The Key Differences Between Growth and Survival Entrepreneurs

After working with dozens of entrepreneurs through major transitions, I've noticed a pattern. It's not about having the right business model or the perfect marketing strategy. It's about the fundamental mindset you bring to uncertainty—and that mindset is deeply connected to your personality type and core values.

Survival Mode: When Fear Drives the Business

Survival entrepreneurs aren't necessarily struggling financially (though they might be). They're operating from a place of scarcity, constantly scanning for threats, making decisions based on fear rather than vision.

I see this most often with:

• Enneagram 6 types who get stuck in worst-case scenario planning

• ISFJ personalities who over-give to clients out of fear of disappointing them

• Anyone who started their business as an escape from a toxic work situation, carrying that trauma into their new venture

Survival mode shows up as:

• Saying yes to every opportunity because you might not get another one

• Undercharging for services because you're afraid clients will leave

• Working constantly because stopping feels dangerous

• Making decisions based on what others might think rather than what aligns with your values

Growth Mode: When Vision Drives the Business

Growth entrepreneurs aren't necessarily scaling rapidly (though they might be). They're operating from abundance, making decisions based on their values and long-term vision, even when facing uncertainty.

This mindset tends to come naturally to:

• Enneagram 8 types who see challenges as energizing rather than threatening

• ENFP personalities who focus on possibilities rather than limitations

• Anyone who has done the inner work to align their business with their deeper purpose

Growth mode shows up as:

• Saying no to opportunities that don't align with your values or vision

• Pricing based on value rather than fear

• Building sustainable systems rather than working harder

• Making decisions from your authentic self rather than your anxious self

The Personality Factor

Here's what most business advice misses: the strategies that work for one personality type can create survival mode for another.

For example:

• An INTJ entrepreneur might thrive with long-term strategic planning, while an ENFP might feel suffocated by the same approach

• A Type 3 Enneagram might be energized by ambitious goals, while a Type 9 might be overwhelmed into paralysis

The key isn't adopting someone else's growth strategies—it's understanding how growth looks different for your specific personality type.

The Values Connection

But personality is only half the equation. The entrepreneurs who successfully shift from survival to growth mode have done the deeper work of identifying their core values and aligning their business decisions with those values.

This is where Align by Design™ becomes crucial. When you're clear on your values, decision-making becomes simpler. You're not constantly second-guessing because you have an internal compass that points toward what's right for you.

Making the Shift

Moving from survival to growth isn't about changing your personality—it's about working with your personality more skillfully.

If you're naturally cautious: Use that gift for risk assessment, but don't let it paralyze you. Build systems that help you take calculated risks aligned with your values.

If you're naturally optimistic: Use that gift for possibility-thinking, but ground it in practical systems that honor your values and personality type.

If you're naturally analytical: Use that gift for strategic thinking, but don't get stuck in analysis paralysis. Create decision-making frameworks that move you forward.

The Real Difference

Growth entrepreneurs aren't fearless—they've learned to make decisions from their values rather than their fears. They've built systems that work with their personality type rather than against it. And they've created businesses that feel sustainable because they're authentic.

Survival entrepreneurs are trying to build someone else's business with someone else's strategies, using someone else's definition of success.

The path from survival to growth starts with getting clear on who you actually are and what you actually value. Everything else is just tactics.