How I think about ‘hard work’ these days, and what I think it really takes to run a thriving business in 2026 without burning out

In a million years, I would never tell someone the ideal way to start a business is to do it after you’ve burned out from a high-pressure career and just spent the last year recovering from the most traumatic personal experience of your life. 

But that’s exactly what I did 8+ years ago. And although the circumstances were less than ideal, I’ll never regret waiting until “a better time”. 

I was determined to find a way to do work that I loved, that paid me well, and gave me the freedom ($ and time) to also travel, go diving on a random weekday, and have the energy to actually enjoy my life outside of work. 

Spoiler alert, I did just that! But it honestly didn’t feel easy. And I think it’s important to share that, because I promise to always keep it real with you.  

We all know what the corporate world and hustle culture gets wrong about pace, expectations, pressure, work/life balance etc. Maybe you burned out like I did. 

But the online space also has its own crap advice. You know, the double-bind of running a business online…

If you’re working hard you're doing it wrong 🤷🏻‍♀️

Ok sure let’s not burn out again, but ummmm, don’t I need to, like, do some work? And actually put in effort? 

If any single thing in your business feels hard, it’s misaligned  🙄

This one keeps you from making real traction and instead sends you back to the drawing board looking for the “perfect” strategy / offer / process / platform that has no drawbacks, feels great to execute on every single day, and…ironically THIS creates more work and makes it actually feel hard and is legit less efficient! 

And then there’s the ADDED double-bind for my fellow female founders → 

Make tons of money but also be your ‘soft era’.

Run after your dreams and change the world but also don’t sell too much b/c that’s pushy. 

While doing all of the above, be sure not to work a single night or weekend and make it look easy and effortless. 

THIS, my friend, is what keeps brilliant business owners on the hamster wheel trying to accomplish the impossible and it’s just the patriarchy telling us we’re doing it wrong again. 

The truth is, business simply requires work. And effort. And sometimes it feels hard. When we make ourselves wrong about that, we’re not doing ourselves any favors. 

AND, business doesn’t have to feel or be SO hard. You can also have a beautiful life alongside a thriving business. 

So, join me for the replay below where I’m talking about how I think about hard work these days, and what I think it really takes to run a thriving business in 2026 without burning out. 

You can sign up for Think Differentlyand I’ll see you next time! (I’m glad you made it here to the replay but, if you join me live next time, you’ll get to ask questions, participate in the conversation, AND you’ll be entered to win a free mini coaching session!)

Book a free consultation to talk about how I can help you run a healthy, profitable business that’s also sustainable and enjoyable for YOU!