E14: John Vincent - Building A Restaurant Empire
This introspective conversation with John Vincent, co-founder and CEO of Leon, explores how he navigates immense business stress, deals with personal loss, and finds meaning beyond material success. He shares Taoist and Zen philosophies for presence and challenges conventional views on happiness and entrepreneurship.
Deep Dive Analysis
15 Topic Outline
The Genesis of Leon: A Healthy Fast Food Vision
Navigating the Operational Stress of a Restaurant Chain
Coping with Personal Grief and Public Criticism
Taoist and Zen Philosophy for Emotional Detachment
The Dangers of Social Media and Fabricated Identity
Redefining Happiness Beyond Future Achievements and Material Wealth
Practical and Mental Strategies for Cultivating Presence
Reconciling Business Growth with a Philosophy of Valuing Nothing
Advice for Young Entrepreneurs: Beyond Financial Success
Understanding and Dealing with Criticism and Personal Drives
John's Perspective on Death and Insignificance
Fears That Drive Us: Macro and Micro Anxieties
The Elusive Nature of Achieving One's Full Potential
The Cost of Entrepreneurship and the Value of a Simple Life
Navigating Relationships Amidst the Demands of Business
5 Key Concepts
Die Every Day
A concept from the Tao Te Ching, it means recognizing our fundamental insignificance and interconnectedness, like a wave returning to the ocean. This perspective helps disassociate from stress and mental ill-health caused by believing we are special or separate.
Identity as a Construct
The idea that our individual identity (e.g., 'Steve Bartlett' or 'John Vincent') is not an inherent truth but a collection of myths, stories, and media imagery we tell ourselves. Believing in this constructed identity can lead to unhappiness and mental unwellness.
Bread of Shame
A concept from the Kabbalah tradition, it refers to money or wealth that has not been genuinely earned or feels undeserved. This type of wealth can lead to spiritual discomfort and unhealthy spending habits, rather than happiness.
FOMO vs. LOMO
Replacing 'Fear Of Missing Out' (FOMO) with 'Love Of Missing Out' (LOMO). This mental shift encourages finding peace and fulfillment in simplicity, accepting who you are, and not trying to pursue every possible parallel life or opportunity.
Intrapreneurship
The ability to imaginatively create new opportunities and innovate within an existing organization, rather than starting a new company. It emphasizes contributing creatively and being listened to, making it accessible to everyone, not just traditional entrepreneurs.
10 Questions Answered
John Vincent and his co-founder, working 80-90 hours a week as business consultants, found themselves getting ill from a lack of healthy fast food options. They aimed to reinvent fast food to be just as tasty but not detrimental to health.
It's crucial to cultivate a 'zen' mindset and learn to emotionally disassociate from setbacks, as being constantly affected by every mishap can lead to illness. John draws lessons from Taoist and Zen philosophy, particularly from martial arts.
Children are being 'slowly boiled' into a world where personal freedoms may be eroded through tracking technologies, and they are led to believe in curated online 'artifice' rather than truth. This constant reinforcement of a fabricated ego can lead to mental health disorders.
Happiness and fulfillment come from mastery and being rooted in the present moment, rather than associating it with money, fame, or future achievements. The purpose of one's activities should be noble and life-supporting, with financial sustainability as a secondary consideration.
Practically, one can engage in physical-based meditation like walking and consciously breathing away from devices, and observing nature. Mentally, it involves starting by not valuing anything beyond the basic act of breathing and trusting one's body, effectively acting 'as if dead' to re-evaluate what truly matters.
Focus on 'being liking yourself' and the ability to 'face yourself with real comfort,' which money cannot buy. Be wary of advertising that manipulates fear to sell solutions, and avoid confusing admiration for role models with personal aspiration; instead, strive to be the best version of yourself.
He tries to judge people's actions by their insecurities, not his own, recognizing that his anger in response to hate often stems from his own fears. He also acknowledges his personality type (Enneagram 'number eight') which dislikes unfairness, influencing his reactions.
No, not everyone needs to start a company. However, everyone can be 'intrapreneurial' by imaginatively creating new opportunities and innovating within any organization. It's important not to confuse admiration for successful entrepreneurs with personal aspiration, as each person's path is unique.
