How to Live the Long-Haul Leader Life with Chris Ducker

0:02Who's ready to rock today, 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 to live the long-haul leader life. To drop these value bombs, I brought Chris Ducker into EO Fire Studios. Chris is a best-selling author, keynote speaker, business coach, and helps midlife expert entrepreneurs grow their income and impact without the burnout. And today, we'll talk about how success isn't a sprint, it's strategy. We'll also talk about how relationships are rocket fuel and the five-year long haul leader lens.

0:37It's a mouthful, but we break it down and owe so much more. And a big thank you for sponsoring today's episode goes to Chris 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. Over 42 ,000 businesses have future-proofed their business with NetSuite by Oracle, the number one cloud ERP, bringing accounting, financial management, inventory, HR into one fluid platform.

1:20Download the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine Learning today at netsuite.com slash fire. Chris, say what's up to Fire Nation and share something that you believe about becoming successful that most people disagree with. Yeah, Fire Nation, it is so good to be back with you again. I think a big thing is that people expect to be, or people almost believe that they've got to do everything themselves in order to be a successful entrepreneur. I know the hard way that that is not the case. And I think if I'd have done anything different in the early stages of me building my businesses, it would have been delegating and building my team in the way that I did at least a few years earlier than I ended up doing it.

2:03So you ain't gotta do all the work. Just do the stuff that only you do and delegate the rest. Fire Nation, Chris and I were talking in the pre-interview chat about our now 13 year friendship. I mean, we've traveled the world together. We've spoken at events together. We've drank many a scotch together. And I've just loved the evolution that is Chris Ducker because it has been an evolution, but it's never shifted from the core values of who he is and what he believes in. And that's why today we're talking about how to live the long haul leader life. And over a very long and successful entrepreneurial career, Chris, that's yours.

2:42You found that success, it's not a sprint, it's a strategy. Tell us more. I've hit burnout a couple of times. The first time initially within 2010, I think we've talked about that on the show before. so I'm not going to kind of touch on it again now. But that was more sort of physical of a burnout. And it was relatively easy to kind of jump back into things and figure that out and get over it. In 2021, however, and a lot of people don't know this, you've been a little privy to it, but not as much as maybe my wife would be, you know, and, you know, one or two kind of closer confidence here in the UK that I've had to work with to overcome it.

3:21But 2021, I hit a really bad burnout. Um, and I was diagnosed with depression, with anxiety. I was diagnosed also with phase three adrenal fatigue, which was basically meaning that I was waking up with zero cortisol in the system. Um, and, uh, I've since gone on, you know, a four year journey to, um, get back to, to the old Chris, so to speak. Um, and I'm there, I'm pretty much there. Um, but it was tough and, and, you know, dude, as you alluded to, you know, we've known each other for well over a decade now, would you have thought that I would ever have been treated for depression? No. I mean, whenever I talk with you, it's like I'm just speaking to a brother from another mother.

4:01Your energy is always high. You're always happy. You've got a fantastic family life, solid business. Like I never would have guessed. And here's the other thing. And I've had a lot of discussions with folks that are very successful over the last few years as I've been writing this book, getting it ready for it to be coming out and publish. And the big thing that I heard from a lot of people was that actually they were going through a similar situation, but they couldn't talk about it because outward looking in, they needed to be seen as that leader that everybody could turn to for, you know, guidance and for an avenue out of whatever issues they were dealing with.

4:39And so they needed to kind of keep that down really low and very private. And that made them even more exhausted and even more burnt out. because they just weren't doing what they needed to do in order to recover themselves. And so, yeah, it is a marathon. It's not a sprint. Burnout is not a badge of honor. We shouldn't be wearing it like a badge of honor anymore at all. And I like to just try and keep it real straight, talking and very matter of fact. We're in a horrible situation right now as entrepreneurs. More and more people are burning out, getting sick. Mental health issue is a major problem.

5:14And I'm here to say there's a better way. Um, but unfortunately there's not many of us talking about it. Well, you are the real deal and you have been sharing it like it is for a long time now. And I actually am both fortunate and unfortunate to have dealt with this at a very young age. And I'm not gonna go into super details because my audience knows a lot of this background, but essentially, you know, I was a tank commander in war at 23 years old and I dealt with PTSD as a result. And I became depressed in my mid-20s when I was still in the military and just reintegrating into the civilian world.

5:48And I had to seek help. And why that actually helped me is because when I started feeling those signs as an entrepreneur, like six, eight, 10 years later, I knew not to keep pushing through that. I knew to seek help right away and to talk to people and to surround myself with the right people and have a mastermind and trusted confidants and peers that I talked to. And so if I hadn't had that experience in my 20s, I'm sure that I would have gone down and continue to just grind and burn till I completely burned out. Because like you mentioned, for a lot of people, it is a badge of honor and it shouldn't be like it should not be because we're here for the long haul.

