The Profile

Jonathan Bush was busy building healthcare startup Athenahealth when Wall Street’s most feared activist investor began circling.

In 2017, Elliott took a 9% stake, slammed the company’s performance, and pushed for a sale—eventually forcing Bush out as CEO.

In this conversation, he opens up about being publicly targeted, hitting rock bottom, and finding the grit to rise again.

TIME STAMPS:

00:00 - How he got into healthcare

03:29 -- Founding Athenahealth

07:16 - Athenahealth's business model

07:52 - Meeting with his cousin George W. Bush in the Oval Office

09:04 - Transitioning to public market CEO

12:00 - Elliott Management begins circling

14:49 - Damaging allegations against Bush resurface

22:02 - Did he think he would start another company?

23:27 - How the public firing affected him

24:36 - Running a company under duress

29:40 - Any Elliott criticisms that Bush thinks were valid

31:13 - Advice for CEOs who find themselves the target of an activist investor attack

32:26 - Has the experience changed him?

33:30 - Founding Zus Health

37:48 - The significance of Zus's name

38:54 - How much venture funding Zus has raised

39:20 - Would Bush take Zus public?

42:51 - His opinion on the state of the healthcare system

44:46 - Jonathan Bush's legacy

46:26 - How Jonathan Bush defines the word 'success'

Evan Mawarire is the pastor behind #ThisFlag, a grassroots movement that used Zimbabwe’s flag as a symbol of resistance against government corruption, economic mismanagement, and human rights abuses. The movement sparked peaceful protests, stay-at-home demonstrations, and international attention, directly challenging Mugabe’s regime. In response, Mawarire was arrested multiple times and eventually forced into exile.

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Vienna Pharaon is a popular relationship therapist and the author of the book The Origins of You. In this conversation, we discuss the power of conflict, repair, and connection.

In this conversation, behavioral scientist Jason Halbert explores the complexities of the human mind, the commonalities between serial killers and startup founders, and the fine line between ambition and delusion.

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How did a brand notoriously known for its uncool “dad shoe” become a fashion craze largely popular with young women?

In this conversation, New Balance CEO Joe Preston discusses his journey to CEO, how he has helped evolve the “dad shoe,” and why the $10 billion revenue goal is so significant.

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In his new book, author Rob Henderson recounts growing up in foster care, attending elite universities, and pioneering the concept of “luxury beliefs.”

Graham Weaver is the founder and managing partner of Alpine Investors. He started Alpine out of his dorm room at Stanford and started buying companies with his credit card. Over the last 22 years, he built a private equity firm with $16 billion in assets under management.

In this conversation, Weaver unpacks his unique investment strategy, what daily habits have transformed his life, and why he believes we should all strive to live an asymmetric life.

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Laura Dekker holds the world record for being the youngest person to sail solo around the world. She began her journey in August 2010 when she was 14 years old and finished in January 2012 when she was 16.

In this conversation, we talk about what prompted her to take on a voyage this challenging, how she navigated (and eventually won) her fight with the Dutch government, and how she plans to use the lessons she learned as a young sailor to parent her own kids.

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JJ Watt is one of the one of the NFL's most well-respected defensive stars.

In this conversation, he reveals if he owns Bitcoin, his most interesting startup investments, and of course, what he thinks about the Taylor Swift-Travis Kelce romance.

Ron Shaich is the founder of iconic brands like Au Bon Pain and Panera Bread, investor in food brands such as Cava and Tatte, and now author of the book ‘Know What Matters.’

In this conversation, Shaich and I discuss how to build iconic brands, why ubiquity can breed contempt, and what founder should consider before taking their company public. It was a conversation filled with practical takeaways you can apply to your life today. I hope you enjoy.

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Stay up to date by subscribing to The Profile, our weekly newsletter that brings you the best profiles of successful people and companies. Sign up here: https://theprofile.substack.com/