EP397: Soulful Strategies: The Enneagram way to Heartfelt Entrepreneurship

Okay, I know you may have heard about the Enneagram or someone told you you need to know all about it. So here you are. But what the hell do you do with it?

Great news.

You are in the right place. Lead with the Enneagram is the show where you will actually learn how to use this incredible growth tool and apply it in all areas of your life, personally and professional. Hi, I'm Tracy and to be honest with you, I was a skeptic of the Enneagram before I started to actually integrate it into my life. In fact, in true enneagram 8 style, I told my therapist to F off when she wanted me to dive into.

It well over a decade ago.

Now that I have more than a decade of experience using the Enneagram and working on myself in my family with those closest to me, building my own bulletproof leadership sales teams with one on one clients, couples, leading workshops for top Fortune 100 executives, and speaking to large audiences all across the globe about this powerful tool. I've got the proof and deep understanding of how to help you implement this into your life instead of it just being some fun thing you heard about. The Enneagram can be a complex model. But with me as your guide, I will show you how to first lead yourself in a powerful, effective and compassionate way and then help you lead others that way in your life as well. This podcast will have powerful conversations with guests, live typing sessions, and as well as solo episodes of Breaking down dynamics of the Enneagram and how they impact your life, career and relationships. So now let's dive in.

Hello and welcome back to another episode of Lead with the Enneagram where I dive deep into the power of personality in leadership and entrepreneurship and in your home teams using the framework of the Enneagram. I'm your host, Tracy o', Malley, your Enneagram expert integrator, and today we're going to explore a fascinating kind of intersection, identity and business through the lens of the Enneagram. And you know, when we are.

Putting ourselves into entrepreneurship business of any sort of a personal brand, especially especially when you are the brand and even if you have a product based business, now more than ever, people are buying because of the brand and the people behind the brand, not necessarily just the product. So this is really, really important. And every entrepreneur's journey, myself included, starts with a personal story. And your identity doesn't just shape your business, it is your business. And I've seen firsthand how understanding myself deeply can transform the challenges in business, in business relationships, into, you know, beautiful Triumphs and wins.

You know, when I went into entrepreneur, I've been an entrepreneur for gosh, 25 years. But my first business is were not me as the brand. It was a service based business, but in an automotive industry. So personal brand wasn't necessarily as big of a deal back, you know, in 2001, 2002. But in today's day and age, when I started creating a personal brand about 12 years ago, it's when social media was just kind of becoming this new thing where people sold things online and affiliate marketing and network marketing. And all of a sudden, you know, this explosion of the way that people bought and the way that people heard people's stories took on a whole new kind of life. And when I started this 12 years ago, I didn't really have any kind of framework to my personal brand or my identity. I was just sharing my experience, my strength, my hope. Those of you that have been in any kind of recovery have heard that before. But this absolutely applies in regards to your online presence. And it is through.

Our experiences, our strengths, our weaknesses, our offers of hope that people really catch on to the brand. The story now where this can get sideways for you, myself included, is in this online space, and especially as we evolve, and especially if people have known us in one identity maybe, and identity is our authentic self. I'm just going to say this right now. You know, I know that in the online space, people take on Personas very different than identity, I think. But as your identity shifts, how does that play out in business and how does that play out online? Right. And how do we use the Enneagram to kind of pivot in a way that maybe makes you feel like this is in alignment for you. It can feel clunky and messy, myself included. I'm in the middle of this as we speak. And also equally as important, your established audience bringing in new audience. You don't want it to look like, um, this girl is unhinged. Now I'm. I'm a firm believer that becoming unhinged every once in a while can create something magical. However, you know, if you're trying to build an online identity, being cohesive to who you are is really, really important to the way that you're going to show up, the way that you're going to promote, the way that you're going to share the story, the way that you're going to sell, the way that you're going to serve all of the things. And this is why the tool of the Enneagram can really, really help you in your identity, you know, knowing who you are is half the battle. I've worked with thousands of people over the last decade and so often we build this identity around what we believe is success or what people will buy from, or what people will follow you for. And that never works. You might have short term success, success, but it's not sustainable because it's not you. And high quality people, high quality leads, high quality customers, high quality friends and support systems can smell and see right through the bullshit. And when I look at myself, and I'll use myself as an example, over my last 12 years online in this space as a personal brand.

