From Burnout to Steady: Systems, Sleep & Scaling Without the Second Shift (with Rachel Cutler)

If you’ve been white-knuckling your way through life + business like it’s an Olympic sport… this episode is a deep exhale.Today I’m joined by Rachel Cutler, co-owner of the Mahia Beach Store, a tiny seaside general store that’s been serving its community since 1940. And what I love most about this conversation? It’s not the polished “6-figure morning routine” fluff. It’s the real stuff: the messy middle, the exhaustion, the “I can’t keep doing it all” breaking point… and the practical shifts that helped Rachel move into a season she describes in one word:Steady.This is the episode for you if:You’re doing everything and calling it “just business ownership”Your calendar is living in your head (and waking you up at 2am)You feel guilty leaving early… even though you started this business for freedomYou’re in perimenopause and sleep has left the chatYou’re craving a business that runs like a business not like a crisisWhat We Get Into (The Real Talk Bits)1) The breaking point no one posts onlineRachel found me not long after Cyclone Gabrielle but like she says, it wasn’t just the cyclone. It was COVID years, team dysfunction, financial pressure, working with her husband… and being so sleep-deprived she was basically running on fumes and grit.At one point? It was get help, divorce, sell the business, I’m out. That’s what happens when you’ve been carrying too much for too long.The belief she had to drop: “It has to be me”Rachel admits the big shift was letting go of the story:“No one else can do it”“I don’t have time to teach them”“It has to be perfect”“If they don’t see me working, they’ll think I’m lazy”Oof. If you felt that in your ribs… same. The system that changed everything: The Power HourThis episode gives you a behind-the-scenes look at what it actually looks like to use time-blocking as an anchor not as a control freak tool. Rachel talks about how having her priorities scheduled stops her from being yanked around by everyone else’s urgency.And I’ll say it again for the women in the back: Your calendar isn’t a cage. It’s a capacity unlock. It’s how we stop living in reactive mode. “Giving them the answer” is actually stealing your future timeOne of my favourite parts: the leadership shift from outsourcing thinking back to the team. Rachel catches herself mid-moment: instead of doing the “ten second job,” she teaches someone else how so she never has to do it again.That’s how you build a business that doesn’t need you for every tiny thing.The guilt she outgrew: leaving earlyRachel shares how she used to feel guilty leaving before staff… even though she was doing heaps of invisible work no one sees. Now? She leaves for the dentist without spiralling. Growth, babe. Sleep (especially in perimenopause) is not optionalRachel is brutally honest about insomnia and how it wrecked her leadership, focus, mood, and efficiency and how getting proper support (plus better sleep hygiene) became a turning point.If you’re telling yourself “this is normal”… I need you to hear us both: It’s common. It’s not normal. Get support.Tiny Gold Nuggets You’ll Want to Steal80% good is good enough (your wellbeing is not the thing we sacrifice for perfection)The “yes, but…” habit keeps you stuck. Try “yes, and…” to create options and spaciousnessSystems you avoid are usually the ones that will save you the most timeYour team often thinks you’re richer than you are until you show them how money actually moves through the businessIf This Episode Hit a Nerve…If you’re sitting there thinking, “Yep… that’s me. I’m the bottleneck. I’m exhausted. I’m carrying too much.”Your next step isn’t “try harder.” It’s getting clearer. Get supported. Put the right systems in place.Your Next Steps (Do This Now)✅ Subscribe for episodes that feel like a pep talk and a plan.✅ Follow us on Facebook + Instagram.See you over there, mama. Let’s build a business that supports your life not one you need to recover from.