After all, why would he need to? Cal AI, the calorie-tracking app he co-founded, blossomed into a $30 million empire before he could even submit applications, so it’s safe to say he was doing just fine.

“After Cal AI started taking off, it confirmed it. I was like, ‘Okay, clearly, you don’t need college to be successful.’ My parents finally saw the vision,” Yadergari previously told Fortune.

The coding prodigy is a longtime entrepreneur, teaching himself to code when he was just 7 years old. By age 10, he was charging $30 an hour for lessons to people who wanted to learn the skill. By the time high school arrived, he had created a gaming website called “Totally Science”, which enabled his peers to play unblocked video games online with no download or registration required. The venture brought in his first six figures.

Yadeguri eventually had a change of heart about college, and decided to apply. But despite having an extensive entrepreneurial background, a 4.0 GPA, and a 34 score on the ACTs, he was rejected from the Ivy League, including Stanford, which Yadegari said “is known for start-ups.” 

18 years old
34 ACT
4.0 GPA
$30M ARR biz

Stanford
MIT
Harvard
Yale
WashU
Columbia
UPenn
Princeton
Duke
USC
Georgia Tech
UVA
NYU
UT
Vanderbilt
Brown
UMiami
Cornell — Zach Yadegari (@zach_yadegari) April 1, 2025

Yadegari said the only schools that accepted him were Georgia Tech, University of Miami and University of Texas. He decided to attend the University of Miami, not for the prestige, but for the atmosphere. 

“If I wasn’t going to optimize for the best school academically, I was going to optimize for the best school socially,” Yadegari said. 

“Two weeks into school, I’ve been having a great time,” he told Fortune in late August. 

That could be because he views college as a “six-figure vacation.” He throws parties and lives in a house with other like-minded app-building friends between the ages of 18-26. According to Yadegari, they are successful entrepreneurs like himself. 

Yadegari is currently undeclared in his major. He dropped out of the business school and now takes classes in philosophy. He still takes one entrepreneurship class, but says he’s “not gaining much from the class material” because he already has the experience.

Even though he’s enjoying his new endeavor of parties and paychecks, he believes his Gen Z peers don’t need college to find success.

“It’s not worth it for most people, for sure, even for me, like, I mean, I’m having a lot of fun, I think it’s worth it for me, the second it becomes not worth it, I’m going to stop,” he said.

“But I feel like I have all my life to make money, but like, the few $100,000 that it’s going to cost me now, it’s going to be worth it to make the memories… rather than to just, like, save it, spend it, invest it, whatever the case,” he added. 

The start of Cal AI

At 16, Yadegari started building apps he deemed as “small projects.” One of them isn’t so small anymore, as Cal AI has taken off to become a $30 million empire. The app allows users to track calories by taking pictures of their food. (Fortune reviewed financial records showing the app brings in several million dollars of revenue per month.)

Yadegari said his business was inspired by a personal quest to bulk up when he was a (younger) teenager. 

“I was very, very skinny my entire life growing up, and I wanted to start getting bigger and gaining weight,” Yadegari told Fortune. When he realized a majority of his progress was coming from diet, he started to track his calories more and eat in surplus.

But something was missing from his fitness journey: a user-friendly app to track calories He found the most popular app at the time was “an awful experience.” The lack of reliable tracking meant he couldn’t eat at the cafeteria with his friends: he was eating pre-portioned meals that were weighed on scales, and often skipped eating at restaurants because of unclear calorie counts.

After brainstorming a smartphone solution, he presented the vision to partners he knew he could trust, including one friend from coding camp and two people he had met on X.com, as reported by CNBC. Together, Henry Langmack, Blake Anderson and Jake Castillo launched Cal AI in May 2024.

According to Yadegari, the app has a 90% accuracy rate for calorie tracking. It’s free to download on both the Apple App Store and Google Play, with subscriptions priced at $2.49 per month or $29.99 annually. 

Yadegari’s financial success has been profiled in outlets including CNBC, CBS and TechCrunch—and he didn’t need the Ivy League to get there. 

Fortune Global Forum returns Oct. 26–27, 2025 in Riyadh. CEOs and global leaders will gather for a dynamic, invitation-only event shaping the future of business. Apply for an invitation.

They’re plugged into networks that carry influence and can accelerate advancement in business and career. Research shows that these connections offer a ready-made competitive advantage—access to venture capital, business leaders, distinguished faculty and alumni, inside knowledge, and invaluable resources. 

But what about entrepreneurs outside this inner circle- those from underrepresented backgrounds, minority communities, or regions far from these traditional power centers? Without proximity to these prestigious networks, they’re left to compete at a distinct disadvantage. 

How can we close this gap between privilege and potential?

At issue here is a concept called network centrality. The more centrally located an entrepreneur is within a web of influential contacts, the greater the access to social capital and other valuable resources. And, of course, vice versa, reinforcing the disparity for those in peripheral locations.

Our study of aspiring entrepreneurs casts light on network centrality — why it’s important, how it works, and what can be done to overcome it. Conducted by Lehigh@NasdaqCenter, in partnership with Reedley College in California, the study’s overarching goal was to determine how aspiring entrepreneurs, irrespective of college pedigree, household income and ethnic background, can have an equal opportunity to launch companies — in short, to level the playing field. 

