With all the media, business coaches, and LinkedIn posts out there, there’s no shortage of content to make you feel like there’s a very specific set of rules you’ve got to follow if you want to be successful. It’s only after you’ve gotten into this world that you realize that there isn’t, and it’s up to you to create your own path and formulate your own set of rules in which you’ll find your success. One thing, in particular, I want to call out is believing that as a first-time founder, you can have a healthy work-life balance. If you’re truly passionate about achieving what it is you’re trying to achieve—your life’s work—the thing you want more than anything else in this world, you’ll be able to easily understand that while you’re working to accomplish this “obsession” (which I consider a positive term), a work-life balance is the furthest thing from reality.

Think about it: A ball player who decided to go one-and-done after one year of college. An Olympian who has sacrificed all resemblance of social life. An F1 driver’s family who has committed every last dollar. A Billboard artist who dropped out of school to spend more time in the studio. A PhD student who’s in year seven of a ten-year specialization. A US Navy SEAL who has given up being a civilian. In each of these situations, sacrificing everything to chase after a goal isn’t just considered justified—it’s actually glorified. These people sacrificed their social lives, school, friends, family, and health to dedicate every second toward their craft. But when someone decides to make the same sacrifices to build a business, we say, “You really need to find a work-life balance,” or “You’re working too much,” or “Why are you so driven by money and success? Don’t you know there’s more to life?” Instead of feeling bad or thinking you’re crazy or wrong, lean into it. 

You’re doing something that the majority of the population can’t even imagine doing. You’re going on a journey that most people wouldn’t be able to spend one week trying to follow. After all, you want the success that only a very small percentage of the population will ever achieve. That means you’ll have to face challenges that only a very small percentage of the population will ever deal with. Never forget that your challenges will always match your ambition.

More about Marc Lafleur

Marc Lafleur had holes in his shoes at sixteen. As the only Black kid in an all-white catholic school, life was tough. His entrepreneurial journey didn’t happen until he heard that Snapchat turned down a $3 billion offer from Facebook. That’s what changed everything. By 2016, at the age of 25 Marc co-founded truLOCAL - an online marketplace for consumers to connect with local farmers and producers. Over the course of five years - as cofounder and CEO - he grew the business to over sixty employees and expanded across the country. Following a successful pitch on Dragons’ Den, truLOCAL became a runaway success culminating in a $16.8 million dollar acquisition in 2020. Marc was thirty years old at the time.

Today, Marc shares his unique perspective on business from the lens of someone who nobody thought would make it. He has been asked to share his knowledge on leadership, consumer marketing, and Web3 with the likes of Google, FedEx, and various academic institutions. Marc is currently doing keynote talks at conferences across the United States and Canada.