Sherry interviews Rand Fishkin, co-founder of Moz, and SparkToro about the mental struggles of running a business. He talks about the importance of de-stigmatizing depression among the founder community and his own struggle to fight his way back after a severe bought with depression.

Rand’s book Lost and Founder pairs wonderfully with the Entrepreneur’s Guide to Keeping Your Sh*t Together.

Sherry interviews Kim Witczak about the loss of her husband Woody. He was in the early stages of a startup and began to experience trouble sleeping. The story unfolded in the worst possible way. Kim talks about what she wished she had known about the mental health challenges common to those in the early phase of a start-up.

Kim Witczak is a leading national drug safety advocate and speaker with over 25 years professional experience in advertising and marketing communications. She became involved in pharmaceutical drug safety issues after the death of her husband. Kim was appointed Consumer Representative on the FDA Psychopharmacologic Drug Advisory Committee in 2016 and is on the Board of Directors of National Physicians Alliance.  She is an active member of the Consumers Union Safe Patient Project and Lown Institute Community Engagement and Behavior Health council and as well as a part of the DC-based Patient, Consumer, and Public Health Coalition making sure the voice of non-conflicted patients and consumers is represented in healthcare/FDA related legislative issues.

Woody Matters

Sherry announces the release of the ZenFounder Book, The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Keeping Your Sh*t Together: How to Run Your Business Without Letting It Run You. Thank you for the support and look forward to the feedback.

Support ZenFounder

ZenFounder Book

Inspired by his blog post about depression, Sherry interviews Zach Holman about life as a founder struggling with mental illness. They talk about what depression felt like and how he finally recognized the severity of his situation. Zach also shares about what has helped him recover.

ZachHolman.com

Episode Transcript

Sherry:

Woo-hoo, next Wednesday is the big day. The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Keeping Your Together. How to Run Your Business Without Letting it Run You is coming out on the 21st, next Wednesday. So Zen Founder listeners, please, please, if you go and buy the book, it would be fantastic if you would leave a review on Amazon. We are wanting to put this book in as many hands as possible because we are really hopeful that it’s helpful. We’ve put together some of our most helpful tips and tried and true strategies to mitigate some of the emotional challenge that goes along with being a founder. And we’ve tried to package that all in a book that’s easy to read and easy to use.

 

Today’s episode is an interview that I did a while back with Zach Holman. He is a solo founder and previously worked at GitHub, so he has had quite a life in the tech world. Last October, he wrote a blog on his website, ZachHolman.com, called The Depression Thing. And I came across it and found it to be one of the better descriptions of the depression experience that I have read online. And I was really glad that he took the time to talk to me about it.

 

And stories like Zach’s are the why behind why we do what we do at Zen Founder. We want to normalize conversations about mental illness. We want to let founders know that it is totally normal to struggle. That’s typical. And that there are lots of things that can be done to help. So the podcast, the book, my consulting work, all of that is designed to let founders know that there are resources and support available for the emotional and mental ups and downs that inherently go along with the challenge of starting and running a business.

 

I hope Zach’s story gives you an opportunity for commiseration, but also some ideas about how you can keep your own mental game song. If you like what we’re doing or you have suggestions for episodes or topics you’d like us to tackle, then feel free to be in touch. You can reach out to me, [email protected]. That’s Sherry like the wine. S-H-E-R-R-Y. Thanks so much for listening.

Sherry:

Well thanks, Zach, for taking the time to talk with me today. I came across your recent post about depression I think while I was on vacation in Mexico. And it was just one of those things that I stopped what I was doing and read it, and read it again, and read it really carefully. Because it was such a great description of the play-by-play of how you A) had to figure out what was happening to you, and gave it a label, and then tried to figure out what to do about it.

 

So I think that kind of candor is pretty rare in the tech world, and I really appreciate you being willing to put it out there, because we know that a lot of people who are entrepreneurs or people in the tech world are experiencing it, but not a lot of folk are talking about it.

Zach:

Thanks, and thanks for having me on. Pretty excited to talk about this, ironically enough, I guess. If you can be excited about talking about depression.

Sherry:

I think you can, because it’s important. It’s mea

Sherry talks about the challenge of maintaining a healthy, happy sexual connection in the midst of the founder life. It is easier said than done. Much of sex is about psychology–the activities of your brain rather than the action in your pants. Sherry describes some recent science about the dual control model of sexual response. She also gives listeners suggestions and tools to help have important conversations about what is happening in the bedroom.

