June 2025

IBM first used the phrase “new-collar jobs” in 2018 to describe roles where degrees are optional, and instead emphasize skills, certifications, or on-the-job training. These careers, such as a sales engineer or marketing manager, often put practical skills above formal education. And according to new data, the jobs can pay quite well.

Resume Genius recently released a report highlighting the highest-paying new-collar jobs, based on an analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data, automation risk scores from the third-party tool “Will Robots Take My Job?“, and job listings on Indeed to determine if the roles offered remote or hybrid work. The jobs were selected for their high pay (median salary of at least $100,000), absence of a four-year degree requirement, availability of remote or hybrid work, and having less than a 50% chance of being automated by AI.

Related: These Are the 10 Highest-Paying Jobs With the Lowest Stress, According to a New Report

“New-collar roles challenge the idea that a degree is the only path to success,” stated Eva Chan, career expert at Resume Genius, in an email. “By showcasing practical skills, a portfolio of work, or even strong referrals, people can build meaningful, well-paying careers without racking up more student debt or spending years in school.”

While landing a new collar job can be different than a traditional white-collar job, which usually requires a four-year degree, or a blue-collar job, which can involve physical labor with specific skill sets, candidates set themselves up for success when applying to new-collar jobs by earning certifications that match the job, freelancing to gain a strong portfolio of work and exposure, and networking.

Here are the top 10 best-paying, new-collar jobs for 2025, according to Resume Genius.

1. Marketing manager

• Median annual salary: $159,660
• Estimated job growth (2023–2033): 8%
• AI job takeover risk: 39%

2. Human resources manager

• Median annual salary: $140,030
• Estimated job growth (2023–2033): 6%
• AI job takeover risk: 24%

3. Sales manager

• Median annual salary: $138,060
• Estimated job growth (2023–2033): 6%
• AI job takeover risk: 33%

4. Computer network architect

• Median annual salary: $130,390
• Estimated job growth (2023–2033): 13%
• AI job takeover risk: 39%

5. General and operations manager

• Median annual salary: $129,330
• Estimated job growth (2023–2033): 6%
• AI job takeover risk: 36%

6. Information security analyst

• Median annual salary: $124,910
• Estimated job growth (2023–2033): 33%
• AI job takeover risk: 49%

7. Sales engineer

• Median annual salary: $121,520
• Estimated job growth (2023–2033): 6%
• AI job takeover risk: 38%

8. Health services manager

• Median annual salary: $117,960
• Estimated job growth (2023–2033): 29%
• AI job takeover risk: 26%

9. Art director

• Median annual salary: $111,040
• Estimated job growth (2023–2033): 5%
• AI job takeover risk: 34%

10. Construction manager

• Median annual salary: $106,980
• Estimated job growth (2023–2033): 9%
• AI job takeover risk: 13%

Click here for the full report.

Running more than one business can be both rewarding and demanding. For some entrepreneurs, multiple ventures offer financial security, diversification and more space for growth. For others, it introduces complications that affect focus, decision-making and long-term performance.

This article breaks down the real pros and cons of managing more than one business at a time, with an emphasis on sustainability, opportunity cost and operational clarity.

Related: How to Successfully Run Multiple Businesses

Advantages of running multiple businesses

1. Risk diversification

Even if one business faces market disruptions, the other could remain stable or prosper. This creates a cushion that protects overall income and investment. It can also reduce exposure to sector-specific issues by diversifying the industry and customer base. However, it should be noted that decentralized investment does not eliminate risk, but only diversifies risk. It works best when the businesses are structurally different and serve different markets.

2. Multiple sources of income

The clear benefit of running multiple businesses is earning revenue from multiple sources. It can be useful during seasonal fluctuations or when certain industries are sluggish.

By implementing an appropriate system, you can fund one business with income from another business, and you can create an independent loop to strengthen financial stability. However, this only works if each business has a sound cash flow and does not depend on other businesses.

3. Broader network and market reach

By owning multiple businesses, of course, you will contact various customers, suppliers and collaborators. There is a chance that numerous networks will be established throughout the industry, helping you form new alliances and unlock possibilities that wouldn’t be possible with just one business.

This exposure also helps you notice trends sooner than your colleagues and be more informed in your decision-making.

