Becoming an Entrepreneur is the first info graphic book of an ongoing series of books you will actually read. The average person can read these book in roughly one hour . The hope is that the big truths packed into these little books will make them different from the many other books that you would never pick up or would pick up only to quickly put down forever because they are simply too wordy and don't get to the point.

1. WRITTEN BYEric Kinoti and Joe Muburi
Over 60 bloggers and journalists
CONTRIBUTIONS BY
DESIGNED BY
A F R I C A
R E D E F I N I N G
A b o o k y o u w i l l a c t u a l l y r e a d o n

3. ENTREPRENEUR
BECOMING AN

4. My bet is that if you ask anyone on
the street to describe the term
“entrepreneur,” they will tell you that
it is someone who starts a business. If
you ask them to describe some
characteristics of an entrepreneur,
they will throw out terms like
“visionary,” “leader,” and, possibly,
“hero;” they will describe an
entrepreneur as a risk taker,
aggressive, influential, creative,
opportunistic — someone with a big
personality. This description is only
partiallycorrect.
Introduction
visionary
who is anentrepreneur ?
entre
preneur

5. Fixed Mind-set Growth mind-set
Intelligence is Static Intelligence can be developed
All of us are entrepreneurs. We are all born with the innate
ability to survive; and survival involves innovative thinking.
Think about your life. Think about the times you needed to
make a decision - a choice – that involved doing something
innovative (something you were not accustomed to doing) so
that you could “move on” or adapt to a challenging situation. In
ournormalcourseofdailyliving,wearefacedwithchoices.
Granted, some of these choices are more significant than
others. And these are the choices that I am addressing; the
choices that are out of the norm; the situations that afford us a
real opportunity to change our lifestyle — our life — and adapt
or destroy our normal way of approaching whatever life throws
atus.
When we choose to embark on a path not chartered, we are
engaging in a “small act of entrepreneurship.” Being
entrepreneurial is essentially about thinking and doing
something that we have not done before, in order to achieve a
desirable goal or outcome. It is about assessing a situation,
designing alternatives, and choosing a new way — or perhaps a
combination of ways — that we hope will lead us to something
better; however we happen to define “better” at that moment.
Hopefully, we make our choices in the context of maximizing
our happiness without harming others – the ethics that underlie
allofourchoices.
Entrepreneurship is a Mindset

6. Developing an Entrepreneurial Mindset
s you have now learnt, entrepreneurship
Ais about perspective. Entrepreneurship is
a "mindset." You might ask, how do I acquire
an entrepreneurial mindset? You can acquire
the mindset by cultivating traits common
among entrepreneurial people. We will look at
6 traits that entrepreneurial people have in
common.
Perseverance: The ability to withstand
repeated rejection and disappointment is an
essential part of an entrepreneur's makeup.
Successful entrepreneurs are able to draw
lessons from rejection, as well as prevent it
from damaging their self - esteem. Essentially,
you must be able to deflect the rejection away
from yourself and use it as a spur to fix flaws in
yourbusiness ideas.
Flexibility: Entrepreneurship is a tough space
to play in. Unexpected challenges and
problems appear constantly. You must be
flexibleenough in your thinkingto rollwith the
punches, solve problems as soon as they crop
up,andrecoverquicklyfromsetbacks.
High internal locus of control: Successful
entrepreneurs have faith in their ability to
determine their own success. They see that
their own actions, decisions, and responses are
what will make or break them – not what the
outside world throws at them. This means that
you need to take responsibility for doing the
thingsthatneedtobedone.
Flexibility
High internal locus of control
Learning and iteration
Curiosity: A wide
Optimism:
Perseverance:
You can acquire the mindset
by cultivating traits common
among entrepreneurialpeople

