Growing up, I witnessed firsthand the dedication that it takes to build a dream from scratch. My father and mother had the entrepreneurial spirit – determined, hardworking, good with people, open-minded, and my dad deeply committed to his franchise business. Seven days a week, he served our Chicago suburb with pride while providing for our family of six.
Then 2009 brought the Great Recession to the USA, and like many business owners and workers in general, my father faced challenges that would reshape our family's journey. The economic downturn took its toll on our family business, our home, and ultimately led to significant changes in our family life. Those experiences, though difficult, planted the seeds for something meaningful – they showed me both the remarkable resilience of entrepreneurs and the vital importance of supporting them through life's hardest moments.
That moment changed everything.
Today, I run The Funding & Strategy Collaborative, working closely with nonprofit entrepreneurs and leaders. Every day, I see the same patterns that brought down my father's business: the relentless pressure, the "hustle culture" mentality, the "loneliness at the top," and the lack of policy support and advocacy for SME's compared to large companies. When I stepped into entrepreneurship myself, for example, anxiety and depression became unwelcome companions. The harsh reality? Our society expects entrepreneurs to be superhuman while providing virtually no support. Is it any wonder why one in five small businesses close their doors within the first year, half won't see their fifth anniversary, and after a decade, barely a third remain standing?
Another wake-up call came for me during the COVID-19 pandemic, which began around March 2020. As all workers and entrepreneurs retreated into remote work, an epidemic of loneliness and burnout swept through our community. The existing support systems – from the SBA to NAMI – weren't wholly equipped to address the unique psychological demands of building a business. I really felt called to get something done.
That's why I founded Mindful Founders Inc. in September 2024, one year after I began my for-profit business and four years after the COVID-19 pandemic.
At Mindful Founders Inc., we aim to be more than just another business resource – we can be a structured, virtual hub for entrepreneurs' holistic well-being. Through peer support groups, guided meditations, emergency micro-grants, free resources and more, we're creating what I wish had existed for my father, myself, and my other beloved entrepreneurs: a safe virtual space where entrepreneurs can be vulnerable, find strength in community, and access resources they desperately need.
This isn't just another nonprofit. It's a movement to revolutionize how we think about entrepreneurial success. Because true success isn't just about profit margins and growth metrics – it's about building sustainable businesses without sacrificing our mental health, our relationships, and our joy! Additionally, the impact of small businesses ripples far beyond their individual success. As key pieces of our local communities and engines of our economy [statistically], they create a powerful network of interdependence. When we strengthen and support our entrepreneurs, we aren't just helping individual business owners – we're nurturing the very fabric of our neighborhoods, creating jobs that sustain families, and building resilient communities that can weather any storm.
Every time an entrepreneur joins our MFI community, I think about my dad. I think about that young girl watching her family's world unravel, and I'm reminded of why this matters so much. Because no entrepreneur should have to choose between their business success and their mental well-being. In fact, without mental and emotional well-being, how are you expected to make good decisions for your business? Because every business owner deserves a support system that understands their unique challenges.
Sometimes, the most powerful thing we can say to another entrepreneur is simply: "You're not alone in this."
So, in a nutshell, trying to leave out additional details, this is why I started Mindful Founders. This is why I wake up every morning passionate about our mission. I care deeply about those who take the risk to make something out of nothing. I want them to succeed in every aspect of life. And this is just the beginning of our journey to transform entrepreneurial well-being, one founder at a time.
Best,
Alex Aryaan
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