You're Not Broken, You're Burnt Out: Finding Peace in the Entrepreneurial Middle Ground

What happens when the business you started with passion becomes the very thing draining your energy and bank account? Beyond the glossy Instagram posts and six-figure launch screenshots lies a reality most entrepreneurs face but few discuss openly: the burnout, the financial strain, and the overwhelming pressure to maintain an appearance of constant success.

This raw, emotional episode cuts through the toxic hustle culture to address the unspoken middle phase of entrepreneurship—where you're no longer a beginner but nowhere near where you want to be. It's a lonely, quiet place where many business owners silently struggle, checking bank accounts with dread before business expenses and wondering if their dream is still worth pursuing.

The truth? You're not broken—you're burnt out. You've been carrying too much for too long, investing in tools, courses, and marketing because that's what you're told to do. But what happens when you spend all your money and there's still no return? Burnout isn't a badge of honor, and being broke isn't a business strategy. There must be a better way, and it starts with giving yourself permission to pause, not quit. Scaling back doesn't mean giving up; raising your prices isn't greedy—it's survival.

If you're feeling stretched thin but still holding onto your dreams, know that this difficult chapter is simply part of your journey toward greatness. I share my own experience taking 20 hours off my busy week to combat burnout, showing how sometimes stepping back is exactly what moves us forward. Download my "10 Signs You're Burnt Out" checklist to help navigate this challenging phase. Subscribe and share this episode with someone who needs to hear they're not alone in their entrepreneurial struggle.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello world, I have a couple of questions for you.
What do you do when your dreamis draining you, when the
business you started withpassion is burning you out and
your pockets are empty?
If that sounds like you, thisepisode might hit a little too
close to home, and that's thepoint.

(00:22):
Welcome back to Not Just CandleTalk, where we keep it real
about entrepreneurship, sidehustles and surviving the grind.
I'm your host, toni, andtoday's episode is raw,
emotional and 100% necessary.

(00:42):
So we live in a time whereeveryone's flexing right.
The six-figure launchscreenshots, the luxury office
aesthetics, the just quit my 95job and make 20K, my first week

(01:04):
stories.
It's intoxicating and it's alsoa lie for most people.
What you don't see are themaxed out credit cards, the
panic attacks between clientcalls or the depression from

(01:26):
comparing your pace to someoneelse's highlight reel.
Success has been rebranded asperformance and if you're not
consistently posting your wins,people assume you're losing.
Right, that pressure rightthere is suffocating right?
Let me say this directly You'renot broken, you're burnt out.

(01:57):
I'll repeat You're not broken,you're just burnt out.
You're tired because you'vebeen carrying too much for too
long promoting, managing, alsodelivering and somewhere along
the line you forgot to rest.
You've been smiling throughlate invoices, pretending you're
okay, when in actuality you'redrowning and silently wondering

(02:22):
is this even worth it?
Right, the world doesn't talkabout this phase.
The middle part, right, the.
I'm not a beginner, but I'mnowhere near where I want to be.
Stage it's lonely, it could bequiet, but it's also where most

(02:50):
of us are at, or a lot of peopleare at.
Right, entrepreneurship willtest finances before it grows
them it will.
I've talked about it before onnumerous episodes, that it's
peaks and valleys.
This is what I mean.
You're invested in tools,coaches, you've done courses,

(03:18):
you've done marketing, you readall the books because that's
what you're told to do.
Right?
I've said it before again insome of my past episodes you
have to spend money to makemoney.
That's not an illusion, that'sa fact.
All right, but what happenswhen you spend all your money

(03:43):
and there's still no return?
I know what it's like to checkyour bank account Before a
business expense and feel sick.
Been there, done that.
I know what it's like to makemoney and still feel broke
because it all goes right backinto the business.
You're not failing, you'relearning.

(04:03):
So everything is a learningphase and you probably stay in
that phase.
But the truth is we need to stopglamorizing the struggle era
like it's noble.
Burnout is not a badge of honor.
Being broke is not a businessstrategy.
There has to be a better way,correct business strategy.