7. We are selling ourselves short if we do not define
ourselves as entrepreneurs - if we choose to accept that
“entrepreneurs” are the “other” people who take a
chance, who think and act differently when challenges
arise. I bet that throughout the course of the year, you
make “entrepreneurial choices.” It may not be
manifested as developing the latest app, the coolest new
service,thenextgreatbusiness model.
My bet is that your small act of entrepreneurship is
manifested as the choice you make to alter your life; to go
through the pain of detaching yourself from what you
usually do and attempt a new course of action; the pain of
choosing to be resilient in the face of adversity; the gut
wisdom of taking a risk because you know that you just
can't do “more of the same.” Maybe it is starting a
company; maybe it is presenting a new idea to your boss;
maybe it is choosing to pursue a degree; maybe it is
physically moving to another location…the choices are
endlessandwefacethemthroughoutourlives.
When we think innovatively and act on that innovation,
weareentrepreneurs.
When we think innovatively and
act on that innovation, we are
entrepreneurs.

8. Learning and iteration: When a problem
occurs, a successful entrepreneur sees it as a
learning opportunity. The lessons an entrepreneur
takes from any given situation are then used in
successive iterations of the entrepreneur's ideas to
developandrefinethem.
Curiosity: A wide - ranging curiosity about how
the world works and where things tie together is
extremely common among successful
entrepreneurs. Always keep your mind active –
this will strengthen your ability to see things from
differentanglesandthinklaterally.
Optimism: Despite all the difficulties inherent in
the entrepreneurial lifestyle, successful
entrepreneurs maintain an optimistic view of life
and the world. Being optimistic about a situation
could mean the difference between seeing it as an
unsolvable problem or an opportunity to be
explored.
ntrepreneurs are always told that they need to be
Epassionate about their business. This is true, but
the glamour of passion often masks another element
that is essential to an entrepreneur's success:
commitment.While passion may lead you to start your
own business, it is your commitment that will keep
you going and allow you to persevere through the
difficulttimesahead.
With this in mind, as a prospective entrepreneur, you
need to be able and willing to reach out to those around
you for emotional support and financial backing when
youneedto.
Entrepreneurs have a drive to succeed, and their high
internal locus of control often makes it difficult for
them to admit errors or that they need help. To nurture
your thinking and support your ideas, you need to be
sure that you have the space you need to work out
solutionsonyourown.
An environment that is accepting of failure is a huge
support for most entrepreneurs. Being surrounded by
people who understand that business failure is not
shameful, but rather something to learn from and build
on,willhelpyou topersevereandtryagain.
Being given academic textbook lessons on how to run
your business is unlikely to address your needs. Make
sure that you surround yourself with people who are
able to share your experiences. This will enable you to
draw your own lessons and will be a far more effective
way of finding the support you need as you develop
yourentrepreneurialmindset.

9. About This Book
Becoming an Entrepreneur is the first infographic book of an
ongoing series of books you will actually read. The average
person can read these book in roughly one hour. The hope is
that the big truths packed into these little books will make
them different from the many other books that you would
never pick up or would pick up only to quickly put down
forever because they are simply too wordy and don't get to the
point.
Our approach to entrepreneurship starts with a mindset and
spirit. Then it guides you in discovering the strategies, skills,
and tools you must find and use to turn ideas into
opportunities and opportunities into successful business
concepts.
We offer practical information, tips, and checklists that can be
used by anyone who aspires to start a business, work as an
entrepreneur inside a large company, or just become more
opportunistic by acquiring an entrepreneurial attitude. It
doesn't matter whether you have ever owned a business or
even have any business experience. You can use this book to
think about the world of the entrepreneur and decide if it's
rightforyou.
This book is grounded in the real world. The book is based on
experience of the authors in starting businesses from scratch
and running them. Additional information has been
collaborated from over 60 articles in respected journals
authoredbyentrepreneurs.Thisisnotatheoreticalbook.
Becoming an Entrepreneur is a guide to everything you've
ever wanted to know about the entrepreneur and the
entrepreneurial process. Don't know where to get started?
We'llhelpyou.

