Alex Raymond on Overcoming Startup Burnout

Summary

In this insightful discussion, the challenges faced by entrepreneurs are explored, focusing on internal struggles such as burnout, impostor syndrome, and upper limiting. The conversation emphasizes the importance of self-awareness, mental resilience, and community support in overcoming these obstacles. Strategies like introspection, identifying one's zone of genius, and embracing a growth mindset are highlighted as key to personal and professional development in the entrepreneurial journey.

Takeaways

• 🔍 Entrepreneurs often face internal challenges that are as significant, if not more so, than external ones.
• 💡 It's important to acknowledge personal struggles and discuss them openly to unlock personal growth and improve entrepreneurial skills.
• 🌟 The romanticized idea of entrepreneurship can lead to misconceptions about the reality of being a founder, including expectations of work-life balance and wealth.
• 🤔 Founders should focus on self-improvement and leadership development to become better entrepreneurs and leaders.
• 🧘‍♂️ Mindfulness and self-care practices, such as meditation and exercise, can help entrepreneurs manage stress and prevent burnout.
• 🔥 Imposter syndrome is common among entrepreneurs and can be overcome by reframing negative self-talk and recognizing one's own worth and accomplishments.
• 🚫 Burnout is not normal and should not be seen as a badge of honor; it indicates a need for change in lifestyle and work habits.
• 💭 Upper limiting is a concept where individuals sabotage their own success due to deep-seated beliefs and fears about their worthiness of success.
• 🌱 Cultivating a 'zone of genius' where one's work is energizing and fulfilling can counteract the effects of burnout and upper limiting.
• 🤝 Building a supportive community and finding a tribe of like-minded entrepreneurs can alleviate feelings of loneliness and provide a valuable resource for growth.

Q & A

What is the main topic of discussion in the transcript?

The main topic of discussion is overcoming the internal challenges of being an entrepreneur, including dealing with burnout, impostor syndrome, and upper limiting, as well as finding balance and self-improvement in the entrepreneurial journey.

What are some of the negative aspects entrepreneurs often face?

Entrepreneurs often face challenges such as lower initial earnings, lower earnings growth, lower long-term earnings, greater work stress, psychosomatic health problems, and burnout.

What does the term 'impostor syndrome' refer to?

Impostor syndrome refers to the feeling of not deserving success or feeling like a fraud, often causing individuals to doubt their accomplishments and have a fear of being exposed as incompetent.

What is the definition of 'burnout' according to the transcript?

Burnout is defined as having feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion, cynicism or depersonalization, and reduced professional efficacy.

How does the speaker suggest dealing with impostor syndrome?

The speaker suggests dealing with impostor syndrome by realizing it's a syndrome and not the truth, questioning the reality of the impostor syndrome thoughts, and reframing the mindset to focus on one's zone of genius and what brings joy and energy.

What is the concept of 'upper limiting'?

Upper limiting is the idea that when things are going well, individuals find ways to sabotage their success due to internalized beliefs or fears that they are not worthy or capable of sustained success or happiness.

What advice does the speaker give for entrepreneurs to mitigate internal challenges?

The speaker advises entrepreneurs to engage in self-inquiry, understand their triggers, find their zone of genius, connect with like-minded communities, and work on projects they are passionate about to mitigate internal challenges.

Why is it important for entrepreneurs to address their internal challenges?

Addressing internal challenges is important because it helps entrepreneurs become better leaders, improve their mental health, and ultimately leads to a more fulfilling and successful entrepreneurial journey.

What is the significance of the 'zone of genius' in the context of entrepreneurship?

The 'zone of genius' refers to the areas where an entrepreneur feels energized and excels. By identifying and focusing on these areas, entrepreneurs can experience greater satisfaction, productivity, and overall success in their ventures.

How does the speaker describe the common misconception about entrepreneurship and work-life balance?

The speaker describes the common misconception that entrepreneurship offers a better work-life balance, but in reality, entrepreneurs often work long hours and face greater responsibilities, making it a challenge to achieve a balanced lifestyle.

Outlines

00:00

💡 Overcoming Entrepreneurial Challenges

The speaker discusses the internal struggles of being an entrepreneur, emphasizing the importance of acknowledging and addressing these challenges. They share their personal experiences with judgment and self-reflection, highlighting the significance of understanding one's own triggers and biases. The conversation shifts to the broader topic of how entrepreneurs often seek advice on external business growth but rarely on personal development, which is crucial for becoming a better leader and CEO.

05:04

🌟 The Burden of Entrepreneurship

The speaker delves into the misconceptions about entrepreneurship, such as the idea of having work-life balance or becoming rich. They discuss the reality of being a founder, including the responsibilities towards employees and investors, and the lack of external validation. The speaker shares their passion for addressing the mental health and internal challenges faced by entrepreneurs, advocating for a community that supports personal growth alongside business success.

10:04

🤔 The Psychology of Entrepreneurs

The speaker references a research project by Dr. Michael Freeman, which explores the psychological aspects of entrepreneurship. They discuss the high barriers to success, including lower earnings, greater work stress, and health problems faced by entrepreneurs compared to employees. The speaker questions why anyone would choose entrepreneurship over a secure career, highlighting the need for internal resilience and the importance of mindset shifts in overcoming entrepreneurial challenges.

15:06

🔥 Burnout: The Silent Entrepreneurial Plague

The speaker and Jonathan discuss the pervasive issue of burnout among entrepreneurs, defining it as a state of energy depletion, cynicism, and reduced professional efficacy. They share personal experiences with burnout and strategies for coping, such as self-care, exercise, and focusing on one task at a time. The conversation emphasizes the importance of recognizing and addressing burnout to improve both personal well-being and business performance.

20:08

🏃‍♂️ The Mental Athlete: Entrepreneurship and Focus

The speakers compare entrepreneurs to mental athletes, emphasizing the need for a holistic approach to personal development. They discuss the dangers of focus leading to obsession and burnout, suggesting strategies such as identifying one's 'zone of genius' to prevent exhaustion. The conversation highlights the importance of understanding and leveraging personal strengths and passions to avoid burnout and achieve success.

25:10

😕 Impostor Syndrome: The Entrepreneur's Inner Critic

The speakers address the common issue of impostor syndrome among entrepreneurs, characterized by feelings of inadequacy and a sense of not belonging. They share insights from Brené Brown, Jerry Colona, and Seth Godin on how to combat these feelings, emphasizing the need to question and reframe the internal critic's voice. The discussion encourages entrepreneurs to recognize their accomplishments and challenge the limiting beliefs that hold them back.

30:11

🤔 Assessing Skills and Addressing Gaps

The speakers discuss how entrepreneurs can assess their skills and address any gaps, particularly in the context of impostor syndrome. They suggest acknowledging areas of weakness and dedicating time to improve them. The conversation shifts to the importance of resilience and learning from challenges, rather than seeing them as insurmountable obstacles. The speakers encourage entrepreneurs to embrace their unique strengths and contributions, even if they don't feel like an expert in every area.