6:24That's why I love the whole theme and phraseology of your book. And we have a lot more to talk about when it comes to that. But you strongly believe, Chris, that we should actually build our business to serve our life, not the other way around. What does that look like? the very kind of raw focus it's about being able to do what you want and what you need to do more than anything else as and when you need to do it it's not about getting more followers right it's about getting more focus and we all know that growth will always come from clarity not you know just creating and consuming content every single day it's very hard in today's world though because obviously it's forced down our throat every time we grab our phone but the fact of the matter is, is that we're in a very, very unique time right now, particularly with AI.

7:11And I'm not going to go down that rabbit hole, but it is, you know, causing a certain amount of distraction for a lot of people. It's obviously creating a lot of opportunity for most business owners as well, if they're utilizing it the right way. But I'm just a really big believer that your business should support your life, not swallow it. So if your business feels like a bit of a black hole, if you feel like you're kind of in a bit of a tailspin, it is time to hit the pause button and try and realign things a little bit. The fact is we do want to design our business around the lifestyle that we want to leave or live rather, rather than, you know, doing it the other way around.

7:49So when you think about people who work in 50, 60 hour weeks, they're doing that because their business is forcing them to do that. You have the opportunity to hit the pause button at 4 p.m. every day for argument's sake and go off and do something that is not completely business related. The only difference is whether you do it or not. And I'm just a really big believer now at this point that it's the goal really shouldn't be to like hustle harder. The goal should be to last longer. And so hustling might help you with a launch of a business or launch of a new offer or product or service, but it's the habits.

8:28And you know all about this, with the freedom journal and everything you've done before in the past. It's the habits that you put into your life that will help you last. And that's, what's the key here more than anything. I love the, actually use a 4 PM as an example, because that's actually my time 4 PM. It's over for the day for me work wise, because I am, I have a date every day with my dog. His name is Gus. And we go on a three mile walk at 4 PM. And that dog is whining at my door at 4 PM. And I love him for it because he needs the exercise. He's a 75 pounds athlete. and I take them on a three mile hike and we do it every single day.

9:02And that is just the start to the wind down of my day. And I love that just turning it off and I don't turn it back on until the next day. Like that is a great way for me to be able to continue to show up every single day and produce now 4 ,684 episodes of Entrepreneurs on Fire over the past 13 years. I can't believe this is still going on. I didn't remember when you told me. I still remember like it was yesterday. I don't want to get off beat here, but like Vegas, Vegas, baby. Pretty sure it was PF Changs. Yeah. Scotch and hands on our third or fourth Knob Creek at the time. And you said, I'm going to start a daily podcast for entrepreneurs.

9:41And I said, you're insane. Yeah, you did. And you were right. It's a daily show. I am insane. It was insane, but I have a great time doing it. And man, it's been a good, it's been a good journey, but I will say there's one thing that Chris said, fire nation that I want to bring back that I loved, it's not about more followers. It's about more focus. Now, you know I love that word, focus, follow one course until success. It is so key. It's so important. And we have so much more to talk about 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.

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11:23That's highlevelfire.com, where marketing, sales, and automation finally come together. High Level, join the revolution. One of my favorite places to visit during the summer is my hometown in Maine. My parents have a beautiful home on a small lake, and it's one of the most peaceful places I know. The wailing of loons, kids laughing while tubing around, and the warm sunshine peeking through the trees. now to make trips like this happen every year we work really hard running a business from the road isn't always easy but location independence has always been a high priority of ours we love to travel and we love the freedom of being able to pack a bag and hit the road on our own terms and while we're away we always consider making some extra money by hosting our home on airbnb if you're like us and value location independence then think about it while you're away at the lake the beach, the mountains, or in the desert, your home could be working for you rather than sitting empty.

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13:29The guide is free to you at netsuite.com slash fire, netsuite.com slash fire. Fire Nation, when it comes to building wealth, taxes are one of the biggest levers you can pull. And if you're not pulling it strategically, then you're most likely leaving money on the table. That's why I love Gelt, your year-round tax partner built for entrepreneurs, business owners, investors, and high net worth individuals who want to keep more of what they earn. Gelt combines an elite team of CPAs with powerful tech to deliver personalized, proactive tax strategies for your business and your personal finances. We're talking year-round guidance, a clear roadmap to track your progress and seamless tools to file and review, all in one platform with a team that gets you.