10. Chapter 1 Getting Ready
It is important from the onset to define
what is entrepreneurial and distinguish it
from small businesses. Nearly every new
business starts small, so physical size
alone doesn't separate entrepreneurs from
businesspeople who simply want to
support a lifestyle. The differences lie
much deeper. People who start
entrepreneurialventures are:
Driven by opportunity: Entrepreneurs
see opportunities where others don't.
They strive to satisfy a need that is not
being served, or create a new product or
technology that changes the way things
aredone.
Focused on innovation. Entrepreneurs
are creative and find ways to innovate in
every aspect of their business, from the
product or service, to marketing and
distribution,tothebusiness model.
Determined to create new value by
shaking up the market place.
Entrepreneurs change the economic
environment of the market place they
enter. They are likely to create entirely
new jobs and add value to existing
economies.
Determined to grow. Entrepreneurs seek
to grow their businesses and exploit
opportunitytothefullest.
By comparison, small businesses or what
can be called "lifestyle businesses",
generally trade to provide a job for their
founders and an income for themselves
and their families. These businesses tend
to remain small and geographically
bound - they serve a local community.
Most small businesses have the potential
to grow and innovate and become
entrepreneurial ventures, but their
founders don't want to do that. The shop
keeper down the road, the guy running a
cyber cafe, the pleasant lady with a
fashion boutique, the consultant working
for himself, the respected owner of the
town finest restaurant are examples of
people running small, lifestyle
businesses.And although such businesses
represent the vast majority of all
businesses in Kenya, they are not the
prime source of new jobs in the economy.
Entrepreneurs generatethejobs.
Decide what kind of business you want to
start, because that decision will affect all
others. If global domination is your goal,
you'll set different goals and make
different decisions than if you want to
confineyouractivitytothecommunity.
small businesses or what can be called
"lifestyle businesses", generally trade to
provide a job for their founders and an
incomefor themselves andtheirfamilies.
Entrepreneurial Ventures Vs Small Businesses

11. Myth #1: Entrepreneurs don't
quit
Whoever came up with this idea
that quitting is bad, and that
entrepreneurs don't quit? Quitting
is what makes an entrepreneur an
entrepreneur. First, most
entrepreneurs have to quit their
day job in order to become an
entrepreneur. That's the crucial
quittingpoint.
Most entrepreneurs I know have
also quit some entrepreneurial
venture. If an entrepreneur starts a
crappy business and knows it,
then she's going to quit. Elon
Musk co-founder of PayPal quit.
Steve Jobs quit. These people are
rockstar entrepreneurs, but they
stepped in and out of jobs. This
completely shatters the myth of
the entrepreneur who never quits.
Successful entrepreneurs need to
quit sometimes. There's nothing
wrong with quitting something
stupid. Let go of it.True success is
knowing what to quit and when to
quit.
Let's get rid of this stigma that
“entrepreneurs never quit!” and
m a y b e w e ' l l s e e s o m e
entrepreneurs finally break free of
their shackles, and start some
companiesthatsucceed.
Myth #2: Entrepreneurs know
exactly what they want, and
how togetit.
Maybe some entrepreneurs have
a laser-focused goal and a clear
plan for getting there. But that's
not normal. In fact many
entrepreneurs have no clue how
to achieve their entrepreneurial
passions. Entrepreneurship is a
process of trying, failing, trying
again, and succeeding, trying
again, and trying again. Many
times, entrepreneurs just don't
know what to do. They follow
theirgut,butthat'shardlyaplan.
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Myths About Entrepreneurs

