Author: Henry Murphy

It’s really not uncommon for people to want to take shortcuts.

I remember being young and heading to a park on the other side of our neighborhood to play baseball. If we walked around the block, it’d take 30 minutes. But if we cut through a hole in the fence and took the shortcut, we could get there in 12.

That shortcuts made sense.

That mindset doesn’t always go away.

Even in business, most people still want to “get there faster.”

But here’s the truth: there’s a right way and a wrong way to shortcut.

In business, a legit shortcut is hiring someone who’s already put in the hours someone with the experience and expertise in the exact thing you’re trying to do. They help you avoid unnecessary trial and error, and that shortcut is earned.

That’s why coaches exist.

My business is coaching e-commerce entrepreneurs m helping them build their business from the ground up. And while creativity has no cap (what you bring to the market is uniquely yours), the framework doesn’t change.

It starts with:

• Knowing your why

• Proving your concept

• Structuring your business

• Developing your brand identity

And now more than ever, your brand story and brand voice matter deeply.

People crave connection.

They’re tired of faceless corporations.

That’s why microbrands are winning.

If you’re going to do this, 

Do it right.

Don’t just go through the motions.

Let me paint a picture.

Imagine you want to start your own restaurant, and your specialty is gumbo.

There’s a chef from New Orleans who shows you exactly how to make the roux, what to put in it, every spice, every seasoning.

He even tells you what sides to pair it with, what bowls to serve it in, and which spoons complement the experience.

He’s been through the process. He knows it works.

But when it’s time to open your doors, you decide to cut back on the spices.

You swap in cheaper bowls.

You grab whatever spoons you find on sale.

And when your gumbo doesn’t hit like his, you wonder why.

It’s because you had the shortcut

But then you skipped the process.

You had access to the right way, and still chose to do it your own way.

And now?

You’re not only behind, you’re also frustrated.

That’s not a shortcut. That’s sabotage.

If you’re going to take the shortcut, take it all the way.

Follow the process.

Do what the coach says.

Don’t reinvent what’s already proven.

Because at the end of the day, 

What’s the point if you’re going to skip the process?

God Bless The Entrepreneur®

I sit and ponder sometimes is there such a thing as too much money?

I definitely know there’s such a thing as not enough.

One of my favorite scriptures says, in layman’s terms:

“Lord, don’t give me too much that I forget about You, and don’t let me lack so much that I’m in need or tempted to steal.”

That always hits me. But I think there’s more we can take from it.

It’s not just about how much we have it’s about how we use what we have.

We shouldn’t use people to get money.

We should use money to serve people.

And truthfully, that’s how most of us earn money in the first placethrough our creativity and service.

That’s how we show up in the marketplace. That’s what people are paying for.

So I don’t believe there should be a cap on creativity.

But I do think we each need to define the lifestyle we’re called to live.

After a conversation with a friend of mine, I started thinking about what that looks like for me.

He told me that $30,000 a month would make him comfortable.

He broke it down, college tuition for his kids, travel, home upkeep, basic life.

That adds up to about $360,000 a year. Fair and realistic.

As for me, I’m still thinking through my number.

It’s just my wife and I, but we plan to have homes in three cities.

Not just to live in, but to build local businesses and community hubs in each one.

That’s the mission.

Don’t miss the point of making money.

It’s not about stacking for the sake of stacking.

It’s about serving at a high level and letting that overflow onto others.

I’d love to hire a personal chef six times a month.

I’d love to bring in someone to clean our home.

I’d love to invest in coaching from other entrepreneurs in areas I want to grow.

Not just to make life easier, but to sow into someone else’s business.

Even the small things matter. I used to love getting my car detailed another way to support a local entrepreneur.

It’s about thinking beyond comfort.

What can we give?

What legacy are we building for the people we love?

I remember hearing about a guy with crazy talent. He was trying to build his business while taking care of his family.

Someone stepped in and paid his family’s rent for a full year.

That changed everything for him.

If your creativity gives you the power to earn more but you stay capped out because you’re comfortable you might miss an opportunity to be that person for someone else.

God was clear about not storing up treasure just for yourself.

If it’s only about you, what’s the point?

You could die any day.

But while you’re living

What are you doing with the money?

Let your creativity flow.

Serve God.

Serve people.

God Bless The Entrepreneur®️

I was on the phone recently, reminiscing with a friend about the early days of building my e-commerce brand , back when everything felt like trial and error. One story came up that still sits with me today.

