How DRIVENpreneurs Build Businesses That Serve Their Life, Not Steal It with Brian A. Robinson

0:01Light that spark fire nation JLD here and welcome to entrepreneurs on fire brought to you by high level, the all-in-one sales and marketing platform. Today, we'll be breaking down how drivenpreneurs build businesses that serve their life, not steal it. To drop these value bombs, I brought Brian A. Robinson into EO Fire Studios. Brian is a business and leadership coach, host of the Driven Entrepreneur podcast, and creator of the Driven Framework, helping entrepreneurs build businesses that serve their life, not steal it. And today, we'll talk about how life is first and business is second, warning signs, the Driven Framework, and oh, so much more.

0:37And a big thank you for sponsoring today's episode goes to Brian and our sponsors. Are you ready for the ultimate all-in-one platform for entrepreneurs, marketers, coaches, and agencies? Build funnels, automate follow-ups, manage clients, and even white-label your own software. Say hello to our featured partner, High Level, and visit highlevelfire.com to start your free trial today. Fire Nation, is this your year to take your business to the next level? Attend the world's highest rated business growth workshop taught personally by Clay Clark and now featuring football star and entrepreneur Tim Tebow and President Trump's son, Eric Trump at thrivetimeshow.com slash EO fire.

1:22Again, request life changing tickets today at thrivetimeshow.com slash EO fire. Brian, say what's up to Fire Nation and share something that you believe about becoming successful that most people disagree with. What is up, Fire Nation? I'm so glad to be here. And something about becoming successful that most people probably disagree with. Well, John, I believe that you have to define what success is for you. No one else can do that for you. The moment you let someone else define success, you invite in comparison. And we know comparison is the thief of joy. Too many entrepreneurs chase someone else's version of success and they end up exhausted building a business that doesn't even align with the life that they wanted.

2:11And for me, success isn't about being the biggest or the busiest. It's about building a business that gives me the freedom to live on purpose, to serve others so that they can enjoy their businesses and life and show up better for their portion of the world. That definition gives me clarity and clarity is what actually creates real success. And John, I actually have another part to this answer too. And that other part is that your book, The Common Path to Uncommon Success, is one of the most slept on business books of all time, in my opinion. Oh, brother. Thank you. You're welcome. I mean, I love the whole theme around comparison, which you probably saw within the book, The Common Path to One Common Success.

2:52I mean, I'm such a believer that to compare is to despair. And if you are going to compare yourself to anybody, it should be one person. And that's you yesterday. And if you're winning that comparison, Fire Nation, even by just a little bit, and not every day, but maybe just most days, then, man, are you winning at life because that compound effect is real. So today we're talking about how drivenpreneurs build businesses that serve their life, not steal it. And why, Brian? Why do so many entrepreneurs leave their nine to five grind only to build a business that ends up burning them out even more?

3:28Yeah, John, this actually breaks my heart. Honestly, this breaks my heart. I see so many entrepreneurs who have such a heart and a talent for a product or a service that could make people's lives better, but it never gets to reach its full potential because their business burns them out. They leave their nine to five for freedom, but end up working longer hours, carrying more stress and questioning if it's even worth it. The reason this happens is because they carry that nine to five mindset into their business. They think that more hours equal more success. But when you just trade your boss for this hustle, you don't get that freedom.

4:07You just become your own harsher boss. And that's why I coach business owners to build with clarity and structure instead. With the right framework, you can grow your business without losing yourself in the process. Now you talk, Brian, a lot about the drivenpreneur. What exactly does that mean? And how is their business strategy, their being the drivenpreneurs, different from the rest? Right. So, so many entrepreneurs chase hustle instead of clarity. Like they want to just do all this stuff and they end up burned out and unsure and disconnected from the life they wanted. And so when I talk about being a driven preneur, it's an entrepreneur who builds differently.

4:49They build this using my own framework that I put together. And that framework, matter of fact, let me give you an example of this framework, each pillar. It's a, it's an acronym. I love acronyms. I was military like you, John. and I love when acronyms make sense into a framework. And so driven is a framework and it actually, I actually show entrepreneurs how to apply this to your life and business and tailored for your, your own life and business. And so here's what that looks like. So D and driven is discipline for your life. This is where you set boundaries, like stopping work at 6 PM. That's just, this is just an example.

5:29I'm not telling you to do it. It's just an example so that you can be fully present with your family. In business, it might mean that you put in these systems, you put them in place like batching emails so that you're not reacting all day. That's discipline. Resilience is when you hit a personal setback. You know, God forbid, if it's a health scare or financial stress, you bounce back instead of giving up. In business, an example of resilience might be when your launch flops, you analyze the lessons and you try again instead of quitting. inspiration is the I in driven and this is you stay connected I'm a I'm a who person I know there's a lot of conversation about finding your why and and I'm not saying that's wrong it's okay I'm a who person you know maybe it's your kids or your spouse you're you're the first one out of your family like the older you you know you're you're looking at your future self who will thank Thank you for the choices that you're making right now.