35:13

🌈 Upper Limiting: Self-Sabotage in Success

The speakers explore the concept of upper limiting, where individuals sabotage their success due to deeply ingrained beliefs about their worthiness of success. They discuss how these limits can manifest in various aspects of life and the importance of recognizing and challenging these self-imposed restrictions. The conversation touches on the need for self-compassion, understanding one's value, and the power of reframing one's mindset to fully embrace and enjoy success.

40:16

🛑 The Struggle Mindset: Rethinking Entrepreneurial Sacrifice

The speakers address the 'struggle mindset,' a belief that success is only valuable if it comes with suffering. They discuss the harmful effects of this mindset and the importance of redefining success as something that can be enjoyed and celebrated without the need for excessive hardship. The conversation encourages entrepreneurs to let go of the narrative that suffering is a prerequisite for value and to embrace a more balanced and healthy approach to their work and lives.

45:17

🤝 Building Community and Self-Reflection

The speakers conclude the discussion by emphasizing the importance of community and self-reflection for entrepreneurs. They share personal strategies for introspection and the value of connecting with like-minded individuals. The conversation highlights the need for entrepreneurs to find their 'zone of genius' and to work on projects they are passionate about. The speakers invite the audience to join them at the Conscious Entrepreneur Summit, a community-focused event aimed at supporting entrepreneurs in their personal and professional development.

Keywords

💡Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship refers to the process of designing, launching, and running a startup company or organization. In the context of the video, it is highlighted as a challenging journey that requires resilience, self-awareness, and the ability to overcome internal and external challenges. The speakers discuss the misconceptions around entrepreneurship, such as the belief that it is a path to quick wealth or work-life balance, and emphasize the reality of the hard work, stress, and personal investment involved.

💡Burnout

Burnout is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. It is prevalent among entrepreneurs due to the high demands and pressures of running a business. The video discusses burnout as a significant internal challenge that entrepreneurs face, often resulting from overwork and the relentless pursuit of success without adequate self-care.

💡Impostor Syndrome

Impostor syndrome is a psychological pattern in which individuals doubt their accomplishments and have a persistent fear of being exposed as a 'fraud'. In the video, it is described as a common experience among entrepreneurs, especially when they compare themselves to others who seem more successful. The speakers suggest reframing the syndrome as a habit that can be managed rather than a truth about one's abilities.

💡Self-Care

Self-care refers to the practice of taking action to preserve or improve one's own health. In the context of the video, self-care is crucial for entrepreneurs to prevent burnout and maintain the mental and physical stamina required for the demands of running a business. The speakers advocate for activities such as exercise, meditation, and getting outside as forms of self-care that can help manage the stress and challenges of entrepreneurship.

💡Mental Health

Mental health refers to an individual's psychological and emotional well-being. In the video, it is highlighted as a critical aspect of entrepreneurship that is often overlooked. The speakers discuss the internal struggles entrepreneurs face, such as burnout and impostor syndrome, and stress the importance of addressing these mental health challenges to achieve success and fulfillment in business.

💡Zone of Genius

The term 'Zone of Genius' refers to the areas where an individual excels and derives energy. It is introduced by the speaker as a concept to help entrepreneurs identify activities that they are naturally good at and enjoy, which can lead to greater productivity and satisfaction. By focusing on their zone of genius, entrepreneurs can avoid burnout and maximize their potential.

💡Upper Limiting

Upper limiting is a concept that refers to self-imposed restrictions on one's potential due to internalized beliefs or fears. In the video, it is described as a barrier that prevents entrepreneurs from fully embracing and capitalizing on their successes. The speakers discuss how these internal governors can lead to self-sabotage and hinder the entrepreneur's ability to enjoy and fully engage with the positive aspects of their work and life.

💡Struggle Mindset

The struggle mindset is a belief that success and value are earned only through hardship and suffering. It is a perspective that glorifies the struggle and associates worth with the amount of pain or effort one endures. In the video, the speakers challenge this mindset, suggesting that it is not necessary or healthy to equate suffering with success and that entrepreneurs should instead focus on activities that bring joy and fulfillment.

💡Community

Community, in the context of the video, refers to a group of individuals who share common interests, challenges, and goals, particularly in the entrepreneurial space. It is emphasized as a vital support system for entrepreneurs, providing a sense of belonging, shared experiences, and opportunities for learning and growth. The speakers advocate for finding and engaging with such communities to mitigate feelings of isolation and to gain valuable insights and encouragement.

💡Fearless Self-Inquiry

Fearless self-inquiry is the practice of courageously examining one's own thoughts, emotions, and behaviors to gain a deeper understanding of oneself. It involves questioning one's reactions and triggers to identify underlying beliefs and patterns. In the video, this concept is presented as a powerful tool for entrepreneurs to confront and overcome internal challenges, develop self-awareness, and foster personal growth.

Highlights

The importance of understanding one's internal triggers and judgments, and how they reflect self-judgment.

The discussion on overcoming internal challenges as an entrepreneur, which are as significant as external ones.

The common misconception that entrepreneurship leads to work-life balance and the reality of the long hours and stress involved.

The realization that being a founder involves inspiring and being responsible for a team, rather than having a traditional boss.

The acknowledgment that entrepreneurship is not about making money, but about bringing a vision to life.

The importance of discussing and acknowledging personal struggles in entrepreneurship to unlock growth.

The role of community and support in addressing internal challenges faced by entrepreneurs.

The concept of 'zone of genius' and how focusing on activities that energize can prevent burnout.

The impact of impostor syndrome on entrepreneurs and strategies for overcoming it.

The idea of 'upper limiting' and how it can prevent entrepreneurs from fully embracing success.

The struggle mindset and the need to reframe the idea that success must come with suffering.

The significance of self-inquiry and introspection in personal growth and leadership development.

The role of passion in entrepreneurship and its ability to sustain an entrepreneur through challenges.

The importance of aligning one's skills, passions, and business opportunities for sustainable success.

The value of community and finding a tribe of like-minded entrepreneurs for support and growth.

The promotion of the Conscious Entrepreneur Summit as a resource for entrepreneurs to connect and grow.

