The Carnivore Entrepreneur Show

Why Entrepreneurs Fail Without Energy Stacking (and How to Fix It) - Ep21

• Grant Hutchby • Season 1 • Episode 21

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Are you successful on paper but secretly running on empty? 
Do some days flow effortlessly while others feel like an uphill battle?

Here’s the truth: it’s not about time management or grinding harder. The real reason most entrepreneurs burn out is because they’ve never mastered energy stacking. The system that keeps your body, mind, and business firing all day long.

In this episode of The Carnivore Entrepreneur Show, Grant shares Chapter 9 of his book. Healthy Body: The Foundation to True Wealth, and reveals the exact framework he uses to sustain consistent, renewable energy, clarity, and focus.

You’ll discover:

  • ⚡ What “Energy Stacking” really is, and why it’s more powerful than time management
  • 🌅 How to design a morning routine that sets your entire day’s energy trajectory
  • 🥩 Why protein-first meals and supplements protect you from energy crashes
  • 🧘 The simple 10-minute reset that kills the 3pm slump without coffee
  • 🛑 How to protect your energy by mastering boundaries and eliminating leaks
  • 🌙 Why your evenings determine tomorrow’s success (and how to do it right)
  • 🔑 The 7-Day Energy Stack Challenge to reclaim your strength, focus, and drive

This isn’t another productivity hack. It’s the blueprint for unlimited performance, productivity, and power.

👇 All free tools, downloads, and resources referenced are available at the bottom of this episode description.

🌐 Connect & Level-Up

🎁 Download the FREE Toolkit - Click Here

Includes:

  • Healthy Body E-Book
  • 🥩 Performance Plate Framework
  • 🏋️‍♂️ One-&-Done Savage Set + 3 Cheat Sheets
  • 🧠 Focus & Flow Journal
  • 📈 12-Week Results Sprint Plan
  • 📆 Weekly PowerSprint Planner
  • ⚡ DDD-Done Framework

Plug these tools into your routine, share the wins with a fellow Carnivore Entrepreneur, and keep building true wealth on your terms, with strength, energy & purpose.

Unknown:

Energy stacking is intentionally layering habits to build and sustain deep energy throughout the day. These small, simple habits compound stacking upon each other, creating continual upward spiral of energy, clarity and performance. Back in 2018 I was a productivity junkie, building cagey shorts day, getting married, moving house, all while managing a full time corporate job, I'd wake up already stressed, slam down coffees like my life depended on it, and run through my day fueled entirely by adrenaline and anxiety. I knew if I wanted lasting entrepreneurial success, my daily routine had to prioritise energy, not just productivity. Welcome to the carnivore Entrepreneur Show where health unlocks true wealth. It's time to reclaim your strength, ignite your energy and live life with purpose. Master your body, sharpen your mind and dominate your path. Live life how it's supposed to be lived on your terms. Let's go chapter nine. Why do some of your days flow perfectly, while others feel like an uphill battle? Do you want to know the real secret behind sustained entrepreneurial success? It's not luck, talent or working until you collapse on your keyboard, is something far simpler yet infinitely more powerful energy. No, I'm not talking about an espresso shot before a big meeting or motivational videos before you hit the gym. I mean consistent, renewable, unstoppable energy, day after day, week after week, year after year. Without it, no amount of hustle or determination can sustain you, but when you master how to stack your energy strategically, everything aligns effortlessly. Let me show you how what exactly is energy stacking. Energy stacking is intentionally layering habits to build and sustain peak energy throughout the day, these small, simple habits compound stacking upon each other, creating a continual upward spiral of energy, clarity and performance. Think of it like building a fire. One small spark isn't enough to keep you warm all night, but carefully layering kindling logs and maintaining the flame creates a sustained source of heat and light. Energy stacking works in the same way. Each habit is a piece of fuel that, when strategically arranged, creates a powerful, sustained energy source from surviving to thriving. My revelation back in 2018 I was a productivity junkie building cagey shorts day, getting married, moving house, all while managing a full time corporate job. I'd wake up already stressed, slam down coffees like my life depended on it, and run through my day fueled entirely by adrenaline and anxiety. Did I get stuff done? Yes. Did I feel exhausted, burnt out and running on empty every night, absolutely eventually, I reached a breaking point, a severe back injury that sidelined me for weeks. Suddenly, my frantic productivity vanished. Forced into recovery, I reflected deeply on one crucial truth, time isn't your most valuable resource. Energy is that was when everything changed, I knew if I wanted lasting entrepreneurial success, my daily routine had to prioritise energy, not just productivity. From there, I began meticulously testing every productivity trick, biohack and daily habit imaginable, and no bathing in Himalayan salt or dancing under the moon didn't make the cut. Eventually, I distilled these experiments into a clear, powerful method I call energy stacking. Let's dive in the carnivore entrepreneur framework, the daily energy stack. Stack number one, master your morning. The Foundation how you start your day sets your entire energy trajectory. My morning routine never fails me wake up at 4:20am yes, that precise, hydrate immediately, 500 mils water plus Celtic sea salt, stretch, ice bath and supplements. 10 Minute, mindful breathing and journaling under my sad light, hit the gym by