In today’s episode: Come As You Are by Emily Nagoski, PhD

Episode Transcript

Sherry Walling:

Hey, guys, it’s Sherry here. I’m going solo this week. Rob is in San Francisco at Sasser, so I am holding down the fort at home and on the podcast. One of the things that I’d like to talk about this week, I guess somewhat ironically because my husband’s out of town, is to talk a little bit about sex and the role that it plays, the important role that it plays in the life of a couple. I’d like to talk about some of the challenges that I’ve talked about with founders and their significant others, specifically related to this part of their life.

 

This is not, by any means, a graphic conversation, but it is an adult conversation so if you’re listening with munchkins or kiddos in the car or around you, you might wanna table this for a time when you can think grown up thoughts. Before we get started, a couple of announcements. The book launch is scheduled for February 21, so, those of you who are on the prelaunch list, you’re gonna get a series of emails reminding you about that date, inviting you to some early discounted prices and letting you know all about our new book, the Entrepreneurs Guide to Keeping your Bleep Together: How to Run your Business Without Letting it Run You.

 

So if you are interested in what’s happening with the book, or thinking about picking up a copy, definitely hop over to ZenFounder.com and get on the mailing list so you can get some of the perks and discounts and stuff that will go along with our virtual launch party. I also wanted to let folks know that I will be speaking at Word Camp Miami, in Miami, in the middle of March. March 16 to 18. I’ll be part of a business track on Sunday morning that looks like it’s going to be really fantastic, so if you are in the Miami are or are a WordPress fan, it would be fun to see you there. Similarly, I will be in Sacramento on April 21 for the Elevate Leaders conference. This is a conference that’s all about mental health and well being for entrepreneurs and founders for really business leaders of all kinds. If you are interested in attending that event, or if you are in the Sacramento area, email me and I have some generous discount codes. Get in touch with me, [email protected] and I will be happy to pass those along to you, Zen Founder listeners.

Sherry Walling:

Okay, so, Valentine’s day is just around the corner and whether or not this is an important romantic event in your particular couple hood, it seems like a good time to talk about some relationship related topics. Last week, Rob and I talked about the essential question of relationships, “Will you be there when I need you?” We talked a little bit about attachment and interdependence and some of the things that both studies and relationship experience show can be absolutely essential in making sure you maintain a strong connection. So, if you missed that one, go back, listen to it.

 

To

Sherry and Rob reveal their plans for their first course (FounderFamily: Date Night Bootcamp) and talk about some of the ups/downs and unique challenges entrepreneurial couples face.

Support ZenFounder

Episode Transcript

Rob:

So the book The Entrepreneurs Guide to Keeping Your [beep] Together currently in the process of being converted to Kindle and we already obviously the manuscript’s finish. We got a proof of the book printed out, or you know, a full print copy. Cover looks great. Kindle is in the works. We already recorded the audio version. We can’t upload that until Amazon had … this and that, so it just seems to be one more week waiting on something.

 

During that time we are prepping our first course. It’s called Founder Family Date Night Bootcamp. I know you’re putting a ton of time into research and writing. We don’t have a landing page yet but if you’re interested in what is essentially gonna be a video course with other materials of Sherry and I talking through how to stay connected with your spouse, your significant other, through date nights and through being deliberate because as founders, if we’re not deliberate we can go months just thinking about our business, and not paying attention to the people around us, the people that matter. So, it’s gonna be a look at how to stay connected through date nights. We will send updates via the mailing list. If you’re not on it, zenfounder.com and you’ll see the cool little Drip widget in the upper right.

Sherry:

Yeah, you can tell I’m in deep work because my desk is a mess.

Rob:

It’s a train wreck.

Sherry:

I have piles of books. I have Hold Me Tight by Sue Johnson. The Five Love Languages, of course. Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work. I have like, 10 books on my desk and then I have four mugs, three water glasses, one martini glass, four takeaway coffee cups. It’s like a bar/library all on my desk.

Rob:

I was cleaning up the office this week and … this weekend and tidying mine up, and I turned and looked at yours, and it was like a scene in a movie. The record skipped, and I just pretty much just backed out of the office. Just-

Sherry:

Just walk away, walk away man.

Rob:

Not gonna touch that.

Sherry:

I have read some people post things on social media that say that studies show that messy people are smart. Or like, messiness is correlated with intelligence, but I have not read the original research, so I probably should not be spreading pop culture lies.

