Emotional Runway: Mental Health for Entrepreneurs: Recent Episodes
Matt Sloane
Mental health among entrepreneurs is very rarely a topic of conversation, so we aim to change that! Hosted by Skyfire founder and CEO Matt Sloane, and Krista Moulton, LiCSW.
In one of our most interesting episodes yet, we get the chance to talk to Dr. Charles Raison, a human ecology and psychiatry professor at the University Wisconsin Madison and Emory University. From working with Buddhist monks (including the Dalai Lama) to research on gut bacteria's effects on mental health and the healing properties of psychedelics, Dr. Raison has some incredibly interesting insight to share.
Entrepreneurs share many of the same personality traits - great ones like determination & grit; and some not-so-great ones like ADD and depression or anxiety. So knowing that, is there something we can focus on to help with those less desirable traits, and improve both our physical and mental health? As it turns out, the answer might be a resounding YES! This week, we're joined by Jennifer Strother, a certified functional nutrition specialist, who talks all about mental and physical wellness, and how they're so intertwined.
When we take on the role of entrepreneur, CEO, founder, we're often taking on the identity of the company and conflating it with our own self-worth. This episode is all about giving yourself some grace, being compassionate with yourself, and taking what YOU need to be happy and whole. Because after all, if you're not whole, your business can't be either! Special thanks to our guest, Jake Rothschild, founder of some of the most delicious ice cream in all the land - Jake's Ice Cream!
Building a community around what you're doing - whether it's religion, disc golf, drinking bourbon or anything else, is critical to happiness and success. It's no different for entrepreneurs. Our special guest Randy Sullivan, founder of the Bourbon Real Talk Podcast, its online community, and co-founder of The Prideful Goat brand of whiskey talks about how a tragedy in his life lead to amazing community, and how he as an entrepreneur gets up and does the work every day.
It's the name of this podcast, but what actually is "emotional runway" as a concept? We talk to the guy who coined the phrase - Suneel Gupta, founder of healthcare startup Rise, and author of the book Backable: The Surprising Truth Behind What Makes People Take a Chance on You.
Imagine spending 8 years in medical education, becoming a physician in a field you love, and then getting completely burned out to the point of wanting to quit. It's not an uncommon story in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. But our special guest Dr. Lida Fatemi, found a way to turn those feelings of burnout into something very special, mentoring and coaching other physicians who were experiencing the same thing. Dr. Fatemi founded conciousphysician.com and joins us to share her journey.
The world of business is unpredictable and scary, so having the ability to be resilient through the tough times and always be reinventing yourself is key. Our special guest - award-winning TV producer and executive Roni Selig has reinvented herself more times than most, and despite roadbumps like layoffs, marriage difficulties and personal loss, she's come out swinging!
Being a mom is a full-time job in and of itself, so add being an entrepreneur on top of that, and you've got your hands full! We talk about the challenges involved in being a "mom-trepreneur" and talk to our special guest Dana Thompson, founder of Everything on the Spectrum.
Work like balance is hard for everyone, but when the buck stops with you, it can be hard to turn off! Krista and Matt discuss how to achieve some semblance of work/life balance, and talk to special Guest David Stidger, founder of Open Door about his work with people on the spectrum and his own mental health as a founder.
Today, Krista and I are talking about the F word - nope, not that one - failure! It's what we're all afraid of... How can you get comfortable with - and use - the fear of failure, and even failure itself to get better? Check it out....
Joining us today is special guest Divya Thakur, founder of YardBot who tells us how his early failures helped drive him forward, and about some great tools he gained from his life coach.
Let's talk about the variety of mental health issues founders may face, along with aa few tips on how to manage them. Plus we're joined by Rigved Joshi, the director of the I2C incubator at the University of Alabama in Huntsville.
CEOs always talk about "fiscal runway" - how much time do you have before you run out of cash. But how many ever consider their "emotional runway?" More than 2 in 3 entrepreneurs report having suffered from mental health issues at some point in their journey as founders, and yet, almost nobody talks about it! Why? Fear of showing potential customers or investors that you're "weak"? Concerns that admitting you are struggling means you can't hack it? Matt Sloane, CEO and Founder of Skyfire Consulting and Licensed Clinical Social Worker Krista Moulton aim to bring more visibility to this important topic, and ask founders, investors, customers, and other mental health professionals to weigh in.