Transcripts

if I find myself getting triggered by

something say well why and what what

what's behind that and so often that

that old adage that we all know if you

if you spot it you got it is true for me

so if I find myself being judgmental

about someone's thing then it's because

I'm being judgmental about myself but I

want to project it out on them the topic

that we are talking about today is how

to overcome the internal challenges of

being an entrepreneur and now from

starting companies for something close

to 15 or 20 years or so I can't even

remember at this point uh and working

with countless Founders you know one of

the kind of negative things that I see

is that yeah everybody is always wanting

and very much seeking advice how do I

grow my ARR how do I you know growth

hack this or make more money here or

close this deal right and but very very

rarely do we hear questions about hey

how do I make myself a better

entrepreneur how do make myself a better

leader how do I try to bring some

balance to my life and try to make

myself better so that I can become a

better entrepreneur a better founder a

better CEO right it's kind of a level of

thinking that still has this stigma

around it and you know it's something

that literally I think just in in

watching entrepreneurs and being an

entrepreneur for a while and going

through a lot of these challenges myself

right I think the internal challenges

are at the very least they're just as uh

challenging as kind of the external

challenges when I say external

challenges that's literally like the

Tactical things that you need to do to

build a business right to go out and

raise funding to go find customers all

that kind of stuff right the internal

challenges are not addressed or at least

they're not spoken about and I would

argue that they're even bigger than

those those external challenges so uh

that's why we're here today and that's

why I'm really am reiterating that

please do let us know in the chat so

Isabelle from Minas or Min I hopefully

I'm pronouncing that correctly I was

born in in Rio de Janeiro so hopefully

I'm getting that right guad laara Denver

Colorado Matthew welcome uh I'm I'm

based in Basalt Colorado we have

Yokohama Japan rohini from Mountain View

uh amazing so let me uh go through

quickly just the the agenda that we have

today uh we're going to bring on uh in a

minute

my friend Alex but uh and then Alex is

going to go through a kind of a quick

kind of guided discussion right but

honestly we are trying to build this

event in a way that it will have as much

interaction as possible all right so

please

do share any of the experiences that you

have share any of the questions that you

have because in going through kind of

the the personal side of

Entrepreneurship the number one thing

that I have seen personally i' like kind

of the number one barrier that's then

starts to unlock a lot of other stuff is

to acknowledge that you have these

struggles and then number two to start

talking about them right um and I have

it was only a couple years ago when I

started to acknowledge that I had some

of these struggles and then I started

talking about them and honestly my life

became significantly significantly

better and it started when I I came to

the realization I acknowledged this with

a lot of Founders and Founders Institute

programs as well okay uh the number one

acknowledgement that I would say is that

look um being a Founder kind of sucks if

you think about it all right I think

there's a lot of very

romantic ideologies that people have

about being a startup founder right uh

first of all a lot of people will come

into our program it's literally if

you're applying to the founder Institute

just to give you a little tip okay we

have a flag in the applications like if

somebody is applying to founder

Institute and they're saying because I

want to be an entrepreneur because I

want to be rich or uh because I want to

make a lot of money um it's usually not

the best reason to go into

entrepreneurship uh it's uh Phil livon

who's one of our longest time mentors he

was one of the co-founders who ever

known now runs a company called uh and a

quote that he had at one of our founder

Institute sessions a long time ago was

like look if you think that starting a

company is a good way to make money then

you're just bad at math right it's not

about the making of money uh the second

thing is is that a big misconception

that people have is that um they'll say

oh I want to start a company because I

want to kind of have work life balance

right I want to kind of determine when I

work and there's a a quote that he's

given to our entrepreneurs a lot of

times too is like yeah most

entrepreneurs yeah you have freedom you

have work life freedom to choose which

16 hours every day that you will work

right um and the third acknowledgement

and this is something that I see a ton

with Founders that I work with is that

they they start a company because they

want to be their own boss right and

something that I have definitely learned

over the years is that when you start a

business as a Founder

you your boss maybe you don't have

another boss uh above you so to speak in

a traditional sense but at that point

you are inspiring a lot of people to

work with you a lot of people to follow

your vision people to invest in you but

even your your first employees anybody

who's working for you you're probably

not able to uh give them a a you know a

market

level compensation you're probably not

able to to give them huge bonuses and

all of those things that they can get by

working at a big company so you are

inspiring people to follow your vision

so really at the end of the day yes you

don't have somebody that you're

reporting to but you are really

reporting to all of these people that

you have inspired to bring in your

vision so you're sort of swapping out

one direct boss for a whole bunch of

other people who have bought into what

you're doing and now you're sort of

responsible for a lot of their

livelihoods right that's something that

I think a lot of entrepreneurs don't get

and it's just one of the the many things

that seen you know in entrepreneurship

and one of the many things I've seen

that really uh makes me passionate about

addressing a lot of these internal

challenges addressing a lot of the the

mental health side of things um a lot of

the conscientious conscientiousness side

of things of entrepreneurs that are

getting started in the space and a

couple years ago I was introduced uh to

somebody his name is Alex Alex if you

want to bring yourself on um Alex uh has

been working now for a couple years

started an event uh here in Colorado

called the conscious entrepreneurs

Summit and I remember the first time I

spoke to him he's like look you're gonna

come to this conference we're not going

to talk about how to increase your AR

right we're gonna talk about how to make

you a better CEO a better entrepreneur a

better leader of people right and the

only way you can really do that is is to

try to address some of those internal

challenges that you had and so that's

how we got connected

and I I went to the first event and it

was amazing it honestly has given me a

lot of tools to to be better at at this

whole job and one one quick thing Alex

before I let you speak because it's kind

of a long and drawn out introduction

because this is something that I'm

passionate about the morning of the

conference uh the Airbnb that Alex was

staying in was broken into and his

laptop was stolen okay I don't know if

anybody on the line here has run a

conference where they're the MC and they

have the the number of logistics and

stuff that is involved getting up on

stage okay this person's coming up next

this person's coming up next right but

to have your laptop stolen the morning

of the inaugural conference that you're

running and still run that conference

and I will say Alex you did you did an

amazing job so that also to me was sort

of a perfect kickoff to the conscious

entrepreneur conference because I

remember you took the stage you're just

like I'm going to take a deep breath or

something and you're like and it's going

to be fine and um yeah it's it's all

going to work out and it really was an

an amazing an amazing

event uh thank you Jonathan for the

memory there that was a big deal uh I

woke up that morning and I was like wait

a minute I left the computer here it's

not here I'm excited I've got a 100

people coming to this Summit in Denver

what the hell is going on and uh luckily

I was able to find a friend who who lent

me a laptop and put it all together and

thank goodness for Google Drive and all

that sort of stuff but yeah that was a

that was a really big deal I super

appreciate being here I'm a big fan of

founder Institute thank you for the

invitation to come and and join this

this event and and to share and this is

so important and I look forward to

learning from you Jonathan about your

trajectory and and the things that

you've experienced I also really want to

hear from people in the chat about

what's coming up for them what going to

do today is we're simply going to list

out some topics and those topics are the

inner challenges the so-called demons

that we face as entrepreneurs and that's

really what I want to get into today I

