From Frenzy to Focus: Shelly O’Neal Of SO Wellness On How We Can Cancel Hustle Culture And Create A New Sustainable Work Paradigm

An Interview With Drew Gerber

Delegation was an incredible tool to implement into my daily workday. Sharing the workload and trusting my team to support me and the business was crucial in finding time for me again.

“Hustle Culture” is an ethos often propounded by young self-proclaimed internet gurus that centers around the idea that working long hours and sacrificing self-care are required to succeed. This mentality may have gained popularity in the mid-2010s, but it has peaked, and now it has been sardonically renamed “Burnout Culture.” So why exactly is Hustle Culture the wrong path to take? What damage can it cause? What is a viable, sustainable alternative to hustle culture? How can we move from Frenzy To Focus? In this interview series, we are talking to business leaders, mental health leaders, marketing experts, business coaches, authors, and thought leaders who can share stories and insights about “How We Can Cancel Hustle Culture And Create A New Sustainable Work Paradigm.” As a part of this series, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Shelly O’Neal.

Shelly is a therapist, corporate wellness consultant, and the owner of a six-facility private behavioral health and psychiatry healthcare group.

Her mission is to help companies, organizations, and individuals design their own personalized wellness programs to improve employee performance, attendance, and retention. She uses the 4 Pillars of Wellness, Emotional, Physical, Spiritual and Financial to help companies and individuals to function at their highest level.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive in, our readers would love to know how you got from “there to here.” Inspire us with your backstory!

In my early years as a therapist, I recognized that humans tend to experience similar emotional and internal struggles, just at different points in life. Of course, each person’s treatment plan and story are unique, but many of the same principles guide them forward. That’s when I began dreaming of a day when I could impact more than just one person per hour.

I was a single mom when I decided to build Emerald Therapy Center. What started as a private practice has grown into a certified women-owned, family-run and CARF-accredited healthcare company that consists of psychiatry, therapy and wellness services.

We currently have six healthcare facilities and employ over 100 people who continue to move Emerald forward while I focus on helping others design their lives on a wider scale. SO, the dream continues.

I began working with C-level executives, entrepreneurs and H.R. departments because I know the influence businesses have on their employees. We work together to implement and strategize wellness programs and practices to ensure the highest level of sustainable efficiency and health, which impacts these individuals far beyond the walls of their offices.

Tell us about your typical day!

After a little “me time,” which consists of drinking hot tea on my porch and listening to a podcast, I take a deep breath and prioritize working on the least favorable tasks of the day. Often, when you do the tasks you are least excited about first, you realize there isn’t anything to dread, and by tackling it first, you find your day has opened up to be more productive.

As a business owner, it’s important to identify priorities when there are multiple pieces at work while still listening to our own needs.

After tackling the most critical issues, I ask myself where I am most needed today. From a revenue stance and an organizational supportive role, what are my priorities?

I have set meetings with our administration team in the early afternoon to discuss organizational improvements and practices. After that, I spend some time “on the floor.” I prioritize walking through a different department or facility every single day. I spend a few minutes as the day wraps up to examine how the operations, processes and policies are being followed. I’m looking for any HIPAA issues, employee engagement and just an overall attitude of the team and clientele. In one minute, I can usually tell if our team is on track or if action is needed.

I’ve also carved out certain days for corporate consulting and events. I spend time identifying the needs of a company or team and then developing a plan for the HR department or CEO to implement. Every company has unique needs and challenges, so we must customize their program to ensure their employees will engage successfully.

To others, it may look like I’m all over the place, but my day is very structured. I wear a lot of hats, so I must make sure I’m efficient in the hat I’m wearing at the time.

Now, let’s discuss an alternative to Hustle Culture. To begin, can you share with our readers a bit about why you are an authority on the problems that come with Hustle Culture?

I’m a veteran of hustle culture, and it’s not sustainable, nor does it always produce a high ROI. I used to believe it was the only way to be successful until a mentor of mine showed me an alternate way. I learned that you can have hustle weeks but can’t sustain a hustle life.

I worked very closely with the CEO of a national company for a few years. He worked insane hours, and I realized he didn’t have anyone to help him with the repetitive daily tasks or screening what needed his attention/expertise and what could be delegated. Despite the heavy workload, he physically removed himself on the weekends. He found a system and created a boundary for himself and his staff to recharge. So, I’ve done the same. If I have my keys on me over the weekend, I’ll end up at one of our facilities, even when I am engaged in personal activities, so I leave them at home on purpose.

Being a therapist and corporate wellness consultant, I have firsthand experience working with corporations and executives on some of the greatest setbacks modern companies face regarding their employees. The feedback I receive the most is a rise in employee burnout and difficulty with overall retention. These concerns have allowed me to work closely with decision-makers to craft wellness-based programs intended to assist in preventing burnout and turnover, which, in my opinion, go hand-in-hand by instilling practices that work with each employee directly from the inside out.

I always ask myself when building these programs, “How can we change an employee’s mindset so they feel they have a more realistic and attainable approach to their work?” By shifting an employee’s mindset, you also shift their view of the company and their loyalty to the organization’s progress and position.

Why is Hustle Culture the wrong path to take?

