Aging & Burnout: How to Thrive as a Female Founder/CEO
Finding success as a startup founder is a challenge for anyone, but women face even greater headwinds on the journey to success. It starts with money. According to the January Ventures Founder Survey, for every $1 men raise at the early stage, women raise just $0.37 (and black women raise an average of $0.02!).
Funding challenges aside, the journey to startup success demands personal sacrifices, but none more so than women. And the toll is clear: “34% of female founders reported burnout in 2022, compared to 20% of male founders,” [1].
What does science say about burnout? How can the latest research help us become our best CEO selves? Let’s dive in!
First, the truth of burnout
Stress is not inherently bad and doesn’t always lead to burnout. The key to avoiding burnout is balancing stressors so that you are motivated to improve without feeling like you’re drowning. In my executive coaching practice, I draw on constructive developmental theory, where this concept is referred to as “optimal conflict.” If you have worked in education then you may recognize this concept as the “productive struggle.”
Optimal conflict is “the repetitive experience of frustration that forces us to contact our growing edge while providing enough support that we do not become overwhelmed, but also cannot escape the discomfort,” [2]. In other words our growth is maximized when we find that sweet spot of being challenged while feeling supported.
The second truth of burnout
Working through challenges where we learn, adapt and grow is the path to becoming our greatest self. When we welcome challenges as a trusted teacher, we increase our capacity to perform. Challenge becomes our partner in this dance on the razor’s edge of personal growth.
How can women safely dance on the razor's edge of their personal growth without falling into the abyss of burnout?
#1 Tip: Create boundaries
If you are a woman at the helm of your company, then you are likely hard working, results-oriented, and high functioning. But is it possible you are overfunctioning? How many times do you hear, “You should delegate more!” or, “You have too many direct reports!” or, “You need a team asap.”?
According to Terri Cole, psychotherapist and author of Boundary Boss, “Overfunctioning is taking on too much responsibility. This can look like doing things for others they can and should be doing for themselves. It’s volunteering and doing things people aren’t asking you to do. There is a compulsion to provide value and to secure your worthiness by going above and beyond within your relationships,” [3].
Sound familiar? Well, what can you do about it right now? Identify some simple boundaries you could implement by reflecting on these questions:
What are you doing for others that they should be doing themselves? This can relate to how you divide childcare activities at home as well as how you’re delegating work to your team.
What does support look like to you?
When was the last time you directly communicated your preferences and needs to those around you?
What are you continuing to tolerate?
#2 Tip: Invest in your health
Lucky for us longevity research has uncovered numerous scientifically-backed methods for improving your overall healthspan, which means you can live better longer.
Consider incorporating some of these into your morning or evening ritual for optimal performance and healthy aging:
Get better sleep by taking a hot bath / hot tub soak (104.9°F) or sitting in a sauna (176°F) for 20-30 minutes an hour or two before bedtime [4].
Take a break from breakfast - fasting not only improves overall body composition but also triggers the activation of biochemical processes and signaling pathways that slows aging [5].
Want the benefits of prolonged fasting without changing your mealtimes? Consider experimenting with a supplement like Mimio Health that contains 4 synergistic metabolites that are known to be upregulated after prolonged fasting - PEA, OEA, Spermidine, and Nicotinamide [6].
Take an icy dip to reduce inflammation! Chronic inflammation is a key driver of the aging process and is associated with many age-related diseases, including arthritis [7].
#3 Tip: Find your joy
Given your busy schedule and endless list of to do’s you may not be making time to care for your own health. Whether you feel overly responsible for the success of your business or guilty about taking time away from your family, you still need to take care of YOU.
Be intentional about carving out some solo time where you can play and rediscover the joy in life. Consider the following prompts to help you identify what “me time” might look like:
What are activities that leave me feeling rejuvenated and energized? I classify napping as an activity, hint hint.
What am I not giving myself permission to enjoy?
What is something that I have always wanted to learn? Is there a class I could sign up for?
Which friends really make me feel seen and supported? How can I connect with them more often?
In the challenging world of startup entrepreneurship, women face greater obstacles, including funding disparities and higher rates of burnout. However, scientific research provides valuable insights for women to navigate these challenges and thrive as successful CEOs. By balancing stress, embracing challenges as opportunities for growth, setting boundaries and investing in their health and joy, women can overcome obstacles while leading full lives and successful startup ventures.
Victoria is a Product Strategy & Leadership Coach with 14 years of experience in corporate America, spanning from industrial powerhouses to agile startups. With a background in biomedical engineering, Victoria’s expertise include med device sales, health tech marketing, and full lifecycle product management. As an operator-turned-coach, Victoria excels at guiding leaders of early growth stage startups in the med device, health tech and pharma industries.
References
https://www.january.ventures/_files/ugd/8d7061_91af48de61594b99b1006d37aff09900.pdf
Kegan, R., & Lahey, L. L. (2009). Immunity to change. Harvard Business Review Press, p 54-55.
Cole, T. (2021). Boundary boss: the essential guide to talk true, be seen, and (finally) live free. Boulder, Colorado, Sounds True.
https://www.foundmyfitness.com/episodes/heat-therapy-slow-wave-sleep
Stadler, Julia T.; Kolesnik, Ewald; Tadic, Jelena; Stekovic, Slaven; Tripolt, Norbert; Aon, Miguel A., et al. (2019). Alternate Day Fasting Improves Physiological And Molecular Markers Of Aging In Healthy, Non-obese Humans Cell Metabolism 30, 3.
C. Rhodes, et al. Human fasting modulates macrophage function and upregulates multiple bioactive metabolites that extend lifespan in C elegans: a pilot clinical study, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Volume 117, Issue 2, 2023, Pages 286-297, ISSN 0002-9165, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajcnut.2022.10.015.
Arai Y; Martin-Ruiz CM; Takayama M; Abe Y; Takebayashi T; Koyasu S, et al. (2015). Inflammation, But Not Telomere Length, Predicts Successful Ageing at Extreme Old Age: A Longitudinal Study of Semi-supercentenarians. EBioMedicine 2, 10.
