Sara Blakely on when to quit your day job

+ Health Testing Olympics • Harvard Business Review research on goal harmony, which 'helps workers feel less stressed, more productive, and less likely to burn out.'

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I’m striving for goal harmony

By Amy Cuevas Schroeder

I’ve long been on the fence about the “work-life balance” thing. I mean, it sounds nice in theory, but in practice it ends up feeling like more work.

Which is why I’m intrigued by a new concept called “goal harmony,” a learned skill that you can read about here in Harvard Business Review. The philosophy is that you can and should let your personal and work goals balance and enrich each other rather than compete for your attention. If you can find a way to mentally connect your goals, you’ll be happier, more productive, and less anxious.

Here’s a summary from HBD:

Life can sometimes feel like a zero-sum game, where you have to let go of some goals (like a successful career) in order to pursue others (like a satisfying social life). But chasing multiple dreams doesn’t have to mean choosing between them.

New research across 11 samples in 10 countries found that those who were able to draw connections between their goals (seeing them as complementary or mutually reinforcing) were less stressed and more resilient than people who didn’t see many connections between their aspirations.

Additionally, simple exercises (like reflecting on ways that separate—and even conflicting—goals might have things in common) helped workers feel less stressed, more productive, and less likely to burn out.

I think of goal harmony as a mental health two-fer. Here are some examples:

• “By being more relaxed, I will be able to work more efficiently” (Work–Leisure pair).

• “The healthier I remain, the more money I can save” (Health–Finance pair).

• “I could absolutely take my parents out with me to volunteer at my community center (Family–Community pair).

How do you know it’s time to quit your ‘real job’ and go full-time into your side hustle?

Sara Blakely is one of my favorite entrepreneurs. I can’t get enough of her Spanx startup story in which she developed her product while working full-time selling fax machines door-to-door. When will this gem become a movie?

So, naturally, I was thrilled to see that she addressed one of scrappy entrepreneurs’ most pressing questions on Linkedin:

More from Sara:

I cut the feet out of my pantyhose in 1998. But I didn’t leave my corporate job until 2000. I used my paychecks to fund my idea.... I worked on it at nights and on the weekends. I took customer service calls from bed in the middle of the night. I took all of my PTO for the year to drive to North Carolina and knock on the doors of hosiery mills in hopes that they’d help me create my idea. It was a busy and stressful and grueling time. But just the fact that I was willing to put in the extra hours on top of my 40-hour a week job meant that I knew I was onto something. I had an unwavering belief in myself and my invention.

And I didn’t leave that job until I was absolutely sure I could still pay rent without it (and let’s be honest... they knew something was up anyways. I was constantly exhausted 🤣).

So if you’re still grinding it out on nights and weekends pursuing your passion.... keep at it. Trust your intuition to know when and if you’re ready to take it to the next level. But until then.... try and remember that your ‘real job’ may be giving you the ability to fund your idea. And if you believe in it enough... all the extra hours are worth it. ❤️

Thank you so much, Sara. I’ve been “grinding” on The Midst for years now and I’m still in love with it.

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I entered the “Health Testing Olympics”

By Roma van der Walt in Her Long Game

Before we dive into all the testing I did recently, let’s review my DOC 2025 visit:

The biggest takeaway for me was that when you put scientists and physicians in one room, magic happens. Those two camps can be woefully separate. One is healthcare, the other is academia or “wellness”.

I was recently called “non-credentialed” compared to people with a Dr. title, despite the fact that I have a Masters degree in sports science. Rude.

Anyway, as I like to reference often: professional athletes have performance teams that span clinical, physiological and everything in-between and that’s why they excel.

It is about time we applied that playbook to the general population — especially women — and luckily data and machine learning allows for that.

I will share more about my talk at the conference soon, but for now…

Let’s get into it.

1. I’m biologically 37 — whoop!

I did a DNA test for the second time in 2 years and after being 48 last time, I am now a young 37. Awww, I remember 37. It was the age when I thought about what a great party I would have for my 40th while basking in the vitality of my mid-30s.

So you can imagine the shock when that last test came back much older and I subsequently watched a health coach sweat bullets trying to explain it to me.

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It began with one card

By MacKenzie Wilson

No collection or a launch plan. Just a wish to create something, which led to experimenting with a simple design that captured everything I was feeling at the time: the compassion, the humor, the heavy mental load so many women carry in this middle season of life. All of it unfolding against the relentless chaos of what’s happening in the world, and across our country and in our own communities.

Yet, through it all, it’s that unshakable bond between women, when we show up for one another, that always gleams above the noise.

My Powerhouse Women Card

I launched Goldhawk Paper Co. on Etsy with that one card on International Women’s Day this year. An offering of solidarity and a quiet nod to every woman doing her best to hold it all together.

Since I can remember, I’ve written letters to friends, to family, to childhood pen pals in England and France. Sending small, heartfelt notes became my way of staying connected, of saying I see you and you matter.

That’s what Goldhawk is about. Not just cards, but connection. A reminder that we’re in this together and that even a simple message can make someone feel seen and loved.

For me, the only thing that makes sense in this world is the incredible orbit of powerhouse women who give a damn!