4. Strategic synergies (when businesses are aligned)

Businesses that share resources, such as teams, tools, and physical spaces, may benefit from cost savings and efficiency improvements. For example, media companies and consulting companies can share management support, marketing activities and back-end systems under the same ownership.

In such cases, if roles are clearly defined and business boundaries are respected, they can support each other and improve overall outcomes.

5. Increased learning curve and perspective

The lessons each business teaches are different. What I learned from one business may help me to predict issues in another business and find new opportunities. By touching various problems, judgment might be improved, and a better system may be built over time.

However, not everyone at the same time has a wide field of view and clear mental power to absorb lessons from many perspectives, especially during times of stress and change.

Related: 5 Ways to Manage Multiple Ventures for Maximum Success

Disadvantages of running multiple businesses

1. Time and energy spread thin

Managing multiple businesses means more deadlines, staff, financial reports and unexpected issues. Unless each business is highly structured and supported by independent leadership, your attention will be distributed.

Even if you have plenty of experience, attention is a finite resource. Continuous switching between operations will impair clarity, affect the quality of decision making and delay execution.

Time is not just about hours; it’s about how much focus you can dedicate where it matters most.

2. Operational complexity increases

As business increases, logistics becomes more complex. Payroll, taxes, customer service and relationships with vendors all scale up. Even if there is automation or expert help, important decisions and strategies must be supervised.

Something that is often overlooked is that small problems later develop into major problems, especially if they are not deeply involved in daily processes.

3. Financial pressure can multiply

The fact that there are multiple sources of income seems to be a strength, but the growth of each business usually requires capital. Once a business is stuck in a financial position, it is often tempted to raise funds from a healthy business. If such habits continue for a long time, both businesses will be at risk.

In addition, it becomes difficult to manage the credit frame, taxes and accounting between businesses. Especially when ownership and debt are duplicated.

4. Talent management becomes harder

Hiring and securing the right people is critical. If you run multiple companies, it may be difficult to give the necessary consideration to each team. The ability to guide staff, solve internal problems and align employees with the company’s direction may decline as your involvement grows.

Even if you hire an excellent manager, leadership needs monitoring. Without a clear understanding of what is happening in the field, corporate culture may deteriorate and morale may decline.

5. Brand dilution and strategic confusion

If your name or presence is closely related to all businesses, your personal brand may become unclear. This can confuse customers, partners and investors. Moreover, if your businesses have conflicting messages or unrelated missions, people may question your priorities. Inconsistent branding can also affect how the media, potential clients or acquirers view your portfolio.

Related: How to Split Your Time Effectively Across Multiple Companies

When it makes sense to run multiple businesses

• You’ve built one strong, self-sustaining business: A mature business with reliable processes and capable leadership frees up time to pursue other interests responsibly.

• You have distinct skill sets and structures in place: If your second business draws on a different team or niche that doesn’t conflict with your first, you’ll reduce the chance of overload.

• You treat each business as its own entity: Having separate KPIs, budgets and accountability structures ensures clarity and helps avoid internal confusion or resource drift.

• You’re willing to say “no.” Not every idea deserves its own business. The ability to walk away from a new opportunity is a sign that you have control, not the other way around.

Running more than one business isn’t a badge of honor — it’s a serious commitment with real trade-offs. You must be willing to invest time, build a system and clearly identify where your attention is going. Clarity is more valuable than activity. Whether you run one company or multiple companies, the most important thing is that each one operates with a purpose and consistency.

Demis Hassabis, the 48-year-old CEO of Google’s AI research division DeepMind, isn’t concerned about AI taking over jobs.

Instead, he’s worried about two things: bad actors using AI technology, and a lack of protective measures to keep autonomous AI models in check.

Related: These Are AI’s ‘Most Obvious’ Risks, According to Google’s Former CEO

“Both of those risks are important, challenging ones,” Hassabis told CNN this week.

Hassabis, who won the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for co-creating an AI program that predicted protein structures, said he was worried about the possibility of humans misusing artificial general intelligence that matches or surpasses human intelligence.

He thinks there should be an international agreement to ensure that AI is only utilized for good, especially as it advances and becomes more powerful.

“How do we restrict access to these systems, powerful systems, to bad actors… but enable good actors to do many, many amazing things with it?” Hassabis questioned, per CNN.

