Work Ethic Isn’t Hustle Culture: And That’s What Will Save You in This New Era | EP 523

🔗 Mentioned on this Episode: Show Notes 👈

You’ve built the offers. You’ve built the audience. You’ve built the business. But if you’re still running on fumes to maintain it all, this episode is your permission to pause—and reset the way you work.

In this solo chat, we explore a lie many high-performing founders still carry: that hustle equals impact. What if protecting your energy is the actual leverage point in your next chapter of growth? What if your ability to scale isn’t about doing more, but about leading differently?

If you're juggling multiple roles, managing a team, navigating life behind the scenes, and still showing up as the face of your business, this is the episode to bring you back to center. I’ll share the real difference between hustle and healthy work ethic, and the subtle shifts that make the biggest impact in sustaining both your business and your well-being.

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Episode Transcript

Sheila (00:01):
there's a lie we've been sold that hustle equals success
and that burnout is just theprice of greatness.
But what if the real advantageisn't found in the grind but in
how well you protect your energy?
In this solo episode, I'msharing a conversation we need
to be having now, especially ifyou're feeling pulled in too
many directions, questioningyour priorities or wondering

(00:25):
what version of success is stillyours to claim in this next
season.
Hi, welcome to the podcast.
I'm Sheila Botelho and I'mcommitted to helping you create
your version of a happy,successful life, one that's
grounded in wellbeing and yourown timing.
One that's grounded inwell-being and your own timing.

(00:49):
Let's talk about theconversation that I wish more
people were having right now.
It started with something my sonsaid after a particularly heavy
day he was having.
He'd had two exams, he'd workedout early that morning to stay
on track with his fitness goalsand at 10 pm his brain was
screaming at him to go to sleepwhile he was still at work.
He still had an hour to go onhis shift and he asked himself

(01:13):
what am I doing Now?
That moment really landed forme extra, because he's my son
and, yeah, he's 19 and this isthe way of the world and he has
an incredible work ethic.
And I've seen this cycle sooften in my life, not just with
young people finding theirrhythm, but with seasoned
founders, entrepreneurs, peopleat all ages and stages in their

(01:37):
life who've been at this thingfor years.
Many of us grew up in the eraof grind now, relax later.
But really, how often do peopleactually stop grinding to relax
, like maybe a week or two ayear?
I used to think that that wasthe path too, and I'd hear

(01:58):
things like work 12 hour daystill you're 30, then ease up,
and, honestly, I believed it.
I thought that's just what hadto be done and, frankly, that's
how we build a work ethic.
But I no longer think that'sthe way truly, at least not
completely and I'll tell you why.
Work ethic is not the same ashustle culture.

(02:21):
They get confused all the time,but they are truly not the same
.
Work ethic is the ability tofocus your energy and follow
through on what matters most,consistently and with care.
It's conscious energy direction.
It's stewardship.
Hustle culture, on the otherhand, is often reactionary.

(02:45):
It's performative.
It's endless to-do lists,caffeine-fueled late nights,
skipping meals, missing your owndeadlines and constantly being
on.
Being a workaholic doesn't meanyou have a strong work ethic.
If anything, it's your workethic out of balance.

(03:05):
And when you look at thisthrough a nervous system lens or
even through human design, youstart to see how pushing from
that place leads you intoburnout.
It leads you to poor decisions,scattered focus and, eventually
, disconnection from your actualpurpose.
Let's be real for a second.

(03:27):
Disconnection from your actualpurpose.
Let's be real for a second.
As entrepreneurs, especiallywomen, we're pulled in so many
directions.
Some of you are raisingfamilies, some are caring for
aging parents, some arenavigating health things that no
one on your team even knowsabout.
And then there's the teamitself.
If you lead one, you carrytheir priorities, their requests

(03:50):
, their goals.
It's not just about you, evenif you're the founder.
And then there's your clients.
Of course.
Your inbox may be exploding.
Slack becomes a never endingscroll of messages that it's
hard to know which prioritizesover another.
Notifications nonstop.
And even if you shut them alloff, your mind is still going.

