Why Most Entrepreneurs Are Slowly Killing Themselves | Phil Drolet | TEDxMileHigh

This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences. Can we actually accomplish more by working less? Does the success of our modern icons hide a self-destructive culture? In this persuasive talk, Phil Drolet contrasts the lifestyle of our most famous and celebrated entrepreneurs with one that draws on the training and life patterns of rock stars, athletes and artists to drive excellence and achievement.
Phil Drolet believes that the “work ‘til you drop” mentality that exists in the entrepreneurial world is both destructive and counter-productive. It leads entrepreneurs to sacrifice their health and relationships for a lifestyle of exhaustion and overwhelm, which dramatically affects their business results. After a personal breakdown, Phil Drolet realized that there is a better way to achieve entrepreneurial success. That’s why he began leading a counterculture of entrepreneurs who want to achieve greater results by working smarter, not harder. To become part of the movement, visit his website at www.WorldClassEntrepreneur.com.
About TEDx, x = independently organized event In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)

[@onceuponatime6897]

It’s crazy how this was 8 years ago & how there’s even MORE pressure on entrepreneurs now a days with social media

[@rickboiardimindshiftingaca6975]

I deal with this all the time. If it’s not an activity towards achieving my goal then I feel guilty

[@damienalvarezdetoledo496]

Hi Rick, sometimes that guilt feeling can be used as a motivator, but it isn’t necessarily a healthy one. have you tried anything new to improve your levels of guilt or are you just dealing with it as you can?

[@rickboiardimindshiftingaca6975]

@@damienalvarezdetoledo496 I am allowing myself some time each day to rest and relax. It puts things more in perspective

[@damienalvarezdetoledo496]

​@@rickboiardimindshiftingaca6975 I sent you a DM

[@sinegugushabalala1692]

I am crying right now because my business is doing so well but I feel so drained and tired I wish I could do things differently and still have my business do this great but with me being more happier and not always so tired and feeling drained🥺

[@bangladeshirealtor]

you need to hire smartly and allocate responsibilities...be a visionary not just an implementer

[@fitforfreelance]

hang in there! I just heard research that eating more produce can reduce stress by 10%. Just posted a video about it, hope you get to see it =)

[@kevinmarshall3198]

I understand that, I'm in the same boat. People that do have business built from the ground up just wouldn't understand.

[@whatshewore_2546]

How did you solve this because I am in the same boat right now I feel drained totally 😴

[@MM-ih8dh]

Same by me in Germany

[@vvjp5732]

"Suffocating under the weight of my own ambitions" and "victim of a broken social narrative". Very true. Not enough research and focus is drawn to the welfare of entrepreneurs. Passion and independence does not conquer all.

[@kerryford6030]

do you feel this pressure too?

[@photope6335]

I also feel same

[@joyceernest5598]

⁰

[@teratrox4685]

"Stop Trying So Hard. Achieve More By Doing Less" - Title of one ted talk, it was my motto since childhood... :)

[@Jesus-kt5dc]

THE ONLY WAY TO WORK LESS IS TO WORK SMART.

[@rickboiardimindshiftingaca6975]

Easy for you.....you’re Jesus

[@RadenWA]

Try saying that to your farmer, builder and craftsmen. "Hey, maybe consider being _smarter_ by planting less crops and fixing less stuffs and charging more for it?"

[@typicalindian1238]

@@RadenWA farmers can work less by automating their farms so idk what are you talking about

[@RaviSingh-fv4sh]

They work smartly 100hours a week.

[@chickencurry1033]

You are so right...

[@user-gb5ff7gj1m]

Thank you for putting this out in the world. I have been doubting if you HAVE to put in so many hours as entrepreneur. Most of the entrepreneur has been saying work hard, sleep less than 8 hours a day, and sacrifice your personal relationships. The reward is freedom. I started to doubt how much freedom you have with so little personal time.

