Founder Burnout: Why Building a Business Can Break You and How to Fix It with Garrett Peters

In this episode of Founder2Founder, Aaron Spivak sits down with Garrett Peters, co-founder of Duncan & Stone Paper Co., a brand focused on helping families capture meaningful memories through intentional stationery. Before launching the company in 2020, Garrett spent over a decade working with Walmart and Sam’s Club, gaining experience in scaling brands and building businesses.

Garrett shares his transition from corporate life to entrepreneurship, driven by a desire for more freedom, alignment, and time with his family. From building the business as a side hustle to navigating burnout and redefining success, this conversation offers a grounded look at what it really takes to build a business that supports your life.

Chapters
 01:01 – Garrett’s Background and Joining Founders Club
 03:45 – The Moment That Sparked His Entrepreneurial Journey
 06:10 – Realizing the Lack of Freedom in Corporate Life
 09:34 – The Decision to Start a Business With Friends
 11:50 – Building Duncan & Stone as a Side Hustle
 12:22 – Late Nights, Family Life, and Early Startup Grind
 14:06 – The Realities of Manufacturing and Early Challenges
 16:10 – When the Business Started Feeling Real
 17:24 – First Holiday Sales and Early Momentum
 18:30 – The Breaking Point That Led to Quitting His Job
 20:52 – Going All-In Without Financial Security
 21:37 – The Chaos of Year One as a Full-Time Founder
 22:33 – Losing Identity and Burning Out in the Business
 23:44 – The Impact on Marriage and Personal Life
 25:50 – Learning to Outsource and Build a Team
 26:48 – Understanding Alignment vs. Burnout
 28:29 – Finding Product Focus and Building a Brand
 30:43 – Creating the Legacy Journal and Defining Their Niche
 34:13 – Why Amazon Became a Key Growth Channel
 36:57 – Selling a Product Customers Didn’t Know They Needed
 38:17 – Navigating Business With Friends and Family
 40:20 – Setting Boundaries Between Work and Life
 43:13 – The Role of Personal Health in Business Success
 45:09 – Defining “Enough” and Building a Lifestyle Business
 48:44 – Balancing Ambition With Contentment
 50:10 – The Danger of Comparison and External Validation
 53:47 – Creating Your Own Version of Success
 59:33 – Advice to His Younger Self: Control What You Can

Guest Links:
Website: https://www.duncanandstone.com/
Instagram: @duncanandstone
LinkedIn: Garrett Peters

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