Today I'm going to reveal one of my favorite tools: a personality test called the Enneagram. I use it in business as well as for my personal relationships.
I'm also going to show you a crazy way to use your birthdate to figure out your enneagram type (using numerology)... pretty wild stuff.
More...
Then I'll show you famous people / entrepreneurs + some of the friends in my life and how the enneagram fits them perfectly and how I use it for when I hire employees for my company and how it has allowed me to hire the perfect person for the job.
How Did I Come Across the Enneagram?
I learned about the Enneagram from Shantam Nityama who's this older, wise tantric master / educator that I randomly found one day on a podcast, he's one of those dudes that just resonates wisdom.
Ya know, some people you can just listen to them talk and you know he knows his shit.
This was back in 2015, so its been a while but I was so intrigued by this guy that I decided to do a private 1-on-1 consultation with him, regarding one of my personal relationship troubles I was going through at the time.
And one of the very first thing he told me was: "Ippei you have to get to know the Enneagram"
Enneagram is a personality system that categories everyone into 9 different personality types.
He said: "Not knowing a person's Enneagram is like going hunting but you have no idea what animal you're supposed to hunt down, you have no idea what it even looks like."
He told me to get the book called: Personality Types - Using The Enneagram For Self-Discovery by Don Riso which you can find on Amazon here.
I come to find out that the Enneagram is a personality identification system that has been well researched and studied. It's used by many psychologists today.
The 9 Enneagram Types
How to Test Your Enneagram Type Using Your Birthdate & Numerology
sometimes in life, you don't really even need to know why something works.
If it works for you, use it.
According to Nityama, different days have its unique energetic signatures, and depending on your birthdate your going to fall under certain personality types.
And you can find this out by using numerology of your birthdate so let me give you an example using my own birthdate.
Approximately 4 months old here with my Grandpa... lol
I was born on...
3/22/1989
first you add all the digits of my birthdate.
3 + 2 + 2 + 1 + 9 + 8 + 9 = 34
Then you minus the maximum multiple of 9 (because there's 9 enneagram types total) before exceeding the number 34
So the max multiple of 9 without exceeding (or equal to) 34 is: 3 x 9 = 27
Then you minus 27 from 34 which is: 34 - 27 = 7
This means I am enneagram 7.
And this could not be more spot on. 7 is the adventure & variety seeking type.
I love to travel, but who doesn't? I've always just innately loved variety in all areas.
Variety of places to live, variety of food, friends, experiences.
When my friends throw me an invite to go do something, I'm always down.
This type also seeks knowledge in multiple fields, which is also true, I have a very curious mind and I'm passionate about wide variety of topics including:
- Entrepreneurship
- Health & Nutrition
- Conspiracy Theories
- Multiple Online Businesses (Digital Marketing, Affiliate Marketing, Amazon FBA, Dropshipping)
- UFC / MMA , basketball, soccer
- So many different personal development teachers & books I've consumed over the years & I'm constantly looking up new shit (thirst for more knowledge)
I heard one guy explain a 7 as this: someone that goes into a ice cream shop and wants to try out as many different flavors as he can, or when vacationing to a city, wants to try wide variety of different restaurant instead of going back to the same one that was good.
"7's constantly seek new and exciting experiences"
Yup.. def me, just check out my Instagram here traveled to so many places in 2019
Another thing about a 7 is that they can be multi-talented.
In business, I'm definitely the most multi-faceted in my skilsets. I've become proficient in the very technical side of things such as SEO as well as becoming very adept in interpersonal skills of sales & closing.
Often times, for most people its one or the other.
Either you're great with people and you wanna do sales.
Or
You want to stay away from people, get on the computer and geek out on the technical stuff.
I can do both and I thoroughly enjoy doing both, which to me is what sold me most about my enneagram being a 7.
