Why Entrepreneurs Feel Empty at the Top — and How Purpose, Adventure, and Alignment Change Everything
Many entrepreneurs believe the next milestone—more revenue, more scale, more recognition—will finally bring fulfillment. Yet for many founders, growth only amplifies burnout, isolation, and a quiet sense of emptiness.
In a recent episode of Scale Smart, Grow Fast, host Harley Green sat down with Mike Brcic, founder of Wayfinders, to unpack why this happens and what leaders can do differently.
This conversation is a powerful reminder that how you scale matters just as much as how far you scale.
The Early Seeds of Entrepreneurship and Transformation
Mike’s journey began long before Wayfinders. At 20 years old, he took a six‑month backpacking trip through Southeast Asia, Nepal, and India—long before social media, travel blogs, or digital convenience.
With limited money and no clear plan, Mike and his girlfriend took a risk that would shape his future: buying handmade shirts in Kathmandu and selling them in Amsterdam’s Vondelpark. What started as survival turned into Mike’s first taste of entrepreneurship—and a powerful lesson in creativity, courage, and trust.
That experience planted two lifelong themes:
- Getting off the beaten path creates the deepest growth
- Discomfort often leads to transformation
Why Entrepreneurs Burn Out as They Scale
Later, as founder of a fast‑growing travel company, Mike experienced what many high‑performing entrepreneurs face:
- Aggressive scaling driven by external validation
- Increasing stress and responsibility at the top
- Less time for health, family, and meaningful relationships
Despite hitting ambitious goals, Mike found himself asking a hard question: “What happens after I win?”
The answer surprised him. Growth alone didn’t bring fulfillment—it intensified misalignment.
As Mike explains, many founders unconsciously chase scale to feel worthy, seen, or validated. The result is a cycle where every milestone only creates the need for the next one.
Scaling With Alignment, Not Ego
Mike isn’t anti‑growth. He’s anti‑growth for the wrong reasons.
True, sustainable scale happens when:
- The business is deeply aligned with who you are
- Growth serves customers, not ego
- Systems support freedom instead of creating more pressure
One of the most counterintuitive lessons Mike shares is this: businesses often run better when the founder steps back.
When leaders let go of control:
- Teams gain confidence
- Decision‑making improves
- Founders reclaim time, energy, and clarity
Why Nature, Discomfort, and Adventure Matter
This philosophy is at the heart of Wayfinders.
Mike creates immersive experiences for entrepreneurs in some of the most remote places on earth—from Mongolia to Bhutan—where comfort is limited and certainty disappears.
These environments force leaders to:
- Surrender control
- Slow down
- Listen to themselves
Away from constant notifications and expectations, many founders reconnect with what Mike calls “the soul”—the deeper part of themselves that knows what truly matters.
The results are often profound:
- Letting go of misaligned businesses
- Healing strained relationships
- Rebuilding businesses around purpose, not pressure
One Simple Practice Every Founder Can Try This Week
Mike’s advice is deceptively simple:
Turn everything off. Go into nature. Sit quietly.
No phone. No journal. No agenda.
Even a few hours of uninterrupted stillness can surface insights that years of hustle suppress. For many entrepreneurs, this becomes the first step toward building a business—and a life—that feels aligned instead of exhausting.
Final Takeaway
Scaling smart isn’t about doing more. It’s about doing what matters—on purpose.
When growth is rooted in alignment, leaders don’t just build bigger businesses. They build better lives.
Book a discovery call to see how the right executive support helps you scale with clarity, alignment, and control—without burnout or chaos. Click here to subscribe.
Full Podcast Transcript
Hey everybody, welcome back to the Scale Smart Grow Fast podcast. Today we’re joined by Mike Brcic, founder of Wayfinders, a community-driven movement helping entrepreneurs find deeper connection and meaning through transformative adventures in some of the world’s most remote places. His work sits at the intersection of business growth and human connection. Today we’re unpacking how adventure, vulnerability, and community can reshape the way leaders scale, lead, and live. Get ready for a conversation that goes beyond strategy into what truly fuels transformation.
