208. Serial Entrepreneur Lance Cayko on How to Start a Firm From Scratch Without Losing Your Mental Health

Executive Health and Life

Have you ever considered fear and doubt as the unlikely companions of success in terms of how to start a firm from scratch without losing your mental health? For my guest, serial entrepreneur Lance Cayko, this potential moment of fear and doubt showed up during the 2009 recession.

After Lance and his business partner Alex Gore were laid off, they faced contracting and victimizing themselves or choosing to do what most don't do: find a silver lining.

Fast forward: Lance co-founded the award-winning F9 Productions, which has gone from two employees to a team of 11. Lance also teaches part-time at the University of Colorado Boulder and North Dakota State and co-hosts one of the world's top five architecture and business podcasts, Inside the Firm.

In this episode, we dive into the mindset of what true entrepreneurship looks like from multiple angles. So many jewels were dropped in this episode. If you're looking to hotwire your mind and start to operate at a high level in times of uncertainty, this episode is for you.

— Episode Chapter Big Ideas (timing may not be exact) —

(00:01) Intro + Entrepreneurship and Balance in Life

(12:50) Building a Successful Architecture Firm

(21:11) Overcoming Challenges in Entrepreneurship

(31:20) Embrace Discipline, Benefit From Architects

(36:03) Understanding the Architectural Process

(39:06) Scaling Service-Based Business With Slow Growth

(46:24) AI's Impact on Architectural Community

(51:55) Successful Entrepreneurial Journey Building + Conclusion

— Impactful Words From Lance Cayko —

"Life is navigating this chaos every single day, especially as an entrepreneur, you can't control the macro economy, only your micro economy."

"If you can't sell your work, no matter how brilliant it is, it's like a beautiful painting that nobody will ever see."

"The biggest pushback we got was actually from my contemporaries, the people I graduated with... Now, some of them are calling me for advice, and I'm glad to help. That's part of my path."

"Just because you work hard doesn't mean you're guaranteed security, and security is oftentimes an illusion."

— Connect with Lance Cayko —

Website/Podcast — ⁠https://www.insidethefirmpodcast.com/

Podcast — https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inside-the-firm/id1202464726

LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/lance-cayko-1227031a/

— Connect with Julian and Executive Health —

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LinkedIn — ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/julianhayesii/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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