Beating Burnout

Often the key to having massive impact is the ability to keep going when others would have burned out. Below, you’ll find some brilliant entrepreneurs and creatives sharing how they’ve overcome or avoided burnout.

Samantha Whisnant

When I first started my business back in 2019, I had just finished a degree in Biochemistry with no experience in digital marketing. I dove into learning as much as possible and taking on as many projects as I could to develop my skills. Read more>>

Jennifer Spragg

There was a time when I definitely suffered from burnout and that was mostly due to a very high stress, demanding job that I wasn’t passionate about. I was working, working, working and when I wasn’t my brain just wanted to zone out and disconnect from everything. Read more>>

Tia Stevens

I feel like when your doing something that you truly love, there’s no way you can ever be “burnt out”. As someone who also balances a 9 to 5 job throughout the week, sometimes I wake up in the morning and I dread getting ready to go, but I never feel that way about going to take photos. Read more>>

Elizabeth Anderson

I feel so fortunate to have found my passion in my mid-3o’s. The more I learn about esthetics and the more people I treat, the more fulfilled I get. Attending a training class or reading about new products or services really gets me excited. Learning is how I avoid professional burnout. Read more>>

Gwen Gunyung Lee

My biggest challenge in life came the year after I graduated from art school. Up until then, I had always achieved my goals, such as attending my dream school, earning scholarships, and winning awards. This success made me somewhat arrogant, believing I could achieve my dreams whenever I wanted. Read more>>

Tiffany Williams-Parra

In 2008 during a routine doctors check I was advised I was in the worse health I had been in and could have some serious complications if I didn’t make some healthy lifestyle changes. It was a rude awakening but in 3 years I released over 100 pounds. Read more>>

Ariel Doan

Growing up I had to grow up at a young age, becoming very independent and relying on myself. I got my first official job when I was 14 and have worked ever since, I take pride in what I do but with pride comes the pressure of feeling like it is never enough. Read more>>

K Tak

As an artist, burnout is something I can’t really avoid. Dealing with clients every day and having my work judged instantly brings a lot of pressure. Plus, for those of us in the creative industry, we need to be our own marketers, juggling a ton of different roles. Read more>>

Jessica Karuchit

When your life work requires caring for others and keeping the daily operations of an organization going as mine does, it takes consistent intentionality to avoid burnout. I am a pastor, oversee a nonprofit organization, and have a family to care for. Read more>>

Lily Fischer

When I started my business, it was so easy to constantly think about work. I was always thinking about what tasks I had to do, going to sessions, and editing until the early morning hours. Read more>>

Alexa Gledhill

As a small business owner burnout happens, sometimes often. Juggling multiple roles at one time can be difficult. I experience burnout the most with social media as I have never been a big social media person but it is crucial for small businesses. Burnout makes it hard for me to find the motivation to film, edit and post, and do updates for websites. I take breaks from it frequently but when I’m having a hard time I look to the people around me. I have some amazing, creative, motivating people in my circle that help me bring back my flow. My husband helps me come up with new ideas and my business-owner friends help bring back my creativity. Read more>>

Breen Halley

Burnout is a prevalent problem in the event planning industry. I found myself burnt out after working in a top event market, traveling constantly, answering to bosses and clients, and being forced to follow protocols and processes that didn’t allow me to succeed in the way I worked best. Once I accepted that I was burnt out, I looked at my options: to keep going, leave the industry, or reinvent myself. I chose to reinvent myself! After working for several years in the agency world, I was ready to break off and work for myself. This new freedom allowed me to choose my niche, clients, and types of events that I loved to produce. Read more>>

