Podcast Episode #561: Stop Building a Business You Don’t Want – Vision, Freedom & the Courage to Choose Differently – Shaun McCloskey
Episode #561: Dentist Freedom Blueprint Podcast
Stop Building a Business You Don’t Want – Vision, Freedom & the Courage to Choose Differently – Shaun McCloskey
What if your biggest problem isn’t your business—but the fact that you built it around someone else’s vision?
Two decades ago, Shaun McCloskey (visionary coach and founder of Leadership Boardroom) thought he had it all figured out. A thriving real estate empire, 70-hour work weeks, and the external markers of success. Then he realized he was living his mentor’s blueprint, not his own—trapped in a business that demanded everything but gave him no life in return.
His 2007 wake-up call came when he discovered his “successful” mentor was secretly miserable, had lost his family, and was living a life Shaun didn’t actually want. Within 18 months, Shaun completely transformed his business and life using a simple framework he now teaches to entrepreneurs worldwide.
This raw conversation will challenge everything you think you know about success, productivity, and what it really means to live life on your own terms.
Minute Markers:
00:00 – Intro: The vision crisis plaguing entrepreneurs
03:42 – Following someone else’s blueprint (and why it backfired)
07:23 – Life on your terms: The four-word formula
15:12 – ICU wake-up call: “Do I want to resuscitate?”
19:20 – The simple breakfast exercise that can change your life
23:44 – Why 22-32 hours per week is enough (Henry Ford was wrong)
27:28 – Three stages of his latest crisis: From “Why me?” to “Thank you”
Featured on the Show:
Shaun McCloskey: Website | LinkedIn
Exit Strategy Playbook
Masterclass for Practice Owners
The LP’s Capital Preservation Checklist
Freedom Founders Discovery Call
P.S. Whenever you’re ready, here are some other ways I can help fast track you to your Freedom goal (you’re closer than you think) :
In this episode, we finish up the second part of my interview with Rob Swanson and his eight rules of investing. (If you haven’t listened to part 1, be sure to go back and give that a listen before jumping into this one.) Today, we pick up where we left off, covering rules four through eight and talking about everything from decision-making to cash flow and risk reduction.
Listen in as Rob shares his incredible insight and experience in real estate and investing to give us a few rules that help make our decisions and investments more solid. You will hear about the importance of looking at margins before buying and what boxes need to be checked when it comes to predicting a solid income stream. Rob also discusses how to define and mitigate the different risks involved so that you can come out on top.
Alastair MacDonald is a private advisor to established entrepreneurs, investors, and business owners, as well as a TEDx speaker who lectures on economic, social, and financial forecasts. Join me today to hear part two of our conversation at the Freedom Founders Mastermind, where we dive into the concept of certainty, how to hedge against a volatile economy, and why the abdication model is no longer one that works.
Listen in to learn the reasons why Alastair is not worried about consumer price inflation (and what he’s really worried about instead) and why the 401(k) is not always the investment that it is made out to be. You’ll learn why he is most concerned about the issue of division and polarity in the Western world, why your business is your best asset in a volatile economy, and how you can maintain its viability to weather the most intense economic storm.
1. Get Your Free Retirement Scorecard:
Benchmark your retirement and wealth-building against hundreds of other practice professionals, and get personalized feedback on your biggest opportunities and leverage points. Go to www.FreedomFounders.com/Scorecard to take the 3 minute assessment and get your scorecard.
2. Attend A Workshop:
If you’re committed to Freedom, but still building a practice, paying down school debt, or growing investment capital, our hands-on Freedom Blueprint Workshops are your entrance ramp onto the fast track! Visit www.freedomfounders.com/workshop to claim your seat!
3. Apply To Visit The Mastermind:
If you’d like to join dozens of dentists, docs, and practice professionals on the fast track to Freedom (5-7 years max), visit www.freedomfounders.com/step-1 to apply for a seat.
4. Want to Work Directly with Me?
If you’d like to work directly with me and a small group of my closest investment colleagues, with direct access to the dealmakers and asset classes that I invest in, just send a message to my Executive Assistant (Lindsey@FreedomFounders.com), and put “Fast Access” in the subject line. Or, call (972) 203-6960 Ext 144 and leave a brief voicemail for Lindsey. Let her know you’re interested in the Fast Access program – we’ll set up a time with you to talk, find out about your goals, and see if there is a fit.