How to Be Your Own Role Model

Bill Gates. Oprah. Mike Adenuga. Marie Forleo.

Inspiring names. Proven builders. They’ve shaped industries, captured imaginations, and redefined what’s possible in business.

So naturally, they seem like the perfect role models for your own entrepreneurial journey… right?

Not quite.

These leaders have undoubtedly delivered tremendous value to the world—that’s what business is about, after all: creating value for those who want and need it. But if you want to become the kind of leader who builds something truly meaningful, sustainable, and personal…

You can’t follow in their footsteps.

You need to follow your own.

You are your best role model. And here’s how to become that version of yourself—on purpose.

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Step 1: Accept That You Can’t Copy Anyone Else’s Journey

There’s a lot we can learn from the greats. Ignoring the lessons of those who’ve gone before you is a fast track to unnecessary frustration and wasted energy.

But here’s the catch:

You can’t copy and paste someone else’s playbook.

Why? Because:

• They started at a different point in time, with different market conditions and resources.
• Their talents, values, and constraints don’t match yours.
• The strategies they used may be outdated—or even irrelevant—today.

Yes, principles endure: deliver value, solve problems, build trust.

But tactics change constantly: marketing platforms, hiring methods, pricing models.

You’ll need to:

• Learn from others’ successes (and mistakes).
• Adapt those insights to your own reality.
• Build from your own strengths and mitigate your blind spots.

Only then can you create a path that’s actually walkable for you.

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Step 2: Look to Your Future Self

Here’s a truth that might sound strange at first:

The only person who shares your exact journey… is your future self.

Read that again.

This isn’t mindset fluff. It’s a strategy.

Your future self is the only person who’s navigated your starting point, your environment, your challenges—and come out the other side.

So don’t just idolize someone else’s outcome. Visualize your own.

Start with these questions:

• 10 years from now, what does your business look like?
• What about 5 years, 3 years, 1 year?
• Who have you become? What kind of leader, partner, and creator are you?
• How did you get there—specifically?

Get detailed. Don’t just set revenue targets. Think about:

• Your ideal team structure
• The types of clients you serve
• The impact your work has
• The role you play in your business (and life)

The more vivid the picture, the easier it becomes to reverse-engineer the steps required to become that version of you.

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Ready to Close the Gap Between You and Your Future Self?

This is what we do with our clients every day:

Help them clarify what success looks like, identify the bottlenecks in the way, and build a custom strategy to accelerate progress, without burning out or losing their edge.

👉 Book a free strategy session to find out where you are on the path, and what needs to shift to keep moving forward.

Because the only person worth emulating… is the version of you who’s already succeeded.

Let’s go meet them.