📍  Hey friends, it's Sarah Beth, I want to invite you into a conversation that started of all places at our dining room table last night. My husband and I were talking about what it means to truly commit to something, your business, your team, your people. And he brought up the story of burning the ships, a story that I've actually never heard before.

I did a little bit of research between last night and today while I'm recording this episode, because truthfully, I wasn't going to record this episode on burning the ships, but here we are. My husband has walked with me through every bold decision that I've ever made. He was my very first mentor, my first coach, and he's the person that I call when everything feels like it's too much, and when everything feels like it might just work out.

His insight has helped me stand firm in the hardest decisions of my life. And in this conversation, he reminded me of something that deeply aligns with how I live, how I lead, and how I build this idea that sometimes we're holding on to too many lifeboats, too many backup plans, and it's stopping us from fully stepping into what we're meant to do.

And so today, inspired by that dining room table moment. I wanna talk with you about what it means to burn the ships. No backup plan, no exit strategy, no fear-based decisions, no plan B. Just full surrender to the vision you were given. Because when we burn the ships, we show up differently and it changes everything.

So let's go back to the year 1519. Yes, you heard that right? I'm taking you back to the year 1519 Spanish conquistador, Hernan Cortez arrived in Vera Cruz, Mexico with a mission to conquer the Aztec empire. He brought with him 600 men, 16 horses, and 11 ships. The Spanish forces were far outnumbered and the terrain, and people were completely unknown to them.

Now, picture that moment. Hundreds of miles from home. No cell phones, no maps, no allies, just the ocean behind them and uncertainty ahead. According to the legend, once the men reached the shore, Cortez turned and gave a stunning command, burn the ships. Some accounts say that he scuttled them. 

That is he sank them but the meaning remains the same. There would be no return. No retreat. They were all in. Now, why would someone do something so drastic? Because Cortez knew that fear and comfort would be the first things to sabotage commitment. As long as those ships floated behind them, his men would have one foot in the mission and one foot ready to run.

By removing the exit, he anchored their mindset. We either succeed together or we die trying. And you know what? Against incredible odds they succeeded. This story has lived on in leadership circles and books, even in pop culture. I actually researched that Tony Robbins referenced this when he is talking about the psychology of absolute commitment.

Business schools use it to teach the cost of partial engagement. It's not about military strategy anymore. It's about decision making that leaves no room for escape. Because when your only option is forward, you move differently. You lead with urgency, you show up with courage, you put your hands to the plow and you don't look back.

So let's bring this forward to today. You're running a small business, maybe a dental practice or any other small business out there. Maybe you're an entrepreneur, maybe you're leading a team of three or 30 or 300. And every day you face the temptation to stay safe, to keep a side hustle, just in case to avoid hard conversations, to pull back instead of pushing.

According to a 2024 Gallup workplace report, only 33% of small business owners consider themselves fully engaged in their business. That means two thirds are operating with partial energy. And listen, I say this with so much grace ' cause I get it. There are real fears, real failures in our past.

But the burn the ship's mindset isn't about pretending those don't exist. It's about removing the options that tempt you to shrink. It's declaring I'm not watching the door anymore. Burning the ships is about emotional investment, spiritual grit, mental clarity. It's about shifting from doubt to direction.

It's the same reason successful people talk about going all in because a divided heart can't lead. Well, there's a quote that I love from John Maxwell, a fantastic leader if you've never heard of him. He is world renowned. He has books in like 80 different languages. It's absolutely wild. He says, you cannot overestimate the uni importance of practically everything.

So burn the ships, my friend. Stop entertaining the distractions. Clarity comes when you make the decision to stay. Now, if we get real about leadership for a minute, especially when it comes to hiring, we're gonna uncover a few things. When you bring someone into your business, onto your team. You're not just filling a seat.

I need you to stop acting that way. You are creating an ecosystem of trust. You are investing time, resources, energy, and more than anything, investing your own belief. I always say this to my team. I don't want you to just work for me or work for my company. I want to build something so big with you that you actually feel you own this place.

You don't just work here, you own it with me. But that kind of trust requires burning the ship of constant replacement. You can't lead well while constantly scanning for someone better. Leadership is not about perfection, it's about presence. Did you know that 80% of employees who feel trusted by leadership are actually more productive?

