Morgan Alexandra Hewett—entrepreneur, investor, and former startup CEO—has shared a hard-earned lesson from her meteoric rise and high-stakes exit from startup life: neglecting personal well-being can cost more than just peace of mind—it can cost millions.
Hewett, who raised $6 million in venture capital and sold her startup before turning 30, posted a short video under the caption: “It started small…but it affected everything.” Using hashtags like #femalefounder, #womeninbusiness, and #entrepreneur, the post struck a nerve with founders and professionals burned out by hustle culture.
In the video, Hewett details the quiet unraveling that began when she started skipping workout classes and declining social plans in favor of work—actions that seemed harmless at first but soon snowballed into a loss of self.
“Close to the sale of the company, one of my advisors looked at me and my co-founder and said, ‘You two look like sh*t,’” Hewett said candidly. “It physically showed how stressed I was and how much I lost myself in my business.”

The experience, she explains, was a turning point. As a founder, your energy and presence aren’t just intangible traits—they’re currency.
“Your job is to sell, and you’re only good at selling when people are attracted to your energy,” she said. “I’m not talking about sexual attraction. I’m talking about attraction to your aura, to the belief people have in you.”
Once that personal spark fades, Hewett warns, it doesn’t take long for founders to fall out of love with their companies—and for employees and investors to follow.
The former startup leader has since dedicated part of her platform to sharing the often-unspoken emotional toll of startup life, especially for women in business.
Her message is especially poignant in a space that glorifies burnout and 80-hour work weeks as necessary sacrifices for success.
Now, a year post-sale, Hewett is using her experience to remind others that protecting your energy is not selfish—it’s strategic.