Ryan Gosling. The object of many crushes and bane to business owners.

What? Why is Ryan Gosling a business problem?

Because your business strategy is most likely following the wrong Ryan Gosling movie storyline.

You have an earnest, hardworking and super hot product or offering. You meet your ideal client, connect, and it’s a whirlwind romance. But then your time is over. And nothing will ever compare to that client. In fact you kinda live in the ghost of business past. You send letters (emails) and they go unanswered, or worse – unopened.

Brokenhearted, you move on and change your product or offering. You meet a different client. Everything is okay, but you still think of that ONE client. Finally, the stars align for you to connect again, but by now you’re burned out from trying to forget about her. And from trying to woo your new ideal client. Then everyone dies. Fade to black.

Okay. Obviously, that was a loosely based on the movie The Notebook. But it’s this constant push and pull for clients – and looking back – that’s ruining your business mojo.

So, let’s look at another movie plot. The one you should be modeling your business strategy after. The movie Drive is about a stunt driver who moonlights as a damn good getaway driver. He’s known for one thing and one thing only: He has a strict 5-minute window to get to his getaway car. Otherwise, you’re on your own. You’d think with an asinine rule like that, no one would want to work with him. Wrong. People are scrambling to work with this guy. Past clients want to keep working with him. He picks who is worth his time. People die in this movie, of course, but in the end the driver gets away.

The message for business strategy: Be a specialist and you’ll make it. Think back to all the greats in history. They didn’t have a bunch of hyphen-slash-hyphens after their names. They were known for being a The Conqueror, The Queen, or The Industry Titan. Period.

Stop running your business like The Notebook. Stop reacting to what life throws or withholds from you.

Instead, plan.

Create deadlines. Know what your deal-breakers are. Say no if it doesn’t feel right. Kill double crossers. Fire deadbeat clients.

Above all, be okay with being known – downright celebrated and envied – for one thing. Whether it’s designing retro websites, teaching others to write killer copy or any other random concept – just pick one. And make it your flagship service or signature move. Later, you can go off and cross pollinate.

Bottom line: It’s scary to be in business. But you’re in it to win it. If you’re not trying to make a profit, then you just have an expensive hobby. So quit wasting your time looking in the rearview mirror. Get your business in gear – the gear YOU choose – and drive.