At the time, we were moving a lot of cotton tees. We had a strong system going, producing around 300 shirts a day per press — and we were confident in our process. So I decided to step it up and invest in a batch of Bella Canvas jackets. They were clean, quality pieces at around $20 each, and I had a vision for how we’d design them , something on the sleeve, something strong on the back. I was convinced they’d be a hit.

But what I didn’t realize was that nylon requires a completely different kind of heat transfer than cotton. And instead of pausing to figure that out, I let pride lead the way. I kept pressing, trying to force something that wasn’t meant to work that way, determined to make at least one jacket come out right.

By the time I stopped, the entire batch was ruined.

Over a thousand dollars gone. Just like that.

Eventually, we pivoted , moved the same concept over to zip-up cotton jackets. And they worked. But the lesson stuck.

We don’t know what we don’t know.

And that’s not a flaw — it’s just part of the journey.

Entrepreneurship is filled with moments like this , where the right information could have saved time, money, and frustration. Sometimes all we need is a little awareness, someone to point us in the right direction.

That’s why I created something called Talk with Henry , a free 15-minute conversation. No strings attached. No sales pitch. Just real help from someone who’s been through it.

And here’s my promise: if my calendar is open, then I’m here to serve.

You can check availability at 

thegroundupacademy.com).

I understand what it’s like to build alone.

But the truth is , you don’t have to.

Let’s build smarter. Let’s build together.

God Bless The Entrepreneur®️

Is perfection a thing? Of course not. It doesn’t even matter how old you are,  you know your entire life you’ve never done anything perfectly, and you won’t. You’re human. Anything that you set out to do will come with failure, and if you can accept that at this point in your life, then you’ll just get started. Because every day that you put something off, every day you procrastinate, you’re not avoiding failure, you’re just prolonging getting better at the thing.

Let’s be real , some things just take time.

If you’re a parent, or even if you’ve got a little cousin, niece, or nephew, then you’ve probably seen them go through the walking phase. They fall a lot. Then they get to the stage where they start holding on to things , walking along the coffee table, until one day they just get it. They moving. They going. That’s how everything in life is. It’s gonna be shaky at first.

I’ve got a client that just started doing live shoppin,  she went live on both Facebook and Instagram, on the same day. When I saw that, I was like: yes sir! I was super proud of her. That’s what I’m talking about. That “I’m showing up regardless” attitude.

Now look, she didn’t sell anything that day, and she was a little bummed. But I had to remind her: that’s part of it. That’s what comes with showing up. The first time, the second time m,  sometimes even the tenth time. But she did the hard part. She showed up. And now it’s just about staying consistent. Getting better. Getting more comfortable in front of that camera.

I told her if she starts posting in between those lives, talking to her audience about why she started this brand, what she’s been through, some stories from the vendor road, people will connect. And eventually, when she shows up on those lives agai,  her people will be there.

So let me leave you with this:

When we prolong failure, we prolong success.

And there’s no path to success without failure in it.

Show up anyway.

Do it anyway.

Keep going.

God Bless The Entrepreneur®️

I was on my phone editing a blog the other day, and I caught myself doing what I always do, screenshotting.

And I don’t mean just one or two. I’m talking 20 screenshots, easy, just to get through a single blog post.

If you’ve been following me for a while, then you already know, 

In 2021, the optometrist declared me legally blind due to a specific eye condition.

The day I got the diagnosis, it honestly didn’t bother me that much.

Don’t ask me why.

But some days after that?

It hit hard.

Real hard.

It takes time to mentally recover and get back in the creative flow when life hands you something that heavy.

The glasses I wear don’t really correct my vision.

But they allow me to zoom in 10x with my left eye, just enough to help me edit, write, and create on my phone.

If I’m honest, sometimes it’s discouraging.

But every morning, I remind myself that God has given me the grace to keep going.

It’s the same kind of discipline I talked about in my last blog:

“Dangerously Disciplined: Why the Best Growth Happens Underground.”

That kind of quiet, personal focus is what gets me up in the morning.

I get up and read, well, you know, that’s Audible for me with the eye condition and all.

Whatever stirs me up, I write about it.

I don’t believe inspiration should be wasted.

If it’s a good thought, I’m going to write it down.

Talk about it on social media.

Share it in a blog.

Because there’s so much foolishness out there, and if we’ve got something positive to add to the world, we should.

Okay, I’m rambling a little now, but I’m just realizing:

I literally live by a screenshot.

And still, I’m thankful.

Thankful I get to do anything that encourages someone else.

I don’t know what your ailment is.

I don’t know what you’re battling today.

