Arianna Huffington

Born in Greece, Arianna Huffington grew up in a two-bedroom apartment with her mother and sister. Her father's newspaper ventures failed repeatedly. Yet these early struggles shaped her resilience.

"My mother would tell me that failure is not the opposite of success, it's a stepping stone to success," Huffington recalls.

At 16, Huffington moved to England to study at Cambridge. She became the first foreign president of the Cambridge Union debating society. This experience honed her communication skills and sparked her interest in media.

After graduating, Huffington wrote books and appeared on TV shows. But her big break came in 2005 when she co-founded The Huffington Post. It was a risky move. Many doubted the viability of an online news platform.

"When we launched, people thought we were crazy," Huffington says. "They said, 'Why would anyone write for free?'"

But Huffington persevered. She worked 18-hour days, sacrificing her health and personal life. The Huffington Post grew rapidly, attracting millions of readers and high-profile contributors.

In 2011, AOL acquired The Huffington Post for $315 million. Huffington had achieved extraordinary success. But it came at a cost.

In 2007, Huffington collapsed from exhaustion, hitting her head on her desk. This wake-up call forced her to reassess her definition of success.

"Is this what success looks like?" she asked herself. "Working myself into the ground, burning out?"

This realization led Huffington to launch Thrive Global in 2016. The company aims to end the stress and burnout epidemic through behavioral change technology.

"We take it for granted that burnout is the price we have to pay for success," Huffington explains. "But the science is clear: when we prioritize our well-being, our decision-making, creativity, and productivity improve dramatically."

Thrive Global has raised over $30 million in funding and works with companies like Accenture and JPMorgan Chase. Huffington's new venture is transforming workplace cultures globally.

Huffington's journey teaches us that true success isn't just about financial gain. It's about making a positive impact while maintaining personal well-being.

"Success is not just about money and power," Huffington asserts. "It's about wonder, wisdom, well-being, and giving."

Lessons

Lesson 1: Redefine success on your own terms. You don't have to follow the traditional metrics of success. Huffington realized that money and power alone weren't enough. She introduced a "third metric" that includes well-being, wisdom, wonder, and giving. This shift led her to start Thrive Global, focusing on employee wellness and productivity. As she puts it, "We need to redefine success beyond money and power to include well-being, wisdom, wonder, and giving."

Lesson 2: Embrace failure as a stepping stone. Don't let fear of failure hold you back. Huffington's first book was rejected by 36 publishers. She ran for governor of California and lost. But she used these experiences to grow. "Failure is not the opposite of success, it's part of success," she often says. Each setback taught her valuable lessons that contributed to her later achievements.

Lesson 3: Prioritize sleep and self-care. You can't be effective if you're burnt out. After collapsing from exhaustion in 2007, Huffington became an advocate for sleep and self-care. She even wrote a book called "The Sleep Revolution." At Thrive Global, she implemented policies like no emails after hours. "By renewing ourselves, we're more creative, more productive, more effective," she explains.

Lesson 4: Constantly reinvent yourself. Don't be afraid to pivot. Huffington has been an author, political candidate, media mogul, and wellness entrepreneur. She left The Huffington Post at its peak to start Thrive Global. "We have to be willing to constantly evolve. Otherwise, we get stuck in what worked in the past," she advises. This adaptability has been key to her continued relevance and success.

Lesson 5: Build a supportive culture. You need to create an environment where people can thrive. At Thrive Global, Huffington implemented "entry interviews" to ask new hires what they need to perform at their best. She believes, "If we take care of our employees, they will take care of our business." This focus on culture has helped Thrive Global attract top talent and maintain high employee satisfaction.

Arianna Huffington Quotes

On self-care: "We think, mistakenly, that success is the result of the amount of time we put in at work, instead of the quality of time we put in."

On leadership: "If you take care of your mind, you take care of the world."

On culture: "Giving is a shortcut to happiness."

On self-care: "By renewing ourselves, we're more creative, more productive, more effective."

On lightness: "Angels fly because they take themselves lightly."

On adaptability: "We have to be willing to constantly evolve. Otherwise, we get stuck in what worked in the past."

On meetings: "Create a policy around the notion: If you have something more important to do, don't come to the meeting."

Speeches and Interviews

• Arianna Huffington | Thrive | Talks at Google
• Arianna Huffington, Founder & CEO at Thrive Global
• Founder of The Huffington Post on the Key to Success
• Arianna Huffington: How to succeed? Get more sleep | TED Talk

Book Recommendations

• Thrive: The Third Metric to Redefining Success and Creating a Life of Well-Being, Wisdom, and Wonder
• The Sleep Revolution: Transforming Your Life, One Night at a Time

Further Readings

• Arianna Huffington: Unveiling the Extraordinary Life and Impact of a Trailblazing Media Mogul
• How Arianna Huffington Is Transforming America's Workplace To Benefit You
• Arianna Huffington Is Pushing Us to Rethink Our Workdays - ELLE
• Inspirational Speech of Arianna Huffington - Lloyd Luna
• Arianna Huffington | Interview | American Masters - PBS