As freelancers and founders, we pour ourselves into our businesses. But what happens when the passion fades? When you still love the work itself—the design, the writing, the creative problem-solving—but the thought of networking, prospecting, and business development feels utterly exhausting?
This disconnect is more common than you might think, and it doesn’t mean you’re failing. It means you’re human.
In this episode, Rachel brings a question that resonates with so many of us: How do you get the passion for your business back when everything feels overwhelming?
Key Takeaways from this Episode:
Remember your “why”—reconnect with the destination and purpose behind your business to reignite motivation.
Give yourself permission to coast. Not every season requires hustle, and that’s completely okay.
Slow down intentionally in all areas of life. Mental rest is just as important as physical exercise for long-term sustainability.
You Haven’t Lost Passion—You’ve Lost Your “Why”
Clay’s first insight cuts straight to the heart of the issue: when we feel burned out, it’s often not that we’re tired of what we’re doing. We’ve simply lost sight of why we’re doing it.
Think about when you first started your business. You had a vision, a goal, a reason that made all the late nights and uncertainty worth it. But somewhere along the way—between client calls, invoice chasing, and the daily grind—that vision got buried under to-do lists.
Clay recommends the book Traction by Gino Wickman as a powerful tool for rediscovering your destination. The first two chapters alone can help you clarify where you’re headed and why it matters. When you reconnect with that deeper purpose, the day-to-day tasks feel less like obligations and more like meaningful steps toward something bigger.
It’s Okay to Coast
Here’s something the hustle culture doesn’t want you to hear: you don’t have to be “on” all the time.
Preston shares a perspective that many entrepreneurs desperately need to hear. Sometimes you’re going to feel blah about your business. You might go through days, weeks, or even months where you’re not lit up with passion. And that’s completely fine.
Your business doesn’t have to grow at breakneck speed every quarter. You don’t have to be constantly networking, constantly innovating, constantly grinding. Sometimes the healthiest thing you can do is put your business on autopilot, handle the essentials, and give yourself space to just exist without pressure.
If this feeling persists for years, that’s worth examining. But a few weeks or months of coasting? That’s not failure. That’s sustainability.
The Power of Slowing Down
Clay shares wisdom from a friend who’s a therapist specializing in entrepreneur clients. Her advice? Slow down. Not just in business, but in everything.
She offers a simple but powerful exercise: drive the speed limit. Not five miles over. Not ten miles over. Exactly the speed limit.
If you’re used to speeding, this will feel excruciating. You’ll feel restless, impatient, like you’re wasting time. But that discomfort reveals something important about how our minds have been trained to operate in constant overdrive.
The more you practice slowing down in small ways—whether it’s driving, eating, or even breathing—the more you train your mind to be present. And when you’re present, you can reconnect with why you enjoy what you do in the first place.
This isn’t about being lazy or unambitious. It’s about creating the mental space necessary for creativity, joy, and sustainable success.
Find a New Challenge (When You’re Ready)
Preston offers another approach for those who thrive on novelty and growth. Sometimes burnout comes from boredom—from doing the same things over and over without new challenges.
The beauty of working for yourself is that you can create new challenges whenever you want. Maybe it’s finally starting that YouTube channel, launching a new service offering, or learning a new skill that excites you.
Preston shared how adding YouTube content creation to his routine gave him something fresh to focus on. The daily operations still need to happen, but now he has a few hours each day dedicated to something new and exciting. That balance between routine and challenge can reignite enthusiasm.
The key is not to force this if you’re truly burned out. But if you’ve had time to rest and you’re looking for that spark again, a new project might be exactly what you need.
Mental Health Comes First
Both Preston and Clay emphasize something crucial: if you’re struggling with mental health, please seek real help.
Preston has personal experience with mental health challenges, both his own and in his family. He encourages anyone dealing with severe feelings to reach out to a professional—whether through services like Talkspace or through traditional therapy.
Clay goes further, arguing that everyone should talk to a therapist, whether they think they have a mental health issue or not. Think of it as preventative care. You don’t wait until you’re 600 pounds to start exercising—you work out regularly to stay healthy. Mental health works the same way.
Therapy isn’t just for crisis moments. It’s ongoing mental exercise that keeps you resilient, self-aware, and emotionally healthy.
The Antidote to Hustle Culture
This episode challenges the relentless hustle narrative that dominates entrepreneurship. Yes, building a business requires hard work. But sustainable success requires something hustle culture rarely mentions: rest, reflection, and permission to not always be “crushing it.”
Your business is a marathon, not a sprint. There will be seasons of intense growth and seasons of steady maintenance. There will be times when you’re fired up and times when you’re just going through the motions. Both are valid. Both are necessary.
The entrepreneurs who last are the ones who learn to honor their humanity alongside their ambition.
Moving Forward
If you’re feeling what Rachel described—still loving the work but exhausted by the business side—here’s what you can do:
Reconnect with your purpose. Why did you start this business? Where are you trying to go? Write it down. Make it visible.
Give yourself permission to slow down. You don’t have to maximize every moment. You don’t have to be everywhere. You don’t have to grow 30% every quarter.
Practice slowing down in small ways. Try that speed limit exercise. Eat a meal without your phone. Take a walk without a podcast. Train your mind to be present.
Consider talking to a professional. Therapy isn’t a sign of weakness—it’s a tool for staying mentally fit and resilient.
If and when you’re ready, find a new challenge. But only when you’ve given yourself adequate rest first.
Remember: your mental health matters more than your business metrics. You can’t pour from an empty cup, and burning yourself out doesn’t serve your clients, your business, or yourself.
Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is rest. Sometimes the best business strategy is simply taking care of yourself.
Your passion will return. But first, you might need to give yourself permission to stop chasing it so hard.
