Personal Development & Archetype Integration

The 4th Archetype: The Hidden Key To Unlocking Your Business Growth

March 29, 2021
Amanda Bucci

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Amanda Bucci

Every single entrepreneur will find themselves as the bottleneck of their business at one point or another–particularly when the company requires the actions and role in the Q4 (least natural archetype). Whichever Archetype showed up last on your results (click here to take the quiz and receive results if you haven’t already) is probably the most significant thorn in your side in your business.

Your “weakness.”
The thing you believe you “suck at” or “isn’t who you are.”
Tasks that drain your energy.
Tasks that you scoff at whenever it comes time to do them.
Perhaps you’ve experienced burnout based on this archetype.
Or simply the role that you know is the least enjoyable, least aligned, and requires the most effort from you to complete.

The Dreaded 4th Archetype

It can be easy to put something in the “that’s not for me” box based on these kinds of deliberations of what one is “supposed” to do as an entrepreneur. The truth? It’s good in theory—but in reality, we don’t outsource everything we aren’t naturally “good” at in business. We acknowledge it as an untapped skill. A fully-functioning business cannot run with one archetype missing. It doesn’t mean it needs to be a significant part of it, but the bigger a company grows–, the more it needs all four to be firing. In the archetype system, we talk about those untapped skills as things that may require more effort to integrate but not impossible.

By the end of this article, you will understand:

The power of leaning into your 4th Archetype
Shadows of the 4th Archetype: Burnout and Avoidance
Actionable strategies for navigating your 4th archetype

How To Think About Your 4th Archetype

You find Q4 to be the most challenging type for you to embody within the experience of running your business. Because your brain doesn’t naturally think or resonate with this way of being as much, it can be more draining and confusing to be in it–and it could lead you to feel as though you’re “broken.” This is entirely untrue! Everyone has more of a natural affinity toward specific ways of being–and that’s what this is here to teach you.

The five core things to remember about your Q4:

1. You never need to BE this archetype.

Although skills can be learned, habits can be changed, and growth is always available–there is still an inherent sense for most people that some things are just not what we’re here to BE. Our co-founder of the Entrepreneurial Archetype Company–Josh Hamilton–is 100x the Entrepreneur I will EVER be in this lifetime. And by honoring that, we can maintain our best energy in our respective roles.

2. You can work to ACTIVATE and INTEGRATE this type and its skills.

It’s essential to recognize that you can enhance the embodiment of your Q4 archetype. It may feel like that type lives dormant within you, but if you bring intentionality to it to “turn it on” inside of you, it is more than possible.

3. Think of it as a long-term project.

Skill development within an area of weakness or something less natural shouldn’t be forced or pushed within the confines of a timeline. Think of your Q4 as an area of development, provide yourself the space to learn about it, be mentored or supported in it, hire out for it, and turn that part of yourself “on” internally.

4. There will always be resistance when you’re in the “suck” threshold.

The suck threshold is the timeframe in skill development or habit change where you feel very aware of your lack of experience and natural skill. If I tried to dribble a basketball, I’d be highly aware of how horrible at it I was. But to become better at that skill, I’d need to spend a significant amount of time practicing until I got past the suck threshold. The same is true for any archetype skill–specifically those within your Q4. I thought I was a bad public speaker, podcaster, and entrepreneur for so long. None of those things are true at all anymore. I leaned into discomfort and developed those skills, even though they were hard. You have to make it past the “suck” threshold before you can be 100% certain something isn’t for you.

5. Look at Q4 as your greatest teacher.

There is a lot in this space for us as entrepreneurs. The more you want to grow, the more you’ll need to focus on this area–because businesses at scale cannot run without all four archetype cylinders activated. Bring awareness to the lessons hidden within this type for you–be it the shadows, the energetic masculine/feminine polarity, or the judgments you hold that keep you stuck at a certain level.

The Two Q4 Shadows To Be Aware Of

Because the fourth archetype is technically our “least aligned” archetype, the way we relate to it can have some shadowy tendencies. No one necessarily enjoys doing things they aren’t great at. It can activate feelings of unworthiness, failure, imposter syndrome, and more to confront something where we lack skill, experience, and natural talent. With that in mind, there are two major shadows to look out for when it comes to how you relate to your Q4.

1. Avoidance (Underactive Q4)

It’s natural to avoid that which we are not great at–and actually, it’s common and recommended to spend most of your time as a solopreneur in your Q1 and Q2–especially at the beginning of your business. There are so many hurdles to jump over when starting your business, so spending time on tasks and activities that are easier for you provides momentum and forward motion. It’s actually quite common for entrepreneurs to build 6-figure businesses focusing solely on their first two quadrants–their class!

