When I was twelve, I became a capitalist.

No, I didn’t sit down with a copy of Atlas Shrugged tucked under my arm, quoting John Galt while slinging papers from my bike.

I just wanted money.

Not an allowance. Not a handout. Money I earned.

So I got a paper route. Five bucks a week, riding through the dark morning mist, stuffing newspapers into mailboxes. And let me tell you, it wasn’t for the joy of service. It was for the freedom that money bought: a new baseball glove, a movie ticket, a cherry Coke at the diner.

Every toss of a paper was a declaration that I would not be dependent.

Most people think of freedom as fireworks, parades, and hot dogs on a summer day. But the real fireworks? Those happen when you realize you never have to ask permission to live your life on your terms.

That’s why I love business. It is the last bastion of freedom left in this increasingly entitlement-drunk world. No one is forcing you to take a risk. No one is forcing you to build something that people voluntarily pay for. But you can. And if you do, you get to live outside the hamster wheel most people call “security.”

You get to say yes when you want, and no when you want.

You get to take tomorrow off and go fishing.

You get to raise your prices without a government agency asking why.

You get to decide who you work with, who you fire, and what kind of experience you create for your clients, not because you have to, but because you want to.

And if you screw up? No one is coming to save you. But if you win, no one is coming to take it, either.

I see a lot of business owners begging for “work-life balance.” They’re still in the mindset of a job, asking for permission to live. They think more revenue will give them freedom. It won’t. Choices give you freedom. Systems give you freedom. A business built intentionally, not accidentally, gives you freedom.

I believe the entrepreneur is the ultimate freedom fighter in this world. You don’t need to be on the front lines with a musket; you can declare independence every day by refusing to be owned by your business, your clients, or your competitors.

This week, as the sky lights up with fireworks, remember this: Freedom is not a birthright. It’s something you choose and protect every day.

If you’re still enslaved by your business, working 80 hours a week in the name of “hustle,” I have news for you: You don’t own a business. Your business owns you.

Freedom in business is not working yourself to death. It’s building systems so you don’t have to. It’s charging premium prices so you don’t need 100 clients to pay your bills. It’s creating experiences so good your competitors can’t touch you, no matter how much they discount.

You don’t need to wait for the Fourth of July to light your own fireworks.

Start today. Raise your prices. Fire the clients who suck the life out of you. Block your calendar for a day off without apology. Put systems in place so your business runs when you’re not there.

You have the freedom to do it.

And if you don’t? Well, no fireworks for you.

If you want real business freedom—the kind where you can step away and your business doesn’t implode while you’re on the dock with a cold drink—grab the next issue of The XPerience Report. Each month, I give you the systems, strategies, and kick-in-the-pants reminders you need to run your business on your terms. Freedom isn’t a holiday; it’s a decision you make every day. Make it easier. Subscribe here.