If a sadness
Rises in front of you,
Larger than any you have ever seen;
If an anxiety, like light and cloud shadows,
Moves over your hands and everything you do.
You must realize that something is happening to you,
That life has not forgotten you,
That it holds you in his hand
And will not let you fall.
About the Episode
After years of rapid growth and expansion, followed by a serious year of depression, Rand Fishkin, founder and former CEO of Moz, found himself in a room surrounded by VC backed CEO’s and entrepreneurs where the question was posed: “How many of you struggle seriously with depression or severe anxiety or emotional issues?” He watched almost every person raise their hand. It’s shocking how universal depression is in startups. For anyone struggling with depression, it’s helpful to know you’re not alone.
In this podcast, which is slightly different than past episodes, Jerry converses with Rand about his experience – his “loop,” how shame and guilt are at times his driver, the importance of understanding one’s emotional state, and how he’s made progress in coming out of depression, including his one piece of advice for entrepreneurs or anyone dealing with their own depression.
Key Links:
About Rand Fishkin:
Formerly CEO of Moz, software startup focused on making marketing tools primarly for SEO folks. Based in Seattle, WA and started in 2004 as a blog and then in 2007 as more formal software business. He stepped down as CEO in January of 2014 into a new role as individual contributor and promoted longtime COO, and bootcamp alumni, Sarah Bird, as Moz’s CEO.
Rand can be found on Twitter @Randfish or on his fantastic blog