Welcome to the Blooming Mindset. I’m Ruth Rieckehoff, and I’m so glad you’re here. Some of my emails include affiliate links. If you choose to purchase, I may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. I only share what I’ve personally used, trusted, and found meaningful enough to pass along.
Beloved Architect of Identity,
Water has no effect on fake flowers.
I read that sentence in an email this morning.
I’d never heard it before. So, naturally, I looked it up.
Most people use it to describe relationships. But I couldn’t stop thinking about my first business.
Years ago, when I was a travel blogger, I believed every new promise.
“This course will grow your traffic.”
“This framework will increase your income.”
“This strategy will fix your business.”
So I bought them. Some cost hundreds of dollars. One course alone was over $500. Then, I paid nearly $2,000 for a business audit. I remember being excited. Finally, someone was going to tell me what was wrong.
A few days later, I received a PDF. About twenty pages long. There were good ideas in it. The course had good ideas too.
Looking back, none of those were bad. They just weren’t solving my real problem.
At the time, I didn’t know enough to ask better questions. I was trying to fix symptoms. Not the structure underneath them.
I kept pouring more water onto something that wasn’t ready to grow.
It took me years to realize the problem wasn’t that I needed another course, audit, or strategy.
The problem was my foundation.
I hadn’t taken the time to understand my business deeply enough to know what actually needed fixing.
Then I remembered that sentence.
Water has no effect on fake flowers.
And I realized water isn’t the hero. Life is. Water simply reveals what’s already alive.
That’s true for businesses too. Courses. Frameworks. Templates. Coaching. AI. Even this newsletter.
None of them are magic. They’re just water.
If you’re curious, honest, and willing to question your assumptions, you’ll grow by applying what you learn.
But if you’re hoping the next purchase will fix a problem you haven’t taken the time to understand, you’ll probably end up where I did. Buying another solution for the wrong problem.
Today, I still invest in courses and learn from other people.
The difference is that I no longer ask, “What should I buy next?”
I ask, “What is the real problem I’m trying to solve?”
That single question has saved me far more money than any course ever has.
Until next time, keep blooming,
Ruth
Reflect
- Am I trying to solve a structural problem with another tool?
- Where have I been looking for external answers instead of understanding the real issue first?
Reframe
Old belief: The next course, framework, or strategy will finally fix my business.
New belief: Resources are multipliers, not replacements. They work best when they strengthen a solid foundation rather than compensate for a weak one.
Actionable Transformation
Before you invest in your next resource, slow down.
- Write down the exact problem you’re trying to solve. Be specific.
- Ask yourself whether it’s a knowledge problem or a foundation problem. Sometimes you don’t need more information; you need a clearer diagnosis.
- Only then decide if a course, coach, or framework is the right tool. The best investment isn’t always buying something new. Sometimes it’s understanding what you already have.
P.S. Looking back, the most expensive purchase I ever made wasn’t the $2,000 audit. It was believing someone else understood my business better than I did.
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