If you've been feeling burnt out — creatively, professionally, or just generally — this episode is for you. In this solo conversation, I make the case that self-care isn't selfish or indulgent. It's actually one of the most efficient business decisions you can make. The hours you spend pushing through exhaustion are almost always hours that produce worse work than the hour you would have spent resting first.

I also do something I don't usually do on the show: I get vulnerable and read an excerpt from my book, Hitting Rock Middle. This was a meaningful chapter for me to write, and reading it out loud gives you a glimpse into what the writing process actually looked like — the parts of the experience I've rarely talked about elsewhere.

If you've been carrying a lot lately and quietly wondering whether you're allowed to slow down, this is your reminder that rest isn't a reward you have to earn. It's a tool, and the women who use it well end up further than the ones who don't.

This episode originally aired on Hitting Rock Middle, the show that has since evolved into The Sallie Ogden Show.

Buy the book:Hitting Rock Middle by Sallie Ogden: [your current preferred link to the book]

About the show:

The Sallie Ogden Show is for the woman who's already built something — and is stuck at the plateau where the old playbook stops working. Tactical when you need a number. Honest when you need a mirror. Hosted by former lawyer turned consultant Sallie Ogden.

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