^{Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis. Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images for SXSW London}

Criminals are already using AI to clone voices and impersonate people through deepfake phone scams. Hackers are also using AI to generate articles with false or misleading information. NewsGuard has identified over 1,200 AI-generated news sites spewing out false information with little human oversight.

As AI becomes more sophisticated, Hassabis says that the technology will result in a “huge amount of change” to the workforce. But instead of mass layoffs and unemployment, Hassabis posits it will create “new, even better jobs.”

Related: These 3 Professions Are Most Likely to Vanish in the Next 20 Years Due to AI, According to a New Report

Other CEOs predict AI could cut jobs

Another AI CEO, Anthropic’s 42-year-old Dario Amodei, had a starker prediction. Amodei told Axios last week that AI had the potential to wipe out half of all entry-level, white-collar jobs within the next one to five years. He predicted that unemployment would rise to up to 20% as white-collar workers struggled to find work.

Amodei stated that AI would impact entry-level roles in industries like finance, technology, and law and said that most employees will not understand the danger posed by AI until they have lost their jobs to it.

In finance, company executives plan to cut 3% of their workforce within the next five years due to AI, per a January Bloomberg Intelligence report. That means 200,000 Wall Street jobs are at risk.

Meanwhile, tech CEOs are already turning to AI to write code. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in April that he expects AI to write half of Meta’s code by next year, while Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Google CEO Sundar Pichai said in the same month that about 30% of new code at their companies was AI-generated.

As for law, venture capital investor Victor Lazarte, general partner at VC firm Benchmark, says AI is “fully replacing people” in the profession. In an April episode of the podcast “The Twenty Minute VC,” Lazarte predicted that AI will be able to take over the busy work in law usually completed by recent graduates within the next three years.

Related: ‘Fully Replacing People’: A Tech Investor Says These Two Professions Should Be the Most Wary of AI Taking Their Jobs

Reddit filed a lawsuit against AI startup Anthropic on Wednesday, alleging that the $61.5 billion startup used its site as training grounds for AI models without permission.

In the 42-page complaint, which was filed in Northern California court on Wednesday, Reddit claimed that Anthropic violated Reddit’s user agreement by using the site’s data for commercial purposes. Anthropic has allegedly been training its AI models on posts made by Reddit users without their consent.

Related: ‘Faster, Smarter, and More Relevant’: Reddit Tests AI That Combs the Site For You

According to TechCrunch, the lawsuit marks the first time a big tech company has legally challenged an AI startup over the material it uses to train AI models.

“We will not tolerate profit-seeking entities like Anthropic commercially exploiting Reddit content for billions of dollars without any return for redditors or respect for their privacy,” Reddit’s chief legal officer Ben Lee told TechCrunch in a statement.

Meanwhile, in an emailed statement to CNBC, an Anthropic spokesperson stated, “We disagree with Reddit’s claims and will defend ourselves vigorously.”

In July 2024, Reddit CEO Steve Huffman called out Anthropic, Microsoft, and Perplexity for unauthorizedly scraping the site for training data, and an Anthropic spokesperson assured Reddit that it had stopped. However, since then, Reddit claims to have registered that Anthropic’s bots have crawled its site over 100,000 times, per the complaint.

^{Reddit co-founder and CEO Steve Huffman. Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images}

Other companies are using Reddit data for AI training, but only after signing formal agreements with the company. Reddit struck a $60 million licensing deal with Google in February 2024, which allowed Google to train its Gemini AI on Reddit data. Reddit inked a similar contract with OpenAI in May 2024, so the ChatGPT-maker can refine its AI models from Reddit posts.

In the lawsuit against Anthropic, Reddit wrote that OpenAI and Google “are permitted to use public Reddit content but only after agreeing to Reddit’s licensing terms,” which include provisions to protect user privacy. Anthropic has not agreed to any terms and is using the site’s data without permission, Reddit claims.

Related: The Reddit Co-Founders Faced a Transformative Rejection in College — Here’s How They Bounced Back to Start a $6.5 Billion Business

Reddit has over 100 million daily active users across hundreds of thousands of subreddit communities, per the complaint. The company said the purpose of the lawsuit is to seek damages. It’s asking for a jury trial.

Reddit went public in March 2024 and is valued at over $21 billion at the time of writing.