And 76% are more loyal. That's according to a 2023 report by Harvard Business Review. That isn't just made up numbers or a legend that we're retelling today. It's data. So when you lead from a place of, Hey, I'm in this with you, your team rises to that energy, it creates safety, ownership.

Momentum. Everybody's not worried that somebody's upset and now they're gonna quit. Yes, sometimes people will still walk away. They will still quit. They will still go on to another venture. But here's the thing, you will never regret leading with heart. You will only regret holding back. And when those people do sometimes leave.

Do you wanna look back and say, what could I have done differently and realize that there was a laundry list of things you could have done differently? When I lose a team member, I'm not sad about it anymore. I don't find myself regretting a million different decisions and not doing the right thing because I know I gave them everything.

I've built the training. I've built the resources. I've given them my whole heart, soul, and mind, and I've given them ownership in my business. I don't regret anything. I just know that that season has ended and now there's a new season that's beginning. Where will you fall?

I need to talk to the tired one who's listening today. Burning the ships is not about burning yourself to the ground. It's not about hustle culture, it's not about pretending you're not overwhelmed. refusing to let exhaustion be your reason to exit In a 2025 Mental health and business survey, 74% of small business owners reported feeling burnout at least once a week, but those who had a deep belief in their mission.

They were 60% more likely to recover from stress and return to focus. So what does that tell us? That why you show up matters. That who you show up for matters. When you commit fully to your mission, it doesn't mean you ignore your need for rest. It means you plan for it, you restore instead of retreat. And if you're tired today, pause, breathe.

But don't quit. You didn't come this far just to float. And while we're on the topic of this, let's talk about your circle. The burn The ship mentality isn't just about business, it's about how we commit to people, how we build trust. When you say to a friend, I'm not walking away from you, you are burning a ship.

When you choose to stay in hard conversations, to fight for healing, to cheer someone on when they feel lost, you are practicing loyalty. Research from the Gottman Institute shows that loyalty is one of the top two traits in relationships that thrive long term. So not your compatibility, not your shared hobbies, loyalty.

We need that in our friendships, in our businesses, in our lives. If no one has shown up for you like that. Start by being the one who does. I know it feels awkward and unfair at first because why should I do that if no one did that for me? But there's a mindset shift. You are creating the world that you want around you.

You are building your circle. So all those people who didn't do that for you, they weren't meant to be here. There's a boundary that you're allowed to create. You don't have to feel bad for that boundary. You just get to create it. And if other people want to be in your life, then they'll understand the boundaries you've created and how you're moving forward.

And if they don't understand it, there's no reason to feel bad ' cause they're not in alignment with you. That word alignment is huge for me. I talk with my team about it all the time. We talk about when we are or are not in alignment and when we're not, we all regroup together to figure out how to get that alignment again if we can't find it, that's a boundary we've made.

Can we breathe together for a minute? Can we just pause and breathe? As we close out this episode, I wanna bring together our, that's good moment. A moment to just pause, reflect, and lean in. I wanna revisit what we've covered in this episode and also break it down just a little bit more and give you some action steps.

Burning the ships is about courage, not recklessness. Your team reflects your example. Burnout is real, but retreat is not the solution. Relationships flourish through loyalty and true momentum is born out of unwavering commitment. So let's break it down even just a little more.

Maybe it's the side hustle that's a security blanket. Maybe it's the old identity you keep wearing that's no longer aligned with your growth. Maybe it's a limiting belief that whispers you're not ready. So here's what I want you to do. Title a page in the notes of your iPhone or grab a notebook and title it Ships I've been holding onto.

Write them down, be honest. Then circle just one and commit to letting it go. This will change your world. It will change the trajectory of where you are going to go. This is your first step.

This is your, that's good moment. The kind that doesn't just change your business, but it changes you friend. Building something meaningful will always cost you your comfort, but it gives you a legacy far greater than safety ever will. So ask yourself, where am I still standing on the dock? What ship am I afraid to let go of?

Light the match? Let it go burden the ship. And if you are looking for a mentor, a speaker, or a coach, I'm here. The links are in the show notes and I'd be honored to walk beside you. And if you're in dentistry and you found this message helpful, I want you to check out the free training we just released.

Go to dentistry support.com/freetraining and search burn the ships. It's there for you real free and ready to use. You weren't meant to stay safe. You were meant to build something that lasts. I believe in you. I'll catch you  📍 guys on the next episode.