Thoughtful Entrepreneurship Episode 176, March 24, 2020
Coach and international businessman, Stu Minshew, joins us to talk about the mental health challenges that can hit entrepreneurs, including fear, anxiety, and burnout.
“If my business was doing well, I felt like I was doing well. If my business was doing poorly, I felt like things were a mess. I had to realize I’m an entrepreneur, but that is only a small part of who I am.” ~ Stu Minshew
Stu Minshew is Founder and CEO of The Unleashed Startup, where he equips entrepreneurs with tools and strategies to manage and overcome fear, anxiety, and burnout. He is also a facilitator for CO.STARTERS, a program that equips aspiring entrepreneurs to turn their passions into a sustainable and thriving endeavor, and Vice President of Innovation for an international nonprofit organization focused on community and economic development.
Being an entrepreneur can be a tough road. Entrepreneurs are two times more likely to suffer from depression, three times more likely to suffer from substance abuse, and two times more likely to have suicidal thoughts. But there are strategies and techniques to navigate those pitfalls.
Stu shares the highs and lows of his international entrepreneurship. As well as the phases of burnout and how to best deal with anxiety, fears, and more. He also talks about the sometimes toxic culture of entrepreneurship, what he was told growing up regarding emotions, and how he’s raising his boys when it comes to men and emotions.
Topics and Questions Include:
- (2:16) How did you discover the lack of mental health support for entrepreneurs?
- (5:46) What research shows regarding mental health for entrepreneurs.
- (7:26) What types of business were your early successes?
- (9:08) Did you feel anxiety in yourself, or only see it in your sons?
- (11:04) Being the protector dad, and getting help for the kids but not himself.
- (11:56) What strategies did your father and grandfather pass on?
- (16:04) What was your biggest challenge?
- (16:36) The sometimes toxic culture of entrepreneurship.
- (18:33) Before being in business, had you had mental health challenges?
- (20:11) Were emotions allowed in your home?
- (21:31) The problem of chasing perfection.
- (22:11) Do you advise sharing emotions openly with people you work with?
- (23:41) Are there national organizations you recommend for a community?
- (27:02) Clear lines in relationships are challenging when you are your business.
- (24:52) How would you define burnout?
- (45:19) Everyone is going through this.
- (29:11) Is there a common end-stage of burnout?
- (30:05) Can you get help in any phase of burnout?
- (31:17) Do you have any tips for what someone self-employed can do at times like this when worry and anxiety seem to be increasing hourly?
- (36:38) How can someone constructively use worry and fear?
- (42:12) Tell me more about your nonprofit organization.
- (45:53) Is there a common stage of entrepreneurship that these issues are most prevalent?
- (49:18) What are you teaching your sons about the role of emotions for men?
- (53:40) Can you share a habit, practice, program, or book that has helped you?
- (56:12) Where can people find you?
“I grew up with this mentality… Don’t tell anybody about your feelings; just suck it up and get it done. I tried that, and it just didn’t work.” ~ Stu Minshew
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Listen here:
Learn more about Stu at UnleashedStartup.com. Connect with him on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Free gift from Stu: 5 Tips to Overcome Anxiety as an Entrepreneur Today
Anxiety happens, but it doesn’t have to own you. Fear and anxiety affect you physically, mentally, and emotionally. As an entrepreneur, it can have devastating implications on your business, as well as your personal relationships and health.
This complimentary guide will equip you to transform your fear and anxiety into creative power, new possibilities, and clear decision-making.
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