Lets take a look at some other people in my life
Doing the Enneagram Test on People in My Life
Dan (My mentor that has taught me the lead generation business, also I live 5 min away from him now in El Dorado Hills, CA)
Birthdate: 5/14/1983
Add the digits: 5 + 1 + 4 + 1 + 9 + 8 + 3 = 31
Multiple of 9 that doesn't exceed 31: 9 * 3 = 27
31 - 27 = 4
Dan is enneagram 4 which is the individualist: their desire is to have personal significance
Spot on: Dan has been talking for a while now that he's at a point in his life where he's got enough money, what he wants now is to continue to create more successful students because seeing other's succeed is what really gets him off now. That's how he feels his significance.
4's also want to express their individuality & they're expressive, which can be seen by some of Dan's crazy dyed dreadlocks he's been rocking lately haha. If you see videos of him live, he is you will see just how expressive he is. He's not afraid to stand out and be himself.
4's "feel disdainful and exempt from ordinary ways of living" - which explains why Dan dropped out of college, went into car sales then ultimately kept searching to find the most off the beaten path career, to become a coach on the internet, teaching other people how to make money with the most unique business model of lead generation.
Shiv (My roomate & has been working for Dan since 2015)
Birthdate: 12/6/1994
Add the digits: 1 + 2 + 6 + 1 + 9 + 9 + 4 = 32
Multiple of 9 that doesn't exceed 32: 9 * 3 = 27
32 - 27 = 5
Shiv is enneagram 5 which is the investigator: cerebral type, innovative
Spot on: He is constantly talking to me about how he can only get excited when he is creating something innovative.
He has created numerous systems for Dan's company and continues to show his prowess of intellect within the group. He can take complex problems and come up with solutions, another sign of a 5.
One of his passions is technology, specifically Apple and their products, his role model has been Steve Jobs since he was 7 years old, again perfectly aligns with enneagram 5 which values innovation.
Joe (One of my best friend from Michigan, currently touring the US, lead singer of a folk band called Joe Hertler & The Rainbow Seekers, check out their music at joehertler.com Joe's Instagram is here)
Birthdate: 3/24/1989
Add the digits: 3 + 2 + 4 + 1 + 9 + 8 + 9 = 36
Maximum multiple of 9 that doesn't exceed (or equal) 36: 9 * 3 = 27
36 - 27 = 9
"They want to create harmony in their environment."
Spot on again: Joe is always bringing people together whether that'd be through his music or organizing parties or events where his goal is to always create a good time for good times sake.
"9's want things to always go a long peacefully, without conflict so they tend to avoid conflict at all costs."
"Nines are accepting, trusting, and stable. They are usually creative, optimistic, and supportive, but can also be too willing to go along with others to keep the peace."
again this is Joe at times, he's had managers that weren't doing their job for his band but instead of confronting the problem, he would often choose to just view it optimistically and have someone else handle the problem.
I remember various moments where even I would tell him "Joe fuck that, you gotta call that guy out and give him a mouthful"
Now that I know about the enneagram, it makes total sense, that we all have different strengths and weaknesses and this has allowed me to accept people more for who they're instead of projecting what I'm good at on to them (in the moment) which has improved the quality of my friendships & relationships.
Here's where it gets a lil' crazy, I had a roommate in college named Andrew that had the SAME exact birthdate as Joe.
At Andrew's wedding in Key West, Fl
This is someone I lived with for 3 years, which means I've come to know him really well.
When I read the description for enneagram 9, it fits him perfectly once again. In hindsight he is very similar to Joe.
He was the type to always try to keep the house positive, and I've sensed numerous times that he was the type that always wanted to avoid conflict.
A great roommate though because he always brought that positivity to our crew like no other.
Steve Jobbs
Birthdate: 2/24/1955
Add the digits: 2 + 2 + 4 + 1 + 9 + 5 + 5 = 28
Maximum multiple of 9 that doesn't exceed (or equal) 28: 9 * 3 = 27
28 - 27 = 1
Enneagram type 1: The Reformer
"They are teachers, crusaders, and advocates for change: always striving to improve things"
"they try to maintain high standards, but can slip into being critical and perfectionistic."
