My Biggest Entrepreneur Mistakes (and the Ones That Quietly Cost Me Years)

Most entrepreneur advice online is built around wins.

Big revenue months.
Viral moments.
Perfect routines.
“Here’s what I did right.”

But if I’m being real, my growth came more from mistakes than wins.

I’m Zues Ordaz — a work-from-home dad, entrepreneur, and marketer. I’ve built multiple businesses from scratch, generated over 200M views across platforms, and helped dozens of small businesses grow using digital marketing.

And none of that happened without messing up… a lot.

In my newest YouTube video, I break down the five biggest mistakes I made as an entrepreneur — the ones that cost me time, money, energy, and years of progress… mostly because I didn’t even realize I was doing them wrong at the time.

👉 Watch the full video here:

Mistake #1: Building Without a Blueprint

In the beginning, I thought entrepreneurship was about hustle and improvisation.

So I did everything:

• design

• clients

• filming

• editing

• sales

• marketing

• strategy

• operations

From the outside, it looked impressive.

From the inside, it was burnout.

I’d wake up excited… then switch tasks ten times… then end the day exhausted, feeling like I worked nonstop but didn’t move forward.

Here’s what I learned:

Hard work isn’t the problem.
Lack of a roadmap is.

Everything changed when I started treating business like a system:

• documenting my process

• building repeatable workflows

• creating templates

• automating the “mundane” work

• focusing on one priority at a time

If you’re building without a blueprint, your business becomes a daily emergency.

Mistake #2: Underestimating “Boring” Money Problems

This is one of the most expensive mistakes I’ve ever made.

For years, I focused on:

• content

• storytelling

• client results

• growth

• brand building

But I ignored the boring stuff:

• fees

• tax planning

• asset allocation

• scattered accounts

• duplicated investments

• long-term financial decisions

I treated it like background noise.

Until I realized that “boring” money problems quietly drain real money.

At one point, I had money spread across different places:

• old employer 401(k)

• Roth IRA

• brokerage accounts

• forgotten investments

• business accounts

And like most entrepreneurs, I told myself:

“I’ll figure it out later.”

But later never comes when you’re busy running a business and raising a family.

How I Fixed My Financial Blind Spots (Without Calls or Moving Assets)

This is where Mezzi entered my workflow — because I needed clarity without adding another “task” to my life.

👉 Try Mezzi (AI-powered portfolio check):
https://mezzi.1stcollab.com/zuesordaz_yt

Mezzi is an AI-powered registered investment advisor that can analyze all your connected accounts together (through Plaid) and help identify things like:

• concentration risk across accounts

• overlapping funds

• fee reduction opportunities

• potential tax optimizations

• hidden inefficiencies

What impressed me most was being able to ask a complex question at 11 p.m. and get an instant breakdown — instead of waiting days for an advisor response (or getting told they can’t advise on accounts they don’t manage).

It became a second set of eyes so I’m not guessing with my future.

(Disclosure: Paid partnership. I’m compensated by Mezzi. Individual results may vary.)

Mistake #3: Not Respecting the Long Game

For a long time, I believed success came from doing everything faster:

• faster videos

• faster launches

• faster decisions

• faster growth

And yes — speed matters early because you need reps and momentum.

But here’s the truth:

Speed without direction is just chaos with extra steps.

What changed everything for me was slowing down and building depth:

• focusing on the audience right in front of me

• serving the client I already had

• improving systems instead of chasing novelty

• valuing impact over volume

Consistency beats hustle.

Every time.

Mistake #4: Taking Myself Too Seriously

This one is sneaky.

I used to treat every decision like it was life or death:

• every edit had to be perfect

• every project had to impress

• every email had to be immediate

• every little detail felt like it would make or break everything

But when you zoom out, you realize:

The things we stress about today are rarely what we remember later.

When I picture myself at the end of my life looking back, I’m not thinking:

“I wish I added one more clip to that video.”

I’m thinking:

• Was I a good dad?

• Was I a good husband?

• Did my business create freedom or constant stress?

• Did I build a life I actually enjoyed living?

That mindset shift changed how I build everything now.

It’s why I choose flexible timelines, prioritize family, and build a business model that supports the life I want — not one that forces me into a box.

Mistake #5: Avoiding the Hard Conversations

This one hurt the most because it followed me for years.

I avoided uncomfortable conversations like the plague:

• raising prices

• setting boundaries

• saying no to brands

• asking for clarity

• correcting clients when they were wrong

• defining expectations upfront

I told myself I was keeping the peace.

But the truth is: I was avoiding conflict.

And here’s what I learned the hard way:

The longer you avoid a hard conversation, the more expensive it becomes.

I undercharged for months because I didn’t want to raise rates.
I accepted extra revisions because I didn’t want to “rock the boat.”
I let projects drag on because I didn’t clarify expectations early.

And the worst part wasn’t money…

It was resentment.

Hard conversations don’t push good clients away.
They push the wrong clients away.

And that’s a gift.

The Realization That Changed How I Build Everything

Every mistake I shared came back to one core realization:

I was focused on building a better future, but I wasn’t preparing myself to live it.

As your life changes — kids, marriage, responsibilities — your business has to evolve too.

Your systems.
Your habits.
Your boundaries.

That’s where freedom actually comes from.

If even one lesson in this video helps you avoid a setback I lived through, then every failure I made was worth it.

👉 Watch the full video here:

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CEO New Gen Marketing Company

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