Rob:

Right, you’re quoting the internet as your source.

Sherry:

I did that. I did that. Let the record reflect that I did that.

 

So anyway, all these books and drinking glasses have meant that I’ve been thinking a lot about couple life. Particularly trying to think about the unique experiences that entrepreneurial couples face, and some of the unique challenges that make family life trickier for those of us who are starting and running our own businesses. I think, we know that there are some mental health uniqueness’s and some value and existential differences in the way that entrepreneur’s view their lives, and I do think there are also some significant defenses in family life.

 

That’s where I’m trying to think through, and iron out, and IR

Rob does a solo episode talking about productivity. Specifically how to have more output without more effort. The episode surrounds three books he recommends on the topic as well as some bonus  book recommendations on investing.

Support ZenFounder

Sleep Smarter

Deep Work

The Productivity Project

Sherry and Rob talk about the importance of having hard conversations and how to do it well. They break down the process and discuss how to prepare to have these conversations, things to be mindful of during these kinds of conversations, and how to end the conversations.

Support ZenFounder

Episode Transcript

Sherry Walling:

So, I see that you made your Zencastr name Captain Macho.

Rob Walling:

I just [inaudible 00:00:09] wouldn’t accept Rob tonight so I had to make something up.

Sherry Walling:

Wow, it’s going to be an interesting night. So, a night recording. We almost never night record.

Rob Walling:

It’s because they go off the rails, things go catastrophic. People unsubscribe and rage quit.

Sherry Walling:

People rage quit our podcast. Well, it was Martin Luther King, Jr. Day this week and the kids were off school, so our normal Monday recording time didn’t really work. This is going to be a hoot because it’s late at night because we’re tired.

Rob Walling:

The kids are in bed but not asleep, and we’re just a little loopy. Not super loopy, but loopy enough that it’s going to be a good evening.

Sherry Walling:

Yeah, I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling very experimental tonight.

Rob Walling:

Oh, yeah?

Sherry Walling:

Yeah. I mean, this is going to blow your mind. Are you ready?

Rob Walling:

Yes.

Sherry Walling:

I put chocolate soy milk in my mint tea.

Rob Walling:

Whoa!

Sherry Walling:

I know, right?

Rob Walling:

Mind blown.

Sherry Walling:

I was sort of hoping it would taste like-

Rob Walling:

Chocolate mint?

Sherry Walling:

Chocolate mint candies.

Rob Walling:

That was not what I thought you were going to say, but okay. That’s great.

Sherry Walling:

What were you hoping I would say?

Rob Walling:

Just that we were going to experiment with a new podcast format.

Sherry Walling:

Okay, let’s talk about podcasts.

Rob Walling:

It’s going to be good.

Sherry Walling:

Speaking of marital bliss, that was an awesome transition. We are putting together the framework for a course that will be about founder families, and how to be awesome at your business and how to stay connected to the people that you care about.

Rob Walling:

Right, and it’s not just a framework, it’s going to be an actual course to help people … is it loved ones or is it significant others?

Sherry Walling:

It’s significant others.

Rob Walling:

Yeah, so this one is not about kids, but if you have a boyfriend/girlfriend, a spouse, significant other, a partner of any kind it’s how to run your business and also stay connected with that person. It’s a framework blueprint. It’s a course to help you do that better.

Sherry Walling:

And my intention i

Sherry interviews Ryan Tansom of Life After Business podcast about the experience selling of his business. They discuss the process and pain he went through and the way those tough experiences spawned his new business. He’s built a second act aimed at helping entrepreneurs make their exit a success.

Ryan’s website, My Solidity

Support ZenFounder

Episode Transcript

Rob Walling:

Welcome to this weeks episode of ZenFounder. Two announcements before we get started. The first is that this week is the last week to sign up for the current Zen Tribe. If you go to zenfounder.com/zentribes you can get more information but Zen Tribes are groups of 6 to 8 entrepreneurs who commit to meeting weekly for eight weeks. Sherry leads you remotely via, I think it’s Zoom these days and offers the place, people, time, and guidance to tackle the unique struggles and challenges that you experience as an entrepreneur. So if you feel like you need some community with other founders, like you’re out there floating on your own, and you need to connect with other folks and kind of be guided into that next phase of entrepreneurship, now is the time to head to zenfounder.com/zentribes

 