14:12Fire Nation, I know what it's like to scramble at tax time, but with Gelt in your corner, you've got a plan, execution, and a partner focused on minimizing your taxes and maximizing your growth. Get a personalized consultation and 10 % off your first year when you mention Entrepreneurs on Fire. Visit joingelt.com slash EOF to get started today. That's joingelt.com slash E-O-F. Chris, we're back. And you believe that relationships are actually rocket fuel. Give us some examples. I've been really blessed to create some pretty special relationships over the year. And I think the big thing for me has always been that it's not about scratching your back and I'll scratch yours and things like that.

15:05It's just about just being a nice person, being around for somebody and being like, if you were to genuinely, we've not seen each other in the flesh for a few years. It's been a while. But like, if you were to call me up and say, I'm in a bit of a bind, I could really do with your support. If at all possible, could you get over to Puerto Rico? I would do what I needed to do to be there for you because that's what real friends are about. and I'm really blessed to have at least a dozen people in the world that would do the same thing for me as well or at least I would hope they would so you know for me the relationships and I've been saying this for years in relationships they should be treasured they shouldn't be used at the cornerstone of everything that it means to be an entrepreneurial leader are the people that you surround yourself with the most and if you really want to go far in your entrepreneurial pursuits, it's going to be a heck of a lot easier to do it with other people around you to get the journey that you're on and back you up all the way, just like you back them up as well.

16:07So don't, I guess, you know, the overarching message here is don't underestimate the power of creating and investing and building amazing relationships because they will get you a lot, lot longer down that, that journey of entrepreneurship than you'd be able to do on your own. That's for sure. I love that you use the word blessed to create. And the key word here is being creates. They didn't just happen because they don't just happen. You created these relationships, Chris, because you're there for your friends. You created value for them. You're obviously there for them in a friendship type of manner for years.

16:50And that's how you create things, Fire Nation. They don't just happen. They are created and they're maintained. And I actually think that's going to kind of lead into what we talk about next. Speaking of maintenance is you believe Chris and the importance of hobbies. So share why this is important and what is your number one hobby right now? When I was putting together the content for the book, I did a lot of research into hobbies because when I was recovering from that burnout in 2021, I realized the one thing I was really, really missing was a genuine hobby, like something just for me, something completely unwork related.

17:30And what I realized was that, and through talking to other people, that hobbies are not just about pastimes, they're actually about recovery. and I started doing really like pretty hardcore research, like more research than I've ever done for any of my other books. And it was actually a Harvard survey that was done that stated that business owners that prioritize recovery, particularly in form of hobbies and pastimes, outperform their competitors by just over 20%. So that's pretty huge. Like if you can get a 20 % step up on your competitors just by doing something that's fun and away from your day-to-day work, then why shouldn't we be doing it?

18:16Because like success isn't just about what you build, it's what lasts, right? And so if we're recovering properly from the work that we do day in, day out, then we know we're going to be around for that much longer. But here's the real kicker, and this is something I didn't see coming. Creative hobbies particularly are usually pursued for whatever reason by entrepreneurs. And this was from Forbes, and I'll never forget this as well. 30 % more performance can be attributed to entrepreneurs that engage in creative hobbies if they do them for at least two hours a week. So you can become 30 % better at what you do by partaking in a hobby which lasts two hours a week or more, particularly more so if it's a creative hobby.

19:01And this was the big one. There's a guy under the name of David Solomon, who is the CEO of Goldman Sachs, big company, everybody knows about Goldman Sachs. But what they don't know about their CEO is that David Solomon is actually known as DJ D-Soul, and he is one of the most in-demand dance DJs in the world. He does some of the biggest raves and festivals and things like that, yet he's the CEO of Goldman Sachs. so it just backs up everything 30 more performance two hours a week and a creative hobby go get one plain simple tell me about bonsai trees so this is one of my hobbies i know i know so this is one of my hobbies um bonsai has always been a big thing for me actually so i saw the karate kid when i was 12 years old and my mother took me to see it i'll never forget it was in the summer holidays um and she fell asleep about 20 minutes in i thought it was the best film in the world it's still one of my top 10 movies.

20:01Oh, that shower scene when he comes as a shower and brings the girl in to kiss. I mean, that I was like, that is how my first kiss is going to be, or I'm never kissing a girl. Right. And did it happen like that? No.

20:16We'll, we'll get you to kiss a girl at some point. Don't worry about it. It'll happen. But, um, basically I love the movie so much. I took my, I got my father to take me again that weekend to see it for the second time. And in my late teens, I actually got a couple of bonsai trees for birthday gifts. And then in my late twenties, and I guess I kept them alive in my late twenties, I went out to the Philippines. And that's when I kind of went over there to work and I gave three or four of the trees that I had away. And I kind of forgot all about them, all about them until the pandemic. And then I started watching bonsai videos on YouTube and I was like, oh my God, I've moved back to England.

