“Mind over matter, profit over loss: How staying strong mentally and physically helped me become a millionaire at 31 years old”

Lockdowns meant I couldn’t go to the gym, and like many others, I experienced a domino effect: my workouts stopped, my nutrition suffered, and everything spiraled from there. I had an “all or nothing” mindset—great for business, but detrimental to my health. If I wasn’t fully in, I was completely out.

Anthony Ng Monica, the previous CEO of acquired Swogo and now CEO of Daily Body Coach, shares his story of going from stress eating and feeling emotionally on edge to running million-dollar companies in peak physical condition.

“Before starting Swogo, I was driven by a strong desire to succeed—both professionally and financially. Like many young entrepreneurs, I initially equated success with monetary achievement. Starting a company felt like the best way to take control of my future, create something meaningful, and build financial security.” 

Financial security isn’t always on the cards, however, for every budding entrepreneur. Recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) suggests that a fifth of startups fail within their first year.

As he tackled the struggles of keeping a startup breaking even, his weight fluctuated significantly, more or less by 20%. “If I became stressed, I’d stress eat. If my routine changed—for instance, because of travel—I’d fall off the bandwagon and spiral out of control.” Anthony reflects after becoming more disciplined with food intake and taking care of his health.

Scientists are increasingly identifying links between weight gain and stress. In 2022, studies concluded that psychological distress and elevated cortisol secretion promote abdominal fat.

Poor sleep quality also plays a big factor, with insufficient sleep associated with increased levels of hunger hormone (ghrelin), salt retention, and inflammatory markers.

Patterns of stress eating and sleepless nights were amplified during the pandemic when Anthony’s workload tripled due to Swogo’s presence in the e-commerce space, and his routine was totally upended. 

“Lockdowns meant I couldn’t go to the gym, and like many others, I experienced a domino effect: my workouts stopped, my nutrition suffered, and everything spiraled from there. I had an “all or nothing” mindset—great for business but detrimental to my health. If I wasn’t fully in, I was completely out.”

Anthony explains how he would eat the same meals over and over, cut out carbohydrates when he was feeling overweight, and had an extreme caloric deficit. He identifies how his routine and diet made him feel emotionally on edge, unable to perform his best, and hungry. It wasn’t sustainable. 

A 2024 UK study of over 3,000 participants found only about 8% of those with low-quality diets sustained high cognitive ability. The World Economic Forum explains how “malnutrition occurs when the body doesn’t get enough or is unable to absorb nutrients, which can have a negative effect on physical performance, cognitive functioning, and well-being.” Malnutrition is not only associated with being underweight but also with obesity, which despite excessive energy consumption comprises a shortage of individual micronutrients. Anthony shares his system for staying on track and changing his habits, even during challenging times.

“I developed a habit of reflecting each time I went off track—understanding the triggers and figuring out what could be done to prevent it in the future.” One of Anthony’s biggest catalysts for falling out of routine was the amount of travel he had to do as part of the job. So, he worked out how to ensure he had access to healthy options, and created multiple backup plans for his nutrition.

“Take one of my go-to snacks: high-protein yogurt. I know there are two common scenarios where I might slip. First, if I crave something tastier, so I keep a more indulgent but healthy option in my fridge. Second, when I’m on the go and don’t want to carry a spoon, so I’ve got a bottled version I can easily grab. For me to go completely off track, Plans A, B, and C would all have to fail! The same goes for lunch and dinner. Now I anticipate meal preps in the cities I go to.”

Anthony reveals how this level of preparation and adaptability helped him stay consistent. “It’s not about being perfect but about setting yourself up with enough options to succeed, no matter the situation.”

Performing our best doesn’t just fall on physical activity, either. An Elsevier B.V. 2024 study found people with mental health disorders are more likely to have an unhealthy diet. The concern for emotional well-being has risen among CEOs over the years, with 55% of CEOs experiencing a negative mental health issue within the past year, a significant 24-point jump over 2023.

Building a successful business takes time. “You should expect to be in it for a decade,” Anthony remarks. This makes it a long-distance sport—an ultramarathon with several sprints inside it. He tells us how you need to be physically prepared for the emotional challenges, the longer hours, and the tough decisions that can take their toll.  Eating well and resting is what gave him the energy and mental clarity to tackle each day. 

“It’s not sustainable to rely on enthusiasm and motivation; over a decade, it’ll go up and down,” Anthony adds. “It needs to be non-negotiable—I treat exercise like any other meeting—I need to show up. Over time, I’ve learned that it’s about having the right systems in place with a particular focus on nutrition, which is responsible for 80% of your body’s results. I’ll always make sure there is a good plan B. A solid plan is one that you can do 90% of the time, easily.”