want to share those and hopefully Foster

an open communication about what it

means to be an entrepreneur and how

we're showing up for ourselves and for

others real quickly by way of

introduction I'm Alex Raymond I live in

Boulder Colorado I hope host the

conscious entrepreneur Summit I host the

conscious entrepreneur podcast and I'm

the CEO and founder of a software

company here in Boulder called Capa

that's Kapa and I've been an

entrepreneur for something like 16 years

so I've seen a lot I've been through a

lot I've been through programs like

techstars I've mentored with a number of

different uh startup communities and

just like you were saying uh what I've

noticed is people will show up to Mentor

meetings and they think they want to

talk about go to market strategy or

pricing or whatever it is but what they

really want to talk about is when am I

going to start feeling okay in here and

that was the inspiration to create this

community and this event around

conscious entrepreneur because I realize

that everyone hits this realization at

some point or another they're like oh I

really need to be working on this so

super looking forward to this

conversation today uh we're going to be

very conversational as as how we go and

how we go through things um and I will

keep a diligent eye on the chat here to

make sure that everyone's voices are

being heard I want to start please do

just just quickly yeah in the chat so we

do want to make conversational okay I I

think one of the most powerful things

for me at least was to just start

talking about the questions and just the

the feelings that I had and the

struggles that I was going through as an

Entre

okay so please do in the chat uh we'll

be tracking it we want to Loop in

whether it's any questions that you have

a high Eva from Christ Church or Chris

church or Christ Church I'm not how to

pronounce that I'm not sure how to

pronounce that in New Zealand but

welcome you know please do let us know

questions comments or even just

contribute uh anything that you've gone

through here because we really do want

to make this a collaborative

conversation absolutely absolutely so

the more that we're sharing the more

that we're open the more that we're

we're vulnerable even if it feels

awkwarder or new uh is something that is

really supporting us and everybody

around us I want to share and start um

with a quote so uh in in 2015 nine years

ago a a professor uh PhD psychiatrist

psychologist uh at the University of

California San Francisco did a great big

research project uh and he called it our

entrepreneurs touched with fire the the

person who wrote this um wrote this

paper his name is Michael Freeman and he

was really digging into the

psychology of what it means to be an

entrepreneur of how to be resilient and

how to overcome the obstacles and I just

want to share with you one tiny

paragraph uh from this report as a way

of framing the discussion today so

here's from Michael

Freeman the barriers to success as an

entrepreneur are virtually unlimited and

most startups fail as a result

entrepreneurs have lower initial

earnings lower earnings growth lower

long-term earnings greater work stress

and more psychosomatic health problems

than employees so as non-entrepreneurs

why would anyone voluntarily accept

longer work hours fewer weekends and

holidays more responsibility chronic

uncertainty greater personal risk and

struggle and greater investment of

emotional and physical resources that

are required to be an entrepreneur

instead of the security and long-term

rewards of having a career and then he

concludes this paragraph by saying by

conventional standards choosing to be an

entrepreneur is an exercise in bad

judgment so you know I hope we're all

happy with our life choices right now

after reading that so this is a psych

atrist saying hey there's so much that

just rolls straight down the hill and

onto the shoulders of the entrepreneur

how do they do it what's in it for them

why are people oriented like this and I

think it's really interesting that many

people especially on the outside they

don't know how hard it is to be an

entrepreneur they don't understand what

really goes into to making this work and

as Jonathan was saying at the beginning

you know I think we can all agree we can

all posit that our success and our

happiness as entrepreneurs is going to

be driven by the internal factors not

the external factors we might think that

we're chasing you know a billion dollar

valuation or a hundred million dollars

in ARR or some gigantic company or

whatever it is but really if we fix the

internal stuff that comes up for us

we're going to enjoy the process better

we're going to have more fun along the

way and guess what when we are nourished

when we are strong when we are resilient

when we are

inspired all sorts of business problems

stop being problems and so this is such

an such an important reframe or mindset

shift that I want us to acknowledge so

what we're going to do today is we're

going to talk about some of these

internal challenges and I'm going to put

Jonathan on the spot sometimes and say

hey how did this stuff come up for you

and then I would also love to see in the

chat what it is that is coming up for

you as well so let's jump into these

challenges so the CH the inner

challenges of being an entrepreneur and

how do we overcome them the first one is

really a big deal for entrepreneurs and

I want to call it out especially and

that is burnout now burnout affects a

tremendous number of people I was

talking to someone yesterday who said

that approximately 16% of the US

population is burned out at any given

time and in other countries that's even

up to 25 or 30% of people and burnout is

a terrible Affliction because it can

creep up on you now before we get into

sharing the personal stories of burnout

I want to offer a definition so burnout

actually has a definition there are

three critical elements of of burnout so

the three elements of burnout are number

one feelings of energy depletion or

exhaustion

so that's mental or physical exhaustion

number two is what's called cynicism or

depersonalization which means there's

more mental distance between me and my

job I feel negative I feel cynical in

some cases I feel hopeless and then the

third part is reduced professional

professional efficacy which means I'm

just not able to get done what I used to

be able to get done things are not

working for me and you know life is much

more difficult as a result so that's the

actual definition of burnout now it

comes in many shapes and sizes comes in

all sorts of forms and it can creep up

on you or it can be you know sudden and

acute uh type of thing but burnout we

know is so pervasive in the in the space

with entrepreneurs like we all just

think we can burn the candle at both

ends and lo and behold it catches up to

us and sometimes we can kind of continue

in lowgrade Burnout for a long time

sometimes it just we're incapacitated

and we're no longer able to do our jobs

um Jonathan what have you seen either

personally or within the FI Community or

other communities about burnout and how

has that affected

you it it's it has affected me a ton

honestly I've been at at probably four

or five times in my life now to that

point where I'm like I can't go any

farther farther right and I've

conditioned myself to go pretty damn far

to be honest and it is something it was

just a couple years ago when I

started you know and this may sound new

age or something like that to a lot of

people but but you know I started just

making sure that every single day I'm

getting outside right figuring out how

what are the things that I can do in my

mind to just settle my mind because

there was always a million different

things that were going on right it was

always a million different fires that

needed to be settled today and then fire

things that would be a fire next week

and then things that would be a fire the

week after that right um and just being

able to go through all of these these

different things it was impossible like

literally impossible so the only way

that you can really start to deal with

it at least from what I saw and trust me

I'm no expert on this right was just to

start saying okay look yes there are all

these problems how can I at least start

to like train my mind to not worry about

those problems and to just try to focus

on one task at a time one thing at a

time right it's at least for me I I the

thing that kind of really connected the

dots was that because I really did think

that

um you know conscientiousness and just

uh like even things like meditation were

just sort of new age BS honestly but

then when I started to reframe it in my

mind and think okay you know what like

it's it's the same way that I would tack

any business problem it's like okay I

need to uh release this product to this

Market okay what's step one I need to do

this what's step two I need to do this

what's step three right as soon as I

started thinking about okay I like what

I'm doing right now is not working right

there's not product Market fit so to

speak on my internal mind State and what

I need to do on a day-to-day basis so

how do I attack that step by step and

that that's when I when I started to

actually say okay you know what every

