Season 2, Episode 9 - The unspoken entrepreneurial abyss

On The Heels of Innovation with Ted Zoller

With serial entrepreneur, investor, writer and UNC-Chapel Hill alumnus Erik Severinghaus

In the movies, on TV shows and in our everyday conversations, we portray entrepreneurs as gritty, driven and passionate dreamers who rarely fail and never burn out. Yet, the reality paints a picture that’s not so pretty. Research shows that entrepreneurs have three times the rate of substance addiction and two times the rate of suicide as the general population. The demanding entrepreneurial journey can take its toll and lead to estrangement from friends and family, eating disorders, anxiety, depression and a host of other mental health issues. How do entrepreneurs adapt? What experiences define their journey? And how can educators better prepare them for the toils they’ll encounter? Serial entrepreneur and UNC-Chapel Hill alumnus Erik Severinghaus encourages entrepreneurs to not only embrace the resources they need to be successful in business, but also the mindfulness and life balance skills they need to thrive. Learn how Severinghaus says you can hone traits that will help you control physiological and psychological reactions to stressful scenarios. And hear why he says it’s important for entrepreneurs to measure success in business and life in a more holistic way that transcends traditional business ROI metrics.