You Don't Have a Lead Gen Problem. You're Just Too Scared to Ask.

I've rebuilt my client base from scratch three times: new city, new industry, new context. Every time, the hardest part wasn't the skill gap — it was talking to strangers.

Remember when your dad asked you, as a 6-year-old, to place the food order at the restaurant? That was lead gen 101: Ask strangers for things, break the cycle of fear. Stop listening to the voice in your head and actually make something happen in the real world — an ask, a connection, a relationship.

I was never the one to be pumped to do that. Growing up, this fear grew further, sadly limiting my chances.

Right now, I'm building my fourth business, and the fear never goes away. It's helpful to look back and tell myself I've done it before — but that doesn't guarantee anything. It helps, but it's not the solution.

So what is the solution? First, let's be honest about the problem.

Ignoring lead generation is hurting you in so many ways, and it's mostly slipping under your radar. The moment it feels hard, your brain starts negotiating.

You start doing everything else. Baking your first cake. Making three coffees in under an hour. Watching the third "7 Lead Gen Secrets for 2026" on YouTube — because maybe this video has the answer. It doesn't.

My favorite, most ironic part is when I'll happily do the things I've been dreading for weeks — updating the spreadsheet, rewriting the proposal, fixing the website — the moment lead gen is on the table.

This could be very severe, lasting for months and sometimes years.

Here's what I want you to do:
First, the next time you find yourself doing anything other than lead gen, stop. Ask yourself — what am I avoiding right now, and why? Identify the distraction, know the triggers, and bring awareness to that moment. That's how you bring your brain back to reality.

Second, here's a rule: If you don't have enough customers, the only thing you should be doing right now is generating leads. Everything else is a distraction.

Third, how would you do it? Hormozi names 4 ways to generate leads. I'm focusing on warm leads — the lowest hanging fruit. Here's the process:

1. Build a hot list

2. Focus on one avatar, one platform, one message

3. Send personalized messages to each person — do this manually at first, so you learn what works before you automate

4. Start messaging them

5. Warm them up first

6. Ask for referrals, not the sale

7. Make an offer that's easy to say yes to

8. Repeat

Strangers don't get less scary. You just get used to dealing with scary.

The key here is immediate action. It doesn't matter how small it is or how painful it is. This is where you need to push through — baby yourself into it. Every win, no matter how small, matters. Accumulate the wins. Once that happens, your brain will want to continue, close the loop, and have more of those wins. Use dopamine in your favor for once. Have the list — even 5 or 10 people — message them, add more every day. Never quit.

Need help with your lead generation efforts? I'm offering a free month — 4 weekly sessions — for the next 3 founders who sign up, to help them with their lead generation challenges, operational inefficiencies, and scaling their businesses. Grab your spot here: https://calendly.com/mohamadelbialy/chat

Stay awesome, happy building.

Best,
Bialy