The Anxious Achiever Why Anxiety Can Be Your Superpower with Shopify’s Harley Finkelstein
37 snips
Sep 11, 2025 
Harley Finkelstein, President of Shopify, shares how anxiety transformed from a survival instinct into a driving force in his entrepreneurship journey. He emphasizes viewing anxiety as a tool that sharpens foresight and fuels ambition. Listeners will discover strategies to manage anxiety, the importance of building a balanced team, and why vulnerability is a leadership strength. Harley also discusses how different personality types recharge and the critical skills needed for anxious achievers, making anxiety a potential advantage in business.
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Anxiety As A Superpower
- Harley reframes his lifelong restlessness as an "anxious achiever" superpower rather than a flaw.
- He learned to manage and hone anxiety instead of trying to eliminate it completely.
Entrepreneurship Born From Necessity
- At 17, Harley started a T-shirt business out of necessity after his family lost everything and he refused to leave college.
- He used anxiety-driven urgency as a practical tool to support his family and fund his studies.
Create Rituals To Manage Spikes
- Use guided meditation and increase therapy frequency when anxiety spikes to gain comfort and structure.
- Schedule rituals and daily activities to create predictable guardrails that reduce anxiety's impact.
