Burnout Almost Broke Me : Here Is What Changed
For years, I bought into a narrative that so many of us are sold: the “boss babe” hustle. I believed that success required a relentless rise-and-grind mentality. I worked my 9-to-5, ran my business late into the night, and answered emails with a knot of anxiety tight in my chest. I thought I was building an empire, but in reality, I was building a cage.
It wasn’t until I was knocked flat by a four-month bout of walking pneumonia that I finally understood what my body had been trying to tell me. The hustle mentality is highly overrated.
I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Chase Friedman on the In Pursuit of Purpose podcast. We had an incredibly honest conversation about the “messy middle” of entrepreneurship, the origins of our drive, and how we can finally stop treating our fluctuating demands as personal failures.
The Origins of the Hustle
During the episode, Chase asked me a profound question: Where did the need to be this “boss babe” stem from?
To answer that, I had to look back at my childhood. My early years shifted rapidly from stability to a single-parent home, to low-income housing, and eventually to homelessness. I remember the hollow feeling of opening a refrigerator and finding absolutely nothing inside.
As a teenager, I made a vow to myself. I decided I would hustle tooth and nail to ensure my refrigerator was always full. I would never go without. That survival instinct pushed me to start working at sixteen, to grind through college, and to constantly bring my A-game.
But survival mode is not a sustainable business strategy. When we operate out of scarcity, we take on projects that drain us and clients that do not align with our vision. We carry the burdens of our families, our colleagues, and society on our backs, secretly wondering, Who is going to show up for me?
Redefining Success: Wellbeing is Wealth
Society rewards output. It rewards production. We are taught that if we are not constantly producing results, we are failing. That is a lie.
You can have a successful life and career without the crushing weight of chronic stress. You do not have to multitask to the point of dropping the ball on the things that truly matter. Real life is full of fluctuating demands there will be seasons of intense work and seasons that require deep rest. Acknowledging this rhythm is not a failure; it is the essence of true work-life harmony.
As I told Chase on the podcast, my purpose in this season of life has shifted. Today, my wellbeing is my wealth. If I do not take care of my physical, emotional, and spiritual health, I surely cannot show up for my family, my team, or my clients.
The PRONE to Power Framework
This realization is what birthed my book, Harmony Hustle for Women. It is a guide written from the messy middle, designed to help you take burnout and turn it into brilliance. At its core is the PRONE framework, a compassionate approach to finding synergy in your daily life:
•P — Prioritize: Not everything that is urgent is important. Learn to identify what truly moves the needle in your current season.
•R — Rejuvenate: Your body will tell you when enough is enough. Listen to it. Step away, take a breath, and refill your cup.
•O — Organize: Get your goals out of your head and onto paper. You do not have to accomplish everything at once.
•N — Navigate Boundaries: Learn the art of delegation. Allow your team to shine in their own brilliance so you can shine in yours.
•E — Empowered: Step into your leadership with humanity, empathy, and grace for others, and most importantly, for yourself.
Filling Your Cup
Author Iyanla Vanzant often talks about the concept of the cup. What is in the cup is for you; what is overflowing from the cup is for everyone else. For too long, women have been pouring from an empty cup, scraping the bottom just to give a little more to those around us.
It is time to change the narrative. It is time to embrace a rhythm that honors our humanity.
If you are tired of chasing someone else’s version of success, I invite you to listen to my full conversation with Chase Friedman on In Pursuit of Purpose. And if you are ready to master the art of thriving in both life and career, pick up a copy of Harmony Hustle for Women at https://sacolalehr.com/harmony-hustle-for-women/
Let’s throw out the boss babe manual and start building lives of true purpose, prosperity, and peace of mind.
SaCola Lehr is the author of Harmony Hustle for Women: Master the Art of Thriving in Life and Career and host of the Work It, Live It, Own It podcast.