I’m curious whether you’ve landed on this episode because you hate hustle culture and think it’s bullsh*t, or you hate all the bullsh*t that people talk about hustle culture!

I mean, so many people are now saying that startup culture is awful and entrepreneurs who work really hard are extremely unhealthy.

There’s a huge anti-hustle culture movement and tonnnnnns of courses that teach the “anti-hustle”.

So, which way is this episode leaning?!

Well, I’m gonna be incredibly annoying and say it’s actually going smack down the middle.

So, let me talk to you about hustle culture first. Before we go onto how entrepreneurs feel about all this, let’s talk about the general feelings towards the hustle.

Just yesterday, a company called Owl Labs, who are the first company to build AI-powered, 360-degree video conferencing solutions, released its annual State of Hybrid Work Report, polling 2,000 full-time employees across the UK, as well as 8,000 respondents globally.*

The research reveals that in the wake of the new Labour Government’s pledges to introduce the ‘right to switch off’ and the right to request a four-day work week, UK workers value flexible work more than ever.

This has all come about because of the news breaking about Amazon demanding that their staff go back in the office 5 days a week.

And they’re not the only big company to demand this. So many household names are demanding their team come back to work 3, 4 or even 5 days a week. For example, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan and Salesforce demanded 5 days a week, the likes of Disney & Snap are at 4 days and Meta, Google and Apple have said at least 3 days.

What’s ironic, is that even the employees of Zoom are now expected to be in the office!

But what do the stats actually say?

Not surprisingly, 74% of UK workers prefer hybrid work. Of course, why wouldn’t you? You actually get flexibility to manage your time better, get standard household chores done at home, save time and money on the commute, and the best bit? You get to work in your jammies!

But WFH can also be damaging and many people don’t actually like it, so it really depends on the individual. I won’t go into the pros and cons of WFH right now, as this is not the episode for it.

However, I will bring up another statistic from the report. WFB… I didn’t even know what this term was!!! It means Working From Bed. Which just gives me a bad neck thinking about it!

Trust me, I used to do it a lot before, until I had to spend thousands of pounds on a chiropractor and now I won’t be doing that anymore!!

But yeah, WFB stats are majorly on the rise. 72% of hybrid and remote workers say that they are less likely to take a sick day. They would just work from their bed.

And this makes total sense. If you’re just WFH – you can work a bit when you’re sick, just so you stay on top of things, but then take more hours off elsewhere. Is this better? Do you actually get any full rest?

Maybe – depending on whether you have a boss who supports you with this. And employees really do value a supportive boss as 89% say its almost as important as salary compensation.

But let’s look at the stat which relates to hustle culture. 73% of UK employees are willing to sacrifice their salary for a 4-day work week.

Now, I’m a bit cynical about all this, because I believe many people want a 4 day work week because they get paid for a day doing sweet FA. To me, it makes no sense.

People say you can get your work done in 80% of the time so why work the whole time? But I’m like, errr then were you just slacking before by going slower so your work takes 25% longer?

But of course, it actually comes from that 1 day extra of rest. Now, I have really come to appreciate a break and true rest really does wonders. It’s amazing what recovery time can do for both the mind and the body.

Sometimes the weekend is just not enough. Plus, people always have plans! So, having an extra day to rest is amazing.

BUT, my issue with the 4-day work week is that deadlines don’t move and suddenly you’re now under insane pressure to get stuff done in less time. And if you fill your 1 day extra off with other activities instead of resting, then your body and mind are no better off than when you worked 5 days a week.

But instead now you have less time and clients are still breathing down your neck for deadlines, as they’re still working 5 days a week!

So, do you work until 9/10pm each night on those 4 days instead? That doesn’t sound healthy either!

There are companies who completely swear by the 4 day work week, but I also know some companies where it’s a disaster but they don’t want to admit it.

Many tried it and went back to 5 days.

At N0BS, we’re actually fully remote and fully flexible. We’re technically a results-oriented workplace. So, we trust each other to just get stuff done. Even if that means working 1-2 days some week. Or sporadically here and there.

So, you really do have full flexibility of your schedule, which sounds like a dream – because you can organise your life as you want. But then some people don’t like this because they prefer structure!

You will never get it 100% right because you can’t please everyone.