"They typically have problems with resentment and impatience."
"Key Motivations: Want to be right, to strive higher and improve everything, to be consistent with their ideals, to justify themselves, to be beyond criticism so as not to be condemned by anyone."
I mean what better way to describe who Steve Jobs was.
Is that not spot on or what?!
Steve Jobs was famous for striving for perfection with the iPod and iPhone.
There was infamous incident where he dropped a prototype iPhone into an aquarium in the board room meeting and as the phone sank to the bottom, air bubbles came out of the iPhone and Steve yelled "see those air bubbles?! Make it smaller!"
whether you thought the guy was the biggest asshole or a geinus (maybe both)
you can't deny the fact that he changed (reformed) the world forever.
I mean if you truly study what he has done and how much he has changed technology... its crazy, arguably Thomas Edison, the guy that invented the lightbulb, was the last guy that had as much impact on human's quality of life.
He literally invented the use of the mouse (point & click that we use everyday), all the way to the iPhone, where its all touch interface. Driven by his ambition to reach perfection with Apple products. Steve Jobs famously worked till the very last day of his life in his hospital bed, literally held a board meeting at the hospital the day before his death.
Other interesting Enneagram Finds
Oprah & Donald Trump have the same enneagram type of 4 when you calculate their birthdates. 4 is the type that desires personal significance, given their careers it makes total sense. Same as my mentor Dan, these types want to be a significant figure in people's lives, at a certain level of wealth, money is no longer the motivator.
I'm sure we can all agree that Donald Trump didn't run for presidency for money. And Oprah's net worth is so far beyond what 1 person can spend in a lifetime, but these people continue to work hard everyday. Again its not money that motivates them its enneagram 4's key motivation which is to have personal significance.
J. R. R. Tolkien (author of The Lord of the Rings) and George R.R. Martin (author of Game of Thrones)
have the same Enneagram type which is a 6, the loyalist, when you calculate their birthdates.
Which is the intensely cerebral type, go figure.
My dad is this type, they're the most committed, hard-working & loyal to their friends & beliefs.
They are also excellent troubleshooters, they can be cautious and indecisive.
This describes my dad pretty well, he is very meticulous and troubleshooting is what he does as he is a software engineer that debugs code all day. What is creating a large extensive novel? I think you can say its troubleshooting all the different problems that the start of the story has created and tying all loose ends.
It makes sense to me that Tolkien and Martin are both sixes because for them to stick to 1 story for several decades to finish such epic novels as the Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones shows incredible amount of loyalty to that story itself.
Enneagram type 7's like me, that seek variety could have NEVER completed such long-term singular focus task as that haha.
These are other indiviuals I looked up to, they're pretty much all entrepreneur coaches because this is what I'm into and the people that I know a lot about and pay close attention to.
Gary Vaynerchuk (Enneagram 2)
Birthdate: 11/14/1975 = 29 (sum)
Birthdate sum minus multiple of nine: 29 - 27 = 2 (Enneagram 2: Helper)
2 is the helper, I believe makes plenty sense, Gary is all about providing value and helping people. If you study his career he has done plenty of things that didn't make the most financial sense, but he says all the time that money is not his end-goal, its about helping people and loving the process. He is famous for responding to people's DM's and private messages, for someone of his net worth, that activity doesn't make any financial sense, but he does it because he believes in "good karma", well when you understand that he's a 2, that gets joys from helping people, how he operates begins to make a lot of sense.
Grant Cardone (Enneagram 2)
Birthdate: 3/21/1958 = 29 (sum)
Birthdate sum minus multiple of nine: 29 - 27 = 2 (Enneagram 2: Helper)
Like Gary Vee, Grant is also a 2, the helper, which is bit of a surprise perhaps because when you think of a 2 you don't picture someone like Grant that sometimes comes across so blunt and maybe a bit aggressive, but being "soft" has nothing to do with a helper, they can sometimes be very fierce, fiercely wanting to help others & the world. For Grant that manifests as his insane drive to spread his message about being 10X from his famous book the 10X Rule (the audio book is amazing btw, its on Amazon here). Teaching people they can have more and do more, and that they're worth of more.