6:26That can be inspiration in your business. You use that why. So it's the who, right? You can use that as a why to fuel your brand story. So your customers know your mission is bigger than just making money. The V in driven is vision. And this is you picture your life, the life that you want. And my clients are the boss. But when we get to this pillar, I challenge them. Like, let's let's look at your life. Maybe is it traveling more? Is it having weekends free? Like, what do you want out of life? And let's put that first. And now how can we create a business or how can we go in and make some improvements in your business to where that business supports your life?

7:09Maybe in business, it means you create a roadmap or 90 day roadmap so that your daily work moves you toward your long term goals. That's the vision. The E is empowerment. And how this may look in life is you give yourself permission to stop seeking everyone else's approval and you make decisions aligned with your vision and your values. In business, you you empower your team with responsibility instead of micromanaging so that they grow in the business scales in the process. Then N in driven is nurturing. And this is where in your life you invest in your health, your faith, your personal growth so that you don't burn out along the way.

7:51So you take care of yourself. In your business, this may look like you create a culture where your people thrive because when your team grows, your business grows. That's the difference. A drivenpreneur doesn't just build by accident. They build with clarity in both life and business. And that's why their strategy actually works. And John, again, you know, I feel like, you know, you give the path in your book also, right? Like it's, it's a way that you can actually, you know, build, it's a framework that you can look at. It's the path to get there, but success is what you define. But that's the difference between a drivenpreneur and a regular entrepreneur.

8:30Well, Brian, thank you for those kind words and thank you for your service. I love speaking with vets for obvious reasons. And I also love acronyms, as you know. One of my favorites is FOCUS. Follow one course until success is how I like to live my life for sure. And speaking of life, let's talk about life being first, where business is second. I mean, can we really build a business around our life instead of building our life around our business? And what does that actually look like in practice? Absolutely. I'm living proof. I built my business around my freedom. I wanted freedom to and that freedom included spending time with my family.

9:07It also when it came to freedom in my family, it's I wanted to have a business that provided opportunities for my for my girls. And I have step sons for my step sons. It's like, hey, you know what? If you want to be in business, I have a business. You can come and be in my business if you don't want to go to college or you don't want to work for someone else. And so that freedom is open to give opportunities to all those around me to include my family. It allows me to serve and to create my own priorities. And I teach my clients to do the same. It starts with clarity. What kind of life do you want?

9:45Then we reverse engineer the business to support that life. Most people try to fit their life into their business. I flip that script. Flip that script, Fire Nation. Why wouldn't you? I mean, make it happen. This is our one life to live. And we're talking warning signs. We're talking the driven framework and more when we get back from thanking our sponsors. Okay. Let's talk about a platform that's completely changing how entrepreneurs are running their business. And they are also our featured partner, High Level. If you're an entrepreneur, coach, agency, or course creator looking to grow faster and smarter, High Level is the all-in-one platform that replaces your entire tech stack.

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11:40See thousands of success stories and testimonials from real people just like you who Clay Clark has mentored and coached into prosperity at thrivetimeshow.com slash eofire. Clay's proven business coaching program is month to month and it costs less money than hiring a minimum wage employee. Yes, it's month to month and costs less money than hiring a minimum wage employee. Schedule your free personal 13-point assessment with Clay Clark himself today at thrivetimeshow.com slash eofire because Clay only takes on 160 clients and only allows 300 attendees to each business conference. you will interact with Clay directly.

12:16See thousands of real success stories and learn about attending the Thrive Time Show two-day in-person workshop featuring football star and entrepreneur Tim Tebow and President Trump's son, Eric Trump at thrivetimeshow.com slash EOFire. Become the next success story. Schedule a free consultation and request tickets to join football star and entrepreneur Tim Tebow and President Trump's son, Eric Trump at Clay Clark's next business conference today at thrivetimeshow.com slash EOFire. Brian, we're back and we're talking warning signs. What are the key warning signs that a business is stealing your time, your energy, or maybe even your sense of purpose?

12:55Yes, Fire Nation, some of the signs may look like maybe you feel like there's never enough time, even when you work more. Or maybe you lose energy because every decision feels reactive, not strategic. or maybe you start to question your own purpose, you can't remember why you started your business in the first place. When your business drains instead of fuels you and you see this as a continuing thing, those are red flags. Fire Nation, we like to stay away from red flags for obvious reasons. That's why we listen to people like Brian. That's why we follow things like the Driven Framework, which you created, Brian.

13:32So how does it help entrepreneurs specifically grow without losing themselves along the way. Absolutely. And, you know, I, just like, I believe you get to define success. You also get to define what each of the pillars in the framework mean to you. So I work with my clients and when it comes to each, each pillar of the framework, like for instance, discipline, we look at what boundaries do you need so that your business doesn't run your life. When it comes to resilience, we look at, we take inventory, Like what keeps you steady when setbacks come from for inspiration? Like what keeps you connected to your to your who and to your why?