5:

55am for intense resistance training three times per week. Why each element works early wait time 4:20am aligns with your natural circadian rhythm, allowing you to leverage the morning cortisol spike for energy rather than stress. Research from the Journal of sleep research 2019 shows that early risers report higher energy levels and better mood throughout the day, immediate hydration with Celtic sea salt replenishes electrolytes lost during sleep, kick starting cellular function and energy production proper. Mineralised salt provides essential minerals that. Port, nerve function and muscle contraction. Studies in the International Journal of Sports Nutrition 2020, confirm that proper hydration with electrolytes improves cognitive performance and physical energy. Ice bath slash cold exposure triggers a controlled shock that sharpens your focus energy, circulation and mental clarity. Research in the Journal of Applied Physiology 2021 shows that cold exposure increases alertness hormones by up to 530% dramatically enhancing focus and energy. Sad light and breath work, the light therapy synchronises your circadian rhythm, while the breath work reduces stress hormones and increases oxygen delivery to your brain. A study in the Journal of Clinical sleep medicine 2018 found morning light exposure combined with breath work significantly improved daytime energy and evening sleep quality. Early resistance training elevates testosterone, growth hormone and endorphins, creating a powerful hormonal foundation for sustained energy research in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning research 2020, confirmed morning exercise improves mood, energy and cognitive function throughout the day. Action. Pick one habit from my morning routine, for example, electrolyte water, and implement it for the next seven days. Once it's automatic. Add another Remember small changes compound dramatically over time. Start Strong, stay strong. Mornings make or break your day. A solid start equals better energy, better decisions and better outcomes. Don't try to do it all at once. Stack one new habit at a time. Nail your morning and the rest of the day becomes way easier. Stack two strategic nutrition and supplements fuel your power throughout the day, eating a protein first, whole food based diet, outlined fully in chapter one, and supplementing strategically ensures stability. Stable blood sugar equals stable energy. My daily staples, protein, first meals, steak, eggs, whole potatoes, NMN and resveratrol for cellular regeneration and energy. Thanks. Dr David Sinclair, magnesium, omega threes and vitamin D explained in chapter five, why each element works. Protein first meals keep your energy steady by balancing blood sugar and giving your brain what it needs to stay sharp. Research in the Journal of Nutrition 2019, shows protein rich breakfasts reduce afternoon fatigue by 34% compared to carbohydrate heavy meals. NMN and resveratrol boost your body's energy at the cellular level by supporting NAD plus something we naturally lose with age and stress, backed by Dr David Sinclair's research at Harvard, they've been shown to increase energy by up to 40% magnesium supports over 300 bodily processes, including energy production. Studies in the Journal of Research in medical sciences, 2017 show magnesium supplementation improves energy levels, sleep quality and stress resilience. Omega threes enhance brain function and reduce inflammation, both critical for sustained mental energy. Research in the Journal of Clinical psychiatry, 2018 found Omega three supplementation improved cognitive performance and reduced mental fatigue. Vitamin D, essential for hormone production and immune function, both directly impact energy levels. Studies in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 2019 show optimal vitamin D levels correlate with higher energy and better mood action. Start with one supplement from my stack. I recommend magnesium or vitamin D, and take it consistently for 14 days. Notice the difference in your energy levels before adding another fuel. Don't fizzle. What you eat, fuels, what you feel, no more sugar spikes and caffeine crashes. Think of food and supplements as business investments, high return, low risk, stable. Blood sugar equals stable mood, mindset and momentum. Stack three, afternoon, energy, reset. The secret sauce. Entrepreneurs notoriously crash around two to 3pm I used to rely on endless coffees and sugary snacks just to push through the afternoon, only to crash even harder later. Now, I found something far more powerful, strategically resetting my energy each afternoon. My daily go to for avoiding this slump is a short 15 to 20 minute meditation, typically around 1pm this brief reset reliably sharpens my focus, calms my mind and completely recharges my energy levels, providing clarity and productivity for the remainder of the day. If you can help it, avoid caffeine for at least two hours before you meditate. This ensures calmer, deeper, more effective session, rather than jittery. Restlessness. Don't get me wrong, I still love a good coffee. However, I now use caffeine strategically instead of drinking it first thing in the morning, I wait at least two to three hours after waking, usually after my training session, to avoid early quarters or spikes and the dreaded afternoon crash when I have a particularly challenging task ahead or an important meeting to lead. That's exactly when I deploy my coffee strategically. Of course. If caffeine isn't your thing, that's absolutely fine, too. Meditation alone is powerful enough. The truth about coffee and why timing