A muddy horse, a ruined mane, and an unexpected lesson about business transformation. Here’s what Bruce taught me about change, mess, and progress.
Some people get their business inspiration from books.
Some from podcasts.
Some from millionaire mentors on YouTube.
I get mine from a horse.
Specifically, Bruce — the 1700kg draft horse who lives like every day is a personal adventure and every patch of mud is an invitation.
This week, he delivered one of the greatest business lessons I’ve ever had.
⭐ It started innocently
I let Bruce out in the morning.
He looked… presentable.
Brushed.
Bright-eyed.
Almost respectable.
This is rare and should have been suspicious.
When I came back that evening, Bruce had completely reinvented himself.
A full swamp creature.
Every inch of him coated in mud.
His mane now resembled dreadlocks created by an enthusiastic toddler.
He was vibrating with joy — absolutely delighted with his transformation.
Meanwhile, I stood there thinking:
“This is going to take hours. And caffeine. And maybe divine intervention.”
⭐ But here’s what hit me
Bruce wasn’t embarrassed.
He wasn’t apologizing.
He wasn’t hiding behind a stable door hoping I wouldn’t see him.
He was proud.
Radiant.
Joyful.
He had the look of someone who had done exactly what he wanted and loved the outcome, even if the process (and the result) were messy.
That’s when I realised:
⭐ Business transformation looks like that too
We like to think growth looks:
- structured
- elegant
- intentional
- linear
- predictable
- aesthetically pleasing
But real growth?
Looks like mud.
It’s messy.
It’s uncomfortable.
It ruins your hair.
It makes you question your decisions.
It makes you wonder why you started.
Sometimes it smells weird.
And often, you only appreciate it after the transformation is complete.
Bruce didn’t care that he looked like a bog creature.
He cared that he enjoyed himself.
And that’s the lesson.
⭐ Messy progress is still progress
A muddy transformation is still a transformation.
In your business, you will:
- outgrow offers
- scrap things you spent hours building
- change direction
- try something new
- redo your branding
- rebuild your funnel
- restart your Instagram
- revise your prices
- pivot after a gut instinct moment
And you might look at the mess and think:
“This isn’t what I planned.”
But it’s exactly what you needed.
⭐ Bruce rolls in mud because it feels good
Not because it’s tidy.
Not because it’s efficient.
Not because it fits someone else’s idea of what a horse should do.
He does it because it’s aligned.
He does it because he’s following what feels right.
He does it because something instinctual inside him says:
Yes. This. Now.
Imagine running your business like that.
Not reckless — but deeply aligned.
⭐ The truth is…
Your business will be messy before it becomes brilliant.
You will make decisions that confuse other people.
You will outgrow versions of yourself.
You will reinvent parts of your work that once felt safe.
You will “roll in the mud” metaphorically before stepping back into clarity.
And that’s fine.
That’s normal.
That’s growth.
If Bruce can emerge from the paddock looking like a mythological swamp creature and still hold his head high?
So can you.
⭐ Clean up comes later
After the transformation comes the grooming.
The brushing.
The detangling.
The refining.
The clarity.
The structure.
But first comes the mud.
And we don’t shame the mud.
We honor the process.