The Most Expensive Phrase in Business?

“It’s Always Been Done This Way.”

💸 Six little words. One massive red flag.
“It’s always been done this way.”

This seemingly harmless phrase is possibly the costliest mindset your business is clinging to—and chances are, it's lurking in more corners than you'd like to admit.

These six words don’t just slow things down. They suffocate innovation, drain your team’s energy, and cost you real money in the form of inefficiency, confusion, and missed opportunities.

🚨 Why This Phrase is So Dangerous

Let’s break it down. Holding on to outdated systems and processes creates ripple effects that

are anything but small.

🔁 1. It Blocks Innovation

When “how we’ve always done it” becomes a reason to avoid change, your team stops thinking creatively. The result? Stagnant systems that can't keep up with your growth.

💸 2. It Wastes Time (and Budget)

Old processes often involve more steps, more people, and more meetings—with half the output. You're paying a premium for inefficiency.

😓 3. It Drains Morale

Top talent doesn’t want to follow outdated checklists. They want clarity, purpose, and smart systems that make their job easier—not harder.

🔍 Where This Phrase Quietly Lives in Your Business

You might not say it out loud, but this outdated mindset sneaks into the cracks of everyday

operations:

● ️ Your onboarding manual—last touched when fidget spinners were trending

● 📝 Your client proposal process—with 9 unnecessary approval loops

● 📊 Your weekly reporting—that no one reads but everyone dreads

● 📆 Your internal meetings—that could’ve been a Loom or a Notion doc

● ️ Your tech stack—overloaded, redundant, and stitched together like a Frankenstein

system

What looks like “tradition” or “structure” may actually be slowing your business down.

🔄 Flip the Script: One Powerful Question

Next time you catch yourself or your team running an outdated process, pause and ask:

👉 “If we were starting from scratch today, would we still do it this way?”

This simple question cuts through legacy clutter and opens the door to:

✅ Streamlined workflows

✅ Empowered, aligned teams

✅ Happier clients

✅ A business that can scale without the burnout

🚀 Ready to Rethink the Way You Work?

If your internal systems feel bloated, clunky, or just... off—it’s not your people. It’s the process.

I offer operational audits and workflow overhauls for growing businesses and agencies that are ready to let go of the old way—and build something that actually works for how they operate today.

🧠 Let’s streamline your backend, energize your team, and remove the bottlenecks that are slowing you down.

Because growth isn't about doing more.
It’s about building better—and asking the right questions, before you press repeat.