The 5 “Entrepreneurial Archetypes” (What Type of Business Owner Are You?)

Do you ever feel frustrated with where you are in your business and life? 

Like no matter how many tricks and hacks you try, how many books you read, or how many hours you work…you’re always behind. 

You know you could be moving faster. 

But you just don’t know how to do it. 

You’re not alone. I know what it’s like to be a “struckling” business owner. 

To be stuck on the entrepreneurial roller coaster–taking a huge step forward and five steps back. 

And after 20+ years of trial and error, working with thousands of coaching clients, and investing millions of dollars in my personal and professional growth… 

…I’ve learned that every entrepreneur fits one of five main “archetypes”. 

Each one with its own unique set of problems and solutions. 

And when you understand which archetype you are right now…you’ll have a clear understanding of what you need to do to level up and put your life and business in the fast lane. 

Entrepreneurial Archetype #1: “The Dreamer”

The first entrepreneurial archetype is what I call “The Dreamer”. 

You have a big vision…you’re going to be a millionaire, write that best-seller, have a 6-figure product launch… 

…BUT you aren’t taking action on that vision. 

When you look at your life, what have you actually done? What have you accomplished? Do you spend more time talking about the success you’re going to achieve “someday” than actually taking action to make it happen? 

When you’re in the “dreamer” archetype, you’re always “struckling”. You have plenty of great ideas and big plans, but you’re stuck. You’re spinning your wheels, making lots of motion but failing to build momentum. 

You have clarity on where you want to go…but lack the discipline to make it happen. 

If this is you, don’t worry. 

You have your work cut out for you, but every entrepreneur I know was once trapped in this archetype. 

How to Level Up from a “Dreamer” 

To level up from a “Dreamer” and beat your undisciplined tendencies, the formula is simple… 

Strategically eliminate your temptations and get no-holds-barred accountability from someone you deeply don’t want to disappoint. 

When you eliminate distractions, temptations, and obstacles, for example… 

• Deleting Instagram or Facebook from your phone 
• Giving away your TV (or at least unplugging it and putting it in the attic) 
• Working at a coffee shop or coworking space away from the distractions at home 
• Moving your alarm clock across the bedroom (eliminating the temptation to hit snooze) 

…Everything becomes easier. 

Because when you eliminate the distractions and temptations, your only option is to do the things you know you need to do to succeed. 

It’s like trying out a new diet. If you don’t have any junk food in the house, then your only option is to eat healthy. 

And, if you need an extra kick to spur you into action, enlisting the help of a coach, mentor, or accountability partner you deeply do not want to disappoint (your drinking buddies don’t cut it) will ensure that you’re consistently taking the right actions and making progress toward your biggest goals. 

Do This Now: 

Identify 2-3 temptations or distractions that stop you from making progress toward your big business goals. 

Now commit to eliminating those distractions today. 

Next, find someone in your network you admire and respect and ask them to hold you accountable to a specific, process-based outcome (e.g. launching a website, building a new course, sending out 100 cold emails, etc). 

If you need some extra motivation, put your money where your mouth is and write them a check for 15% of your monthly income and instruct them to send it to a charity you despise if you don’t hit your goal. 

I promise you’ll beat your “Dreamer” tendencies in no time. 

Entrepreneurial Archetype #2: The Lost Warrior

I’ve only been to the ER a few times in my life and most of those times were in my early 30s when my anxiety was so bad I thought I was having a heart attack. 

I was living a hypocritical lifestyle as a personal trainer, telling people how to change their lives and bodies while partying, binge drinking, and working 15+ hour days. 

I was suffering in silence, working myself to death to try and make ends meet and then taking the edge off with alcohol and weekend benders. 

And it all nearly killed me. 

I was a “Lost Warrior”, working myself down to the bone, saying “yes” to every opportunity that came my way, and lacking the clarity I needed to make my life and business work. 

When you’re a Lost Warrior, you don’t lack discipline…you’re more disciplined, hard working, and ambitious than 90% of the population. 

But because you lack the clarity about where you want to go (and how to get there), you fall prey to bad habits and poor boundaries that can wreck havok in your life. 

How to Level Up from a “Lost Warrior” 

To escape from the Lost Warrior archetype, the solution is simple…but not easy. 

You must get objective outside eyes on your life and business and enlist the help of a mentor who has “been there, done that” who can help you identify the opportunities and blind spots you don’t see. 

You must ask yourself hard questions about your business and lifestyle and dig deep to identify the things you must STOP doing so you can focus on the biggest profit drivers in your business and increase your income without burning out. 

Because until you have a clear vision for your life and business…until you know what’s important and what isn’t…you’ll always struggle with workaholism and overwhelm. 

Do This Now: 

If you aren’t already working with a coach or mentor, find one today and reach out for help. 

It doesn’t have to be me, but you need someone in your corner who has the experience and wisdom to guide you to success. 

(If you do want to be a part of my private coaching program and get my direct feedback on your life and business, send an email to support@earlytorise.com with the subject line “Coaching” to learn more). 

And in the meantime, check out this free resource where I reveal a few simple tools to help you get more clarity on your business. 

Entrepreneurial Archetype #3: The Business Battler

I’ve got a client, let’s call him “Jimmy” who owns an amazing company that uses AI robots to clean oil tankers for big corporations (a solution that literally saves hundreds of lives each year). 

Now… 

Jimmy is a disciplined guy, he’s got clarity on his business and where he wants to go…but when we first started working together he lacked the structure and strategy to turn his big goals and dreams into his reality. 

