Hey sis,
it’s time to detangle
from hustle culture.
Uncover the sneaky ways hustle culture harms ambitious women of color creative professionals and entrepreneurs, like you. Plus, 10 hustle-free work mantras to get you from grinding to flourishing.
This essay is a plan of action to bring more ease, well-being, and sustainable success to women of color creative professionals and entrepreneurs.
written by Shani Syphrett-Haynes, Jamila Studio founder
Between us girlfriends, let's have a chat about how to break free from the grip of hustle culture.
You know the drill—hustle culture tells you to "sleep when you're dead" and ignore your body and mind's desperate pleas for rest, all in the name of chasing some ever-changing version of success. But what about taking care of ourselves? Isn't that important too?
Of course putting in extra hours or going the extra mile to reach the finish line on a big goal makes a difference. I get that. But when we consistently let our sense of self-worth get tangled up in our ability to be productive, we're setting ourselves up for some serious burnout. Working non-stop without taking time to recharge is a cage, and I can't help but notice that we, women of color, seem to get caught up in it way too often. And I want you to know that is a feature of a system built against us, not a bug.
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Well, who am I?
Hey girl, I’m Shani. I’m an award-winning strategist, marketer, and coach on a mission to remove barriers for women of color creative professionals and entrepreneurs to thrive.
You’re ambitious and you’ve probably asked yourself, “Will I have to work this hard forever?” I’m constantly asking myself that too. And while I don’t have all of the answers, I’m glad you’re here. Let’s figure this out together. Read on to find out how to expand your capacity without burning the candle on both ends.
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👋🏾 It’s me, Shani (Shu-nay). Welcome to Jamila Studio!
Self-love is a great place to begin.
Women come to me when they're looking for growth. Whether it’s pivoting careers, taking on a new role, moving into entrepreneurship, or hiring their first employee, they’re looking to get to the next level and achieve success on their terms.
But what sets my approach apart is that I don't just focus on any kind of growth—I'm all about sustainable growth that makes a difference both on the outside and the inside. I want you to thrive in every way possible. So, while we’ll cook up amazing career strategies together, I believe it's only one piece of the puzzle.
You see, strategy helps with outer growth, but inner growth is all about love.
In bell hooks’ book All About Love, she defines love as extending yourself in order to nurture spiritual growth, whether your own or someone else’s. That type of inner growth is a deep connection to cultivating what makes you, you—your story, your desires, your intuition, your strengths. And it is just as valuable as securing the bag.
Later on in this essay, I share 10 new ways of working to help you glow up without burning out. That’s the ultimate act of self-love. You owe it to yourself to create not only a career you love but a life well-lived.
Folks don’t talk as much about building that inner connection when you’re out here striving. When we talk about hard work, we don’t think about love. But anyone who has tried to keep a loving connection with another human being, or taken on the often more difficult task of deeply loving themselves, understands that love takes work.
Love is work.
And if we are willing to think of the work we do inside our personal and interpersonal relationships as love, might we consider the work we do outside of them as a form of love too?
As creators and entrepreneurs, we take risks to give ourselves more freedom and a choice in how we work.
How might we see all work as an act of self-love?
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Why are we stuck?
If there is one thing a woman of color is gonna do, it's exceed expectations.
Because we exist in a system not designed for us to succeed, I don't even have to finish the phrase "twice as hard…" for you to get what I mean.
The hustle—grinding, hacking, and waymaking to pursue one's goals—has been passed down to us like our grandma's jewelry. Among the dozens of creative women of color I have coached over the past 10+ years, hard work and discipline have never . . . I repeat, never . . . been the issue.
But they almost always think it is.
And guess what?
It’s those damn bootstraps talking.
The capitalistic American Dream has us convinced that we can do anything with hard work, and if things aren’t working out, it must be because we’re not hustling hard enough. But, as Tressie McMillian Cotton put it in Time magazine, hustling is “a survival strategy often glorified as an economic opportunity.”
