E16 — A Life-Changing Sabbatical with James McAulay
Description
James McAulay, founder of Encore, a marketplace for booking live music bands and Evgeny Shadchnev discuss James’ journey of leaving the business. James shares his transformative experience of taking a two-month sabbatical that helped him overcome burnout, successfully sell his company, and promote an insider to lead it. Now poised to join ElevenLabs, a leading AI company, James delves into his personal journey of meditation, running, and mental wellness.
00:00 Introduction
02:13 The Journey of Encore
05:16 Startup Challenges and Burnout
07:03 The Sabbatical Decision
12:13 Preparing for Succession
18:43 Returning to Encore
23:52 Meditation and Mindfulness
32:43 The Power of Running
35:10 Choosing to Step Away from Encore
40:43 Choosing the Next Step
44:51 Joining Eleven Labs
51:40 Advice for Founders
58:14 Final Reflections
The blog post about running that was mentioned: https://jamesmcaulay.co.uk/running-with-spirit/
Learn more about Evgeny's work as a CEO coach: https://www.evgeny.coach
Startup CEO Succession: a Founder's Guide to Leadership Transition is available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CW1HLZTR
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit substack.evgeny.coach
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