He makes a killing off of real estate btw, so if just money was the motivation he could've retired a long time ago. But he's still going on stages like a Tony Robbins, motivating people to have a better life...
Speaking of Tony...
Tony Robbins (Enneagram 2)
Birthdate: 2/29/1960 = 29 (sum)
Birthdate sum minus multiple of nine: 29 - 27 = 2 (Enneagram 2: Helper)
Yup, Tony is a 2 just like Gary Vee and Grant Cardone, he stands on stage and tries to make people feel, believe & become better than they were yesterday.
His entire life ethos has been about uplifting others.
He constantly says that's what brings him the most joy.
"Level 1 (At Their Best): Become deeply unselfish, humble, and altruistic: giving unconditional love to self and others. Feel it is a privilege to be in the lives of others." -excerpt from Enneagram Institute (Type 2)
Isn't that a pretty good way to describe Tony Robbins?
Clearly helping people is what Tony lives for.
Jordan Belfort (Enneagram 7)
Birthdate: 7/9/1962 = 34 (sum)
Birthdate sum minus multiple of nine: 34 - 27 = 7 (Enneagram type 7: Enthusiast / Adventurous Type)
For those that don't know, Jordan Belfort is the dude that they based that movie Wolf of Wall-street. To find that he's a 7 makes a lot of sense to me, its the same enneagram type as me. I mean this guy ran that company like a 7 would, extreme variety seeking. Bit wild, bit all over the place. Ya'll seen the movie right? This guy sunk a yacht in the ocean with a helicopter on it, thrill-seeking and super adventurous would be a pretty fair description of Jordan which is what a 7 is.
Yea he talks on stage and he trains people in sales which is helping people like a 2 but I think there is a subtle difference, he doesn't necessarily preach about helping people is what he loves, he's more pragmatic in his approach and he does multiple things at once like speaking, business, coaching, podcasting and he is very effective at all these different skillsets.
Chris Sacca (Enneagram 3)
Birthdate: 5/12/1975 = 30 (sum)
Birthdate sum minus multiple of nine: 30 - 27 = 3 (Enneagram 3: Achiever)
Enneagram 3 is the achiever. They are ambitious, pragmatic, Success-oriented & status-conscious and highly driven for advancement. For those that know Sacca, I think this enneagram type makes A LOT of sense. Got to 1.2 billion net-worth not by constantly speaking on stage trying to help people like Tony Robbins, he made his wealth through just having a great mind for business, investing in the right companies, killing it with venture capitals. Some of his notable moves were being a seed investor for Twitter, Uber, Instagram, Twilio, and Kickstarter.
Tai Lopez (Enneagram 3)
Birthdate: 4/11/1977 = 30 (sum)
Birthdate sum minus multiple of nine: 30 - 27 = 3 (Enneagram 3: Achiever)
Tai is a 3, same as Chris Sacca. Tai is not my favorite because I never found his material to be really that valuable for me and this might explain why. Tai is not the helper type of 2 like Grant Cardone, Gary Vee or Tony Robbins.
"Key Motivations: Want to be affirmed, to distinguish themselves from others, to have attention, to be admired, and to impress others." - excerpt from Enneagram Institute (Type 3)
Doesn't Tai's lambo videos and his incessant need to always point out the cars and having paid models around him truly indicate this desire of a 3?
But that's only a surface level judgement of Tai. To be fair, there is a side to him as well where he does put a lot of effort in creating products that go towards helping people achieve more in life.
So check out another excerpt on the 3.
"Healthy Threes know how good it feels to develop themselves and contribute their abilities to the world, and also enjoy motivating others to greater personal achievements than others thought they were capable of."