Investing doesn’t start with your first transaction — it begins much earlier. From defining the types of investments you’re interested in to setting clear financial goals, the early stages are critical. Investing can be complex and time-intensive, especially when deciding where to place your capital. That’s why having a thoughtful, informed strategy from the outset is so important: it ensures your investments are purposeful and aligned with your longterm vision.

Before you commit any resources, take the time to craft a strategy that reflects your goals, values and risk tolerance. A structured approach not only reduces unnecessary risk but also clarifies why you’re investing and how each decision supports the bigger picture. This clarity transforms your investment approach from reactive to intentional.

As an entrepreneur, I’ve refined my own investment strategy over time. It’s diverse by design, built to support both my financial goals and my broader mission. If you’re wondering how to figure out where your own investments should go, here are four actionable steps to help guide your placement strategy:

1. Define your investment goals

Start by asking yourself: What do I want my investments to achieve? Are you aiming for longterm wealth, social impact, business expansion or a mix of these? Knowing what success looks like will shape how much you invest, when and where.

Consider the types of investments that resonate most—whether that’s equity, partnerships, philanthropic initiatives, or ventures tied to innovation. Aligning your goals with your core values will not only give you direction but also help you stay committed when markets shift.

Related: How to Diversify Your Business Interests

2. Choose your asset allocation strategy

Asset allocation — how you distribute your investments across asset classes — is central to managing risk and return. The main categories include equities, fixed income and cash or cash equivalents. Each has different risk profiles and growth potential.

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach. My own strategy, for example, spans three buckets: equity and business investments, partnerships and strategic collaborations and philanthropic efforts. This setup works for me because I prioritize both financial returns and impact. A significant portion of my portfolio supports global health, education, and sustainability initiatives.

A thoughtful allocation plan helps you stay balanced, even when the markets aren’t.

3. Diversify strategically

Diversification is a time-tested way to reduce risk. If one sector dips, others can help offset the loss. But meaningful diversification goes beyond spreading your investments — it requires research and intention.

Dig into each opportunity. Understand the potential returns, risks, and how each fits into your broader strategy. For me, diversification also means staying engaged with sectors I care deeply about, like innovation, wellness and climate-conscious enterprises. This keeps my portfolio resilient and aligned with my values.

Related: The Importance of Portfolio Diversification for Your Investments

4. Stay adaptable

Your investment strategy should evolve with you. As your goals, interests and the economic landscape shift, so should your allocations.

I regularly revisit my portfolio with a few key questions: How are my current investments performing? Do they still reflect my vision? Are there new opportunities I should explore? Lately, I’ve been diving deeper into wellness and sustainable living, especially in high-quality nutraceuticals and biohacking. Those shifts came from staying curious and being willing to pivot when the time felt right.

Deciding where to place your investments is one of the most important steps in your investing journey. Laying a solid foundation early on helps you navigate growth, risk, and market shifts with confidence. And remember, your strategy isn’t permanent—it’s a living framework that should adapt as you and the world around you evolve. Stay informed, stay connected, and above all, stay intentional. Your future self will thank you.

Today’s SME management operates in an environment where business opportunities are spreading outside the city. Access to online tools and platforms makes the selling process very easy across borders. But is it meaningful just because it is possible?

Is it always the right action to enter the international market, or does staying local lead to more sustainable success? It’s not just ambition to choose between domestic and global markets. You need to fully understand the resources you have, the nature of the services you provide and the complexity associated with scaling up.

In this article, we will justify the choices between them, backed by actual data, for the founders and decision-makers of SMEs.

Related: Should You Go Global, or Consolidate Locally?

Defining local and global market focus

Before entering the analysis, it is important to define the meaning of local and global markets:

• A local market is a region where a business is being developed (city, county, region, etc.).

• Global markets mean expanding business across borders and selling products and services internationally.

Each direction requires a different way of thinking, infrastructure and strategy.

The case for staying local

Doing business within the local market can provide clarity and concentration. SMEs often succeed by being rooted in the region and responding to known customer behavior.

Advantages:

• Familiarity and relationships: Local businesses have the advantage of knowing their customer base personally. Face-to-face exchanges enable the establishment of trust, which is difficult to reproduce in international transactions. This familiarity reduces friction in marketing and service delivery.

