In the fast-moving startup world, founders often neglect their mental well-being while managing the pressures of growth, innovation, and constant work demands. Yet, mental health is more than a personal concern—it’s a critical pillar of sustainable leadership and business success.
In this episode of our Growth Spotlight Series, we feature Sheena Pirbhai, founder of Stress Point Health, who has turned her own experiences into an innovative solution for emotional regulation.
From confronting the challenges of hustle culture to fostering a workplace environment that values well-being, Sheena’s journey serves as a vital reminder that mental health is essential for long-term success. Her insights provide practical strategies for founders striving to create a healthier balance in their entrepreneurial journey.
Sheena Pirbhai’s journey to founding Stress Point Health is deeply personal. After a traumatic accident in her early career, she faced undiagnosed PTSD and eventual burnout while working in the demanding world of investment banking. These experiences sparked her realisation of the widespread gaps in mental health support, especially in high-pressure environments like workplaces.
Years later, after successfully building and exiting two companies, Sheena founded Stress Point Health to address mental health challenges with innovative solutions. Her goal is to reduce stigma and introduce measurable, effective tools for tackling burnout, anxiety, and stress.
Sheena:
The startup world often glamorises "hustle culture" where long hours and relentless work are viewed as the keys to success. However, Sheena highlights that this mindset often causes founders to neglect their well-being, resulting in consequences that affect not only their health but also the overall health of their businesses.
Yagmur: Founder mental health and wellbeing are often overlooked topics. In your experience, why do you think this happens, and what are the risks of neglecting this area?
Sheena:
If founders don’t care for themselves, their decision-making, teams, and ultimately their companies suffer. Sheena emphasises that burnout is not sustainable and highlights the risks of poor leadership, high turnover, and reduced productivity when founders fail to prioritise their mental health.
Sheena encourages founders to set boundaries, take guilt-free breaks, and lead by example, creating a culture of balance within their teams.
Stress Point Health offers a cutting-edge platform that combines sound frequencies with digitised neurofeedback to regulate emotions in just 20 minutes. This innovative approach goes beyond traditional mental health solutions like talk therapy or CBT by focusing on emotional regulation, a key driver of stress and anxiety.
Yagmur: Stress Point Health has developed innovative solutions for addressing burnout. How does your technology work and how can it specifically benefit founders and leaders?
Sheena:
For founders, the platform offers a quick, personalised way to manage stress—whether at home or during a break in the office. It also provides actionable insights through its AI-powered dashboard, helping organisations track well-being metrics and measure ROI. This evidence-based approach ensures both personal and organisational benefits.
Through programs like Hatch Accelerator and Innovate UK, Sheena has worked with many founders and entrepreneurs and observed recurring patterns in how they approach mental health. She notes significant differences across industries, regions, and genders.
One of her key observations is the link between company culture and mental health. Toxic work environments often correlate with poor well-being among employees, whereas supportive cultures foster resilience and loyalty.
Yagmur: What patterns have you observed in how founders approach mental health, and what advice do you typically offer them?
Sheena:
For female founders, the challenges of securing institutional funding—currently received by just 3%—and the pressures of social media comparisons can create significant mental strain. Sheena advises women to ignore the noise and focus on building sustainable businesses through bootstrapping, grants, and alternative funding models.
As a founder who has successfully built and exited multiple companies, Sheena Pirbhai’s approach to mental health is guided by balance and intentionality. She creates space in her schedule each week by dedicating a day without video calls, allowing her to focus on deep work and foster creativity. Her mornings are thoughtfully structured, beginning with quiet reflection and planning to set a calm and purposeful tone for the day ahead.
When faced with stress or emotional strain, Sheena relies on the Stress Point Health platform, which helps her regulate her emotions and regain clarity. Physical activity and mindfulness also play a significant role in her routine. Whether through walks, meditation, or other mindful practices, staying active enables her to clear mental clutter and maintain resilience.
Yagmur: What strategies or practices have helped you maintain your own mental health and resilience during your entrepreneurial journey?
Sheena:
For Sheena, these deliberate habits are not just strategies—they are essential foundations for sustaining well-being while navigating the challenges of entrepreneurship.
Sheena emphasises that mental health must become a systemic priority within organisations and startup ecosystems. While yoga/meditation workshops and one-off seminars can be helpful, they rarely create meaningful or lasting change. For true impact, organisations need to shift from superficial approaches to more integrated and sustainable solutions.
Yagmur: What steps can companies, investors, and ecosystems take to better support founder mental health and create a culture that prioritises well-being?
Sheena:
Sheena recommends that leaders take measurable steps, such as investing in evidence-based mental health tools and conducting regular surveys to understand employee needs. Most importantly, leaders must lead by example, demonstrating their commitment to fostering a supportive environment. By creating a culture that values mental health, companies can unlock the full potential of their teams, building loyalty, enhancing productivity, and ensuring long-term success.
Prioritising mental health is not just about individual well-being—it drives better leadership, stronger teams, and sustained growth. Sheena’s work is a testament to the power of innovative solutions to transform the workplace and empower founders to thrive.
Whether you’re a founder seeking tools to manage stress or a company looking to create a more supportive environment, Sheena’s message is clear: investing in mental health is investing in success.
Stay tuned for our next Growth Spotlight episode, where we continue to bring you actionable advice from industry leaders driving innovation in their fields!
