Near Death Accidents and Hitting $1B ARR with Brian Halligan, Founder and Exec Chairman of HubSpot

TL;DR

Brian Halligan, HubSpot founder and executive chairman, describes a near-fatal snowmobile accident with his son that broke over a dozen bones and triggered a personal reset: he broke up with his girlfriend, joined the board of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, began daily meditation, and intensified his fitness.

Key insights

• The snowmobile accident (flying off a cliff onto a tree) left both Brian and his son unconscious; Brian woke up, found phone signal, called 911, and was rescued by a volunteer firefighter who also plo
• Lying in the snow believing he would die, Brian asked himself what he would change if he lived; he subsequently broke up with his girlfriend, shifted focus from HubSpot to other causes, and joined the
• After the accident, a neurosurgeon, a therapist, and a shaman all independently told Brian to meditate; he now meditates daily and is taking a Vedic meditation class.