(04:30):
There has to be a better way,correct.
What if I gave you permissionto do things differently?
What if you paused, not quit.
Just pause long enough tobreathe and realign.
Scaling back does not meangiving up.
I'll repeat that one as well.
Scaling back does not meangiving up.
Raising your prices.

(04:51):
It's not greedy, that's notbeing greedy, it's called
survival.
Okay, choosing peace overpressure.
That's not lazy, it's wisdom.
Some of the most successfulentrepreneurs had to hit pause
before they even ever foundtheir real rhythm.
So your story isn't over.

(05:14):
Okay, this chapter is justtough, but it's still part of
the greatness.
It's part of your greatness,right?
If you're burnt out, if you'reburnt out, broke, but still
dreaming, you're not weak,you're not behind, you're in a

(05:34):
fight and you're not alone.
Trust and believe.
Today's episode is just areminder that your dreams are
still valid, even when they feelheavy.
You're allowed to rest and,most importantly, you're allowed

(06:01):
to keep going in a way thatactually sustains you.
If this episode hits home.
Share it with someone who needsto hear it.
Okay, it's important, um, toknow that you know you're not,
you're not by yourself in thisfight, but the objective is to
keep fighting right To see, um,where it takes you.

(06:22):
This is your journey, yourjourney alone.
It's never pretty, but we needto talk about it more.
I have seen people talk abouttaking a pause, but I've never
seen anybody just get right intoit with why they actually took

(06:42):
a pause pause.
It was just, oh, we needed abreak.
Well, you know, say it.
Say it.
Let people know that it's notRoses all the time, okay, but
I've seen People say that, butno deep conversations.
And you know I'm one that youknow I like those deep

(07:06):
conversations.
I want to get into it becauseit's a community of people who
feel this way.
Okay, so I recently.
I'll share a story.
I recently did a pause myself.
About a couple of months ago, Ihad to take 20 hours off of my

(07:32):
busy week and realign myselfbecause I was starting to feel
the burnout.
I was starting to feel it and Icut 20 hours of my week off and
chose me instead, and with thattime off, I have realigned,

(07:55):
readjusted and I feel so muchbetter.
And I have people ask me aboutthe candle business as well what
happened to your candlebusiness?
What's going on?
Because they don't see thingshappening but trust and believe
things are moving along.

(08:16):
We're going on our sixth year.
This will be our sixth year inour candle business.
I'm over 200 cents.
We're not going anywhere, butit's good to take a pause and
adjust to the times.
Okay, so you know.
I just wanted to share thatbecause I do have people ask me

(08:39):
questions about certain thingsand sometimes I will reply, but
you know everything is timingand you reply to the right
person about the right things.
Right, because you know youwant to be helpful, you want to
be inspirational to people.
You know you want to be helpful, you want to be inspirational

(09:02):
to people and you never knowwhen that person needs it or
needs to hear it or really don'tneed to hear it, you know.
So always pick and choose whatyou say to people and how you
say it.
But anyway, I just wanted tocome on and talk about it
because it needs to be talkedabout and I will continue to do

(09:26):
these types of deep conversation, podcasts about
entrepreneurship and things thatwe go through.
Ok, so what I'm going to do isI'm going to provide a 10 signs
you're burnt out checklist andwhat to do about it.
I'm going to put that in PDFform to use as a reference guide

(09:53):
for anybody who needs it.
All right, so, with that beingsaid, I'm going to end this
episode.
So, with that being said, I'mgoing to end this episode.
Always appreciate the listenersand don't forget to, if you

(10:14):
like this episode, subscribe andshare this with someone who you
think might need to hear this.
Um and uh.
I'm going to keep having thesereal conversations that go
deeper than just making money.
Okay, so thank you again, asalways, and I will see you, you

(10:34):
guys, on the next um episode.
Thank you so much.