Burnout is a serious problem — how one start-up founder beat it to have a ‘healthier, balanced life’
From the outside, Ajay Kori was living the dream.
In 2014, Kori co-founded Washington, D.C.-based UrbanStems, an online flower delivery company that has now raised $48 million in funding from investors. He served as CEO until 2019, growing the business from nothing to more than 100 employees and millions of dollars in annual revenue, before stepping back to become the company’s chairman.
But on the inside, the stress of running a growing business was burning him out — leaving him racked with anxiety and sleeplessness. At work, he felt sluggish and made poor decisions. The stress even took a toll on his body, causing his facial hair to grow in patches.
“I didn’t take care of myself,” Kori, 38, tells CNBC Make It.
Two years ago, Kori began seeing a therapist, who helped him realize just how hard he’d been pushing himself, to the detriment of both his own health and the company. Slowly but surely, he says, he’s worked his way back to a “healthier and balanced life.”
But that hasn’t stopped him from launching two new businesses since then — a lamp-maker and a biotech firm. And especially within the world of entrepreneurship, Kori is far from alone.
