How to Achieve Sustainable Success Without Hustle Culture

I spent a decade sacrificing everything for my first company (health, family, even my honeymoon). Now, as a dad of three, I'm building my 2nd company completely differently. Here's how: == I used to work 16-hour days, weekends, and holidays. Now? • I work 8-5. • I don’t work weekends. • I take a month-long family trip every summer. Here’s how I made it happen: == 1. Redefine success. During my first startup, success meant hustle and hyper-growth at any cost. Now, success is about building a business that: • Lasts 50+ years. • Stays profitable from day one. • Protects my health and relationships. == 2. Set non-negotiable boundaries. I made a rule when I started @useonward: I work 8-5, Monday through Friday. That’s it. Busyness is no longer a badge of honor. Setting boundaries make you sharper, more creative, and more present as a leader. == 3. Choose a business model that aligns with your life. I picked B2B SaaS because it’s: • High-margin, low-cost, scalable. • Free from the relentless pace of retail or DTC. • Purely remote—no office, no commute. == 4. Go all-in on remote work. Tools like @loom, @NotionHQ, and @asana allow us to: • Document processes async. • Communicate clearly & concisely. • Build process & systems that run without me. The goal? A business that doesn’t depend on me 24/7. == 5. Optimize for longevity, not burnout. During my first company, there were no days off. Now, it’s about properly integrating family & work. Take the long family trip - empower your team but stay on top things. Burnout isn’t proof of dedication. It’s a leadership failure. == 6. Give yourself permission to build differently. The old me would’ve called these boundaries lazy. But here’s the truth: boundaries make you better. The goal isn’t to grind endlessly. It’s to create a company that works for you—not the other way around. == Building a startup doesn’t have to mean sacrificing your health, family, or happiness. Follow Josh Payne for lessons on scaling profitably, creating balance, and building a business you love.

"Hustling" + "Grinding" No 2 words annoy me more. After earning $3.8M in 4 years in strategic tech sales, here's what I know for certain: Hustlers work harder. Autonomy architects work smarter. The hustle culture crowd will tell you that 80-hour work weeks and constant grinding are badges of honor. But authentic autonomy requires a different approach entirely. THE PURPOSEFUL PERFORMER MINDSET: While others are grinding, we’re designing: ⇢ Systems that work when you're not working ⇢ Relationships that compound over time ⇢ Knowledge that becomes intellectual property ⇢ Processes that scale beyond your personal effort MY PEAK PERFORMANCE FORMULA: ✓ Meet my sleep need goal ✓ 4 hours max in meetings daily ✓ 6 blocks of deep work when energy is highest ✓ 25+ minutes of breaks outside throughout the day THE COUNTERINTUITIVE TRUTH: The year I earned $1.22M in commissions was also the year I: • Averaged 7 hours of sleep per night • Took more trips than any other year • Rode my bikes over 2,000 miles • Saw family and friends all over the country Authentic autonomy architecture isn't about working less—it's about working intentionally. When you architect your energy like a professional athlete, you don't just perform better… You build the sustainable foundation for long-term independence. Bottom line: Stop wearing exhaustion as a badge of honor. Instead, start championing effectiveness with less energy drain as your key advantage. 🐝 P.S. If this is your vibe, subscribe: https://lnkd.in/eXTuBrdH

Your manager pushes the team to hit KPIs and goals - They reach them, but employees burn out, and some leave. Is the team successful? I would argue: No I’ve seen this scenario far too many times: Companies celebrating "wins" at a steep human cost. - Late nights - Missed family moments - Stress that lingers long after goals complete Here’s the reality ↓ Unsustainable success isn’t real success. It’s a ticking time bomb. Healthy businesses start with healthy people. If your employees are sacrificing their mental and physical well-being to hit company goals, it’s time to rethink your approach. Here are 3 ways companies can shift the focus: 1. Set realistic workload expectations. Don’t treat overwork as a badge of honor. Adjust timelines and redistribute tasks when needed to avoid burnout. 2. Model and encourage balance. Leaders, take time off yourself and encourage employees to do the same without guilt. Show that rest is valued. 3. Invest in employee well-being. Offer mental health support, wellness programs, and flexible work options that let people thrive inside and outside of work. The best leaders don’t just chase KPIs—they create environments where teams can thrive sustainably. They right-size goals to match the resources available; not what they WISH was available. Long-term success comes from people who feel valued, supported, and energized—not drained. ♻️ Repost if you agree!

