With Dr Michael Freeman – Econa, UCSF
What if the most important runway in your business isn’t financial — but emotional?
In this episode of Good Business Talking, I speak with Dr. Michael A. Freeman, psychiatrist, researcher, former CEO, founder and one of the leading voices in entrepreneurial mental health.
Dr. Freeman explores the distinctive traits that can make founders exceptional: high drive, optimism, creativity, risk tolerance and persistence. But those same strengths can also become liabilities when they tip into overwork, isolation, overconfidence, burnout or an identity that is inseparable from the business.
Drawing on his research with entrepreneurs, Michael shares a compelling reframing: mental health and wellbeing are not peripheral “self-care” concerns. They are part of a company’s essential infrastructure, alongside financial controls, leadership capability and operational discipline.
The conversation also covers the Entrepreneur Wellbeing Check, Econa’s emerging safety-net approach for founders, and why building a good business must also mean building a business that is good for the person leading it.