Women of color have been convinced that the only way to succeed is to put our bodies and our boundaries on the line and overcommit ourselves in fear of missing out on the few opportunities we feel we have to get ahead.
I call BS on this because it is not sustainable AND it disconnects us from self-love. I call BS because putting our bodies and boundaries on the line is something that benefits the global racist patriarchy first and benefits us . . . never?
Hustling as routine to achieve our future goals, instead of embodying love and creating healthy work habits along the way, sets us up to be less likely to reap the full rewards of those goals when we reach them.
The paradox of hustle culture for ambitious women of color is: if we don’t plan to get off the roller coaster now, we’ll never be able to. There will never be enough.
You might be nodding your head a little, but still feeling unsure. That's cool, it's a fresh way of thinking, and I can't wait to guide you through it. Keep reading to see how you can put it into action.
Abundance flows from enough.
The first image that comes to mind when I think about the word enough is rubbing a full belly after a delicious meal. It’s the point where you slightly push away from the table to signal to others, but mostly yourself, that you’ve had your fill and couldn’t possibly do any more.
Well, maybe a little more if there is dessert. Who needs the top button of their jeans, anyway? It’s highly optional (for the night) in my book if the dessert looks right.
I digress.
Enoughness also makes me think of our careers. What amount of money, resources, and impact would make you close your laptop for the day because you wouldn’t need to do any more?
We live in a white supremacist, patriarchal, heteronormative society, which means: other people work hard to impose their views on what is enough for women of color.
If you don’t decide what is enough for you, someone else will.
I know you’ve had the experience of watching someone’s eyes widen when you’ve done something they “didn’t know” you could do, or when you have something they don’t think you should. Though other people’s opinions of you are none of your business, that judgment still stings. Especially when you don’t feel connected to your power.
I want us to reclaim enough.
It’s time to let go of the social, economic, and cultural stories that form the walled gardens to what we actually desire. Those barriers keep us running in place. They keep us hustling. They keep us from loving ourselves.
Gina LaRoche and Jennifer Cohen describe the fruit of enoughness as “sustainable abundance” in their book The 7 Laws of Enough, where wealth and liberation meet joy and ease in a viable, maintainable, and ethical package.
A dear sister-friend recommended the book to me when I was in a season of relative abundance, yet it wasn’t sustainable. I didn’t feel like I was successful because it didn’t feel like I was fully myself. The catch is the balance of both.
When we’re in a state of constant hustle, we’re trained on more as being the only definition of abundance. We want more because we might feel like we’re owed it. Or that we have to prove a point that we’re worthy of more, and constant hustle is the only way to prove it.
But you actually have nothing to prove.
Determining our own “enough” is the unlock to freedom, joy, and rest.
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You can decide what to give up.
So now what?
Do you throw away the metaphoric merit badges of hustle culture and retreat into the soft life of bubble baths and cool breeze-giving, all-inclusive vacations?
Well … kinda. Because rest is resistance, and you deserve it.
And also because I know you’ll put in the hard work anyway because that’s who you are. You get stuff done.
I’m not telling you to stop working hard.
I’m challenging you to trust your inner authority and construct your work around your boundaries, so you don’t have to work so hard so often.
Ok, I see you leaning in. Thanks for reading this far. I’m sharing tips I’ve learned from coaching clients over the last 10 years (and my own journey) in t-minus 2 seconds. Open your notes app or get a pen & paper.
The answer isn't always your discipline when there's a gap between your vision and your reality. Sometimes it’s your decisions.
If you decided to approach your work as self-love, how would your to-do list change?
When I chose to embrace self-love and sustainable abundance over the never-ending hustle, I went through a whole bunch of trial and error. What I discovered is that there isn't just one right way to do things—you've gotta try stuff out and see what works for you. Like economist Thomas Sowell said, "There are no solutions, there are only trade-offs."
