Say Yes Before You Are Ready. It sounds reckless, doesn’t it? We are taught to wait until we have enough experience, enough confidence, enough credentials, or enough certainty before taking the next step.
But what if waiting is exactly what’s holding us back?
After interviewing hundreds of entrepreneurs, executives, investors, and authors over the years, I’ve noticed a recurring pattern. The people who accomplish extraordinary things rarely feel ready before taking action. They say yes first, then they work relentlessly to become the person the opportunity requires.
One of the best examples is Kat Cole.
The Incredible Story of Kat Cole
Kat Cole didn’t grow up with privilege.
When she was nine years old, her mother left an abusive, alcoholic husband. Kat, her two sisters, and their single mother survived on determination, multiple jobs, and sometimes only $10 a week for groceries.
At 17, Kat was working as a waitress at Hooters in Jacksonville, Florida.
One day, the cooks walked out.
She had never cooked restaurant food before.
She could have said, “That’s not my job.”
Instead, she walked into the kitchen and figured out how to fry chicken tenders and French fries.
That moment changed her life.
Two years later, Hooters asked if she would travel to Australia to help open the company’s first restaurant there.
There was just one problem.
She had never been on an airplane.
She didn’t even own a passport.
She didn’t respond with excuses.
She got a passport.
She boarded the plane.
She figured it out.
By age 26, she had become Vice President of Training and Development, helping Hooters expand from roughly 100 locations to more than 500 restaurants across 33 countries.
At only 32 years old, she became President of Cinnabon.
Later she led Focus Brands, overseeing multiple restaurant chains including Auntie Anne’s, Moe’s Southwest Grill, Carvel, and Schlotzsky’s.
Today she is the CEO of AG1.
One opportunity after another, she accepted jobs she wasn’t fully prepared for.
Her philosophy is simple:
“Saying yes before you are ready is only half of it. You have to use your hustle muscle to close the gap.”
That may be one of the best career lessons I’ve ever heard.
Why “Say Yes Before You Are Ready” Works
Waiting until you feel ready is comforting.
It’s also dangerous.
Because readiness is usually an illusion.
Confidence rarely comes before action.
Confidence comes because of action.
Every meaningful challenge feels uncomfortable in the beginning.
You don’t become qualified and then take the opportunity.
More often, you take the opportunity and become qualified along the way.
My Own Story
Kat’s story reminds me of my own journey.
When I immigrated to Canada, finding work wasn’t easy.
So I did something that sounds almost unbelievable.
I opened a dance school.
There was only one problem.
I didn’t know how to dance.
I learned.
I hired instructors.
I figured it out.
Later, I began investing in real estate.
I knew almost nothing about the business.
Again, I learned as I went.
Not everything worked.
Some ventures failed.
Some ideas cost me money.
But enough of them succeeded that they completely changed my financial future.
Today, I am financially independent.
If I had waited until I felt ready, I would probably still be waiting.
Other People Who Said Yes Before They Were Ready
Kat Cole is far from alone.
History is filled with people who accepted opportunities before they felt fully prepared.
Sara Blakely
Before creating Spanx, Sara Blakely was selling fax machines door-to-door.
She had no experience in fashion or manufacturing.
She learned everything while building what became a billion-dollar company.
Richard Branson
Richard Branson has launched airlines, record labels, mobile phone companies, hotels, cruise ships, and even space tourism.
He often jokes that if someone offers you an incredible opportunity and you don’t know how to do it, say yes first and learn afterward.
Howard Schultz
Howard Schultz grew up in public housing in Brooklyn.
When he envisioned transforming Starbucks into a coffeehouse experience, many people doubted the idea.
He didn’t have certainty.
He had conviction.
He learned while building one of the world’s most recognized brands.
Elon Musk
Whether you agree with him or not, Elon Musk repeatedly enters industries where he lacks traditional credentials.
He had never built rockets before SpaceX.
He had never run an automobile company before Tesla.
His philosophy seems remarkably similar: learn faster than everyone else.
The Difference Between Reckless and Courageous
Of course, saying yes doesn’t mean being irresponsible.
It doesn’t mean accepting opportunities without putting in the work.
Kat Cole didn’t magically become an executive.
She outworked almost everyone around her.
She learned constantly.
She solved problems.
She earned trust.
Saying yes is only the beginning.
The hard part is becoming worthy of the opportunity after you’ve accepted it.
That’s where the “hustle muscle” comes in.
How to Build Your Own Hustle Muscle
If you want to grow faster than everyone around you, try these habits:
- Say yes to opportunities that stretch you.
- Learn faster than your competition.
- Ask questions without embarrassment.
- Accept that failure is part of growth.
- Focus on solving problems, not protecting your ego.
- Remember that experience comes after you begin—not before.
My Favorite Lesson from Kat Cole’s Mother
Every year on Kat’s birthday, her mother writes the same message:
“Don’t forget where you came from, but don’t you dare ever let it solely define you.”
That’s wisdom worth remembering.
Our past explains us.
It doesn’t have to limit us.
Final Thoughts
Looking back on my own life, I realize that nearly every breakthrough happened because I accepted an opportunity before I felt qualified.
Opening a dance school.
Buying real estate.
Starting businesses.
Launching a podcast.
Writing books.
Building this website.
None of those things came with guarantees.
They came with uncertainty.
The people we admire aren’t fearless.
They’re simply willing to move before certainty arrives.
The next opportunity in your life probably won’t come wrapped in confidence.
It will arrive disguised as uncertainty.
The question is whether you’ll wait until you feel ready…
…or whether you’ll become ready because you said yes.
So let me leave you with one question:
What are you waiting to feel ready for that you should just say yes to?
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What does “Say Yes Before You Are Ready” mean?
It means accepting opportunities that stretch your abilities, then committing to learning and growing fast enough to succeed.
2. Isn’t saying yes before you’re ready risky?
Yes, but calculated risk is often necessary for growth. The key is pairing courage with hard work and continuous learning.
3. How can I build confidence before taking a big opportunity?
Ironically, confidence usually comes after taking action. Start small, keep learning, and allow experience to build your confidence over time.
4. Who are examples of people who succeeded by saying yes before they were ready?
Kat Cole, Sara Blakely, Richard Branson, Howard Schultz, Elon Musk, and countless entrepreneurs who learned while building their careers.
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