growth: The Unscalable Moves That Actually Scale Your Business

When I started as an entrepreneur, I valued my time at zero. Not figuratively—literally zero. That mindset is what gave me the edge early on. It allowed me to say yes to a lot of the messy, hands-on, “unscalable” work that most people want to skip. And the ironic thing is… those are the exact actions that created organic growth in my business.

These days, people want automation, AI, ads, and hacks. I get it. But if you’re in the early stages of building a business—especially in your first couple of years—those shortcuts are usually premature. You need momentum first. And the way you get it is by doing the things that don’t scale.

So let me break down the three unscalable strategies that helped me generate real organic growth—and why they still matter today.

1. Strategic Work for Free

Yes, I worked for free. But not in the desperate “exposure will pay the bills” way. I did it strategically.

Early on, I was writing non-stop. I pitched guest posts to big blogs with strong readerships. Most of the time, I got ignored. But every once in a while, someone would say yes—and they’d publish my writing along with a backlink to my site. That’s how my name started circulating.

I also offered free coaching in the fitness space. But I didn’t just hand it out—I required something in return: testimonials. These weren’t just fluff either. I’d tell them upfront, “I’ll coach you for three months. All I ask is an honest video testimonial at the end.” That trade made both of us better.

If you’re working for free, make sure it moves the ball forward. Give value, but get leverage.

2. Search Engine Optimization (Yes, Still)

Everyone’s obsessed with going viral on Instagram or TikTok—but you know what still works?

Search Engine Optimization.

It worked back then, and it works now. I optimized blog posts, videos, and even podcast titles. And now, people are finding my content not just through Google—but even through ChatGPT. Seriously, we just had our first customer who came to us from a ChatGPT recommendation. Wild.

SEO isn’t sexy. It’s slow. But it’s one of the best long-term plays for organic growth.

YouTube, for example, is the second largest search engine after Google. You can still win there. Same goes for your website. Learn the basics. Implement consistently. And you’ll create digital real estate that pays dividends for years.

3. Harvesting Early Attention

This one’s probably the least talked about—but it was huge for me.

If I posted something on Facebook and got 7 likes, I didn’t scoff. I reached out to every single person who engaged. Not to pitch them—but just to thank them.

Something simple like:

“Hey, I’m just getting started. Really appreciate you liking my post—means a lot.”

No pitch. No call to action. Just human interaction.

This early connection-building built trust, community, and conversations. Some of those people are still in my ecosystem years later. That’s organic growth. One person at a time. Relationship first. Business second.

Why It Works

The truth is, scalable systems don’t build trust. People do.

You can run ads and build funnels once you’ve nailed the human stuff. But early-stage organic growth is built on effort, consistency, and unscalable connection.

So if you’re still early in the game, don’t skip this part. Do the hard, slow stuff. Write. Reach out. Optimize. Be generous.

These are the moves that compound into momentum.

But to make them work—you’re going to have to try harder.

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