18 Startup Leaders Share Work-Life Balance and Self-Care Secrets
18 Startup Leaders Share Work-Life Balance and Self-Care Secrets
18 Startup Leaders Share Work-Life Balance and Self-Care Secrets
Startup founders face unique challenges in maintaining a healthy work-life balance. This article presents valuable insights from seasoned entrepreneurs on their self-care secrets and strategies for sustainable success. From establishing non-negotiable routines to aligning personal and professional goals, these expert tips offer practical solutions for founders seeking to thrive in both their business and personal lives.
Exercise as a Fixed Routine
One thing that helped me was making exercise a fixed part of my routine, whether it was at the gym, a yoga session, or even just going for a walk. I made it a rule to leave my phone on silent and really be present during that time. That break let my mind relax and gave me some real breathing room from constant emails and decisions. I’d return feeling clearer and less weighed down, and it became something I actually looked forward to. Taking that time for myself each day helped me stay balanced both physically and mentally, while also making me more focused and motivated when returning to work.
Bayu Prihandito, Psychology Consultant, Life Coach, Founder,Life Architekture
Intentional Boundary Setting for Sustainability
In the early days of launching my business, the demands of growth were relentless. Between navigating complex municipal contracts, overseeing landfill acquisitions, and ensuring operational excellence, there was rarely a moment that didn’t call for my direct attention. Like many entrepreneurs, I quickly realized that the line between work and personal life could easily blur when the business required constant oversight.
Yet, as much as the work consumed me, I also understood that sustainability in leadership mirrors sustainability in business — you cannot build lasting success without balance. For me, the solution was intentional boundary setting. I carved out time to be present with my family and community, no matter how packed the schedule seemed. These moments offered clarity and reminded me that our mission was never just about managing waste — it was about building stronger, cleaner communities across Texas. That perspective gave purpose to the long nights and reinforced the “why” behind the company’s vision.
One practice I’ve carried with me — and recommend to other founders — is to treat self-care as a business priority. Schedule it with the same seriousness as a board meeting or contract negotiation. For me, that might mean taking a morning walk before reviewing operational reports or setting aside time to disconnect from emails in the evening. Those routines may seem small, but they fuel resilience. They sharpen decision-making and give leaders the stamina needed to navigate challenges such as staffing for rapid expansion or balancing sustainability goals with investor expectations.
The truth is, entrepreneurship is not a sprint — it’s a long-distance endeavor. Founders who invest in their own well-being create the space to lead with vision, clarity, and purpose. Just as our industry must balance economic growth with environmental stewardship, leaders must balance ambition with self-preservation. That is how businesses not only grow but endure.
John Gustafson, Founder, President & CEO,Frontier Waste Solutions
Protect Deep Work Time
I honestly struggled with work-life balance in the early days of building my company, and I’m still not perfect at it. There were definitely weeks where I was responding to client issues at 11 PM and jumping on calls with prospects over weekends because I felt like every opportunity was make-or-break. The voice AI space moves so fast that I convinced myself I had to be available 24/7 or we’d miss something critical. That mentality led to some pretty exhausting months where my personal relationships suffered and I was running on adrenaline more than actual energy.
The one self-care practice that actually stuck for me was setting hard boundaries around deep work time, usually early mornings before anyone expects immediate responses. I started blocking 6 AM to 9 AM for focused product development and strategic thinking, with my phone in another room. This protected time became sacred because it was when I could actually build and plan rather than just react to the constant stream of client questions and integration issues. Even now, that morning routine keeps me grounded and ensures I’m working on the business rather than just in it.
The reality is that startup life is inherently unbalanced, especially in the early stages when you’re wearing every hat and learning as you go. What helped more than trying to achieve perfect balance was being honest with family and friends about the intensity of certain periods while also scheduling specific times to be fully present with them. Instead of half-heartedly attending dinner while checking Slack, I started putting my phone away completely during family meals and weekend activities. The concentrated focus during those personal moments made up for some of the longer work hours during the week.
Raj Baruah, Co Founder,VoiceAIWrapper
Define Leadership Horizons
The thing that made the most difference for me wasn’t to turn off after hours or to schedule fake “me time” during working hours. In fact, I don’t think I crossed the threshold from founder-exhaustion mode into founder-balanced-and-effective-leadership-team mode until I started explicitly defining and obeying leadership horizons. What I mean by that is, during the first several years of my company, like most founders, I was totally addicted to being indispensable to every important decision. I call this the founder default mode. It means your stress is at the ceiling, your working day is 14 hours minimum, and you’re gliding so close to the burn-out zone that you have to keep all your attention focused ahead to avoid the abyss of detonation you’re sailing over. Not very founder-sustainable.
