If you want to get the soft stuff right, you have to start with good health.
Superior health gives entrepreneurs a meaningful advantage. And by solid health I mean enduring, self-aware commitment to achieving and keeping health in balance. It is a life-style choice in the same way that being an entrepreneur is a lifestyle choice.
Many entrepreneurs are willing to mortgage their personal health for a business goal that they passionately believe in. It’s a mistake. Superior health provides sustainable advantage.
Here is my personal experience.
In 2008-2010 I had a ton of stress in my life (as CEO responsible for leading an enterprise software company through the depths of the US economic collapse). I weighed 230 pounds to start the period. I have little idea what my blood pressure was. And I know that I was glued to a computer screen most of the time answering emails, doing Web research, and trying to act strategically. Selling product and raising money in the depths of the depression was a bear.
I was also logging over 150,000 domestic miles per year and another 150-200 hotel room nights to match. Maintaining diet on the road was almost impossible. To make matters worse when on the road doing business development or deal formation, customers and business professionals often required social commitments.
Then early in 2010, my wife and I had a baby girl (now 5 years old). And it made me start taking the state of my health more seriously. I started questioning whether I was really helping the company and myself by giving everything to the detriment of my health. What message was I sending to employees? Was I being a good example? Was my health helping me make the best decisions? How did customers and significant stakeholders perceive me? Was I an overweight, stressed executive, or was I a vital and creative team member and leader? Perception makes a difference.
Right Track, Wrong Track?
A 235 pound stressed out executive with a healthy, beautiful wife.
My personal conclusion was that I was not on the right track. When I think about the most successful executives who I have worked with – they get the health part right. They commit to family. They exercise routinely. And they move throughout the day. They don’t drink and over-socialize. They send strong positive health signals.[1]
In contrast, entrepreneurs are often guilty of neglect, instead showing that they are willing to commit everything to the cause. Wrong message.
Adjustment
So I decided to recommit to having not just good, but superior health. And then I threw myself into understanding just what that would take – which meant new learning and a lot of adjustment.
Achieving superior health probably means something a little different for everyone. For me it meant bringing wearable devices into my life. I got myself into the gym a couple of times a week. I run 20 kilometers a week. I get up and move during the day and don’t stay at my desk for more than an hour. I started tracking weight and body mass with a Withings wi-fi scale (and now have a 4 year history). And bottom line – I never let myself “off of the hook.” Accountability is key.
Diet was probably the hardest part. But that too had to be addressed. I adopted something pretty close to a plant-based diet. Eliminated the sugars, processed food, and most meat. And I committed to eating on a well – defined time schedule-early rather than late. The fact that my wife Amy is health focused (a Pilates instructor) helped immensely.
And I started getting sleep. I stopped obsessing over things that I could not control. And I started focusing on those things that I could. That made a difference.
And I maintain the life-style when on the road. I find and map out good health choices near wherever I stay – the nearest Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s or health store. I pack my own nutrition for the plane. I gave up coffee and substituted tea (you have no idea how hard that was but it worked). I always try to map out a run or two ahead of a trip. And I cut the socializing and get my sleep.
What happened?
At 180 pounds, more vital, and still have the beautiful wife – and a 5 year old daughter!
Between April of 2011 and today, I lost 25 pounds (55 in total from my 2008 highs). My body fat dropped from 26% to 23%. My blood pressure dropped by 30 points in both measurements to under 120 over 70. In my experience the transformation was spectacular. I am sharper. Happier. I leverage my skills better. Things fit together better. Different friends. Different business goals. My brain is healthier.
And the business results are important. People respond to me better. I am perceived more positively. And I am more in control with a higher quality of life.
As an Entrepreneur.
Knowing what I know now, I would never consider doing a start up or tackling any demanding business enterprise without being equally and 100% committed to maintaining the best possible health. You will send the right signals to everyone in your networks That includes your family, employees, partners – and yes, investors too!
Your heart is connected to your brain. You can’t get “The Soft Stuff” right, if you don’t get the health equation right. Good health is a necessary first step in being an exceptional entrepreneur!
Credit Neurological Foundation of New Zeeland
[ 1] See Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman. Chapter 3. Kahneman’s point is that mild physical arousal – something as simple as a walk- will enhance mental alertness.
