Why Entrepreneurs Need to Be the CEO of Their Work — and Their Life Insoights from entrepreneur, author, and speaker Natalie Sisson.

Entrepreneurs are taught to track everything: revenue, growth, customers, and performance. Yet one of the most critical metrics often goes unmeasured — energy.

"Many founders know exactly how their business is performing," says Natalie Sisson, New Zealand-based business coach and entrepreneur. "But they don't track how much energy their business is costing them. When your energy improves, everything else follows."

In today's fast-paced startup environment, burnout is often worn as a badge of honor. Long hours are normalized, rest is postponed, and personal wellbeing is treated as optional. But according to Sisson, this mindset is fundamentally flawed.

"Your business will only be as strong as you are," she says. "You can't build something sustainable without a sustainable lifestyle behind it."

Working with entrepreneurs across multiple markets, including the Middle East, Sisson sees recurring patterns that limit long-term success. Many founders have a clear business vision but no life vision. Others set ambitious business goals while neglecting personal ones. Most track business metrics rigorously — yet never measure fulfillment, health, or quality of life.

"When life becomes something you fit around your business, that's when things start to unravel," she explains.

One of the simplest — and most powerful — changes entrepreneurs can make is narrowing their focus. "Your brain can handle three priorities," says Sisson. "It can't handle twenty-three." By setting three clear goals each day, week, or month, founders reduce the chance of becoming overwhelmed and regain clarity.

Equally important is learning to delegate beyond the workplace. Entrepreneurs instinctively delegate tasks in their businesses, but often try to manage every aspect of their personal lives alone. "A business CEO delegates workload," Sisson notes. "A life CEO delegates life admin."

This approach allows founders to protect their energy and focus on what truly matters.

Sisson is particularly encouraged by the entrepreneurial momentum she's seeing in Saudi Arabia, where the number of women starting businesses is at an all-time high. "It's exciting to see ecosystems like DeveGo 2025 that recognize entrepreneurs have different needs — and support the notion that wellbeing is part of building long-term business success."

Ultimately, Sisson believes the most successful founders are those who design their businesses around their lives — not the other way around.

"If you know your priorities in life, and your business actively supports them, you're on the right track," she says. "Knowing this, anyone can become the CEO of their work – and their life."