Insights From the Founder of HR Tech Startup BrightHire

BrightHire co-founder, Teddy Chestnut.

Any entrepreneur can tell you, launching a startup is a learning process. Therefore, one of the best things you can do prior to launching a startup of your own is to learn from those who have blazed the trail. We were fortunate enough to hear some valuable insights during our interview with Teddy Chestnut of BrightHire that will inspire, motivate, and teach aspiring and established entrepreneurs alike.

What advice do you have for aspiring entrepreneurs?

“I have two pieces. You are going to get a ton of advice, and not everything is a fit for you, so take it with a grain of salt. The other is that this is hard to do. It’s as hard as people say it is. You should only do it when you are incredibly passionate about it; otherwise, it will be difficult to sustain.”

What is the best method you’ve found to avoid burnout as an entrepreneur?

“I think it goes back to my thoughts on work/life balance. You also have to make sure you don’t get caught in the middle between work and life. If you are doing work, you are doing work. If you are doing life, you are doing life, but you really don’t want to try to do both at once. That is when the balance is disrupted.”

What is your advice for coming up with a unique startup idea?

“I don’t have any advice. Everyone has their own path to their idea, but it does take a lot of ideas to get to a good one. There are probably 100’s of bad ideas on the cutting room floor before you decide to run at one.”

What is your advice for overcoming challenges and failure?

“Lean on your people, and believe in yourself. Lean on the people who can prop you up. Know that it is going to come, but also know that it’s going to be hard and things are going to be difficult, but understand it’s part of the journey. Sometimes you have to embrace the suck. That’s the reality, but if you have the right support system, things will be ok.”

What is the biggest lesson you learned and what can aspiring entrepreneurs take from it?

“I feel like you don’t learn one big lesson but a thousand small ones. They all add up. The thing that I have realized is the most valuable one for me is reaching out to others whose perspectives and experiences I trust and admire to get their perspective on what I am going through. As an entrepreneur, there is no one else that can shed light on what you are experiencing because it’s unique. Being able to turn to others who have been there before has been incredibly valuable.”

Tell Us Your Startup Story

Are you a startup founder and want to share your entrepreneurial journey with our readers? Click below to contact us today!

Request an Interview