“People have a misconception about entrepreneurship that’s perpetuated by social media, and man’s desire for fame,” Soren Dickens, 23, says.“People think it’s always glamorous. Well, newsflash—it’s not.”
Soren and his brother, Eriksen Dickens, 25, are filmmaking entrepreneurs out of San Luis Obispo, California. Recently, the brothers started an edutainment platform called Hustle Hive TV, which provides both education and entertainment pertaining to the entrepreneurial lifestyle.
“Hustle Hive TV features entrepreneurs from all different walks of life,” Eriksen Dickens says. “The platform consists of value driven content and a reality style web series. The goal is to humanize entrepreneurs and show the reality of the profession.”
The Dickens Brothers admit that part of the reason for starting this communal platform was to emphasize the importance of mental health. They feel that hustling is important, but not at the cost of sacrificing your health—a trend among young entrepreneurs.
“The toxic part about entrepreneurship is the grind, grind, grind, until you drop mentality. That’s not sustainable. We work hard, but we work smart,” Soren says.
Eriksen Dickens, in addition to filmmaking, is currently obtaining his Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University. “Without a healthy mind, you can’t expect to perform at your best,” he says. “There’s a reason why entrepreneurs have higher rates of substance abuse, depression, anxiety, and problems sleeping. They don’t know when to turn off.”
Dickens speaks the truth. Entrepreneurs are 2x more likely to suffer from depression, 3x more likely to suffer from substance abuse, 10x more likely to suffer from bipolar disorder, and according to one study, 72% of entrepreneurs are affected by some type of mental health condition during their lifetime.
But why is this exactly?
Abel Contreras, a 24-year old real estate agent and member of the Hustle Hive community, says, “Entrepreneurs put a lot of pressure on themselves. We may work for ourselves, but because of that we’re responsible for our outcomes. There’s a lot of stress and a lot of unknowns—which can evoke a lot of anxiety.”
“People hear entrepreneur and they think flashy cars, girls, mansions—they never think about the long, grueling hours you’re cooped up in your office working—a lot of the time in isolation. It can take a toll on you,” Contreras continues.
To help combat this reality, the Hustle Hive platform starts conversations about maintaining a healthy lifestyle. They advocate for taking time away from screens, traveling, spending time in nature, exercising, eating healthy, meditating, cultivating relationships, getting enough sleep, and much more.
“We actually recently went on a group trip to Costa Rica to detox from screens and reset for the new year,” Soren Dickens says. “We’re huge believers in getting out in nature. It re-energizes you emotionally and helps reset your ‘happy feeling’ neurotransmitters.”
Too much screen time has been linked to insomnia, vision problems, migraines, anxiety, depression, and even suicide. If sitting while using a screen, it can also cause back problems, joint issues, and heart problems.
“Obviously, in order to get stuff done we have to spend time in front of screens. That’s the nature of the game,” Eriksen Dickens says. “But it’s all about balance. Knowing when to take breaks. Knowing when to try something new. If you’re sitting, staring at a screen for 12-16 hours every day, your creativity will decline.”
The Hustle Hive plans to take their next “Hustle Abroad” trip to Canada. What’s so neat about this portion of their platform, is that they encourage like-minded individuals to apply for a chance to travel with them. Applications can be found on their website: https://hustlehivetv.com/apply
“At the end of the day, if you could walk away with just one piece of advice from us, it would be to not be afraid to take care of yourself,” Eriksen says. “There is nothing brave or admirable about working to the point where you’re not taking care of yourself. Treat your body and mind with the respect it deserves. We promise this will play out in the quality of your work.”
To learn more, follow @hustlehivetv and check out their website at hustlehivetv.com.