Summary: When people think about becoming an entrepreneur, they're not thinking about working 24 hours a day. They're thinking about getting to some point where there is quality of life. "Be my own boss. Decide what I want to do." But how many entrepreneurs ever get there? And what does that have to do with breaking free?<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> David: Hi, and welcome to the podcast. Today, co-host Jay McFarland and I will be discussing the topic of Breaking Free of Your Business. Welcome, Jay.<br> <br> Jay: Wow, it's good to be here. Welcome. Thank you.<br> <br> David: So we've been talking about this topic now for a few weeks. And I was wondering, what are your thoughts when you think of that as an entrepreneur, as a business owner, as it relates to entrepreneurs, business owners and salespeople? What's your initial thought that comes to mind when you hear a topic like that?<br> What Does Breaking Free Mean to You?<br> Jay: Well, it's funny. I think most entrepreneurs aren't thinking of breaking free of their business. I think it's exactly the opposite. I'm going to dive in. We always hear that if you're going to be an entrepreneur, you've got to give it your heart and your soul. And instead, we're talking about doing just the opposite. I think for a lot of people, they're going to hear that and say, "wait a minute, why would I want to do that, even in the first place?"<br> <br> David: Yeah. That's a great question. And what I've been finding is that a lot of people, particularly solo business owners and salespeople, get to the point where they've got so much going on, they're tied to so many different things that they feel stuck. They really feel like they're tied to their business. Like it's an anchor around them.<br> <br> The idea of breaking free from one's business basically means, okay, how can I let go or delegate the things that I don't like to do? I'm not good at. That don't generate much money. So that I can focus my time and attention -- my limited time and attention -- on the things that actually move the needle for myself and my business. So that's really what we're talking about here.<br> <br> Jay: Well, I think it's fantastic because I know when people think about becoming an entrepreneur, they're not thinking about working 24 hours a day. I know they're thinking about getting to some point where there's quality of life, right? Where I can be my own boss. I can decide what I want to do. But how many entrepreneurs ever get there? Oftentimes they get exactly the opposite effect. Right?<br> Breaking Free to Improve Quality of Life<br> David: Exactly. And it's true of so many people who start a business. And this whole conversation started because of a relationship I have with the guy who wrote the book, The E-Myth Revisited, Michael Gerber. And I've been familiar with his work for years. We spoke at a number of the same trade shows.<br> <br> I had a chance to talk to him and tell him how much I loved the book, The E-Myth. I mentioned that, as a result of his advice, I was able to structure my businesses better. In addition, I was able to buy and sell businesses. I said, "it's the best 11 bucks I ever spent" (laughs.) He got a kick out of that because obviously, it was worth a whole lot more than that. But over the years, what I've realized is that for many of us, the idea of creating the type of business we want to live in is really appealing. But doing it seems to be the part where people get stuck.<br> <br> Jay: Yeah. And how do you let go? You know, I'm sure you started out as an entrepreneur doing everything and slowly, hopefully, you've brought in more staff. But how do you trust and let go? Because for them, it may be a day job. For you, it's your life! And so, just giving those little pieces of responsibility away, it's difficult.<br> <br> David: It is very difficult. And for a lot of people, it seems impossible.