My identity has shifted as I've grown.

My identity, probably in the eyes of others, have, has changed. And not always well received. And that's okay, because I'm being true to who I am. And the more that we are true to who we are and the more that we know who we are, the more the right people will show up and the more the right people will go. Now, I'm not saying that this is at all a painless or easy process. It is not.

But it's necessary if you want a sustainable, authentic, fulfilling, abundant.

Business life. All the things for those of you that might be new to the Enneagram, I want you to imagine it as a map to your inner world and your soul. And with the nine types, the nine different archetypes within the framework of the Enneagram, it offers a beautiful framework and system for your personal growth and understanding. And for those of you that are newer to this, you, you might want to know how that, how does this relate to, you know, business? It's everything. When you know yourself and you know people, you understand everything. You know. I don't want to go through all the different nine types right now because I don't want you to get so fixated on learning about the types that you miss. The reason why we use this tool to begin with. But if you have identified or you have been properly typed.

Now, what, what do you do with this? And that's the whole premise of the work I do, is the integration. I'm not here to just teach you tips and tools about the Enneagram. I want to show you how to dig in, into your life and into your businesses and into your home teams and your work teams and really use this beautiful tool to empower yourself and empower others. So if you've, if you haven't identified your Enneagram type and you're really interested in using this, this beautiful tool for all the Magic it can bring into your world. You can go to tracyomalley.com and get your blueprint today. It is accurate, it is beautiful. You'll get your own customized 75 page blueprint that will be the roadmap to your inner world and your soul. Now it will take some practice to know what to do with that. It's what this podcast is for. That is what some of my one on one coaching can do with you. But you know, starting with the accurate Enneagram type, once you have that, you have the framework and you can continue to come back here to learn how to integrate that understanding into your, your life and in your businesses. Now, aligning your business practices with your core identity will make this, this sustainable, profitable, abundant, fulfilling, exciting. And you'll be excited to show up even when you're having a shitty day or you're not feeling great, or you're not feel if you are so in alignment with who you are. This becomes a lot easier even when you're not at your best. And how can you channel that into it?

I am evolving again, right? And this is the beauty of understanding the framework. So I as an 8, you know my growth number. And each Enneagram type has their own beautiful growth number. It's kind of like the target we're always aiming for to be the highest version of ourself. It's when all the beautiful things about our core Enneagram type, right, really can flourish and shine in ways that.

Are unmatched, right? And as an 8, my, my growth number is the Enneagram 2, which means empathy and service and compassion and.

All those things. That and vulnerability, which is not easy for an enneagram 8. In fact, that is our biggest fear is being vulnerable. But you know, just like you, I know that I am raising my hand every day and say I want to serve at the highest level. I want to make the biggest impact. I want to be the best version of myself. And let's be real, I want a very abundant life in all ways, always.

And with great reward comes great responsibility. So you know, this isn't a box we check. You know, you might listen to the podcast, you might buy the books, you might get to the events, you might get in the rooms, you might hire the coaches, all the things. But until you are done here on earth, the work continues. And having your framework and your roadmap to your soul and your inner world will allow you that. As you up level and it gets really uncomfortable and some of these old patterns and stressors come out to Play, you will know how to navigate it and meet yourself with so much compassion and do the things that maybe will move the needle a little bit faster, but also make you radically uncomfortable. So the last year and a half for myself, it has been some of the most rewarding, fulfilling, love filled, support.

Filled, exciting, happiest times of my life, honestly.

And in the last 18 months, it has been some of the most grueling, gutting, painful, hurtful.

Hard, vulnerable time of my life as well. Both are true. And understanding my framework has allowed me to take contrary action and be very aware of where I go when those things are happening in a way that doesn't serve me or the greatest good, or the. The calling that's on my life. And instead, even though I don't enjoy taking contrary action of what I typically would do under stress, is why I am coming out of those things.

More rooted in my faith, more rooted in an identity that is going to not just take me to the next level, but all of you too. And using this framework keeps me on track. And there are days, yes, that I go off the rails, just like you. I'm human 95% of the time. I'm solid. And that's the goal. Like 95% is an A. And I would say 95% of the time, because of my integration and understanding of the Enneagram.

