Being an entrepreneur can be stressful, emotional, and lonely, especially during a rough part of life. Cory Miller, founder of iThemes, has been at the forefront of advocating that entrepreneurs don’t have to go through the struggles of running a business alone.
Two years after founding iThemes, Miller found himself going through a tough divorce at the same time his company started taking off.
“Not many people in my life at that time could come close to relating to what I was going through as a human combined with being an entrepreneur,” Miller said.
“I was suffering in solitude. And I was craving authentic relationships with like-minded people on a similar path who knew what living the entrepreneurial life — with its sometimes drastic ups and downs — meant and who were walking it every day, like me, and wanted to walk together with others too.”
Miller eventually found himself in an entrepreneur peer group in Oklahoma City, OK, where entrepreneurs meet once a month for three hours to discuss the trials and tribulations of running a business.
Miller says the group is partially responsible for his good health and happiness as a business owner, father, husband, and human being.
In an effort to create similar opportunities for other business owners, Miller has partnered with Dr. Sherry Walling, who has a PhD in Psychology, to launch ZenTribes.
ZenTribes is a group of 6-9 like-minded entrepreneurs that get together once a month online to share stories, encouragement, and express support for one another. Walling and Miller are both members of the group and will be sharing their expertise with members.
Meetings will take place every Wednesday from 1-2:30 PM Central Standard Time for eight weeks using Zoom. The first meeting is on July 12th. The last meeting is on August 30th.
The first 15 minutes of meetings will focus on a key topic with an hour set aside for discussions and sharing experiences related to that topic. The last 15 minutes are dedicated to sharing resources and giving attendees suggested homework.
Some of the topics that will be discussed include:
- Burnout
- Depression
- Conflict
- Failure and loss
- Loneliness and friendship
ZenTribes is accepting applications for the first group of people until 1 PM CST June 15th. The cost to be a member of the group is $799. For more information about this initiative, listen to episode 120 of the ZenFounder podcast. In it, Miller and Sherry describe the program, why they created it, and how entrepreneurial groups can benefit business owners.
Jeff, thank you for sharing ZenTribes, but more importantly, helping keep mental health and wellness at the forefront of your reporting at the Tavern.