Think about it for yourself: did you spend most of your time in your Q1 + Q2 in the early stages? If you’re in the early stages–is that what you’re doing now?

The challenge comes when your business begins to require more from you.

Is Entrepreneur in Q4, but you need to really get your finances, data tracking, and systems on track? Your Q4 will signal that to you when things begin feeling overwhelming and unmanageable. Left unchecked, avoiding your Entrepreneur will ultimately leave you with many money and organization fires to put out until you spend the time focusing on solving that problem.

Is your Coach in Q4, but you’re noticing the influx of customer support and/or client issues, a lack of connection in your messaging, or a dissatisfied team? You’ll notice this mostly when the people in your business-verse feel dissatisfied. Left unchecked, people-problems will become the inflection point of whether or not your business fails or succeeds.

Is your Teacher in Q4, but you’re noticing you feel behind everyone else in your industry (expertise wise), or you’re repeating yourself over and over with your clients? Perhaps your audience needs more education on the topics you’re sharing before they feel ready to buy. Left unchecked, your brand may fall behind the ever-rising industry standards, and you’ll feel like you need to play catch up to keep up.

Is your Creator in your Q4, but you feel like you’re blending in with the crowd, struggling to access your specific voice? Perhaps it’s time to dive deeper and access more of your own authentic self-expression, bringing more of your full self online. Left unchecked, you may struggle with your brand differentiation in the market.

2. Burnout (Overactive Q4)

The opposite of avoidance of Q4 is an overactive Q4–resultant in entrepreneurial BURNOUT. The reason this archetype system was created as a result of my experience of burnout for months at the young age of 25. I believed that the Entrepreneur archetype was the one that was most respected and worthy of value, so I spent months of my time and tens of thousands of dollars learning everything I could to become a better Entrepreneur. I thought I had to become an expert at finances, Facebook ads, email marketing, and scaling 7-figure companies. But spending so much time living in that world–whilst simultaneously removing hours spent in my primary archetype, the Creator–was slowly killing my soul. By the time I hit my maximum, I felt stuck in my business; like I created a prison for myself by structuring my role in the company as the primary Entrepreneur. I had to shut down many of my offers, fire team members, and slash salaries just to get back into alignment with who I am. Burnout occurs when we have a misconception that we need to be the Archetype that lives in our Q4; for ego-driven reasons usually related to significance, recognition, validation, or perceived “success.” When in reality, existing in a role that requires us to output the maximum amount of effort from you just to do it is a business set up for failure. It’s WAY better (and far more effective) to create the role/structure in your company that allows you to thrive in your Q1 and Q2, while receiving support and learning through Q3 and Q4.

What To Do With Your Q4 (Actions / Strategies)

Okay, but what do YOU DO with your Q4 at this stage of your business? You’re feeling the energy drain, are bringing more awareness to your shadows, but also need to keep running your business to the best of your ability. So let’s dive in.

Three Strategies For Managing Your Q4 Archetype In Business

1. Learn/Seek Guidance → Mentorship

For most entrepreneurs, you have to weigh the options for how many hires you make, and how soon you make them. Not every company has funding from outside sources to hire every single role immediately: you have to build your revenue to a point before you can afford to hire people. So if there are gaps in your business and it’s not time to hire yet–YOU (as the CEO and founder) usually have to fill them. This is where coaching, courses, and mentorship really come in handy. The best way to learn something is to learn from someone who has been in the exact same position as you and can help you avoid mistakes and downfalls.

2. Outsource → Delegate or Hire

Time to consider hiring! When you begin to bring on more clients, add more customers to your offers, and enhance the complexity of your business–your company requires more than just you to run it with the integrity it deserves! Within the space of your Q4, this is a fantastic role to outsource. If you hate content creation, hiring a social media manager or graphic designer is a good move. If you hate finances, a bookkeeper is pertinent (they almost always are, unless you are happy to do this on your own.) The more energy you can free up from needing to show up in your Q4, the better!

3. Delete/Audit

It may be true that there are parts of your business you can let go of, or no longer need to run if they require you to spend way more time in your Q4 than you really want to. For me, that included Facebook Ads and data analysis multiple times per week. It’s just not my thing–unless I have a business partner who can focus on that side of the business. Consider auditing: what in my business is truly weighing me down, or is a 2/10 on my joy scale? Can it be deleted/removed?

Summing It Up

Hopefully, you now feel more clear, energized, and inspired by how to utilize your Q4 within your business. Take these reframes and go execute!

If you want to dive deeper into building a custom-to-you 90-Day Business Plan based on your Archetype Breakdown, click here to grab the Archetype Clarity Plan Workshop; a 3-Part Video Series to help you create a clear plan for navigating business based on your Entrepreneurial Archetype Breakdown!