What do the addict and the entrepreneur have in common? A lot according to Michael Dash author of Chasing the High: An Entrepreneur’s Mindset Through Addiction, Lawsuits, and His Journey to the Edge
Find our interview with Michael here and read the highlights below.
Chasing the High -Main Focus
1. There’s a dark side of entrepreneurism, and it often includes addiction. Michael was an entrepreneur, gambling addict and drug addict. For him, the exhilaration of building his business and the high he felt from gambling and drugs were two sides of the same coin. Unfortunately, his story is not uncommon in the entrepreneur world, and his story shows how you can take the steps to recover.
2. Don’t confuse money and status for success. It can be hard to separate these things as an entrepreneur, but burning out and turning to dangerous addictive behavior is much worse in the long term, and in the end, your health is more important than any implied status.
3. Addictions actually steal the most important commodity to an entrepreneur: time. At the height of his addiction, Michael estimated that chasing the high took up about 75% of his time. Without the drugs and gambling, he was unsure of what to fill it with. Many addicts change one addiction for another. He found that by the support of a tribe and community, he could use his time to fill meaningful projects.
4. If you stumble on your road to recovery, remember your entrepreneurial mind. When building a business, early setbacks are opportunities for growth, resilience, and greater self-awareness, but they don’t always feel that way. Treat each day with an entrepreneurial spirit. Try hard, see what works, and work what does.
Entrepreneurial Mind Loves a High
In Chasing the High Michael talks about the high being more about the action rather than the result. Where have you seen that on your own road to recovery? Where have you seen the positive the clever mind you were born with work in your favor?
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts!
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