• Kaizen
  • Posts
  • 13 Principles of The Evolved Entrepreneur

13 Principles of The Evolved Entrepreneur

Go from the Old Way to the New Way of Entrepreneurship

Welcome to The Evolved Entrepreneur, a weekly newsletter where I share practical tips to go from “drowning in work” to owning your business and life.

Listen to today's newsletter:

We rebranded the newsletter!

From the “20 Hour Founders” to “The Evolved Entrepreneur”.

Same practical and implementable content every week.

Slight shift in focus.

Bigger why.

Today at a Glance:

  • Why we rebranded the newsletter

  • What is The Evolved Entrepreneur

  • 13 Principles of The Evolved Entrepreneur

Why We Rebranded?

Evolution.

Entrepreneurship, building and growing a business, is the most transformational and spiritual journey we get to have in our lifetime.

It’s increasingly challenging, yet we continue to endure it, and at times thrive through it.

There’s a joy, or what Carolyn Elliot calls an “Existential Kink”, that we find in this challenge.

Because through it, we get to evolve while being a source of human evolution for others.

As I’m going through this journey myself, I’m called to a much deeper commitment to entrepreneurship, teaching, and therefore, this newsletter.

When I started the 20 Hour Founders newsletter had one focus: to help you design your business, systems, and teams in a way that gives you freedom in your life.

In this next chapter of the newsletter, the focus has shifted to helping you take full ownership of your business, your entrepreneurial journey and your life.

To step up into what I’m calling the “Evolved Entrepreneur”.

What is The Evolved Entrepreneur?

The Evolved Entrepreneur is an archetype.

Archetypes, by Jungian studies, are universal symbols and models of people and personalities that play a role in influencing human behavior.

You’ll see archetypes in many different bodies of work.

In men’s work, there are 4 archetypes of masculinity: King, Warrior, Magician, Lover.

In women’s work, there are 7 feminine archetypes: Mother, Maiden, Queen, Huntress, Sage, Mystic, and Lover.

In branding, there are 12 brand archetypes: the Innocent, Everyman, Hero, Outlaw, Explorer, Creator, Ruler, Magician, Lover, Caregiver, Jester, and Sage.

In my own personal journey of life and entrepreneurship, I’ve noticed different archetypes that have played a role in influencing my conscious and unconscious behaviors in each chapter.

At a high level, I went from being a Wounded Boy to a Monk to a Habitual Hustler, and now stepping into my Evolved Entrepreneur.

Each archetype contributed to my transformational process. It brought out the shadows and challenges I needed to face.

It brought me closer to the man I wanted to be for my family and community, as well as the entrepreneur I wanted to be for the world.

I’ve come to realize that the old way of operating as an entrepreneur no longer served me, my vocation, and the world around me.

This called for a new way of operating and a new way of being for me.

Here’s my invitation to come join me on this journey, especially if you too, are feeling called to step into a new way of entrepreneurship and leadership.

Old way = Habitual Hustler

New way = Evolved Entrepreneur

The easiest way I can explain this is by pointing out the principles that shaped the old way vs new way of operating as an entrepreneur in this new era.

13 Principles of the Evolved Entrepreneur

“If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you. If you do not bring forth what is within you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you.”

Gospel of Thomas

1. The “Second Mountain” quest is more fulfilling

The Habitual Hustler chases what David Brooks calls the “First Mountain”, where the primary goal is self-satisfaction and accomplishments. This is what most entrepreneurs set out to accomplish when they start their entrepreneurial journey. To build a successful business, to hit the $100k months, to be acknowledged for something.

The Evolved Entrepreneur is on a quest for something deeper, the “Second Mountain”. Brooks explains that while the climb of the first mountain can be exhilarating, reaching the top will only open your eyes to a much deeper and more profound commitment. A quest to surrender and give themselves away to a vocation, to do what the world has called them to do, not just what they want to do.

2. Family and Community are the most important responsibilities and assets

The Habitual Hustler prioritizes business first above life and relationships. They are consumed by work, neglecting health, relationships, and self-care. They hustle 24/7, frequently burning out mentally and physically, giving their family and community what’s left.

The Evolved Entrepreneur prioritizes family, relationships, and personal growth, knowing that business growth will expand as a byproduct. There is no “balance” with their family and relationships, they get my best and everything else comes 2nd place.

3. Create Leverage with better Systems & Teams

The Habitual Hustler will push themselves to exhaustion in the name of productivity. They glorify the hustle to get “more” done. They stay stuck in solopreneurship and avoid expanding through leverage. They strive for control, thinking control is what brings them freedom.

The Evolved Entrepreneur sees time, attention, and energy as precious resources to be optimized. They design systems and build highly effective teams to create leverage. It’s not about doing more but about doing more of the right things and delegating the rest. Creating leverage and letting go of control is what sets them free.

