Taking Care of Yourself to Run the Entrepreneurial Marathon: Highlights from Our Conversation with Dominic Gagnon

Entrepreneurial journeys often attract attention for their audacity. Less talked about is what goes on behind the scenes: the emotional intensity, the doubts, the constant pressure. In our interview for the Parapluie campaign, Dominic Gagnon - co-founder and CEO of Connect&GO, author and entrepreneur long immersed in these realities - brings home a simple truth: mental health is not optional when building a business.

The invisible burden borne by founders:

Dominic speaks candidly about the “roller coaster” ride that comes with entrepreneurship. Enthusiasm and fear can alternate within a matter of hours. In this context, mental stability becomes a strategic asset.

“If you’re not mentally strong, you won’t make it through,” he sums up. Not as a warning, but rather as a clear-eyed observation. The company may be innovative, well-funded, and well-supported: if the founder breaks down, everything becomes vulnerable.

Understanding How You Work

Writing has played an important role in Dominic’s journey. It has helped him better understand his neurodiversity—ADHD, giftedness—and recognize both its strengths and its challenges. Many entrepreneurs experience similar dynamics. The traits that fuel creativity can sometimes also amplify stress, hypervigilance, and mental load.

This insight paves the way for a shift in perspective: mental health is not a personal luxury; it is the foundation of performance.

Parapluie: a simple gesture to breathe easier

That's exactly what Parapluie is all about. Offering minimal shelter - telemedicine, mental health, family support - so that entrepreneurs can continue to decide, innovate, hire... without getting lost.

Taking care of oneself, in this context, is not about withdrawing. It is an act of continuity. It is a way to protect both the company and the person who leads it.

Continue the discussion

As part of the campaign, Dominic is also offering a book that helps put these realities into words. It’s not a magic guide—it’s a space to reflect, acknowledge your limits, and learn to move forward in a different way.

This interview is one of the many fragments that make up *Parapluie*. Together, they serve as a reminder that our ecosystem benefits from taking care of the people who make it possible.