We surveyed 250 community college students and 250 private college students, all of whom expressed an ambition to pursue entrepreneurship. Our study, building on prior research, compared differences in how the two populations behaved when it came to networking, with the private college students representing high centrality and the community college students low centrality.

Our top takeaway: The gaps that exist can be bridged. 

Here, then, based on our findings, are the top three lessons learned:

First, boost your networking self-effficacy, defined as your belief in your ability to achieve desired outcomes through networking. We found that community college students are more than four times more likely (39% versus 8%) than those in private colleges to exhibit low networking self-efficacy. These students perceive that opportunities to network are less available to them, resulting in lower confidence. But amping up efforts can lead to a whopping 25 percent increase in social capital, our prior study indicates. 

High networking self-efficacy can be developed. To start, think small. Network among your friends, colleagues and others you already know. Leveraging familiar relationships and settings with low pressure will build your networking skills, achieve small successes and bolster your confidence.

Second, pick the right passion.  We found that aspiring entrepreneurs from community colleges display nearly four times higher levels of “obsessive passion” — a compulsion to network frequently, emphasizing quantity of contacts over quality, which can result in superficial and short lived relationships — than their counterparts in private colleges (26% versus 7%). . Our study shows that obsessive passion cuts the chances of forming sustainable relationships through networking by 17%.

You’re better off shifting toward “harmonious” passion,  characterized by an understanding of how work fits into your life over all. It values quality of contacts over quantity in networking.

How to harness harmonious passion? Ask what motivates you to network in the first place. Schedule networking activities that balance your personal and professional pursuits. Evaluate whether new connections demonstrate consistency, reliability and commitment. Network for opportunities that represent the promise of longevity and ROI.

Third, keep your eye on the future. Aspiring entrepreneurs at community colleges are more than three times more likely than their private college counterparts (17% versus 5%) to focus on the present, our research found. But an orientation toward the future can boost your networking outcomes by 12%.

Looking ahead — as in envisioning your presence at upcoming business events — can expose you to opportunities that broaden your perspective. To  practice ‘future temporal focused’ networking, create a timetable and ask yourself key questions. Which actions should you take to expand your network? Which professional organizations should you join, which industry events should you attend, and which individuals in your field should you connect with?  

So if, as our research suggests, you believe in your networking abilities, embrace harmonious passion, and focus on the future, you’re practically guaranteed to network like a champion.

The opinions expressed in Fortune.com commentary pieces are solely the views of their authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and beliefs of Fortune.

Fortune Global Forum returns Oct. 26–27, 2025 in Riyadh. CEOs and global leaders will gather for a dynamic, invitation-only event shaping the future of business. Apply for an invitation.

In 2020, during the heart of the COVID pandemic, I remember listening to a FIRE-focused podcast hosted by two people who claimed to be financially independent and retired early. Even though it’s been over 16 years since I first started writing about FIRE, the topic still fascinates me. The journey toward financial independence is full of twists and turns, and people’s real-life experiences are always insightful.

But one particular episode caught me off guard. The two hosts—who built their entire brand on the idea of never needing to work again—asked listeners for financial support to keep their podcast running. Soon after, I saw an email making the same plea.

I remember thinking, Wait a minute. If these folks are truly FIRE, why would they need to ask for money to keep a passion project alive? Just fund it themselves!

I wasn’t judging the need for donations itself. Creative projects cost time and money, and compensation is deserved. But the ask didn’t match the premise. If they were genuinely financially independent, surely they could afford a few thousand dollars a year to sustain their own show, especially one that was meant to showcase the freedom FIRE provides.

How Much Does a Podcast Really Cost To Produce?

I have the Financial Samurai podcast (Apple, Spotify), so I know exactly what goes into production. A decently produced, professional-sounding episode doesn’t have to break the bank. Editing an hour-long episode might cost anywhere from $100 to $600 maximum depending on the level of polish and sound add-ons.

My biggest expense is time. Recording, editing, and uploading a 45-minute show can easily consume four to five hours between my wife (editor) and me.

That’s a significant chunk of time for something that isn’t mission-critical. I’d rather spend that time writing, hanging out with my kids, or playing tennis for exercise.

Not FIRE, But An Entrepreneur Instead

Given the manageable costs and the fact that FIRE is supposed to mean “work is optional,” it struck me as odd that these podcasters were asking for financial help. The more I thought about it, the more I suspected that maybe they weren’t actually financially independent.

Maybe they were simply entrepreneurs running a small business, worried about declining revenue and grasping for ways to keep the lights on during COVID. After all, they’ve never shared their net worth or passive income figures, so we have no idea.

As someone who helped kickstart the modern-day FIRE movement in 2009, I often hear a common criticism: some FIRE influencers haven’t really “retired,” they’ve simply traded a day job for entrepreneurship. There’s a lot of smoke and mirrors due to a lack of transparency.

I totally get it.

Podcasts don’t record themselves and articles don’t magically appear overnight. I spend about 15 hours a week writing, editing, and responding to comments and emails on Financial Samurai. To acknowledge this dynamic, I even wrote a post about being a fake retiree for 10+ years, to hang a lantern on the situation. So for the podcasters to ask money from their audience helps buttress this criticism.