I've boiled down the most useful lessons into a list of 10 hustle-free work mantras that I share with my clients. These mantras have helped bust through those "busy barriers" that hold us back from building even more successful businesses—both in terms of money and good vibes. It's all about shifting from blindly pushing forward to connecting with what truly helps you do well while feeling well.
I like to call them mantras because I find myself repeating them often when I get stuck and need to refocus. I am excited to share these publicly because they might just free you too:
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10 Hustle-Free Work Mantras for Creative Women of Color
Tap THE ARROWS 🔽 TO READ MORE ABOUT EACH ONE
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Sometimes, we get so caught up in our passions that we lose sight of the bigger picture. We believe we've gotta find that one thing we're super passionate about and chase it like there's no tomorrow. But research shows that passion is more like mindset—it thrives when it's allowed to grow and change with us, instead of being fixed and limiting.
Think of passion as a journey, not a destination. It's like a river, full of variety and constantly ebbing and flowing. Just as a river can't be contained, neither should your passion. So go ahead and let yourself pick and choose your passions based on the season of your life, and don't be afraid to change your mind whenever it feels right.
Now, having a mission is a different story. It gives you a time-bound purpose for your work, helping you stay focused and driven. So, embrace your ever-changing passions and let your mission guide you to make a real impact.
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Chasing your dreams is tough enough, but squeezing yourself into other people's expectations to prove you're capable of achieving those dreams? That's just emotionally exhausting. And, let me tell you, you don't have to go down that path, sis.
"Shoulds" are the key recipe for burnout. They're the sprinklings of other people's expectations with a hint of seeking validation. If you let that be your guide, you might find yourself running a business that's lost its meaning and joy for you.
Here's the deal: Bring your power back by aligning your decisions and actions with your true values. It might take some work, but staying true to what really matters to you makes it possible to build a high-impact career or run a thriving business exactly the way you want. So, focus on what's genuinely important to you, and you'll avoid burnout while creating a life that's authentic and fulfilling.
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Now, this might ruffle some feathers with all the buzz about personal branding, but I gotta say it: I think we're taking it too far. It's important to draw a line between you and your business—and that line should extend to you and your personal brand too.
Remember, you're a constantly evolving being with ever-changing goals and perspectives. On the other hand, a brand is a pretty consistent asset designed to catch the eye of the right customers. As creative entrepreneurs, we craft brands to meet the demands of the market—problem meets solution, right? Like a product, a personal brand is something you create for yourself to achieve specific goals. And just like a product, you can put that personal brand down on weekends or whenever you need a break. You are not your personal brand.
So go ahead and set those boundaries, boo. Prioritize your well-being, create space for work-life balance, and remember that it's okay to separate your personal brand from your true self.
You are not your personal brand. I said what I said.
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Any kind of creative leadership, but especially entrepreneurship is an experiment in risk. And risk is connected to anxiety, fear, and self-consciousness. To get through those emotions, we can analyze the living daylights out of every decision we make, trying to reach a point where we are “certain.”
But certainty is only the illusion of control. Instead of spreading ourselves thin looking for the right choice, we’re better off getting clear on our values and goals so we can course correct along the way. Uncertainty is inevitable but moving forward with clarity allows us to make our choices right for us.
You don’t have to be certain how things will turn out, just clear that you will be ok no matter what.
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The core of effective business systems is knowing what to prioritize and when to delegate. And when you establish solid systems, you're not just streamlining work processes, you're also making space for your well-being with all the time you'll save by not chasing things that won't serve you.
Think of it this way: efficient systems let you set boundaries, delegate tasks, and avoid burnout, all while pursuing your dreams. It’s about moving from friction to flow, as Jenny Blake calls it in her book Free Time.
Your hard work doesn't need to cost the price of your sanity. When you know where to focus, you give yourself the grace to do well and be well through well-designed systems.