To get out of this, I started defining “leadership horizons” for individuals, which include a date by which I commit to letting go of a certain kind or level of decision. For example, the leadership horizon I defined for our lead designer when we hired her was 90 days, broken down into three components: date when she becomes relatively autonomous in her own design decisions, date when decisions encountered in her routine work she has full authority to make, and date when she can start telling me what to do. Immediately, the rest of the team felt the difference. Within one quarter of introducing this concept, I was saving 8-10 hours a week worth of thinking I didn’t have to do about stuff the lead designer could handle on her own initiative. Plus, our output doubled, because more decisions go faster when there’s trust both ways. But most importantly, at last I had a pace I could keep up with.
Now, several years later, we have grown past 100 people working in multiple distinct lines of business. The founder-us-doing-everything mode is definitively in the past. So my advice to founders is to define leadership horizons for your team. Pick somebody, pick a function they’re leading, pick a length of time required till the handoff is complete, and then get out of the way.
Steve Morris, Founder & CEO,NEWMEDIA.COM
Align Startup and Life Goals
Here’s my story about work-life balance for founders, and one practical thing I did that helped me stay sane while starting my companies.
1. Make sure your startup goal and your life goal are aligned
Seeking work-life balance has never worked for me unless the work and my life goals are interconnected. Early on, I endured a constant need to overwork. This is a startup myth, that the only way to make progress in a startup is to work all the time.
Things started to improve when I stopped thinking of work and life as two separate things and started to integrate my life goals into business goals. For example, I organized our ops model so that I could take my boys to school every day and get some quality deep work when I was ready rather than at a fixed point in the schedule.
I struggled at first, thinking it wasn’t the way to go. But data proved me wrong. Instead of my performance swinging between peaks and valleys of guilt-induced overwork and subsequent burnout, it stayed consistently high. And our client retention numbers went up as I showed up more fully as both a father and a founder.
If your startup mission and life values aren’t aligned, work-life balance will always feel like a myth.
2. Founders need a plan for burnout, not just a schedule for rest
The other thing that helped me get through the worst startup years was a written, proactive plan for dealing with burnout, which I created by extrapolating from my personal risk points.
In my plan, the highest-priority anti-burnout actions (e.g., delegating a certain type of work) were triggered not by my reaching a specific point in the schedule but by my reaching specific states of mind. Since I live with chronic irritability and creativity bottlenecks, I worked those into my “red flag list.” Then, recognizing that I find it hard to make the jump from, “Oh no, I have burnout symptoms,” to “Act accordingly,” I baked in instrumental consequences (e.g., get away from computer, physically leave room, take a nap).
My executive team and I wrote similar plans. Then we compiled and memorized each other’s plans so we would actively notice the similarities and chime in when a teammate’s “red flag” list grew too big. This social component made us feel more comfortable taking our necessary breaks.
Andy Zenkevich, Founder & CEO,Epiic
Pursue Non-Work Experiences
Honestly, some of our most game-changing ideas were born far from our desks — usually on a hike, sometimes after a few drinks at a team party. Early on, we made a habit of doing things together outside of work. It wasn’t “team building” in the corporate sense; it was just chasing experiences that gave our brains room to breathe. That’s when the real creative collisions happened.
The self-care tip I swear by: protect non-work stimulation like it’s part of your business model. Your brain can’t innovate if it’s only fed emails and Slack threads. Go get lost in a forest. Dance at a wedding. Argue about movies. Let your mind connect dots while you’re not trying so hard. For us, that offbeat mix of freedom and friendship is where the best ideas were born.
Roxanne Brusso, Business Owner // Creative Director,Brusso Baum
Set Consistent Health Routines
In the early stages, I set aside certain hours as I would for client work. I dedicated one evening a week for road biking and Sundays for hiking or fishing. That consistency provided me with enough balance to handle approximately 10 startup clients during the busiest tax seasons. Maintaining that routine worked better than relying on long breaks because it helped me maintain a steady rhythm and clear focus throughout the week.
My best self-care habit has always been treating health like financials. I tracked weekly rides, hours of sleep, and hydration with simple, realistic goals. If cycling was less than 10 miles or sleep averaged less than six hours, I scaled back late-night work or moved nonessential meetings. Setting those limits provided accountability and helped me maintain sustainable energy during the first few years of building the business.
