- Bryan Reed overcame severe burnout by hiring three college-aged summer interns this year
- Interns brought fresh energy, ideas, and excitement to daily tasks at Freeport Markets
- Social activities like dinners and workouts with interns improved Reed's mental well-being
Bryan Reed, co-founder of trading app Freeport Markets, has shared how hiring interns transformed his mental well-being and helped him overcome severe burnout. During a conversation with Business Insider, the 24-year-old entrepreneur, who is based in New York City, revealed that he was unhappy with his routine and used to work mostly alone as the other business partner handled separate tasks. The co-founder stated that he had been experiencing severe burnout for months. Between managing continuous operations and tackling complex technical challenges, the intense pressure left him feeling exhausted.
"This summer flipped everything when we brought in three college-aged summer interns to work on marketing," he said as quoted in the report.
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Impact of interns' fresh energy
Reed revealed that everything began to change when the startup hired young, enthusiastic interns. While the primary goal was to get extra support for ongoing projects, the actual impact went far beyond work output.
The interns added a wave of fresh energy to the workplace, as their attitude and ideas brought back excitement to daily tasks.
"What started out as dinners together turned into gym trips, movie nights, and late-night reading sessions. They made me excited to go to work again, and our bond made us better problem solvers and more productive," he added.
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Reed mentioned that delegating small responsibilities freed up crucial time, easing his mental burden. Instead of working in a silent, high-stress silo, the office environment became lively.
"While I expected to see them for occasional weekend events and for meals, I didn't anticipate hanging out as frequently for evening workouts, movies, and reading, but we hit it off so well. We'd sometimes spend the whole day together from about 10 am to 11 pm," he said.
He further noted that the interns have left now, but still he changed how he approached work. "I've realised that being social makes me happier without detracting from productivity. I'm happier, and that makes me want to keep pushing with my startup," he added.