For me, I love writing, connecting, and learning about personal finance. It’s endlessly rewarding to create something from nothing. After working 60+ hours a week for 13 years in banking, there’s no way I could just sit around playing golf or tennis all day in retirement. I need to stay productive and mentally stimulated for a two-to-three hours a day. The rest of the time is for exercise, childcare, travel, and relaxation. That is my sweet spot.

Along the way, Financial Samurai generates supplemental retirement income, which helps keep our safe withdrawal rate low, and both my wife and me out of Corporate America since 2012 and 2015, respectively. We hope the run continues indefinitely.

To not monetize my passion would be completely irrational. Running Financial Samurai costs about $10,000 a year for the dedicated server, email services, and tech support – excluding labor. However, I’d rather not ask my readers for donations because it feels inconsistent with my FIRE philosophy. A share or a review of my podcast or books are enough.

FIRE Will Make You a Terrible Entrepreneur

Although I stopped listening regularly after that episode, the show carried on. About a year later, one of the hosts left – presumably to pursue better opportunities with his time. The remaining host kept grinding, and today the podcast is thriving. I’d bet it now generates at least $150,000 in net profits. Awesome!

And that’s exactly the point. When you’re not truly FIRE—when you still need or strongly want more money—you hustle. You create. You innovate. You do everything possible to keep the revenue flowing. You even ask your audience for donations during a global pandemic, if that’s what it takes.

The hunger to survive and grow is what fuels entrepreneurship. But if you’ve already reached a level of passive income that comfortably covers your living expenses, that hunger fades. Without that pressure, you might not push as hard. You might even, gasp, become a terrible entrepreneur.

Here are some of the things I could do to make more money:

• Create a YouTube or TikTok channel
• Hire a team of writers to publish more articles and drive more traffic
• Bring on a salesperson to secure more advertising partnerships
• Become a paid speaker at conferences after writing two national bestsellers
• Do more personal finance consulting instead of throttle it to only one a month or when a book comes out
• Publish one or two podcast episodes each week, instead one one every three weeks or so
• Spend at least an hour a day posting on social media to boost engagement and traffic
• Pitch TV producers on shows, like my idea Love Is Money

The thing is, I just can’t be bothered, which is why I’ve kept my cadence since 2009. I didn’t leave a job to create another one in FIRE. Managing people and constantly selling yourself is exhausting. If you want to subscribe to my newsletter and read Financial Samurai. Great! If not, also great!

I’ve found a sweet spot – creating and interacting between 6 am – 7:45 am, then again for an hour after the kids go to bed – where I feel the most fulfilled and happy. Anything much beyond 20 hours starts to feel like a J O B.

I respect the grindcore hustle, but I simply don’t have the same drive at my age. Financial independence has sapped my entrepreneurial edge.

But if I was desperate for money for whatever reason, hell yeah I’d try out these new initiatives! I’m not too proud to work a minimum wage service job to provide for my family. I’ll do whatever it takes to ensure they are secure.

The Enthusiasm to Grind At Work Naturally Fades

Once you’ve reached the Minimum Investment Threshold where work becomes optional, the thrill of going above and beyond at a day job starts to wane. Coming in early or staying late feels pointless. Meetings get skipped, after-work drinks declined, and weekend boondoggles replaced with family time. Even that once-exciting business trip to New York loses its shine.

For entrepreneurs, the drop in motivation can be even steeper. Unlike employees, there’s no boss dictating the day. You have to be a relentless self-starter while wearing every hat—creator, marketer, accountant, PR rep, and business development lead.

Forcing yourself to build and grow a business when you already have enough passive income is a tall order. Entrepreneurship is way harder than being an employee.

As a result, you may have to resort to mind games to help keep that motivation to create alive.

When My Desire to Earn Returned

My drive to earn spiked twice recently: when my daughter was born in December 2019 and after buying a new house in 2023.

Lockdowns made entrepreneurship from home a logical focus. If the government was going to take away my freedom, I sure as hell was going to make the most of being online! Then the house purchase cut my passive income enough to reignite the urge to rebuild it.

But after two strong years of stock market gains and a rebound in San Francisco home prices, I’m back to sleeping in and caring less about revenue optimization. Our finances now depend far more on market performance than on entrepreneurial income. Maintaining the right asset allocation matters more than squeezing out extra business profits. Go bull market!

This lull is exactly why parents should never give their kids money for nothing. If they want spending power, they need to earn it. No matter how wealthy we become, showing at least a baseline level of hustle is essential so our kids develop a strong work ethic when they have nothing. Just say no to entitlement mentality!

The Comfortable Path Pays Less

Here lies the paradox of FIRE: you escape the rat race, but you also lose the urgency that drives extraordinary entrepreneurial success. When you no longer need to make money, you’re less inclined to chase every opportunity or sell your business for top dollar.

That’s not necessarily bad. It’s freeing. But to thrive as an entrepreneur without a profit motive, you need to be extremely greedy, deeply mission-driven, or truly love your product. Without that internal fire, long hours and relentless growth simply won’t happen.

Creative Longevity: FIRE’s Hidden Gift

If FIRE makes you a bad entrepreneur, at least it can also make you a longer-lasting one. Because I’m not burning out chasing revenue, Financial Samurai has endured since 2009, a lifetime in internet years. Many flashier sites scaled fast, burned hot, and disappeared when founders lost interest or ad dollars dried up.