In addition, the book is coming out very soon. The book is The Entrepreneurs Guide to Keeping Your [inaudible 00:00:53] Together. How To Run Your Business Without Letting It Run You. And the book is about learning how to master your stress, dismiss your fears, and rapidly accelerate your business growth. So it’s a lot of what we talk about here on ZenFounder and a lot that we haven’t talked about. It’s so much of the knowledge and wisdom that Sherry and I have learned from interviewing founders, being founders ourselves, and from Sherry’s deep knowledge of what it takes and the stress that surrounds being a founder. So if you haven’t signed up zenfounder.com/book will get you to the book landing page. I would highly encourage you to check it out because we’re going to be launching in the next few weeks. There’s a print version, there’s going to be a kindle version, audio version, all the things you want and you want to be first on that list to hear about it.

 

And finally, this weeks episode of ZenFounder is Sherry interviewing Ryan Tansom of The Life After Business podcast. It’s a great interview and I hope you enjoy it.

Sherry Walling:

Well Ryan it is so great to have you on the show. Thanks for taking the time to talk with me. And we met at Rhodium Weekend last fall, which was a great conference. Both you and I were part of the speaking docket that year and unfortunately I didn’t get to hear your talk. But I got to talk with you enough to know that I want to talk with you more. So it’s been fun to get to know you a little bit since we are both Minneapolis based.

Ryan Tansom:

Yeah, I’m glad I’m on the show.

Sherry Walling:

Yeah! So I am excited to learn more about your story and talk about the process of reinventing yourself a couple different times as a professional, even at a young age. So, maybe we could start out just by giving us the kind of the short version of these two companies that you have been deeply part of. One you sold and one you’re now starting from scratch. So what’s the quick road map of your life of a professional so far?

Ryan Tansom:

Keep it brief, right? My dad

Sherry talks with Renee Warren of The Family Academy, about how she and her husband, Dan Martell, have structured their two-founder family. With two on-fire careers and two kiddos, it takes some strategizing to create space for everyone in the family to flourish (and also stay connected).

Episode Transcript

Sherry Walling:

Hi everybody, Happy New Year! So excited that it is 2018 and that 2017 is a thing of the past. We are cooking up some great things for the year ahead.

 

One of the things that Rob and I are going to do is be more in touch with our email list. So if you are interested in kind of inside stories about some of the topics that we cover on ZenFounder or if you want to learn more about what we’re doing, where we’re speaking, where we’re gonna be showing up, we are working hard to bring some value to your inbox, just a couple times a month. Like two to three emails a month is what we’re going for. So if that’s something that you would like to have happen, feel free to sign up. It’s on our website at ZenFounder.com. And it’s low-risk. If you are irritated or you feel we’re emailing too much, you just unsubscribe.

 

One other thing that is happening right now is that we are forming a January Zen Tribe. If you are wanting to kick off 2018 by connecting with some other entrepreneurs, some other people who are curating their own lives by starting their own businesses, tribes are a group of about eight entrepreneurs, usually from different kinds of backgrounds, and it’s kind of an 8 week bootcamp of wellness and mental health and friendship. And we meet weekly for eight weeks. We usually schedule some breaks in there. It has been a really beneficial experience for the people that have gone through it. So if you have questions about Zen Tribe feel free to hit me at up at [email protected].

 

So today we’re gonna talk about starting a new year well, particularly when it comes to thinking about how to set good goals as a family. How to evaluate your family’s well-being and health and then implement strategies to keep a family going strong. And my guest today is Renee Warren. She is a brilliant, determined, realist. She’s the former founder of a popular startup PR firm called Onboardly. She’s written hundreds of articles and ebooks on startup marketing and has helped people get on TV shows and magazines and blogs.

 

Right now she is on a mission to help entrepreneur families gain more freedom in their lives. She is launching something called the Family Academy. And she knows this stuff inside and out. In addition to working professionally with many, many startup founders, she’s also married to Dan Martell, who’s been a guest on this show before, who among other things is the founder of Clarity. So she’s been on this journey both herself, and as a spouse, and as a professional. Sort of sounds familiar.

 

Anyway, Renee lives in Canada with her husband and two boys and she and I have a fabulous conversation and I am excited to share it with you today.

Sherry Walling:

So I am really excited to be talking to you today. And in addition to you being a force in your own right, as somebody who has started multiple businesses, right? And has a history in advertising, and writing, and PR, and just so many important skills, you’re also married to a founder to Dan Martell, who’s been a guest on this podcast before and are a parent. So I resona