Let’s get one thing straight—nobody’s out here trying to crush your dream.

But if you’re about to put your mortgage money into a café, a lounge, a boutique, or any other “vibe venture” because you think people will show up for the aesthetic… then I need you to hear me before you make the biggest financial mistake of your life.

I’ve seen this story before. It starts with a vision—a place where the lighting hits just right, where the playlist is a perfect blend of indie and lo-fi, where every drink is served in a handcrafted ceramic cup. It’s the spot that’ll have people pulling out their phones, snapping photos, tagging locations, and captioning posts with “The vibes are immaculate.”

And for a few weeks, maybe even a couple of months, it works. The launch is a hit, the place is packed, and you feel like you made it.

Then the honeymoon phase ends.

The foot traffic slows. The bills don’t. That dream of yours? It starts chewing through your savings faster than you ever imagined.

Now you’re running promos, cutting costs, trying to figure out why people aren’t coming back. The “vibes” haven’t changed. But what’s missing?

Here’s the truth:

Vibes don’t pay rent.
Aesthetic isn’t an ATM.
And if you built this place on borrowed money, your dream is now a ticking time bomb.

The Illusion of a Successful Spot

You ever walked into a place, looked around, and thought, Damn, this place must be making a killing?

Let me tell you something—most of those places are drowning.

They look successful because they have no choice. They HAVE to look good, they HAVE to keep up appearances, because the moment people sense desperation, it’s over.

But behind the scenes? The owner is sweating payroll. They’re taking out short-term loans just to make rent. They’re watching their bank account bleed out, slowly and painfully.

And if they, like you, thought that a beautiful space and a strong Instagram presence were enough to keep the doors open, they are in for the rudest awakening of their life.

Locals Keep You Alive—Not Tourists, Not Influencers

I don’t care how many TikTokers pass through your doors.

I don’t care how viral your grand opening was.

If the people who live in your area don’t love your spot enough to make it a habit, you’re done.

Tourists come and go. Locals pay your rent.

The best spots in any city aren’t the ones with the most followers online. They’re the ones with a base of ride-or-die customers—the ones who don’t just come for the photo-op, but because it’s their place.

You wanna survive? You better be the first spot that comes to mind when someone in your town says:

• Let’s grab coffee.
• Let’s hit up a chill spot.
• Let’s go somewhere that feels good to sit and talk for hours.

If your business doesn’t hold that real-life weight in people’s daily routines, then I hate to break it to you, but you built a set, not a business.

Marketing Ain’t Just Pretty Pictures

A lot of people go into this thinking marketing is just about creating an aesthetic.

Slap together a logo, get some moody photos, throw up a well-designed Instagram grid, and boom—you’re set, right?

Wrong.

Marketing isn’t just about looking good—it’s about making people feel like they belong.

The brands that win? They build a relationship with their customers. They become a part of their daily life. They make their audience feel like they’re missing out if they don’t come through.

It’s not just about having a pretty Instagram feed. It’s about creating a presence.
You need to be where your customers are—online, in their conversations, in their habits.

Because if your only plan is “Let’s hope people discover us”, you’re already out of business.

Do You Even Know Your Numbers?

If I asked you right now how much you need to make per day just to break even, could you tell me?

What about your slowest months?
Your exact margins on every product?
Your backup plan if sales are 50% lower than expected?

Because this is where people lose their shirts.

They go in hoping the numbers will work instead of knowing they will.

And when the reality hits—when that rent check clears, when those suppliers need their money, when that payroll is due and there’s not enough in the account—that’s when dreams turn into nightmares.

A vibe venture built without solid financials? That’s not a business. That’s a bet.

And if you’re gambling with mortgage money, that means you’re putting your entire future on the line for a roll of the dice.

So What’s the Right Way?

You still wanna do this? Then listen up.

• Start small. Test the waters with pop-ups, collaborations, soft launches. Get proof before you invest everything.
• Find your audience first. Build a following BEFORE you open doors. Create demand so strong that when you launch, people are lined up to get in.
• Treat this like a business, not a dream. Run the numbers. Plan for the worst-case scenario. And if the math doesn’t work, don’t do it.

I’m not saying don’t chase the dream. I’m saying don’t chase it blindly.

Because if you do this the right way, you won’t just open a business.

You’ll open a business that lasts.

And trust me—that’s a whole different level of success.

Need Someone to Strategize Your Vibe Venture? Let’s Talk.

If all of this has you thinking, “Damn, I need to rethink my whole approach”, then good. That means you’re serious.

And if you’re serious, you need a real plan. Not just an aesthetic. Not just a dream. A real, tested, money-making strategy.

If you’re not sure how to build that, book a one-on-one consultation with me. I’ll help you craft a game plan that actually works—so you’re not just building a business that looks good, but one that actually makes money and survives.

Because this isn’t just about starting.

It’s about staying.