Smoking isn’t for everyone, but especially not entrepreneurs.

While there are a few entrepreneurs that smoke, most of the greats either kicked the habit a long time ago or never started to begin with. Why is that the case? Smoking and entrepreneurship don’t always go hand-in-hand, with it sometimes turning off investors, partners, and employees. 

Furthermore, it’s one of those things a lot of industries have turned their back on, viewing it as outdated. And if you’re an entrepreneur (or budding entrepreneur) looking to kick the habit, we’ve compiled a few reasons why it isn’t quite compatible with your lifestyle. Check them out below.

People Look Up To You

A big part of being an entrepreneur is being able to lead a team. While that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re everyone’s hero, it does mean that people look up to you for guidance. Smoking is something that while it doesn’t completely ruin the perception of you as a leader, it does make people question your habits a little bit. While no one is perfect, being a smoker certainly doesn’t help in its combination with other habits as well.

It’s Socially Antiquated

No matter how you dice it, smoking is something that’s by-and-large a practice of the past. Gone are the days you’d have an afternoon cigarette over lunch, with being health-focused a sign that you pay attention to contemporary times. People appreciate those who are smart and keen on taking care of themselves (including investors and partners), which all starts with being able to quit smoking now. Especially when you consider all the tobaccoless alternatives, people are running out of excuses for why they keep puffing.

Smoking Is The Cornerstone Of Bad Habits

A harsh truth about cigarettes is that they’re usually the cornerstone of other bad habits. Quite simply, there are very few smokers who only smoke as their only negative thing. Usually being coupled with other things like drinking, unhealthy eating, a lack of exercise, or even other types of drug use, cigarettes usually don’t stand alone. Even if someone doesn’t want to admit this about a potential entrepreneur, in the back of their mind they know it to be true (and you do too). 

It’s An Inefficient Use Of Time

Most smokers will tell you that not every single cigarette is enjoyable. Most of the time, there are only a few cigarettes that are truly ‘worth it’…with the rest just feeding into cravings. The majority of what we smoke ultimately ends up being ineffective use of time, simply just feeding a void. As a founder, making use of every second is vital, which is why cigarettes can be such a waste of time when trying to start a  company.

On A Practical Level, It Shows Poor Spending

Founders have to be somewhat responsible for budgeting, which is why smoking shows a poor sense of ROI for your dollar. Let’s face it, cigarettes don’t get us ‘high’ or even make us feel good, but rather just return to ‘normal’. For this price, we dump a ton of money into relieving this mental itch, which ultimately becomes wildly expensive. From the outside looking in, having a founder who smokes shows they don’t always think in terms of ROI like that, and when it comes to things like investing our money, people want to see every dollar accounted for wisely.

Smoking Shows You’re Not As Health Conscious

People who aren’t as health-conscious tend to lack certain habits that help with the stresses of entrepreneurship. After all, eating well, getting solid rest, and exercise can help keep a balanced mind, enabling you to give your best every single day. 

With smoking, it constricts exercise, goes with other bad habits, and can even become too reliant on a trigger when we’re stressed…ultimately thinking more about smoking than the problem at hand. Instead, a more health-conscious approach helps steer the entrepreneurship smoothly into the night.

People Might Think You Lack Mental Toughness

Although it’s not something any smoker wants to hear, continuing to smoke can often show a lack of mental toughness. As most of us know nicotine isn’t as much a physical addiction as much as a mental one, it can show a lack of being able to tough it out. 

Trust us, the empty feeling you’re temporarily getting from pangs are only temporary compared to a lifetime free from cigarettes. Give yourself a chance to really prove this feat, as it’ll be something that can certainly motivate and inspire you to really grind it out as an entrepreneur.