HOWEVER, let’s get back to entrepreneurs. Because in general, we LOVE freedom. After all, that’s kinda why we started our own business, right? We prefer to shoot for the stars, have the ability to keep improving and then have the freedom to go wherever we want in the world.

So generally when people talk about hustle culture, they’re talking about entrepreneurs. After all, the Silicon Valley scene really promoted hustle culture and that’s how it got its bad name.

Back in the day, people worked their butts off to advance in their job, and they were happy to do late nights to show that they’re dedicated to their work. Now, it’s considered toxic. Since COVID, the attitude towards work has changed.

People just want to do less work.

People have become a LOT lazier.

However, people have also rightfully become a lot more aware about the negative impact of working these ridiculous hours.

Let’s ignore employees for a minute and them having to work for bosses who expect this kind of stuff, because I actually do have issues with that.

But I want to focus on the entrepreneur. As that’s who this podcast is for.

What about entrepreneurs who are just super driven and want to do well? They know that actually if they put in more hours, meet more people, do more content and get more stuff done, they can make more money and grow their business.

Plus, they also LOVE their job, so does it even count as work? They’re also getting to reap 100% of the benefits because they own the company.

So what’s so wrong about working long hours if that’s your situation?

I mean, that’s been my situation for years. Just before COVID, it was soooo normal for me to pull all-nighters. I was renting a WeWork office, so they’d be open 24 hours, which made it even easier. I also lived walking distance from that office. Probably not the safest walk home at the early hours of the morning, but I solved that problem by putting a sofa in my office that I could nap on.

I wish I was joking.

I spent many a night in my office. After all, WeWork had showers with really nice towels in there! I could have a bit of a nap, go down and have a shower about 6am, get super fresh, grab a coffee from the machine and sit back down at my desk.

No one would know any difference because they’d just think I made it in early.

WeWork also had a huge drinking culture – after all, they had booze on tap, for free. Plus, I was running a creative agency – and it’s extremely normal, and well, expected to drink if that was your line of work.

So, it was as bad as it gets, hustle culture wise. But guess what? I was making decent money. And I was LOVING IT.

The problem is, I had NO IDEA that it was completely destroying my health. Plus, I aways thought I was super productive, not realising that I actually did have a diminished capacity.

Now COVID changed most people’s perspectives on working and now most people have clearer boundaries and are striving for a much better work-life balance. And I have drastically changed too. However, I have times where I feel guilty.

I think, well, I was doing much better financially then, and I was working a lot harder. Maybe if I actually went back to that level of work, then the same level of income would come in.

But I have to realise that times have changed. People’s circumstances have changed and we’re in a cost of living crisis. And my direct hours of working do not correlate to the amount of money I make.

And the main thing to realise was that if I did continue in that way, my health would seriously deteriorate.

So, lately, I’ve been on a bit of a wellness journey. I realised that these anti-hustle people do have something right. There’s definitely a lot wrong with the startup culture and experiencing burnout is NOT fun.

I’ve been focusing a lot on self-care and been making small changes in my life to improve my wellbeing.

For example, I have an office set up at home now where I do all my work from. So, when I am in other rooms, I’m taking a very clear break from work. This helps me detach a lot more.

I read before bed instead of scrolling on my phone too.

More importantly, I try to take more time for myself. So, I try to schedule time in my diary to go to the gym, walk my dog and just have some me time.

Now, I don’t believe in the full anti-hustlers who say that anyone can achieve work/life balance easily if they just put their mind to it. Nor do I believe that taking certain supplements will boost your brain, make you work more efficiently and therefore have to work fewer hours.

I’m also not into the really dedicated manifesters of the world. Now, I love a bit of positive thinking and believing in yourself and even visualisation techniques.

I do not believe that if you write down a number on a post it, then you will suddenly earn all that money.

I mean, I have a vision board and I think if you keep looking at something like that, it inspires you to work harder, take action and you’re more likely to achieve those things. But this is not manifestation in the way that some of the social media gurus talk about it.

So, I lie somewhere in the middle.

I don’t believe anyone in the world is an overnight success, no matter how the media portrays it. Unless maybe you’re a reality TV star – but listen to my overnight success BS for this one. People work for years and years in the background before they one day get their “lucky” break, which wasn’t actually that lucky at all, but the culmination of hard work and timing.

The problem with entrepreneurship these days is that there has been a picture painted that it’s got such a low barrier to entry, you don’t need any education to do it, you can just download a few templates, watch a few YouTube videos and Bob’s your uncle!

