Published on June 03, 2025

Who knew that three-year-olds and improv classes could teach so much?

When I talk with small business owners, one phrase often comes up: “We can’t do that.” Or, more often, “We don’t do that.” Sometimes there’s a good reason — compliance, regulations, physics. But other times, that answer is a reflex, not a rule.

Think of it this way: the same way improv actors approach their scenes. In improv, there’s a principle called “Yes, and…” Instead of shutting down a scene partner’s idea, you take it and build on it. It doesn’t mean saying yes to nonsense or taking reckless leaps — it means staying open, being curious, and allowing the moment to evolve. That spirit belongs in business, too.

Because here’s the truth: absolute rules are real, but they’re only a small fraction of the limitations that shape how businesses operate. In my experience, it’s the self-imposed constraints — the “won’ts,” the untested assumptions, the fears — that do far more to hold a business back.

In that light, it’s important to understand the difference between the rules we have to live by and the ones we’ve quietly built around ourselves.

Absolute Rules

Every business has to work within certain boundaries. These are the non-negotiables: legal requirements, safety standards, fundamental math, physics, and basic economics. You can’t file taxes in March and ignore April. You can’t run payroll however you feel like. You can’t sell a product that doesn’t exist.

I take these rules seriously — because we have to. But here’s what I remind myself and my clients: these rules, while important, are limited in scope. They are the outer walls of the house, not the furniture inside. They define the frame — but we decide how to fill the space.

Too often, we overextend these boundaries in our minds. We assume that if something isn’t easy, it must not be allowed. Or if we’ve always done things a certain way, then any deviation is dangerous. That’s how absolute rules start to blend with internal assumptions, and how self-imposed limitations quietly move in.

Understanding Self-Imposed Limitations

This is where things get personal. I’ve been there myself — telling myself no before anyone else had a chance to. It’s easy to confuse comfort with logic. But the biggest constraints I’ve seen in businesses aren’t regulatory or financial — they’re mental.

• “We don’t sell online.”
• “Our team wouldn’t go for that.”
• “I’m not good at that.”
• “Our customers expect this, not that.”

Sometimes these beliefs are based on past experiences. Sometimes they come from fear of change or risk. But often, they’re inherited — borrowed from another business or passed down from a time when the situation was different. Left unexamined, these “won’ts” become gospel.

I’ve started responding to them with one simple word: “Why?”

• Why don’t we sell online?
• Why wouldn’t the team go for it?
• Why am I not good at that?

If there’s a solid answer, great — maybe the limitation is justified. But nine times out of ten, that question opens up a conversation that reveals the truth: we’re holding ourselves back, not being held back by anything real.

Strategies for Challenging Limitations

When I’m working with a client and we hit one of those invisible fences, I borrow from improv again. We take the limiting idea and flip it. Not to reject it outright, but to imagine the opposite. What would it look like to say “yes” to that idea instead?

For example:
“We won’t take on work outside this industry.” → “What would a small, low-risk project outside our industry look like?”
“I’m not good at sales.” → “What if I approached sales as helping, not convincing?”
“We’re not big enough to hire.” → “What if we brought on someone part-time?”

This kind of reframing doesn’t solve everything, but it forces the conversation to move forward. It turns dead ends into experiments. Over time, it builds a muscle of curiosity and momentum.

I also encourage clients to pay attention to the language they use — especially the passive phrases. “We can’t,” “we don’t,” “it won’t work.” These are signals. They mark spots where fear is dressing up like fact.

Sometimes the best way to challenge those phrases is to bring in someone else — a mentor, advisor, peer — who isn’t burdened by your assumptions. They’ll ask the dumb questions that turn out to be very smart. More often than not, they’ll help you see that the “rule” you’re obeying isn’t a rule at all.

Conclusion: Saying “Yes, and…” in Your Small Business

That improv principle — “Yes, and…” — is more than a clever exercise. It’s a mindset that helps you hold two truths at once: the reality of the situation and the possibility beyond it. It allows you to respect the rules that matter while refusing to be caged by the ones that don’t.

In business, that means distinguishing between external constraints and internal ones. Absolute rules set the frame. But most of what limits us comes from inside — from old habits, inherited fears, and unchallenged assumptions.

The next time you say “we can’t” or “we won’t,” pause. Ask why. Flip the sentence. Try saying “yes” to the opposite, just for a moment, and see what ideas surface. You may find that the best path forward isn’t blocked — it just needed a different mindset to open it up.

Do you want to improve the value of your business?

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