My slower, steadier approach may never produce a headline-grabbing exit, but it delivers something equally valuable: staying power. I can keep writing, podcasting, and engaging for years because I genuinely enjoy the work. Enjoyment, not maximization, is what keeps a project alive.

Financial independence has made me a less aggressive entrepreneur but a happier human. It also gives me time to set an example for my kids. I want them to see the value of curiosity and discipline, and if I can keep this site running until 2040, maybe I can even provide a form of career insurance if they struggle after college.

For now, I’m content not to maximize revenue because we already have enough. But if the day comes when my family needs me to earn more, I will. That responsibility as a father never goes away, even if the urgency to chase dollars does.

What are your thoughts on how being truly FIRE affects an entrepreneur’s path? Could it be that when you no longer need money to survive, you’re actually free to become a better entrepreneur because you can focus entirely on creating the best product possible? And do you find it strange when a FIRE influencer asks their audience for donations?

Subscribe To Financial Samurai 

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We cover five pillars: Financial psychology, Increasing your income, Investing, Real estate, and Entrepreneurship. It’s double-ii FiiRE.

Today, we’re diving into Pillar Five: Entrepreneurship.

Pillar V | Entrepreneurship

Earlier this month, we covered the first four pillars in this newsletter.

But it wasn’t until Friday that we published our long-awaited interview with Lori Rosenkopf, the Vice Dean of Entrepreneurship at Wharton Business School.

We’d been planning this face-to-face conversation with Lori since early April, and after finally publishing it last week, we’re excited to dive into her insights.

Lori holds an endowed chair at Wharton — the Simon and Midge Pally Professorship — one of the highest faculty honors. She’s also the faculty director for Venture Lab, UPenn’s hub for student entrepreneurs.

Most recently, she published a book called Unstoppable Entrepreneurs, where she explores The 7 Types of Entrepreneurs — seven distinct paths people can take toward building a business.

Too often, the mainstream media highlights only one of these types: The Disruptor. This is the entrepreneur who raises massive capital to build mega-businesses that reshape entire industries.

Think: Facebook/Meta, Uber, Lyft, Airbnb.

Cool, right?

But here’s the thing: focusing only on The Disruptor makes us forget there are six other types of entrepreneurs that may actually fit you better — and could be the key to your own entrepreneurial success.

Let’s unpack these.

First, The Bootstrapper represents 80 percent of small businesses in the U.S.

No investors, no loans, just hard work and reinvested profits. This is the real backbone of American business.

These businesses are entirely self-funded. The founder invests in themselves and their ideas, starting the business with some savings and running a lean operation by investing more time than money.

Founders often start these part-time or on-the-side while working a day job. They reinvest every dime back into the business until it’s doing well enough that they can go full-time.

These businesses grow more slowly, but that growth is more stable.

Next, there’s The Social Entrepreneur, where purpose and profit blend together.

The first step is raising money. These are often funded by pitch competitions, philanthropic grants, incubators and accelerators that focus on social enterprises, crowdfunding platforms, or social impact investors.

(These could also be bootstrapped, but please know that there are plenty of seed funding sources for people who are serious about social impact entrepreneurship.)

Then there’s The Tech Commercializer. These are the people who bridge the gap between technological innovation and profitability.

They find academics or researchers who have promising new discoveries, and operate in that Venn diagram intersection between tech innovation and business acumen.

Their focus isn’t developing original ideas (R&D), but rather the business side of bringing those ideas to market. Universities are sitting on billions of dollars worth of research that never makes it to consumers — that’s where these entrepreneurs come in.

Next there’s The Funder, the people who put together private funds that invest in other entrepreneurs and creators.

Many entrepreneurs start by creating their own business and later become funders, as a way not just to provide capital, but also to provide mentorship and guidance to the next generation.

Many successful bootstrappers eventually gravitate toward this role — it’s a natural evolution from building your own company to helping others build theirs.

There’s also The Acquirer, a path that’s blown up in popularity online in the last few years.

As more Baby Boomers retire — many of whom have children who want to pave their own path, and don’t want to work in the family business — there will be increasing opportunities to acquire strong small businesses.

We discussed this at length in our in-depth interview with Codie Sanchez (run time: 1 hour, 40 min without ads). Watch that for a deep dive.

Finally, there’s The Intrapreneur. The word is a portmanteau of “inside” and “entrepreneur,” and it refers to employees who develop ideas and products within an existing company.

Essentially, it’s a reference to employees who think and act in an entrepreneurial way within the scope of their full-time W-2 job.

There’s huge appeal to this, because it holds a lot of the creativity, innovation, and fun, without the pressure.

But it also lacks the upside, and you need to find the right company that would be open to this in the first place.

The great thing about these seven types of entrepreneurs? There’s no hierarchy.

The bootstrapper building a steady $2 million business isn’t less successful than the disruptor raising $50 million. They’re just playing different games.

The question isn’t which path is “best” — it’s which path is best for you, right now, with your current resources and goals.

You don’t have to hold to just one path forever. You can start with whatever fits you right now and change in the future as your priorities and circumstances shift.

