Holding up his own life as an example, Chad Willardson teaches entrepreneurs how to “win big” without sacrificing their personal life. Willardson knows what he’s speaking about as a father of five, a husband for 24 years, an author of six books, and the founder of five businesses.
“Too many entrepreneurs and business leaders only focus on money and do so at the expense of their family relationships, their health, their faith, and more. I want to lead the movement of businesspeople who win big in the boardroom and at the kitchen table,” Willardson says.
Willardson is skeptical of the concept of work-life balance and doesn’t believe it truly exists. Instead, he’s focused on creating a system that doesn’t force people to sacrifice their families for success.
Founder Scaling Up
Willardson doesn’t regard becoming financially wealthy as the ultimate goal of life. He sees money as a tool used to build the life someone desires. Wealth should be an aspect of an entrepreneur’s life, and the quest for it shouldn’t sideline their family relationships or their health.
As a wealth advisor to the most elite entrepreneurs, Willardson focuses on helping others cultivate a legacy vision for themselves and their families. He has experience building the framework that promotes personal success and then expands it across businesses and families. The infrastructure, FULLY INVESTED™, enables him to be present as a father and husband while simultaneously attending to his business. Utilizing this system helps focus Willardson’s time and energy on what is most important. It is also the title of his newest book, Fully Invested: Why Work-Life Balance is a Total Lie-7, Strategies to Win Big in Business and at Home.
The success of his system has led him to be a top 1% wealth advisor in the world, keynote speaker, and he manages $1.4 billion of investments. He has been named Entrepreneur of the Year in Southern California and has been elected as the city treasurer of his community three times. Even with his busy work life, he still makes it home for dinner with his family.
It’s Not About Balance
Many entrepreneurs feel guilty for sacrificing their families for the sake of “the hustle.” They fear how much they have to give up to be successful and feel unfulfilled by attempting to find the elusive “balance” between work and home.
“I don’t buy into the hustle culture at all and don’t believe you have to sacrifice your family and personal life to make a lot of money or grow a big business. Those are very different concepts. I also believe work-life balance is a total lie. Instead, I believe in a FULLY INVESTED™ lifestyle where you are aligned. Not balanced,” Willardson explains.
Willardson doesn’t believe in 50/50, but in 100/100. It’s about “going all in” and getting your priorities integrated and aligned. The plan he reveals in his book has seven strategies to grow a business while also maintaining a home life and physical and mental health. Willardson asserts that by eliminating time-wasters, people can make time for what matters most in their lives.
It’s not just about measuring returns in dollars, but also in terms of time, energy, and alignment, according to Willardson.
“I’m living what I preach just like many of our clients, so I know it’s possible,” he says.
Chad Willardson’s framework challenges entrepreneurs to rethink what success truly means and to define it, not by profit margins, but by the quality of their relationships, health, and legacy they leave behind.
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