A Founder's Life

Entrepreneurship Is Not for the Weak - Ed DeAngelis - S5 - E7

Leo Gestetner Season 5 Episode 7

This episode of A Founder’s Life is brought to you by Thankz — helping founders scale with reliable remote talent. Get $1,000 off your first month by emailing founders@thankz.com with the subject line Founder’s Life.

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👤 Connect with Today’s Guest – Ed DeAngelis
Website: https://www.edacontractors.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ed-deangelis-eda-contractors/

What does it really take to build a successful company and why do so many founders burn out before they get there?

In this episode, Ed DeAngelis, CEO of EDA Contractors, shares the honest truth about entrepreneurship: the grind, the breakdowns, the resilience, and the long, painful journey of building something meaningful. From delivering newspapers at 11, to working construction, to leading a 450-person company, Ed’s story is a masterclass in commitment, balance, and emotional intelligence.  

🔥 What you’ll learn
• Why the first 10 years of business feel like survival mode
• The role resilience plays in every founder’s journey
• How Ed rebuilt his health after hitting a breaking point
• What balance really looks like (and why it’s not constant)
• How to prepare your kids and team for leadership
• Why “humanity as a strategy” drives long-term success

Chapters:
0:00 – Meet Ed & His Paperboy-to-CEO Journey

1:07 – Working 9 Years Before Starting EDA Contractors

3:28 – The Reality of Fear, Survival Mode & Resilience

8:12 – Family, Balance, Mistakes & Leadership Growth

15:04 – Health, Marathon Mindset & Long-Term Wisdom

LinkedIn

linkedin.com/in/leogestetner

Website

leogestetner.com/leo

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