[@misillibertario3894]

Leonardo Da Vinci used to say : "Genius people need to work less to achieve the best results and perform like never before"

[@davidlancaster5804]

Hard work is a virtue, but don't let it take away from your family or your sense of humanity.

[@anthonyzzz3013]

If I work for 20 hours a week and earn enough to live on, and spend loads of time exercising, eating well, relaxing with loved ones, how is working 60 hours a week more virtuous?? "Hard work is a virtue" is a myth propagated to keep people passive in thought and the economy growing.

[@RadenWA]

Because people who work less do so by delegating their manual labor to cheap workers that has to work 60 hours and has no time for family or humanity.

[@Peach-yh9ri]

I am so glad I found this video, I've been looking for this for so long... Really grateful for it, it's been so hard to sleep with this mental turmoil every night about the many things to do 😥

[@aking0914]

As a mom and entrepreneur this brought me sooo much confirmation. I handle it all through the grace of God, appointments, bills , home, school stuff etc. and these past few months I have just been extremely exhausted. I took iron pills and it helped but not to the point of relieving me from such deep exhaustion from work and over stimulation. The truth is your body is calling out to you for assistance and rest and rejuvenation is required to be the best entrepreneur you can be. I am so grateful for this , Asé.

[@mayurshettigar8566]

Understand that he is sharing an act/lifestyle which worked for him. Not all can relate to it. But of course, we can learn a lot from this talk. "Do what suits you the best."

[@hamzaalaudi1184]

Remarkable speech given, really hit most of the major talking points.

[@fitforfreelance]

This is so important! You don't have to work yourself to death- you can actually have a great work-life balance

[@a036nikhilsannat4]

It doesn't matter whether you work more or less, the thing matter is your passion, your mindset and how&why you do your work.

[@tarawagner2911]

This nailed it on the head!! I have been in business for a long time - 20+ years and talk to my clients about entrepreneur burnout time and time again. Creating space in our biz and personal life to practice productivity, rest, and efficiency is key!

[@Sweetpea77799]

I am starting a business and I'm already burned out from stress. This is true.

[@dustyandsneezing]

I’m 2-3 years in and I’m stressed. I worked 70 hours a week and I’m not rich. Some people would say charge more. But sometimes you just can’t do that. This video wasn’t very helpful.

[@speedykiller360]

So true words! This man is a master! I am glad that I had the opportunity to hear this speech. THANK YOU!!

[@mineskamarkgraaff1631]

This is so true , I have been trying this and it works!! But I still fall into old habits from time to time...however this is such a wonderful reminder! Thank you!

[@leonardgani1489]

Sometime to create a masterpiece you need to work hard instead of think hard or work smart. Many people spend their time in thinking how but they don't have the capability to do it, so work hard and smart. Keep all things in balance.

[@enochbrown8178]

Phil Drolet is right. We think that more work will conquer anything. Well, it won't. If you're thinking about the long haul, then you need to have periods of rest and reflection each day. Put the correct systems in place, delegate, and keep your eye on the competition or designate someone to do it and make sure they report to you on a regular basis.

[@MyTimeToReinvent]

Balance, alignment, and working smarter will produce the best results. It's not all about working more. Great ted talk for entrepreneurs.

[@apall2764]

Yep this guy is right, but he talks about 50+ working hours reduction, I've found that 50 hours is the best work-life balance for entrepreneurs, If you're an entrepreneur especially startups minimum 50 hours required

[@path2greatnessproject641]

Great topic, great speech. I can really relate to this. Thank You for sharing.

[@yelenagrabko1367]

Thank you Phil, I love all what you are saying!

[@Chef_Tz]

This was really motivating I am at the point where my first business failed and I'm really depressed rn finding my recipe for success is definitely something I will apply when I start my next endeavor

[@danielstojanovski7869]

Thank you! Well said regarding testing assumption that success is directly correlated to number of hours worked.

[@Imohlaapohko]

Divine timing.... Thank you

[@poor.but.possible]

Thanks for this advice , its just applicable in studing as a student. Once again thanks

[@IsaacMillerRocks]

Loved your talk Phil, I've struggled with working too much and pushing to hard as well. We've all got to slow down and just learn to relax sometimes.

