Escaping the owner trap: How to find more happiness in your business with Mike Jones, Founder of Better Happy

Episode Overview In this episode, I welcome Mike Jones, founder of Better Happy and author of The Happy Business Revolution, to explore how entrepreneurs can escape the "owner trap" and build more happiness into their businesses. Drawing on Mike's unique background in the military and his transformative experiences living in monasteries, we uncover valuable insights about the true meaning of happiness and how to create a business that serves both clients and the business owner alike. Key Highlights Mike's Journey from Military to Monastery to Business Joined the military in his early twenties seeking an escape from his hometown After two tours in Afghanistan, realised military life wasn't fulfilling him Spent time living with monks in Thailand and Nepal, gaining life-changing insights Discovered that Eastern philosophy views happiness as underlying fulfilment rather than constant ecstasy These experiences led him to start his own businesses with a completely different perspective The Buddhist Approach to Emotions Learning to see emotions as "passing clouds" rather than part of one's identity Understanding we are not our emotions, but the experiencer of emotions This separation from emotions is particularly valuable for business owners on an emotional rollercoaster The practice of not attaching to emotions, whether positive or negative The Owner Trap: Lessons from Mike's First Business Started a gym with the desire to help others, focusing entirely on client happiness Created a business that made clients happy but left him burnt out and unfulfilled "I went into business thinking, 'I'm just going to provide a good service and really look after our clients and the business will just be fantastic'" By COVID, despite having a great team and happy clients, he was miserable The Core Four Model of Business Relationships The business itself - expects cashflow and profitability Customers - expect positive products/services and give money/referrals Team - delivers service and expects wages, belonging, growth opportunities Business owner - provides leadership, finance, growth and expects returns Why Business Owners Neglect Themselves "Business is the most extreme form of personal development there is in disguise" We're evolutionarily wired to be modest, which works against valuing ourselves properly Society often pushes a message that making good money means exploiting others The common trap: "If you're not going to make good money, have a job" Passion alone won't sustain a business—financial reward must justify the stress and risk Breaking Free from the Owner Trap "I thought about me from day one" - Mike's approach to his second business Being "sensibly selfish" - balancing client care with personal wellbeing Defining happiness through values alignment rather than constant emotional highs The danger of "putting life on hold" while building a business Understanding that business is a marathon, not a sprint Practical Steps to Escape the Owner Trap Create an "aligned strategy" that starts with what YOU want from your business Plan what you want your business to provide in terms of finance, fun, freedom and fulfilment Shift from being a reactive business owner (letting the business happen to you) to a proactive one "You can solve all your problems and still not have what you want" - Jim Rohn Stop constantly firefighting problems and focus on creating what you truly desire Final Thought Looking after yourself first isn't selfish—it's necessary for creating sustainable impact. As Mike points out, "If you're constantly burning yourself out to put other things first, you're going to die early, you're not going to be happy to be around, you're not going to have clarity of mind." True business happiness comes from creating a business that serves both clients AND yourself. Chapters 00:00 Escaping the Owner Trap 02:57 Mike's Journey to Happiness 05:47 Buddhism and Emotional Intelligence 08:51 The Shift in Perspective on Happiness 11:55 The Military's Approach to Emotional Training 14:54 Building Better Happy 17:59 Defining Personal Happiness 19:00 The Importance of Learning and Growth 20:06 Understanding the Business Marathon 20:26 The Core Four: Business Relationships 22:55 Overcoming Personal Development Challenges 25:30 The Trap of Modesty in Business 26:29 Building Confidence in Pricing 29:14 Rationality in Business Decisions 31:20 Future Aspirations and Business Evolution 33:34 Escaping the Owner's Trap Resources: Get my FREE book 'It's Not About The Money' Take the Money StoryTypes® Quiz Sign up to my FREE Newsletter   Connect Further: Find Mike Jones on LinkedIn Find Mike Jones online: betterhappybusinessclub.com  betterhappy.co.uk  mikejones.live  Find Mike Jones' book

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It’s not about the money is for women in business who know they want to make more money whilst holding onto more money and growing an abundance of wealth. You're tired of overgiving, undercharging and being stuck in a scarcity money mindset. You know you have it in you, you just need financial confidence and an abundant mindset. You're excited and ready to learn what it takes to make more money, invest and step into wealth. Hosted by Catherine Morgan, Author, Award-winning Financial Wellbeing Speaker, Financial Coach and Trauma-informed coach. You'll learn the steps to create more wealth, grow your business, and have a better relationship with money. This is the show for you to feel good with money and to explore the meaning beyond wealth. This podcast is the one to listen to if you're a female entrepreneur. ‘Formerly the In Her Financial Shoes Podcast.’