• Operational efficiency: There’s no need to control customs regulations, international taxes, language barriers, foreign exchange, etc. This ensures consistent quality and rapid service.

• Reduced financial risk: Usually, there is less capital investment required for local growth. There is no need to invest money into translation services, overseas transportation infrastructure or international legal advice.

• Supportive ecosystem: Most governments and municipalities offer grants and tax relief to companies that fit local demand.

Disadvantages:

• Limited market size: Unless you develop a new customer base or diversify your offerings, the growth of your local business is likely to hit a wall.

• Susceptibility to regional fluctuations: A slump in the local economy (such as the closure of key employers) can affect consumer consumption patterns and sales.

• Higher dependence on repeat buyers: A low population makes it difficult to get new clients.

The case for going global

Crossing borders can bring great opportunities, but there are also several downsides you need to be aware of.

Advantages:

• Greater revenue potential: International markets provide access to millions more customers, which boosts revenue potential.

• Economic diversification: By selling in multiple countries, you can play the role of a buffer. Even if one region faces a recession, demand in another region can stabilize overall income.

• Market demand for niche products: Depending on the product, you can find niche attractions that do not exist overseas. For example, handmade products, special foods and local designs may be more appreciated in overseas markets.

Disadvantages:

• Complex regulations: Export regulations, taxes and various legal frameworks increase entry barriers.

• Shipping and fulfillment challenges: International shipping requires detailed planning, in some cases third-party fulfillment services, increasing costs and risks.

• Cultural missteps: Marketing campaigns and product positioning need to be adapted to different markets. Even if it works well in the United States, it may not work in other countries.

Related: Small, Local Businesses Have a Competitive Advantage Over the Amazons and Ubers of the World, According to a New Report

Hybrid strategy: Local foundation, global growth

Some of the most successful SMEs start from a local footprint and expand globally in stages. This approach builds stability before being exposed to complex environments. Examples include:

• Ben & Jerry’s: Started as a small ice cream parlor operating from a renovated gas station in Burlington, Vermont. The company now does business all around the world.

• Allbirds: Initially targeting local customers in New Zealand, the international fulfillment center was deployed after verifying product demand.

Through a phased approach, there is room to test logistics, understand regulatory compliance and gradually build infrastructure.

Key considerations before expanding

Business owners should evaluate the following when considering options:

Product suitability:

• Is the product or service universal?

• Do I need to consider compliance with labeling, safety standards, intellectual property laws, etc?

Infrastructure readiness:

• Can current logistics and fulfillment systems meet international demand?

• Do you have a local partner or agency that can support global initiatives?

Financial and human capital:

• Is there any cash flow or funds required for business expansion?

• Does the team have the ability to manage complex issues such as language, time difference and global customer support?

When local wins

The local market is often best for:

• Service businesses (barber shop, electrician, consultant, etc.)

• Regulated products (e.g., pharmaceuticals)

• Companies with limited management resources and strict cash flow

When global is worth the risk

Here’s when you should consider global expansion:

• You’re already in international demand due to online sales and organic sales.

• You have strong operational support (logistics, customs, fulfillment partners).

• Entering the growing international sector (e.g., educational software, special food).

Related: 6 Obstacles of Expanding Your Company Internationally — and How to Overcome Them.

There is no universal answer to which SMEs should aim for local or global markets. Both paths have attractive advantages and notable risks. The decision requires a clear understanding of the company’s business model, customer and ability to manage complexity.

The most important thing is not to scale up, but to grow strategically — in line with purpose, ability and long-term vision. In some cases, there may be more lasting value in staying small and concentrating on the local area than in quickly expanding into international markets. Also, global thinking can draw real momentum if done carefully and accurately.

Dave’s Hot Chicken, which began in 2017, announced on Monday that it was acquired by private equity firm (and Subway owner) Roark Capital in a $1 billion deal.

The chicken shop, which specializes in a hot, Nashville-style of the bird, expects to open 155 locations this year and end 2025 with 400 restaurants worldwide, according to a press release.

Not bad for a company that began with a group of childhood friends in an East Hollywood, California, parking lot.