Yeah, thrilled to be here. Looking forward to it.
You’ve built an incredible career around the idea that adventure can change not just lives, but leadership itself. Can you take us back to the moment when you realized travel and connection could become a path to transformation for entrepreneurs?
I think it was a gradual reveal. The biggest part of that reveal happened when I was 20, in between first and second year university. I took a year off—six months saving money and six months traveling through Southeast Asia, Nepal, and India. We started in Indonesia and moved through Malaysia, Thailand, Nepal, and India.
This was 1991–92, before the internet or travel blogs. Back then, the Lonely Planet Guide was the only real resource. What I discovered was that it didn’t take much effort to get off the beaten path—and that’s where the most meaningful experiences were.
That’s when I caught the travel bug. Another transformative moment came when we realized we were about to run out of money. We had $3,500 Canadian for six months after flights. Southeast Asia was cheap, but heading to Amsterdam with only $500 left didn’t seem realistic.
In Kathmandu, I noticed beautiful embroidered shirts selling for two or three dollars. I thought someone in Amsterdam might pay more. I convinced my girlfriend to spend $300 of our last $500 filling two duffel bags with shirts. We took them to Amsterdam, sold $1,500 worth in one day at Vondelpark, rented an apartment, and lived comfortably for the rest of the trip.
That experience—travel combined with my first taste of entrepreneurship—planted the seeds for what has now become a 27-year career in travel and transformation.
That’s an incredible story, and it really shows the mindset behind taking that leap.
We almost had nothing to lose. We were going to run out of money either way, so it felt like a worthwhile risk.
Many leaders chase growth but feel isolated at the top. What emotional or relational patterns do you see with high-performing entrepreneurs?
I’ve lived this myself. With my previous company, Sacred Rides, we aggressively scaled after raising investment capital. We expanded fast, grew the team, and set ambitious goals.
One day I realized I could see myself achieving everything—and feeling empty afterward. Around the same time, I was reading Ego Is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday and attended a session where the question was asked, “Where are you seeking validation and why?”
I realized I was chasing growth to feel worthy. More revenue, more recognition—it never filled the hole. It only increased stress, damaged relationships, and hurt my health.
I sold that company and started Wayfinders with a different approach—focusing on alignment, value, and patient growth. Scale can be beautiful, but only if it’s done for the right reasons.
How can leaders balance systems and scale while staying authentic and aligned?
Most founders struggle to let go. They believe no one can do it as well as they can. But what I discovered coaching entrepreneurs is that the real issue isn’t systems—it’s internal systems.
I’d ask clients to take one day off a month. Then a half day. Eventually, I’d ask them to spend time alone in nature—no phone, no journal, just sitting quietly.
When leaders step away, two things happen: they reconnect with what matters, and their teams step up. Businesses often run better when the founder gets out of the way.
Tell us about the environments you create through Wayfinders.
Wayfinders is built on three elements: adventure, community, and transformation.
The adventures are intentionally uncomfortable. I don’t tell participants exactly what will happen. Entrepreneurs are used to control—this teaches surrender and trust.
We create safe spaces for vulnerability where leaders can share challenges they usually carry alone. Through facilitation, reflection, and time in wild environments, people reconnect with their inner voice.
The transformations are profound. People leave misaligned businesses, heal relationships, and reconnect with what truly matters.
For someone feeling stuck right now, what’s one actionable step they can take this week?
Go into nature. Turn everything off. Sit quietly. No phone. No agenda.
You’re starting a conversation with your soul. When you listen, insights come—through intuition, dreams, or unexpected connections. Trusting that voice leads to a business and life that feels aligned and joyful.
Where can listeners connect with you?
The best place is way-finders.com. Joining the mailing list is the best way to stay informed about future experiences.
If you got value from today’s episode, subscribe, rate, and share it with another business leader who might need this message. Until next time—keep scaling smart.