The $1,000 Sink That Taught Me a Lesson About Business

The $1,000 Sink That Taught Me a Lesson About Business

There’s something about home repairs that has a special way of humbling you. You start out optimistic—“How hard can it be?”—and within minutes you’re ankle-deep in stinky water. 

That was me a few months ago. 

When I moved into my house a couple years ago, my daughter accidently dropped glass soap dispenser on the pedestal sink in my half bathroom. It cracked the sink. They just don’t make them like they used to. Over the next year every time I used that bathroom and I was reminded that I needed to fix the sink. I priced new sinks and was pleasantly surprised a pedestal sink was around $100-200. After about a year passed I decided to call a plumber. After a quick inspection, he hit me with the quote: over $1,000 to fix it.

One. Thousand. Dollars.

Now, listen, I believe in paying professionals what they’re worth. But something inside me said, “Hold up… this can’t be that complicated.” I mean, I teach business systems for a living. Surely I can handle a plumbing system, right?

So instead of crying over my leaky sink (okay, maybe just a little), I decided to shift my mindset.

Step 1: I Talked Myself Into Believing I Could Do It

When that quote came in, my first instinct was panic. “I can’t do this. I don’t know anything about plumbing.” But then I caught myself.

That voice—the one that tells us we can’t—is sneaky. It’s the same voice that shows up in business when we think, “I can’t build a funnel,” or “I’ll never figure out automation,” or “I’m not techy enough for that.”

But I’ve spent years coaching entrepreneurs on mindset. I know how powerful it is to shift from fear to confidence.

So, I reminded myself: I’m smart. I’m resourceful. I can learn.

Just because I’ve never fixed a sink doesn’t mean I can’t learn how. And just because something looks complicated doesn’t mean it’s impossible.

Once I decided to believe that I could do it, everything changed. My energy shifted from “Oh no” to “Let’s go.”

Step 2: I Got Curious Instead of Scared

I started watching YouTube videos. I learned the difference between a P-trap and a tailpiece (and honestly, I feel like that deserves a merit badge).

At one point, I even found myself narrating like a YouTuber, “Okay guys, so this little thing right here is what’s causing the leak…”

Was it intimidating? Absolutely. Did I know what I was doing at first? Not even close.

But here’s the thing: curiosity destroys fear. When you switch from “I can’t” to “I wonder how,” you open the door for creativity and learning.

And that’s true in business too.

When something feels hard, like setting up a CRM or writing your first email sequence, curiosity can turn a mountain into a molehill. Instead of “I can’t,” try asking, “What if I could?”

Step 3: I Reached Out for Help

Here’s where the magic really happened.

I realized that while I could figure this out alone, I didn’t have to. I remembered that I had a friend who’d done a lot of home renovation projects. I called her and said, “Okay, don’t laugh, but I think I can fix my sink. Can you help me?”

She laughed (of course), but then she offered to come over. She showed up with a some random tools, and a calm confidence that said, “We’ve got this, it will be fun.”

Together, we took walked the aisles of Home Depot acting like we were professionals, we took apart the pipes, cleaned them out, replaced a few pieces, and tightened everything back up.

And just like that—my sink was fixed. No crack. No leaks. No $1,000 bill.

Step 4: The Lesson (It Was Never About the Sink)

Sure, I fixed a sink. But what really got repaired that day was my belief in what’s possible when you mix mindset with resourcefulness.

The truth is, the same principles apply to entrepreneurship.

How many times have we looked at something in our business and thought, “I can’t do that”?

Maybe it’s launching a course.
Or learning a new tech platform.
Or figuring out how to automate your client onboarding.

But just like that sink, every “impossible” problem has a solution—you just have to believe you’re capable of finding it.

Step 5: You Don’t Have to Know Everything—You Just Have to Know Who (or What) to Ask

One of the biggest mindset traps in business is thinking you have to do everything on your own.

You don’t.

When I called my friend, it didn’t make me less capable, it made me smarter. She had experience I didn’t, and by leaning on her, I saved myself time, frustration, and probably another trip to the hardware store.

In business, this looks like reaching out to a coach, joining a community, or asking someone who’s already done what you’re trying to do.

You don’t need to reinvent the wheel, you just need to be willing to ask who built it.

Step 6: Confidence Comes From Doing

When I turned on that faucet and saw the water flow perfectly, I swear I felt like I had just won an episode of Fixer Upper. I became a self-proclaimed plumber. I mean I bragged to everyone I knew that I installed my sink. 

That moment built confidence. And confidence isn’t something you’re born with, it’s something you build by taking action.

In business, we often wait to feel confident before we act. But it doesn’t work that way. Confidence doesn’t show up at the beginning, it’s the result of doing.

So whether it’s fixing a sink, starting a business, or building your first funnel, the more you do, the more confident you become.

Step 7: What This Means for You

If there’s something in your business (or life) that feels too big or too expensive or too complicated, pause and ask yourself:

• What if I could do it?
• Who could I ask for help?
• What resources could I find to guide me?
  
  

You don’t have to have all the answers. You just need the belief that you can find them.

I fixed a sink because I refused to believe I couldn’t. And in that messy, wet, hilarious process, I was reminded that the same mindset that unclogs a drain can also unclog your business growth.

Step 8: The Takeaway

Sometimes the lesson shows up disguised as a broken sink.

Sometimes it’s a failed launch, a tech issue, or a sales page that just won’t convert.

But every challenge is really an invitation—to grow, to learn, and to believe a little deeper in yourself.

Because the truth is:
💧 You can fix the leak.
💻 You can build the funnel.
🚀 You can create the business (and life) you want.

You just have to decide you’re capable, and take the first step.

The next time something breaks, whether it’s a sink or a strategy, remember this:

You are smart enough to figure it out.
You are resourceful enough to find help.
And you are capable of doing anything you set your mind to.

After all, if I can fix a sink… imagine what you can do.