Nick Merich: Nobody Warns You About Burnout After the Exit
Everyone talks about burning out on the way to the exit, but nobody talks about what happens after.
Nick Merich co-founded Songlink, built it to 22 million users, and sold it to Linktree. Then he felt like he jumped off a cliff, and there was no bottom.
In this episode:
Nick takes us behind the highlight reel. The perfectly crafted LinkedIn posts, the Instagram moments, the version of yourself you put out into the world when you're building something and desperately need it to work. He talks about why he used edibles not to get high but to get ten thousand feet above his business and look at it differently, and why he doesn't see that as a problem. He talks about selling Songlink and expecting the exit to solve things it was never going to solve. The identity loss that followed. The free fall. What it felt like to wake up the morning after the wire transfer and not know what to do with himself. He talks about his wife seeing the writing on the wall long before he could say it out loud, and about Saturday morning pickup basketball with his dad and cousins being the thing that actually grounded him when nothing else did. And he talks about what he tells founders now when they come to him burned out, whether they've exited or not.
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction and welcome to The Founder Exhale
02:35 The highlight reel and what's actually happening behind it
04:10 Using edibles to get perspective, not to escape
08:30 What the exit actually solved and what it didn't
14:26 Identity loss and the free fall after the wire transfer
17:17 Purpose, passion, and what happens when your vehicle disappears
21:09 What burnout actually is, and what it isn't
24:51 Back from the break: what Nick's wife saw that he couldn't
27:32 Saturday pickup basketball, Gryt Run Club, and what real recovery looks like
29:18 Practical advice for founders dealing with burnout right now
31:52 Self-awareness as a gift, and why it took Nick 35 years to ask for help
33:18 The dad joke and its backstory
35:40 How to connect with Nick
Resources and links:
Gryt Run Club: Connect
Nick Merich on LinkedIn: Connect
Nick Merich on Instagram: Connect
Nick's email: merichnick@gmail.com
Yuna Health: Free Yuna licenses for founders
James' book, Burn Bright, Not Out: https://a.co/d/a5PHUjD
Kabila Founder Mental Health Fund: kabilamentalhealth.com
The Founder Exhale website: thefounderexhale.com
Support the work:
The Kabila Founder Mental Health Fund has awarded nearly 90 mental therapy grants to founders who need support but can't afford it. If this episode moved you, please consider making a donation at kabilamentalhealth.com. Every dollar helps a founder get the support they deserve.
Subscribe, follow, and rate the show on your favorite podcast platform, and visit thefounderexhale.com to leave a voicemail or send a note via the contact form. I want to hear what you thought.
Be well, y'all. 🤠
