Surviving the Side Hustle

Rob Tracz
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Welcome to "Surviving the Side Hustle," the ultimate podcast for balancing the demands of entrepreneurship with maintaining mental, physical, and emotional well-being. Hosted by Coach Rob Tracz, an expert in helping driven professionals achieve 'personal development for professional success,' this show is more than just storytelling—it's a masterclass in thriving amidst the entrepreneurial grind. Each episode features candid conversations with leaders who are rewriting the rules of entrepreneurship, sharing their unique stories, the creative solutions they're offering, and the everyday challenges they’re overcoming. Whether you’re a side hustler looking for your big break or an established entrepreneur seeking fresh perspectives, "Surviving the Side Hustle" provides valuable insights that resonate with the movers, the shakers, and everyone in between. Feeling burnt out and sidelining your own health? This podcast empowers you to overcome stagnation, build resilience, and optimize your life and business. We dive deep into your goals, identify obstacles, and share strategies to boost your energy, improve your strength, and keep the entrepreneurial grind enjoyable. Join us for inspiring stories, expert insights, and practical advice to help you look good, feel good, and do great things at every stage of your entrepreneurial journey. Let’s not just survive the side hustle—let's master it.

  1. 23 HR AGO

    E160 - Lessons from Jordan DePuy: Slow Wealth, Smart Systems, and Ethical Growth

    If you’re a skill-built business owner — someone with real expertise, strong work ethic, and a desire to build security without blowing your life up — this episode was built for you. Because here’s the trap most high-performers fall into: We know how to work hard.We don’t always know how to build wealth responsibly. We trade time for money.We add side hustles without systems.We chase upside without protecting the downside. And eventually, we look successful on paper… but feel stretched thin underneath. This week’s conversation with Jordan DePuy offers a different model — one rooted in patience, preparation, and principle. Who Is Jordan?Jordan is a longtime banking professional in New York’s Hudson Valley who understands risk, lending, and financial structure from the inside out. He didn’t grow up wealthy. Money was scarce. That shaped his mindset early. While working full-time in banking, he began quietly building: • An ATM business (grown from 7 machines to 80+)• Real estate investments• Multiple income streams• All while keeping family at the center No hype.No reckless risk.Just steady, ethical growth. The 3 Big Lessons1️⃣ Preparation Beats PressureJordan shared how August 2019 felt like a breakthrough month. Cash flow was strong. Confidence was high. Then March 2020 hit. COVID exposed a critical truth: Wealth isn’t built in peak months.It’s built in preparation before the peak. Ask yourself:If revenue stopped for 90 days, what breaks? Quiet wealth is built on reserves, buffers, and discipline — not momentum spending. 2️⃣ Pattern Recognition Beats OptimismAs a banker, Jordan reviews financials daily. He’s developed the ability to spot: • Real income vs paper income• Sustainable growth vs fragile growth• Signal vs noise That skill didn’t come from motivation.It came from reps and exposure. Ask yourself:Do you know your numbers cold?Are decisions data-driven or emotional? Hope isn’t a strategy.Clarity is. 3️⃣ Purpose Sustains GrowthDuring COVID, Jordan lost his mother. At the same time, the world shut down and business slowed. Life hit hard. But he didn’t build recklessly.He built purposefully. Because purpose sustains effort when motivation disappears. Ask yourself:Why am I building this?Who is this for?What kind of life am I protecting? If your “why” is clear, endurance follows. Why This Matters for Skill-Built OwnersSkill-built entrepreneurs often confuse effort with leverage. You can grind endlessly…Or you can build systems that protect you when life hits. Jordan’s approach mirrors what we teach inside Prime Performance: • Slow down• Structure smarter• Align effort with leverage• Build without burnout You’re not behind.You’re not late.You’re building something real. And when you build patiently, prepare intentionally, and lead ethically — wealth compounds far beyond money. As always:Reflect honestly.Choose intentionally.Keep surviving the side hustle.

