I burned out three times building my business – once while I was bedbound for 12 weeks in Bali, even though I was making a consistent 5- 7k per month.
I set myself five rules I now live by so it never happens again because burnout is preventable. In fact, the cure to burnout is prevention.
In this episode of Working For Me, I’m sharing the five non-negotiable rules I built my business around after my own burnout – the ones I wish someone had told me before I traded my 9-5 for a full-time job I’d built for myself.
What I cover:
- Why I won’t work with clients who drain my energy – and how to spot them before you sign
- Why trading time for money caps your income, and how to productize your service instead
- How SOPs, systems and automation gave me back my energy (and my business, without me)
- Why I stopped doing things I hate doing – including the marketing I’d been forcing myself to do
- Why taking 2-3 days off a week makes me a better entrepreneur, not a weaker one
If you’re a solopreneur, side-hustler, or you’ve just left corporate and you’re building something that works for you – this one’s for you.
⏱️ Timestamps:
00:00 Why I’ll never burn out again
01:19 My burnout story: bedbound for 12 weeks
04:30 The chronic health conditions burnout left me with
06:00 The signs of burnout I ignored
08:46 Rule 1: No clients who drain my energy
11:48 Rule 2: Stop undercharging and trading time for money
15:03 Rule 3: Never run a business without systems
18:26 Rule 4: Never do things I hate doing
20:35 Rule 5: Never skip taking time off
23:40 Prevention is the only cure for burnout
Freedom Business Bootcamp → https://onlinebusinessschool.itssophiebiggerstaff.com/registration-page
Foundations, my 6-month program → https://onlinebusinessschool.itssophiebiggerstaff.com/Freedom-Model-Method
About The Working For Me Podcast:
Working For Me is for high-achieving dreamers on a journey to build a business, and a life, that actually works for them.
Whether you’re still stuck in a corporate 9-5, wondering how you can navigate the transition from employee to entrepreneur, or you’ve already quit your job to start and your business is feeling anything but free – this podcast helps you find a better work life balance by building an online business that’s set up to achieve your goals.
Hosted by Sophie Biggerstaff, Anti-Hustle Business Mentor and Writer/Host of Working For Me – each episode explores real strategy and honest conversation about doing what you love and building a business that’s genuinely working for you, not one you work for!
Subscribe for real entrepreneurship stories, and practical strategies for building something that’s genuinely yours.
Success isn’t just a fantasy – but you do need to write your own version of it – this podcast helps you do exactly that.
Find your starting point:
📖 Quit your 9-5 and navigate the transition into entrepreneurship with my Playbook: https://onlinebusinessschool.itssophiebiggerstaff.com/freedom-founder-playbook
🎓 Start an online business using AI in my Business Bootcamp: https://onlinebusinessschool.itssophiebiggerstaff.com/registration-page
💡Re-write your business strategy and align it with your version of success in a 1:1: https://itssophiebiggerstaff.com/11-coaching-call/
Connect With Me:
🗣️ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophie-biggerstaff-business-coach/
📝 Substack: https://itssophiebiggerstaff.substack.com/
💻 Website: https://www.itssophiebiggerstaff.com
