Why CEOs Suffer in Silence
Every entrepreneur has a story worth hearing. Not the one they tell at conferences. The real one. Craig Andrews joins Nils Vinje for the very first episode of Courage and Breakthroughs to discuss why this podcast exists and what it's here to do.
In this conversation, Nils shares the personal experiences and observations that led him to build this show. Craig brings his own perspective as an entrepreneur who has been through the fire and come out the other side.
What You'll Hear
Why CEOs Suffer in Silence
Craig watched his father run a business without ever talking about the hard parts. That silence, familiar to most entrepreneurs, is exactly what this podcast is built to push against.
The Moment Sharing Changed Everything
Nils wrote publicly about three and a half years of sobriety and received a flood of private messages from people who had been carrying the same thing silently. The response shifted something in him and pointed toward what CEOs need most.
What Happens When Too Much Depends on You
The pattern where every decision flows through the CEO is more common than most want to admit. Nils explains why this is harder to change than it sounds and what actually has to shift for it to break.
The Greatest Achievement Wasn't the Revenue
Craig came out of a coma and found out his team had kept the business running without him. He calls it the single greatest achievement of his career. Not the revenue. Not the clients. The team.
Episode Timestamps
01:18 Why This Podcast Exists
05:11 Vulnerability in Practice
06:24 Impostor Syndrome After Success
08:38 Sobriety and Silent Struggles
13:30 Answers in the Room
16:02 How Nils Helps CEOs
18:35 Significance and Letting Go
19:59 Craig's Coma and Team Trust
23:45 Guests and Episode Format
27:05 Nils Origin Story
33:09 Guide vs Coach Mindset
About Nils Vinje
Nils Vinje is a Business Growth Guide who helps CEOs build a leadership team that runs their business so they can lead it. He spent 15 years in high-growth B2B SaaS and tech companies before launching his own firm in 2015. He hosts Courage and Breakthroughs: Stories of Entrepreneurs who Overcame Fear and Blazed New Paths.
Connect with Nils Vinje: https://nilsvinje.com
