34. Stop Hustling, Start Choosing: Productivity, Energy Management, and Delegation for Female Entrepreneurs with Jillian Dolberry

Every entrepreneur I know - especially women running service businesses - has the same struggle: time. We never feel like there’s enough of it. The list is always longer than the hours. And the easy solution we’ve been sold? Hustle harder, stay up later, squeeze in one more thing.

But here’s the truth: you don’t need more time. You need better questions.

I recently sat down with my friend Jillian Dolberry, Ops Consultant, Team Strategist, and host of The Grace-Filled CEO Podcast. Jillian is one of the wisest business owners I know, and she’s mastered something most of us avoid - saying no, setting boundaries, and building businesses that honor your energy instead of draining it.

What she shared flipped the script on how we think about productivity, priorities, and growth.

Why Hustle Culture Is Lying to Us

Somewhere along the way, we bought the lie that working harder and longer equals success. Just grind, just push, just sacrifice. And if you’re not doing it, you’re not cut out for business.

I told Jillian about seeing a post from Spanx founder Sarah Blakely holding a coffee cup that read “Winners Hustle.” The caption suggested that losers take it easy, while winners push through no matter what.

That’s the problem. For decades we’ve been fed this message: if you want it all, hustle harder.

But what’s the cost? Burnout, resentment, and businesses that no longer look anything like the vision we started with.

Hustle works for a season. But if your only strategy is pushing through, you’ll eventually run out of energy.

Energy Beats Time

Jillian reminded me of something we all feel but rarely say out loud: time and energy aren’t equal. You can work 10 hours and feel energized at the end of the day - or you can slog through three hours of work and feel completely drained.

The question isn’t “how many hours am I putting in?” The question is “what work actually builds my energy, and what work drains it?”

Paying attention to energy changes everything. Instead of forcing yourself through tasks that deplete you, start tracking what fills you up. Awareness is the first step to building a sustainable business.

Jillian Dolberry's Three Questions to Filter Every Task

So how do you know what’s worth your time? Jillian gave me three simple, game-changing questions:

1. Does this move me toward my top goals right now?

2. Am I the only one who can do this effectively?

3. Will the impact outweigh the effort?

That last one is huge. Will sending this email today actually move the needle, or is it just checking a box? Will this conversation build a relationship that turns into a $10k client, or is it busywork disguised as productivity?

Asking these questions helps you cut, delegate, or double down—without guilt.

You’re Not Broken

One of my favorite things Jillian said in our conversation was this: “You’re not broken. The things you’ve been taught about how to do business - that’s what’s broken.”

Let that sink in.

The hustle formulas, the cookie-cutter templates, the “if you just follow these 5 steps you’ll scale to six figures” sales copy - that’s what leaves us disappointed and overwhelmed. Not you.

There’s nothing wrong with you if you’re tired, questioning your to-do list, or wondering why the formulas don’t fit. Your business is unique. Your values matter. And your time and energy deserve to be protected.

Grace Over Guilt

At the end of our conversation, Jillian left listeners with a simple challenge: put your hand on your heart and tell yourself, “You’re doing a good job.”

Sounds too easy, right? But we forget - we’re not running emergency rooms here. Nobody dies if a task gets pushed to tomorrow. What does die, slowly, is our energy, our joy, and our ability to sustain the work we love when we refuse to give ourselves grace.

So pause. Reassess. Ask the right questions. And give yourself permission to run your business in a way that aligns with your values - not hustle culture.

Ready for a Marketing Checkup?

If reading this makes you question whether managing your marketing is worth the stress, you’re not alone. Marketing can be stressful and time-consuming. Most creative entrepreneurs I work with have incredible offers - but their marketing feels like one long, draining to-do list instead of a system that works for them.

That’s exactly why I created Marketing 360. It’s a full checkup of your marketing—from your website to your social media to your emails. I’ll show you what’s working, what’s not, and how to fix it so you can get more of your best-fit clients without burning out.

Want to be the first to know when Marketing 360 officially launches?  Join the priority notification list so you’ll be the first to know when it launches. You’ll get early access and a front-row seat to a new way of doing marketing - one built on clarity, values, and real relationships. Because business should grow with your energy, not at the cost of it.