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As I mentioned earlier, aiming for the amorphous “more” keeps us on the hustle treadmill. If the goal is always more–more work, money, followers, more things–will we ever really stop?
Designing a business around our values, needs, and boundaries helps us determine what is enough for us to feel our own sense of fulfillment, joy, and ease. It’s not about stopping yourself from having a big, brave vision or an awesome, audacious goal. It’s about being specific about what works for you rather than trying to keep up with the Joneses.
Now I know financial freedom is the goal of many women of color who’ve watched our parents struggle to make ends meet when we were younger (and many still). But financial freedom isn’t about having more money, it’s about attention. The less you have to think about money, the freer you are.
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Are you saving joy for success? Hustle culture conditions us to believe that joy and rest are things you earn after some big accomplishment. We promise ourselves the good life after we’ve crossed the finish line, but you deserve it right now.
When you turn supporting your well-being and celebrating your progress into consistent practices, you increase your capacity to be extraordinary, not just do extraordinary things. You can practice romanticizing your life at any scale…start by complimenting yourself right now. You don’t have to wait til you get your money right to do it.
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Using worth as a pricing strategy or negotiation point is off for so many reasons. To put it the most succinctly: no one else cares. You are magnificent and infinite, and I know you care and put time and energy into your work.
But your customers, clients, and the companies that hire you only care about what’s in it for them. Explain to them the outsized value of what you offer. That is what they will pay for. Worth is only helpful to you.
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Leadership is not just about managing people. We also lead our business growth.
Vision is a form of leadership. And you can act out of circumstance or out of vision. I don’t think I have to tell you which is more empowering. Leadership is mobilizing your people toward a vision. And your people consist of employees (whether permanent or contractors), collaborators, and customers.
If you feel like you’re constantly putting out fires in your day-to-day, constantly changing your mind, struggling to articulate what you want to others, or just going with the flow, your vision probably isn’t clear. Choosing to lead helps prioritize what’s important over what’s urgent and bring the right people along.
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bell hooks said, “one of the most vital ways we sustain ourselves is by building communities of resistance, places where we know we are not alone.” And what are we resisting? Oppressive systems and imposter syndrome. Heavy stuff and pervasive stuff, I know. But when you’re alone you’re most vulnerable.
No one is coming to save you, but people will support you. And that support could mean realizing your potential. In Viola Davis’ acceptance speech at the 2015 Emmys, she said, “the only thing separating women of color from anyone else is opportunity.” It’s time we give each other that opportunity.
In building a community with other women of color creative leaders, I have found resources, opportunity, perspective, and a safe space to process the things that only other women going through this journey can understand.
Sometimes our dreams feel impossible but impossible is just one point of view, just one possibility. Community expands possibility.
We go further and faster together. Get you a tribe or, better yet, a Sisterboard.
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Who succeeds, who’s stuck hustling?
If there's one message I want you to carry with you from this, let it be this:
Hustle culture is a trap that keeps you from focusing on your true desires and well-being.
Hustling is about performing well at the expense of actually being well. It's a knot we've tied ourselves into, believing it's the only way to achieve success. But the truth is, it isn't the path to lasting, sustainable growth.
It's time to move beyond hustle culture and embrace a life filled with joy, well-being, and abundance. Remember, hustling is the barrier between merely surviving and truly thriving. And let's be real—you didn't start your business just to scrape by.
So, think of this as a graduation. Be grateful for the hustle that got you here, but be ready to let it go so you can grow.
We can rewrite our success narratives as an act of self-love.
But the choice is yours.
Will self-love and sustainable abundance become the mood, or are you staying in the hustle?
You got this,
Shani
Grab a seat at our table
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Grab a seat at our table 〰️
You don’t have to resist hustle culture alone
Join us for Chat & Chew, a monthly group coaching circle where creative and ambitious women of color hold safe space, share wisdom, and build each other up in the journey to redefine success on their terms. You're not just welcomed, you belong here.