P U B L I C A T I O N S
Working Harder Than Ever But Business Still Feels Stuck?
Here’s the ugly truth about entrepreneurship: most small business owners don’t own companies. They own jobs. If your business depends on you to do the work every day, you’re not an entrepreneur — you’re self-employed. And you’ve fallen into what I call the Self-Employment Trap.
How the Trap Works
Many entrepreneurs believe that if they just work hard long enough, their business will eventually evolve into a company. But time doesn’t create growth — intentional shifts do. Without those shifts, you stay stuck:
- Working for your business instead of leading it.
- Tied to revenue that only grows when you do.
- Burned out and wondering why you’re not further along.
The Beliefs That Hold You Back
- This is just how it is when you run a business.
- If I don’t do it, it won’t get done right.
- Eventually it will grow on its own.
These are lies — and they’re keeping you trapped.
The Escape
To break free, you must rewire your mindset from “employee” to “CEO.” You stop doing all the work, and instead lead people and systems. You create a business that works without you. This is how I scaled from $30 to $12M — by making the shift from operator to leader.
Your Next Step
Don’t wait for your business to “evolve.” It won’t. Book a strategy call with me, and let’s uncover the traps in your mindset and the gaps in your systems — and build a clear path from self-employment to true entrepreneurship.
👉 Book your strategy call today and break free from the trap.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Thomas Minieri is the author of the cult-classic book Lemonade Maker. A self-made entrepreneur, innovation strategist, and digital marketing expert, he founded Lemonade Maker® Strategies— a modern business community designed to help entrepreneurs thrive in today’s age of technology and disruption.
With over two decades of experience, Thomas has built multiple 7- and 8-figure companies across franchising, digital strategy, real estate, event production, and innovation consulting—entirely without outside capital or debt. His work has been featured in Forbes, Entrepreneur, Fast Company, and more.
Known for his fearless creativity, culture-driven leadership, and tech-forward approach, Thomas has helped thousands of founders bring clarity to chaos and break the status quo to build something unforgettable.