But I hope this blog finds you in the middle of it, and reminds you that you’re still called.

Still created for something.

I write these blogs in faith.

I write to encourage someone, maybe you, to push forward, even when it’s hard.

To do the thing God created you to do.

To become everything He designed you to be.

We will never be perfect.

That’s not the goal.

The goal is consistent effort.

The goal is to bear fruit.

I don’t know exactly what Paul’s ailment was, but it’s clear he was dealing with something.

And yet, he kept pressing.

He became everything God called him to be.

My ailment is my eyes.

I live by a screenshot.

But by the grace of God, I will do everything He’s called me to do.

God Bless The Entrepreneur®️

When I say dangerously disciplined, I don’t mean that in a bad way, I mean it in the best way possible.

See, I wasn’t always disciplined. For a large part of my life, I lacked structure. But now that I’ve found discipline in certain areas, I finally see what I’ve been missing.

I’m sitting here looking at the trees and how beautiful they are. But when you start to look down, you see the roots. That’s where the discipline happens.

Underground.

Unseen.

Unapplauded.

Discipline shows up when nobody’s watching. It doesn’t need an audience or a pat on the back.

It’s just you and the work. You and the vision. You and the routine.

And anything that tries to pull you out of that rhythm?

You recognize it instantly.

I recently had a conversation about a new opportunity. It looked good. It sounded exciting.

But once I slept on it, I knew, it wasn’t for me.

Not in this season.

Why?

Because it would’ve derailed everything I’ve been building.

All the discipline.

All the focus.

All the momentum.

It’s crazy how distractions often show up right before the breakthrough, right before the fruit starts to appear. You’ve got to be disciplined enough to say no. Even to the good things.

“Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.”

— Proverbs 12:1 (ESV)

If you’re just starting out and you’re not quite there yet, I want to encourage you:

Start anyway.

Discipline can be lonely. You might miss out on some things.

But as long as you know your why, stay focused on your what.

If you’ve been disciplined for a while but haven’t seen fruit yet, keep going.

It’s coming.

And if you’re in the season where discipline has produced fruit, encourage someone else.

Remind them that it’s worth it.

That the quiet grind leads to public harvest.

Because this journey of entrepreneurship can be tough.

And we all need a little encouragement.

God Bless The Entrepreneur®️

I ran across a reel today, actually, my wife sent it to me, and it hit me hard.

It was talking about how there are some things in life we just don’t get to choose.

When we’re younger, we don’t get to choose what family we’re born into.

We don’t get to choose what our parents teach us.

We don’t get to choose the trauma, the dysfunction, or the brokenness we might have grown up under.

And here’s the hard truth:

If we came from a family that struggled with mental illness, we had to sit under that.

It became part of us, whether we liked it or not.

If our father was abusive, that shapes us.

If our mother was married three or four times, or if both parents were alcoholics, we witnessed that.

We experienced it.

And yes, it becomes a part of our story.

But here’s the other side of that truth.

As we get older, we get to choose.

We have the power to change direction.

We have the power to renew our minds.

We have the power to break cycles.

You can’t undo what’s been done, but you can change where you’re headed.

You are not the pain or dysfunction you came from.

But you can push through it, grow through it, and come out better, stronger, bolder, and more courageous.

And when you do, when you make that shift, 

you don’t just win for yourself…

You become the choice for someone else.

You become the light.

The model.

The one who shows up and shows what’s possible.

You get to serve from that place.

You get to give what you never got.

And that’s powerful.

God Bless The Entrepreneur®️

It won’t be polished.

It won’t have bells and whistles.

It’s probably going to look generic, you know, like that off-brand product sitting next to the name brand everybody knows.

I was nudging one of my clients the other day, encouraging her to get comfortable with just getting started.

She sent me this super polished video that she loved, beautiful visuals, crisp edits, music on point. And yeah, it was dope.

But I reminded her:

That creator has probably been doing this for years.

She’s just getting started.

Her first 30 videos?

They most likely won’t look anything like that one.

And that’s okay.

Because what’s unpolished now will be polished later.

You’ll learn.

You’ll grow.

You’ll find your rhythm.

You’ll figure out faster ways to film.

You’ll get better at editing.

You’ll master close-ups and pullbacks.

You’ll learn to tell stories better.

But all of that comes after the start.

You can’t shortcut the process.

This is just a reminder to fall in love with the journey of entrepreneurship, and everything that comes with it.

Because even though she’s unpolished on social media right now, there are many areas in all of our journeys where we show up unpolished at first.

But that’s the point.

