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.

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.