is everything. Let's clear something up. Coffee doesn't give you energy. It just blocks the receptors called adenosine that tell your brain, you're tired if you smash a coffee first thing in the morning, while your natural cortisol is already high, you're stacking stimulants on top of stress. That's a fast track to a crash by 2pm instead, delay your coffee until two to three hours after waking, usually after training. For me, that's when your natural energy zip starts and coffee becomes a performance enhancer, not a crutch, strategically used before a big meeting, focus work block or heavy training session. Magic boosts mood, alertness and mental sharpness like a switch flicking on. But hey, everyone responds differently. Some people don't have a coffee at all, and that's cool, too. It's just what works for me and the science backs it up. One additional tactic I learned from Tony Robbins that's incredibly effective on an ad hoc basis, rather than a daily habit. His concept of energy in motion, Tony explains that by dramatically shifting your physiology, standing tall, breathing deeply or moving your body vigorously, you instantly elevate your emotional state, literally energy in motion. This simple physiological change can rapidly boost your energy, improve your decision making, clarity, and positively transform how others perceive you, whether you're speaking one on one or in front of a large group. I personally utilise this powerful strategy whenever I need an instant boost in energy or presence before critical tasks or social interactions. Why each element works? Afternoon meditation resets your nervous system, reducing stress hormones and increasing alpha brain waves associated with relaxed focus. Harvard research 2018 proved that short daily mindfulness sessions significantly boost cognitive function, decision making capabilities and sustained energy, strategic caffeine, timing when consumed after your natural cortisol peak, not during it. Caffeine works synergistically with your body's natural rhythms. Research in the Journal of Psychopharmacology 2018 demonstrates caffeine when strategically timed, significantly enhances cognitive performance, reaction times, focus and alertness without the negative dependency or energy crashes associated with habitual excessive use psychology reset leverages the mind body connection to instantly change your energy state. Studies in the Journal of Experimental Psychology, 2019 confirmed that adopting power poses and controlled breathing can increase testosterone by 20% and decrease cortisol by 25% in just two minutes action. Implement a 10 Minute afternoon reset this week. Find a quiet space, set a timer and simply focus on your breath. No fancy techniques needed. Just breathe deeply and notice how your energy shifts. Reset is greater than react. You don't need more caffeine. You need a reset. Take 10 minutes, breathe, move, shift your state. Entrepreneurs who master energy in the afternoon dominate the second half of the day. Energy in motion equals money in motion. Stack number four, boundaries and Environment Management, protect your energy. One of the most valuable lessons I learned about energy management came from a particularly chaotic period in 2019 shortly after leaving my corporate job, our cleaning contractor just walked out, taking 10,000 pounds worth of linen with her and leaving our short term rental business in turmoil. Instantly, my day to day schedule turned into chaos, endless reactive tasks, firefighting and meetings, consuming all my available energy. What changed everything was the realisation that if I didn't actively control my schedule and environment, they would control me. I quickly discovered that being busy wasn't the same as being productive or energised. It was time to create firm boundaries today. Managing my energy means becoming ruthlessly intentional about how I use my time. I carefully categorise my tasks into four distinct buckets, urgent and important. These are genuine priorities, typically emergencies or pressing business critical tasks. They take immediate precedence and get tackled promptly, important but not urgent tasks that genuinely move the needle in the business health. Or family life training sessions, strategic planning, family dinners, deep or creative work. These get scheduled deliberately and protected fiercely. This is where true carnivore entrepreneurs thrive. The important but not urgent zone is your sweet spot, the place where legacy is built. It's where you do the real work that compounds over time, where you plan like a leader, train like an athlete, love like a present partner, and grow like a true entrepreneur. This isn't just a productivity hack. This is a mindset. Living here means you're operating from clarity, not chaos. It's where you make your best decisions, show up with your best energy and stay aligned with your bigger vision. When you own this space, your body, mind and bank account all grow in the right direction by design, not by default, urgent, but not important. These are things that often distract entrepreneurs, constant notifications, non essential emails, other people's minor problems. I fit these around my core priorities or delegate them whenever possible, neither urgent nor important, simple, these tasks get eliminated entirely. Learning to say no, politely yet firmly, anything not aligned with my core goals frees up astonishing amounts of time and energy. These are an energy drain dead time. Remember saying no to something neither important or urgent means you are saying yes to another area in your life that deserves your energy more, getting