[@thecryptomba4476]

Amen!!

[@barrysaccountingservicesco1913]

This speech resonates with me. I used to work 80-hrs/wk. for several years when I started my consulting business. Working those long hours didn’t bother me because I was passionate about what I was doing; and I was happy to work everyday. Recently, I reduced my work hours by 75% because the long hours that I had put into the business when it started continue to produce huge rewards/dividends. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a social life. Ha! ha! ha!.....he! he! heeeee!

[@magfortunate3285]

Good job my new friend! J'ai eu la larme à l'oeil

[@Motivationlife-cz9fk]

thank you

[@Imtheone84]

Thank you Phil. Building systems and delegating

[@ValhallaMovement]

Great talk and very true insight into the destructive habits of entrepreneurs!

[@thecryptomba4476]

Thanks! It's important to talk about it.

[@hibayana7915]

Slowing down really matters. Great Ted talk 👏👏

[@KARMAYOGbyVIKASSINGH]

Brilliant

[@SUNNYBOIBIZ]

This was inspiring, thank you

[@johntran2518]

How painfully refreshing is it to be alone in the dark and cry to release all that negativity out.

[@CourtneyLSanders]

Great talk! Thank you for sharing these ideas!

[@blazeblaze666]

there are 2 kind of people watching this video, simply clicking this video for no reason and intentionally watching this for a reason

[@SpiritualEntrepreneur]

Most inspiring talk ive ever listened to

[@annafuru1555]

These are great points Phil. Working smart trumps working hard.

[@rutvijdoshi9664]

This video should have infinite views ...Many young entrepreneurs are rushing comparing others

[@draxtermusic]

Phil, you are my true guru. please keep doing this thing. getting your emails and so on. you keep us motivated and energized. ONE BIG THANKS PHIL. for real. THANKS

[@worldshaper1723]

If you want to work less, that's fine. But I won't change the world by working 40 hours a week, I can not afford that. And don't get overly stressed because I found ways to control my stress levels, I meditate every day and exercise. The world of Business is a war, and relaxing won't get me anywhere.

[@diegorabelo5821]

Just curious. What industry are you in if you dont mind me asking?

[@SejuaniMedio]

Ok Jeff

[@heikorudi6105]

Nice try. Studies have shown that people who work 40 hours a week get as much done, on average, as those who work 60 hours a week. Elon musk works 80-100 hours a week, 90 on average. he is working on 3 companies at the same time: Tesla, SpaceX and The Boring Company. All three companies are changing the world. Statistically he can only work about 30 hours a week on each company, so he could just drop 2 of those companies and work 40 hours a week on one of them and still change the world.

[@ianvensel797]

Facts

[@josecarlosxyz]

You won’t change the world anyway regardless how much you work you’ll never change the world. That’s a naive mentality

[@cocoberlin]

Great talk and great presence! I found you over your how to shower cold advice :) Thank you!

[@codewithfongoh]

Best talk I've ever watched. I have just been drained now let me try another approach

[@Jesse_Lane]

This was life-changing for me!

[@islandtimewellness7091]

Loved it 💕 Thank you!

[@naikajay]

There's no substitute to hard work.

[@TheKatrinaRuthShow]

This is a great video and totally agree with this!

[@hectorcortez2379]

I Need to watch this video un this part of my life and my business.

[@paulmitchell5349]

The crucial phrase, ''my team''. So those guys carried you during the month off. Most people don't have that luxury.

[@SensibleMax]

Thought the same, his workers must love him to death :)

[@annegachanja3468]

💯

[@dustyandsneezing]

Nope, not this guy. I got one person I can count on and that’s it. We still have to do everything.

[@biohackerhealthcoach]

brilliant talk - less is more

[@GrandOverlord2000]

I've reached the point you described, the real exhaustion that hits you once you get a moment to breathe

[@archanachhatre3025]

Somehow, I needed to hear this after putting 2 years into my coaching venture and fearing to launch it.

