I'm no stranger to stress. Mr. Gray is no stranger to it either. Just check out the motivation and productivity category on this blog!

Stress is one of the biggest downers in any work environment, especially so as an Entrepreneur. Excessive stress is widely known for being a productivity killer and it can take a tremendous toll on your physical and emotional health.

You want to know some signs of stress? I've experienced every single one of these in my lifetime:

The Ladders just completed a study showing that executives with short names have higher earning power.

It reminded me of a post I did a year ago that this community has probably not seen. What's perhaps more important than earning power is the fact that allowing people to call you by nickname or a shortened version of your name allows for an emotional connection and accessibility that the more formal version of your name blocks. It is about human connection.

My colleague John Patrick shares his experience watching executives learn that instead of leading from the top down, if they listen, they'll find some of the best ideas come from the bottom up.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your pilot speaking. Welcome onboard today's flight. Please listen to our flight crew as they take you through our important pre-flight safety announcement. Please stow all bags in the overhead compartments and ensure your seat backs and tray tables ..."

How many times have you heard the flight safety briefing? Hundreds? Do you pay much attention? Probably not. Should we pay more attention? Almost certainly, yes. But, while pilots may tell us safety is important, they typically deliver this message:

Oscar Wilde famously quipped that "Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months." One could say the same of startups.

Most early-stage companies -- bootstrapped or VC-backed -- take time to generate real traction. And unlike passion projects or run-of-the-mill small businesses, linear growth for portfolio companies can be a harbinger of doom.

It's the NHL absolutism: achieve hockey-stick growth or head home. That's why meager gains or stagnation mandates change, and most startups will struggle through one or several severe changes, or pivots, in search of escape-velocity growth (a.k.a. Facebook, Twitter, et al.)