you closer to true wealth on your terms. By clearly defining these categories, I'm able to master my schedule and environment, keeping my energy consistently high throughout each day. The key mindset shift here is prioritisation. Not everything matters equally. Knowing your priorities makes every decision simpler. Here's a quick exercise you can do today. Quickly list everything you typically do in a day, categorise each item using these four buckets above, immediately eliminate or delegate anything neither urgent nor important and commit to scheduling the important but not urgent tasks. First, this simple habit was a complete game changer for my productivity, health and overall energy. Remember When Everything Feels urgent, nothing truly is protect your energy by protecting your boundaries. Energy leaks are expensive, not everything urgent is important. If it drains your energy and doesn't move the needle, cut it, delegate it or automate it. Your Time isn't the bottleneck. Your energy leaks are boundaries aren't selfish, they're essential. Why This Works task categorization. It gives you instant clarity and cuts down decision fatigue. Research from Stanford 2017 shows that mental overload drains your energy just as much as physical effort. When you know your priorities, you make faster, smarter decisions without burning out your brain. Boundary protection prevents energy leaks from constant interruptions and context switching. Studies in the Journal of Management 2019, found individuals who proactively manage their schedules and protected their boundaries consistently reported higher productivity, reduced stress, improved mood and enhanced overall life satisfaction. Environment design, as Jane clear explains, in atomic habits, you do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems by designing your environment to support your energy goals, for example, removing distractions, creating dedicated spaces for deep work you make the right choices automatic action this week. Identify one energy draining habit or interruption in your day, like checking emails constantly, and create a simple system to eliminate it. For example, batch your email checking to just twice daily. I will go more into the business stuff in future books. However, I felt it was important to include this here. It has a massive impact on your body. If you don't put the important set in stone stuff over the urgent stuff, you will leave your body in ruins. Feel free to download my DDD done framework for free. This goes into more detail of how to execute this with the tools you need to do it. Stack five, master your evenings, recharge and repeat. If you asked me 15 years ago what my evening routine looked like, I probably would have laughed in my mind, evenings were meant for relaxing, Netflix marathons, beers, snacks and scrolling through my phone until I fell asleep on the sofa while it felt relaxing at the time, it left me waking up, drained, groggy and unfocused the next day, my relaxation wasn't recharging me, it was sabotaging my mornings and ultimately, my productivity and energy everything. Shifted the moment I truly understood how interconnected evenings and mornings actually are. Your evening routine is the powerful domino that sets tomorrow's momentum into motion. Think about it like this. Imagine if every evening you parked your car with an empty tank, dirty and needing a full service before it could run again. That's exactly how most entrepreneurs end their days drained, cluttered and unprepared for tomorrow's journey. It's exhausting and unsustainable. Now compare that to ending your day strategically, fully fueled, freshly serviced, polished and ready to drive smoothly first thing in the morning. That's precisely how mastering your evenings transforms your daily energy and long term success. Here's exactly what my evening looks like most days. Remember 8020, rule, not perfection, quick social media post or daily reflection, to mentally close my work day sauna session to relax my muscles, clear my mind and initiate physical recovery, prepping supplements and nutrition for tomorrow, removing any and unnecessary morning decisions, journaling to clear lingering thoughts, plan tomorrow's priority tasks and mentally reset, brush my teeth and stretch to reset my body before I lie down, Netflix and chill with K dedicated Quality family and relationship. Charge time. Never underestimate how much emotional connection recharge your mental and physical batteries. I can't stress enough how transformative it's been for me to see my evening as preparation rather than mere relaxation. My energy each morning is higher, my decisions clearer and my day significantly more productive. It's a powerful cycle that compounds each day, week, month and year. Here's a quick challenge for you today. Review your current evening habits. Identify one habit you can eliminate, for example, excessive screen time or food just before bed. Replace it with one intentional habit, journaling, stretching, meditation, prepping for tomorrow. Give yourself just one week and watch how dramatically your morning energy transforms, why each element works, mental closure signals to your brain that work is complete, reducing stress hormones and allowing true recovery. Research in the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology 2018 found that creating clear boundaries between work and personal, time significantly improve sleep quality and next day energy sauna and heat therapy promotes muscle recovery, reduces inflammation and triggers the release of endorphins and growth hormone. Studies in the Journal of Science