J.R. Faris, President & CEO,Accountalent
Schedule Structured Late Work Nights
As someone who has launched (and sold) multiple startups, while also juggling the day-to-day of modern life (family, kids, etc.), the number one strategy I recommend to all startup founders is to set clear boundaries on when and how often you will be working outside of regular business hours. For example, I landed on Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday being nights that I work late. By setting this expectation with my family, they all know that I’m going to be head down and focused on those nights after we have had dinner.
This helps provide structure to our week as a family, and then on top of that, because I know they are the nights where I am putting in more hours, I can also structure my exercise (running/going to the gym) around that. I.e., I know I won’t be able to get up for an early morning run on Wednesday, for example. If you contrasted this to a founder without a set routine, who works late into the night randomly, I believe this just leads to a family being frustrated that you are never around, and it makes it hard to schedule exercise on a regular basis as you never know when you are going to be tired from the night before.
Paul Towers, Founder & CEO,Playwise HQ
Delegate Tasks to Prevent Burnout
It sounds counterintuitive when you’re just starting out, but my number one self-care tip is delegation. You don’t need a six-figure full-time assistant. Bringing someone on fractionally to handle email, scheduling, and admin frees you up for the work that actually moves the needle, like strategy and stakeholder conversations.
Being a founder is hard. Burnout is real. Set boundaries, set working hours, and actually stick to them. And remember: rest isn’t a luxury, it’s part of the reward.
Emilie Given, Founder,She’s A Given
Create a Personal Framework for Balance
In the early stages of my startup, the biggest challenge was clarity: knowing what truly needed my energy and what could wait. Unlike investor-led organizations, where pressure often pushes founders into overdrive, I focused on setting boundaries and building routines that protected my wellbeing. Coaching conversations and meditation gave me perspective, while regular exercise became my reset button.
I often recall the story of Arianna Huffington, who famously collapsed from burnout before realizing that success without wellbeing is unsustainable. That example stayed with me; it reminded me that ignoring self-care only delays progress.
My one tip for founders: create a personal framework for balance early on. Treat reflection, physical wellbeing, and mental clarity as non-negotiables, not luxuries. Startups are marathons, not sprints. Protecting your energy is not a distraction from growth; it’s the foundation that makes growth possible.
EKTA CAPOOR, Director, Co-founder & Editor-in-Chief,Amazing Workplaces
Dedicate One Evening to No Work
I managed without work-life balance during my first period by surviving on coffee and preparing breakfast at 4 PM while handling WhatsApp messages as if they were professional emails. The practice of dedicating one evening per week to no work activities became my lifesaver. The evening became a laptop-free and Slack-free zone. I spent my evenings either dining with friends or taking walks until I lost all memory of KPIs.
Protect your sleep as if it were your most important investment because it remains your only source of investment. Founders achieve their most valuable insights when they get at least four hours of uninterrupted rest from email interruptions.
Vincent Carrié, CEO,Purple Media
Integrate Work and Life Goals
I have personally faced the challenges of balancing work and personal life in the very initial years of the start-up.
Initially, I tended to blur the lines between the clinic and domestic life, which easily led to burnout. I overcame this by establishing non-negotiable limits, such as no work calls after 7 PM and at least one tech-free family meal each day. This basic framework provided me with time to rest and yet remain goal-oriented.
Regarding self-care, one of the things I would advise other founders is to set up recovery time, treating rest as a very important appointment. Even a brief 15-minute exercise or mindfulness session can have a tremendous effect on decision-making and resilience.
Kailesh Solanki, CEO & Founder,Kissdental
Embrace Work-Life Integration
Instead of work-life balance, I quickly discovered that work-life integration was the only viable strategy during the early years.
Realistically, there was more work to do than could possibly be done, regardless of how many hours were worked. But taking your foot off the gas meant a lower probability of success, a classic trap for early-stage founders.
I found that breaking the day into diametrically opposed work and life stages just meant failing at both and was a major frustration.
Instead, I worked on integrating the two so that I could achieve my goals simultaneously.
Want to get more activity, but also have meetings to attend? Consider walking meetings, especially with internal staff.
Want to hit the gym, but are drowning in admin tasks? Consider 5-minute exercise snacks at convenient times.
Missing your lunch break to attend meetings? Take clients out for lunch instead.