That sounds sort of like a 2 but as you begin to study the enneagram more, these subtle differences start to make more sense.
Dan Pena (Enneagram 1)
Birthdate: 8/10/1945 = 28 (sum)
Birthdate sum minus multiple of nine: 28 - 27 = 1 (Enneagram 1: THE REFORMER / Perfectionist)
As an avid fan of Dan Pena, this enneagram type to me is spot on once again.
He is known as the 50 billion dollar man because he has coached hundreds of highly successful entrepreneurs.
He states many times that he's not doing it to be like Mother Theresa, he states that its for more self-ish reason of wanting to be the "greatest high performance coach" that's ever lived.
Same enneagram as Steve Jobs, Dan Pena is definitely driven by always wanting to "make things better" aka "Make his mantee's better"
"Well-organized, orderly, and fastidious, they try to maintain high standards, but can slip into being critical and perfectionistic." - excerpt from Enneagram Institute (Type 1)
Dan Pena's coaching style is very strict in every sense of the world, so much so that some of his students that attend the weekend seminars at his castle pissed themselves in fear because he's so intense (at least this is what Dan Pena claims lol).
One's strive for what's in their mind as the "higher value" and they'll do whatever it takes to achieve them even at the cost of great personal sacrifice.
This is definitely Dan Pena vibe.
That intensity for perfection he expects from his student is very similar to how Steve Jobs expected that perfection from his staff.
Enneagram Test for My Family
I have done this test to all my other friends and relationships and it has always seem to be pretty spot on.
Like there wasn't one instance where I would get someone that's very serious type and have him come out to be an enneagram 9 the peacemaker.
I did the test on my parents & siblings and it was very revealing.
Mom is the peacemaker, enneagram 9, super fitting, as my dad can sometimes be very stern & serious, mom was always the one that brighten the mood of the house.
Dad is the loyalist, enneagram 6, many times as a kid I often thought he was very rigid in his ways & thinking, which fits the description of loyalist being not only loyal to others but loyal to their beliefs. Also they make "excellent trouble-shooters" which I state briefly above but that's essentially what my dad does for work, as he's a computer programmer that looks at code all-day to debug them.
Brother (26 years old) is a enneagram 5, same as my roommate Shiv, the innovative type. They can at times become isolated, and that's what stands out to me for my brother, how he navigated through his life, at times he seemed like the "lone-wolf" did things his way, don't mind traveling on his own, etc. I admired that about him in a way as well. He does software engineering and works for pretty edgy company that allows him to innovate often.
Sister (19 years old) is an enneagram 8, the challenger, the powerful, dominating type and this could not be more fitting for my lil sis. She has always been hyper competitive in school and challenged herself in getting top grades, playing the flute, playing soccer and winning awards at different extracurricular school programs. She was self-motivated, my parents really weren't strict on her, she pushed herself on her own accord. She's now started her second year at MIT. (Top 5 college in the US).
Again the birthdate numerology test always seems to check out for me, comment on this blog post below and tell me what you guys find.
Using Enneagram for My Business
As I have shown a bit above with Dan & Shiv, I use the Enneagram test on anyone that I'm working closely with so that I know what drives that person and I know what their natural strengths & weaknesses are.
I've come to find out that with business partners, they became my partners because life almost put them in front of me, I didn't choose them based on Enneagram or anything like that but I've come to find out that it was almost meant to be because all of our enneagrams fit perfectly with each other and the roles we have.
Where it gets really useful is when you hire virtual assistants using sites like onlinejobs.ph
I always ask the applicants to give me their birthdate
I then figure out their enneagram and decide if the position can be fitting for them.
For example, I have a guy that's enneagram 7 which is the variety seeking type and for him he has the perfect job of having to manage 4-5 different things everyday, and I'm constantly having him complete new tasks which he masters quickly which is what 7's are good for, picking up new skills and becoming good a multitude of things.
