The Sheila Botelho Show

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

• Sheila Botelho

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🔗 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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Sheila:

there's a lie we've been sold that hustle equals success and that burnout is just the price of greatness. But what if the real advantage isn't found in the grind but in how well you protect your energy? In this solo episode, I'm sharing a conversation we need to be having now, especially if you're feeling pulled in too many directions, questioning your priorities or wondering what version of success is still yours to claim in this next season. Hi, welcome to the podcast. I'm Sheila Botelho and I'm committed to helping you create your version of a happy, successful life, one that's grounded in wellbeing and your own timing. One that's grounded in well-being and your own timing. Let's talk about the conversation that I wish more people were having right now.

Sheila:

It started with something my son said after a particularly heavy day he was having. He'd had two exams, he'd worked out early that morning to stay on track with his fitness goals and at 10 pm his brain was screaming at him to go to sleep while he was still at work. He still had an hour to go on his shift and he asked himself what am I doing Now? That moment really landed for me extra, because he's my son and, yeah, he's 19 and this is the way of the world and he has an incredible work ethic. And I've seen this cycle so often in my life, not just with young people finding their rhythm, but with seasoned founders, entrepreneurs, people at all ages and stages in their life who've been at this thing for years. Many of us grew up in the era of grind now, relax later. But really, how often do people actually stop grinding to relax, like maybe a week or two a year? I used to think that that was the path too, and I'd hear things like work 12 hour days till you're 30, then ease up, and, honestly, I believed it. I thought that's just what had to be done and, frankly, that's how we build a work ethic. But I no longer think that's the way truly, at least not completely and I'll tell you why.

Sheila:

Work ethic is not the same as hustle culture. They get confused all the time, but they are truly not the same. Work ethic is the ability to focus 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 other hand, is often reactionary. It's performative. It's endless to-do lists, caffeine-fueled late nights, skipping meals, missing your own deadlines and constantly being on.

Sheila:

Being a workaholic doesn't mean you have a strong work ethic. If anything, it's your work ethic out of balance. And when you look at this through a nervous system lens or even through human design, you start to see how pushing from that place leads you into burnout. It leads you to poor decisions, scattered focus and, eventually, disconnection from your actual purpose. Let's be real for a second. Disconnection from your actual purpose. Let's be real for a second.

Sheila:

As entrepreneurs, especially women, we're pulled in so many directions. Some of you are raising families, some are caring for aging parents, some are navigating health things that no one on your team even knows about. And then there's the team itself. If you lead one, you carry their priorities, their requests, their goals. It's not just about you, even if you're the founder. And then there's your clients. Of course. Your inbox may be exploding. Slack becomes a never ending scroll of messages that it's hard to know which prioritizes over another. Notifications nonstop. And even if you shut them all off, your mind is still going. That's the entrepreneurial mind. It's relentless and it can be beautiful, but it can also be crazy making.

Sheila:

And that's why I'm having this conversation, because here's what I've seen in myself. There have been seasons where I've told myself I'd wrap at 5.30 and suddenly it's 7.15 and I've just one more thing to myself, out of alignment. And now it doesn't happen every week, but it happens. And here's the kicker the longer it happens, the more it erodes your self-trust. Because think about this how do we build self-trust? We do what we say we're going to do, not perfectly, but honestly and with integrity. And when I don't have clear boundaries in place external ones, yes, but even those internal ones too I slip. And honestly, sometimes the best checks and balances come from the people around me, the loved ones, who are like babe, time to unplug. And they're right, because the most powerful version of me does not emerge when I'm burning the candle at both ends. She comes out when I'm rested, when I've moved my body, when I've connected to something deeper than my calendar.

Sheila:

So let's talk about you, let's talk about how your day is set up, because right now more than ever, everything can feel urgent. Things are moving really, really quickly and in spite of what people say how AI is making our life so much easier you still have to learn what is a priority, what isn't, and what version of AI are you using? To begin with, in the noise of urgency, we start living in other people's priorities your team's needs, your client's messages, your community's expectations and, of course, you care about those things. That's what makes you a powerful leader. But your priorities if they're not coming first, eventually everything else falls out of sync. So let me ask you this Are you clear on what your top three priorities are this week for you personally? Are they on your calendar? Are they protected from being bumped by? Just one more thing Do you have any non-negotiables in place that keep your nervous system regulated?

Sheila:

Because if you're like most high achieving people, I know you do the thing, you deliver, you are an integrator, but you might be implementing your vision inside someone else's operating system and then wondering why you feel off. This is what we're being called into right now To pause, to zoom out and to ask am I living my values or just reacting to my inbox and the world around me? We've entered a new era in business. Like I mentioned, ai is moving fast. Tech is changing the game, attention is the new currency and everyone is trying to claim yours. But I want to remind you your attention is just that. It's yours and what you give it to that shapes your future. That's why I'm always evaluating how I approach these things in my own business and in my life.

Sheila:

And yes, I use automation and systems and support, but they don't replace discernment. They truly demand discernment. In fact, you've got to know what's worth your focus, you've got to be okay saying no even when it's uncomfortable, and you've got to remember the future of your business depends on how you protect your energy now. So here's a before and after for you to play with. Here's the old model. I'll just share some bullets with you. Bullet points Days stacked with back-to-back Zoom calls, working late, skipping meals, forgetting to move, serving everyone but yourself, being reactive in Slack all day, celebrating how busy you are Now. How about this? How about a new model? Some different bullet points for now Short, focused blocks for deep work, pauses for breath, movement, presence, protective time with your team and proactive leadership, intentional client containers, clear digital boundaries and celebrating how centered you feel.

Sheila:

Do you feel the difference? One builds longevity, the other builds resentment. One gives you your life back and the other drains it away. You deserve a business that feels as good on the inside as it looks on the outside, but it truly does start with the inner systems, the ones no one sees, the ones that hold you when life throws curve balls at you and the ones that remind you of who you really are when the world is loud.

Sheila:

And this is what I talk about in expansion season. This is the work behind the work, and this is not me telling you what to do. This is me sharing what's been on my mind and what's been working for me and my clients. I'm here really to help you and to help myself. Ask better questions, to give you space to think again, to remind you your well-being is not optional. It is the asset, the strategy, the edge. If you're finding yourself asking different questions lately about your schedule, your team, your energy, your purpose, go to the show notes. There's a way for us to go deeper there together, because, yes, you get to have your version of success, but it has to start from the inside out. Thanks so much for listening and I'll see you on the next episode. Thank you.