And you can also pursue two of these paths simultaneously. Maybe you’re an Intrapreneur at your day job and a Bootstrapper in the evenings and weekends.

Maybe you’re an Acquirer who wants to buy a small business and a Social Entrepreneur as a key value within that.

Maybe you’ve already been a Bootstrapper and now you want to transition into being a Funder so that you can pay that knowledge forward.

The point is this: entrepreneurship isn’t a one-size-fits-all journey. There are many types of entrepreneurs, and success looks different depending on which path you choose.

Take an honest look at your situation — your risk tolerance, your resources, your timeline — and choose the entrepreneurial path that makes sense for your life right now.

You can always evolve later. In fact, you’ll almost certainly evolve later, because these paths aren’t static.

And that means — you don’t need to wait for the “perfect” path or the “right” moment. You just need to start (if you want to).

“To let go does not mean to get rid of. To let go means to let be.” ~Jack Kornfield

I must admit right off the bat—as a serial entrepreneur, I’m a risk-taker. Throughout my twenties and thirties, I jumped at opportunities without always vetting the characters involved or asking what six months down the road might look like. I trusted, I leapt, I learned.

At twenty-three, I launched my first real business with another partner—an upscale pet resort. We had climate-controlled suites, a beautiful play yard, and classical music playing softly in the background. An elaborate four-tier fountain greeted guests in the lobby, where you could also view the handcrafted “Catio” patio built by my father himself.

Within a few months, it was already turning a profit. On the surface, it seemed like a dream come true. But something felt off.

My partner, M, was in charge of the books. At first, I brushed off the small red flags. A check deposited here, a discrepancy there. But one night after the last guest was picked up, I went into the office, pulled the books, and began a deeper investigation. What I found left me cold.

There were large withdrawals I hadn’t approved. Checks made out directly to M. While we had agreed on how much we would each take from the business, these amounts far exceeded our arrangement—and were happening far more often.

I was sick with disbelief. I confronted her. She cried. She apologized. But she didn’t offer an explanation, only tears. I kept asking, “Why didn’t you just tell me?”

The betrayal grew stranger. Tensions rose. Communication broke down. One day, I pulled into the parking lot, and someone was there—recording video because they believed I would become physically violent (huh? Me? I don’t even hurt bugs!) as they told me I was no longer allowed on the property.

Wait, what?

I was the president of the company. I had put up all the money. It was my vision. My energy. My debt.

But here’s the thing—I had trusted M to handle the legal paperwork. And while I believed I was an equal owner, I never verified that the documents said so. I wasn’t listed as a shareholder. I had no legal stake.

I was the president of a company I didn’t actually own.

At thirty-three, I didn’t know what to look for. I had no real business background—just ambition, trust, and big dreams. And now I was being lied to, stolen from, and kicked out of the very place I built.

The desire for revenge was overwhelming. I wanted to scream. I wanted to sue. I wanted justice.

I met with attorneys. I weighed the options. And ultimately, I had to accept one of the hardest truths of my life: pursuing justice might bury me further. The legal costs, the emotional toll—it wasn’t a fight I could afford to win. So I let it be.

This was the beginning of a long line of “Let it Be’s” with many entrepreneurial hardships, missteps, and mistrusts. It was just the first in what would become an incredibly wild journey over the next twenty years. I was wronged again and again—faced the pain of greed, anger, narcissism, and outright insanity—and I let it ALL be.

And believe me, the devil on my shoulder had a full revenge script ready—dramatic, petty, borderline illegal. But I never acted on it.

Every. Single. Time.

And the truth of it all is taking the higher road isn’t easy. Letting things be is HARD.

But it’s not weakness. It’s wisdom.

Because here’s what I’ve learned: fighting fire with more fire only leaves you burned. And the more oxygen you give a flame, the bigger it gets. The longer you cling to betrayal, the more time you spend stuck in it.

And time? It’s precious.

Instead of plotting revenge, I began to rebuild. First, I crumbled. Then, brick by brick, I picked myself back up. I changed direction. I started over.

Here’s what helped me through:

• I got quiet. No grand social media posts, no smear campaigns. Just space. Silence gave me clarity.
• I got help. From mentors, therapists, friends who spoke truth when I couldn’t see it.
• I wrote everything down. The facts. The feelings. The fear. Putting it on paper helped me process it.
• I took responsibility. Not for what M did, but for what I missed. I studied, I learned, I vowed never to be that uninformed again.

Because I chose to let it be, I didn’t carry the weight of revenge, I moved forward with grace, and my integrity stayed intact.

Yes, I lost money. I lost years. I lost a dream.

But I didn’t lose myself.

Letting it be doesn’t mean pretending it didn’t happen. It means choosing not to carry it forward. It means making peace with what you can’t control—and putting your energy where it counts.

This was the first of a long line of experiences I’ve had throughout my entrepreneurial journey. After this event, I faced even more heartbreak and challenges. But every time, I have chosen to let it be.

Sir Paul McCartney once shared how his mother visited him in a dream and told him the simple words: “Let it be.”

Well, Mother Mary—you were right.

This is the way to do it.

So the next time you’re standing face-to-face with betrayal, I hope—for your sake—you let it be.

We only get so much time here. Let’s not waste it on battles that don’t build us.