    14 min

  2. 4 DAYS AGO

    E159 - Building Wealth Quietly & Consistently with Jordan DePuy

    What if real success isn’t loud, flashy, or viral — but patient, disciplined, and built with family at the center? That’s exactly what this week’s conversation with Jordan DePuy reveals. Jordan is a longtime banking professional in the Hudson Valley who has quietly built an impressive portfolio of side businesses while maintaining a full-time career, raising a family, and staying grounded in values that too often get lost in entrepreneurship. Jordan’s story is a reminder that wealth doesn’t have to be rushed — and freedom doesn’t have to come from burning everything down. A Banker by Accident — An Entrepreneur by ObservationJordan didn’t grow up with money. In fact, he grew up hearing “we can’t afford that” more times than he can count. That experience sparked two lifelong interests: helping people and understanding money. After realizing medicine wasn’t his path, Jordan studied finance and entered banking — learning the business from the inside out. Over the years, he noticed a pattern: the people who built real wealth weren’t just earning salaries… they owned businesses. That realization planted the seed. Growing a Side Hustle the Smart WayJordan and his brother started an ATM business with just a handful of machines and a modest investment. They didn’t chase hype. They reinvested profits, built reserves, and planned for growth. Today, that business has grown to over 80 machines, alongside real estate investments and other ventures — all while Jordan continues working full-time in banking. The key wasn’t speed.It was systems, patience, and preparation. And when COVID hit, that preparation mattered. The downturn exposed gaps, reinforced the importance of reserves, and reshaped how Jordan thinks about risk — lessons he now brings into every business decision. Seeing Opportunity Through Patterns, Not HypeBecause Jordan reviews business financials daily, he’s developed an eye for opportunity most people don’t have. He looks past surface-level excitement and focuses on fundamentals: cash flow, sustainability, risk, and margin. That perspective also makes him a better advisor. Whether he’s underwriting loans, mentoring entrepreneurs, or helping a personal trainer land their first clients, Jordan approaches growth practically — not emotionally. One powerful theme throughout the episode: opportunity favors preparation. Empty machines, poor systems, or lack of planning aren’t just mistakes — they’re missed chances. Life, Loss, and Leading With EmpathyThe conversation takes a deeper turn when Jordan shares the loss of his mother during COVID. That experience reshaped his priorities and reinforced why he builds the way he does — not just for profit, but for people. It also made him a more empathetic leader and banker. Jordan understands that numbers don’t always tell the full story — and that sometimes belief, integrity, and timing matter just as much as spreadsheets. Lessons for Side Hustlers & BuildersJordan’s advice for anyone building something on the side is simple but powerful: • Know why you’re building• Plan for both failure and success• Build reserves before you need them• Learn business fundamentals early• Find mentors who’ve lived it• Don’t sacrifice integrity for speed When asked what he hopes people say about the way he built his businesses, his answer was immediate: Ethical.Integrity.

    42 min

  3. 6 FEB

    E158 - Lessons from Caroline Sangal: Realizing When Success Isn't Yours to Carry

    What if the version of success you’ve been chasing your entire life was never actually yours? That’s the question at the heart of this week’s conversation with Caroline Sangel, and it’s one every driven, capable, high-performing listener needs to sit with. On paper, Caroline was the definition of success: high school valedictorian, PhD in polymer science, fellowship recipient, elite performer in both science and recruiting, and a top 2% pace-setter in a global firm. She did everything “right.” But behind the titles was a familiar pattern — relentless pressure, external validation, and the quiet belief: “I’m only worthy if I achieve.” That belief came at a cost. Caroline’s story starts early. Growing up in a household where education and advancement were the language of love, she learned quickly how to hit targets. If an A was required, she got it. If the bar moved, she moved with it. That pattern followed her into STEM, advanced chemistry, polymers, and PhD-level research. She could do the work — and did it well — but felt deeply misaligned. Still, she stayed. Because when achievement becomes identity, walking away feels like failure. She described the early warning signs as “whispers.”Ignored whispers eventually turn into wake-up calls. Despite objective success — commercializing multimillion-dollar products and rising fast — her body began keeping receipts her mind tried to ignore. Obesity. Multiple blood pressure medications. Resting heart rates over 200 BPM. A diagnosis of supraventricular tachycardia. A cardiac ablation. Then the sentence that changed everything: “You’re holding the match. Either you make serious changes, or everything burns down.” She kept pushing anyway — until her husband said the words that finally cut through: “I’m afraid we won’t have another anniversary. Not because I’ll leave — but because you’re killing yourself.” That moment forced the real question: Who am I if I’m not what I do? Caroline didn’t quit impulsively. She planned. She waited. She built skills. She intentionally put herself in uncomfortable growth situations. And when the time was right, she left. Instead of just pivoting, she studied the problem like a scientist: Why are so many people externally successful but internally unfulfilled? Why do only 20% of people reach their potential? That work became the Next Success Method — a framework rooted in data-backed assessments, mental fitness, career alignment, values, and identity clarity. The results were real: after eight weeks of mental fitness work, her blood pressure dropped 20 points — and stayed there. Caroline now works with professionals who are questioning their careers (a natural process every 7–10 years), high achievers considering pivots, and organizations trying to unlock real potential. Her message is clear — and it aligns perfectly with Surviving the Side Hustle and Prime Performance: • Achievement without alignment drains you faster• Speed without direction becomes distraction• Questioning your path isn’t failure — it’s development• You’re not broken — you’re often just misaligned When asked what kind of world we’d live in if people designed success aligned with who they are, her answer was simple: An inspired world. A healthier world. A more connected world. 🎧 Listen to the full episode🌐 Learn more at nextsuccesscareers.com🎙️ Check out Caroline’s podcast, Your Next Success

