KACHARAGADLA

Entrepreneurship is a journey that often illuminates parts of your personality that you may have been unable or unwilling to see in yourself. Throughout my six years as the CEO of  BodeTree , I’ve certainly learned  a lot about myself. One such realization is that I am a naturally stressed-out person. People who don’t know me well might be surprised by this revelation. The truth, however, is that as long as I can remember, I’ve been a worrier who thrives on stress. Over the years I learned to both mask this stress and turn it to my advantage. As a leader, I often take on the stress of others upon myself and use it to fuel my ambition. This internalization of stress has enabled me to (hopefully) cultivate a team where people are relaxed enough to perform at their peak. Or, so I thought. I’ve come to see, however, that my approach to stress only took me so far. By always taking the burdens of the world onto my shoulders, I built up a powerful reserve of pent-up stress t

Entrepreneurship is a  deeply personal   endeavor that requires dedication, discipline, and passion. For most founders, myself included, there is virtually no separation between the personal and professional. For me,  BodeTree’s  successes are my successes, and its failures are my failures. When someone attacks my company, I can’t help but take it personally. Unfortunately, this lack of separation between my personal and professional lives has taken its toll. Looking back, I can see how my tendency to take things personally has clouded my judgment, led to disappointment and prevented me from taking decisive action when needed. While it’s impossible for truly committed entrepreneurs to maintain the same kind of work/life separation that traditional employees enjoy, it is possible to find balance. There are certain aspects of the entrepreneurial journey that are touchier than others, at least in my case. Identifying these areas and understanding the lessons contained therein is