Dimitar is the VP and General Manager of CrossBeam, the world’s first and most powerful partner ecosystem platform. Dimitar is also a two-time Founder, has been on Exec teams 3 times and is also an Angel Investor.

Looking back, in the summer of 2019, Dimitar was in a different headspace.

Dimitar’s startup, Heresy, was in trouble and it eventually shut down.

At the time, Dimitar had two young kids at the time and a company under two years old.

He was juggling a lot of responsibilities.

Later on, the challenges of being a founder, a husband and a father caught up with him, as he tried to overcompensate and ended up feeling burned out.

This led him to feel as if he wasn’t doing 100% in either place: at home or at work.

One of the key points of discussion was the reality of making personal sacrifices in the pursuit of success. 

This is a crucial conversation for entrepreneurs, as it’s essential to evaluate your options when faced with challenging decisions. 

Knowing when to trust your gut and when to walk away from a venture is critical, and Dimitar shares his insights and experiences on this.

Moving on from an identity crisis

In this episode, Dimitar and I are going through the struggle of measuring success when your identity is inextricably tied to your company. 

This was a struggle Dimitar faced head-on and had to navigate the fog of failure and make the tough call between perseverance and letting go.

In today’s episode, we also talk about:

  • The importance of the right balance between family time and growing your business 
  • The difficulties of having an “Olympic athlete mindset”
  • Understanding when it’s time to push harder and when it is time to back away

The conversation then shifts to Dimitar’s personal journey towards self-care and striking a work-life balance, a crucial element he admits to overlooking at the expense of his mental and physical health. 

We are discussing the traditional founder’s response to self-sacrifice and how Dimitar had to learn the hard way that taking care of yourself is just as important as pushing for success.

Lastly, we explored the significance of benchmarking and assessing growth, and how founders can navigate their choices when faced with difficult decisions.

Dimitar’s journey taught him the paramount importance of self-care and understanding individual priorities, which can be instrumental in making informed decisions for one’s business.

Tune in and listen to Dimitar as he shares his entrepreneurial journey and invaluable advice, serving as a compass not only for those currently grappling with similar challenges but also for aspiring entrepreneurs.