How Reforge’s CEO Survived Burnout—And Came Back Stronger (Brian Balfour)

Brian Balfour, Founder & CEO of Reforge, shares raw insights from his entrepreneurial journey. From navigating burnout and sleep disorders to rebuilding trust after tough feedback, Brian reflects on the challenges that shaped his leadership philosophy and personal growth.

Brian opens up about:

• Feeling “broken” during a burnout moment that forced him to step back and reset
• Struggling with imposter syndrome and comparing himself to peers like Mark Zuckerberg
• Lessons learned from career lows, including a product shutdown and a legal battle

Things to listen for:

(00:00) Brian Balfour: burnout and feeling broken

(02:33) Building deeper connections through vulnerability

(07:27) Launching Reforge Insight Analytics

(12:28) Lessons from Brian’s first startup vs. Facebook

(19:12) Overcoming feeling stuck by taking action

(29:31) Thanks to our sponsors for this episode, Navattic & Appcues

(27:09) Career lows and lessons in resilience

(33:34) Managing burnout and physical health

(41:10) Handling direct feedback and rebuilding trust

(50:43) Creating boundaries between work and family

This episode is presented by:

Navattic: Interactive Product Demo Software - https://navattic.com/value

Appcues: User Engagement for SaaS - https://appcues.com/value

Resources:

Connect with Brian:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bbalfour/

Website: https://brianbalfour.com/

Reforge: https://www.reforge.com/

Connect with Andrew:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewcapland/

Substack: https://media.deliveringvalue.co

Hire Andrew as your coach: https://deliveringvalue.co/coaching