These days, it seems like everyone is looking to start their own business, especially with the success of shows like ABC’s “Shark Tank.” The idea of being your own boss is very enticing and glamorous even, but the fact of the matter is that you shouldn’t quit your day job just yet.
Starting your own business takes a lot of money, patience, learning, networking, dedication, sacrifice and in the beginning stages, you’re going to fail a lot more than you succeed. In the midst of it all, it’s easy to neglect yourself on your way to conquering the world – the business world that is.
Rod Brown, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of OnceLogix, a company that specializes in “developing custom, enterprise-level, web-based applications,” knows exactly what that’s like. Along with co-founders Trinity Manning (CEO) and Tyrone McLaughlin (CFO), the trio burned the candle at both ends in pursuit of their entrepreneurial vision until they could leave their corporate jobs. After putting his health on the back burner for years, Brown got serious and lost a whopping 65 pounds over the past year, which he says has helped him not only become a better businessman, leader and entrepreneur, but a better father and husband as well.
“Your health is the last thing you want to think about when you are [working] hard to fulfill your vision,” Brown says. “I believe it’s imperative to take care of you so that you can be the best you can possibly be while going after your vision. I believe a proper diet and good exercise also helps eliminate the stress that comes with being an entrepreneur.”
If you know anything about running a business, then you already know there isn’t a whole lot of “me” time. When you factor endless meetings and business trips, answering countless emails, and a host of other responsibilities, it’s a miracle if you can make it through the week without screaming at the top of your lungs. Fortunately, exercise can be a great stress reliever, but how do you find the time to work out when you’re always busy?
“Just about every decent hotel has a fitness center,” Brown says. “And even if they don’t, you can walk or run when you travel. Also, I use my iPad and have fitness programs loaded onto my iPad so I can do a 30-minute workout in my hotel room.”
And you’ll be pleased to know that exercising regularly can help you become much more productive during your long and sometimes-stressful workdays – Brown can confirm that. “Working out definitely helps my body, but it also helps my mental capacity as well,” he says. “I’m more relaxed, I have more clarity, I have more patience, and I believe I’m just a better me when I work out.”
There’s no doubt that starting your own business and making it a success takes a lot of hard work, but it requires even more hard work to maintain that success while taking it to the next level. The key, however, is finding a way to manage your stress and keeping it to a minimum. It’s all about balance and having a passion for what you do.
“You need to have ways to combat the stress. Meditation is a great stress reducer. Working out is a great way to combat stress. Having other outlets as well are important, whether that be going to the movies, [playing] golf or reading,” Brown advises. “Have something else to do other than building your business. Make sure you’re building a business that is your passion [so that] it doesn’t feel like work. When it feels like fun, stress rarely is a factor.”
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