The goal is to kill two birds with one stone whenever possible, saving you from doing two separate tasks sequentially.
This is how you achieve your professional and personal goals without sacrificing one for the other, and I strongly recommend that any early-stage founder seek to do the same.
Oliver Savill, CEO and Founder,Test Partnership
Prioritize Hobbies and Family Time
Balancing work and personal life was one of the hardest challenges for me in the early days.
No matter what I did, whether it be taking a shower or even sleeping, my business was on my mind 24/7, and I accepted it as my new reality. But I quickly realized how unhealthy that was and started embracing my hobbies and time with friends and family more. It didn’t eliminate the racing thoughts, but spending more time with those around me helped me make better decisions.
It’s also one of the best pieces of self-care advice I can give to new founders: Give your hobbies and family an equal amount of time as your business. Sometimes, you can even make better decisions unconsciously. This is called the Deliberation-Without-Attention Effect or, in simpler words, an “Unintentional Stroke of Brilliance.”
Stephen Greet, CEO & co-founder,BeamJobs
Establish a Non-Negotiable End-of-Day Routine
When you’re building something, there’s always more work to do. What helped me early on, especially when working from home, was setting a hard stop with one simple routine. That might be a walk or a quick workout. It wasn’t about the activity; it was about having a non-negotiable signal that the workday was over.
One self-care tip I’d give other founders is to build that kind of boundary into your day. Keep it small, repeatable, and consistent. There will always be more to do, but you don’t need to do it all today.
Adam Guest, Founder – COO,Raw & Fresh Pet Food
Implement Early Fridays for Team Wellbeing
From day one of opening my firm, I made the unconventional decision to implement early Fridays. At the time, it was just me, but these days, early Fridays allow everyone on our team to leave work several hours early to focus on personal priorities. This boundary-setting practice started because I was determined to maintain my mental health and have time for my passions outside of work. It’s also become an important factor in maintaining the well-being of our employees, even when other law firms thought I was nuts because, traditionally, a legal career means constant work.
Creating this dedicated time for everyone to recharge and pursue interests outside of work means we are more efficient with our time and productivity during work hours. For founders seeking balance, I strongly recommend establishing one non-negotiable practice that protects your personal time, as it signals to both yourself and your team that sustainable success requires intentional breaks.
Duane Coker, Attorney & Founding Shareholder,Coker, Robb, and Cannon, Family Lawyers
Limit Appointments for Meaningful Patient Care
When I started my business, my vision was clear. I wanted to offer personalized care that felt different from the larger, busier clinics I knew so well. With over 20 years of experience behind me, I understood the value of quality over quantity. In those early days, I carefully limited the number of daily appointments so I could spend meaningful time with each patient. This not only gave me the chance to really connect and build trust with each person but also helped me manage my workload.
I always advise other founders to keep their work and personal lives separate. It’s all too easy to let work consume all your hours, especially in the early days. But setting aside time for yourself, whether it’s for a workout, your hobbies, or just to unplug from emails, is all really important. It has been important for my own health and has played a key part in the success of my practice.
Dr Susan Binder, Owner & Dermatologist,Binder Dermatology
Treat Sleep as Your Entrepreneurial Superpower
I believe that starting a company is like having a really demanding pet that needs attention all the time. In the beginning, I worked way too much and forgot to take care of myself; I thought I had to work 24/7 to make my business successful.
But I learned some important things:
1. Work-Life Balance: I created some boundaries for myself like, “No work emails after 8 PM,” and, “Sundays are family days.” I felt guilty not working, but in reality, being overwhelmed and having to work longer hours only brought poor outcomes for my business.
I personally found that scheduling personal “meetings” during these times also proved to be effective. I started treating “go for a walk” reminders in my calendar the same as important business meetings.
2. My Best Self-Care Tip: Sleep is your superpower. When you lack sleep, everything becomes harder, including being a positive person and making decisions. I once thought sleeping was wasting time, but I soon realized it helped me.
Also, I was able to refuse things that I didn’t consider a valuable use of my time. This doesn’t mean saying “no” just because somebody wants to meet.
3. The Big Lesson: Self-care is not a vice; it is a smart business decision. Self-care will lead to feeling good and making better decisions for your company. Your startup needs a clear mind that’s fresh and healthy, not tired and burned out.
Always remember: building a business is a marathon, not a sprint. You need to pace yourself to last the whole race.
Maria Gonella, Managing Partner,Quantum Jobs USA
