How Ben Buaron Built a $1M ARR Startup and Rebuilt Himself in the Process

Ben Buaron built Windmill Growth to help founders grow on LinkedIn and, in the process, rediscovered who he was.

In the Season 3 finale, Ben Sharf sits down with his roommate and friend Ben Buaron, the founder and CEO of Windmill Growth, a startup that went from zero to $1M+ ARR in under a year, fully bootstrapped. But this episode isn’t just about building a company. It’s about building a life that actually feels good to live.

Ben Buaron opens up about dropping the law school path in Israel, how his time in the IDF shaped his view on discipline, and the risks that led him to New York with nothing but a dream and a laptop. He breaks down the emotional toll of startup life, the moment he realized he was tying his self-worth to revenue, and how a founder retreat in Mexico changed everything.

This is a raw and real conversation on founder burnout, the power of habits, and why making your bed might be more important than your next sales call.

Listen now to Season 3, Episode 20 on Apple, Spotify, or YouTube.

10 Key Takeaways from Ben Buaron’s Episode:

1.  Startups Don’t Fix You. They Expose You: Ben tied his mental state to daily revenue fluctuations. Once he realized the danger of that loop, he began detaching his identity from his business.

2. Discipline Is Built Through Reps, Not Motivation: His time in the IDF taught him how to stack tiny wins - waking up at 6, making his bed, showing up consistently. Those habits translated directly to how he leads now.

3. The Two-Day Rule Changes Everything: From “Atomic Habits” to army drills, Ben follows one mantra: never skip a habit two days in a row. Miss a day? Fine. Miss two? You’re starting over.

4. You Can’t Out-Hustle Misalignment: Ben left a stable future in law because it didn’t feel right. That same gut instinct helped him say no to jobs, cities, and paths that weren’t built for him.

5. Build Systems Before You Burn Out: Ben’s three-hour morning routine isn’t fluff, it’s structure. Meditation, journaling, prayer, and workouts gave him space to breathe and think clearly.

6. Limiting Beliefs Hold More Power Than Language Barriers: He thought his accent held him back from closing deals. Turns out, it wasn’t the English, it was the self-doubt.

7. Employees Don’t Just Want Money. They Want Purpose:  Ben’s team has zero churn because he treats every team member like a person first, operator second. Clear expectations, real conversations, and shared wins.

8. Build with Purpose, Not Pressure:  Obsession with your startup can drive success or destroy your peace. Ben now works from a place of gratitude, not fear.

9. Leadership Is Emotional Work: Whether it's losing a deal or leading a team, Ben leans into emotional regulation. His version of “founder fitness” is just as much internal as external.

10. Your Legacy Is Bigger Than Your Revenue: Ben's not chasing yachts. He’s chasing clarity, fulfillment, and a family future rooted in values, not vanity metrics.

Ben Buaron’s story is a masterclass in what it means to go all-in on your business, your purpose, and most importantly, yourself. It’s not just about scaling revenue. It’s about scaling who you are.

If you’re a founder who’s been tying your self-worth to your startup’s performance, this episode will hit different.

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