Are you building a business, or a prison? In this vulnerable, practical episode, Eddie unpacks the Founder Identity Crisis: how pouring yourself into your company creates an identity exchange that can warp decisions, stunt growth, and make healthy exits impossible. He shares the three warning signs your identity is tied to the business and a clear, repeatable framework to break free: create emotional separation by treating the business as an asset, journal wins & failures as data (not identity), clarify your calling vs. your company, and build systems so you’re not mission critical. With candid stories, Eddie shows how to lead as the architect, not the empire, and why your calling is bigger than any company you’ll ever build.

TIMESTAMPS:

• 00:00 – Welcome & topic: the Founder Identity Crisis
• 00:48 – The identity exchange: pour into the business, it gives you identity
• 01:51 – Why detaching identity leads to better decisions
• 02:17 – Becoming the business, then struggling to exit
• 03:16 – 2019 exits & post-exit depression: “life-changing money… but empty”
• 05:24 – Sign #1: Emotions track your P&L (your worth ≠ income)
• 06:51 – Sign #2: You can’t picture the business without you; delegation fear, sabotage
• 08:03 – Sign #3: You don’t know who you are outside the role
• 09:30 – Step 1: Create emotional separation—treat it as an asset
• 10:20 – “Asset leader” language & stewardship mindset
• 11:36 – Journal wins, and journal your failures as data, not identity 
• 13:10 – Step 2: Clarify calling vs company 
• 15:07 – Calling > brand: purpose bigger than logo, site, or P&L
• 16:48 – Step 3: Build systems so you’re not mission-critical
• 17:33 – “Grow by vision, not constant involvement”
• 18:20 – Howard Schultz/Starbucks: founder identity vs scaling well
• 21:29 – Eddie’s temptation to return & choosing “no” to protect calling
• 22:37 – You’re the architect, not the empire; your calling is higher
• 23:22 – Legacy > business: raising his sons, serving through Impact Others
• 24:33 – Final charge: find identity in who you are, not what you build

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