4. Go all in on people, People outrank Opportunities

The Habitual Hustler leads through control and self-interest. They prioritize wins, numbers, and opportunities over developing people and building relationships. Their ego drives their decisions.

The Evolved Entrepreneur leads with authenticity, integrity, and service. They invest in building relationships and creating empowered leaders. They don’t just want to have a reputation, they want to be known as an advocate of people. They understand there’s a difference between caring about someone and caring about what someone can do for you.

5. Entrepreneurship As A Spiritual Journey

The Habitual Hustler sees business as a vehicle for gain and ego gratification. They numb themselves with work, as a way to disassociate from the pains and challenges of their life.

The Evolved Entrepreneur sees business as a vehicle for personal and spiritual growth. They allow the challenges of business and life to be a reflection of what needs to be worked on from within. Each challenge leads to another level of evolution, self-expression, and self-expansion.

6. Be In Flow With Seasons

The Habitual Hustler is always on, in hustle mode, regardless of what season of life and work they’re in.

The Evolved Entrepreneur is attuned to the push and pulls of seasons and cycles of their energy. They design their workflow accordingly. During push seasons, they’re committed to getting things done and moving the business forward. During pull seasons, they create space for rest and recovery.

7. Be Driven by Joy and Fulfillment

The Habitual Hustler seeks validation through external achievements and accomplishments. Their satisfaction and happiness are temporary and conditional.

The Evolved Entrepreneur knows happiness is good, but joy is better. Happiness fades, we get used to the things that used to make us happy. So instead, they cultivate inner joy, peace, and meaning. Living with joy, wonder, and fulfillment is self-sustaining.

8. Face and Own your Shadows

The Habitual Hustler avoids facing their shadows and healing their traumas. They suppress and repress their shadows and traumas, allowing them to unconsciously drive the way they reactively and impulsively operate. Their Past Self dictates their plan, drives their business, and leads their team.

The Evolved Entrepreneur chooses to operate by design, rather than by default. They meet their shadows and integrate them. They work on their traumas and find healthy ways to consciously meet their needs and wants. They find joy and “kink” in this process of evolution and growth, allowing their Future Self to be their guide for the present and the leader of their business.

9. Be the Main Character

The Habitual Hustler is the version of you that plays by the scripts and programming handed to you. They let everyone else around them tell them how entrepreneurship should be done. They chase the success stories and highlights of other entrepreneurs.

The Evolved Entrepreneur is the version of you that is no longer playing by the scripts of entrepreneurship that were handed to you by other people–friends, influencers, marketers, experts, or the media–but rather, by the vision that you get to create yourself. They play the main character, and they play it all out.

10. Centered and Groundedness is Sustainable

The Habitual Hustler is addicted to chaos and overwhelm. The chaos despite being challenging feels familiar and “safe” to them. They unconsciously choose chaos and wonder why their team is always overwhelmed.

The Evolved Entrepreneur chooses to be centered and grounded. Being centered means having a calm mind and not being off balance. Being grounded means being rooted and connected to your body. Centered and groundedness creates a co-regulating space for their team. A centered leader hits the team’s nervous system differently.

11. Your Word is Magic

The Habitual Hustler is reactive and therefore, doesn’t see the power of their word. Their word disempowers themselves and those around them.

The Evolved Entrepreneur is conscious of the power of their word. They practice saying what they mean and meaning what they say. Their word becomes magic, when they say, it is so.

12. Keeping Customers > Getting Customers

The Habitual Hustler focuses on getting clients to drive up revenue. They prioritize marketing and growth over customer delivery, fulfillment, and satisfaction. Keeping them stuck in the feast and famine of entrepreneurship.

The Evolved Entrepreneur plays the long-term game and focuses on keeping clients to sustain profit and business health. They prioritize creating great products and services that create true value for their customers.

13. Structure & Process Sets You Free

The Habitual Hustler avoids structure and process because they feel it keeps them in a box, constricting freedom and flow. They value rapid growth over sustainable growth.

The Evolved Entrepreneur thrives with structure and process because they know it will set them and their team free. They prioritize creating systems, and processes, and building their team around the infrastructure. They are methodical and strategic, even with the boring but necessary work.

Join The Evolved Entrepreneur’s Community

I’m feeling called towards building a community of Evolved Entrepreneurs.

A place where we can come together and share lessons, stories, and insights.

If you’d like to follow along and join me, hop on this waitlist to be notified when I open up this free community later in November.

Here’s what I’m thinking:

  • Curated discussions and live Q&As

  • Monthly community challenges

  • Knowledge base of content

  • Courses and trainings

  • Pre-built systems

If that’s something you’d be interested in, join the waitlist here:

How I Can Help You Grow Your Business

When you’re ready…

Check out my Business OS to see how I can help you implement a business management system that’ll supercharge your team and get you from “drowning in work” to an extra free day every week.

If you enjoyed today's newsletter, please share it with your friends and family!

If this newsletter was forwarded to you, consider subscribing to receive more like this every week!