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The glorification of constantly working or “hustling” initially was appealing to me. As a woman raised by a strong Vietnamese mother who escaped a communist country, learned English, and started her own business after teaching herself how to sew, I was drawn to the appeal of hard work and the American dream. I have the work ethic and am downright scrappy. Therefore, I was naturally drawn to the startup world and it’s openly “hustle and grind” culture.
It’s common to hear entrepreneurs talk about rising before dawn, working on their company and finishing up late into the night, only to do it again the next. You’ll often hear people say, “sleep is optional” or “entrepreneurs don’t take vacations.” We, as entrepreneurs, have told tall tales of sleepless nights, maxed out credit cards, and living and breathing startup life. Simon Sinek’s Leaders Eat Last talks about the sacrifices you make to lead a company.
“the true price of leadership is the willingness to place the needs of others above your own. Great leaders truly care about those they are privileged to lead and understand that the true cost of the leadership privilege comes at the expense of self-interest.”
