How to Prevent Burnout with Dennis Franczak CEO of Bright Matter

Published Feb 26, 2025, 1:00 AM

Doug interviews Dennis Franczak, a transformative c-suite executive who shares his journey through burnout and recovery. Dennis opens up about how his single minded focus on business success cost him his marriage and nearly everything else until he hit rock bottom. Now, as CEO of Bright Matter, he helps other executives avoid the same pitfalls through his 12-week program. This honest conversation is all about vulnerability, legacy building and the importance of maintaining a healthy relationship with work before it's too late.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Burnout often manifests as stepping out of important routines, falling behind on communications, and feeling disconnected from your organisation. These are all warning signs that executives frequently ignore.
High performing executives resist showing vulnerability, which prevents them from seeking help; Dennis recommends watching Brené Brown's TED Talk on vulnerability as a starting point for leaders who need to break this pattern.
Dennis's 12-week program works in three phases: understanding personal motivations, examining the relationship with work, and defining legacy, helping executives develop a North Star that guides decision making.
Creating a legacy focused goal helps transform leadership from being self focused to purpose driven. Dennis aims to positively impact 100 people through each executive he works with, creating an exponential ripple effect.
Self care practices like journaling and meditation can help executives process emotions and make better decisions by creating space between feelings and reactions.
The fear of appearing vulnerable prevents many struggling executives from seeking help; acknowledging you're off your game and talking to someone you trust is the crucial first step toward recovery.
Tracking daily feelings alongside self care activities using a simple scorecard helps identify which practices most effectively contribute to productivity and wellbeing.
Practicing gratitude can give perspective during difficult times, remembering our finite time on earth and focusing on making a positive impact can transform how we approach challenges.

BEST MOMENTS

"What happens is when you start to get burnout, you start missing your goals... all the little fuses were starting to trip. Yet, I didn't notice them until the whole darn fuse box blew up."

"High performers and executives don't have an opportunity to really think about their legacy when they're in the grind day to day."

"The loss of the marriage was my fault because I was completely out of whack with my work life balance... I became very selfish in that and it cost me my marriage and my wife for years tried to bring me back to reality."

"I go by this thing called a rule of 100. For every executive that I work with, I want my work to have a positive impact on 100 people in their lives.”

"We only have a limited amount of time on this planet... be grateful for what you have, the people you have in your life. And the experiences you're having that are going to allow you to be the best version of yourself."

ABOUT THE GUEST

Dennis Franczak

Transformative C-Suite Executive and Operations Leader

Bright Matter Advisor https://brightmatteradvisors.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dfranczak/

https://www.facebook.com/dfranczak

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