Founder2Founder with Aaron Spivak
Entrepreneurship isn’t just a career—it’s a relentless, all-consuming way of life.
Welcome to Founder2Founder a raw and unfiltered podcast where host Aaron Spivak pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to build something from the ground up. No sugarcoating, no overnight success stories—just deep, honest conversations with some of the most driven, underrated, and game-changing founders of our time. From brutal setbacks to game-changing mindset shifts, Aaron goes beyond the polished success stories to uncover the unglamorous, deeply personal side of building a business.
As a seasoned entrepreneur himself, Aaron goes beneath the surface and gets into the nitty-gritty of what it truly takes to succeed. He’ll dive into the habits, behaviors, and routines that set elite founders apart, the tactics and strategies that are working today, and the mindset shifts required to push through the hardest moments. Through raw personal stories, late-night struggles, and breakthrough moments, guests open up about what it really means to grow, not just as a founder, but as a person.
Each week, Aaron sits down with visionary entrepreneurs from high-growth startup founders to seasoned CEOs, for real, unfiltered conversations about the highs, lows, and everything in between. Whether you're scaling a company, launching your first venture, or just looking for inspiration, this podcast will give you the insights, motivation, and real-world advice you won’t get just anywhere. If you're ready to strip away the illusion and get real about what it means to build, sacrifice, and thrive, this is the podcast for you. Join us every Wednesday!
Founder2Founder with Aaron Spivak
How CEOs Can Navigate Mental Health, Incentives, and Investor Alignment with David Balinski
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In this episode of Founder2Founder, Aaron Spivak sits down with David Balinski, Founder & CEO of Wire Health. With a background spanning risk management, pharmaceutical lobbying, national benefits consulting, and health plan M&A, David has built nine companies and dedicated his career to fixing one of the biggest failures in American healthcare: mental health access.
David shares the hard lessons he learned about partnerships, equity, incentives and culture, alongside a deep dive into the realities of mental health in entrepreneurship. From bipolar disorder among founders, to the limitations of SSRIs, emerging therapies like ketamine, and alternative healthcare strategies that have saved his family over $150,000. This conversation challenges how leaders think about responsibility, performance, and the systems supporting their teams.
Chapters:
01:08 – Why David Focused on Fixing Healthcare
02:42 – The Mental Health Gap in American Insurance
03:38 – Early Entrepreneurial Instincts and Lemonade Stands
05:20 – From Screenwriting Dreams to Health Insurance Underwriting
06:04 – The Hardest Lessons From Building Nine Companies
08:20 – The Cost of Trusting the Wrong People
09:11 – Why Giving Equity Too Early Is a Founder Mistake
12:43 – What to Do When a Key Employee Asks for Equity
14:30 – Building Advisory Boards That Protect You From Yourself
16:50 – Profit Share vs. Equity: A Smarter Alternative
18:47 – Incentives, Commission Structures, and Performance Culture
22:16 – Why Culture Is a Founder’s Real Job
25:26 – Blameless Problem Solving and Avoiding Toxic Behavior
28:02 – The Mental Health Reality Founders Don’t Talk About
30:01 – Bipolar Disorder in Entrepreneurs (4x the General Population)
32:02 – MDMA, PTSD, and Emerging Treatment Conversations
40:43 – Why Wire Health Sends Patients to Ketamine Treatment
45:37 – The 30% Problem With SSRIs
49:10 – Why David and His Family Don’t Use Traditional Health Insurance
55:21 – How Medical Sharing and Direct Primary Care Work
59:45 – Wire Health’s Employer-Focused Mental Health Model
1:01:30 – Choosing Investors Who Align With Your Mission
1:04:03 – The Recovery Friendly Workplace Movement
1:06:48 – Creating Psychological Safety at Work
1:10:16 – Final Reflections on Purpose, Impact, and Responsibility
Guest Links:
Website: https://wire.health/
LinkedIn: David Balinski
Wire Health
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