Our health and nutrition can suffer when we get busy and stressed at work. But the opposite can also be true. Start with healthy lifestyle habits and your business might get healthier too.
The connection between personal well-being and professional performance runs deeper than you might think. Just ask Lawrence Krimker, an award-winning Toronto entrepreneur who exemplifies how prioritizing health can fuel business success.
Health as a Foundational Asset
Running a business is often a non-stop demand on your attention, requiring sustained focus, energy, and resilience. Entrepreneurs are the driving force behind their ventures, making critical decisions that shape the future of their companies. Entrepreneurs should see their health and well-being as a business asset, Krimker says, something that requires continuous investment to generate optimal returns.
“If you’re healthy, you’re more energetic, you think more clearly, and you make better decisions. That’s essential when running a business,” he says. “Running multiple businesses is intense — staying healthy helps me handle stress better, make clear decisions, and keep up with the fast pace.”
A Healthy Workforce is Productive
The benefits of prioritizing health extend beyond the individual entrepreneur to the entire business. Positive health decisions can lead to healthy working outcomes across the board. Employees who maintain a healthy lifestyle tend to be more productive, energetic, and engaged at work. Good nutrition, regular exercise, and adequate sleep all contribute to sharper focus, better mood regulation, and enhanced creativity.
“People within the business are more productive when they’re eating right, when they’re healthy and investing in their health and wellness,” Krimker says. “It’s not just about you as the business owner. If your team is healthier, they’re more engaged, more productive, and ultimately, your business performs better.”
Workplace wellness programs can include initiatives such as providing healthy snacks, sponsoring fitness challenges, or offering mental health resources. These programs not only improve employee well-being but also reduce absenteeism and healthcare costs. Ultimately, a healthier workforce means a more resilient and successful company.
Discipline and Structure
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle requires planning, consistency, and commitment—the same traits that define successful businesspeople. Meal prepping, fitness routines, supplements regimens, these all help reduce decision fatigue and streamline daily life, freeing up mental bandwidth for business challenges.
“Business is chaotic at times, but at the end of the day, you can always control what you put in your body. That consistency can keep you grounded and performing at your best. If you plan what you’re going to eat, what you put in your body, that’s just one less decision that you need to make every day.” This principle applies equally to the workplace, where maintaining successful systems and processes can reduce uncertainty and enable better decision-making.
“The discipline you apply to health — whether it’s meal prepping, working out, or staying consistent—translates into discipline in business. It’s about having the structure to succeed.”
Energy and Performance
Individuals who feel good physically project more confidence, which can translate into stronger leadership and more effective communication. A healthy body supports a sharp mind, enabling clearer thinking and more decisive action.
“Everyone can attest when you miss your meals, or you have a string of unhealthy meals, you’re sluggish, you’re tired, you don’t feel good, you can’t perform well,” Krimker says. “When I’m working out and eating right, I feel more confident, which translates into how I present myself, how I negotiate, and how I lead.”
Krimker’s career successes while maintaining a structured, healthy lifestyle illustrates the direct impact that nutrition and health can have on professional performance. Consistently fueling the body with the right nutrients has helped him sustain energy, mental clarity, and emotional resilience — all traits that have served him well in business.
Health as a Strategic Investment
“I’ve seen what happens when entrepreneurs don’t take care of themselves — they burn out,” Krimker says. “Staying fit and healthy gives me the endurance to keep pushing forward.”
Smart entrepreneurs and business leaders recognize the link between a healthy life and a healthy business and invest in their well-being to gain a competitive edge. Prioritizing nutrition, exercise, and mental health is one of the smartest investments entrepreneurs can make—not just for themselves, but for the sustainability and growth of their businesses.