About BrookeLynn Cohol

BrookeLynn Cohol is a writer, entrepreneur, songwriter, and creator focused on personal growth, resilience, and creative expression. She believes in starting over as many times as it takes. Connect with her and her current projects at EllaVatour.com.

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When it comes to entrepreneurship, picking up a new hobby probably isn’t top of mind. You’re already juggling a packed schedule — and maybe you already have hobbies you love. Still, it should come as no surprise: hobbies are good for you.

In fact, a 2023 study published in Nature Medicine found that adults aged 65-plus who engaged in hobbies reported better health, higher life satisfaction and greater happiness. And in my own experience, embracing a musical hobby has been one of the most effective ways to improve my mental health, reduce stress and maintain a sense of balance as a business owner.

You don’t need to be a lifelong musician to benefit. Music offers a creative outlet and a mental reset — something all entrepreneurs need more of. Whether you’re learning an instrument, singing, or simply listening more intentionally, musical hobbies can change how you show up in business and life.

Let’s break down three key ways music can positively impact entrepreneurs.

1. Music relieves stress — fast

Entrepreneurship comes with constant pressure — deadlines, decisions, responsibilities. Stress builds up over time, and if left unchecked, it can lead to burnout, anxiety, trouble concentrating or even depression.

A musical hobby can serve as a powerful stress reliever. Studies show that playing an instrument or singing can lower cortisol levels and reduce anxiety. Even listening to music intentionally — without multitasking — can focus your mind and create a sense of calm.

Of course, not everyone has time to learn an instrument. That’s okay. For me, just putting on a record and truly listening helps me reset. Whether it’s practicing piano, jamming with friends or listening to a favorite playlist, music becomes something to look forward to — a reliable, restorative escape.

Related: How I Turned My Hobbies Into Profitable Side Businesses With My Friends — Without Losing the Joy

2. It builds transferable skills

Musical hobbies don’t just relieve stress — they sharpen your mind. Actively engaging with music can improve memory, concentration, and cognitive flexibility. For entrepreneurs, that’s a powerful edge.

Learning to play an instrument, for instance, requires self-discipline, time management and resilience — all skills that mirror the entrepreneurial journey. It challenges you to get comfortable being a beginner again, to practice patience, and to build momentum over time.

Musical practice enhances:

• Creativity
• Problem-solving
• Focus
• Coordination
• Confidence
• Discipline
• Learning agility

And perhaps most importantly, it reminds you that growth comes from consistency — a principle that applies just as much in business as it does in music.

Related: Every Entrepreneur Needs a Hobby Separate From the Company — Here’s Why

3. It strengthens your brain

Engaging with music activates multiple regions of the brain — the same areas responsible for memory, movement, emotional regulation and complex thinking.

A 2023 study found that musical training enhances auditory processing and working memory. According to AARP, playing an instrument lights up your brain, improving functions like listening, reading, and recall — and may even help grow new neural pathways. That means better cognitive health, greater adaptability, and increased creative thinking.

For entrepreneurs who rely on clear decision-making, creative problem-solving and rapid learning, that kind of cognitive workout is invaluable.

Treat music as self-care, not a side project

Musical hobbies give entrepreneurs more than just stress relief. They offer a creative space to disconnect from the daily grind, while strengthening the mental and emotional muscles that help you lead, build and grow.

Even if you can’t commit to lessons or learning an instrument, find ways to engage with music that work for your schedule. Deep listening, group classes, or even karaoke nights can reignite joy and spark inspiration.

Entrepreneurship demands everything from you — but that doesn’t mean you can’t take something back. A musical hobby could be exactly what you need to recharge, grow and show up better in every area of your life.

In this episode of A Productive Conversation, I sit down with Chris Ducker—serial entrepreneur, bestselling author, and longtime friend—to talk about his latest book, The Long Haul Leader: 10 Strategies to Work Smarter, Live Better, and Achieve Lasting Success. Chris has spent over two decades building, buying, and selling businesses, while mentoring leaders worldwide.

Our conversation goes beyond business tactics. Chris shares candid stories of burnout, rebuilding, and how energy—not time—is the most valuable asset for sustainable success. From the importance of patience to the role of hobbies in leadership, this episode offers insight into what it really takes to thrive for the long haul.

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Six Discussion Points

• Why hustle is a season, not a lifestyle
• The lessons Chris learned from battling burnout—twice
• Why energy is more valuable than time for leaders
• The art of letting go: selling businesses and focusing on what matters
• How patience, adaptability, and presence shape long-term leadership
• Why hobbies and creative outlets are vital to performance and recovery

Three Connection Points

Chris’s story is a reminder that success isn’t just about building businesses—it’s about building sustainability into your life and work. The principles he shares in The Long Haul Leader apply whether you’re running a company, leading a team, or simply trying to create a healthier balance for yourself.

Want to support the podcast? You can subscribe to the show and leave quick rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts. You can subscribe on Spotify and also on Apple Podcasts.

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In today’s world, not every founder comes from a technical background, and that’s no longer a dealbreaker. With AI projected to grow 28.5% by the end of the decade, even specialists are racing to keep up with emerging innovations. In such a fast-moving environment, the expectation that any one person, founder or otherwise, will master every detail is both unrealistic and counterproductive.