12. Myth #3: Entrepreneurs are their own
boss.
Nobody is their own boss. Everyone has
someone they report to. Let's dispense
with the idea that someday you'll be an
entrepreneur in complete charge of your
entire existence. In many cases, your
business becomes your new boss. It's
ruthless, demanding, heartless, requiring
18-hour workdays, and zero holiday time.
If you are running a consulting business,
your clients are your boss. If your startup
gets funded, your investors become your
boss.
Myth #4: Entrepreneurs have to be
connected.
Have you heard this saying? “It doesn't
matter what you know; it matters who
you know.” To succeed as an
entrepreneur,donotbelievethat.
There are countless examples of people
who immigrated to foreign countries
where they knew no one and built huge
businesses. Let us illustrate this with the
example of Mr Kammal Budhabatti, the
founder and C.E.O of Craft Silicon, a
software company based in Kenya.
Kammal was born in India and came to
Kenya after a friend informed of a data
entry job in Nairobi. While working as a
data entry clerk, Kammal learnt that a
local bank was in desperate need of a
clearing house software and Kammal
decide to write the software on his spare
time. When the employer discovered
that he was using company resources for
his endeavours, he was fired and
deported to India. He raised money and
came back to Kenya for a second time.
When he returned, things were worse.
He had very little money on him, so he
squatted with a friend in a dinky
apartment, spending many sleepless
nights perfecting his software. He ate
only once a day as he struggled to save
money. Kammal did not have
connections but through persistence, he
has built Craft Silicon to a company
valued at over 50 million US
dollars.Entrepreneurs who realize that
connectedness is a myth are forced to
r e l y u p o n t h e i r o w n g r i t a n d
determination, not some star-studded
safety net. That powers them forward to
start companies, and successfully run
thosecompanies.
IAM THE BOSS
Myths About Entrepreneurs
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13. Myth #5: Entrepreneurs are
usually rich.
Nope. Some entrepreneurs
might become rich, but they
certainly don't start that way. In
fact some entrepreneurs have
gone bankrupt several times
before they made it big. If you
are looking for a quick way to
get rich, then entrepreneurship
might not be the route you want
to pursue. Entrepreneurship is
not for the rich, and it might not
evenresultinriches,either.
Myth #6: Entrepreneurship
requireshuge funding.
Some people have this idea that in
order to start a business, you have
to have a pile of cash. In order to
get the pile of cash, you have to
wheel and deal with angel
investors, venture capitalists, and
investors who ride around in
chauffeured range rovers. The
reality? Most of an entrepreneur's
“funding” is from his own back
p o c k e t . A l o t o f t i m e s ,
entrepreneurs don't get funded.
They bootstrap. They growth
hack. They adopt creative and
cost effective ways of marketing
their trade. They negotiate with
suppliers for a line of credit. They
eat beans and chapatti at the local
café (sometimes on credit). Some
entrepreneurs will get lucky and
funded, but it's definitely not a
prerequisiteforthetrade.
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Myths About Entrepreneurs

14. Myth #7: Entrepreneurship is
fun!
Ha ha ha. If we are laughing, it's
our bitter laugh. There's a
true/false dichotomy to this myth.
Sure, entrepreneurship is fun. We
love what we are doing, and just
about every other entrepreneur
does, too. But you need to know
something: Entrepreneurship is
really hard, almost unbearably so
at times. The ups and downs of
entrepreneurship parallel the ups
and downs of ordinary life. There
are the good times. And there are
the bad times. The difference with
entrepreneurship is that the bad
times are a lot worse, and the good
times are a lot better. But fun all
thetime?No.
Myth #8: Entrepreneurs
always takehuge risks
Entrepreneurs are risk-takers
according to our conventional
jacked-up ideas of safety. But
maybe the entrepreneur's risk-
taking is nothing more than a tilt
toward the unconventional, a
good idea, and dissatisfaction
with the status quo. The
entrepreneur's risks are not the
reckless actions of a devil-may-
care upstart. They are decisions
that are calculated, data-driven,
dream-backed, and pursued
w i t h t e e t h - g r i n d i n g
determination. Risk? Not
hardly.
Myths About Entrepreneurs

15. We believe that if someone aspires to entrepreneurship, he or she should immediatelystop believing these myths. By their
very definition, entrepreneurs are mold-breakers and disruptors.To be a successful entrepreneur, maybe the first step is to
letgoofeverythingyou alwaysbelievedaboutentrepreneurship.
What aresomecommonmyths that you'veheardabout entrepreneurship?
Myths About Entrepreneurs

