Founders are praised for their grit — but what about their grace?

In this powerful episode of The Flourishing Edge, Ashish Kothari sits down with Lisa Mikkelsen, Partner at Flourish Ventures, to explore the hidden mental and emotional costs of entrepreneurship — and how founders can thrive without sacrificing their well-being.

Lisa shares hard-won insights from 25 years in startups and venture capital, where she’s seen firsthand how “image management,” stigma, and burnout quietly derail brilliant founders. Together, they unpack how the VC world can evolve from “get rich or die trying” to “grow well and thrive together.”

This is a must-listen for founders, funders, and anyone passionate about building sustainable success — from the inside out.

💡 Key Topics & Takeaways:

1️⃣ The Hidden Barriers to Founder Well-being

Image management: Founders feel pressured to project confidence even when struggling.

Fear and stigma: Many hide their stress to avoid losing investor trust.

Reality check: Nearly 70–90% of founders experience mental health challenges — they’re not alone.

2️⃣ The Survival Trap of Startups

How founders slip into “I’ll rest when…” thinking.

Reframing survival mode with Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs — recognizing safety and rest as non-negotiable for creativity and performance.

Why postponing self-care leads to operating at 30–50% capacity when founders need 100%.

3️⃣ Lisa’s Journey: From Startups to Mental Health Advocacy

25 years across startups and VC revealed one truth: behind every business problem lies a human one.

Personal inspiration: raising a neurodiverse child changed how Lisa views inclusion, empathy, and awareness in leadership.

How Flourish Ventures shifted its mission to center founder mental health.

4️⃣ The Flourish Ventures Model: Investing in Human Flourishing

Beyond capital: providing coaching, therapy access, and community circles for founders.

Hosting monthly CEO and CXO gatherings designed for real conversations, not “chest-pounding.”

Funded and validated the first 7-question mental health diagnostic tool designed specifically for entrepreneurs.

Taking the movement global — reshaping the VC–founder relationship through empathy, trust, and transparency.

5️⃣ Rethinking the VC–Founder Relationship

Only 10% of founders tell investors when something’s going wrong.

Flourish Ventures combats that by training investors in:

6️⃣ The Organizational Ripple Effect

Founder well-being sets the tone for company culture.

Flourish Ventures runs CXO retreats and leadership coaching to spread healthy habits beyond the C-suite.

Spotlight on the “frozen middle” — how empowering middle managers transforms entire organizations.

7️⃣ Flourishing at Work and in Life

Ashish and Lisa reflect on the Happiness Squad model and McKinsey research:

97% of burnout factors come from job, team, and organizational systems — not individuals.

To flourish at work = to flourish in life. You can’t “survive work” and hope to thrive elsewhere.

“Work is where we spend most of our waking hours — it should be a source of joy, not depletion.”

8️⃣ Lisa’s Daily Practices for Flourishing

🌿 Time in nature — even 5 minutes daily

📝 Journaling to process emotions and build self-awareness

💤 Sleep as a non-negotiable

🧘‍♀️ Quarterly rest breaks to reset energy and clarity

💨 Breathwork & mindfulness to stay anchored in the present

9️⃣ Advice for Founders

“Find a way to disconnect from work every single day — even for five minutes. Build that muscle.”

And for investors:

“The next time you talk to your founder, ask how they are doing — not how the business is doing. Then ask again: how are you really?”

👩‍💼 About the Guest

Lisa Mikkelsen is a Partner at Flourish Ventures, a global venture firm redefining what responsible investing looks like. She leads initiatives that support founder mental health and organizational well-being, integrating empathy, psychology, and business performance.

🔗 Connect with Lisa on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisamikkelsen1/

🧘‍♂️ About the Host

Ashish Kothari is the founder of Happiness Squad, author of Hardwired for Happiness, and host of The Flourishing Edge Podcast.

He helps leaders unlock joy, resilience, and performance through science-based habits of flourishing.

If this episode resonated with you, share it with a founder or leader who needs permission to rest and reconnect.

Subscribe to The Flourishing Edge Podcast for weekly insights on living, leading, and working with greater joy, health, love, and meaning.

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Happiness Squad Website: https://happinesssquad.com/

Ashish Kothari: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashishkothari1/

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