“You're pushing yourself beyond what you feel is comfortable, which means you're gonna have chapters of discomfort or feeling like, ‘I'm not really sure if I'm there yet. And sometimes that's true. Sometimes you're not there yet. It's good to tune into that because then you know where you should be focusing to improve.”
For many entrepreneurs, ambition and burnout often arrive at the same time. Founders are constantly navigating pressure, uncertainty, responsibility, and the expectation to keep showing up, even when they’re running on empty.
But sustainable leadership requires more than productivity. It requires boundaries, emotional awareness, support systems, and the willingness to prioritize mental health alongside business growth.
In this Entreprenista Podcast, Haesue Jo shares insights from her work at BetterHelp, the importance of self-care as a leadership strategy, and why mental health conversations are becoming increasingly important for founders, teams, and modern workplaces.
You can listen to the podcast here on Spotify and Apple Podcast.
Here are a few moments from the podcast:
Haesue shares why more people are finally feeling comfortable talking openly about mental health.
“I'm so glad that we're in a time and space that people are talking about these things because it wasn't that long ago that it was almost like we weren't allowed to talk about this kind of stuff.”
She explains how her own experiences shaped her path toward mental health work and leadership at BetterHelp.
“The truth of the matter for so many of us is that we decided to go into this kind of work because we ourselves had some kind of transformative experience. We ourselves have had some kind of trauma in our lives and we have found some kind of healing or we're still in that journey.”
Haesue talks about why virtual therapy through BetterHelp creates access for people who may not have had support otherwise.
“I truly think and believe that there is plenty of room in the world for all of it. I don't, I'm personally, I'm not trying to be part of something that's going to replace all kinds of other therapy at all. It's adding another option that a lot of people didn't have access to in the first place.”
She shares how burnout and compassion fatigue impact people in helping professions.
“People might have heard of a phrase compassion fatigue and that's something that we refer to often or burnout It's just the depletion of the empathy that you're providing to other people and I use the word depletion because then it helps us see that it's something that can be filled But it doesn't just fill by itself. It doesn't just fill automatically.”
Haesue explains why self-care goes far beyond temporary relaxation or quick fixes.
“Self care does not just look like relaxation and, you know, boosting dopamine levels. It's also about going out of your way to provide your body, your spirit, your mind with the nourishment that it needs.”
You may also like:
- Entrepreneur Burnout: Prevention Strategies That Work in 2025
- Why Entrepreneur Burnout Costs More Than You Think
- Skipping Mental, Physical & Emotional Self-Care Costs More Than You Think
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Updated on: May 29, 2025
Guests
Haesue Jo
Hosts
Stephanie Cartin
Co-founder of Socialfly and Entreprenista.
Stephanie Cartin is the co-founder and CEO of Entreprenista, an all-in-one platform – which includes a private community & business membership called The Entreprenista League that's made up of over 2,000 women founders at all stages of business, a weekly newsletter received by 60,000 readers, two podcasts, in-person educational & networking events, and an award program – that women founders at all stages can turn to for everything they need to grow.
Stephanie is also the co-founder of Socialfly (acquired by Truform Media Group in 2024), Markid, and Pearl Influential Capital. She has won countless awards, including the SmartCEO Brava award, which recognizes the top women CEOs in New York, and a Stevie Award for Women-Run Workplace of the Year. She has also appeared in Bloomberg, Forbes, Entrepreneur, Refinery29, and more.
Courtney Spritzer
Co-founder of Entreprenista.
Courtney Spritzer is a serial entrepreneur, angel investor, author, and community builder with a passion for creating brands and platforms that empower women to lead, grow, and thrive.
In 2012, she co-founded Socialfly, a leading social-first digital and influencer marketing agency. Over the course of a decade, she helped scale the business into an award-winning agency working with Fortune 500 brands and emerging startups, building a powerhouse team and culture along the way. In 2024, Socialfly was acquired.
In 2018, Courtney launched the Entreprenista Podcast to spotlight the stories of inspiring women founders. That passion evolved into Entreprenista Media in 2021, a media platform and community supporting women entrepreneurs at every stage of growth. She now co-leads the continued expansion of The Entreprenista League, a membership-driven community and ecosystem for founders.
As an angel investor, Courtney supports female-led and mission-driven startups aligned with her vision for a more inclusive and equitable business landscape.
She is the co-author of Like, Love, Follow: The Entreprenista’s Guide to Using Social Media to Grow Your Business (2015), a strategic guide for leveraging social platforms to drive business success.
Her work and ventures have been featured in Bloomberg, Forbes, Inc., Entrepreneur, and The New York Times. She is committed to championing visionary founders and helping build the next generation of impactful, community-driven businesses.
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