What broke founders never figure out

I interviewed a 7 figure entrepreneur who’s worked with 100s of people and built a business empire.

Here are 15 random notes from my conversation with him that stayed with me:

1. Your personal brand is your business moat. People buy you before they buy what you sell.

2. If the foreword doesn’t add real value to your book, skip it. Don’t add fluff to impress. Add substance to serve.

3. Play the long game. You’re not here for hacks. You're here for impact which only compounds over time.

4. Build friendships, not transactions. Relationships matter when you’re not trying to get something out of them.

5. Burnout happens to ~78% of entrepreneurs. The difference? The ones who delegate early survive it.

6. You don’t need a team of 50. You need the right 5 people you trust and who free you up to work in your genius zone.

7. Write the book. It’s the #1 expert positioning tool and it drives leads long after you’ve published.

8. Only do what only you can do. His example was if you’re still in Facebook Ads Manager, you’re in the wrong seat.

9. Down time isn’t bad. But be honest.. are you recovering or procrastinating?

10. Be selfish to be selfless. If you don’t look after your energy, your team, family, and clients pay for it.

11. The world is more connected than ever and yet more disconnected. Make space for real human interaction. It’s your advantage.

12. Don’t follow trends. Follow what works for your audience. That’s the real long haul.

13. AI won’t kill your business. Not adapting to it might. Stay human while you evolve your tools.

14. You don’t have to be everywhere. But you do have to be consistent. Especially when no one’s watching.

15. Legacy isn’t built in the launch. It’s built in the follow-through.

The podcast with Chris Ducker is now live.

It’s packed with SO many lessons on leadership, burnout and branding.

Check it out: 58 minutes of gold inside.