[@Irzani938]

U might need to emphasize on work smart rather than work hard. By simply dropping down the working time but still physically working at same pace, it would affect the work output. Imho.

[@invuestudios598]

Truth has been spoken!

[@gabrielsky4881]

Spot on Phil!

[@Susanach81]

Very good talk!.

[@kizunaastin5308]

Its a secret too in working out to build muscles, recovery is the key and where your muscles grow not in the amount of time you workout, but the amount of time you rest to recover

[@startjuicingnow2800]

Thank you

[@toddkuslikis6894]

Incredible job Phil! I think this message is so important. It hard for entrepreneurs because most enjoy their work but its important to maintain balance and not let passion get out of control.

[@thecryptomba4476]

That's right! The reality is that we should all have hobbies that are just as much fun as work, no matter how passionate we are. And when we get away, the work becomes even more fun :)

[@teratrox4685]

they should select passionate ones with them.... Passion Should Be the main one...

[@NunoTuna]

These "opinion makers" and "life coaches" opinions are so bloody arbitraries. What works for some, doesn't work for others. I'm a freelancer designer. If I worked less than10 hours a day I wouldn't make enough money to pay my bills. Other people don't have that problem. The variables are endless. Yada, yada, yada...

Yes, you're a freelancer, not an entrepreneur - they outsource/delegate.

[@hemanbhojwani3333]

Well said, Nuno. Everyone's situation is different. Phil also conveniently forgot to mention that the reason he became more profitable is probably because he put in all those long hours in the beginning. Nothing worthwhile comes easy.

[@alexusanin1632]

I see your point, but I also believe that you CAN work 5 hours a day. That's all about being bold and asking for more money. When was the last time you asked for 2x the pay of average freelancer? Why haven't you tried doing that? What holds you back?

[@kerryford6030]

can I ask, what are your main mental, emotional, physical issues with working such hard hours and having to remain creative? considering you cant cut down your hours or have that luxury? its a real situation for so many.

[@soniccookie655]

Working less is still good for people, but yeah, it's just not something everyone can do. His advice is good but it's just not always an option.

[@KevinMay44]

phenomenal insights :)

[@karenchu994]

as an entrepreneur, i can attest that 80-100 is normal week.

[@AdamSno]

Incredible

[@cpengwin]

Elon Musk and other's aren't wrong in saying their success is down to putting in 80+ hour weeks but they are wrong in thinking that will work for most people. Only very few people are 'lucky' enough to be able to keep it up without burn out. For most of us less hours = more productivity and of course more time to do the things you actually want and that will make you feel good about yourself. Couple of interesting studies I don't have the references for, first: bosses can't tell the difference between employees who just say they work tens of hours more than their contract and those who actually do, secondly that above 45 hours each additional hour worked increases production by only minuscule amounts.

[@MargieShard]

SPOT ON!

[@rogiervantilburg3440]

Thanks for sharing!

[@mzalt]

BEST TALK EVER MAN, Starting from next month I will try the (30 days work less challenge)..

[@thecryptomba4476]

Thanks Mahmoud! I'm excited for you... Bigger results with less effort here you come!

[@TheVFXbyArt]

Didn’t we already figure this out, like, 100 years ago with Henry Ford and the 40 hr work week? Make no mistake, there’s no shortage of people willing to work 80 hr weeks, if only to get away from their family. If people want to kill themselves that way, its their own personal business. A workaholic is just that. Just don’t base a work ethic starting at 80hrs/wk.

[@sergii_real_estate]

please share more about it, Im in trouble

[@markbrisec3972]

I can't take him up on this advice of "work 25% less starting from Monday".. I'm already working as little as possible and I have to admit that this approach is maybe not the best way to improve your business and be a better entrepreneur... But I got a lot of time on my hands to mooch and slouch around, generally turning into a lazy SOB... Business isn't improving. But thankfully it's not going down either. A perfect equilibrium..

