Entrepreneurship is often framed as freedom, the ability to build on your own terms and create wealth through purpose.
But behind that dream lies constant pressure.
Recent research shows that nearly 9 in 10 entrepreneurs report struggling with at least one mental health challenge, and about half cite anxiety or burnout as their most common issue, according to Navigating Entrepreneurial Mental Health: Insights from the Trenches.
For Black founders, the stakes can feel even higher. The drive to succeed is often intertwined with the responsibility to represent, to create access, and to prove that ownership and innovation belong to us, too.
The Illusion of Hustle Culture
The startup world rewards nonstop momentum. We celebrate resilience but rarely rest. Yet burnout doesn’t discriminate by ambition level.
“Being a founder is all consuming for me,” says Anthony Furgeson, founder of LYC Pledge. “Trying to balance it with the rest of my life is a constant struggle. Timely breaks from the grind are a must. Also, you have to think about your why from time to time as well. For me, it brings comfort because I believe what I am building is worth the sacrifice.”
Abai Schulze, founder of ZAAF, shares a similar view. “I am actively seeking a balance between my responsibilities and personal well-being. While I acknowledge the notion that achieving a perfect equilibrium may be an elusive goal, I know I have to prioritize a good night’s sleep and exercise to stay sane and productive.”
These reflections mirror a growing movement among entrepreneurs who are redefining hustle not as relentless output, but as strategic endurance.
Insights from Navigating Entrepreneurial Mental Health: Insights from the Trenches also underscore this shift. The study found that 87.7 percent of entrepreneurs report struggling with at least one mental-health issue, with half citing anxiety as the most common.
These numbers suggest that burnout isn’t a personal failing—it’s a systemic byproduct of a culture that glorifies overwork and under-rest.
Success Redefined: Health as the Real ROI
A 2023 Startup Snapshot survey found that one in three founders considered shutting down their business due to burnout. The takeaway is clear: health isn’t a distraction from success, it’s a prerequisite.
“Building a first-of-its-kind ecosystem for Black hotel entrepreneurs requires both inspired action and intentional rest,” says S. Lovey Parker, Executive Director and Founder of the Black Hoteliers & Investors Association. “I’ve learned that growth needs space. Creativity flows when you honor stillness as much as strategy. Community and authentic connection remind me why this work exists, to create spaces that restore others, beginning with how we care for ourselves.”
That concept, that restoration fuels innovation, is becoming the new definition of balance for many founders.
Building With Intention
Founders are learning that sustainable growth requires systems that support both the business and the person running it.
Tiffany M. Griffin, Ph.D., founder of Bright Black, brings a powerful dual perspective as both a psychologist and entrepreneur. “Despite being a psychologist by training, I actually find it difficult to balance all of the demands of entrepreneurship, particularly while bootstrapping my business. Add parenthood on top of that and things can get pretty gnarly at times. I try to remind myself that there is no company without my physical and mental health, and there is no mental and physical health without healthy practices and rituals.”
She continues, “I rely on yoga nidra and naps to reset my nervous system. I also take midday breaks to breathe and step away from the constant push to produce. Conceptually, I know that rest is resistance, and an integral part of the work. The challenge is translating that knowledge into practical behaviors that restore and replenish the many parts of me.”
This level of intentionality, choosing rest, mindfulness, and boundaries, represents a quiet revolution in entrepreneurship.
The Future of Entrepreneurship
For Jamal A. Robinson, Co-Founder and CEO of CEV Collection, spiritual grounding keeps him centered. “I approach my mental health through daily meditation and mindfulness practices. Each day, I dedicate time to prayer and gratitude, focusing on the blessings in my life rather than dwelling on what is not. Over the years, these intentional practices have helped me maintain the energy and focus needed to navigate any business environment.”
The founders shaping the future of entrepreneurship understand something previous generations may have missed: mental health is not separate from business growth. It is the foundation of it.
The next era of entrepreneurship will not be defined by who hustled hardest, but by who built from the healthiest place, mentally, physically, and emotionally.
Because building wealth and legacy means nothing if you lose yourself along the way.