There'S only like 5% where it's unhinged and out of control and human and beautiful and messy. And it's in the mess sometimes that we find the miracles. So I'm not trying for perfection, and I hope you aren't either, because when we strive for perfection, we do miss the. The miracles that are right in front of us.

But you have to be willing to take an honest look at yourself and an honest self assessment. And if you have been through any kind of trauma or you have been in this entrepreneurship space, and especially today, when you have ability to compare yourself to everybody's highlight reel in a moment's notice at the touch of your fingers, you might not have this. Excuse me, you not. You may not be able to make an honest self assessment which makes you feel like you're all over the place and feel make you feel like an imposter or who the fuck am I to do this? It's why having the Enneagram can really help you.

Because even in the world of comparison, and like I said, I'm not immune to this either. I have the same phone in my hand that can wreak havoc on my life and my own Identity. But knowing exactly where my framework and my method and my madness lies within the Enneagram allows that to never get too far out of control and brings me back to my soul's home. And I want to be able to help you do that.

Excuse me. This is real life, and I don't do a lot of editing because it's like, let's go. So how do you deal.

With the stress of trying to be in alignment with who you are in a world full of highlight reels and comparison and you wanting to have all the things?

Number one, awareness. We've talked about this. Aware of who you are. Aware of what's happened in your life. Aware of your gifts and your strengths. Aware of your blind spots. Aware of your Kryptonite. And here's the little spoiler alert. Your superpowers are the same thing as your Kryptonite, but they're only your superpowers when you're coming from love, compassion, empathy, service, and grace. And those same things become your Kryptonite when you are operating from a place of fear, insecurity, unworthiness, shame, guilt, or ego. That's why understanding this will really help you discern where you're at. Here's the good news. You don't have to change a damn thing about who you are. But you have to know who you are. You have to know who you are. Now, the thing is, with awareness, we can be very aware when things bother us, when something's got to change. Awareness is when hell's breaking loose. Awareness is when the pain becomes unbearable. And unfortunately, in the world we live in today, everybody's got a cure for it, right? Manipulative, marketing, fancy, fluffy language. All the things out there to try and sell you.

An immediate fix to your problem, an immediate fix to your pain. And I am not immune to this. And I do this every once in a while, too. It's like, I want this to stop. I want to get out of this rut. I want to get unstuck. And I also have bought into. All right, I'm aware of it now. What action do I need to take? What action do I need to take? And unfortunately, we usually are taking action from a place of desperation. Now, it's not always bad, but if it's not in alignment with our true identity and our true understanding of who we are, it's usually when this will last for a short period of time or we'll have some success. But then we realize that isn't who I am. And this feels really gross. And Icky and I can't do this forever. And that's usually when we fail. I mean, think about like the diet industry, right? We're probably in that right now. Maybe, you know, we're mid February right now. Maybe you started a journey at the first of the year with your health and your wellness and your weight or whatever. And here we are, mid February, and I bet it has gotten really old. Even though, like, you know what you needed to do, but it wasn't maybe aligned with how you need to go about it to have sustainable transformation. This is no different. But so many of us, we live in this microwave mentality, quick fix, make the pain stop right away. Where we go from awareness to action.

Again, not always a bad thing, especially if you're in quite the pickle. But you can't keep doing that pattern. The sweet spot for establishing and understanding your true identity comes in the acknowledgment part. And this is unpredictable. This has no expiration date. This is a continuous process. This is radically uncomfortable. This is slow, this sucks. And it's necessary. It is so necessary. I am, you know, my word for 2024. If you've listened any length of time you know, or you've, you know, started listening since the beginning of the year, my, my word for 2024 is emerge. Because like I just said, in the last 18 months, even though I've shown up and done really amazing work and, you know, shown up in my family and my friendships and things like that, my identity has been getting reconstructed true to who I am. It's not saying that my identity, a year, two, three, four, five, six years ago was false. It wasn't. But as I've evolved, it's shifting. And my go to typically is to rush that process. Like, okay, I'm uncomfortable here. Let me figure it out right now and make the changes right? And I'm not doing that. I'm not doing that. I'm in this acknowledgment part. Who am I? What do I really want to do? Who do I want to serve? How do I want my life to look every day? Who do I want to love in that process? Who are the most important things in my life? What are my core values? What are my non negotiables? Those things take time. As much as I like to power through and my fellow power through, people I know will understand this.