day I need to get outside I need to get

some exercise I need to do this I need

to do that and you know it's not

something where it's like okay immediate

gratification you go for one run and

okay now you're now you're healed it's

it's a

continuous continuous thing right so I

think it was for me it was looking at

myself as um and this

is a theme that has coming up a lot in a

lot of conversations I've had recently

as well it's like you have to think of

yourself almost as like a mental

athlete right as an entrepreneur you're

not just doing you don't have a career

where oh I'm a product manager like no

you're the product

manager in some cases you're the

developer you're the salesperson you're

the CEO you're the customer support

you're right so you literally are kind

of a a a a mental athlete so if you

aren't taking care of that engine the me

you know your mind then it's you're just

you're sort of there's only kind of one

logical conclusion to that it's it's a

great analogy the athlete is a great

analogy because what do athletes have

you know some some really good some

really good uh basketball player golfer

whatever it is they've got you know

they've got their their playing coach

but then they also have a rest coach

maybe a sleep coach a nutrition coach so

they're looking at the entire life cycle

and that's the same thing here you know

as entrepreneurs if we think that I'm

just GNA move mountains by pushing a

boulder up the hill up a hill all the

time and I can you know just keep going

and outwork the competition and Etc um

I'm going to wind out I'm going to wind

up in in serious burnout one of the

reframes that I've really appreciated

around burnout that that I've suffered

from myself is you know what if burnout

is a psychological or philosophical or a

spiritual problem more than just playing

old exhaustion and what if we can get

from you know so-called victim mentality

into Creator mentality and taking

responsibility for our life so just like

you were saying hey I you this is a

problem where I can put you know certain

plans in place and take certain actions

we can do that toward burnout what

happens so another question you might

ask yourself is what happens if I stop

resisting reality right does my does my

burnout go away if I accept reality and

say what can I change what can I not

change you know does that do anything

and then finally um we we're sort of

conditioned to believe that this is

normal uh and I think it's important

just to remind burnout is not normal

this is not you know a badge of honor

it's not a great thing to be walking

around burned out it means that your

physical and mental and emotional

capacity are very very low and so we

want to switch the conversation around

burnout I love seeing some of these some

of these items in the chat you know

sleep is super important taking care of

ourselves preparing for the marathon is

building a company it's not a

Sprint sleep sleep for me is incredibly

important too so yeah I saw that in here

uh nithan yeah sleep that's one I also

haven't cracked I I've just sort of

always had sleep problems to be honest

um but sleep is something that yeah if I

don't get a good night's sleep I wake up

in the morning and inevitably right I

fire up and I see that there's a problem

and it's just like wow what a terrible

way to start right um I have another

question here from David David and

Florence is asking Florence United

States I'm not sure what state that's in

but uh but he's asking can you address

how Focus can lead to burnout which then

can lead to a crisis of confidence right

and that's where it's a good point

because this is something in the founder

Institute program too right one of our

main uh kind of methodology so to speak

is that entrepreneurs need to be focused

when when they start to think about what

the businesses want to try to build

right they start to try to boil the

ocean so we try to get them hey no go

super super super deep on this one

problem now when you talk about going

super super super deep that can start to

lead to like Obsession and and things

like that and yeah I don't know Alex if

you if you've seen any kind of

strategies to deal with that I mean yeah

yeah when when I when I hear that um you

know a concept of that's been very

powerful for me in my life comes to mind

and that concept is zone of genius and

zone of Genius comes from an author his

name is gay Hendrick and he created a

whole way of thinking about where do we

put our time and our energy and when I

hear uh someone say like is is focus

leading to me going down a rabbit hole

and then burning out and how do I get

out of it um gay Hendricks will actually

say if you're in your zone of genius

that's actually where time expands and

energy expands however if I'm doing

stuff that is not my zone of Genius so

what he calls the zone of competence or

maybe the zone of Excellence or

certainly not I hope the zone of

incompetence but if I'm down there then

yes all this work and focus can be

incredibly draining if it's not part of

what gives me

life right so it's kind of getting to

the energy side of things right correct

yes it's yeah it's this was something

that I learned at your conference by the

way was that identifying there certain

things for for everybody that either

drains your energy or gives you energy

right for me uh there were things like

if if I feel like I'm not uh being just

appreciated right this is like

introspection that I did over over a

couple of years it drains my energy it's

just sort of like a kick of my side

right um but if I'm able to to see

things and do things that I can get

instant gratification from and and

things like that right it gives me

energy right so it's kind of if that

zone of Genius sounds to me it's like

okay if you could engross yourself in

projects that are energizing right then

time expands it's you get into that

proverbial Zone totally absolutely it

does absolutely it does and I see that

there's a question here what happens if

I don't have his own genius everybody's

got one and so uh there's a fantastic

book I don't want to get into it in too

much detail here but there's a fantastic

book written by Dr Gay Hendricks on this

topic it's called the big leap and in

the big leap he identifies here's some

questions to go about figuring out what

is your zone of genus for example what's

the kind of work that you can just do

and do and do and never get tired what

are the things that your friends and

family come to you about for example uh

so you know over the course of your life

do people always come to you with a

certain set of questions or observations

um what are the things that really give

you energy so those are the kind of

questions that you want to be asking

yourself about about zone of genius and

that by the way is a tremendous remedy

to burnout so not spending time doing

things that you don't like to do that

you're no good at that cause you anxiety

and stress Etc that's a great way to

start um avoiding burnout I want to jump

now into uh the next one of these

internal challenges and this is another

big one for us entrepreneurs and it's

called impostor syndrome impostor

syndrome basically feels like I don't

know how I'm at this party I wasn't

invited I just snuck in the back door I

don't have anything in common with

anybody everybody else looks so much

more successful than I do they all seem

to have their together you know

that sort of thing like those are the

things that come up when we have

impostor syndrome and it's very common

by the way especially in a group like

founder Institute why because I'm

comparing myself to the person who's

speaking from the stage and he or she is

10 years ahead of me I don't need to be

comparing myself to them but still the

idea of like one up one down and

comparing creates this discussion around

am I good enough do I deserve to be here

am I worthy and I want to share a couple

of definitions and quotes uh about

impostor syndrome before we get into the

conversation on this topic um when it

comes up when impostor syndrome comes up

uh brne Brown very famous author and

thinker you know she

recommends don't listen to it don't

berate yourself talk to yourself like

you would talk to someone you love so

when you hear that nagging voice when

you hear that inner critic when your

impostor syndrome starts to flare up can

you pause and talk to yourself like you

would talk to someone you love someone

in your family your spouse your partner

what have you another one that I want to

share uh Jerry Colona who is based in

Boulders he an executive coach and

author and was one of the speakers at

the concious entrepreneur Summit great

he says yeah no for sure awesome awesome

guy he says impostor syndrome is The

Voice voice in your head that overlooks

discounts and discredits your

accomplishments so what we need to

remember and here I'm going to quote

Seth Goden another very well-known

author the best way to deal with

impostor syndrome is to realize that it

is a syndrome and not the truth so it's

a habit meaning it's habitual it's not

an insight and he says impostor syndrome

lives in the space between

how you feel and what you

fear so this bring tends to bring up a

lot of stuff for people J Jonathan right

impostor syndrome oh I'm looking around

