“You gotta hustle, mama!” This is literally a phrase you will NEVER hear from in MOMpire. I, quite honestly, despise the hustle culture that spread like wildfire a few years ago. And even though more and more people are recognizing why it’s a toxic message, I still see the message spreading in corners of the internet.
Hustle culture surfaced around the same time that “boss mom” and “girl boss” did. And I totally get it. As mamas, we are passionate about our message, our dreams, and our businesses. There’s pride in knowing that we’re building a business WHILE being moms…and it’s freaking awesome.
But what I don’t like about hustle culture is that it paints the picture that IN ORDER TO BE SUCCESSFUL, you need to “HUSTLE, GIRL.”
Ummmm…no thanks. I would like to keep my sanity, please.
So let’s talk about why hustle culture is toxic and how you can actually grow a successful business WITHOUT the hustle!
What is Hustle Culture?
Don’t get me wrong…when growing a business, there are times where there may be extra work! Maybe we’ve lost an employee. Maybe we have a big launch or event coming up. I’m not talking about that kind of hustle.
I’m talking about the kind of hustle culture that expects mamas to miss out on what matters to us the most and label it as a “sacrifice.”
Why is Hustle Culture Toxic?
You can easily get sucked into the comparison game
Hustle sometimes = Bragging rights. And I see it all over Instagram. If you’re seeing successful women and mamas on social media, please remember… THEIR STORY IS DIFFERENT THAN YOURS! Our businesses, and the way we run them, don’t all have to look the same. If hustling, because they had the time and space in their lives to hustle, worked for them…great. But this is not how it needs to look for every mama.
Hustling doesn’t mean success
If you take anything away from this blog post, run with this. Hustle does NOT equal success!!! Just because someone is burning the midnight oil doesn’t mean they are doing the necessary tasks that will actually move the needle forward in their business and bring them income!
Hire a coach, join mastermind groups, have coffee chats with business besties to help you decide what’s most important in your business.
Hustle culture causes burnout
I think all entrepreneurs experience burnout at some point in their journeys. It’s ok. It happens. But hustling for a long period of time because it’s what you think you need to do is a guaranteed way to drive your motivation, work ethic, and consistency into the ground.
Your business is getting in the way of your life vision
You started your business because you had a vision for what you wanted your LIFE to look like. Maybe it was working from home to spend more time with the kids. Maybe it was not answering to a boss anymore. Or maybe it was being able to travel more. Fill in the blank.
Most likely, your life vision was not to miss out on life, bring your laptop on vacation with you, or be scrolling through IG for 2 hours every night searching for content ideas. I don’t mean to be harsh, but I’m using strong images here because this is what starts to happen! Our businesses start to take over because we are all hustle, hustle, hustle.
Do a check-in with yourself…make sure your life vision is still a priority and that your business is fueling it…not taking away from it.
How to Grow Your Business Without Hustle
Get connected
Find your people. Mamas, there are a lot of amazing successful entrepreneurs out there. On social media, I see a lot of Gen Z ladies bragging about their #digitalnomad lifestyle & their $300k businesses.
It’s ok. I’m not knocking them at all! Honestly…good for them! They are inspiring to me and to others out there that building a business from scratch is absolutely possible. But they just aren’t my people. I have 3 kiddos at home, a law firm, and this amazing MOMpire Network that I love so much. I found my people…other mamas who want to prioritize their family AND love what they do.
It’s important to find the ones who totally get you.
Network
Networking is not old-fashioned. It’s necessary. In the social media culture, this is better known as collaborating. Whatever you want to call it, find a way to expand your circle so that you are making new connections and cultivating & nurturing old ones.
Build a referral-based business
When you find your people, get connected, and make networking a part of your business strategy, you are sure to build authentic referral partnerships. These are people that will shout your business from the rooftops, who will send your ideal clients your way, and collaborate with you any chance they get.
THIS IS HOW YOU BUILD A SUCCESSFUL AND JOY-FILLED BUSINESS!!
Your pipeline should be filled with new leads that are referred to you by other people…and guess what? There is no hustle in that game. There is only making genuine connections and building mutually beneficial relationships with people that you truly love and care about.
It doesn’t get any better than that.
Build it the Joy-Filled Way!
Don’t let social media trick you into thinking that hustling is the only path to success. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. It will drive you to exhaustion and burn-out.
I’ve been preaching from the roof-tops for years on the importance of community, networking, and cultivating and nurturing referral partnerships. You are not alone in building your business. Your relationships with other business mamas in this space will not only fuel your soul…but your business success too. Our doors are open to The MOMpire Network…we are the community you’ve been looking for.
