A Unicorn Tech Exec's Complicated Legacy of Childhood Trauma with Andy Johns

**Morra Aarons-Mele** (0:02)
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**Andy Johns** (4:01)
I actually turned to performance and achievement as a drug of sorts. If I got every blue ribbon or every trophy, or I hit home runs, or I got straight A's, whatever it was, that made me feel good. That's how my brain as a kid came to internalize the collection of messages around me, in conjunction with the messages that society gives.
That if I achieved, I was lovable, and if I wasn't achieving, I wasn't inherently lovable for who I was.

**Morra Aarons-Mele** (4:31)
We know that entrepreneurs, especially the most successful ones, have many traits in common. The ability to see new opportunities, imagine the future, and to take risks are just some of them. Mental health struggles are another thing that many of these successful people have in common. We've talked to some of them on the show, like Kayak co-founder Paul English, Bonobos co-founder Andy Dunn, and Emma McElroy, CEO at Wildfang.
And many of us high achievers, entrepreneurs or not, have another trait in common. We just can't stop. We have to go for the trophy, be the best always, even if it's at a cost to our health. Today, we'll hear from someone in the tech and entrepreneurial space who's come face to face with how his drive to achieve reflects past childhood trauma and PTSD. Andy Johns previously worked for nearly two decades at companies like Facebook, Twitter, Quora, and more. His work, especially in the early stages, led him to be tied to eight companies worth a billion dollars or more. Johns is now an independent advisor, consultant, and investor in the tech space, and he's an advocate for mental health. You can read his stuff at andyjohns.substack.com.