What do you want + The Pot of Gold Myth

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Business Brain – The Entrepreneurs’ Podcast

Shannon Jean & Dave Hamilton

699 episodes

2 days ago

Two long-time small-business owners, Dave Hamilton and Shannon Jean, come to you each week to talk through the trials, success, pitfalls and tips it takes to successfully run a small business in today's world. Hear real-world folks talk about real-world problems, letting you know not only what it takes to get it done but that you're not alone in doing it!

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What do you want + The Pot of Gold Myth

Business Brain – The Entrepreneurs’ Podcast

22 minutes 23 seconds

2 months ago

What do you want + The Pot of Gold Myth

Dave and Shannon kick off episode 682 by reframing a core entrepreneurial question: not “define success,” but “what are you building toward?” They discuss lifestyle businesses without stigma, urging founders to articulate what they truly want—more time, flexibility, specific experiences—and to design daily systems that move them toward that vision. Shannon shares his “campfire” story concept as a motivating north star and notes that goals can evolve; you may already have much of what you’re after.
In the second half, Shannon tells the “pot of gold” story from an early warehouse lease, learning to take “chests of gold” off the table along the way. They stress balancing reinvestment with risk reduction, maintaining a reasonable war chest without starving life or business, and seeking outside counsel to counter radical optimism. Dave recalls Howard Stern’s heuristic of not investing personal money if others won’t, as a gut-check on viability. They close by inviting listener feedback on how others think about building, enjoying the journey now, and funding choices.

00:00:00 Business Brain – The Entrepreneurs’ Podcast #682 for Wednesday, September 10th, 2025

September 10th: National TV Dinner Day

00:01:29 Building your keychain to the kingdom

Aron North from Mint Mobile on Business Brain

00:02:18 What are you building towards?

Lifestyle businesses are OK by us!
What do you want? (out of the business you have/are-creating)
…you might already have it.

00:06:56 What do you want to do when you retire have more free time?

You deserve the life you want

00:08:24 What if I don’t create what I wanted?

It’s ok! Systems are better than goals.
And everything can evolve, including your answers to those questions

00:09:58 SPONSOR: Mint Mobile – This year, skip breaking a sweat AND breaking the bank. Get this new customer offer and your 3-month Unlimited wireless plan for just $15 per month at MintMobile.com/BusinessBrain today.
00:11:40 SPONSOR: Shopify – For anyone to sell anywhere, sign up for a one-dollar-per month trial period at Shopify.com/BusinessBrain and upgrade your selling today!
00:13:03 The Pot-of–Gold Myth

Did you get your pot of gold at the end?
There is no pot of gold…but sometimes you can take chests of gold off at times during your career
Don’t wait to take money off the table
Your business’s warchest doesn’t need to be as big as you might think

00:21:11 The Howard Stern lesson: I never invest my own money in my business
00:21:57 Business Brain 682 Outtro
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