That’s just bullsh*t, unless Bob is actually your uncle. And Bob is like BoB Downey Junior, or Bob DeNiro or something. Cos then you have connections and money and that’s definitely a bit of an advantage in business!

The problem is, so many people are trying to take shortcuts in business – they’re looking for the easy solution as everyone is trying to find that perfect, blissful work-life balance.

I don’t believe it exists.

Not yet anyway. It depends on where you are on your business journey. But early on, and when I say early, I mean the first 10 years. Because again, business is not an overnight thing. But early on, you’re going to need to do a bit of hustling. If you want to make strides and get ahead, you absolutely have to.

BUT, you don’t have to do it in the Silicon Valley way. You can do it in a much more sustainable way that doesn’t lead to burnout.

This can mean learning how to be productive instead of busy, being organised so it’s quicker for you to get things done, getting quality help in areas where you’re weaker. There are so many ways to help you hustle in a healthier way that are also just fundamentals of time management and doing good business.

It doesn’t need to be that complicated, but the anti-hustle movement have made it into this big thing where it’s all so dramatic.

I think it you keep learning how to do business properly and create a long-term vision and strategy rather than looking for short wins, then you will be able to achieve this happy medium.

So, I believe that you absolutely need to work hard at business and it won’t be an easy ride towards success. However, I also believe there’s a much healthier way to do it.

You don’t need to slave away all night to put in those extra hours if something can wait until the morning. However, you may need to pull the occasional late night sess if there’s an urgent deadline and something unforeseeable came up.

You don’t need to eat junk food at your desk because you’re too slammed to take a break. In fact, eating a healthy meal and taking a break from your desk will actually help your brain rest and take a break, meaning that when you come back to your desk, you will have a clearer mind and actually produce much better work.

You don’t need to skip the gym because actually, you have so much work to catch up on and you could really do with that extra hour. Plus, you’re going to feel shattered when you get back so you won’t be able to work when you get back.

WRONG.

Working out can actually increase your overall energy levels! Exercise actually boosts cognitive function, helping you think more clearly and work more efficiently.

Studies show that physical activity improves focus, creativity, and decision-making—qualities essential for any entrepreneur. By taking a break to go to the gym, you return to work with more energy and sharper thinking, allowing you to get more done in less time.

Plus, exercise actually helps with stress. And we all know that running a business can be stressful, and chronic stress diminishes your ability to make good decisions.

Exercise releases endorphins, which are natural stress relievers, improving your mood and helping you tackle challenges with a clearer, more positive mindset. Rather than letting stress build up by skipping workouts, regular exercise can actually keep stress at bay!

And then probably the greatest benefit of exercise is actually how it helps you regulate your sleep cycle! Most entrepreneurs are sleep-deprived, so exercise could actually be a great cure for all the problems.

So, I’ve determined that the method I’m going to now use while running my business is the Healthy Hustle.

I can still work hard, put in those hours when I need to, but overall, I want to maintain a healthier lifestyle.

I actually want to eat healthier, more nutritious food, I want to exercise more and I want to feel less stressed.

I’m trying out a whole range of different products to help with this too, so I’m always up for recommendations on this new stage of my journey.

This is why I just came back from running a retreat with this incredible company called Elevate. It’s run by my friend Natalie Connor, who you can see on the No Bullsh*t Talks podcast and she’s all about creating wonderful wellness experiences for stressed out people.

I just knew that founders wouldn’t feel they could justify spending a week working on wellness, so I did a combination retreat, where we did some incredible business strategy sessions and make it a good business and wellness split.

The retreat was incredible and really transformative for all the attendees, so we’re definitely going to do it again.

It made me realise that so many of us don’t want to keep hustling and be under so much stress for what feels like little gain.

There HAS to be another way.

So I wanted to let other entrepreneurs know that it is possible to be successful without working ridiculous hours. However, it’s also OK to want to work hard! You don’t have to be one of the extremes of the anti-hustle crew or the startup culture vibe.

You can join me and do the Healthy Hustle.

If you are interested in trying this new balance of working, then please do reach out on social media. I’m mainly talking about this now on Instagram, but I’m experimenting across different channels, but please do hit me up!

That’s it from me this week, so until I speak to you again, keep Sniffing Out the Bullsh*t!