The reality is this: You don’t need to code to build in tech, but you do need to translate. The ability to connect across disciplines has become the most important skill to develop — not just as someone building a company, but as someone leading one.

If my experience in the NBA has taught me anything, it’s that every good team is made up of strong translators: people who understand both the locker room and the boardroom, coaches who can speak to data analysts and players, and leaders who can turn strategy into execution. Unsurprisingly, this is exactly what tech startups need, too.

Related: Having No Experience Doesn’t Mean You Can’t Start a Business

Clarity beats jargon

When I started building Tracy AI, I quickly learned that trying to sound technical wasn’t helpful and actually slowed things down. Translating product decisions into clear, outcome-based language helped us move much faster. We didn’t always need to build models from scratch, but we did need to understand what those models were aiming for. That’s the real distinction between technical literacy and technical fluency: One is about credibility, but the other is about clarity. When everyone’s on the same page, people align, and products get better.

Having this approach enabled us to bring in outside subject-matter experts, test assumptions early and avoid costly missteps that often come from internal echo chambers. Regardless of whether your team is fluent in Python, the ability to communicate clearly across complexity is what ultimately drives the company’s momentum.

Hire smart

I once read a quote from David Ogilvy that stuck with me: “Hire people who are better than you are, and then leave them to get on with it.” In tech, that means surrounding yourself with brilliant engineers, designers and product minds, and focusing your own energy on alignment, direction and decision-making.

Building a company is about asking better questions, setting the right priorities and making sure your team is rowing in the same direction. That requires trust, communication and discipline, not technical depth. It also means knowing how to translate business needs into technical priorities, and vice versa.

When it comes down to it, a founder’s job is to build bridges. Between vision and execution. Between product and people. Between strategy and reality. The most valuable skill in business isn’t your ability to code; it’s your ability to connect. Not being afraid of connecting strong, self-motivated individuals in your business is not only a recipe for success — it’s just good business sense.

Related: How (Not Why) You Need to Start Hiring People Smarter Than Yourself

Letting go

Rapid-growth companies face a specific leadership challenge: knowing when to direct and when to step back. For founders, especially those without technical backgrounds, there’s a strong temptation to stay hands-on with every detail. According to a Harvard Business Review study, 58% of founders struggle to let go of control, often remaining stuck in what’s known as “founder mode,” even when the company is ready to scale.

Being stuck in founder mode can slow down progress, stifle creativity and burn out the very experts hired to build. The job of the founder is to hold the vision and define the “what” and “why,” while trusting the team to figure out the “how.” That means giving engineers autonomy to explore solutions and trusting their understanding of the mechanics.

At the same time, it’s important to stay connected to the people you’re building for. From my experience, I made sure to spend time with athletes, coaches and trainers — not just as a former player, but as a product owner committed to learning. That user feedback wasn’t just helpful; it became a compass for the tech. Just because we may need to let go of day-to-day, doesn’t mean we can’t get involved in other ways.

At a certain point in any startup’s life, there is a transition from idea to alignment. Engineers speak in sprints and system architecture. Investors speak in ROI and risk. Users speak in frustrations, workarounds and outcomes. As a founder, your job is to be the connector between all of them, bridging the gap between engineers, users and investors, often speaking three very different languages in the same meeting.

Related: Are You Running Your Business — or Is It Running You? How to Escape ‘Founder Mode’ and Learn to Let Go

That means being able to explain what users actually want to your developers, breaking down technical constraints in a way your investors can understand and communicating a vision clearly enough that everyone in the business can see where they fit in. This is what makes a product usable, turns a group of builders into a team and ultimately transforms a good idea into a lasting company.

I’ve been in the entrepreneurship game long enough to spot when something big is coming. And I’m telling you right now: I believe biohacking isn’t just another wellness fad. It’s a legitimate business strategy that’s giving smart entrepreneurs a massive competitive edge.

The numbers don’t lie: why entrepreneurs need this now

Eighty-seven percent of entrepreneurs deal with mental health issues versus just 48% of regular people. But here’s the real kicker — it’s not just stress. I think it’s about trying to maintain peak performance while your body systematically breaks down under the demands of building something meaningful.

Meanwhile, research shows each extra hour of sleep per week bumps your earnings by 3.4%. You’re literally leaving money on the table by not getting enough sleep. Think about that for a second. Your competitors who prioritize recovery aren’t just feeling better — they’re earning more.

The market agrees with this shift. According to a recent Research and Markets Report, the Global Biohacking Market was valued at $24.5 billion in 2024 and is estimated to reach $111.3 billion by 2034. When you see numbers like that, you’re not looking at a trend. You’re looking at a complete shift in how high performers approach optimization.

Related: Tricks to Prevent Jet Lag, According to Science

What biohacking actually means for business

Biohacking isn’t some mystical wellness nonsense. It’s what happens when entrepreneurs apply the same obsessive optimization mindset they use in business to their own bodies. These are people who track every metric that matters.

Now they’re tracking HRV scores (heart rate variability) like conversion rates, experimenting with intermittent fasting like it’s a marketing campaign, and optimizing their sleep with the same intensity they bring to growth hacking. Makes perfect sense when you think about it. If you’re going to measure everything else, why not measure what actually powers your brain?