The cost is both physical and emotional, potentially leading to earlier death due to stress, and sometimes a feeling of failure despite achievements. It requires constant effort to tune back into philosophies that counter feelings of inadequacy.
Find a partner with their own confidence, interests, and strength of character to form a partnership of equals. Recognize that a partner will 'love you in slices,' accepting the entire person, including the high-intensity aspects of a business life, and embrace a lack of perfectionism in the relationship.
12 Actionable Insights
1. Embrace Reassuring Insignificance
Recognize that you are as low as water, like a wave not separate from the ocean, and ultimately insignificant. This perspective helps alleviate mental ill-health caused by believing one is special or disconnected.
2. Practice Daily “Dying”
Adopt the Taoist philosophy of “dying every day” by recognizing that nothing is of ultimate value and acting as if you are dead. This allows you to re-evaluate and focus only on the absolutely critical things, such as the act of breathing.
3. Cultivate Present Moment Happiness
Do not defer happiness to future occurrences, money, fame, or external recognition. Instead, root yourself in the present moment, finding fulfillment in the practice itself rather than the outcome.
4. Reframe Business Purpose
Shift the primary purpose of business from making money to a noble cause that supports life and fulfillment (e.g., “eat and live well”). Financial sustainability then becomes a prerequisite for sustaining the good, not the ultimate objective.
5. Prioritize Self-Liking Over Wealth
Focus on being able to sleep at night and facing yourself in the mirror with comfort, as this ability to “face yourself” (Ju Jing) does not come from money. Beyond a certain threshold, more money does not buy happiness and can even have a negative impact.
6. Guard Against Advertising Manipulation
Understand that advertising often manipulates fear to sell solutions (e.g., dandruff, sweat). Separate yourself from these images and impressions, and do not let your ego be manipulated by such messages.
7. Judge Actions by Others’ Insecurities
When dealing with hate or criticism, remember that your angry response often stems from your own fear. Instead, try to understand that others’ negative actions are often driven by their insecurities, not yours.
8. Utilize Physical Meditation for Presence
Practice physical-based meditation, such as consciously walking and breathing away from devices, or observing nature (a tree, a bush, an insect). This synchronizes body and mind, helping you become present.
9. Accept Unattainable Potential
Embrace the understanding that you will never fully “get there” or reach your ultimate potential. Instead, recognize that the journey itself is the destination, and you are already enough and have everything you want and need.
10. Redefine Entrepreneurship
View entrepreneurship as imaginatively creating new opportunities and innovating, which can be done within any role (intrapreneurship), not just by starting a company. Avoid confusing admiration for others with personal aspiration, and strive to be the best version of yourself, not a second-rate version of someone else.
11. Build Relationships of Equals
Seek a partner with their own confidence, interests, and strength of character to create a partnership of equals. Understand that a partner will love you holistically, accepting both the rewarding and frustrating aspects, and embrace a lack of perfectionism in relationships.
12. Discipline Work-Life Boundaries
Actively work to prevent business life from polluting home life, as constant mental engagement with work problems can strain personal relationships. Implement practical measures like locking away your phone or clearing work items from your personal space.
7 Key Quotes
Die every day, which means recognize the fact that we are all as low as water. The wave is not really separate from the ocean.
John Vincent
Social media is a window into artifice and the more artifice and lack of truth that we pervade and popularize, the more mental health disorders will be created.
John Vincent
Do not defer happiness to this magical island that exists that once we arrive at this magical island, then we will be happy.
John Vincent
Making money is the prerequisite for sustaining the good. So we need to start thinking about it the other way around.
John Vincent
Adverts are trying to make them fearful. That's the purpose of the step, the first bit of an advert. And then people will pile in with the solution.
John Vincent
Judge people's actions by their insecurities, not your insecurities.
John Vincent
Be a good version of yourself, not a second rate version of someone else.
John Vincent
1 Protocols
How to Be Present (Mental & Practical)
John Vincent- Mentally, start by not valuing anything except the very act of breathing and trusting your subconscious processes (like your immune system).
- Almost act as if you're dead, which allows you to revalue only the absolutely critical things in your life.
- Practically, use breathing as a way to become present, engaging in physical-based meditation.
- Go for a walk away from your phone and any devices, consciously breathing as you do.
- Be in touch with nature by observing a small natural element like a tree, bush, frog, or spider.