What if hustle culture is not the path to success, but the thing keeping you stuck?

In this episode, Scott Perry of Creative on Purpose joins Dharma Funder for a deep conversation about building a business that funds and fits your life without growth hacks, algorithm chasing, funnel gymnastics, or performative marketing.

Scott shares why he walked away from a successful digital marketing business, what Substack has made possible, and how solopreneurs can build more meaningful, sustainable businesses by aligning their work with their values, talents, and sense of purpose.

The conversation moves through Stoicism, the Bhagavad Gita, sacred duty, generosity, burnout, ego, community, and the courage required to stop playing a game you never wanted to play.

Here’s What’s Covered

In this episode, we explore:

* How Scott’s early exposure to Stoicism, the Bhagavad Gita, and the Tao Te Ching shaped his work

* Why “fake it till you make it” is a terrible business strategy

* The real cost of becoming a successful digital marketer

* How to build a good living on Substack without growth hacks or bestseller badges

* Why meaningful work must align with your values, abilities, and boundaries

* The difference between generosity and overgiving

* Why information can be free, but implementation and proximity are worth paying for

* How community creates trust before coaching begins

* What Stoicism and the Bhagavad Gita teach about duty, ego, and surrender

* Why burnout is a symptom, not the disease

* The question to ask when you feel depleted: “Am I doing the wrong thing, or doing the thing wrong?”

* Why hustle culture can send you faster in the wrong direction

* How the right peers, mentors, and students help you grow

* Why “slow is smooth, and smooth is fast”

Go Further

Want more principle-based guidance for building a purpose-driven business without digital marketing BS?

Subscribe to the Creative on Purpose Substack:

You’ll find essays, resources, community calls, and support for solopreneurs who want to make a better living and a bigger difference without playing someone else’s game.

And subscribe to the Creative on Purpose YouTube channel for more conversations, trainings, and practical ideas:https://www.youtube.com/@CreativeOnPurpose

Thank you Suzanne Taylor-King, Penny Harris ACC, Omixintel, Claire Machado, Duncan The Sage, and many others for tuning into my live video with Dharma Funder!

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit creativeonpurpose.substack.com/subscribe