CHAMPION MINDSET
Do You Ever Feel Like You ’ re Running On Empty , Stretched Too Thin , Drowning In Responsibilities , And Barely Hanging On By A Thread ?
You ’ re Not Alone .
BY ESTHER SHEIN
“ Burnout is just this absolute soup of head trash and garbage … It ’ s the fear of success and fear of failure at the same time .” — Angel Rojas , Jr ., CEO / President , DataCorps Technology Solutions
T here was a time when hearing his office phone ring nearly sent Angel Rojas , Jr ., over the edge . He was a dozen years into running his managed IT services business , which was primed for growth and putting more demands on his time . He also had a toddler who needed surgery and a newborn who cried constantly .
“ Because of the baby screaming , I developed a noise sensitivity ,” recounts Rojas , CEO and president of DataCorps Technology Solutions , an MSP in Brandon , Florida . “ Over time , that wore on me .”
Rojas also mandated that his three employees at the time return to the office — and they quit . So , Rojas had to rebuild the team . “ I lost years of operational knowledge and had to train new people and had a baby who wasn ’ t sleeping , so I wasn ’ t resting ,” he says .
That was 2014 and Rojas was experiencing burnout . He describes it as “ a sense or feeling of hopelessness combined with a feeling of failure and a feeling of being put in a corner and being afraid and angry . . . of whatever it is that puts you in that corner .”
This is not an uncommon scenario for small MSP business owners who wear many hats , work long hours , worry about financial pressures , and often feel alone .
What Are Some Signs Of Burnout ?
Nearly half ( 42 %) of small business owners have experienced burnout , a syndrome resulting from chronic stress at work . It is characterized by overwhelming exhaustion , negative attitudes , or a lack of client commitment and dissatisfaction with job performance , according to a 2022 study by Capital One and the NextGen Chamber of Commerce .
“ Losing your spark and excitement for work and dreading that next day coming ” are also signs , says Adam Spencer , CEO of 911 IT , an MSP in Salt Lake City , Utah . A small MSP business owner should be looking forward to going to work and talking about their business to others , Spencer says . “ With burnout , it feels like you ’ re stuck in problems , spinning your wheels , and not moving anywhere ,” he recounts about his own feelings . “ It takes the fun out of it .”
Cynicism toward work or individuals is another indicator , according to Gina Calvano , a career transformation consultant and author of From Burnout to Purpose : Simple Strategies for a Soul-Fulfilling Approach to Work .
“ You just can ’ t look at anything with any type of enjoyment ; there ’ s always some voice that says , ‘ This won ’ t work , or this will be the way it ’ s always been in the past ,’” Calvano says .
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