169 Million Dollars Can’t Buy You Happiness E10
In this episode, Chris Yap featured the Founder of Founders First, Aaron Houghton. Aaron described what prompted him to establish Founders First despite having a $169 million dollar exit with one of his tech companies back in 2012. Aaron articulated how Founders First Community can help entrepreneurs and business leaders optimize themselves as human beings while optimizing the growth of their companies.
This episode will remind all business leaders and business owners that we can be a successful entrepreneur while being happy by being mindful of our emotions, our energy, and our body.
The Founders First System is a one of a kind framework which optimizes the performance of entrepreneurs, rather than the companies they run. Our exclusive training and peer support program transforms entrepreneurs into happy, healthy and successful founders who are strong enough to face the challenges of building great companies that change the world. 
Aaron Houghton believes it is possible for entrepreneurs to be healthy and happy while they build great companies that change the world.
Since starting his first business at age 17, he’s built and launched more than eleven tech startups, scaling one from conception to 350 employees and $50M in annual subscription revenue. Aaron sold two companies to private buyers and one to a publicly traded company for $169M before his 30th birthday.
Aaron was selected as an Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 2008 and was listed to Inc Magazine’s 30 Under 30 list in 2010. He’s shared his story and his thoughts on personal growth, digital marketing, and startup leadership with hundreds of audiences, including Harvard University, Entrepreneurs Organization, and StartupNation.
Looking back, Aaron can see his success came with the hidden costs of long term stress; including panic attacks, debilitating anxiety, and a cancer diagnosis in 2009. He had a habit, like many of us, of pushing himself to the absolute limit. He was trading sleep to hit deadlines, trading nutrition to save pennies, and enduring chronic stress year after year so he could chase his dreams.
Aaron knew there must be a better way. He spent five years studying how entrepreneurs manage stress, and personally tested techniques for achieving high performance while maintaining mental and physical health. Aaron then created the Founders First System, manifesting two decades of experience and years of research into a simple set of processes, disciplines, and metrics designed to improve the experience of founders and business leaders around the world.
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About From Zero 2 Revenue
FROM ZERO 2 REVENUE is an avenue for successful entrepreneurs around the world to tell their stories on how they transformed their vision into reality. We’ll learn about their products and services; and, the passion and character behind the leadership of the organization. The show is designed to inspire and encourage struggling and future entrepreneurs to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams.
At the end of each episode, our listeners can expect plenty of takeaways! As the late Stephen Covey said, “All things are created twice – first in the mind, then in reality”.
About Our Host
Chris Yap is a seasoned BPO executive with over 17 years experience in the industry. Chris came to the US in 2005 to actively promote the Philippines, a preferred outsourcing destination of the world. In doing so, Chris was able to help generate over 40,000 jobs in the Philippines for companies like Dell, Covergys and West Teleservices, which are now consolidated with other large BPO companies in the world.
Chris has been happily married to Eizel for over 16 years and is blessed with 3 wonderful boys. In addition to his passion for business, Chris is also very passionate about helping to solve the child poverty problem. He is doing this by partnering with Food For The Poor where his company sponsors the feeding of children ages 5 and below on a monthly basis.
Connect with Chris on LinkedIn.
About Our Sponsor
Gabtech Global is a business process outsourcing company based in Glendale, Arizona with a fulfillment center in Bohol, Philippines. 
Gabtech Global specializes in providing affordable outsourced customer support, after hours and overflow call center services, link building and Virtual Assistant Services.
They work with companies making $100,000 a year in revenue to companies making $100,000 a day in revenue.