everyone's raised more money than me

they're Farther Along they have a bigger

business oh you know this person already

hired an assistant and I still have to

do all the work myself they've got a

bigger team you know whatever it is and

so we're basically because of our

upbringing Society we're always

comparing ourselves to others and you

know for me think LinkedIn is making

this worse by the way sorry to interrupt

but LinkedIn is has become a you know a

self

agiz like kind of platform so it's yeah

but go ahead I I I've had the same

realization about LinkedIn a friend of

mine from business school was like I

can't believe how many people are VPS or

svps or you know whatever it is

everybody everybody's doing everything

except everybody's doing everything and

so it's tough so so if we're trying to

do our best and we're trying to build

the business of our dreams and we're

trying to get out there and make a

difference in the world and we just have

this nagging critic inside of our head

it's really hard to shift so for me this

one has come up a lot right and and and

it's just gets in my way and I try to go

back to that Seth quote and quote of

remembering it's a syndrome it's not the

truth I don't have to believe everything

I think right and now that's easy to say

implementing it on a day-to-day basis is

is difficult but tell me Jonathan what

have you experienced with

this I have just seen from working with

entrepreneurs now from seeing where when

they came in with ideas and and myself

too right is that everybody is an

impostor until they're not right like

it's it's sort of it is as you said you

put it perfectly it's the it's a

syndrome it's not the truth it's

something that lives in your head and

you know what yeah you know you're an

impostor to the world until until like

you actually get out there and you do

something right but it's it's again all

of these things are subed so yeah what

what I it's it's you know some of it is

kind of like fake it to you make it and

I like fake it to you make it as a as a

term not because it can sometimes lead

to fraud and things like that U but

because of an attitude because it almost

is pretty inherent in every single

entrepreneur that I've worked with is

that look it's we're all out here trying

to bring something that doesn't exist

into

existence right so in that respect we

all start as an

impostor and even the the people that

are now you might think are the opposite

of an imposter they were at your

stage right yeah they built through it

there wasn't some now when they're on

stage and there's a lot of you know

rewriting of History oh yeah I just you

know I just built what the customer

wanted right

people like to rewrite history a lot but

it very very rarely is that kind of

romanticized story there's ups there's

Downs there's struggles there's impostor

syndrome there's feeling like I'm not

worthy the my idea sucks I'm failing

everybody right and then just working

through it and that's just kind of part

of the the process in in my experience

impostor syndrome can just flare up out

of nowhere and it just takes over right

it's it's like oh it and it just wants

to bombard me with stuff but imposter

syndrome at the end of the day it never

survives questioning it never survives

the data it never survives the insights

you know it'll make up a story but guess

what I'm here I've figured out

everything else that came up in my life

right so I've successfully navigated

100% of every other challenge that was

ever in front of me and if I'm in a room

and I think wow everybody's so fancy

look at all these big fancy people and I

said do I belong here do you want here

of course they're going to say yes right

and so as soon as you start to question

the reality of impos syndrome it can go

away now doesn't mean it's G to come

it's not going to come back but the idea

is you don't have to believe it and we

need to you know just like you're using

that analogy about an athlete before we

build a m a mental muscle right that

says hey when this comes up I'm not

going to believe it and go waste 30

minutes feeling terrible about myself

I'm going to interrupt it as soon as I

can and say is that true

I don't think it's true here's what

we're going to do and reframe that

instead those are things I found really

helpful yeah me too and I think it's

because you know how you see a lot of

those charts where it's like okay stages

of a startup right and it's like okay

idea napkin and then it goes to like MVP

and and whatever funding series a

whatever right there literally should be

a stage there that's like impostor Cent

it it's it's just like the step of

saying okay you know what I'm going to

quit my job and go and and start this

company right like that's a big step

that takes courage that means you know

friends family all this kind of stuff

and then kind of I feel like a lot of

times the next step you know it may come

right away it may come in a couple of

months whatever is that imposter

syndrome and it's it's a different kind

of Step but it's still it's it's still

like something it requires courage and

it's not easy and a lot of Founders fail

there and they that's then they that

that's just kind of why a lot of people

don't start companies yeah for sure do

we have any comments from the group on

impostor syndrome and how it's showing

up for you we we have a lot here

so the first one yeah I mean uh so

nithan from phro uh in the US is how do

you assess if you have enough skills or

internal factors to be a good founder of

the Venture that you want to start how

do you Shore up gaps in those skills

mindsets and internal factors so I I'll

take this one first n Alex like I think

Nan think you're you're looking at this

right and you're you're trying to solve

this problem kind of similar to what I

said right you're kind of thinking like

an entrepreneur you're saying okay well

you know it's it's almost like all right

I need to reach this much AR next month

these are my problems how do I solve

this right how do you assess if you have

enough skills and then how do you Shore

up those gaps in skills and I I think

it's

I the the problem here is that it's not

like clearcut like oh you need to hire

this skill set you need to hire this

skill set right for me at least it was

acknowledging okay these are the things

that I'm not doing good at right now

these are the things that you know my

wife is telling me I'm not doing good at

right now and I know myself every day

that I'm not being good at and just

starting to devote time every single

week increase that time on a week to

week basis at least that that's that's

my practical not scientific way that

I've done it but I don't know Alex if

you have other insights what what came

up for me when I heard that question is

there's kind of an implicit assumption

that there's something wrong with not

having the skills or something wrong

with not knowing where we're going and

what I'd offer is the reflection is we

we all started somewhere and by the way

what if we just switched that around and

and and assumed hey I've got everything

I need I'm GNA figure it out I am

resilient I'm going to make this happen

and how does that change our thinking as

a

result that that's an amazing Point Alex

and it's you've again I've learned this

is why I wanted to do this event because

as a Founder you're expected to yeah

kind of be an expert in sales and

product and technology and and all this

stuff but you can never be that right

it's it's your ability to learn quickly

is is one of the biggest I think um

things that are founder needs absolutely

but you yeah but you

can't yeah you can't assume that you're

going to know all those things

inherently right every time you realize

oh I need to learn learn up on this you

can't kind of kick yourself like oh I

should have known that right it's just

kind of part of the process and any

other normal organization there might be

a whole department to deal with that

correct and and we're going to get into

that in just a second once we get to uh

one of these called second Arrow

yeah do we have more on impost syndrome

we do here so um here is

one okay so Dennis DEA had had a similar

question as well talking about uh being

an

introvert with impostor syndrome at

social networking events okay um and I

think this is I'm also an introvert I'm

I'm a I'm an extroverted introvert I'm

I'm I'm the same I'm the same yes it's

um so

yeah social situations suck out my

energy like like nothing else right and

so I do think that impostor syndrome of

course you go to a social event and all

these people are work in the room and

they're you know things are happening

and you're kind of you know trying to

trying to find your way I don't know

yeah do you have any insights on on what

could be helpful there well uh it's

certainly not set up for introverts to

succeed right these kind of working

events and social things so first is to

acknowledge that and decide what's my

level of energy going into this for

example right like and and also what do

I want to get out of these interactions

why am I here if I'm not a super

extroverted person and I'm not I'm not

going to walk out of a networking thing

with you know a stack of business cards

it's just not how I roll what I would

much rather do is find a small number of

