Three simple steps to survive as a burned-out entrepreneur

How to put the mask on yourself before helping others.

Photo by Tangerine Newt on Unsplash

It was December 2018. After months of no's and banging my head against the wall, I felt like giving up. I was broke. My company was broke. I had hit rock bottom. But with a little help from our loved ones, we decided to keep pushing for three more months. Despite the odds, three tough but simple changes later, I mastered the energy to find a way out!

We had started Megacool three years prior and poured everything into it. I worked long hours, barely slept, and was always on the go. I had this mentality that if I wasn't hustling, I was losing. I was treating the startup as a sprint without a finish line and not the marathon it is.

As time passed and my burnout became more real, I became more snappy, short-sighted, and tired than ever before. This impacted my ability to think clearly, see solutions, work on the right thing, and bring my best self to the team. It was affecting not only my health but the health of my company.

With the three-month countdown, we didn't think we'd be able to partner and shake enough hands with larger company execs likely to acquire us, and with long sales cycles, we hadn't shown enough progress to raise our Series A funding round. I had pitched everyone, and it was hard to see a way out. 

While I felt like we were walking into the startup graveyard with no viable solution in sight, our prior round's lead investor encouraged us:

"I've seen several cases where companies are even closer to the edge, and things turned around. Don't give up!" — Arne Tonning, Alliance Venture

We had four potential outcomes:

• Find an investor who hasn't said no yet

• Get acquired without a prior partnership

• Magically shorten the sales cycle to less than 3 months and sell enough to cover our burn

• Find something else to do

All of which wouldn't allow me to spend months recovering from complete burnout on the other side. My body was beyond begging to enter power save mode. How could I possibly gather the energy to get through these three months and get to a better place for the company?

The answer had been right in front of me for years. Everyone "knows" about this conventional wisdom, but few have the persistence and motivation to follow through. As they say while flying with kids, “Put the mask on yourself before helping others.” I needed to take care of myself first in order to be there for the team, see the opportunities, think clearly, and find a way out. 

I made three commitments to myself:

1. sleep more,

2. reflect on my journey, and

3. be active.

With days filled with rejections and uphill battles, I would at least accomplish these three seemingly simple commitments every day. This would hopefully start a positive reinforcement wheel.

Sleep to Win

I let go of "I'll sleep when I'm dead" and embraced 8-hour nights. It wasn't easy at first, especially when I had to break up with my phone, and I had trouble sleeping/staying asleep with all the worst-case scenarios taking place in my head. I did this to improve my sleep quality and eventually learn to sleep through the night. Although it meant sacrificing some work hours, I noticed an improvement in my energy levels, focus, and productivity, which allowed me to accomplish more in less time.

Journal Your Way to Clarity

I began dumping my thoughts onto paper daily by filling up at least one notebook page with my reflections. At first, I was writing random things to build the habit, but then I got real and started reaping the benefits of the habit. I could process my destructive thoughts and feelings productively and gain a fresh perspective on my challenges. Plus, it's become an excellent way to track my progress and identify areas for improvement.

From one of my journal entries where I end up filling the rest of the page with my affirmation during that period: “I am full of energy and doing my best to find a solution for Megacool.”

Sweating It Out

I made it a daily mission to get my body moving. Whether it was by pounding the pavement, striking yoga poses for 30 min, or walking 10,000 steps while tuning into inspiring podcasts. Not only did it get my blood pumping and adrenaline flowing, but the change of scenery helped me see more solutions rather than problems, clear my mind, and reduce my stress levels.

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And all the efforts paid off. Our company was acquired in the twelfth hour after running a process with multiple parties in March 2019. December 2018 Aurora would not have believed it as she was too shatterbrained. But March 2019 Aurora had the headspace to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

It may sound like survival bias, but sticking to these three simple habits was the key to unlocking the energy and headspace I needed to follow through. These only took around 9 hours a day, but compounded to much more energy in return.

I tracked the new habits using OKRs. Anything 70% completion rate or higher is considered a success. As you can see from the spreadsheet, I started out strong, then hit a slump in February but was able to improve again in March. I used a simple template made by James McAulay.

Advice for Struggling Entrepreneurs

"You will be ok." I've had to say this to several entrepreneurs through the years, especially recently with the challenging fundraising climate. And I've had to say it to myself several times over during my founder journey. I wouldn't always believe it, but as years passed, I'm finally accepting and embracing it.

Take care of yourself first, and you'll be amazed at how much better you'll be able to take care of your team and business. 

My call to action for all struggling entrepreneurs, especially in today's macro climate, is this: Sleep well, reflect on your journey, and be active. And if you genuinely want to succeed, team up with an accountability buddy who cheers you on (Thank you,

Tiff Willson

, for being mine!)

This is a small step for you but a huge leap for your mental health and can turn things around for your company! 

And if there's no funding, acquisition, or other solution to what's keeping you up at night – YOU will still be ok!