The Inner Entrepreneur

I built an eight-figure business that runs without me. I’ll help you do the same.

Apply for a  strategy call with Paul: https://calendly.com/inner-entrepreneur-podcast/discovery-call-with-paul-ryan

What happens when the very drive that makes you successful is also the thing destroying you?

George Bryant has lived an extraordinary life.

From a deeply troubled childhood to becoming a US Marine, a New York Times bestselling author, successful entrepreneur, coach and host of The Mind of George podcast, George has achieved more than most people could imagine.

But behind many of those achievements was a very different story.

George describes much of his early success not as achievement, but as survival.

He became comfortable with chaos. He learned to push harder, work longer and overcome whatever was put in front of him. And for years, that mentality worked.

Until it didn't.

In this deeply personal conversation, George and Paul explore what happens when entrepreneurs tie their identity and self-worth to their results — and why achievement can sometimes become one of the most effective ways of avoiding ourselves.

George shares the extraordinary story of becoming a Marine, graduating as the honour graduate from 1,300 recruits, building successful businesses and becoming a New York Times bestseller — while privately struggling with bulimia, addiction, anxiety and an inability to simply be still.

We talk about the moment he stood in front of 2,000 people and abandoned his prepared keynote to tell the truth about what was really happening in his life.

And how that moment changed everything.

In this episode, we discuss:

Why George believes many of his greatest achievements began as survival mechanisms

How a chaotic childhood made chaos feel normal — and peace uncomfortable

The extraordinary lessons he learned during 13 years in the US Marine Corps

Why successful entrepreneurs can become addicted to achievement

The danger of tying your self-worth to the performance of your business

Why reaching the goal rarely gives you the feeling you expected

George's experience becoming a New York Times bestseller — and why being number four wasn't enough

The difference between ambition driven by lack and ambition driven by gratitude

Why entrepreneurs often struggle with imposter syndrome as they become more successful

How work, productivity and achievement can become ways of avoiding yourself

George's battle with bulimia and the truth behind the health book that made him famous

The moment he publicly confessed what was really happening behind his success

Why vulnerability became a turning point in his life

The importance of learning to sit with yourself without distraction

Why nobody creates meaningful success alone

How to pursue huge goals without becoming emotionally attached to the outcome

Why your future business requires you to become a different person

The importance of focusing on the few behaviours that actually create the result

Why entrepreneurs need to focus on the equation — not simply the number at the end of it

What George has learned about fatherhood, presence and what ultimately matters

Why your greatest struggles may eventually become something you can use to serve others

The importance of allowing yourself to actually feel your life

One of my favourite ideas from this conversation is George's observation that many of us spend our lives avoiding the one person we're guaranteed to spend the rest of our lives with:

Ourselves.

As entrepreneurs, it's incredibly easy to disguise that avoidance as ambition.

We work harder. Build another company. Chase another target. Set another goal.

And the world rewards us for it.

But eventually we have to ask a different question:

What is all of this success actually for?

George's story is ultimately a reminder that there is nothing wrong with ambition, growth or building an extraordinary business.

But not at the price of actually living your life.

Connect with George Bryant
Learn more about George, his coaching and The Mind of George podcast at mindofgeorge.com.

Work with Paul:

Apply for a  strategy call with Paul: https://calendly.com/inner-entrepreneur-podcast/discovery-call-with-paul-ryan

I built an eight-figure business that runs without me. I’ll help you do the same.

What happens when you achieve the success you once dreamed about?

Do you stop? Settle? Chase an even bigger number?

Or do you begin asking a different question: What do I actually want to do with this life?

In this bitesize episode, Paul chats with Mark Pentecost who shares why someone asking him "When is enough enough?" forced him to rethink his relationship with success.

He realised he'd spent so much time pursuing the next goal that he wasn't always enjoying the space between the achievements. And that led him towards a different definition of success — one built around family, fun, financial freedom, giving back and continuing to dream.

We explore Mark's seven-step framework for creating the life of your dreams, including why you need to say or see your dreams, live "on the offence," expect to get knocked down, surround yourself with the right people, celebrate your wins and then dream again.

But perhaps the bigger conversation is about how ambitious people pursue extraordinary goals without sacrificing everything else that matters.

Because building a successful business is one thing.

Building a successful business while protecting your marriage, your relationship with your children, your health and your enjoyment of life is something else entirely.

In this episode, we discuss:

Why "When is enough enough?" can be the wrong question

The danger of continually chasing the next achievement

Why successful people need to deliberately celebrate their wins

The question: Have I settled?

Why parents pursuing their own dreams can influence how their children see possibility

The two major barriers to personal growth: comfort and belief

Why your existing skills may be capable of creating a completely different life

Mark's seven steps for pursuing your dreams

Why you should expect setbacks rather than treating them as failure

The importance of your "starting five" — the people around you

Why some relationships and environments can drain the energy you need to grow

How to bring your spouse and family into your ambitions

Why scaling a business requires intentional boundaries

The importance of family, fun and financial freedom

Why giving more can eventually become more rewarding than getting more

The 7 Steps
1. Get in the game — Start dreaming again.

2. Say it or see it — Give the dream form by speaking it, writing it or visualising it.

3. Live on the offence — Act rather than watching life happen around you.

4. Program yourself to get back up — Expect setbacks. They're part of the journey.

5. Find your right people — Dreams thrive or die depending on the environment they're planted in.

6. Celebrate your wins — Don't become so obsessed with the next mountain that you never enjoy the one you've climbed.

7. Re-dream — Once you've achieved one dream, allow yourself to imagine the next.

And Mark's secret sauce: Give more.

The more success creates the capacity to positively affect other people's lives, the more meaningful that success can become.

Key Takeaway
There’s a line from this conversation worth sitting with:

Have I settled?

Not just financially.

Have you settled for less freedom than you really want? Less adventure? Less time with your family? Less contribution? Less possibility?

And equally important: are you so busy pursuing the next dream that you've forgotten to enjoy the life you've already created?

Apply for a  strategy call with Paul: https://calendly.com/inner-entrepreneur-podcast/discovery-call-with-paul-ryan

I built an eight-figure business that runs without me. I’ll help you do the same. 

 

The Inner Entrepreneur Podcast: https://linktr.ee/Innerentrepreneur

Apply for a  strategy call with Paul: https://calendly.com/inner-entrepreneur-podcast/discovery-call-with-paul-ryan

I built an eight-figure business that runs without me. I’ll help you do the same. 

 

The Inner Entrepreneur Podcast: https://linktr.ee/Innerentrepreneur