Hustling 60+ Hours a Week Isn’t a Flex—It’s a Trap

Guys, I have a confession: I used to be a hustle bro.

For the first 5 or so years of my business, I wore my long hours like a badge of honor. Early mornings. Late nights. #NoWeekendsOff. You know the deal, if I wasn’t grinding, I felt like I was falling behind.

The logic seemed simple: More hours = more success.

But eventually, I realized I wasn’t actually "winning". I was just… working.

Turns out, being busy aint the same as making progress. In fact, it’s often the opposite.

Cant remember what finally did it, but at some point these realizations knocked me over the head:

1 - Busyness ≠ Productivity

I used to think filling my calendar meant I was productive. Turns out, I was just really good at staying busy.

→ Answering emails all day? That’s not work.

→ Constantly putting out fires? That’s not growth.

→ Being the first one in and the last one out? That’s not leadership.

Real productivity isn’t about how much you do —it’s about what actually moves the needle.

So I stopped celebrating exhaustion and started optimizing efficiency.

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2 - Freedom Is the Real Flex

I thought the goal was to work harder.

But what’s the point of success if you’re too burned out to enjoy it?

This so blatantly obvious to me now that I feel stupid saying it, but it's true.

There’s nothing impressive about making money but never having time to spend it. Or working so much that you don’t have the energy for your family, friends, or health.

I started asking myself: Am I building a business… or just building myself a more demanding job?
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3 - Systems + Delegation = Scale

For years, my business depended 100% on me.

If I stopped working, everything stopped working.

Which meant I wasn’t actually running a business—I was just a highly paid bottleneck.

So I changed everything.

1. I built systems that made things run smoothly without my constant input.
2. I delegated everything that drained me, so I could focus on what I do best.
3. I shifted from operator to owner.

The result?

I work less, but my somehow my business runs better.

If You’re Stuck in Hustle Mode, Ask Yourself:

Are you building a business—or just staying busy?

Are your systems working for you—or are you the system?

The real goal isn’t to work harder. It’s to design a business that doesn’t require you to work harder.

If you’ve done something to work smarter, hit reply and tell me—I’d love to hear about it.

Now go build something that works without you.

Good luck!

— Shane