The Diary of a CEO podcast - hosted on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google podcasts - has quickly become one of the most insightful and engaging podcasts across all platforms.
Steven Barlett, the creator, started at just 18 years of age. He rapidly grew an empire that shared wisdom on life, relationships, money, and, primarily, business.
His podcasts have featured some of the best - one of his recent podcasts starred Nick Cannon. He explained how he 'accidentally' started a 1.3 billion dollar business through his show Wild 'N Out.
The podcast has featured inspiring entrepreneurs - from Richard Branson to Brian Chesky, the founder of AirBnb. What do these great minds all comment on? The trials and tribulations of growing and running a business. Rarely do they speak of the beauty of success.
Below, we'll take snippets of the podcast and talk about how these masterminds turned trouble into triumph - and how you can, too.
You Have To Get Back Up Again
One resounding comment is this - you have to get back up again. We dare you to find one entrepreneur who hasn't had a setback. Financial, growth, and personal all resonate when trying to grow a business. Richard Branson, during his interview with The Diary of a CEO, spoke about the numerous times his businesses failed. Virgin Cola, for example, which debuted in 1994, didn't debut for long, put it that way.
Financial setbacks and business failures are almost guaranteed, but what's interesting is most CEOs on the podcast talk about the dark, lonely moments - Brian Chesky goes into great detail on the topic. One study revealed that 49% of business owners are experiencing mental health problems and find themselves turning to information on the grow therapy reviews for mental health, mental health support websites, and therapists.
The Pressure Of Running A Business
The pressure of running an SME is substantial, but the pressure of running a multi-million or billion-dollar international business is astronomical. Hundreds of employees on the payroll, multiple side investments, endless meetings - there's no end. It's a schedule crammed with business operations that can be overwhelming.
That's why you'll find many CEOs suffer from sleep deprivation - a McKinsey interview revealed that 43% of business owners don't get enough sleep each night. With that comes a reduced focus level and inability to make decisions.
The Personal Toll
All that adds up to the personal toll. Endless nights sleep, neglected family life, a neglected social life - all at the expense of running a growing empire. Another interesting point noted by many of the CEOs on the podcast is a breakdown in marriage or friendships - the statistics show that the divorce rate amongst entrepreneurs is 43% to 48%. Work takes precedence, and so the rest of life's luxuries slip away.
Is It All Worth It?
Some will say yes. Some will say no. If the goal is to build a successful empire, and that's the gratification someone needs from life, then yes. But if the expense is everything else that's good about life, then perhaps there's an element of regret - a subject highlighted in some podcast episodes.