The Next Two Steps

Most people don't regret the risks they take. They regret the hesitation. They regret waiting too long to speak up, start over, take the chance, ask the question, pursue the idea, or make the move they knew mattered before fear, comfort, or overthinking convinced them to stay where they were. In The Next Two Steps, entrepreneur, professor, and performance coach Nick Smarrelli presents a practical framework for breaking free from indecision, stagnation, and the hidden pull of the status quo through one simple but powerful idea: You do not need the full roadmap to move forward. You only need the next two steps. Blending psychology, leadership, entrepreneurship, coaching, and personal stories, this book explores why individuals and organizations struggle to act even when they know change is necessary. We are wired to avoid embarrassment, uncertainty, criticism, and the possibility of failure. Inaction disguises itself as preparation. Endless discussion disguises itself as strategy. Overthinking creates the illusion of progress while momentum quietly disappears. For individuals, this often looks like waiting until they feel more confident, more certain, or more prepared before making a move. For companies and teams, it looks like revisiting the same conversations, overanalyzing decisions, and remaining stuck in cycles of meetings, planning, and hesitation while little actually changes. The reality is that confidence is rarely something you discover before action. Through practical tools and relatable examples, readers will learn how to: break through overthinking and indecision build momentum before they feel fully ready simplify overwhelming decisions into manageable next steps overcome the fear of looking foolish, failing, or getting it wrong create movement inside teams and organizations stuck in stagnation stop mistaking planning for progress build confidence through action instead of waiting for certainty Whether you are building a business, changing careers, leading a company, starting over, or simply tired of feeling stuck, The Next Two Steps offers a grounded and practical framework for creating momentum in work and life. Because meaningful change rarely starts with perfect clarity. It starts the moment someone decides to move.

Nick Smarrelli is an entrepreneur, investor, and educator focused on helping people turn ideas into action. He serves as director of entrepreneurship at Butler University, where he has helped build one of the fastest-growing entrepreneurship programs in the country. He holds a master's degree from Harvard University in Industrial and Organizational Psychology. Prior to academia, Nick was the CEO of GadellNet, a Certified B Corporation, where he led sustained high growth and completed multiple acquisitions, earning repeated Inc. 5000 Fastest-Growing Company and Best Places to Work awards. He is also the co-founder of Ryvit, which was acquired successfully in 2023. Nick is an active investor and advisor through FivePeaks and a mental performance coach working with leaders to improve execution and decision-making under pressure. He has delivered talks and workshops across three continents on entrepreneurship, leadership, and taking action. His work centers on a simple principle: You don't need everything figured out--you need the next two steps. Nick lives in Indianapolis with his family of five, where he continues to build, teach, and invest in the next generation of entrepreneurs.