Hey hey!
I just had the weirdest experience that I HAD to share with you…
I’m writing this from the exact desk where I started my business 9 years ago.
Yep – I’m back at Vault Coworking & Collaboration Space in Cedar Rapids. 🤯
Nine years and an 8-figure business later, I’m sitting in the SAME chair where I used to quietly panic about whether any of this entrepreneurship thing would actually work.
Back then, I was just a desperate mom who had missed her daughter’s first steps while stuck at a corporate job.
Remember that feeling? When your stomach drops because you’re missing the moments that matter most?
The nostalgia hit me like a truck. I can literally FEEL the desperate energy of the woman who sat in this exact chair 9 years ago.
And it got me thinking about the single biggest revelation I’ve had on this wild journey – something most entrepreneurs NEVER figure out:
The Real Problem Isn’t What You Think
Here’s the truth: The gap between where you are and where you want to be isn’t about knowledge, connections, or even skill.
It’s about the invisible ceiling you’ve installed in your own mind.
See, most people approach goals by asking: “What can I realistically achieve based on my current situation?”
This is the deadliest trap in business.
Because your brain is literally a prediction machine that will help you create exactly what you program it to expect – nothing more, nothing less.
When you set “realistic” goals, you’re actually programming your brain to filter out extraordinary opportunities that don’t fit your definition of “realistic.”
Let that sink in for a second.
Your brain is actively IGNORING potential breakthroughs because they don’t match what you’ve told it is possible.
The Science Behind Your Success Ceiling
This isn’t manifestation woo-woo. It’s neurological programming.
Your reticular activating system (RAS) is the part of your brain that determines what information gets through to your conscious awareness and what gets filtered out.
When you program your RAS with small, “realistic” goals, it literally cannot see opportunities beyond that scope.
But when you reprogram it with expansive, seemingly “unrealistic” visions, it starts scanning for resources, connections and strategies that align with that expanded vision – ones it literally couldn’t “see” before.
Wild, right? LITERALLY. COULD. NOT. SEE. BEFORE.
It’s why some people seem to attract “lucky breaks” while others grind for years with minimal progress.
How I Accidentally Discovered This Truth
When I started my business, I was thinking small.
“Can I make enough to quit my job?”
“Can I replace my corporate salary?”
“Can I make $10K a month consistently?”
And you know what? I hit those goals. But then I plateaued.
The breakthrough happened when I got frustrated enough to flip the script entirely.
Instead of asking what’s realistic, I started asking: “What do I actually WANT if anything were possible?” – then worked backward from there.
Suddenly I wasn’t aiming for $10K months. I was planning for $100K months, then multi-million dollar years.
And here’s the crazy part – opportunities started appearing that were always there but invisible to me before.
Joint venture partners.
Speaking engagements.
High-ticket clients.
Scalable business models.
My brain literally couldn’t SEE these opportunities when I was thinking small, because they didn’t fit my definition of “possible.”
The 3 Invisible Ceilings Most Entrepreneurs Have
Through working with thousands of students, I’ve discovered that most entrepreneurs have three primary invisible ceilings:
1. The Identity Ceiling
This is the “who am I to…” ceiling. It’s when you subconsciously believe you’re not the “type of person” who can achieve massive success.
Signs you have this ceiling:
- You downplay your achievements
- You feel like an impostor when charging premium prices
- You compare yourself to others and feel “less than”
2. The Evidence Ceiling
This is the “I’ve never done it before” ceiling. It’s when you need proof before believing something is possible.
Signs you have this ceiling:
- You need to see others like you succeed first
- You need step-by-step validation before moving forward
- You abandon projects when you don’t see immediate results
3. The Consequence Ceiling
This is the “what if I succeed?” ceiling. It’s when you subconsciously fear the responsibilities or changes that come with success.
Signs you have this ceiling:
- You self-sabotage when things start going well
- You worry about maintaining success more than achieving it
- You fear outgrowing relationships or facing others’ judgments
How to Break Through Your Invisible Ceiling
Sitting here today (while we’re home for Mike’s Dad’s funeral), I’m feeling this strange collision of grief and gratitude…
But also crystal clarity about how different life could have been if I’d kept my dreams small and “realistic.”
So how do you actually break through these invisible ceilings? Here’s what worked for me:
1. Make Your Ceiling Visible
You can’t break through what you can’t see. Start by identifying your specific ceiling.
Ask yourself: “If I achieved 10X my current goals, what would worry me the most?”
Your answer reveals your ceiling.
2. Create a New Neurological Pattern
Your brain needs new programming. Write down your wildly “unrealistic” vision every single morning for 30 days.
Be ridiculously specific. What does life look like when you’ve broken through? What are you doing? How does it feel?
3. Seek Evidence That Contradicts Your Ceiling
Your brain craves evidence. Actively look for examples that prove your ceiling is false.
Find people with similar backgrounds who’ve achieved what you want. Study their stories obsessively.
4. Take One “Ceiling-Breaking” Action Daily
Identify one action each day that the “old you” would consider impossible or unrealistic.
Send that pitch to your dream client.
Raise your prices.
Launch that program you’ve been afraid to create.
Each action creates neurological evidence that your ceiling isn’t real.
My Challenge to You
What invisible ceiling have YOU installed? And what might be possible if you tore it down completely?
I want you to try something right now:
- Write down your current “realistic” income goal for the next 3 months
- Now multiply it by 10
- Sit with that number for a minute. Notice the resistance that comes up
- That resistance? That’s your ceiling talking
Now imagine what your life and business would look like if you achieved that 10X goal. Who would you need to become? What would you need to believe?
That vision is your first step to breaking through.
A Little Something That Might Help…
Sitting in this coworking space where it all began has me feeling super grateful for how far I’ve come.
It’s also reminded me how many people are sitting where I once sat – with all this potential just waiting to break through.
That’s actually why I created my Big Think program a few years ago. It’s the exact system I wish I’d had back when I was sitting in this chair, quietly panicking about my future.
It walks you through the complete process of identifying and shattering your invisible ceilings, then reprogramming your brain to spot those massive opportunities that have been there all along.
I normally only mention it to my email family, but if you’re feeling that same hunger to break through that I felt 9 years ago, you might want to check it out here: https://marthakrejci.samcart.com/products/big-think
(And yes, I may have gotten a little emotional sitting here and dropped the price way down for the next 24 hours. Sometimes nostalgia hits hard!)
Either way, I’d love to hear in the comments: What invisible ceiling are you ready to break through? What’s the 10X vision that both excites and terrifies you?
Let’s GOOOO!!!!
xo Martha