Alan Young

Perfect Imperfections: Finding Freedom in Entrepreneurship – Alan Young

Alan Young is the Founder and CEO of Armor Concepts, a leading manufacturer and distributor of entry-point security and repair solutions. He began his career as a professional football player before joining Bank of America Securities as an Investment Banker, where he executed mergers and acquisitions and capital raising transactions. After leaving Bank of America, Alan began rehabbing and flipping investment properties, but a string of repeated break-ins led him to develop door jamb products, and Armor Concepts was born. He is a three-time winner of the Nashville Business Journal’s Most Admired CEO and has been on the Nashville Power 100 list.

Here's a Glimpse of What You'll Learn

[2:30] The catalyst for Armor Concepts
[8:45] How EO reduces loneliness associated with entrepreneurship
[11:54] Alan Young talks about the challenges of making payroll
[19:41] Why it’s crucial to teach your children about failure and growth
[28:01] How Alan learned to embrace his achievements
[32:15] Alan’s EO forum presentation on relinquishing fear to achieve freedom
[35:49] Leadership lessons from Alan’s experience as EO Nashville’s President

In This Episode

It’s easy to assume successful entrepreneurs have it all figured out, but this is often a facade of perfection that can crumble at the first sign of failure. In reality, entrepreneurs are at the helm of tough decisions and feel the weight of expectations bearing down, making the future unknown and often terrifying. In a relentless pursuit of success, how can you find freedom and fulfillment?

Faced with the choice of either paying his employees or paying himself, innovator Alan Young realized he couldn’t feign perfection in front of his children. He began teaching them the value of learning and growing from failure and the importance of not comparing yourself to others. As a member and leader of EO Nashville, Alan learned that the most successful entrepreneurs often struggle the most, and by feeling satisfied in your achievements, you can gain the true freedom entrepreneurs crave.

In today’s episode of The Decision, Robert Hartline and Eric Jackson speak with Alan Young, the Founder and CEO of Armor Concepts, about how he leads through adversity. Alan shares leadership insights from his time as EO Nashville President, how EO reduces entrepreneurial loneliness, and how he learned to embrace his failures and be happy with his achievements.

Quotable Moments:

“You’re not a real man until you’ve had to make payroll.”
“As an entrepreneur, you are at the center of every decision that is made a lot of times.”
“The only wish I have for [my children] is that they enjoy their career more than I did.”
“The most successful people are the most depressed because they don’t believe they are good enough.”
“Most of us don’t need anything, which frees you up to really believe that… it’s going to be okay.”

Action Steps:

Seek peer support and community to combat the loneliness of leadership: Engaging with others in similar positions can provide relief and shared understanding, which is crucial as solo decision-making can be isolating.
Be transparent about failures and imperfections, especially with children: This honesty fosters a more realistic understanding of success and failure, combating unreasonable expectations and pressures.
Learn to appreciate the present without constant comparison to past achievements or an idealized future: This perspective enhances mental well-being and allows you to truly enjoy your career and personal milestones.
Separate personal identity from professional roles and responsibilities, acknowledging that self-worth is not tied to external successes or failures: This detachment fosters resilience and prevents overidentification with business outcomes.
Practice distinguishing between wants and needs both personally and in business: Recognizing what is essential versus what is desired can lead to a happier, more balanced life.