    14 min

  4. 3 FEB

    E157 - Redefining Success Before It Costs You Everything with Caroline Sangal

    What if the version of success you’re chasing isn’t wrong — but it isn’t yours? In this episode of Surviving the Side Hustle, I sit down with Caroline Sangal, a former high-achieving scientist turned career coach, to unpack what happens when traditional success starts quietly draining your health, relationships, and sense of self. Caroline checked every box: valedictorian, PhD in polymer science, elite performance, industry recognition, and financial wins. On paper, she was doing everything “right.” But behind the scenes, she was burned out, disconnected, and slowly breaking down — physically, emotionally, and relationally. This conversation is a powerful reminder that achievement without alignment eventually comes at a cost. From High Achievement to Hidden BurnoutCaroline shares how her identity became deeply tied to performance — grades, titles, accolades, and external validation. Even when she succeeded, it never felt like enough. That pattern followed her from academia into industry, and later into recruiting, where she became a top performer chasing the next milestone… even as her health deteriorated. High blood pressure. Chronic stress. Emotional reactivity. A heart condition that forced a serious medical intervention. The wake-up call wasn’t just professional — it was personal. A moment with her husband made it clear: success wasn’t just exhausting her… it was risking everything she cared about most. The Danger of Borrowed Definitions of SuccessOne of the core themes of this episode is how many of us unconsciously adopt definitions of success handed to us by parents, schools, industries, or culture — without ever asking if they actually fit who we are. Caroline explains that career questioning isn’t failure — it’s development. In fact, it’s normal to reassess your direction every 7–10 years. The problem isn’t questioning… it’s ignoring the signals. Burnout doesn’t usually arrive all at once.It starts as whispers. Ignored long enough, it becomes a breakdown. Designing Success That Fuels Your LifeAfter leaving corporate recruiting, Caroline built Next Success Careers to help people stop chasing status and start building authentic success — careers that align with how they’re wired, what they value, and the life they actually want to live. Her work blends data-driven assessments, mindset training, career strategy, and mental fitness — helping people shift from externally successful but internally unfulfilled to energized, aligned, and intentional. The takeaway is simple but powerful: You don’t need to burn your life down to build something better —but you do need the courage to question what you’re building and why. Final ReflectionIf more people stopped chasing success they were handed — and started designing success aligned with who they actually are — we wouldn’t just have better careers. We’d have healthier people.Stronger families.More meaningful work. And a lot less burnout. 🎧 Listen to the full episode🌐 Learn more about Caroline’s work at nextsuccesscareers.com🎙️ Check out her podcast, Your Next Success And as always — reflect honestly, choose intentionally, and keep surviving the side hustle.

    53 min

  5. 30 JAN

    E156 - Lessons from Michael Cobb: Patience Is the Ultimate Competitive Advantage

    What if the biggest advantage you could give yourself as an entrepreneur wasn’t speed — but patience? This week’s conversation with Michael K. Cobb was a powerful reminder that real success is rarely fast. In a world obsessed with overnight wins and viral moments, Mike represents the opposite: long-term vision, deep preparation, and the willingness to do work that doesn’t pay off for years — sometimes decades. With over 30 years of experience building businesses across Central and South America, Mike has turned curiosity-driven side projects into enduring enterprises in international mortgage financing, real estate development, banking, and sustainable forestry. The Problem High Performers HaveMost side hustlers and high performers fall into short-term thinking. They feel pressure to move fast, go all-in early, and chase the next hot opportunity. If results don’t show up quickly, doubt creeps in — and projects get abandoned before they ever have a chance to mature. Speed feels productive. But it often comes at the cost of mastery, patience, and compounding returns. Mike’s success didn’t come from a master plan — it came from prepared observation. In the early 1990s, while visiting Belize, he noticed something strange: beautiful condos were being built, but construction had stalled. The reason? There was no financing. U.S. banks wouldn’t finance property in Belize, and local banks wouldn’t lend to foreigners. That gap — that friction — was the opportunity. One simple question sparked a business: “Would you sell your paper at a discount?” And just like that, a mortgage company was born. Not because Mike was searching for an opportunity — but because he was ready to recognize one. Here’s what most people miss: this didn’t replace Mike’s career overnight. For years, the business stayed a side hustle. Mike continued working in the computer industry, traveling overseas periodically, learning remotely, and letting the business grow quietly in the background. This is the part most entrepreneurs rush past. Sometimes the smartest move isn’t quitting and burning the boats — it’s patient overlap. Mike is the author of How to Buy Your Home Overseas and Get It Right the First Time — originally created to help people avoid costly mistakes when purchasing property abroad. 🎁 Free for listeners📩 Email: podcast@ecidevelopment.com📝 Subject line: Mike’s Book When asked what mistake he hopes listeners avoid, Mike’s answer was immediate: hubris. Assuming you know what you don’t.Letting excitement override diligence.Believing speed matters more than preparation. The antidote is humility, curiosity, and patience. Success doesn’t need to be fast to be meaningful.Side hustles don’t need to be rushed to be real. Build slowly. Prepare deeply. Stay ready. Because luck favors the prepared — and missed opportunity haunts the unprepared. Reflect honestly. Choose intentionally. And keep surviving the side hustle.