I also have a girl that's a 1, which is the reformer / perfectionist, these types also have a strong sense of good & bad. So this person handles large set of data, so organization is paramount, I can trust her with very important task because 1's have very strong sense to do the right thing. I've tried to have 7's do this job and I simply kept running into issues with them staying organized.
But ever since I got a 1 to do this job, there hasn't been ANY issues.
Could this be coincidence?
Ya maybe
But its been working out pretty well for me. I get it, this might sound a little bit too kooky for a lot of you, but as I've stated previous, you don't have to understand why something works for you to use it, as long as its working, just use it.
And every-time I do use it, I'm continually impressed by it.
Especially when you begin using it on people that you have very close relationship with like your family, friends or your romantic partners.
I mean I have several mind-blowing enneagram test results with some of my past ex's that have really provided a whole new level of insight for me and it really begins to make you wonder about life.
That possibly...
We're not in as much control as we think we are.
But that is a topic for another day.
Conclusion
Enneagram personality archetypes have been one of the greatest tools for personal development & improvement of relationships for me.
Maybe you don't believe the part where you can take someone's birthdate and get the enneagram number.
That's fine, I get it, that part is a lil' bit out there... I don't even think most psychologist that uses enneagram know about that, but that's besides the point. They still use the enneagram to categorize their client's personality type so that they can better understand core strengths & weaknesses of a person.
The different tendencies that a person has depending on their enneagram type and whether they're integrating or disintegrating.
Its important to understand that your weaknesses are not set in stone, as you move towards integration (personal developement / spiritual work) you overcome your weaknesses and become a person that is completely self-reliant and fully realize the gifts & strengths of that enneagram type.
That is one of my passion in life is to continually strive to become all that I can be.
The fact that we can all continue to grow and become a greater version of ourselves is what has always excited me the most.
I love having that underlying belief that I have so much more potential.
This single belief is what's got me constantly look for new opportunities in business & in life, and new knowledge that can make me better.
The growth mindset.
And "Ask and you shall receive"
Because I seek, opportunities present themselves and because I've worked on myself and I have relatively healthy self-esteem with a "can do attitude", I jump on opportunities & give it my best shot. I don't really have crippling internal dialogue like "oh but what if I fail at this?"
I'm painting a disproportionately positive picture, "what if this does work?"
People ask me, "Hey Ippei what's the key to success?"
They only see the end result of my success, but what they don't see is all the countless times I tried other things before I got to my success.
Yes I have results today that some call a success but I've also tried so much more things than the average person my age.
I enjoy trying new things.
After all I'm an enneagram 7, the enthusiast that wants to try every flavor of ice cream at dairy queen.
One of the main things I like to cover on this site, are all those different online businesses that I've tried.
My #1 Pick? Lead Generation.
It's the 1 business that have proven to be the most consistent and long-term.
If you're still working a 9 to 5, you def need to check this business out. (I've been living the laptop lifestyle since 2015 because of it)
You build simple websites that rank in Google for local services like plumbers, roofers, electricians...
You slap a tracking phone number on it, and simply forward those calls to a local company
That local company becomes your long-term client and happily pays you every month because your leads are helping them make more money than ever before... truly win-win relationship.
That company didn't have the time or knowledge to figure out how to rank their own site higher in the search engine
You come in and solve that problem for them and show them that by providing free results (leads) in advance.
Once you do this in 1 city & niche, you can replicate it over and over again across different cities across the world.
starting to see the big picture?
Go to this page, watch the video, enter your details and start watching my videos on my lead generation sites from 2014 that's still earning passive income to this day, it'll blow you away once you understand this business model.
Anyway what do you guys think about the Enneagram? Let me know in comments if the birthdate numerology test revealed some cools things for you or not.
Hey Ippei,
You're a genius! I was born in 25 April 1988. I'm enneagram 1. That's perfectly describes me!
Cheers!
It was great!!…I did the eneagram test myself and then tried with numerology and the result was the same, I'm a 9!!