(04:15):
That's the entrepreneurial mind.
It's relentless and it can bebeautiful, but it can also be
crazy making.
And that's why I'm having thisconversation, because here's
what I've seen in myself.
There have been seasons whereI've told myself I'd wrap at
5.30 and suddenly it's 7.15 andI've just one more thing to

(04:39):
myself, out of alignment.
And now it doesn't happen everyweek, but it happens.
And here's the kicker thelonger it happens, the more it
erodes your self-trust.
Because think about this how dowe build self-trust?
We do what we say we're goingto do, not perfectly, but

(05:00):
honestly and with integrity.
And when I don't have clearboundaries in place external
ones, yes, but even thoseinternal ones too I slip.
And honestly, sometimes thebest checks and balances come
from the people around me, theloved ones, who are like babe,

(05:21):
time to unplug.
And they're right, because themost powerful version of me does
not emerge when I'm burning thecandle at both ends.
She comes out when I'm rested,when I've moved my body, when
I've connected to somethingdeeper than my calendar.
So let's talk about you, let'stalk about how your day is set

(05:44):
up, because right now more thanever, everything can feel urgent
.
Things are moving really,really quickly and in spite of
what people say how AI is makingour life so much easier you
still have to learn what is apriority, what isn't, and what
version of AI are you using?

(06:04):
To begin with, in the noise ofurgency, we start living in
other people's priorities yourteam's needs, your client's
messages, your community'sexpectations and, of course, you
care about those things.
That's what makes you apowerful leader.
But your priorities if they'renot coming first, eventually

(06:29):
everything else falls out ofsync.
So let me ask you this Are youclear on what your top three
priorities are this week for youpersonally?
Are they on your calendar?
Are they protected from beingbumped by?
Just one more thing Do you haveany non-negotiables in place

(06:49):
that keep your nervous systemregulated?
Because if you're like most highachieving people, I know you do
the thing, you deliver, you arean integrator, but you might be
implementing your vision insidesomeone else's operating system
and then wondering why you feeloff.

(07:10):
This is what we're being calledinto right now To pause, to
zoom out and to ask am I livingmy values or just reacting to my
inbox and the world around me?
We've entered a new era inbusiness.

(07:31):
Like I mentioned, ai is movingfast.
Tech is changing the game,attention is the new currency
and everyone is trying to claimyours.
But I want to remind you yourattention is just that.
It's yours and what you give itto that shapes your future.

(07:56):
That's why I'm alwaysevaluating how I approach these
things in my own business and inmy life.
And yes, I use automation andsystems and support, but they
don't replace discernment.
They truly demand discernment.
In fact, you've got to knowwhat's worth your focus, you've

(08:19):
got to be okay saying no evenwhen it's uncomfortable, and
you've got to remember thefuture of your business depends
on how you protect your energynow.
So here's a before and afterfor you to play with.
Here's the old model.
I'll just share some bulletswith you.
Bullet points Days stacked withback-to-back Zoom calls,

(08:44):
working late, skipping meals,forgetting to move, serving
everyone but yourself, beingreactive in Slack all day,
celebrating how busy you are Now.
How about this?
How about a new model?
Some different bullet pointsfor now Short, focused blocks

(09:05):
for deep work, pauses for breath, movement, presence, protective
time with your team andproactive leadership,
intentional client containers,clear digital boundaries and
celebrating how centered youfeel.

(09:28):
Do you feel the difference?
One builds longevity, the otherbuilds resentment.
One gives you your life backand the other drains it away.
You deserve a business thatfeels as good on the inside as
it looks on the outside, but ittruly does start with the inner

(09:49):
systems, the ones no one sees,the ones that hold you when life
throws curve balls at you andthe ones that remind you of who
you really are when the world isloud.
And this is what I talk about inexpansion season.
This is the work behind thework, and this is not me telling

(10:13):
you what to do.
This is me sharing what's beenon my mind and what's been
working for me and my clients.
I'm here really to help you andto help myself.
Ask better questions, to giveyou space to think again, to
remind you your well-being isnot optional.

(10:35):
It is the asset, the strategy,the edge.
If you're finding yourselfasking different questions
lately about your schedule, yourteam, your energy, your purpose
, go to the show notes.
There's a way for us to godeeper there together, because,
yes, you get to have yourversion of success, but it has

(11:00):
to start from the inside out.
Thanks so much for listeningand I'll see you on the next
episode.
Thank you.