TL;DR: Stop Hustling and Start Thriving

The last couple of months I've been laying out a case for the death of hustle culture through my own experiences, the experiences of others I've encountered along my career path, data and industry studies, and just plain ol' common sense. For the TL;DR version, read on.

The Cost of Hustle Culture...And Why It’s Time to Move On

For years, we’ve been sold the lie that working harder, longer, and faster is the key to success. Grind culture. Productivity hacks. Always-on availability. We’ve normalized burnout, pretending it’s a personal failure rather than what it really is: the inevitable result of a broken system.

But here’s the kicker—hustle culture isn’t just toxic. It doesn’t even work.

Let’s break it down.

1. Hustle Culture Is a Trap, Not a Flex

Companies have built systems that reward overwork while acting like burnout is just a lack of resilience. Spoiler: it’s not. It’s a systemic issue.

The irony? Hustle culture doesn’t even drive better business outcomes. It kills productivity, engagement, and retention—all while making employees miserable.

If burnout was actually effective, companies wouldn’t be dealing with:

77% of employees disengaged at work
$8.8 trillion in lost productivity
50-200% of an employee’s salary lost every time they leave

(Yes, those numbers are real.)

2. The Real Cost of Burnout—for Companies and Employees

Here’s the problem: we’ve built a work culture that demands more and more while offering less in return—less flexibility, fewer benefits, stagnant pay, and little to no concern for well-being.

And then companies act confused when people check out or quit.

Meanwhile, workplaces that actually prioritize well-being see:

11% lower turnover
Higher engagement, productivity, and retention
More innovation and revenue per employee

Work doesn’t have to be a soul-sucking endurance sport.

3. What Needs to Change—For Good

If companies actually want to retain top talent, here’s where they should start:

Unlimited PTO & Sick Time → Not a perk. A necessity.
Pay People What They’re Worth → Retention is cheaper than replacement.
Encourage Right-Brain Thinking → Innovation requires time, space, and creativity.
Normalize Rest & Recovery → Productivity isn’t about working more. It’s about working better.
Paid Sabbaticals → Because a long weekend doesn’t undo years of burnout.

4. The Case for Sabbaticals—Not Just for CEOs

Executives take sabbaticals all the time to “recharge” and somehow the company doesn’t implode. So why is extended paid time off reserved for the people least likely to be on the verge of burnout?

Some of the most forward-thinking companies already offer paid sabbaticals—and see huge returns in engagement, retention, and innovation.

And here’s my next big idea: What if companies sponsored sabbaticals for anyone? Like Tide or Patagonia just handing out three months of paid rest for people to reset, recharge, and reconnect with themselves?

Wild? Maybe. But we’re going deep on this next—because it’s time to get serious about what real support looks like.

5. What’s Next? Moving Beyond Hustle Culture

It’s not enough to just avoid burnout... we need workplaces that create real, sustainable value for everyone.

Enter: Holistic Value.

Holistic value means rethinking how we measure success... not just in profit margins, but in how well businesses support the people who drive them. It’s about recognizing that true value isn’t one-directional: it’s a continuous cycle where employees, customers, and companies all benefit. Because at the end of the day, that's what all of this is for in the first place...human beings.

If a company’s definition of “value” ignores the well-being of the people creating it... is it really creating value at all?