When purpose leads to burnout

17 Nov

Written By Laurence McCahill

When is enough .. enough?

Enough impact.
Enough change.
Enough money.

Our community is founded on purpose-led entrepreneurs.

People who turn towards the crises they see and ask, “How can I make this different?”

But what drives us can also break us.

Especially when our peers look more successful than we are.

Apurva Kothari first spoke at Summercamp back in 2016, sharing the inspiring story of how he started his company, No Nasties, an ethical clothing brand based in his beloved Goa, India.

Almost a decade on, he came back to tell a new story.

It was an honest and vulnerable sharing of Apurva’s 15-year journey starting and running one of India’s pioneer sustainable brands.

Funny, moving and humble, this talk was Apu in a nutshell.

Here are 12 takeaways from his talk

1. The perfect morning routine is a myth

When we hit mid-life, we’re not getting up at 4am to meditate. We’re getting up because we need the bathroom.

Accepting the gap between who you want to be and who you actually are is an act of kindness. Especially when your reality is more coffee and doom-scrolling than consistent downward dog.

2. Following the prescribed path won't give you meaning

You can tick all the boxes - become a software engineer, move to San Francisco, make money in New York, be happy in Sydney - and still feel completely lost. Success without purpose is just emptiness with better furniture.

3. Real problems demand solutions, not Band-Aids

A horrifying statistic spurred Apu; over 300,000 Indian farmers took their own lives because of a broken cotton system.

He knew that the answer wasn’t charity. It was creating a sustainable market for organic, fair-trade cotton that preserved their dignity and autonomy.

4. Doing good is never "enough" if you let guilt drive you

You can build a transparent supply chain, go vegan, become carbon negative, plant 250,000 trees, and that monkey on your back will still ask "Is it enough?" (Spoiler: it won’t be).

5. A big shiny goal can corrupt your values

When someone dangles $10 million in front of you, it's easy to shift from mission-driven to money-driven.

Performance marketing and aggressive scaling might work for others, but if it's not aligned with your core values, it can break you - and your business.

6. Comparison will poison everything

Your brother retires with millions and drives a Porsche. Your best friend exits via Shark Tank. Meanwhile, you're turning 50 with no nest egg. This is when fear, greed, and envy show up - and they're brutal companions.

7. Sustainable business means you have to be sustainable, too

You can run the most ethical company in the world, but if you're burning out and can't pay yourself, you're not sustainable as a business. Remember, the mission dies if you do.

8. Sometimes you need to break your own rules to break through

Go ahead, eat the chocolate croissant. Prioritise pleasure for a moment.

Sometimes, a guilty treat is exactly what you need to realise you've been too rigid with yourself.

9. There are two kinds of desire - and you need to know the difference

Attachment is chasing impermanent things for permanent happiness. Aspiration is doing something meaningful for others.

The former brings pain. The latter brings purpose. Your job is finding the balance.

10. "Enough" isn't a number. It's a decision

£10 million? £5 million? Half a million? Greed has no bounds and the goalpost keeps moving. You must consciously define your "break enough" point; the amount where you're sustainable and can redirect everything else to the cause.

11. Flip the model from percentage to purpose

Instead of giving 1% to the planet, define your fixed "enough" number and give everything beyond that to the cause. It's not about what percentage you donate, it's about when you stop taking and start giving fully.

12. The journey to inner peace can take decades

First, Apu chased purpose, then prosperity, and finally peace. From vegan activist to flexitarian, his evolution was messy, non-linear, and relatable.

Give yourself the time to evolve as an entrepreneur while embracing what it means to be deeply human.