Related: ‘It Was Like a Drug’: How Dave’s Hot Chicken Grew a Cult Following From a Parking Lot

“This is one of the great entrepreneurial journeys of our time, and now we begin the next chapter in the story,” said Bill Phelps, Dave’s Hot Chicken’s CEO, in a press release. “Our entire organization is excited about the fit between Dave’s Hot Chicken and Roark, and we’re looking forward to continuing to blow our guests’ minds and unlocking growth and value for our franchise partners.”

According to data from Placer.ai, “Big Chicken” is on the up, and Dave’s Hot Chicken was the leader of the flock, with the “most significant” year-over-year visit growth (67.2% in Q4 2024 and 60.0% in Q1 2025) of all the chicken chains, including Huey Magoo’s, Super Chix, and Raising Cane’s.

Dave Kopushyan, the “Dave” in the name, is one of the founders and the chef who began slinging the now-famous hot chicken using portable fryers and folding tables. He told Entrepreneur in 2022 that the company’s fast success is making them work even harder.

“You just have to be present for all of it,” Kopushyan said. “And you have to believe in your product and use that motivation to keep going.”

Related: Private Equity Giant Blackstone Acquires Jersey Mike’s Subs for $8 Billion

In 2019, Dave’s began franchising, and the company says it has sold the rights to more than 1,000 locations in the U.S., the Middle East, and Canada.

Roark is based in Atlanta and specializes in franchised businesses, per the AP. It purchased Subway sandwiches in 2023 and backs a slew of restaurant chains, from Jimmy John’s to Jamba Juice.

^{Dave’s Hot Chicken Sliders – Courtesy of Dave’s Hot Chicken}

Morgan Stanley built its in-house AI tool to tackle a difficult coding problem: reworking old legacy code into more updated coding languages.

Morgan Stanley introduced the AI tool, which is based on OpenAI’s GPT models, in January, per The Wall Street Journal. The tool, called DevGen.AI, translates code in older languages, such as Perl (released in 1987), into plain English, which developers can then use as a basis for rewriting the code into newer languages like Python.

Related: Amazon Cloud CEO Predicts a Future Where Most Software Engineers Don’t Code — and AI Does It Instead

Mike Pizzi, Morgan Stanley’s global head of technology and operations, told WSJ that in the five months since its launch, DevGen.AI has worked through nine million lines of code, saving the firm’s 15,000 developers roughly 280,000 hours of work.

Pizzi said that Morgan Stanley opted to build the tool itself because tech companies didn’t have any solutions that could fit Morgan Stanley’s exact specifications. Commercial tools lacked expertise in deciphering older coding languages, especially those specific to a company.

“We found that building it ourselves gave us certain capabilities that we’re not really seeing in some of the commercial products,” Pizzi told WSJ. “We saw the opportunity to get the jump early.”

Related: Morgan Stanley Plans to Lay Off 2,000 Workers, Replacing Some with AI

Morgan Stanley trained DevGen.AI on languages within its own code base, including languages customized for the company. However, the AI tool still has growing to do when it comes to full translation. Though the tool can, in theory, rewrite code from an older language to a newer one, it doesn’t know how to write the new code efficiently or as well as a human developer, Pizzi said.

That’s why Morgan Stanley is keeping human developers involved in the process of translating old or legacy code to new languages. Pizzi disclosed that the firm will not be reducing its software engineering workforce as a result of the AI tool, though the company did lay off 2,000 of its 80,000-person workforce in March.

Morgan Stanley has released several AI apps for employees, including one that helps them summarize video meetings and another that quickly finds information for them from the company’s body of research.

Morgan Stanley CEO Ted Pick told investors last year that the AI tools could save employees up to 15 hours per week and be “potentially really game-changing,” per Reuters.

I recently came across a job ad from a boutique U.S. agency that read:

“If you prefer a clock-in, clock-out mentality, we’re not a good fit,” and
“Specific work hours don’t matter when you’re hungry to grow.”

I’ve been around the block enough to know what that really means: long hours, weekend emails and a blurred line between work and everything else.

We like to believe we’ve moved past hustle culture and into the era of workplace wellness. But job postings like this prove many employers are still selling burnout, just wrapped in the language of “ambition.”

I’ve lived both versions of the founder journey: the always-on grind and the wellness-first rebuild. I know exactly what the hustle takes from you — and how small, intentional changes can help you feel better, lead better and build a business that doesn’t burn you out.