16. Physics
1. A Builder
A drive to build highly scalable businesses very
fast. That's because these individuals measure
success through a very unique lens –
infrastructure. It drives the decisions they make
and the strategy they build and deploy. They
aren't satisfied with a certain amount of personal
income or goodwill toward man. They are Pied
Piper-like individuals who are master recruiters
of talent, investors and customers. Individuals
with high Builder DNA tend to struggle most
with personal relationships – and typically have a
revolvingdooroftalentintheircompanies.
2.AnOpportunist
Picture Sir Richard Branson and you have a pretty
good idea of what Opportunist DNA is all about.
Individuals wired with this DNA are highly
optimistic master promoters. They enjoy
marketing and selling. They are wired to sniff out
well-timed money making opportunities, jump in
at the right time, ride the wave of growth up and
(hopefully) jump out at the peak. Opportunist
DNA measures success based on the amount of
money they make (or will make) when they aren't
working. So they are drawn to business
opportunities where leverage can be used to create
residual and renewal income. This behavioral
preset in entrepreneurs makes them impulsive
decision makers – especially when it comes to
money-making opportunities. A trait that can
serve them very well or be the source of their
demise.
3.ASpecialist
This DNA activates in the experts of our world. No
sooner does an individual go through years of
schooling, apprenticeship or on-the-job training
does this DNAactivates – driving the corresponding
behaviors. Specialist DNA drives one to be very
analytical, relatively risk averse and anti-selling.
Specialists generate most of their new business from
referrals and networking. They measure success
based on their personal income. Their businesses
tend to grow fairly well in the startup and early
growth phase, but as soon as their personal income
hits preset targets, their internal thermostat kicks in –
andtheygointocustomerservicemode.
Types of Entrepreneurship

17. 4.AnInnovator
Picture Mark Zuckerberg in the movie The Social Network and you'll see
Innovator DNA activating in the entrepreneur. Like most Innovators, he
was doing something he loved, when a business opportunity popped up
around him. The breakthrough discovery typically drives this
entrepreneur in the “lab” of their business – where they want to invent,
design and tinker. They would much rather be in the lab of their business
than at the cash register or in the business office. They find operating a
business draining. They measure success based on the impact their
product or service is having on mankind. “It's not about the money” you'll
hear them say. “I'd do this for free for the rest of my life if I could”.
Individuals with high Innovator DNA control most of the great
intellectual property of our time. Unfortunately, they hide in dungeons
andfind ithardtoengagein“business”discussions.
WHICHTYPEAREYOU?
There is an interesting book called
“Entrepreneurial DNA” by Joe
Abraham, the founder of BOSI
Global, an operating partner to
venture-backed and owner-
operated companies. The book is
based on Joe's study of over 1,000
entrepreneurs. The research
confirmed the discovery that all
entrepreneurs are not all “wired”
the same way. The book suggests
that entrepreneurs fall into four
distinct types of “entrepreneurial
DNA's” that leverage unique
strengths, weaknesses and
tendencies that are typical in each
specifictypeofentrepreneur.
So what does this all mean? For
centuries, the approach to
entrepreneurship has been – what
worked for one entrepreneur will
work for every entrepreneur –
because after all, entrepreneurs are
all the same. This research has
proven that entrepreneurs come in
very different profiles. Some of us
are Innovator-Builders. Others are
Specialist-Opportunists. Knowing
your DNA and the DNA of those
surrounding you is mission critical
to selecting the business, strategy
andteambestsuitedforyou.

