Change or Die: The Alan Deutschman Truth Every Business Owner Needs to Hear

Hey, it’s Kayvon Kay,

Years ago, I came across the story of Alan Deutschman and his groundbreaking book, Change or Die. It hit me hard because the premise was so simple yet so brutal:

Faced with life-or-death situations, most people won’t change—even when the stakes couldn’t be higher.

Deutschman studied patients with severe health problems—heart disease, diabetes, the works. These were people told by their doctors: “If you don’t change your habits, you’re going to die.”

The shocking part? Nine out of ten people didn’t change.

Not because they didn’t want to live.

Not because they didn’t understand the consequences.

But because change was just too uncomfortable, too unfamiliar, too hard.

Sound familiar?

The Business Parallel

That story isn’t just about health. It’s a metaphor for business—and life.

Think about it:

How many business owners stay stuck in outdated systems, holding onto strategies that no longer work? How many keep doing things the way they’ve always done them, even when the results are slipping?

Change isn’t optional.

It’s inevitable. 

And if you resist it, you’re choosing slow death over growth.

My Own Wake-Up Call

I remember a time in my own career when I hit a wall. My sales systems were solid, and my team was strong, but something wasn’t clicking anymore. The market was evolving, but I wasn’t keeping up.

I told myself the same excuses we all tell ourselves:

• “This has always worked before.”

• “It’s just a phase; things will go back to normal.”

• “I don’t have time to overhaul everything right now.”

But deep down, I knew the truth: My business would flatline if I didn’t adapt.

It wasn’t easy. Changing meant stepping into the unknown. It meant admitting what wasn’t working and having the courage to rebuild.

But here’s what I learned:

The pain of change is temporary. The pain of staying stuck is permanent.

The 3 Keys to Embracing Change

Deutschman found that successful change comes down to three things: relate, repeat, and reframe.

1. Relate: Surround yourself with people who are already living the change you need to make. You can’t grow if you’re stuck in the same environment that’s holding you back.

   • For me, this meant seeking out mentors who challenged my thinking and held me accountable.

2. Repeat: Change isn’t a one-time decision—it’s a daily commitment. You have to practice new behaviors until they become second nature.

   • I built habits that forced me to stay uncomfortable: reviewing my strategies weekly, taking feedback I didn’t want to hear, and making bold moves before I felt “ready.”

3. Reframe: Shift your mindset from “this is hard” to “this is an opportunity.” When you see change as growth instead of loss, it becomes a tool—not a threat.

   • Instead of fearing failure, I started seeing every setback as a lesson and every pivot as progress.

Real Talk: What Needs to Change in Your Business?

Let’s get honest for a second. Where are you resisting change right now?

• Is it in your sales strategy that worked five years ago but feels stale today?

• Is it in your leadership, where you’re holding onto control instead of empowering your team?

• Is it in your mindset, where fear of failure is keeping you from taking the risks you know you need to take?

Change isn’t comfortable. It’s messy. It’s uncertain. But it’s also the only way to stay ahead in a world that’s constantly evolving.

Your Choice: Change or Die

Here’s the brutal truth: The market doesn’t care about your comfort zone. Your competitors won’t wait for you to figure it out.

The question isn’t “Do I need to change?” The question is “Am I willing to change before it’s too late?”

Because if you don’t adapt, you’re not just risking your business—you’re risking everything you’ve built.

The good news? You don’t have to do it alone. Start small. Start messy. Just start.

Change or die. The choice is yours.

To your success,
Kayvon Kay