Related: Don’t Underestimate The Importance of Employee Well-being. Your Business Will Suffer The Most

When hustle becomes your identity

And why is that a problem?

Startup culture glorifies the idea that more hours equals more achievement. And sure, early wins feel good — that dopamine hit keeps us grinding. Until one day, the hustle is your identity.

In the early days of my company, I lived by this mantra: “If you’re heading home and your competitor’s lights are still on — turn around.” It worked. We scaled from three scrappy founders to a global team of 500. But eventually, I realized: if I didn’t put my team’s wellbeing first, we wouldn’t last. Playing the long game takes more than stamina — it takes sustainability.

The data backs this up. In a recent survey of 138 startup founders, over half reported experiencing burnout in the past year. Two-thirds had seriously considered walking away from the very companies they built. That’s not grit — it’s a system failure.

Even high-profile success stories aren’t immune. Take Loom co-founder Vinay Hiremath. After helping scale the company to a near-billion-dollar exit, he admitted: “I am rich and I have no idea what to do with my life.” His solution? Jump back into hustle culture — because it’s the only thing he knows.

Burnout is a silent epidemic. The World Health Organization formally recognized it as an “occupational phenomenon” in 2019. It rarely makes headlines, but it robs us of focus, clear decisions, and, ultimately, the longevity of the businesses we’re building.

Related: 5 Leadership Strategies That Actually Prevent Employee Burnout

What I did to break the cycle

Health fuels performance — and it starts with you.

When leaders are well-rested and engaged, everything works better: decision-making, team morale, product velocity. And it’s not just a feel-good theory. A 2024 Gallup study of 183,000 businesses across 90 countries found that prioritizing employee wellbeing is a business advantage. Here’s what they found:

• 78% less absenteeism
• Up to 51% lower employee turnover
• 32% fewer errors and defects
• Up to 20% higher productivity
• 23% greater profitability

These results aren’t magic — they’re the compounding effect of cultural choices. And those choices start at the top.

For me, the turning point was simple: I got tired of being tired. I shifted from obsessing over hustle to building a rhythm that supported performance and wellbeing.

Here’s how that looked:

• I set hard boundaries on work hours. I used to wear 14–16 hour days like a badge of honor. But after 8 p.m., I’d spend twice as long on basic tasks. Now, I aim to wrap by 6:30 p.m., which forces better focus— and leaves energy for life outside work.
• I prioritized consistency over hacks. No detoxes or cold plunges. Just a steady rhythm of short breaks between meetings to stretch, breathe, and reset. It keeps mental fatigue from building.
• I moved my body instead of chugging coffee. Short workouts replaced endless caffeine. Even a five-minute break helps reset my energy and cognition. Trying new sports also improved my mental flexibility in surprising ways.
• I let my mind wander on purpose. Some of my best ideas show up when I’m doing nothing—walking, meditating, or scribbling thoughts in a notebook.
• I protected my attention like it was my most valuable resource. Two hours of deep focus every day—no meetings, no multitasking — lets me explore ideas, shape strategy, and think long-term without working late.

And it wasn’t just about me. I brought wellness into our team culture with walking meetings, breathwork breaks and light-hearted wellness challenges. Because a business is only as healthy as the people building it — not just the founder.

Related: Why Being ‘Always On’ Is Killing Your Innovation, and How to Truly Disconnect

If you do just one thing — do this

Give yourself permission to fully disconnect. When you log off, really log off.

No weekend emails. No late-night Slack messages. Don’t say you have “limited access” in your out-of-office message. Say you’re offline — and mean it. That’s how you build a culture where rest is respected, not resented.

The truth is, I still struggle to fully clock out sometimes. When you’re building something you care about, it’s hard to let go. But if you want what you’re building to last, you have to protect the person building it — you. Wellness isn’t a retreat. It’s not a reward. It’s your foundation.

And if we want a new era of work, it starts with building companies where people thrive, not just survive.

It’s a natural instinct for woodpeckers to drill holes in trees primarily to search for food, create nesting cavities and communicate with others through drumming. Just like our feathered woodland friend, having that innate ability to peck away often against the odds is an ability that sets billionaires apart from regular entrepreneurs — and of course being okay with taking risks.