18. This chapter has given you a taste of what entrepreneurship is
all about.Are you still interested? Good. It's time to introduce
you to the skills you need to succeed. The one thing that we
can't give you is the passion, that fire in the belly, that certain
something that keeps you going when all the odds appear to
be against you. Entrepreneurs have it; so do great people in
every profession. If you feel the passion, it's time for you to
getstarted.
It is important to consider a number of issues before
launching a business. For instance, if you launch a business
that doesn't complement your personal goals, it won't be a
source of satisfaction to you, and chances are, you won't be as
successful as you may be in an area that you care deeply
about. Before starting a new business, ask yourself the
questions that follow.They can help you know yourself better
andpointtowardtherightmatch.
DECIDING TO BECOME AN ENTREPRENEUR

19. Why do you want to start abusiness?
How is startingabusiness goingto affect your personal life?
How is startingabusiness goingto affect your personal life?

20. What amount of time are you willingto invest inyour business?
What aspect of business make you really uncomfortable?
How will your feelings about business affect the potential growth of your business?

21. Why do you want to start abusiness?
How is startingabusiness goingto affect your personal life?
How is startingabusiness goingto affect your personal life?

22. plan marketing ideas research leadership
As an entrepreneur, you have the biggest impact on
whether your business grows. You need to examine your
attitudes about growth in general and all the ramifications
of growing. For example, how do you feel about
ownership issues like how much of the company you
want to retain as your own? What about your ability to
delegate control to other people? Do you plan to build a
company that will endure over a long period or do you
want to get in and out quickly? Recognizing your
attitudesaboutbusiness helpsyousteeraroundhazards.

23. Chapter 2 Entrepreneurial Brain
Your brain controls the way you think and
the way you think controls what you
do.What you do, largely gives you the
results you see in the outside world
(including your bank balance, your
house, your car, the types of holidays you
go on and the difference you make).So, if
you want to consistently make things
happen, it's vitally important that we take
alookatthebrainandhow it'swired.
The brain is incredibly complex, and an
exciting piece of kit to learn about
properly. If you happen to be a brain-
scientist forgive me for oversimplifying
things but what I am about to discuss is
designed to be useful for entrepreneurs
ratherthanaccuratetobrain-scientists.
According to Daniel Priestley, the author
of the Entrepreneur Revolution, there are
three key parts of your “entrepreneur
brain”:
The Reptile: the survival part of your brain that has you see the
world as a dangerous place where most people and most things
can't be trusted. Its main purpose is to make sure that you can
escapeandsurviveanydangerousorstressfulsituation.
The Monkey: the functional worker part of your brain that has
you see the world as a set of challenges and problems for you to
play with and explore while you ride the emotional highs and
lows thattheymakeyoufeel.
The Empire Builder (or Humanitarian if you prefer): the
empire builder/humanitarian part of your brain has you see the
world as a deeply connected place that you can transform in a
meaningfulway.
The Reptile
The Monkey
The Empire Builder

24. The Reptile
f you operate from the
Iprimitive, survival part of
your brain, you can expect
to live like a reptile. Reptiles
don't have many friends, they
eat flies, they don't evolve and
they feel the cold when the
wintersoflifecomearound.
Operating from the survival
brain gives you more scarcity
in the times we are living in.
This part of the brain has no
empathy for others, a skill that
is vital in “value creation.” The
reptile isn't able to reason
effectively and it has no
concept of time. It's not a
logical or strategic part of the
brain, it's programmed to seek
out situations that seem good
for immediate survival with as
littleeffortaspossible.
Unfortunately it's easily fooled
in these modern times. It's the
part of the brain that will
gamble on slot machines for
hours on end, trading small
coins for the hope of many
coins, but it will never
compute the folly of this
activity.
It's the part of the brain that
will hope for “passive income”
and will sacrifice relationships
and genuine opportunities in
exchange for a shot at “having
an endless stream of 'flies that
land in your mouth' every day
ontheirown.”
The reptile believes the only
resources that exist are those it
can touch right now. If it can't
see money, there's no money. If
it can't see food, there's no
food.
The reptile will destroy
everything around itself if it
thinks it will bring an
immediate benefit to its
survival. If you have ever
lashed out at someone close to
you, if you have ever smashed
something valuable or sent a
venomous email that later cost
you dearly, it was you “going
reptile.”
THE REPTILE BRAIN REPTILES DON'T HAVE
MANY FRIENDS, THEY
EAT FLIES, THEY DON'T
EVOLVE AND THEY
FEEL THE COLD WHEN
THE WINTERS OF LIFE
COME AROUND.

