Episode 484: Smarter business strategy vs smarter “spaghetti”

Are You Working Smarter… Or Just Harder?

We’ve all heard the famous saying: work smarter, not harder. But in the online business world, I’ve noticed a growing epidemic where so many people are, in fact, working harder, not smarter—especially when it comes to business strategy.

On this episode of the Heart-Centred Business Podcast, let’s get real about what working smarter really means, the spaghetti-at-the-wall analogy that will make it all click, and the one thing that truly turns a strategy from “just more work” into actual, sustainable growth.

Let’s jump in…

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How “Smart” Strategies Turn into Spaghetti

Let’s talk about spaghetti. Yes, spaghetti! It’s just an analogy, I promise, but hear me out because it’s super helpful. This all came up in a conversation inside my Planning Posse group this year, so quick backstory: if you don’t know, I offer a business planner that’s WAY more than a planner. It comes with a year of support, training, and live calls to help you actually use your plan—not just write it and forget it. We do this beautiful balance of structure plus flexibility, so you get focus without losing your creative flow.

During a quarterly planning call, someone asked me a classic question: should their webinar be free, or should they charge for it? I’ve covered all the ins and outs of this on a previous podcast (which you can find here: CLICK ME), but what really stuck with me that day was realising how often we look for outside advice—thinking that will make our strategy ‘smarter.’

Here’s the big truth: asking an expert (even me!) for the ‘right’ strategic move is not what makes your business strategy smart. Mentorship is wonderful—I wouldn’t do what I do otherwise—but relying on someone else for every business decision keeps you stuck in the cycle of asking, tweaking, and working harder… not smarter.

Endless Webinars: When “Smart” Turns Into More Work

Let me paint a picture. You decide to run a webinar because, well, that’s what all the “smart” business owners seem to be doing. But you don’t just wing it! You take a free training about webinars, follow their advice, and launch your own. It flops—no sales. So, you figure you just need to be extra smart, right? You take a big comprehensive course, fix up your topic and format, then run a new webinar. You get two sales. Progress! But still… not quite there.

Now you hire a copywriter for your landing pages and email sequences. You run it again. A couple more sales. But you remember, the course expert offered one-on-one sessions for refining webinars. So off you go for another investment, another tweak. Maybe a new topic, or a better pitch.

And every time, you’re convinced all these outside inputs are making you smarter—right?

When Learning Ends Up as “Smarter Spaghetti”

This cycle of learning, tweaking, and adding new strategies is what I call “throwing smarter spaghetti at the wall.” Yes, you started by learning from smart people, not reinventing the wheel—and that’s great! But without stepping back to look at YOUR results (not just the next expert tip), all you’re doing is making the spaghetti more elaborate.

You try new webinar topics, more complicated promotion, add copywriting tricks, experiment with paid versus organic advertising, add chatbots, stack up reminder emails, and so on. Pretty soon you’re not just throwing one noodle, but hundreds. The business feels harder and harder.

And yet—none of it is really strategic. It’s just more spaghetti.

The Missing Piece: Seeing What Sticks (AKA Using Your Data!)

There is a reason we say, “throw spaghetti at the wall… to see what sticks.” But so many entrepreneurs forget the second half. We just keep tossing more, thinking each strand is ‘smarter.’ The true shift happens when you actually step back and look at the data. What worked? What didn’t? Instead of piling on more steps and tools, you use the results you already have to decide what to do next.

Let’s be super practical. Social media is a great example. Every week someone asks: “Should I use links in my Facebook posts?” “Should I use hashtags on Instagram?” “Do I need to do daily Reels?” My answer is simple: GO LOOK AT YOUR DATA. Check your own socials. What’s actually working for you?

If you haven’t posted consistently for a while—or ever—the first step isn’t to buy a new course or download another template. Post consistently, then review the data. This is how you get answers that actually move the needle for YOUR business, not just make small “1%” improvements based on someone else’s system.

Why Consistency Beats Complexity

This is why inside my Planning Posse, I run the Imperfect Post Project (IPP). Over a couple of weeks, we schedule 100 posts to go out on your main social platform, covering 100 days. It isn’t about instant audience growth or magical sales. The real value comes from the DATA. After 100 days, you have powerful insights into what your audience loves, what brings in questions, comments, or even sales—and what doesn’t.

Without consistent data, you’re just guessing, no matter how many courses you take. You’ll get into that frustrating “flash and crash” cycle—posting 10 or 20 times in a week after some inspiration, then disappearing for six weeks. When that happens, your reach drops, you feel like you’re spinning your wheels, and social media starts to feel pointless. No wonder staying consistent is such a challenge!

When You Hate Social Media (It’s Not Just You)

It’s ridiculously common for entrepreneurs to end up hating socials—especially when all that effort gets little or no results. It’s like showing up to work and never getting paid! But the real problem isn’t socials themselves. It’s that endless hunt for new “smarter” tips, with no solid data to refine your own mix.

Here’s what I always ask: how many hours did you spend on social over the last few months, and what did it actually bring into your business? If you spent ten hours a week and got zero sales, you’re right to be frustrated. But for most people, the fix isn’t another hashtag hack. It’s consistent action and intentionally reviewing your own data to refine, drop, or double-down on what works.

Trust Your Own Business Wisdom

A silly but true part of this process? Sometimes your “off the cuff” post—the one you didn’t overthink or agonise over—gets huge engagement. Meanwhile, that meticulously planned photo shoot masterpiece… crickets! There’s a lesson here: done is better than perfect, because done gives you data.

Stop overthinking every single spaghetti strand. Just get your offers, thoughts, and content out there, and let the feedback (the data!) shape your next move. It’s about refinement, not just cramming in more and more.

The Secret to Real, Smarter Strategy

So what’s the secret? Smarter business strategy comes from refinement—refinement guided by your actual, real-world data. Not just another tip, template, or hack. If you want to get nerdy with your numbers, inside the Planning System we even have a special Data Day every month, where we collect and review the important numbers that drive your decisions for quarterly planning. It’s not about doing ALL the things or the fanciest thing—it’s about finding your thing, based on what already works.

And yes, if you want support with this or need a neurodivergent-brain-friendly way to plan and track your business, come check out the Heart-Centred Business Planning System. It’s neurodivergent brain friendly, because I created and refined it to suit my own needs (I am neurodivergent myself). I realised my system was neurodivergent-friendly even before I had a diagnosis. It’s also customisable and built on principles of effectiveness, productivity, business strategy, and how brains work—regardless of whether you’re neurotypical or neurodivergent. It’s not a long, unwieldy business plan like you’d use for loans or grants; it’s a business plan designed so that, when you sit down to work, you know what you need to do.

If that sounds like what you need in your business, check out the Heart Centred Business Planning System: tashcorbin.com/planner

If you have questions, please get in touch. I’m always honest if I don’t think it’s right for you—sometimes another solution or another expert will be a better fit, and I’ll say so. But if you’re unsure, reach out and let me know a bit about your business and your concerns, and I can help you decide.

Until next time, I cannot WAIT to see you SHINE.