[@ttoo6463]

Good theory. Easy said then done

[@israelarechiga9214]

I never thought of it that way

[@bibabarry1697]

I have never watched this presentation but i went through the same thing. Suffocating under the wight of my own ambitions. and i did the same experiment of working less. I was not an enterpreneur i was an employee. I became engross in the dream of my employer that i forgot myself. When i took a break it was a whole different change.

[@vitezhrabri4054]

The law of diminishing returns but whit time spent at work brilliant

[@matthewsalmon2013]

Given the high rate of unemployment and underemployment, the future belongs to those that can build robust teamwork systems and create trusted partnerships.

[@chikotembo]

Loved it!!

[@thecryptomba4476]

Thanks!

[@twillybbe]

This was realllly good.

[@marieldays2232]

Thank you I realized a lot of things

[@nishithmanek2]

Running a manufacturing firm, I completely correlate what you said....will try from this month itself...! Nothing to loose in worst case scenario...except some much needed additional rest...✌

[@kerryford6030]

have you found any action plans or blueprints on doing this?

[@MajorasMaskMailman]

Great talk. I think the title could've been better as "Entrepreneurs are Killing Themselves".

[@bestprimal9790]

Entrepreneurship is just the same as going to the gym, you don’t spend all day working out but rather prepare ahead of time physically and mentally, do the exercises that you planned to do and then recover.

[@visamap]

Thank you all very much

[@advicefromdaddy7118]

wow man thanks

[@trunghieuphan891]

Well hustle is a stage everyone needs to experienced before they get to the stage that they can work smart to cut down the efforts they put in :-?

[@asocialex6684]

"i'm not sure i want to be me" cit. Elon Musk

[@mberge1]

Makes a lot of sense. Burnout is no fun if it doesn't end.

[@laurentien00]

Working 100 hours per week means no family life and a lot of drugs to keep up with the stress if you want to stay good for more then a few weeks. Perhaps Elon and Mark did not tell how they really did it.

[@Aprilforevergreen]

Because Elon and Mark actually produced something but these guys (Tony Robins and those kind of speakers) make their livings giving talks about how to achieve results which means? I always think is something very different. I would be criticised if I say they really made a living from exploiting the dream for success wherein neither the motivational speaker doesn't produce anything and neither do the vast majority of people who listen to them never go on to produce anything either. It's like paying to feel good momentarily.

[@harresdirksen1950]

I think it matters alot that someone like Elon Musk is super super passionate about what hes doing. Hes basicly doing what he loves and what he absolutely beliefs to be his 'destiny' (maybe not in the literal, spiritual sense of the word). If you truely have a mindset like that about something, then doing it all day long really isnt that much of a burden.

[@StefanReich]

What does "to work" even mean?

[@eddenoy321]

To suffer and sacrifice life's pleasures for greater monetary gain.

[@StefanReich]

+Ed Denoy Thanks. I think there are multiple definitions and that is a big source of confusion

[@Mrhaydentv]

Amazing

[@yingyu5923]

You changed my mind.

[@sylvainbodji1124]

Wow, so deep

[@RAVIYASH100]

Nice Phil.

[@jackmwanza4545]

We are in a race against time. I will do what I have to while I live. Isaac Newton deciphered this pretty well no wonder we have the luxury to enjoy many of his great inventions.

[@nikolion4256]

I agree

[@jajuanrussell5386]

The irony is uncanny: The employee understands the haps and mishaps of a 60 hour work week, AND the hour cuts. As it were, I've been able to be more effective at my place of work, because of the long hours; But it is also harder to goto work when the schedule variably less demanding. Moral: consistency still equals a compounded interest.

[@jerrydouglas4583]

Probably the best TED talk I’ve ever seen. It is a topic that I searched, and then that might have something to do with it, but super Duper nailed it and I am using this philosophy in my program which, ironically has a similar name to yours

[@bharatkumargandhi9325]

let me include this new idea in my daily life and see the results.