people that I can have a meaningful

connection with and then I feel

nourished I feel like I got something

out of the evening for example um but if

it's just you know pound-for-pound how

many VCS can I meet how many investors

can I meet how many you know sales leads

can I generate in a day that is totally

totally not for me um and it's just

simply an acknowledgement of the

differences in style and differences in

Behavior yes uh Joy is saying here too

like introverts better at listening

right which is a better way to gain

someone's trust yeah I

think in a lot of cases I think I I do

go to a lot of networking events and I'm

like you know what maybe I shouldn't

have gone to this but I I'm not saying

that that's like don't go to those

events right but I do think it's yeah

going to them and and having a plan and

understanding that look yeah you don't

need to be the person who's working in

the room you are there to probably build

deeper relationships maybe right because

that's a skill of introverts empathy and

things like that um than than somebody

else totally yeah yeah yeah awesome uh

okay if we move on to the next one of

these mhm so the next one is what I call

Upper limiting and I just referenced the

creator of this concept this is Dr Gay

Hendricks who came up with the idea of

an upper limit and what the upper limit

means is when things are going well in

my life when things are going well in my

business I find ways to screw it

up and this could be something as simple

as

I close a big deal for my company and

then I go home and get in a fight with

my wife right or everything is going

great at home and there's a lot of love

and and good feeling in my family and

you know I then go get in a fight with

my co-founder at work something

something along those lines and upper

limiting basically says we're not fully

tapped into the positive energy that's

flowing in our life and we have a you

know they call these things like a

governor or regulator like on an engine

that says it can only go this this fast

or you can only go this hot well that's

exactly what the upper limit is and it

prevents us from fully tapping into the

positive energy that is our Birthright

and he says so he Dr Gay Hendrick says

you know look this comes from um false

assumptions that we have or things that

have come up in our life that make us

feel like maybe we are fundamentally

flawed right and if I'm fundamentally

flawed then I can't be having success I

can't be feeling is good I can't be

raising all that money uh maybe I feel

like by being successful I'm being

disloyal to my family story so maybe I

have a family story so I have a family

story that like struggle is good right

and I have a grandfather who came over

from Ireland at age 19 and never saw his

parents again and worked at the utility

company shoveling coal you know all this

sort of stuff right so am I somehow

being unfaithful or disloyal to my

family's story my family of Origins

story because I'm trying to be a

successful entrepreneur that's something

that comes up sometimes people say I've

got a program in my head that says More

Money More Problems and so as soon as

things start to go well I'll

self-sabotage in some area of my life if

only to prove myself right uh or then

maybe I have this idea that um I can

shine and and show my talents to the

world but I can't shine too bright I

can't outshine my brother or my sister

or my parent you know whatever it is and

so there I kind of keep regulating

myself right so I don't let myself get

out there these are all symptoms of

upper limits and it's the kind of thing

where you know when you hear about it

you're like wow this is totally true

never thought about this before I heard

about it from gay Hendrick but it shows

up in lots and lots of areas of life and

it's tends to be really deeply implanted

inside of people how do you how do you

react to this or what's coming up for

you on this topic so I I it's funny I'm

looking at so SAR Rob's comment here

right like reaching investors pitching

an idea in front of them and getting

rejected so as an entrepreneur

especially as a firsttime

entrepreneur like the guidance that we

give to entrepreneurs in our program

when they're raising their first round

of funding is that you're probably going

to need to get a 100

NOS literally aund NOS sure right before

you're GNA get a yes and um even an an

event we ran not too long ago one of uh

a very successful uh mentor of ours who

is one of the guys behind liquid death

right which is like a huge company and

he's raised billions of dollars even him

he's saying yeah like when he's raising

funding and he's one of the best at it

he's raised billions of dollars like

he's looking at 80 NOS to get a yes

right so those are the yeah if you have

that upper limiting mindset and you

firsttime founder right you're making

progress and all of a sudden your first

investor tells you no the 10th investor

tells you no the 20th it just re forces

hey maybe maybe I'm not cut up for this

yeah right um but I think it it

literally is like one of the core

elements of being a Founder is that is

the resilience it's just take taking the

no like it is just you know it's just

like kind of being able to to withstand

it um and still put on a face and do

that meeting again with somebody else

but not just do that but to learn from

the nose right some sometimes there's

nothing to learn it's just just pure

resilience like just forget about that

move on right um but that

is yeah for me especially the investor

side of things is usually when that

upper limiting comes up especially the

first investor meetings I see firsttime

Founders put a lot of weight into those

but literally those first ones should be

treated as kind of practice like

warmup yeah warm-ups but but a lot of

them treat it as no like this is like

the Cru

like this will deter my it's the truth

oh they told me my baby's ugly it's the

truth and I think that's that's really

what's behind all these is just because

it's a thought that's flying through

your head does not mean you have to

believe it right you're you're our

brains are just they want to talk they

want to solve problems they want to tell

us what to do they want to interpret the

world they want to make meaning and

sometimes we just have to realize that

our brains our minds sometimes get

things wrong so you know I I see upper

limiting as as a big deal sometimes

people ask well how do I get over it if

I have these upper limit problems it

actually comes back to what we were

talking about earlier which is when

you've identified and you're working in

your zone of genius and you're really

out there getting energy from your work

um it tends to dissolve a lot of upper

limits because a big part of the zone of

Genius work is committing to doing

things that bring you Joy and energy and

that give value and energy into the

world and so when I do that my capacity

City for feeling good and my capacity

for energy uh really increases and so

that's that's a really super powerful

Tool uh to have I want to move on to a

couple more because I see some questions

here that we're actually going to

address here in just a second um and so

let me move on to the to the next one of

these if that's okay which is struggle

mindset and I referenced this earlier

and I saw some something in the in the

chat just there struggle mindset is this

idea and this is a big deal for me okay

this is a really big deal for me

everybody uh like if it doesn't cost me

Blood Sweat and Tears it's not worth it

if I didn't get beat up along the way

it's not worth it I don't have black eye

it's not worth it I have show right I

have to show my value by how much I

suffered and even as I say these things

I know they're true like way deep down

for me but even when I say I'm like wow

that sounds like a lot of BS but these

are things that come up and as

entrepreneurs we're attracted to a

challenge we're attracted to S something

diff difficult and so we think oh I've

got to go out there and like give it my

best and leave everything on the field

and just like constantly be struggling

and suffering and boy is this one that

needs to be reframed and

rethought yes it it does and I feel like

it's something to just acknowledging

these problems I think is a big is a big

thing here because it's a machismo kind

of mentality yeah right so I don't know

if anyone follows Gary Gary ve and I

love Gary Vee he's he's a Jets fan I'm a

Jets fan and he's he's from the New York

area so am I but you know he's

popularized it was a whole movement

called Fridays right and and the

whole idea behind it was like hey yeah

like most people love Fridays you know

why I don't know maybe because they want

to do things that are healthy for

themselves as a person and spend time

with their family and children or

whatever right and and there was this

whole movement you know and it was kind

of it's been labeled like hustle hustle

porn um and it's been glamorized and

it's just like oh yeah how much did you

kill it this week right and and that

kind of stuff and it's it's completely

unhealthy you know and it's the yeah

there it's it's weird Alex it it

propagated the last couple of years

where yeah it was just

it's it is just turned into this

competition of just how many hours did

you work and this stuff and you know