Hustle Culture is not sustainable. Having a successful career, whatever that means to you, is about running a marathon, not a sprint. Hustle Culture looks valuable in the immediate; some even wear it as a badge of honor, but even in the highest functioning employees, it cannot be sustained long term. That’s when we see burnout in our employees.

What damage can it cause?

Hustle Culture leads your leaders and staff to question their passion, position and overall place in the industry. When employees leave an organization, their expertise and knowledge leave as well. We often see this drastically impact the performance and outlook of their colleagues, like a wildfire that spreads throughout the department.

What is a viable, sustainable alternative to hustle culture?

I think it is important for us to recognize the substantial difference between hustling for a project and hustling for a career. A great alternative is to align focus toward a mindful, informed and intentional culture. Those who adjust their mindset to embrace these values are more likely to bring innovation, problem-solving and positivity to their work environment.

We must be strategic and mindful about our work and what we need to accomplish. Ask yourself a few questions:

-How is your day structured? Is it costing you revenue or performance?

-Who else has eyes on the company? Remember, every set of eyes can’t see everything.

-What’s distracting you daily from the priorities you’ve set?

You are leading by example. Building a strategic process means you and your employees are applying knowledge in a healthy way, leading to top performance and long-term company retention.

How can we move from frenzy to focus?

Practice. Frenzy only works until your second or third cup of coffee.

Focus in the workplace comes from leadership. Corporations that implement wellness programs find longevity with their employees; they teach them how to set realistic goals and expectations, build a healthy mindset and implement attainable and sustainable hustle. They are investing in their employees’ overall emotional, physical, financial and spiritual health, thus helping create a healthy person first.

How has marketing, social media, etc., promoted hustle culture?

Social media and marketing efforts project an unrealistic image of what work is meant to be in our society. There is no denying that work is challenging, stressful and at times hurried, but it shouldn’t always be like that. I’m on a mission to build a realistic, healthy, productive workforce through my own social presence.

Can you give a personal example of where you simplified your life to feel less frenzied?

As the CEO of a healthcare company, I’ve recognized the way to a long, successful career is to approach this industry like a marathon. When I started, I worked a crazy number of hours, but I recognized the season I was in and began to see hustle culture wasn’t the only option. The thought of the hustle and bustle ending was not enough; I had to consciously decide to learn new skills to keep the pace of work from consuming me.

Delegation was an incredible tool to implement into my daily workday. Sharing the workload and trusting my team to support me and the business was crucial in finding time for me again.

I also began listening to podcasts in the morning. This was a moment before I started the day just for me. I strongly believe that what you decide to surround yourself with in the morning can determine your mindset for the rest of the day. I can’t control what the day holds, but I can control my own actions, thoughts and reactions.

I’m strategic about my day’s structure and don’t allow minor distractions to disrupt my priorities. Sometimes, that looks like telling someone, “I really want to touch base with you, but I have another meeting to go to. Can we chat for 5 minutes?” You’re acknowledging both your employee’s needs and your own.

Lastly, I prioritized listening to my body. I recognized when I needed to rest and when I was ready to be all in. I identified the most productive and creative parts of the day for me and scheduled events accordingly.

In your opinion, how can we break the addiction to being busy? What do we do if everyone else around us is still promoting hustle culture?

There’s this idea that if you’re busy, you’re productive, but keeping yourself busy does not guarantee that you get the important things done. Take a closer look at your employees who boast long hours. Are they as productive as they think they are?

I find most people try to band-aid their mental health with work. It’s a hamster wheel effect that can be extremely difficult to break. Focusing on creating a sustainable practice of self-care and wellness in your daily routine can help break down the craving of staying busy.

Remember that you can only control yourself if everyone around you is still on the hamster wheel. Focus on problem solving, understand what wastes your time and energy and what keeps you away from real work. Then, start building your own strategy toward a different work life. Let your performance speak for itself, and watch others come alongside you. You might be the leader everyone needs to make a change.

What would you call the opposite of Hustle Culture?

Intentional and Mindfulness Culture. In my opinion, the opposite of Hustle Culture is slowing down and being intentional and strategic about our day. This doesn’t mean not working hard or even working a lot. We all wear a lot of hats, and that’s okay. We’re designed to do hard things, but mindfulness allows us to create balance so work overload and burnout don’t occur. It also increases our emotional and physical safety.

If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would it be?

Designer Emotional Health. This is what we’re talking about when we talk about self-care; it’s designer, custom and personalized. Does your self-care consist of meditation? Kayaking? Journaling? We must make mental health a mainstay. It must be something everybody does and has to be a staple of our lives. It’s not just for when you’re stressed but before you get there. Doing this work allows us all to show up to work healthy so we produce the best work for our company and team, plus create a product that the world needs. This can be done without sacrificing our physical and emotional health.

This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for the time you spent on this. We wish you only continued success.

About The Interviewer: For 30 years, Drew Gerber has been inspiring those who want to change the world. Drew is the CEO of Wasabi Publicity, Inc., a full-service PR agency lauded by PR Week and Good Morning America. Wasabi Publicity, Inc. is a global marketing company that supports industry leaders, change agents, unconventional thinkers, companies and organizations that strive to make a difference. Whether it’s branding, traditional PR or social media marketing, every campaign is instilled with passion, creativity and brilliance to powerfully tell their clients’ story and amplify their intentions in the world. Schedule a free consultation at WasabiPublicity.com/Choosing-Publicity.