FBC – 305 – I was dead wrong about this…

I was dead wrong about this…

Today, I will publicly admit how wrong I was and how quick I was to judge some people (for fairly good reasons).

Quick story of how my day started pretty badly but ended up in a “Martin lived happily ever after”

More details in today's episode.

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https://martinebongue.com/profit-machines

So, you know, as you know, since I sold my apartment yesterday, I am almost a free man. So I contacted the bank today saying, well, dude, the money is in the account. Please take whatever I owe you for the mortgage and just leave me alone.

So the next thing for me was contacting the tax administration just to tell them that I sold the apartment. What do I do next in order for you to stop taking money out of my account every single month? I don't know how the administration is in your country, but in France, it's not a pleasant experience.

So, yeah, I called them. I was in a good mood, actually. I was playing basketball and soccer, and so after basketball I decided to call, but I'm still in a good mood, my friend, you know, and here's the thing. I don't know how the administration is in your country, but the French administration, every time you call, you will be on hold for forever.

Eventually I get to speak to someone. I always try to be very polite and friendly and stuff. But after having waited at least forty minutes in total, once you speak to someone, it is impossible to be like super friendly and stuff. So I tried my best.

Hi, I'm calling because I sold my apartment and I want to know if you need a paper or something from me so that you stop taking my money and…… Oh, but you've gone to the wrong department here. It's for inheritance and stuff. And I'm like, dude, I never ask for inheritance, I asked for the property tax and stuff. And she's like, oh yeah. Well I guess they were busy and you've been transferred here so it's not the right service.

And I'm like, well OK, but I still have some questions, so I try to ask some questions. She was like, yeah, well it's not my service, And I asked her, well, is there any chance you can transfer me to that department? And this is the answer I absolutely hate. Oh no, they don't have a phone number.

Seriously? Everybody has a freaking phone. Stop it! I'm like well can you please transfer me. That'll be easier than me waiting another half hour. But no, she said it's not my department. Then she hung up and I was like, oh, Jesus Christ. So my tax thing was until 2021. I'm kind of screwed. You still have to pay these people.

I was dead wrong about this…

But I decided to call another one of these departments in the city where I actually own the apartment. And this time I spoke to a really, really lovely lady there. So I said, well, yes, sorry, I sold my apartment. And, uh, you know.

She was very friendly. She was like, well, now let's have a look. So give me your tax number and then we can see that together. And she's like, yeah, well, you can do some changes in your account and stuff. And that will reflect that. To be honest, I don't understand anything about taxes and stuff. Can you please do it for me?

She was like, yeah, no problem, let's do it on the phone. So you understand that in my mind, I was stuck with taxes until, um, you know, 2021. And she was like, oh, you know what, let's update your situation. Because actually what you're paying today is for this year.

The other person told me that I was like for two years ago, which sounded a little bit crazy and she changed everything for me. She put in lots of data. And now I have to pay zero man. So I am happy my friend. So next step is for the bank to take their money and then I'm done with the mortgage!

So really, really cool stuff. So I'm very, very happy. And you know what? Every time I call the tax administration, when you call them, you already have so much baggage and bad experience with them, because a lot of them I don't know if they're, you know, bitter or something, I have no idea. But these people are not friendly.

And I was happily surprised to have someone there. She was like sunshine. So she actually changed my mind about the whole administration thingy because I don't like to do generalizations and put everybody in the same bag. But the experiences I had with the tax department were always the same.

So I was really happy to be proved wrong by this lovely lady.

The thing I was dead wrong about for years

I was wrong, and admitting it fixed my business faster than any tactic. For years I believed more effort was the answer. Work harder, add more, never stop. It nearly broke me. The truth was the opposite: I needed to remove, not add. If you feel buried, you probably do not have a work problem, you have a subtraction problem. I cut half my offers, killed the tools I never used, and automated what was left across 1,500 plus workflows. The business got simpler and made more money. Being wrong in public is uncomfortable, but pretending you have it all figured out is what keeps you stuck.

I talk through a few of my worst calls on my Freedom by Choice podcast. Harvard Business Review has written that the best operators update their beliefs when the evidence changes, instead of defending old ones. McKinsey estimates generative AI can absorb 60 to 70 percent of routine work, so the answer to overwhelm is rarely more effort, it is better systems. I go deeper on what I got wrong in my LinkedIn newsletter, Diary of a Virtual CEO.

Frequently Asked Questions

How should you handle frustrating bureaucracy as an entrepreneur?

Stay polite and persistent. My first call to the French tax administration was a disaster. I got transferred to the wrong department, given incorrect information, and hung up on. But I called again, reached a different person, and she resolved everything in one call. Do not let one bad interaction stop you from trying again.

Why should you avoid generalizing about people or organizations?

Because one experience does not define an entire group. I had years of terrible interactions with the French tax office and assumed they were all the same. Then one helpful person changed my entire perspective. Generalizations create mental barriers that stop you from finding solutions.

What is the lesson in getting proved wrong?

Being proved wrong is a gift. It means your reality is better than your expectations. I expected the worst from the tax administration, but a kind employee resolved my situation and saved me years of unnecessary payments. Stay open to being surprised, especially when dealing with problems you dread.

About the Author

Martin Ebongue is the founder of martinebongue.com, an online business and lifestyle design blog focused on helping aspiring entrepreneurs build location-independent businesses. Since 2014, he has been creating and scaling online ventures across multiple niches, from digital products and affiliate marketing to SaaS and content platforms, while traveling the world. He shares the real-world strategies, tools, and systems that work, with a particular focus on AI-powered automation for solopreneurs. Follow him on YouTube, X (Twitter), and Instagram.

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