Episode 15: Making Sure Your Business Isn’t Your Life from a Tech Startup Founder Turned Solopreneur with Neha Gunnoo

May 16, 2023 | podcast | 0 comments

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You can find the full transcript for this episode at the bottom of this page

In this week’s episode I’m introducing you to Neha Gunnoo, a former tech startup co-founder who stepped away from her startup after realizing how much it was harming her mental health.

Neha is now founder & senior content strategist of Luova Digital Ltd specializing in digital content strategy and marketing with clients and partners globally including the US, Europe and Mauritius. Neha was previously the co-founder and CMO of LeFinTech Ltd – a startup in Mauritius specializing in chatbots for small businesses in Mauritius. She was responsible for the business and marketing strategy and for maintaining the relationships with different stakeholders. She was among the finalists of the Turbine Test Drive 2019 and the startup was incubated at Turbine.

Neha has worked in various companies such as Accenture Technology and Barclays Mauritius. She is a regular Speaker at local and international events, Host & Owner of the Bold Enough Podcast, Mentor at the AMFCE and AfriTech and Content Marketing Trainer at Chelvan Training. She was awarded the title “Rising Star of the Year 2022” by the Women in Tech Africa and has been featured in multiple magazines for her entrepreneurship journey

If you don’t protect your mental health, even as an entrepreneur, you’re not going to be very productive, you’re not going to give all your energy because at the end, you won’t even have any energy to give to your business. So I made the decision. I wanted to preserve my mental health. And I feel it got to a point when I decided that it was the time to give up on this startup journey and start something on my own.

In this interview we talk about her decision to leave startup life behind, the fears she had to face to make this choice, and why looking back she has zero regrets. She also shares what she’s doing differently as a soloepreneur to prioritize her mental health and ensure that her business is not her life.

What You’ll Learn in this Episode:

  • Why Neha ultimately decided to transition from being a startup founder to being a solopreneur
  • The advice she received that helped her face her fear of failure and realize it was time to step away from her company
  • Why knowing when to quit is an essential skill for all entrepreneurs 
  • What she’s doing differently as a solopreneur to make sure she can prioritize her mental health
  • Her advice to new entrepreneurs on finding a mentor that shares your same values
  • Her encouraging words for new entrepreneurs who may be intimidated by networking
  • The importance of making the leap into founder life armed with knowledge of what you’re getting yourself into

Find Neha Online:

Resources & Inspiration from the Show

  • List of resources to help you find a coach, therapist, or peer support If you’d like additional support for your mental and emotional well-being as a founder

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About Founders’ Fears & Failures and your host, Dr. Melissa Parks

Melissa is an entrepreneur, former therapist (PhD in Clinical & Health Psychology), and an executive coach for entrepreneurs with a special focus on startup founders. Her passion for supporting startup founders in particular began after witnessing firsthand the emotional rollercoaster her husband experienced as a startup co-founder.

She started the Founders’ Fears & Failures podcast with the mission of shining a light on the mental and emotional challenges that come with life as a startup founder. Having lived abroad for 10 years herself she realizes how much we can learn from hearing stories from around the globe which is why the show doesn’t focus on a country-specific startup ecosystem.

Melissa is also the co-founder of the Location Independent Therapist Community, and a mom to a toddler who keeps her on her toes, and fuels her passion for helping to make the world a better place.

If you are interested in coming on the show, please get in touch. We would love to hear your story.

Want to connect further? Get in touch with Melissa on social media:

Want to work with Melissa?

Melissa is a former therapist who provides mindset coaching for ambitious professionals around the globe. Schedule your free discovery call HERE.

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Did you enjoy listening to this episode? Leave your review on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

Disclaimer: The Founders’ Fears & Failures is for educational, informational, and entertainment purposes only. It is not meant to be used for personal health advice and should not be construed to constitute personal or professional consultation or guidance, or to replace medical or mental health treatment. The opinions expressed by this podcast, including the podcast guests, are not meant to replace the advice of your healthcare provider. Always seek the advice of a medical or mental health provider regarding any questions or concerns you have about your medical and/or mental health needs. If you are in crisis, please visit this website to find a list of suicide hotlines around the globe. 

Episode Transcript

Melissa 

Neha, thank you so much for coming on the show today. I really appreciate it.

Neha 

Thank you, Melissa. I’m very happy to be here as well on your podcast today.

Melissa 

Yeah. And I think are you in Mauritius right now?

Neha 

Yes, I’m on tropical island. The beach is very nice. Very hot at the moment So in summer. Still in summer.

Melissa 

Yeah, yeah. Oh, well, that sounds really lovely. I’m in Seattle right now. So we’re on kind of opposite sides of the world from each other. I’m glad we found a time that worked for both of us. But it’s very rainy today. So tropical to hot sound sounds wonderful.

Neha 

Is it very cold at your place?

Melissa 

Yeah, it’s pretty cold. My husband said make sure you put a hat on our son today before he goes to daycare. Because it’s like, like a winter hat. Anyways, Neha, I let’s just dive in and talk. Let us now you know, how did you get into the world of entrepreneurship?

Neha 

Yeah, so I’ve been in 9-5 corporate jobs for like, four years. But even when I was in the corporate jobs, I started freelancing a bit. In social media marketing, I wanted to know more about that. So I started learning and took a bit of freelance clients, one or two clients just to start and build up the portfolio. And eventually, I always wanted to, you know, start something on my own, there was always this, this thing inside of me. And once I got in a place where I had stable freelance clients, I decided to quit the corporate job and go into freelance, but at the same time, so I had a business idea with a friend. So which was quite interesting it was that we decided to develop chatbots for us to help small businesses and new entrepreneurs to automate their manual task. So it was mainly focused on the small businesses. And so we said, why not? We’re actually won. There’s a competition for when you can submit your business idea in Mauritius, and then you can be among the finalists, and then you get a lot of benefits if you win the competition. So when we did that, we were among the finalists. And this gave us like, Yay, so we can do that. Then we started the startup adventure. It was the new for me, it was my first step into the business world as an entrepreneur. So I did that for like, less than a year I think, before I exited, and then well, today, I’m have my own company, while solopreneurship, in digital marketing, which will be like two years this year. Yeah.

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HI I’M MELISSA

I work with globally mobile adults in seasons of change — relocation, reinvention, and the “who am I now?” moments that come with life across borders. I believe deeply in self-compassion as a steady path through uncertainty — a theme I explore further in my memoir, A Compassionate Mess (June 23, 2026).

I’m also the co-founder of the Location Independent Therapists (LIT) Community, a Spanish speaker, recovering perfectionist, mom of two, and married to a fellow global nomad. Seattle is home for now, but my heart will always be in Madrid.

Curious about the book? Learn more here

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