Work Less (It's Good for Business) Doctors told Brett Schklar to slow down--or else. That's when he started his own company and learned that paying more attention to life off the job made him much better on it.

Brett Schklar was a fast-rising, burn-the-candle-at-both-ends kind of executive. So naturally, he was on a business trip the day of his 31st birthday.

His career as a vice president at a promising tech company was flourishing, and if that came at the expense of time with his family, time spent taking care of himself, time to even pause to celebrate his 31st, well, he was willing to make the sacrifice.