Barlyssa Lopez

First and for most… BURNOUT IS REAL!! Yes, even when it’s your passion! Yes, even when what you are doing is what you love most in the world! We just came off the most insanely busy month in our business yet and found that while we were prepared for the events on our calendar, we were NOT prepared for all of the stress and exhaustion that came along with the demands of each of the those events. To keep up with the busiest month to date, self care was placed on the back burner and by the end, we felt the weight of that decision. Once we became aware of how we got ourselves into this predicament, we knew we had to pull ourselves back to the front and prioritize our mental health to get back on track. We gravitated towards one of our self care pillars, family. Family is a core value here at Homemade Events because we know that spending time with the people that bring us the most joy, reenergizes us in a way that nothing else can. Read more>>

Ariella Benjaminov

Navigating the path of entrepreneurship comes with a unique set of challenges, often requiring me to juggle multiple responsibilities simultaneously. This constant demand can quickly result in burnout. However, I’ve found two key strategies that help me maintain balance and sustain my passion. Firstly, I prioritize maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Carving out time for family, friends, and outdoor activities is essential, even if it’s just as small as having my morning coffee outside in the fresh air. I make sure to allocate space in my calendar at least one time per week for a social event so I keep myself accountable. The intentional disconnection from work, allows me to return to my professional responsibilities with renewed energy and a refreshed mindset. Read more>>

Nicole Chiarelli

Setting boundaries and sticking to them. I’ve learned after 7 years in business that setting clear and distinct boundaries is the only way to be productive leading into success. I only allow myself to photograph Wednesday-Saturday each week, allowing the other three days for editing, administrative days and a day off. I also have given myself Sundays off, which is one of the best boundaries I’ve set for myself. Giving myself a full day off allows me to reset, rest and do whatever I need to feed my soul. In addition to running a business, I work full time in NYC as a Contract Negotiator. My job is very taxing and laborious, along with my 1.5 hour commute each day. I do not allow myself to book photoshoots after work in the winter months, so that I have time to myself after a 12-hour work day. Read more>>

Lauren Schaff

Have you ever felt like you’re running on empty, juggling a million tasks, and still thinking you should be doing more? If you’re a small business owner, you likely know this feeling all too well. It’s easy to get caught up in the whirlwind and end up burned out and overwhelmed. I’ve been there, and I want to share my journey from burnout to balance. My struggle with burnout started back in my corporate days. I was a classic people pleaser, always taking on more projects and responsibilities, saying “yes” to everything. I thought that was what success looked like. I was constantly stressed, exhausted, and running on fumes. If that was success, I didn’t want any of it! Read more>>

Katie Greenleaf

As a licensed professional clinical counselor, I know the importance of taking care of myself so that I can help others. You know, the whole ‘put your own oxygen mask on first’ thing. But a lot of us know that it’s not simple. In 2020, I found myself knee deep in burnout. In my personal life, I had been managing some curve balls during the year leading up to the pandemic, including the sudden and tragic death of a close friend, which really knocked me off balance. COVID-19 emerged in 2020 and as the world was shutting down, it wasn’t long before I started to struggle professionally. The surge of energy from an emerging global mental health crisis that was taking shape came rushing in. I felt like my own world was closing in on itself, all at the same time. Read more>>

Vanessa Davis

2023 was in incredible year for me in many ways. I was standing on the pinnacle of local success – getting dream performances I had applied for, receiving local awards, and writing some of my best songs. My creativity was at an all-time high. Then, in a different area of my life, I got the news I had been waiting for, for seven years… I was pregnant! Knowing that it can be more difficult to sing during latter pregnancy, and not knowing how much mental capacity or energy I would have once the baby came, I wasted no time and booked into a recording studio. In the summer of 2023, I recorded my EP, “The Triplets” and released it at my birthday party/concert in August. Read more>>

Emma Ludlum

The truth is that I didn’t avoid burnout, but what I do now to avoid burnout is exactly what I learned from crashing into it face first. The two things I keep in mind with regards to burnout is maintaining my nutrition and cleansing my mind. From my perspective, maintaining a healthy diet is a baseline for well-being. Not only is it an act of self-love to care for what goes into your body, but it also allows you to have a good foundation for health, vitality, energy and well-being. Read more>>