The Entrepreneur’s Edge: Mindset, Sacrifice & Success

In this episode, Levi King shares his entrepreneurial journey, the mindset shifts that helped him succeed, and the sacrifices he made along the way. From cold-calling businesses in his 20s to raising $200M in venture capital, Levi opens up about the grit, resilience, and personal growth required to build multiple successful businesses.

🔹 Key Themes & Takeaways:

1️⃣ The Mindset of an Entrepreneur

• Grew up in rural Idaho in a strict, traditional environment that discouraged thinking outside the box.
• Realized early on that he didn’t trust others with his future and needed to forge his own path.
• Started his first business—an electric sign company—by cold-calling potential customers despite being an introvert.
• Motivated by fear of poverty early on but later realized that true fulfillment came from impact, not just money.

2️⃣ Overcoming Challenges & Personal Sacrifices

• Biggest personal sacrifice? His mental health—spent years prioritizing work over himself.
• Early in his career, he thrived under stress and thought he was invincible.
• In his 40s, he started experiencing panic attacks after raising $100M from Goldman Sachs.
• Lesson learned: You can’t give everything to business, family, and others without taking care of yourself.

3️⃣ Evolving Definition of Success

• Initially, success = financial stability & escaping poverty.
• Later, success became about legacy, impact, and helping others succeed.
• Nav now serves over 1 million small businesses in the U.S. by helping them navigate financial health and credit.

4️⃣ The Pressure of Fundraising & Managing Growth

• Raised $200M in venture capital, but the pressure didn’t decrease—it got worse.
• Thought the most stressful time would be in the early startup phase, but stress actually increased as the stakes got higher.
• Biggest challenge: Balancing investor expectations, company vision, and personal well-being.

5️⃣ What It Really Takes to Succeed

• "Entrepreneurship means going through hell and back—over and over again."
• The only guarantee? There will always be challenges—the key is how you respond to them.
• Grit & resilience are more important than intelligence, money, or connections.
• Find your deeper "why"—money alone won’t push you through the hardest moments.

🔥 Memorable Quotes from Levi King:

💬 “I didn’t trust adults with my future. I didn’t believe what they believed about me.”

💬 “I thought once I raised $100M, the stress would go away. It got worse.”

💬 "You won’t invent a new version of hell—every entrepreneur goes through the same struggles."

💬 "If you don’t know what you're willing to go through hell for, you won’t make it."

💬 "The only guarantee in building a billion-dollar company is that you'll go to hell and back a hundred times. You don’t know when or how, but it’s coming."

💬 "I had to stop giving everything to my company, my family, my marriage, my friends—I had to start giving to myself."

💬 "I realized I'm...