I've done this enough in my life to know that although I get, I can get some traction, it won't feel as good. And especially the older we get it? Messes with our our health and messes with all parts of who we are. Messes with our, our brain and our, our heart and our soul. It's mind you guys. So taking your time in the acknowledgment part and the tool of the Enneagram can make this not feel as messy. It's still really uncomfortable. It's still really vulnerable, no matter what your Enneagram type is. But it doesn't feel as.

Unhinged. It doesn't feel all over the place. There are some days it does, but for the most part, you know exactly what's happening. Doesn't mean it's comfortable or without pain. So that when you are acknowledging these things, you're taking effective, compassionate, aligned, true to you action. And also it gives you full blown permission to step into who you are. And like I said, you gotta know who you are. As your identity shifts. If you don't know who you are, it's gonna feel so lonely. And maybe you're there. Maybe you're there. I've had periods where I've been surrounded by thousands and even hundreds of thousands of people cheering me on. And those were some of the times I felt most alone. Because I wasn't necessarily.

Conscious that I wasn't stepping into my identity. My ego really liked it. It really did. And that's sneaky. And it's okay. It's okay. Again, like this is not permission to beat ourselves over the head with shame, right? Because that keeps us stuck, sick and stagnant.

The tool of the Enneagram can help you compassionately find your true identity for who you are today. So that you can step into your brand, into your business, into your support system, into your friendships, into your partnerships, into your love, into your parenting, into your soul for who you are always designed to be so that you can step into the calling on your life. But it takes radical honesty with yourself, with the big asterisk, with compassion.

It's not easy. It's not easy. I'm very excited though, and equally terrified. I've been doing a lot of meditation and some other things to help me step into more clarity around this. And I'll share more throughout the year as I kind of take myself through these processes because it's next level shit, you guys. And the clarity has come and I have the right support and the right people to help me execute a lot of this. And I'm equally terrified. I'm so excited because you guys are going to begin to see the shift. You're going to, you're going to see it, like, visually. And I'm terrified. I'm terrified. Maybe you're terrified. The reason I'm terrified is like, am I.

Am I stepping into who I am or am I stepping into who I think I need to be? And that'll be a constant question you have to ask yourself. And the more that you can be true to who you are, the more that you will know I am stepping into who I was always designed to be with pride, with joy, with excitement, with fulfillment, with a high involvement, but a low attachment to what that might look like and how that might play out. When we have high involvement but a low expectation to what that looks like, this is where we find joy and fulfillment and this is where we find abundance in all areas. And my hope is that for you and me as we continue to do this life alongside each other.

You know, stepping into who you are is really, really important. Especially now more than ever. This year is going to be a wild ride. But you got to know who you are. And the the tool of the Enneagram, like I've said, next to my faith is the strongest tool.

Needle mover.

Thing that I've ever used in my life. And I want to continue to bring more of that to you. If you have not gotten your blueprint yet, please do. If you're at all excited about using this in your life, which I'm assuming you are, if you're listening to a podcast called Lead with the Enneagram, go get it done today. You'll have the right information and then all of this will will help you move the needle a lot faster. That is my mission with this tool. That is my mission in the that I do that you see and love and adore and also find compassion for who you are and then execute the very things that you are here to do in this lifetime and make the impact that you are here to make. Go to traciomalley.com to get your blueprint today. Cannot wait to see what you do in this life, in this world, in your heart, in your businesses and in your homes. As always, I'm wishing you so much love and transformation. If you love this episode, please share share it with somebody. Means the world to me that this gets into the ears of those that need to hear it. And if you appreciate what we do here, it would mean also and if you're in business, if you want more abundance in your life, you have to give that away too. So go leave a five star review. If you want more more for yourself, you have to freely give that too. So I I make it a point to go around leaving reviews on podcasts. It's fast, it's easy, it's inexpensive to do, and it means the world to those that are doing great things in the world. So if you can do that, that would mean the world. We'll see you soon.

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Written Apple podcast review. If you have any follow up questions to this episode, you can DM me on Instagram Instagram at tracyomalley. You can also find additional resources on my website@tracyomalley.com. i'm so excited to lead you into the next level of your life.