Socrates wouldn’t survive a pitch meeting—but he’d build a great culture. Startups obsess over KPIs, growth hacks, and funding rounds. We race to scale. We chase valuations. We sprint. But I’ve come to believe: the companies that endure—the ones that actually matter—aren’t built on adrenaline. They’re built on something older. Something deeper. They’re built on principles. Founders are trained to move fast, pivot faster, and optimize everything. But where’s the space to ask why we’re building in the first place? In our rush to go big, we forget to go deep. And I’ve seen the cost: burnout, disconnected teams, cultures without soul. Companies that scale, then stall—because they don’t know what they stand for. That’s where philosophy comes in. And no, I don’t mean textbooks or abstract debates. I mean philosophy as a toolkit—for resilience, leadership, and decision-making. I remember reading Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl during a pivotal moment in my journey. He wrote, “When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.” That one line has stayed with me. It reframed how I think about uncertainty, adversity, and leadership. It grounded me—especially during the early, unsteady days of Uptake. Philosophy taught me that success isn’t just speed. The Greeks had a word: eudaimonia. It means flourishing. Not just winning. Flourishing. I think the best companies should aim for sustainable excellence—not just scale. The Stoics had another idea: logos. Acting with reason. With clarity. With integrity. That mindset still works, especially when everything around you feels chaotic. Because resilience isn’t just about grit. It’s about how you frame the challenge. We’ve glorified hustle. But maybe what we need to glorify is reflection. We celebrate the company that moves fast and breaks things. But maybe the company that lasts is the one that thinks deeply and builds with intention. Values > Velocity. Purpose > Pressure. Reflection > Reactivity. Every founder should aim to be a philosopher. Scaling a company isn’t just about what you build—it’s about why you build it, and how you lead while you do. The strongest cultures I’ve seen are built on timeless principles, not trendy tactics. So here’s what I’m asking: What principles ground you when things get chaotic? Not what’s in your pitch deck—but what’s in your belief system?

You don’t need 40+ hours a week to build a sustainable, real business. I’m a mom of 3. And let me be transparent about my work hours: I work from 9:30 to 3:00—only on school days. Snow days? Sick days? I’m off. School breaks and summers? Just a few hours a week. Every month? I take a full day off. Every night? I sleep for 8 hours. All this means I work about 48% fewer hours than a typical full-time professional—and sleep more than most. Yet over the past years, I’ve: - Published a book that gets really positive feedback from ideal audience - Earned a trademark for my coaching method - Been named one of Business Insider’s Most Innovative Career Coaches - Helped women in 10+ countries transform their careers and lives - Raised emotionally thriving children - Brought and renovated a dream home with my husband Here are 10 practices that helped me embrace "less is more", "slow is fast": 𝟭. 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗛𝗜 𝗭𝗼𝗻𝗲 Use your natural talents fully. Science shows that when you operate in your zone, you achieve more with less time—and more joy. 𝟮. 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗲𝘀 ↳ I batch meetings Tue–Thur, use Mondays for review and planning, and reserve Fridays for creation. ↳ When I need deep work, I block my calendars. 𝟯. 𝗦𝗮𝘆 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗡𝗢 I’ve learned to say no to misaligned calls, tasks, non-ideal clients, and even “good” ideas. Honestly, I still feel guilty at times. Yet I learnt that’s a sign of growth. 𝟰. 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗮𝘆 Forget 10 priorities. I name ONE core goal daily. (20% of your actions drive 80% of your results—Pareto’s Law.) 𝟱. 𝗥𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 ↳ I use smart tools / services (from calendar scheduling to grocery delivery). ↳ I have frequent conversations with my husband for priority alignment and mutual support. ↳ I involve my kids in house work. 𝟲. 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 I don’t chase attention. Instead, I prioritize excellence. 𝟳. 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗱𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘆 ↳ Each night, my kids and I revisit our favorite moments of the day. This rewires our brains for happiness. ↳ I release negativity, if any, through journaling—sometimes with a little help from ChatGPT. 𝟴. 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 I create “white space” in my week to breathe, think, and wander. 🧠 Research shows that some of our best ideas and problem-solving breakthroughs happen not when we push—but when we pause. 𝟵. 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗹𝘆 𝗛𝗜 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁 Every Monday, I review my wins, and set one intention for the week. This way, I'm not overwhelmed, and clear and optimistic instead. 𝟭𝟬. 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 ↳ I’ve worked with the right mentors to short-cut my success. ↳ I hire home services (cleaners, landscapers...) to protect my time for my priorities. ♻️ Repost to help other women and mothers reclaim their time—and still succeed.