Critically Evaluate Business Advice: Lisselepratt on Learning from Builders, Not Doubters

In a recent LinkedIn post, Lisselepratt discusses the critical importance of discerning the source of business advice, advocating for guidance from those who have successfully built businesses over those who haven’t.

Lisselepratt recounts personal experiences from the early stages of her entrepreneurial journey, where she received cautionary advice from individuals lacking business ownership experience. This advice often centered on perceived risks and the high failure rates of new ventures. As Lisselepratt highlights:

Don’t take business advice from people who’ve never built a business.

The post contrasts this with the more encouraging and actionable advice received from established business owners. These seasoned individuals offered perspectives rooted in possibility and perseverance, emphasizing belief in oneself and hard work as pathways to success, even acknowledging the inherent difficulties.

The Impact of Source on Advice Quality

Lisselepratt argues that the nature of advice often reflects the advisor’s own experiences, limitations, and fears. Advice stemming from individuals who have not ventured into business ownership may be influenced by their own anxieties and perceived inability to overcome challenges. According to Lisselepratt, this type of advice can be a significant barrier for aspiring entrepreneurs.

Conversely, advice from those who have navigated the entrepreneurial landscape and achieved success tends to be more empowering. Lisselepratt notes the qualitative difference in guidance:

If you really put your mind to it, you can do it.

This distinction, Lisselepratt explains, was a powerful learning experience, revealing that much of the discouraging advice she received was not based on objective business realities but on the advisor’s personal limitations.

Identifying Fear-Based vs. Experience-Based Guidance

Lisselepratt, who has led Capitalixe, a 7-figure fintech advisory, for over seven years and gained recognition through global speaking engagements and media features, emphasizes this point. She posits that when someone expresses doubt about an individual’s ability to achieve a goal, it often reflects the doubter’s own perceived limitations. In Lisselepratt’s view:

When someone tells you that you can’t do something, a lot of the time what they really mean is, “I can’t.”

This insight underscores the need for entrepreneurs to be highly selective about the counsel they heed. Lisselepratt poses a direct question to aspiring business leaders:

If they haven’t built what you want to build, why are you treating their opinion like direction?

Her post serves as a strong reminder to seek guidance from mentors and advisors who possess direct, relevant experience in building and scaling businesses, rather than from those whose perspectives are shaped by fear or a lack of firsthand knowledge.