How I Started Winning Again—Without Hustling

How a soft summer, a Billy Joel song, and a few quiet systems reminded me that real momentum doesn’t require burnout.

Slow down, you’re doing fine.
You can’t be everything you wanna be before your time.

Slow down, you crazy child.
And take the phone off the hook and disappear for a while
It’s alright, you can afford to lose a day or two.

These are from a song called “Vienna” by Billy Joel.

(📻 To truly feel this post, head over to Spotify and play “Vienna” by Billy Joel while you read. Ideally with a cup of coffee.)

When I heard it yesterday on TikTok, it didn’t just strike a chord. It struck my entire octave.

If you’ve never heard it, Vienna is like a lullaby for the ambitious. A love letter to the parts of you that want to hustle, sprint, and climb so much that you don’t care if you’re damaging yourself.

It’s a soft warning to everyone who thinks that if they’re not moving fast, they’re falling behind.

But minutes ago, as I played a playlist full of Vienna covers…

As I mentally drafted this Substack in the car after the late-night coffee run with my husband…

As I opened my laptop to pour out what’s been quietly swirling in my chest…

I felt a shift.

Because this song?

It was written for a former version of me.
The one who believed I had to hustle to be worthy of the wins.
The one who thought momentum only counted when it came with exhaustion.

The Surprise(s) of Summer 2025

This week, the husband and I would join the kid after his swimming lessons. It replaced our nightly walks as our family exercise. We bought swimming goggles and even a new rash guard.

This last week before the kid’s school went by slowly, just like the entire summer of beaches and hotels.

And yet, I…

• Pulled off our B2B Tech client’s first-ever webinar together with CaaSocio (to a cold audience and without an email marketing platform to use for nurturing 😅)

• Cracked cold email (30+ click rates, baby!)

• I hosted a hobby workshop for freelancers (An AI tool Gamma created these slides from my texts!) — and 2-3 people messaged me they’re starting their own Substack!

  

• Solved deliverability chaos on an email platform I haven’t used before (Klaviyo)

• Building a SaaS client’s onboarding x lifecycle systems

• A marketing leader shared a blog I wrote about Revenue Marketing and tagged me on LinkedIn

  

• My Substack got featured by AI and is about to get featured on a blog (sharing soon!)

  

The wins stacked.

And it feels a little strange…because they came without the struggle and chaos I thought I needed to earn them.

Effort Now Doesn’t Feel Forced

The old me used to associate success with struggle.

If I wasn’t tired, I assumed I wasn’t doing enough.
If I wasn’t pushing, I assumed nothing would move.
If I don’t move, nothing will get done.

Maybe it was just a mindset, one I’ve finally outgrown.

What Changed

Looking back, I think it took these quiet shifts to make it possible:

Change #1 - I started building towards my strengths again

When I had a team, I thought I needed to build upon their strengths so we could make things sustainable, and I could work more ON the business instead of IN the business.

Turns out…It’s a good move if you wanna move like an Entrepreneur. But a bad one if you’re a Creator at heart.

Not operating in your zone of genius might have short-term results, but in the long-term, nah.

My newsletter is proof that working in the intersection of your passion and expertise will get you wins that flow.

So I built towards my strengths again and switched to Adventure Mode. This means saying “NO” to others and “YES” to yourself.

Change #2 - I designed my business based on our family’s capacity, not just mine

For a while, I made my own capacity the North Star.
Which sounds smart—until it started making me feel like I was always falling behind.
Because I know I can do more. Be more. Serve more.

And honestly? The thrill of building a business inside a community of freelancers running like bulls—chasing success, growth, momentum—it was intoxicating.

But over time, it stopped feeling like a challenge.
It started to feel like a burden, not just to me, but to my husband and kid too.

So I stopped designing for my maximum output…
and started designing for our shared rhythm.

That one decision—centering our family’s pace—brought more peace, more progress, and more Netflix dates at home.

Not because I did less.
But because what I did actually fit and brings me and my family joy.

Change #3 - I committed to creating content ecosystems and delegation again

I’m done sprinting at full speed so I built systems that didn’t need my adrenaline:

Mostly AI automations for my to-do’s, content ideation, and polishing. I’m creating ChatGPTs and documented tutorials for my Exec Assistant. And I promised myself to create 1 new system every week.

I finally stopped surviving off last-minute magic and can put on thoughtful work for each client. And each Substack piece. I didn’t have to wait for month end to clean my clients’ lists.

I have a string of topics waiting for me to be written. Each action that I do is purposeful. My guest workshop will become a Substack piece. Which will double as my community workshop.

Everything builds on something now. Each action is layered. Strategic. Repurposable.
Nothing is wasted.

If You’re in a Rhythm Shift Too…

Here’s the part where I don’t tell you to overly-romanticize slowness.

Because truth is, slow seasons can feel annoyingly sluggish.
Unproductive. Misunderstood. Even boring.

But they’re also where real systems get built.
Where you stop reacting and start designing.
Where you actually notice what’s working—and what’s just noise.

So if you feel like you’re crawling through molasses lately, ask yourself:

• What am I making harder than it needs to be?

• What feels out-of-place right now and what could I do about it?

• What am I still trying to earn that I’m actually allowed to enjoy?

• If my calendar actually reflected my values, what would change?

• And… what’s one part of my work I could make smoother, today?

This isn’t about doing less just to feel good.
It’s about choosing things so momentum isn’t tied to how burned out you are.

No rush. But don’t sleep on the power of asking better questions.

Remember, Vienna waits for you.

You've got your passion, you've got your pride
But don't you know that only fools are satisfied?

Dream on, but don't imagine they'll all come true, ooh
When will you realize Vienna waits for you?

In his own words, Joel said:
“Vienna is a metaphor for the rest of your life.

Slow down, you’re not missing anything. Don’t be in such a hurry to get everything. You’re going to get there eventually.”

— Read the rest here

These lines are a promise. Check the bible. :)
A reminder that you’re not late. You’re not behind.
The life that fits you isn’t rushing off without you.

God’s timing doesn’t operate on burnout.

You don’t need to chase what was already meant for you.
Just keep walking. Build what you can. Rest when you need to.

And trust that what’s meant will still be there—whole, ready, and welcoming—when you arrive.