May 17, 2016
Summary:
In this episode, Dave interviews Alex Charfen, the CEO of Charfen: a company that coaches entrepreneurs. Listen as Alex shares his passion for entrepreneurship and talks about the factors that lead some people to constantly create, plan, and contribute.
Time Stamped Show Notes:
- 01:00 – Dave welcomes Alex
- 02:02 – American Dream U program: making soldiers successful in civilian life
- 03:55 – Alex’s background
- 04:10 – Alex sold his first business at 16; his second at 21
- 04:40 – Bankruptcy in 2008 led to the creation of Charfen
- 06:00 – Charfen ranked 21 in Inc.’s list of fastest-growing companies
- 07:20 – Struggling as a child
- 08:00 – Do entrepreneurs always feel different from those around them?
- 10:10 – Branded as ‘developmentally disabled’
- 10:50 – Alex avoided social interaction and obsessively read about success
- 11:50 – Developing panic attacks from bullying
- 13:40 – Thomas Edison was considered backward; Einstein failed algebra twice
- 15:00 – “Business was a beacon”
- 16:00 – Finding a haven in building up businesses
- 17:00 – “Entrepreneurs start businesses because they have trouble with other people’s rules”
- 18:30 – The entrepreneur’s paradox: learning how to ask for help
- 19:07 – Is entrepreneurship about proving something?
- 21:50 – “The main drive for entrepreneurs is about making a greater contribution”
- 23:00 – Entrepreneurs are people with more energy, drive, jitters
- 24:40 – Edison’s incredible focus - today would be considered ill
- 26:00 – A standardised school system crushes people who are different
- 27:10 – The movie Idiocracy
- 28:00 – “EPT” - Entrepreneurial Personality Type
- 31:00 – Entrepreneurs:
- Feel different
- Are innately motivated
- Feel they need to give more
- 32:30 – Alex doesn’t feel connected to the world of emotions
- 34:00 – The state of being ‘in momentum’ - flow, zen
- 36:00 – Being in momentum is a chemical boost
- 37:50 – Constraint is what makes people break down chemically
- 40:00 – People at the top of the game are very physiologically sensitive
- 41:50 – The contribution equation
- 43:00 – Get healthy; reduce pressure and noise
- 43:55 – Start asking for protection and support
- 45:30 – getthirstynow.com
- 46:33 – Build a team to support you
- 47:10 – Alex’s article on ‘primal foot’ in the Huffington Post
- 48:10 – Footwear is the only place where people still accept ‘low risk, high reward’
- 49:10 – Lower-body health is reliant on good footwear
- 53:10 – Entrepreneurs can become dysfunctional with pressure and no support
- 54:20 – The things that make us weird are what make us thrive
- 56:00 – There are so many entrepreneurs in the world: you aren’t alone
- 58:30 – Most of society’s systems are designed to repress EPT
- 1:01:10 – What’s next?
- 1:03:30 – Educating about Entrepreneurial Personality Type
- 1:04:10 – A preview of the EPT course
3 Key Points:
- In order to thrive, eliminate the pressure and noise around you. Keep yourself healthy. Focus.
- Ask for support and protection. It seems like the hardest thing to do, but having a team makes it possible to learn and achieve far more.
- Don’t be scared by feeling different: almost every successful person in history has felt like that. Difference is what makes entrepreneurs thrive.
Resources Mentioned:
- Entrepreneur's Organization – The EO Network
- Get Thirsty– Alex’s hydration programme
- American Dream U - Helping soldiers make a successful transition to civilian life
- Charfen - Alex’s current business, educating entrepreneurs
- Idiocracy - Film about being the only person to see certain things
- Primal Foot - Alex’s article on footwear in the Huffington Post
Credits:
Show Notes provided by Mallard Creatives