This article is authored by Stand Out Online Member Jen Bennett, Get Desky
We’ve all heard it: “Rise and grind.” “Sleep when you’re dead.” “If you’re not working 24/7, someone else will take your spot.”
After three generations of entrepreneurship and helping over 5,000 businesses grow, I’ve watched this mindset destroy more dreams than it’s built. Here’s why:
When we glorify constant hustle, we’re not just sacrificing our wellbeing – we’re compromising the very foundations of sustainable success. I’ve seen it firsthand: entrepreneurs burning through their resources, relationships, and resilience, all in pursuit of someone else’s definition of success.
The real cost isn’t measured in dollars. It’s measured in missed moments, strained relationships, and the quiet erosion of what matters most. It’s the bedtime stories not read, the family dinners missed, the relationships that slowly drift apart.
But here’s what I know for sure: Building a successful business doesn’t require sacrificing everything else. In fact, the most sustainable businesses are built with intention, boundaries, and respect – both for ourselves and others.
This isn’t about working less. It’s about working right. It’s about creating systems that serve your life instead of consuming it. About building success that doesn’t cost you your soul.
The truth is, your business should support your life, not become it. Every system, every boundary, every decision should align with this principle.
Because at the end of the day, success isn’t just about what you build. It’s about who you become while building it. And if we’re losing ourselves in the process, what are we really building?
It’s time to redefine success on our own terms. To build businesses that honor our whole lives – not just our hustle.
This is the legacy worth building.
Jennifer Bennett, 3rd generation entrepreneur and founder of Get Desky. After helping entrepreneurs generate leads through paid advertising as part of another business, I discovered what thought leaders really need – operational freedom.
While many successful thought leaders are generating consistent revenue, they’re trapped by daily operations, missing opportunities, and sacrificing family time for business management. So I created a different approach.
Now, I help thought leaders transform from overwhelmed operators to influential leaders by handling everything behind the scenes.