After we started working together, I gave him a few simple routines and practices to implement into his daily schedule (for more focus, energy, and productivity) and taught him a simple email strategy to find new clients. 

Within a few weeks, he generated an extra $120,000 in his business…and less than two months later he grew that number to more than $300,000. 

If you have discipline and clarity but lack a proven structure and strategy to go from where you are to where you want to be, then you’re what I call a “Business Battler.” 

You know your destination, you have the right vehicle…but you lack the roadmap you need for success. 

If this sounds like you, then you’re in luck. Because this is one of the easiest archetypes to fix. 

You don’t need an accountability partner to keep you disciplined or a 4-day silent meditation retreat to give you clarity…you just need the right tools, strategies, and systems to grow faster. 

How to Level Up from a Business Battler

The #1 fastest way to level up from a Business Battler is to upgrade your environment and get direct exposure to the top entrepreneurs in your industry. 

Hire a coach, join a high-level mastermind, invest in courses, books, and online training to help you find the strategies you need to scale quickly. 

More often than not, closing the gap between where you are and where you want to be requires a few simple tweaks in the way you run your business and, when you discover proven strategies for success, 

Do This Now

If you’re a Business Battler then I want you to take a few minutes today to think about the people with whom you surround yourself with. 

Are you regularly rubbing shoulders with entrepreneurs in your industry who are 10-20 years ahead of where you are today? 

Do you have an experienced coach who understands your business and can give you “swipe and deploy” systems for rapid growth? 

If the answer is no, take action today to fix this. 

Whether you invest in a mastermind program, hire a new coach, call up a mentor, or join a local business group, do something to upgrade your environment and get around the people with the knowledge and experience to help you grow. 

Entrepreneurial Archetype #4: The Empire Builder

Imagine the greatest rulers in human history…the Pharaohs of Egypt, Emperors of Rome, Kings and Queens of Europe… 

Think about the monuments they built, the cities they created, and the impact they had that still continues to this day. 

Now let me ask you… 

Do you think any of those rulers were out there doing the heavy lifting to build the pyramids, cathedrals, and castles for which they are known? 

Of course not! 

They were Empire Builders. Men and women with the clarity, discipline, and strategy required to bring their vision to life and lead their people to success. 

And the same thing is true of the Business Empire Builder. 

When you reach this level, you’re no longer “in the trenches” doing the dirty work yourself. 

Instead you’re leading a team of high-performers, all operating in their area of genius to bring your collective vision to life. 

This is where you want to be as a business owner and the archetype that I specialize in helping my clients reach. 

For example, when my superstar client Frank Den Blanken came to me for help, he was a “Lost Warrior”, making $15,000/month but working 15-hour days to do it. 

I gave him the clarity and strategy he needed to succeed and he took massive action on that strategy immediately. 

He ruthlessly eliminated everything nonessential from his calendar, hired a team of high-performers to support him, and focused all of his time and energy on strategy and leadership…identifying the big levers he needed to pull to generate the results he wanted. 

Within 90 days, he doubled his income. 

After 6 months, he doubled his income again. 

And after a year, he generated more than $300,000 in one month and is now on track to break 8-figures in his diet coaching business. 

This is what I want for you. 

How to Become an Empire Builder 

To become an Empire Builder, you must first level up through the first three entrepreneurial archetypes by getting clarity, discipline, and a proven strategy for success. 

Once you have these three things in place, it’s time to aggressively eliminate, delegate, and automate everything that you don’t need to be doing so you can spend 90% of your working hours focused on high-level strategies and your area of genius. 

To do this, you’ve gotta pull out all the stops and, as my friend Joel Marion says, “Surround yourself with brilliance.” 

Hire the coach. Join the mastermind. Invest into your team. 

Do everything you can to set yourself up for success and get the right people in your corner. 

Do This Now: 

Look at your business right now and ask yourself a simple question…

“WHO (not WHAT) do I need to hire who can solve my problems for me?” 

Is it a coach? A VP? A copywriter? A sales rep? A marketing expert? 

Find people who can solve your problems for you and pay them well. 

Even if you take a small hit to your income in the short term, it’s an investment in your Empire that will pay huge dividends in the long run. 

Entrepreneurial Archetype #5: The Titan

Finally, after building your Empire for years or even decades, you’re ready to graduate to the final entrepreneurial archetype…The Titan. 

Titan’s are entrepreneurs who are no longer building empires, but expanding them. 

People like Oprah, Steve Jobs, and Richard Branson who have already achieved success and understand the game of business at such a high level that they can use their resources to buy back their time and freedom completely by putting the right people in the right positions. 

They are the “Owner” of their Empire. They have CEOs, VPs, and a team of executives running the show while they reap the rewards of their hard work. 

To level up from an Empire Builder to a Titan requires only one thing…Patience. 

Unlike the Lost Warrior or Business Battler, becoming a Titan requires more than a new strategy or extra clarity. 

It requires years and decades of continual effort as an Empire Builder…growing your team…creating bulletproof systems…establishing your brand in the marketplace. 

But with enough time and effort, it IS possible. 

Trust the process. Surround yourself with the right people. And become the Titan of your industry. 

Over to You… 

I’m curious. 

Which entrepreneurial archetype do you identify with most? 

And more importantly, what action are you going to take in the next 24 hours to level up and achieve your goals? 

Let me know in the comments below. 

And if you want my help becoming an Empire Builder and creating a business that gives you the freedom, income, impact, and influence you desire…send an email to support@earlytorise.com with the subject line “Coaching.”

Be sure to tell me a little about your business, goals, and obstacles, and I’ll reach out to see if we’re a good fit!