Most founders don’t have a business problem, they have a decision problem. In this hard-hitting episode, Eddie Wilson reframes “violence” not as physical aggression, but as surgical intensity: the courage to cut people, systems, and revenue that are quietly killing your empire. Using a story from the Continental Congress, memories of his father’s quiet strength, and real world examples from his own companies, while breaking down three “violent” decisions every empire builder must make. You’ll learn why delay is often just fear in disguise, why your gut as a solid operator is rarely wrong, how to think in terms of protecting your future instead of punishing the past, and why “profit that costs purpose is way too expensive.” Eddie closes with three piercing questions to audit your life, business, and relationships so you can finally make the cuts you already know you need to make.

TIMESTAMPS:

• 00:00 – Franklin vs. Adams & the danger of endless diplomacy
• 02:03 – Empires require clear, courageous, sometimes ruthless decisions
• 03:01 – Eddie’s dad’s quiet strength
• 06:27 – Defining “violence” in business: not fists, but focus and surgical intensity
• 08:09 – Why most founders avoid “violent” decisions: indecision, loyalty, and “not burning bridges”
• 10:03 – Trusting your gut vs. over-rationalizing what people have already shown you
• 10:45 – Violent Decision #1: The courage to cut
• 16:15 – You’re not punishing the past; you’re protecting your future
• 17:19 – Who in your organization is no longer qualified to carry what’s next?
• 17:48 – Violent Decision #2: Burn what’s comfortable but broken
• 19:28 – Violent Decision #3: Kill the wrong revenue
• 21:40 – “Profit that costs purpose is way too expensive”
• 22:02 – What “violence” actually looks like
• 25:11 – Empire builders don’t swing wildly; they strike strategically and on time
• 26:06 – Three questions: What are you tolerating out of fear, what are you delaying, and what “violence” does your empire need today?

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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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Most founders aren’t failing, they’re just sitting in the wrong seat. In this episode, Eddie breaks down the three seats in every business Owner, Operator, CEO, and shows you how blurred lines create bottlenecks, burnout, and stalled growth. You’ll learn what each seat actually owns, how to transition from Operator to CEO without the business collapsing, why systems are better than sweat, and the exact one week challenge to audit your calendar, color code your tasks, and offload what keeps you stuck. If you want scale, rest, and real freedom, this is your roadmap.

TIMESTAMPS:

• 00:00 – Why most founders are stuck: wrong seat, blurred lines.
• 02:36 – Clarity brings freedom: define Owner, Operator, CEO.
• 03:47 – The Owner seat: equity, decision rights, profit participation.
• 07:03 – The Operator seat: in the weeds, approvals, bottlenecks.
• 11:17 – The CEO seat: strategy, culture, leading leaders systems, not sweat.
• 13:11 – Think in quarters and years, not hours and days.
• 14:21 – Review data over drama; build rhythm and plan the exit.
• 16:26 – Step 1: identify all seats you’re sitting in now.
• 17:05 – Phase 1 Operator season: necessary, but temporary.
• 18:49 – Transition to CEO: delegate, lead by metrics, replace yourself.
• 22:14 – Why visionaries must reach CEO: scale, sell, rest.
• 24:33 – The one week challenge: audit calendar, color code, offload.
• 27:13 – Decide to shift now; empires aren’t built by do it alls.
• 27:58 – Final line: “Design everything to get done without you.”

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