business owner mental illness Archives

Business Owner Mental Health: Why we Prioritize the Bottom Line Over Bottoming Out?

I’ve been an Entrepreneur for 30 of the last 33 years of my working career. There are days that I love what I do and wouldn’t have it any other way, and there are days that I want to throw in the towel. There are simpler ways of earning a paycheck, but few jobs would give me the gratification I … Read More

Feeling Lost, Unhappy or Depressed? Maybe It’s Time to Get a Greater Purpose

I’ve often talked about the emotional highs and lows of what many entrepreneurs need to endure. The fact that the depression rate for entrepreneurs is twice that of the average adult may help justify my rationale. Having been an entrepreneur that has battled depression over the years doesn’t make me an authority on the subject, but it does give me … Read More

11 Essential Mental Health Coping Strategies for Entrepreneurs

Being an entrepreneur can be one of the most rewarding and liberating things you can do as a career. Equally valid, being an entrepreneur can be one of the most frustrating and emotional roles you can choose to make a living. Schools are great at teaching you how to succeed when starting a new business, but do these schools properly … Read More

Wake Up Parents; You Could Lose Your Child to Suicide

Last month I was invited to speak to a group of grade 7 and 8 parents about teen mental illness, what I’ve learned of our dealing with Madeline and what we were hoping to accomplish with The Maddie Project. We scheduled a date. I provided a summary of the content, and an agenda was sent out to all parents to … Read More

Do We Have a Responsibility to the Entrepreneurs of Today and Tomorrow?

Does the Entrepreneur’s Journey to Greatness Need to be so Damn Lonely?

Do you ever wish you could have an honest conversation with a fellow business owner without judgement? I’m talking a completely candid; no holes barred, these are my deepest and darkest fears kind of conversations. I’ve been doing this entrepreneur thing for 30 years, and over the duration, I’ve experienced many emotions: joy, frustration, pride, anxiety, depression, optimism, sadness, fear. … Read More

My Accidental 10-Year Journey to Discovering Emotional Intelligence

There’s something ironic about me writing about Emotional Intelligence. Those who knew me 15-20 years ago would probably accuse me of not even knowing the definition of Emotional Intelligence. They wouldn’t be far off the mark. Since then, a lot has happened, including several devastating life events that have impacted the person I am and how I look at the … Read More

5 Reasons Why I Wouldn’t Want to be a Teenager Today

This isn’t one of those nostalgic posts about “I remember when”, but my kids will probably accuse me of it. Obviously, there have always been challenges in raising teenagers but throw in social media, access to technology and our kids surpassing our knowledge base for certain things, and so our job as parents just got exponentially more difficult. Life was … Read More

9 Powerful Ways That Philanthropy Can Help to Build Your Brand?

Being altruistic usually means putting the needs of others ahead of your own needs. So discussing how philanthropy can help to build your brand almost comes across as being hypocritical. But being generous and charitable doesn’t mean that you can’t beat your chest a little, especially when it comes to being good corporate citizens and leaders in your community. Here … Read More

8 Tragic Things People Don’t Understand About Losing a Child

Earlier this month was Suicide Prevention Day. It’s been more than 6 years since we endured the tragic loss of our beautiful daughter Madeline. Since this tragic event devastated our family’s lives, I have felt a multitude of different emotions ranging from anger, gratitude, helplessness and, of course, inconsolable sadness.I read a blog post by Paula Stephens, “What I Wish … Read More