Empowering
Entrepreneurial
Success Through Mindset
About the Project
In 2017 The Mindset Project conducted a privately funded study that revealed 72% of business owners in Nova Scotia are not getting what they want from their businesses and mindset was one of the top reason why. Today we are following up on original study with a new research project, designed to uncover what is holding entrepreneurs back here in Nova Scotia.
Beyond
the Grind
Your mindset and the expectations you set for yourself and your business as an entrepreneur are directly tied to your mental health. We want to (anonymously) hear about your mental health as it relates to business ownership.
Our Goals
Our ultimate goal from the outset has been to inspire a movement toward open, evidence informed dialogue among entrepreneurs regarding the impact mindset can have on success.
From the findings of our survey and subsequent research, we are developing an assessment capable of measuring the well being of entrepreneurs which utilizes the science of positive psychology.
Our work is helping to decrease overall misery and improve entrepreneurial success within our communities. Focusing on the individual at the heart of the matter is key to our method.
01.
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Show that some of the biggest factors contributing to entrepreneurial success are not currently being indexed.
02.
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Measure the actual opportunity lost when accelerators, incubators and even private and public companies within the labour force do not invest in wellbeing.
03.
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Develop and deliver a modern assessment tool for entrepreneurs and employers to benchmark mindset within their organizations in order to improve productivity and wellbeing.
04.
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Through an open data initiative, develop a wellbeing index for participating employers and entrepreneurial organizations.
"Mental health is the biggest business risk of this century... and it is going largely unacknowledged.”
Michael DeVenney | Founder
This is personal
Michael DeVenney, President, Bluteau DeVenney and Co., Founder, The Mindset Project
I have a strong personal interest in this project. For as long as I can remember, I’ve suffered from anxiety and depression. It wasn't until 2014 that I was diagnosed with clinical depression after many years of suffering in silence. Only recently have I begun to share my experiences in wider circles. Fear of judgement by my peers, punishment by my investors and clients, and a sense that there was something wrong with me all held me back from opening up.
When I publicly shared my struggles with anxiety and depression, I was astounded by the number of my peers who reached out to indicate that they had been experiencing the same issues - and suffering in silence.
As we increasingly rely on entrepreneurs - the human beings behind growing businesses - to drive our economy forward, I am concerned about some of the unintended consequences that may come from pushing more people toward entrepreneurship. I am deeply committed to creating a movement that empowers more entrepreneurs to talk about and manage their mental health and to developing supports to ensure we are developing founders in-step with their businesses.
I hope you will join me in bringing a movement toward a more entrepreneurial approach to founder wellness to life. Read my full story here.
Sincerely,
Michael DeVenney