It’s not about perfection.

It’s about progress.

It’s about the journey.

God Bless The Entrepreneur®️

Let me take you back to 2013.

I can’t even remember the name of the platform I was using when I first got started, Big Something. Not even worth mentioning. OK, maybe I’m being a little harsh, because it did help me get going. But if I’m being honest, it was missing way too many data points, and I needed more than just a checkout page and a dream. I needed data.

I don’t quite remember how I stumbled across Shopify, but the moment I did , game changer.

Immediately, it showed me things I didn’t even know I needed. One of my favorite features to this day is the heat map. Listen, we used to send out text messages to our entire list, and depending on how large the list was, it didn’t take long to hit everyone. And when it did? You’d see dots popping up across the map in real time.

Man, that was a feeling.

I remember seeing New York, Cleveland, Tennessee, Florida, Houston, and it hit me. Those were all stops on my past tour. It was confirmation that people were still tapped in. Still watching. Still rocking with the brand.

Now imagine pairing that kind of real-time excitement with AI.

Here’s how AI helps you turn Shopify data into direction:

1. Customer Behavior Insights

With Shopify apps and AI add-ons, you can analyze how customers interact with your site:
• What are they clicking?
• What products are sitting in carts but not getting purchased?
• Where are they falling off?

This lets you adjust layouts, product descriptions, or even pricing strategies based on real behavior, not just vibes.

2. Personalized Marketing & Timing

AI tools can figure out when your customers are most active and help you:
• Send email campaigns at the right time
• Trigger automations based on behavior (like win-backs or post-purchase flows)
• Offer dynamic discounts or upsells based on a customer’s journey

3. Smart Content Creation

You still write the story, but AI helps you say it better. Whether it’s remixing your top-performing content, drafting new product descriptions, or helping you organize your blog topics, it’s all you. AI just helps polish and speed up the process.

4. Sales & Inventory Forecasting

One of the things I wish I had early on , the ability to predict. What’s going to sell? What needs to be restocked? AI tools help track those trends so you’re not wasting money over-ordering or losing money from selling out too fast.

5. Split Testing and Optimization

Let AI help test subject lines, thumbnails, images, descriptions, and tell you which ones are working and why. That means you can stop guessing and start scaling.

Here’s the point:

AI won’t replace your instincts, it enhances them.
Let the data speak, then let AI help you move on it. Execution over assumption, every time.

Use the platforms. Don’t let them use you.
AI is a tool, a powerful one, and if you’re building a business, you can’t afford to leave that kind of help on the table.

God Bless The Entrepreneur®️

My wife woke up early,which is kinda unusual for her. But her perspective had shifted.

She was getting serious about her schedule.

She said, “OK babe, I’m heading out to Starbucks.”

I was like, “Hello? You trying to leave me?”

She said, “I thought you had a lunch date.”

I reminded her, “Yeah, but I told him to pick me up from Starbucks. That’s why I asked you for the address.”

We laughed, sorted it out, and ended up spending most of the day there together.

And honestly, we kinda love this Starbucks.

It’s across the street from Chick-fil-A, down the road from Target and Publix, and just around the corner from a few other places we like.

It’s the perfect little work zone.

She started working on a project she’s trying to launch soon.

I sat down with my Blonde Americanos (yes, plural) and started dreaming big about some things I’m building for The Ground Up Academy.

Probably had too much caffeine, but man, I was in the zone.

Meanwhile, she’s sipping on her peach green tea (I always forget the name of it, so she has to text it to me, every time. Lol).

But here’s why I’m writing this blog,.

Something powerful happens when discipline finally clicks.

You know you need structure, but sometimes you don’t know how to put it into motion.

For my wife, it just clicked one day:

“I need to start going to bed earlier, so I can wake up earlier.”

That might not sound like much, but for years, she used to say she wasn’t a morning person.

And I believed her.

She’s the nicest person in the world,  except in the morning. 😂

But it turns out, she just needed more sleep.

So when she changed her bedtime, it changed everything.

Sometimes the breakthrough isn’t something big.

Sometimes it’s just a tiny tweak that shifts everything.

We know the goal. We might even know the objectives.

But often, we overlook the smallest barrier standing in our way.

We were so locked in that day, so focused on doing what God told us to do, that time slipped away.

And then the barista came around and said:

“Last call.”

We looked at each other and laughed, because that had never happened to us before.

Get locked in on your vision.

Eliminate distractions.

Make the small adjustments.

And do the work God has assigned to you.

God Bless The Entrepreneur®️