The Myth of More: Why Busy Isn’t Always Better
- Jay Busselle
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
For years, “more” has been one of the easiest answers in business.
Need to grow?
Find more customers.
Need more sales?
Send more emails.
Need more attention?
Create more content.
Need to keep up?
Work more hours.
In the branded merch, print, and apparel world, busy has almost become the scoreboard.
A packed calendar.
A full production schedule.
A never-ending inbox.
Another order.
Another deadline.
Another “good problem to have.”
But maybe we’ve been measuring the wrong thing.
What if more isn’t always better?
On a recent episode of Let’s Taco ’Bout It, my conversation with Marshall Atkinson kept coming back to one powerful idea:
The Myth of More.
The belief that the answer to every challenge is simply adding more.
But Marshall helped me see something differently.
Maybe some businesses aren’t stuck because they aren’t doing enough.
Maybe they’re stuck because they’re doing too much of the wrong things.
The old scoreboard is changing.
For decades, many businesses measured success by volume.
More orders.
More equipment.
More production.
More transactions.
But the businesses creating momentum today seem to be asking different questions.
Not:
“How do we get more customers?”
But:
“How do we become more valuable to the right customers?”
Not:
“How do we move faster?”
But:
“Are we moving in the right direction?”
Not:
“How do we fit more into the day?”
But:
“What actually deserves our time?”
The shift: from busy to intentional
During our conversation, Marshall shared something that stuck with me.
The companies that are thriving are not always the biggest.
They aren’t always the ones doing the most.
They’re the ones who deeply understand who they serve, the problems they solve, and the value they create.
They’re not trying to be another vendor.
They’re working to become a trusted partner.
That requires a different kind of thinking.
Because being busy often happens when we’re trying to prove our value.
Being intentional happens when we understand our value.
Why It Matters
Technology is giving all of us the ability to do more.
More automation.
More content.
More communication.
More speed.
But speed only helps when you’re heading in the right direction.
The future may not belong to the companies who can produce the most. It may belong to the companies who understand what matters most.
Growth isn’t always adding. Sometimes growth requires having the courage to subtract.
To simplify.
To focus.
To choose better instead of chasing more.
Maybe the better question isn’t:
“How do we do more?”
Maybe it’s:
“What deserves more of us?” Here's the link to Let's Taco 'Bout It with Marshall Part 1 Here's the link to Let's Taco 'Bout It with Marshall Part 2 ©️ 2026 Branded Merch Network
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