How self-care grew Windmill by 70%

Yo!

Ben Buaron here, Israeli Founder 🇮🇱 of Windmill Growth.

Funny thing happened a couple weeks ago, I went on a podcast to talk about my journey from bartender to 7-figure founder...

And when we got to the topic of burnout, I couldn’t shut up.

Turns out I had way more to say than I thought.

Because this is something I lived through.

And if you're in the trenches right now, building something from scratch, I want you to hear this.

Six months into my founding journey, I was miserable.

Like, genuinely miserable.

I’d wake up, check Slack before I even brushed my teeth, and one bad message would wreck my entire day.

At night, I’d lay in bed with my mind spinning:

- Did we hit our metrics today?
- Is that client about to churn?
- Am I doing enough?

My emotional state was directly tied to how the business was doing that day.

• Land a deal? I’m a genius.

• Lose a client? I’m a failure.

Eventually, I said to my roommate:

"There’s no way every founder lives like this. This shit isn’t sustainable."

And I was right.

It’s not…

A few months later, I flew to Mexico for a founder retreat.

I expected growth tactics and scaling strategies.

Instead, I got something way more valuable: clarity.

Through deep convos with other founders, I realized I was living at the mercy of my business.

Every win felt personal. Every mistake felt like an identity crisis.

I wasn’t building a business that served me.

I was serving the business. And it was burning me out.

That trip shifted everything. (Shout out Founders Club)

I came back from Mexico and went all in on one thing: myself.

I built a 3-hour morning routine and committed to it like my life depended on it (because it did).

• 7am: Walk with Bono 🐕
  

• Coffee + same breakfast every day
  

• Gym
  

• Prayer
  

• Shower
  

• Meditation
  

• Journaling
  

• Only then do I check Slack or open metrics

Was it hard? Yes.

Did I feel guilty for not “starting work” until 10:30am? Absolutely.

But guess what happened…

Two months later, Windmill grew by over 70%.

Not because I hustled harder…

But because I finally had the mental space to lead.

I made better decisions.

And I stopped letting every little thing determine how my day went.

One more thing before I let you go.

If you take one thing away from this weeks newsletter, take this with you:

There’s no “right” way to prevent burnout.

You don’t need to cold plunge, meditate, and drink green juice every morning (though I do 2/3).

You just need to figure out what works for you.

One founder might hit the gym. Another might walk their dog. Someone else might journal or just sit in silence.

The key is: do something that grounds you.

And commit to it consistently.

I promise this will reflect in how your business performs.

🎧 If this hit home, I go way deeper on the podcast episode I did recently.

We talked about burnout, purpose, the military, law school, and why I almost blew it all.

👉 Listen here 

That’s it for this week’s Windmill flow…

Remember, you’re not just building a business. 

You’re building the person who’s going to run it. 

So don’t forget to take care of that person.

Ciao!

BB

P.S. When you're ready, here are two more ways I can help you:

1. Want to connect with other founders working on this stuff?

Our WhatsApp group is where 50+ of us share real wins, routines, and mindset breakthroughs.

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2. Want help building your LinkedIn brand without burning out?

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