Hi, for those that don’t know me, I’m Tim, the cofounder of Vively, and I was diagnosed as pre-diabetic 3 years ago.
When I was diagnosed, it was an absolute maze to try to improve my health. Hours of research, expensive tests, 6-month waits to see a specialist doctor that understands prevention – the list goes on.
It became incredibly apparent to me that our health system treats illness, not early risk, and that consumers are demanding more as out of pocket health costs rapidly rise.
This personal experience lit a spark in me to build Vively, so that people can take control of their health, and we think we’ve built a pretty fantastic thing here to guide peoples long-term health change.
We have a simple mission: to create one million healthy years by 2030 and become the default platform for proactive, data-driven health worldwide.
Here’s me, 9.4 biological years younger.
As for me after that experience?
I’m happy that I’m no longer pre-diabetic. And, my Biological Age is now 9 years younger than my calendar age, so my speed of aging has slowed down.
I’m lighter, healthier and more energised than ever, and that’s great timing especially with a brand new addition to our family!
But this doesn’t mean that health is not a continual aspect to proactively account for.
Last Christmas, I burnt out so badly I had to stop working completely.
We had just been through a near death experience for the business, the kind of moment every founder quietly dreads.
We came out the other side stronger, but honestly – I was mentally wrecked.
I was humbly reminded just how thin the line is between resilience and collapse.
An earlier version of me (with hair!) wishing I knew what I know now about my health.
When January came, I made a deal with myself: No drinking for four months.
Sleep became non-negotiable.
And I set a goal outside of work, to complete Hyrox by mid-year, something physical and social that forced me to rebuild discipline without the constant pull of the company.
It worked.
My energy came back. My mind cleared. But most importantly, I re-learnt something I thought I already knew: mental and physical health are inseparable.
When your mind burns out, your body follows, and vice versa.
At Vively, that lesson sits at the heart of what we’re building.
True health is the sum of all its parts, and often the best way to take care of your mind is to start somewhere else – your sleep, your movement, your nutrition, your sense of connection.
If this hits home, share it with someone that needs to hear it.
That someone else might be running on empty right now, and by understanding the position others are in (or have been in) – I’ve found that can sometimes prompts that person to take control of their health, and their life.
I’m extremely passionate about helping people take control of their lives, and am writing more these days to educate more people – especially founders – on taking proactive steps for their health.
There is no need to wait until the new year, to take control with a resolution that may not stick. Focus on it now, and not on when you get around to it.
- Tim Veron is cofounder and CEO of Vively.