14:12Like what are those actual things? So we dive in and these things are different for different clients. And that's OK for vision. What gives you direction like vision gives you direction? So so that you're not just busy. So what does that look like? You know, what is your vision? And we stay we keep that in the forefront. You know, when my clients bring something up, you know, and I have a really good idea of where their vision is, I challenge my clients. I'm like, hey, so so I hear you. This is where you want to go in your business right now. Hey, here's what you told me your vision was. Is this so like how does this fit?

14:49And I'm not saying they're wrong, but I give them the opportunity. Even if I can see how it fits, I might give them the opportunity just to say it so they can hear themselves say it. and we both lock in on it. But vision gives you the direction so that you're not just busy, you're actually purposeful. Empowerment helps you lead with confidence and not fear. You know that you can give yourself a license. What I do with my clients is I give them the space so that they can tell me whatever they need to tell me. And a lot of my clients, when they get to tell their story and they get to just tell me the things that, you know, because I'm a trusted partner with them, then I find these things where they took the liberty to lead themselves, to make a decision.

15:30And that's empowerment. So I remember these things and I bring it back in difficult times. Like, hey, here, John, you gave yourself a license to go every single day, a podcast every single day when nobody was doing it. How can that John show up here in this moment? Like, how can you give yourself that license right now? And so empowerment helps you lead with confidence and not fear. Then nurturing ensures that both your business and your life flourish together. When you use the driven as a roadmap, as a framework, this is how you grow with clarity and not chaos. Brian, let's end with a closing value bomb.

16:09I mean, hustle is easy, but clarity, it's rare. Give us a few simple, actionable ways that entrepreneurs can start building with clarity instead of just chasing hustle. Absolutely. definitely empower yourself to figure out what do you want like who what's important to you who's important to serve for you um and of course we're all in business we serve someone whether it's a product or a service and that person is special we're serving them for a reason and so figure out like like who like what give yourself the space to to really just think about that like Like, what does your vision look like for how you serve and how you show up?

16:54Then write down a clear mission statement. And it can be for however long out. I like having an overarching mission statement. I have one for my business. But then each quarter I write a 90 day mission statement. And because if you don't know where you're going, you'll chase every single thing. Right. So empower yourself to to really get clear in your vision. Write down a clear mission statement. Then block the time. And this is where discipline comes in. block time for what matters the most in life, whatever that is to you, then build your business calendar around that. Right. And I like to use the word harmony.

17:30Like I harmonize things in my life as far as instead of balance. And so because when I am for my brain, if I think balance, then it has to be equal on each side and not everything has to be equal. Right. Not everything can be. So I like to harmonize, harmonize your time and then simplify your strategy. Most entrepreneurs are doing 10 things poorly instead of three things with excellence. Do things with excellence and you will rise above the rest. Clarity comes when you focus. And John, like you said it earlier, follow one course until success. I loved it. You're the first one I heard say that.

18:06I loved it. It stuck with me. It's so true. That's why my business is where it is today. Hustle will spread you thin, but focus and clarity gives you traction. Brian, if Fire Nation wants to connect with you, wants to learn more, what is your call to action for our listeners today? The best place to connect with me is at brianrobinsoncoaching.com. And you can find me at Brian Robinson Coaching on all the social media platforms. If you're a business owner who's working harder every day, but not seeing the growth or the freedom that you want out of your business and your life, my first recommendation is to check out my Driven Owner program.

18:44is designed to give you clarity, structure, and to provide a roadmap to grow your business with confidence and so that you can finally enjoy your life and your business. But I also know that not everyone is ready for the one-on-one coaching right away. And that's why I created the Drivenpreneur Online Membership Community. And this is where entrepreneurs can get roadmap support and have a community of like-minded entrepreneurs so that you're not building alone. And you know what? I want to invite you to join both. But both of those, Driven Owner and the Drivenpreneur community can be found at brianrobsoncoaching.com.

19:23Fire Nation, you're the average of the five people you spend the most time with. You've been hanging out with BR and JLD today, so keep up that heat. And for links to everything we talked about, visit eofire.com. Just type Brian in the search bar and the show notes page will pop right up. Brian, thank you for sharing your truth, your knowledge, your value with Fire Nation today. And for that, we salute your brother and we'll catch you on the flip side. See you later, Fire Nation. Thank you, JLD. Hey, Fire Nation, a huge thank you to our sponsors and Brian for sponsoring today's episode. And Fire Nation, are you an entrepreneur on fire who's looking to share your amazing message with the world?

20:00If yes, we are now accepting guest applications for entrepreneurs on fire. To learn more about becoming a guest, Visit eofire.com slash guest and I'll catch you there or on the flip side. Are you ready for the ultimate all-in-one platform for entrepreneurs, marketers, coaches, and agencies? Build funnels, automate follow-ups, manage clients, and even white label your own software. Say hello to our featured partner, High Level, and visit highlevelfire.com to start your free trial today. Fire Nation, is this your year to take your business to the next level? Attend the world's highest rated business growth workshop taught personally by Clay Clark and now featuring football star and entrepreneur Tim Tebow and President Trump's son, Eric Trump at thrivetimeshow.com slash EO Fire.

20:52Again, request life changing tickets today at thrivetimeshow.com slash EO Fire.

21:03Thank you.