This week I sat down with entrepreneur and author Paul Jarvis to discuss why you don’t need to grow your business.

Paul is a designer who likes writing (or vice versa) and has worked for himself since the 90s. He wrote a book called Company of One (Jan 15, 2019), published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

His courses—Creative Class and Chimp Essentials—have been taken by more than 13,564 paying students. His writing has been talked about by everyone from Ashton Kutcher to Arianna Huffington. He’s worked with clients, such as Microsoft, Danielle LaPorte, Mercedes-Benz, Marie Forleo and Warner Music. His ideas and words have been featured in WIRED, Fast Company, Vice, USA Today and more. As a totally random aside, his photography has been seen on Greys Anatomy (the TV show).

HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:

• Why Paul decided to write his book Company of One
• The importance of a company of one
• Why growth is not the best decision for every company
• How a company of one is based on a mindset, not a number
• The core skillset you will need
• The significance of setting your upper bounds
• The danger of setting your business goals too high
• The number one thing to consider with goal-setting
• Why introspection (and time for it) is a must
• Factors to consider when setting your upper bounds
• Lifestyle creep and how it can impact your happiness
• The best way to juggle opportunities and obligations
• How to have a business that supports your life and not the other way around
• What “shoulding” all over yourself can do to your mindset and success
• The way Paul defines success in his business
• How systems can be more of a hindrance when starting a business
• The significance of connecting with the customer before scaling

LINKS WE MENTIONED ON THE SHOW:

• Company of One by Paul Jarvis
• I Don’t Care About Growth
• The Challenge of Sitting with Your Thoughts Study
• Danielle Laporte

GET SOCIAL WITH PAUL AND LET HIM KNOW YOU HEARD ABOUT HIM HERE

• Paul's Website
• Paul's e-mail
• Twitter