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Early on, when you’re building something, it’s easy to pour everything into it—your time, energy, identity. But if you’re not careful, you start confusing who you are with what you do.
When I ran my first company, my emotions were on a constant rollercoaster. One hour, I was on top of the world after a big win. The next, I’d get a stressful email, and my mood would crash. I was living and dying by my company’s success or failure.
If you tie your identity to your business, you’ll never feel at peace. You’ll always be at the mercy of external forces you can’t control.
Who Are You Without Your Business?
You existed before you started your company. You’ll exist after it.
If your entire self-worth is wrapped up in being an entrepreneur, what happens when you sell? Or step away? Or your interests change?
This is why so many founders struggle after an exit. They’ve spent years thinking, I am my business, and when it’s gone, they don’t know who they are.
The key to long-term success isn’t just business growth—it’s identity growth. You need to decentralize your identity and start seeing yourself as more than just a founder.
How to Stop Over-Identifying with Your Business
If your business feels like your entire world, here’s what I recommend:
List out every role you play in life.
You’re not just a founder. You’re also a friend, a family member, a community builder, a musician, an athlete—whatever else makes you, you.
Create value outside of work.
If all your self-worth comes from your company, you’ll always feel fragile. Find meaning in hobbies, relationships, and experiences that aren’t tied to business outcomes.
Detach from the scoreboard.
Imagine your business as a motorcycle in the garage. You can work on it, tweak it, ride it—but you are not the motorcycle.
Ask yourself: Who am I without this company?
If you sold your business tomorrow, who would you be?
So, take a step back.
Who are you, outside of your company?
If you have thoughts on this, drop a comment—I’d love to hear.
Later.
🏹 I partner with founders hitting big milestones—scaling, hiring execs, raising money, and selling their company to get clarity on what they want and how to build and expand their business in a way that works for them.
