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Becoming a Systems Entrepreneur

Becoming a Systems Entrepreneur

Systems are necessary to grow and succeed. Here are 3 free systems to help you.

Matt Gray
August 13, 2022

Wouldn't it be nice to jump out of bed, have your coffee, and start working on something you actually enjoyed?

Or maybe take a day off and not worry about your business falling apart?

Or to have a clear direction, North Star, and systems to scale your business smoothly?

Right now, there are millions of entrepreneurs around the world who are running businesses that are running them into the ground...

And feel like they'll never get to live the life of freedom they've always dreamed about.

The scary truth is that most entrepreneurs are stressed, lack direction, and are unsure of what systems to build around themselves to gain peace of mind and grow.

There is an epidemic of entrepreneurs that are suffering from the emotional toll of building companies.

I'm going to give you a bit of my story and 3 systems (for free) to help you build leverage in your life.

This issue takes 3 minutes to read 👇

Here we go!

Did you know...

72% of entrepreneurs in a recent UC Berkeley study self-reported mental health concerns. Whether depression, ADHD, or substance abuse - many entrepreneurs are suffering in silence.

Overwhelmed, burnt out, and lonely.

Founders are:

2X more likely to suffer from depression
3X more likely to suffer from substance abuse
10X more likely to suffer from bi-polar disorder
2X more likely to have suicidal thoughts
6X more likely to suffer from ADHD

This is extremely sad considering the amount of heart, soul, and creativity that entrepreneurs put into realizing their vision to change the world for the better.

Addressing the ongoing mental health catastrophe in entrepreneurship is a moral imperative.

I can say, without a doubt, that I was one of the 72%.

In 2016, I was running a business that was running me into the ground. I was working hard to please customers, my team, and investors, and along the way ruining my health.

I paid myself very little and paid the ultimate price - I was down and out, incredibly depressed, and using alcohol to cope with feelings of loneliness and despair.

I had just accepted that although I was unhappy, this was just how things went...you know... the path of life.

I didn’t know another way of doing things.

In December 2016, I had a panic attack. Cooped up in a hotel room in LA I called my dad crying and knew something needed to change. I couldn’t continue to live like this.

So stressed.

So lonely.

So sad.

There had to be a better way.

Along my entrepreneurial journey, I had been burning myself out. I was using alcohol at the end of the day to cope with the stress and to numb me from the overwhelming sense of loneliness and lack of purpose.

I felt like I was losing my mind.

And I didn’t know where to get help. I was looking for an escape.

My friend Robbie (Founder & CEO of Othership) shared with me his story of getting sober and opened my eyes to cold baths, saunas, and sobriety as a form of health hygiene for getting to peak performance.

I started the journey of sobriety, taking care of my health, and dialing in my fitness. I started working out daily, doing yoga 3x per week, getting great sleep, seeing a therapist, and practicing mindfulness. I also found an unbelievable coach, Ryan Begelman, who changed my life in many ways.

Along the way, I began writing every day. A mentor and sober coach of 20 years recommended I read The Artist’s Way - a book about discovering the artist within.

I wrote every morning and published material daily for Herb and my personal brand across Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and email.

I focused on consistency.

I spoke to over 30 entrepreneurs, advisors, mentors, and experts every week and began to refine a system for success. I learned that the best of the best leverage systems.

"You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems."

- James Clear

(Share this on Twitter)

I began reading 2 books a week, listening to endless podcasts, and refining my own operating system. I put in the reps every day.

I was like an operating systems athlete 😂

I gradually evolved my operating systems by hacking what the best were doing (Justin Welsh, April Dunford, Greg Isenberg, Sahil Bloom); I modeled the best of what they were doing and grew my community by 650% over 6 months.

My refined operating system allowed me to have a much bigger impact with a lot less stress.

It can be summarized as:

Step 1: Build your operating system - Focus on systems over goals
Step 2: Win your niche - Be too good to ignore and own your category
Step 3: Nail your distribution - Build a repeatable, scalable, and fun conversion machine
Step 4: Ideation and curation - Make it easy to delight your dream customer
Step 5: Leverage technology - Use tech to automate and delegate boring tasks

This operating system has grown Herb at 268% year-over-year. It has worked on countless other businesses that I have coached and consulted for. And it’s what I teach people today.

The proof is in my success story and lots of stories from others I've helped. I helped Chad raise $7M from this strategy and helped Zach 4x his MRR in 3 months using these systems.

Here is a little bit about me for context:

Founder of Bitmaker (acq. General Assembly) - trained 2,000+ software engineers
I ran zero paid ads and built the Herb community to 14 million people
I build scalable systems that give me the freedom to live life how I want to
I prioritize health and adventure as a key to success
I've traveled to 38+ countries and counting
Founder of 3 profitable businesses

I’ve bootstrapped businesses through to exit and raised capital from the best investors in the world (CEO of Shopify, President of Shopify, early Facebook employees, Joe Montana (Hall of Fame Quarterback), and others).

Along the way, I’ve learned that systems are the key to being fulfilled, healthy, and successful.

I've spent over 40,000 hours building systems.

Here are a few checklists, templates, and frameworks to help you find your calling and build systems today (over $1,097 in value for FREE):

Here is my hiring system for building a hiring scorecard, 100+ job interview questions, and a list of competencies to look for in key hires ($349 of value for FREE)
Here are 100+ Tweet templates to help you evolve your personal brand on Twitter and LinkedIn ($199 of value for FREE)
Below is my system for finding your calling, building a content playbook, and creating a profitable company ($549 of value for FREE when you share this email with 5 friends → use the CLICK TO SHARE button below)

I hope you find this helpful.