Dave Asprey figured this out when he was running a longevity nonprofit and realized he was “the only guy under 60 in the room.” All the knowledge about human optimization was stuck with older folks, while young entrepreneurs were burning themselves out. That’s when he created something entirely different.

At his 11th annual in-person Biohacking Conference (13th, including virtual events during COVID), Asprey’s approach became crystal clear. This isn’t strategic rebranding of longevity science — it’s an entirely new framework that has grown into a multibillion-dollar industry.

His definition of biohacking is laser-focused: “To change the environment outside of you and inside of you so you have full control of your biology, to allow you to upgrade your body, mind, and your life.”

Related: Is There a Superior Diet for the Entrepreneur? The ‘Father of Biohacking’ Shares What He Eats for High Energy, Low Body Fat and Optimal Output

AI is revolutionizing the biohacking game

Here’s where Asprey really got my attention. His company, 40 Years of Zen, utilizes AI to analyze brainwaves from top entrepreneurs and train your brain to match their patterns in five days, rather than spending 20 years meditating. For entrepreneurs who barely have time to eat lunch, this is a revolutionary concept.

But the real breakthrough is Upgrade Labs, his franchise that’s collecting 187 million data points from every client. They’re using AI to analyze your bloodwork, performance metrics, goals, and current state, then generating a personalized optimization plan. No more guessing about supplements, fasting schedules or treatments.

Asprey dropped $2.5 million figuring this out the expensive way. With AI, you don’t have to.

This is biohacking evolving from experimental to systematic. The data exists and the results are measurable. (Fair warning: accessible technology can still come with a price tag — the 40 Years of Zen retreat costs $16,000 for a five-day immersive neurofeedback experience. But compare that to the cost of burnout.)

An industry cross-pollination that signals massive growth

What blew me away at Asprey’s conference wasn’t just the technology — it was the crowd. I watched entertainment personalities like Ragga Ragnar (Queen Gilhund from Vikings) discussing their craft with medical professionals like Dr. Vince Padre, who is developing gut-healthy coffee. Tech veterans were swapping notes with food innovators, such as Oren Epstein from BioRaw, Canada’s leading vegan food distributor, about running sustainable businesses.

Even teenage entrepreneurs like George Zhou and Becket Kitaen from Buffs were there, soaking it all up. Their product is a “cheeto puff made of beef.”

When cultural influencers like Food Babe, who shares her most helpful resources here, and thought leaders like Martin Luther King III show up — connecting biohacking to mission-driven initiatives like Realize The Dream — you know something has staying power. When wellness meets social change, and both get backed by real money, that’s when markets explode.

The entrepreneurial trifecta is in full effect: users proving demand, investors bringing serious capital and cultural influencers amplifying the message. Game over.

Where the smart money is moving

The investment patterns tell the story. Money is flowing toward scalable, results-driven models — from recurring subscriptions to high-retention product ecosystems. In the U.S., we’re seeing a surge in biotech investments, fueled by consumers who are increasingly dissatisfied with one-size-fits-all solutions and demand personalized, data-driven health alternatives.

Companies like Denmark-based Puori are investing heavily in the US to set a new standard for product authenticity and transparency in the supplement space. Every batch is third-party tested for over 200 contaminants, with full results available via a QR code on the packaging, enabling consumers to make informed decisions in a crowded market. PureWave’s VEMI Biosynchronizing beds are being used to assist in veteran recovery. BioLight’s cutting-edge oral healthcare technology is redefining dental health.

As Dr. Mike Belkowski, founder of Biolight, explained at their booth: “Red Light Therapy is no longer a fringe modality— it’s becoming a cornerstone in the future of health optimization. As we unlock the science behind light, mitochondria, and cellular resilience, we’re entering a new era where healing and performance can be non-invasive, natural, and profoundly effective.”

The biggest wins? Brands are building recurring revenue around absolute trust and utility. Position yourself where performance, personalization, and prevention intersect, and you won’t just ride the biohacking wave — you’ll own it.

Building biohacking into your business culture

Asprey dropped some practical wisdom about integrating biohacking into your company culture, no matter what stage you’re in:

• Lead by Example: “You cannot tell your employees what to do unless you’re doing it.” Don’t mandate wellness programs. Show the value through your own transformation first.
• Invest in Real Health Data: “You have all the lab tests, or at least your employees do, and they get actionable information to improve them. The amount of money you will make from having employees who are emotionally regulated because they’re biologically healthy, holy crap, your whole culture changes overnight. It’s so big.”
• Go Dry: This might surprise you, but Asprey’s logic is bulletproof. “You should not be spending your hard-earned profits on feeding your employees alcohol. He says, give them high-quality coffee instead. Give them things that make them grounded and focused and happy and performant and healthier.”

These aren’t feel-good wellness initiatives. These are business strategies disguised as employee benefits.

The bottom line

Biohacking is no longer just about personal optimization. It’s about building better businesses and creating sustainable competitive advantages. While your competitors burn out on the old grind-it-out mentality, you’re optimizing your biology for sustained peak performance.

The only question is whether you’ll get ahead of this curve or spend the next five years playing catch-up while your competition evolves past you.

In my experience, winning entrepreneurs spot trends early and move fast. Biohacking isn’t the future of wellness — it’s the future of high-performance entrepreneurship.