25. he monkey brain isn't
Tmuch better than the
reptile brain if you want
to achieve success as an
entrepreneur.
If you operate from the purely
functional part of your brain,
you will live like a monkey.
You will have friends and you
will be able to perform
repetitive tasks, but most of
what you do will not be very
meaningful in the long term.
You will enjoy nit-picking, and
you will stay amused with very
simplethings.
The monkey brain loves to
experience peak emotions like
anger, sadness, happiness,
surprise, sexual arousal and
excitement. You can keep the
monkey brain occupied for
years by just stimulating peak
emotionsonadailybasis.
The monkey believes the only
resources that it can access are
those it's been told it can access.
If you tell the monkey it earns
Kshs 20,000 a month, it
believesthat'sallthereis.
If you've ever gotten addicted
to drama, caught up in
m e a n i n g l e s s r e p e t i t i v e
endeavors or become a real
party animal – that was you
“goingmonkey.”
The Monkey
THE MONKEY BRAIN

26. If you want to build an empire, you
need to access your empire
buildingbrain.
If you operate from the empire
builder part of your brain you will
live like an emperor. You will
develop a space that is truly your
own, people will be honored to
share conversations with you, you
will solve big important problems
and make a difference to many
people.
The empire builder part of your
brain has great amounts of
empathy, logic, reasoning and
higher consciousness. These are
all great skills for building an
empire.
You're empire builder brain has a
capacity, quite literally, to love the
world. It can connect with people
and events over vast distances. It
can calculate future events, it can
draw unique insights from your
own past or even the stories of
others and naturally devise
strategies. It's wise beyond the
comprehension of the monkey or
thereptile.
While reptiles believe in resources
they can touch and monkeys
believe what they are told, the
empire builder believes in the
resources it can have influence
over.
An empire builder believes that
their empire grows when they
have greater influence over
resources but they care not who
technically“owns”theresource.
If you have ever had moments of
pure inspiration where you feel
anything is possible, you want to
start a movement and do
something meaningful for
humanity, you were having an
“empirebuilder”moment.
Here's the problem. The brain was
built in such a way that the lower
parts of the mind can shut down
the higher parts. If the reptile brain
is overstimulated it shorts-out the
monkey and empire builder, and
reptiletakesover.
THE EMPIRE BUILDER

27. n a survival situation, you
Idon't want to empathize
with your attacker, nor do
you want to make friends with
it. You want to do what's
needed to survive and nothing
else. So the reptile is in charge
when you feel your survival is
immediatelythreatened.
If the reptile part of the brain
returns to calm again, the
mammal brain takes over and
gets on with its feeble monkey
existence that revolves around
repetitive tasks and fluctuating
emotions. The monkey brain is
in charge when you do not feel
l i k e y o u r s u r v i v a l i s
immediately threatened but
when you're stimulated by
peakemotions.
Provided the monkey brain
stays stimulated, you cannot
access the higher mind of the
empire builder. The empire
builder only comes out when
you truly feel abundant,
centered and complete in the
moment.
Accessing your inner empire
builder isn't as hard as you
might think. You need to do
twothings:
1. Convince yourself that you
don't need anything – you are
whole and complete in this
moment and you're survival is
notthreatenedinanyway.
2. Avoid overstimulating
yourself through emotional
highs and lows (please note
that I wouldn't class deep love
or inspiration as a monkey
brainemotion).
Before you go further reading
this book, make sure you aren't
f e e d i n g t h e r e p t i l e o r
stimulating the monkey too
much. If you are, you'll spend
all your time cleaning up the
messes they make and there'll
be none left for building your
empire.