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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 17 S E P T E M B E R 5 , 2 0 2 2 F O C U S S TA R T U P S / E N T R E P R E N E U R S H I P take so many clients, you're going to produce better work, and you're going to be a lot healthier." Like Wood, music therapist Kate Beever of Maine Music & Health LLC runs a solo practice she finds to have pluses and minuses. "It's a double-edged sword because there's some freedom in being a contractor, but it also means a lot of loneliness," she says. "I've learned you can't be good at everything, and that it's important to delegate." On that front she recently hired a writer to do her news- letter and blog and has hired occasional contractors to create logos and marketing materials. "Accepting that I can't be good at everything has been a great way to reduce the stress load," Beever says. While working in multiple settings from a hos- pital to clients in group homes and day programs can be draining, Beever says she makes monthly, weekly and daily to-do lists and tries to get outside time each morning. Winding down is harder, "but I try really hard to turn the phone off at night and not have it my bedroom so it's not the last or the first thing I see." She also actively seeks out advice and perspective from fellow entrepreneurs and people working in dif- ferent sectors. at includes astronauts, "and think- ing about that perspective of the view of Earth from space and what really matters at the end of the day." For others, releasing stress involves more down- to-earth practices like meditation, as is the case with Rob Simopoulos of Defendify, a Portland-based cybersecurity startup that's grown from 23 employ- ees in early 2020 to 40 today. He tries to meditate daily for 20 minutes—which he says helps him stay calm and make better decisions. "When I do get frustrated," he says, "my wife will say, 'Rob, you should go meditate.' It's a little bit like working out, and if I haven't done it in four days, I can tell." Back in South Portland, Grace Mo-Phillips admits that while she's not always adept at keeping herself sane, she tries to do so by exercising or something as simple as occasionally letting housework go or ordering pizza for dinner after a long day. "I cannot tell how my kitchen sometimes deterio- rates," she says, "but you have to make time for yourself." Renee Cordes, Mainebiz senior writer, can be reached a t r c o r d e s @ m a i n e b i z . b i z a n d @ r s c o r d e s Ware-Butler Industrial will supply prod- ucts to earthwork and concrete jobs, roads/bridges/construction jobs, grow businesses, storage units, livestock farms, health centers and commercial buildings of all types, infrastructure projects such as sand-salt sheds and municipal buildings, etc. WAREBUTLER.COM CONTACT US for your non-residential and commercial construction needs statewide in Maine. Put our statewide buying power and experienced sales team to work for you! industrial@warebutler.com Fabric / Pipe / Culverts / Styrofoam insulation / Construction lumber Sheet goods / Millwork / Metal roofing and siding products PRODUCTS OFFERED: AND MORE! There's a thread running very strongly through American culture that everyone is always fine and doing well. Unfortunately, it's not everyone's reality, and those slipping into a worse place can actually exacerbate the struggles they're having and feel like they don't belong. — Helkin Berg Hey Freya

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