After planning and preparing to leave my corporate job, the time finally came to put myself and my business out there. I started marketing my services on social media and following similar accounts of freelancers and business owners to see what I could learn from them.
Almost immediately, I was overwhelmed by how much the conversation revolved around the phrase, “I quit my 9-5, and now I work 24/7.” As we often do in life and on social media, we frame serious issues with humor to lighten the blow. It almost became a trend among business owners to show how much they worked, often to the point of burnouts and breakdowns.
Message Received
I got the message loud and clear: as a business owner, if I wasn’t working myself to the bone, I wasn’t working hard enough—or I wasn’t considered “busy enough” to be successful. Due to today’s hustle culture, the general belief seemed to be that as a business owner, you had to be constantly and exponentially growing. And if you weren’t, you were doing something wrong.
Red Flag!
Instead of feeling encouraged to by this narrative to work harder or jump on the trend (even falsely) and show how stressed I was about work, it felt more like a red flag. Was this really what being a business owner had come to - being exhausted and crying daily from burnout? To the point where we normalize it through social media content?
Now, bear in mind this was happening in 2021, and maybe my algorithm has shifted to more wellness-based accounts because I don’t see it as often anymore. But I’m still very aware that many business owners feel the same pressure or are in situations where their businesses have overtaken their lives.
Success Looks Different for Everyone
Before we start digging into topics like hustle culture and work-life balance, I think it’s important to preface this by saying: YOU DO YOU! (Forgive the Gen Z slang, but it’s relevant here.) I’ve made it no secret that I’m not a major “hustle girl.” My primary focus is on living a calm, simple life that doesn’t include becoming a nationwide business with dozens of employees and offices. But many people have that ambition, and that’s part of what keeps society and our economy growing can be a very positive thing.
However, I believe it’s possible to have a growing, successful business—on whatever scale you personally want—while maintaining a balanced business lifestyle. That’s what this series is all about.
Some topics we’ll be exploring soon:
What is Hustle Culture?
How to Start Building a Business Around Your Life (Business model options)
What is Time Affluence?
Creating Your Non-Negotiables: What You Won’t Compromise On
Finding Your Flow: How to Be Productive Without Overworking
I’ll be posting a new topic each week, so stick around!
A Note: My goal with this blog is to start conversations about building balanced business lifestyles, whatever that looks like for you personally. I’d love to hear your thoughts, experiences, and questions—nothing is off-limits! Let’s engage!
Comments