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20VC: Brad Feld, Jerry Colonna and Tracy Lawrence on Depression and Mental Health, The Dangers of Tying Happiness To Milestones & Why Fear, Anxiety and Guilt Are Useless Emotions

Jul 27, 2020

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Join Brad Feld, a venture capital titan, Tracy Lawrence, the innovative CEO of Chewse, and Jerry Colonna, a seasoned coach and founder, as they dive deep into the often-hidden struggles with depression and mental health in entrepreneurship. They candidly share their own experiences, highlighting the dangers of tying happiness to milestones. The conversation also stresses the importance of vulnerability and authenticity, encouraging founders to reshape their relationship with success and prioritize mental well-being over relentless pursuit.

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ANECDOTE

Tracy Lawrence's First Depressive Episode

Tracy Lawrence's first major depressive episode occurred during a difficult fundraising period.
She felt isolated and questioned her self-worth, highlighting the emotional toll of fundraising.

ANECDOTE

Jerry Colonna's Upbringing and Mental Health

Jerry Colonna's challenging upbringing with a mentally ill mother and alcoholic father shaped his understanding of mental health.
His own suicide attempt at 18 and later depression led him to seek therapy and address the root causes.

ANECDOTE

Brad Feld's Journey with Depression

Brad Feld experienced his first major depressive episode in his mid-20s, triggered by divorce, academic setbacks, and boredom with his company.
Subsequent episodes and the suicides of fellow entrepreneurs led him to advocate for mental health awareness.

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Brad Feld is a Co-Founder and Managing Director @ Foundry Group, one of the most successful venture firms of the last decade with a portfolio including the likes of Zynga, Fitbit and Sendgrid to name a few. Brad is also a co-founder @ Techstars and prior to Foundry, he co-founded Mobius Venture Capital.

Tracy Lawrence spent the last 8 years as Founder & CEO @ Chewse, the startup that it effortless for office managers to order delicious food for their teams. Tracy grew the team to 300 people across 4 markets, raised millions in venture capital, and ultimately sold the business to Foodee.

Jerry Colonna is the CEO of Reboot.io where he is now the professional coach to some of the world's leading founders. Prior to his work with Reboot, Jerry was an early-stage VC co-founding Flatiron alongside Fred Wilson in 1996.

In Today’s Episode You Will Learn:

1.) How did Brad, Jerry and Tracy all experience their first forms of depression? At what stage did it become a more prominent part of their life? Why do they think then was the catalyst?

2.) Why does Jerry believe that despite what people say, no one is crushing it? How can founders present their vulnerability as a strength? At what point did Tracy realise this? How did she convey her vulnerability to her team? Who is to blame for the lack of vulnerability and fear of opening up?

3.) How does Brad think about tying happiness to milestones? What are the biggest dangers of doing so? Does this mean one does not have goals? How does one balance between ambition and appreciating the present? How did Brad learn this when Amy asked for a divorce? How did he respond?

4.) Why does Brad believe fear, guilt and anxiety are useless emotions? What was the result of Tracy tying her mental state to her revenue line? How does Tracy think about the loneliness of being a founder? What does Brad believe is some of the biggest BS in the industry?

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