The “Inner Woodpecker” is like having a constant drive to achieve and never being satisfied with a one-off success. It’s that restless feeling that keeps you going, combined with emotional intelligence. The latter is super important for motivating others and handling complex relationships in business. It’s not just about being smart; it’s about understanding and managing your own and other people’s emotions. Like the woodpecker again, the overall endeavor is the development of a persuasive communication capability.

Related: 5 Ways to Master the Persistence That Makes a Great Entrepreneur

Criteria for a successful entrepreneur

I used to believe that anyone could gear themselves to become a successful entrepreneur who could manage large projects, even on a global scale. I later realized this is not the case. Those who possess the “Inner Woodpecker” have the distinct advantage of being consistent in their actions, having a persistent drive to achieve goals and exuding a constant restlessness where each success is merely a step toward the next. Now, it may emerge early or late, influenced by people, circumstances or even arise spontaneously — but without it, sustained success is impossible.

I also used to think that a high IQ was the primary distinguishing feature of successful people. Now, I would rank it third or fourth. You see, there are individuals with average analytical intelligence who achieve quite remarkable results. IQ is a characteristic that can be, well, hired. Charisma, communication skills and leadership qualities — these things that define emotional intelligence — can’t be easily brought or even bought in. It has to exist in the first place.

Large-scale projects necessarily involve a host of colleagues, and often, such individuals are complex beings, frequently demanding, and with their own interests and agendas. How good they are depends on just how motivated they are. Now, creating this motivation is a large part of one’s emotional intelligence.

Harness that emotional power

If things are structured in such a way that those involved feel content and upbeat, each in their own unique way, then valuable results will follow. In life in general, emotions are the most powerful drivers. They make humanity what it is.

There are those naturally gifted with emotional intelligence, while others have only the potential. If that potential exists, it can be developed, though to what extent depends on the person — which is why coaching is the most dependable and perhaps the only effective way to achieve it. And the best way to develop real skills is to learn them in real time, ideally with a guru-come-mentor.

So, what else makes successful entrepreneurs? Well, fortune favors those who can also combine analytical intelligence with creativity, as well as ingenuity and the ability to think outside of the box to solve matters and produce ideas. There is a common thread that runs through the career successes of many billionaires in that they all did well-known things, just much better than their competitors. In fact, very few invented something that was fundamentally new.

Related: Why Emotional Intelligence Is Crucial for Success (Infographic)

Taking risks

You can’t be an entrepreneur without a tolerance for risk. Business decisions involve taking risks, often many times a day. Playing it too safe can hold you back from big breakthroughs.

If you’re not a risk taker in business, instead always hedging against possible loss, you won’t achieve anything remarkable. Risk drives evolution. Business, as in sport, the sciences, creative fields and exploration, is one big contest with nature, fate, oneself and the revolving world around you. So, remember, there’s no competition without the risk of losing. It’s therefore not surprising that running a business is often compared to gambling, the odds often being completely unpredictable.

Stay patient and always keep your cool

Patience is crucial in emotional intelligence — that ability to build relationships step by step and guide your way through complex processes. Be prepared to wait. Getting worked up about things you can’t avoid or change gets you nowhere and only serves to drain your energy. If you are agitated, you see the world in a distorted way and when in that state, it becomes nearly impossible to fight effectively, let alone win.

It’s the same with handling losses. Losses are inevitable in business. It might be a small market fluctuation, a turn of weak management or maybe extra pressure from competitors and wham — suddenly you’re facing possible bankruptcy, and this can happen regardless of your knowledge or skills.

On the other hand, there are those who gain great riches by sheer luck but then fail to keep it because they don’t have the wherewithal to manage such situations. Money, wealth and runaway success invariably impact human nature. Having large sums of money increases psychological pressure and requires enormous willpower, which leads to more complex decision-making.

Related: How to Harness the Power of Patience to Be a Better Leader

Remember, sometimes you have to go down to come up again. There are valuable lessons to be learned from hitting rock bottom. That is, if you have a reasonable level of emotional and analytical intelligence and if that “Inner Woodpecker” in you keeps pounding away.

Personally, I never get upset over losses. I dismiss it as counterproductive and, instead, I analyze what went wrong, put the mental switch in the “on” position and move ahead. I even manage to source energy from failures, becoming angry at myself, and immediately start fighting for revanche.