20:52I've got all this space now and, and this is great. I'm going to get some more bonsai trees. So I went to the local garden center and got a couple of kind of cheap shrubs, juniper type shrubs, and chopped them to bits and put some wire on them and killed them instantly almost. And I thought, maybe this isn't the hobby for me. But then I carried on watching and I realized, oh my God, it's the creativeness. It's the artistry attached to it. It's the horticultural thing attached to it as well. Like keeping the trees alive and healthy and everything. and here I am five years later I've got about 40 trees on my premises now some of them are over 50 years old I've actually genuinely invested real money into them right I love spending time with my trees but equally I've also started painting again recently I used to do a lot of watercolor paints in my teens and 20s as well so I'm doing a lot of that and the big one has been nature and wildlife and conservation work I didn't see this one coming but the more time I spent outside in nature recovering from that burnout, which was one of the first things that my doctor told me to do was to get out into nature more regularly to lower my stress levels.

21:57The more and more and more I fall in love with it. And we are now currently right now, we are buying a seven acre piece of land that we're going to convert into our own private nature reserve. So I'm quite excited about that. Wow. That is amazing. And Fire Nation, I hope you can take away some inspiration from this as I am. And I want to end strong here by taking a look through the five-year long-haul leader lens. What are we seeing? Yeah, this is something that I put together actually on the back of the book. It's not specifically in the book, but it's one of the things I'm teaching as a result of the book coming out and the conversations I'm having with people who have read it early and things like that.

22:36So it's a five-step question framework, very, very simple questions that we can ask ourselves. I run through it very quickly for you. So question number one, does it, whatever this opportunity is, whatever this offer is, whatever it is that we're considering, does this align with the long haul leader message and mission for myself over the next five years? So things like, does this support the idea of sustainable success or avoiding burnout? Will this help me build a community of purpose-driven entrepreneurs? These are the questions I ask myself. The second thing, number two, is will this help me become more visible, more influential, or more advised and admired over time?

23:24Does it increase my thought leadership, right? Does it increase my authority? This is part of my five-year long-haul leader lens. The third question is does the opportunity that I'm considering move me closer to earning X amount of revenue sustainably month in, month out? The money number is different for everyone. Some people are happy making 10 grand a month, 20 grand a month. Some people want to make 150K a month, right? But does this directly or indirectly increase my income in a scalable way? Should I launch it? Number four, does this energize me or does it more importantly, drain me? I used to say a lot that time is our most valuable asset.

24:10I know you've heard me say it dozens of times, but actually things have changed. I'm in a different season of my life now. Time is not my most valuable asset anymore. Energy is my most valuable asset. So is this opportunity that I'm considering, is it aligned with my passion? Is it aligned with who I want to be two years from now, three years from now, five years from now. And then finally, this is more of a personal one. And we do talk about legacy in the book. But does this opportunity, this thing that I'm considering as part of the five-year long-haul leader lens, does it support my role as a provider, as a family man, as a friend, and as a legacy builder?

24:49So will this let me be present for my family and be proud of what I'm building? Does it contribute to the overall legacy that I want to leave behind? That's my five-year long long hair, long haul leader lens. And I'm standing by it. And it's one of the biggest things that I'm teaching people right now. Wow. I mean, absolutely fantastic questions to reflect upon Fire Nation. And Chris, if our listeners right now want to learn more and connect with this content, what is your call to action? Yeah, well, they can go to longhaulleader.com to pre-order the book, I think that would be a great way for them to get involved.

25:26And if they do go ahead and do it before the book comes out on September 2, I'm going to throw them 600 bucks worth of bonuses as well, just because they're part of Fire Nation. So longhaulleader.com. Fire Nation, you're the average of the five people you spend the most time with. You've been hanging out with CD and JLD today, so keep up that heat. And for links to everything we talked about, visit eofire.com. Type Chris in the search bar. The show notes page will pop right up. And Chris, thank you for sharing your truth, your knowledge, your value with Fire Nation today. For that, we salute you and we'll catch you on the flip side.

26:00You got it. Hey, Fire Nation, a huge thank you to our sponsors and Chris for sponsoring today's episode. And Fire Nation, over the last decade, I've interviewed more than 4 ,000 of the world's most successful entrepreneurs, and I've created a revolutionary 17-step roadmap to your financial freedom and fulfillment. I put it all into my first traditionally published book, The Common Path to Uncommon Success, personally endorsed by Seth Godin and Gary Vaynerchuk. The Common Path to Uncommon Success is the step-by-step guidance that you need to achieve the lifestyle of your dreams. Visit UncommonSuccessBook.com.

26:31I'll catch you there. We're 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. Over 42 ,000 businesses have future-proofed their business with NetSuite by Oracle, the number one cloud ERP, bringing accounting, financial management, inventory, HR into one fluid platform. Download the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine Learning today at netsuite.com slash fire.