what if you're able to use AI or you're

able to do whatever it is that you do

low code no code tools outsourcers

whatever and tell me that you did this

in five hours like that that's 100 times

better than saying oh yeah I worked 100

hours last week but most people will be

much more proud to say I worked 100

hours last week in this context and it's

totally totally you know it's funny it's

it's a topic that came up with with me

and my coach in a conversation and and I

was telling about how I I view

everything through this lens of like

suffering and difficulty and he said

when you go to a restaurant do you ask

how much suffering went into the soup or

like when you go buy a car do you ask

how much they suffered making the car

that you're about to buy no of course

not uh and so it's just one of these

things like we just got to let it go we

just got to let go of this

one yeah it's a big deal I see Daniel

here saying it's it's a big deal for him

yeah I mean the struggle mindset is this

is an opportunity for us to reframe like

am I willing to let go of the story that

I've been carrying in my head the story

I've been carrying in my head says I'm

only worthy if I do all these hours all

this work all this struggle all this

suffering am I willing to let go of that

story and simply give myself value and

worth

today easy to say hard to do but that's

part of what we're doing here is we're

building these muscles we're building

our understanding of who we are and how

we operate in the

world yeah yeah and there was there was

a great list that was shared here from

from ay thank you for sharing that ay of

of um kind of just different points on

the the the self-limiting and I want to

and we're going to we're going to close

out here in a couple of minutes

everybody we are going to send the video

for this um and Alex maybe let's do

another one of these because I think we

could literally chat about this for

hours happy to happy to in the future

but it's something so at ay who who also

shared an amazing list that has a a

point here in the chat ay's from

Melbourne um having been part of the

startup ecosystem for a while I'm

rapidly losing faith in entrepreneurs

because I'm cynical about the fact that

real problems aren't being addressed is

this a limiting belief so I have hearing

that question Alex to my to me it it

triggered one thing right and one thing

at least for me is that no matter what

you're doing as an

entrepreneur it's G to kind of suck

right as I was talking about before

you're going to have to put in the hours

it it doesn't mean that you have to

glamorize putting in any the hours but

it is going to be a lot of work right

let's be honest about that and if you're

doing something

that you really care

about right then that's where get you

closer to that you know Zone that we've

been talking about where hey now time

kind of seems to expand it doesn't feel

like you know a chore as much right um

and in founder Institute we really do

push people in the beginning of the

program to to align things right we we

kind of it's a vend diagram it's like

what are the things that you're good at

and passionate about and then where

where are business opportunities and

what is the intersection of those two

things right that's your best chance of

success right there because if you're

just doing something because you're

saying you know what if I can squeeze

another 20% of of value out of this

transaction doing X Y and Z right you

know what yeah maybe you can and maybe

that's a way to make money but you know

when you're when you're 9 months in

working a lot to figure that out is that

going to sustain you that purpose to

keep going right so so that's something

at least that that we push for um and I

agree ay by the way that yeah a lot of

entrepreneurs don't don't pursue things

that are kind of

meaningful right um yeah I don't know

just like Alex like let's say that

you're talking to a firsttime

entrepreneur or someone who's just

getting started and you know that

they're going to face these challenges

right like sure 100% yep so if they're

at that point where they're deciding hey

what are like how can I at least set

myself up to mitigate some of these

issues you're not going to avoid them

they're inevitable um but at least to

mitigate some of these issues as you as

you kind of start on on the

journey uh absolutely so um let me just

uh is it okay if I stop the presentation

so we can just Riff on this a little bit

and then we'll come back yeah Okay cool

so I'm going to stop that so you should

be able to see us now on a bigger screen

um you know so much comes up when you're

an entrepreneur it's such a great

learning experience about ourselves it's

such a great learning experience about

what it means to be in the world and to

be in relation with others and the best

tool that I found hands down is what we

call Fearless self-inquiry which is just

constantly being willing to go in and

understand what's going on for me who am

I who am I becoming why is this trigger

ing something for me um one of the

things that I try to do is if I find

myself getting triggered by something

say well why and what what what's behind

that and so often that that old adage

that we all know if you if you spot it

you got it is true for me so if I find

myself being judgmental about someone's

thing then it's because I'm being

judgmental about myself but I want to

projected out on them for example and

the more time that I can just spend

understanding how I work what my

preferences are where my zone of Genius

is where my zone of incompetence is the

better I'm able to adapt myself into the

environment so a lot of people meditate

I meditate that's a great tool for

self-introspection a lot of people are

involved in communities just like

founder Institute right where we have

support from one another so that's a

really great thing where there's groups

like EO entrepreneurs organization and

so on so Community is a really important

part to this as well I'd say you know if

you're doing nothing today and you start

trying to get more introspective and

learning more about yourself and at the

same time you find your tribe and

connect with them that's really going to

go super long way toward addressing some

of these what else would you add to that

no I I think that's I I would say yeah

just just as a play on that find other

people in the

similar place as you right like

entrepreneurship is by its very nature a

very lonely Journey even if you have co-

Founders right it's it's lonely it's

lonely for all of you um so find other

people that are kind of going through

the same

stages um and then yeah I mean the

second thing I would say is

just work on something that you're

really are passionate

about right yeah because there there's

you're going to hit those gaps you're

going to hit those things where really

if you're just if you're just in it to

to to make some money or you're just in

it to you know squeeze out some some

value out of this transaction or

whatever it is yeah um it's going to be

a lot harder to go through those Hard

Times yeah for sure it's not it's not

gonna it's not going to work and and

tapping into Community is a really

really big deal uh being seen feeling

seen like these are just incredibly

important uh topics and and look I mean

this is what we do at conscious

entrepreneur and so I want to invite

everyone just like Jonathan came out to

to the first conscious entrepreneur

Summit that we did I want to invite

everyone else who's on the call to join

us if this sounds like it's interesting

if this feels important to you if this

feels alive to you uh we have a global

event in June in Boulder Colorado

conscious entrepreneur. us is the

website we have a special discount code

for founder Institute so fi 2024 will

get you 100 bucks off please come and

join us it's really important to know

that you're not alone and in fact

there's a whole community that wants

nothing other than to support you and so

that's what we're building I'm super

glad to have the support of folks like

Jonathan and the founder Institute I

mean this is such an important

conversation we're all going to get

there and we're all going to get there

together so really appreciate being here

and spending time with all of you no

it's great to have you Alex and yeah

I'll just I'll just note here guys like

we're promoting this event we don't have

any f cial interest in this event okay

um it's it's just an event that I went

to and I think it's super super

important my interest in this event is

just that I see way too many

entrepreneurs coming to the space that

aren't taking these things seriously

that just aren't keeping in mind that as

they're they creating a better business

they have to create themselves as a

better leader all right so definitely

this is an event that has that has

helped me personally and and that's why

we're we're kind of trying to bring it

more to our Network because I think it

will create uh better entrepreneurs out

there in the

marketplace okay um thank you so much

Alex and uh thank you everybody for

joining we'll send out a video in the

next couple of days and Alex I'll uh

I'll talk to you soon all right sounds

great really appreciate it thanks so

much everybody all right take care bye

bye

bye but