It sometimes seems as if certain people are born to be entrepreneurs. That's certainly true of Alana Winter! In today's episode of The Greatness Machine, Darius chats with Alana Winter, serial entrepreneur, creative thinker, founder of MI6 Academy and Stiletto Spy School and guide on the path to self-aware leadership. Her journey has taken her from university admission at 16 to simultaneously being fired by her dad and set up in her own business. Following a string of challenges and feelings of burnout, she sold her business in 2006, leading to some powerful questions: "Who am I now? What do I do with my life?" In this wide-ranging discussion, you'll discover how her upbringing in a family of entrepreneurs has helped guide the path of her life. You'll learn why a lack of passion and alignment with your business can open the door to greater and greater difficulties. You'll discover how Alana sold the business she was no longer passionate about, and how doing so forced her to decide who she really was and what she really wanted in her life. You'll also learn how a trip to a James Bond film eventually gave rise to an entirely unique form of coaching: The MI6 Academy and Stiletto Spy School! Join Darius and Alana as they explore the fascinating, unpredictable and sometimes frustrating path that is entrepreneurship. Topics include: Alana's background and unusual upbringing, and why she was literally born to be an entrepreneur How her father helped her start her first business... by firing her The challenges she faced in that early business, such as burnout, employee theft and even embezzlement from a business partner Why she believes that a lack of passion and misalignment set the stage for the challenges she faced in her early entrepreneurial career How she navigated "the void" after selling her first business with no plan for the immediate future And other topics… Connect with Alana: Website: https://alanawinter.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alanawinter Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awinter123/ Connect with Darius: Website: https://therealdarius.com/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dariusmirshahzadeh/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imthedarius/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Thegreatnessmachine  Book: The Core Value Equation https://www.amazon.com/Core-Value-Equation-Framework-Limitless/dp/1544506708 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices