Want to scale? first, ask “why” not “how”

Hey there,

I hope you’ve been having an amazing start to your year…

Mine has felt like a blur...

• Moved to Miami

• Celebrated turning 30

• Hosted multiple Founders Club events at my house

• And spent quality time with people who push me to be better

But the most exciting part so far? 

Watching our community grow in ways I never imagined.

We now have almost 100 Founders Club members in Toronto alone which has been so inspiring to see even with entrepreneurship down by 40% in Canada.

Can’t wait to see that number climb by the end of the year.

Before we dive into today's topic, here are 3 books that shaped my journey and might help yours:

My Favorite Books Right Now:

• The Way of the Superior Man - Every man that comes into my house leaves with a copy

• The Richest Man in Town - Why having genuine relationships is the most significant form of wealth

• Shoe Dog - Showcases how storytelling builds brand loyalty

Last month I asked what you're struggling with the most...

The #1 response?

"Aaron, how do I scale my business?"

It’s a great question, but here’s the truth:

Everyone wants the tactics, strategies, and systems. But none of that matters if you haven’t established a strong why first.

Because no matter how good your strategy is, running a business is brutal. 

You're getting pushed every single day. Things rarely go your way, and even when they do, you're looking over your shoulder because you know a tidal wave is coming.

If you're not grounded with a really strong why, you won't make it through tough times.

My why for 7 years was simple: To be able to take care of my family.

Growing up I watched my mom lose everything overnight…

Her business, her car, and our home.

5 years later…

My dad—who had driven a truck for 25 years and was the family’s main provider—suffered a stroke, leaving my mom and my four brothers to figure out how to pay the bills.

We had no time to mess around…

When people ask me how I was able to pull off 16-hour days for multiple years…

It’s because I believed there was no other choice.

It didn’t matter if I was selling weighted blankets, smoothies, or phone cases…

I was going to do whatever it took to support my family.

Even when Hush hit $25M in revenue, I was still DJing Bar Mitzvahs on weekends.

People would laugh behind the DJ booth: "Isn't that the guy from Dragons' Den? Business must not be doing well..."

But what they didn't understand - every dollar from DJing went straight into the business.  

Allowing Hush to rank #1 for "weighted blanket" in 16 countries without taking money out of the business.

So, how do you find your why?

Your why isn’t something you make up—it’s something you uncover. And it starts with understanding two things:

1. Your personal why—what drives you to keep pushing forward, even when things get tough.

2. Your business why—the deeper reason your company exists beyond just making money.

Because here’s the thing: People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.

When we built Hush, we weren’t just selling a weighted blanket; we were selling our belief that everyone deserved deeper sleep and a way to reduce their anxiety. That belief shaped every decision we made—from product design to marketing to how we spoke to customers.

So, ask yourself:

1. What’s the deeper reason I’m starting this business? Beyond money or status, what truly drives you?

2. What problem am I obsessed with solving? The best founders don’t just sell products—they fix something that genuinely bothers them.

3. Who am I doing this for? Your why often comes from the people you care about most—your family, your past self, your future customers.

Your why fuels you through the brutal days—the moments when quitting seems easier. And your business why gives customers a reason to believe in what you’re building.

Before you chase the next growth hack, get crystal clear on both.

Because when things get hard (and they will), that’s the only thing strong enough to pull you through.

The Truth About Scaling

Looking back, my co-founder and I joke that we didn't have to work that hard.

And yeah, maybe I could have taken better care of myself. (The pictures from that time... I looked like I was dying.)

But here's what I know for sure—none of our success would have happened without that burning why.

I highly recommend you watch Simon Sinek's TED talk on starting with why to help you understand the difference in success between companies that know their why and those that don’t.

It changed how I think about business entirely.

All the love, 

Aaron

P.S. 

Success in business isn’t just about strategy—it’s about resilience, purpose, and knowing when to adapt. That’s exactly what Zev Siegl, Co-Founder of Starbucks, did when helping build one of the world’s most iconic brands. He joined us this week for an exclusive session with the Founders Club. It was memorable and impactful.

P.P.S. 

Just dropped a new YouTube video…

This episode shows the behind-the-scenes of what goes into speaking to a large crowd about your personal journey.

Would love for you to check it out here