and medicine in sport 2019 show regular sauna use improves sleep quality recovery and next day energy levels evening preparation reduces decision fatigue the next morning, allowing you to start your day with clarity and momentum, as Jane clear writes, in atomic habits, the most practical way to change who you are is to change what you do by preparing for tomorrow, you're setting yourself up for success before You even wake up quality connection time reduces stress hormones and increases oxytocin, the bonding hormone that provides relaxation and emotional wellbeing. Research in the Journal of social and personal relationships 2020, found that meaningful social connections significantly improve sleep quality and next day Energy Action. Choose one evening habit to implement this week, start with something simple, like journaling for five minutes or preparing your clothes and supplements for tomorrow. Notice how it transforms your morning energy. Recharge to reignite. Evenings aren't about crashing. They're about recharging. You don't find time in the morning, you earn it the night before great sleep starts hours before your head hits the pillow, replace chaos with calm, and you'll wake up ready to dominate the science of habit stacking. Why This Works? What makes energy stacking so powerful is how it leverages the principles of habit formation, as Jane clear explains in his groundbreaking book atomic Habits. Habits are the compound interest to self improvement, small changes when repeated, consistently yield remarkable results. The key insight from clears work that I've incorporated into my energy stacking approach is the concept of habit stacking, attaching a new habit to an existing one. For example, I've stacked my morning hydration with my wake up time, the moment my alarm goes off. I drink water with Celtic sea salt. The existing habit, waking up triggers the new one, hydrating. Another principle from clear that has been transformative is environment design. By creating an environment that makes the right choices easy and the wrong ones difficult, you dramatically increase your chances of success. For example, I prepare my supplements and leave them out ready, making it effortless to take them first thing in the morning, addressing your biggest concern. Directly. I hear you already concern, my life is chaotic. Can I realistically maintain this structured, routine solution? Absolutely start small, add one habit at a time, even partial consistency quickly yields huge energy gains. I went from just stretching before bed to prepping vitamins, then getting my clothes out, prepared and so on. Concern, I have a day job, family and side hustle. I don't have time for long routines. Solution, good news, my entire routine can be condensed or expanded even five minute breath work, short meditation or a simple protein first meal creates powerful benefits. Concern. I've tried productivity hacks before, and they never stick. Why will this be different solution? This isn't about productivity hacks, it's energy management. When you feel noticeably better each day, you'll naturally want to sustain these habits. Motivation follows energy when your body feels strong and alert you naturally want to take action. Think about it, on days when you feel energetic, Don't you find it easier to tackle challenging tasks. That's because your physical state directly influences your mental drive. By stacking these energy building habits, you're creating a foundation where motivation becomes automatic, rather than something you need to force through willpower alone. Discipline builds energy and energy builds motivation. Let's get motivated. You've built the stack. Now activate it. You've got the system. You've got the habits. Now it's time to implement one layer at a time, stack your energy and your entire life levels up your seven day carnivore, entrepreneur, energy stack challenge, ready for immediate results. Here's how to build your own energy stack, one habit at a time. Day one to two. Morning Foundation, wake up 30 minutes earlier than usual. Drink 500 mils of water with a pinch of mineralized sea salt. Take 10 deep slow breaths. Day three to four, nutrition and supplements start each meal with protein. Take one key supplement, magnesium or vitamin D, reduce processed carbs and sugars. Day five to six. Afternoon reset. Implement a 10 Minute Meditation or breathing session. Use the Tony Robbins energy in motion technique before important tasks. Schedule one hour of protected deep work time. Day seven, evening recharge. Create a simple wind down routine, prepare for tomorrow, clothes, supplements, priorities, go to bed 30 minutes earlier than usual, you'll experience a clear surge in daily energy, mental clarity and productivity within days. Guaranteed energy is your greatest entrepreneurial asset. I learned the hard way. Time management is great, but energy management is revolutionary. Energy stacking doesn't just improve productivity. It transforms your entire entrepreneurial life, relationships, mindset and physical health. Remember, your greatest entrepreneurial weapon isn't your knowledge network or even your bank account. It's your energy. Master it daily and watch every area of your life. Level up if there's only one chapter you take from this book, this is it. Welcome to unlimited performance, productivity and power the carnivore entrepreneur way. If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who needs to hear it. You are a carnivore entrepreneur. Live life how it was supposed to be, lived on your terms, with strength, energy and purpose. I'll see you on the next episode.