Last night over dinner, the conversation turned to boundaries.
You know the advice: set boundaries with your kids, with your team, with your clients.
And sure, it sounds smart in theory.
But after three decades of leading businesses, raising kids, and coaching entrepreneurs, I can tell you…
Boundaries don’t work the way people think they do.
Because boundaries are lines people are trained to test.
- Your kids will push them.
- Your clients will step over them.
- Your team will see how far they can stretch them.
And before long, you’re exhausted from constantly “holding the line.”
You spend more time enforcing rules than leading with conviction.
I share this with you because most entrepreneurs think their problem is a lack of boundaries… when in reality, the problem is that they’re living without standards.
When you live by standards, you remove the need for constant negotiation.
People know where you stand.
And more importantly, they know where they stand with you.
When my kids were young, I didn’t say “don’t be lazy.”
I held the standard that in our family we train, we eat clean, and we take care of mind, body, and finances.
With clients, I don’t say “don’t disrespect my time.”
I hold the standard that if you work with me, you show up prepared, execute, and respect the clock.
With manufacturers, I don’t say “don’t cut corners.”
I set the standard that anything carrying my name is highest quality or I walk.
And make no mistake, your external standards will never rise above your internal standards.
If you roll out of bed hitting snooze…
Skipping workouts…
Not taking your priorities…
Everyone around you learns the truth: Your “boundaries” are just suggestions.
You teach people that your rules are flexible if they push hard enough.
When you raise standards, you end up deciding once and enforcing through action. You teach people what to expect by what you consistently do, not what you occasionally say.
My good friend Jocko says, discipline equals freedom.
Similarly, I believe strong standards create freedom.
You stop firefighting.
You stop repeating yourself.
You stop resenting the very people you serve.
Your life gets lighter because the expectation is set and kept.
Set the standard. Live the standard. Enforce the standard.
Everything else shows up after that.
Talk soon,
Bedros Keuilian
P.S. If you want help building the kind of standards that align your life and business…so your calendar, company, and home are all pulling in one direction…I’m opening the doors (for one time only) to a Legacy Tribe Public Meetup on November 7-8, 2025 in Chesapeake, VA.
If you’re ready to upgrade your standards (and your circle), this is your invite.