    15 min

  6. 27 JAN

    E155 - The Long Game: Building Wealth & Opportunity Over Time with Michael Cobb

    In this episode, Rob sits down with Michael K. Cobb, an international entrepreneur and investor with over 30 years of experience building businesses across Central and South America. What started as a “side hustle” overseas turned into long-standing enterprises in international banking, real estate development, timber, and global investing. This conversation is a masterclass in long-term thinking, preparation, and what it really takes to build something that lasts. Most side hustlers and entrepreneurs are trapped in short-term thinking. They want results fast. They chase the “get rich quick” play. And when success doesn’t show up immediately, they abandon the work before mastery ever has a chance to form. The result? Constant pivotingShallow experienceMissed opportunities disguised as “bad timing”As Mike makes clear: meaningful success almost never shows up on a short timeline. Michael’s story is a reminder that luck favors the prepared — not the rushed. His first international business didn’t start with a master plan. It started with curiosity, observation, and patience. Sitting by a pool in Belize in the early 90s, he noticed a simple but massive gap: developers couldn’t sell properties because buyers couldn’t get financing. Instead of forcing speed, he built systems. Instead of chasing certainty, he committed to learning. He embraced long timelines — buying mortgage notes, planting teak trees that wouldn’t be harvested for 25+ years, and investing in businesses where mastery mattered more than momentum. His philosophy is simple: Do the work before you know which 1% will matter — because you won’t know until it does. The biggest threat to long-term success isn’t failure — it’s hubris. Michael highlights a mistake he sees repeatedly: people assuming they know more than they do, especially when operating outside their home country, industry, or comfort zone. Whether it’s business, investing, or real estate overseas, confidence without humility leads to expensive lessons. As he put it plainly: “The mistake is thinking we understand something we don’t.” This episode directly aligns with Prime Principle – Opportunity (Luck). Luck isn’t random. It’s built through: PreparationPatienceLong-term perspectiveSurrounding yourself with the right peopleInside Prime Performance Coaching and the Momentum Mastermind, this is exactly the work we do — helping driven individuals slow down enough to think clearly, prepare intentionally, and create opportunities that compound over time. If you’re tired of chasing momentum and want to build it instead, this is your invitation. Michael is also the author of How to Buy Your Home Overseas, originally created as a consumer resource to help people avoid costly mistakes when buying property abroad. 🎁 Listener Bonus:Michael is offering the book free to listeners.📩 Email: podcast@ecidevelopment.com📝 Subject line: Mike’s Book For those needing deeper guidance, Michael also offers consulting and international due diligence services. You don’t need to move faster.You need to think longer. Whether it’s business, investing, or life, the people who win aren’t the ones who rush — they’re the ones who stay humble, keep learning, and prepare for opportunity before it knocks. Or as Rob often says:Luck favors the prepared — and missed opportunities haunt the unprepared.

    45 min

  7. 23 JAN

    E154 - Lessons from Florian Kemmerich: When Success Isn't Enough

    What happens when you achieve the life you were told to want… and realize it doesn’t actually feel like yours? This week’s conversation with Florian Kemmerich, founder of On Vocation, explores a quiet but powerful truth many high performers face: success doesn’t always equal fulfillment. This episode isn’t about quitting your job or blowing up your life — it’s about choosing your life consciously instead of inheriting it unconsciously. Most high performers aren’t failing — they’re functioning. They’re capable, respected, productive, and doing “everything right.” And that’s exactly why the deeper questions get postponed. Education and career paths teach us how to make a living, but rarely ask: What do I actually care about?What feels meaningful to contribute?What kind of life would I choose if I wasn’t responding to expectations?That gap doesn’t show up immediately. It shows up later as burnout, golden handcuffs, quiet dissatisfaction, or the feeling of being busy all day but disconnected from yourself. As Florian put it: “I had been the absent subject of my own education.” Florian introduces the idea of vocation — not as a title or outcome, but as alignment. A vocation isn’t about status or external validation. It’s about dedicating your skills in service of something greater than yourself. The key distinction he makes: Imagination is externally driven (money, recognition, approval).Intuition is internally driven (service, responsibility, meaning).You don’t have to abandon your experience to follow your vocation.Vocation answers why you care.Your skill set answers how you contribute. Avoiding these questions doesn’t make them disappear — it delays them. The longer you delay conscious choice, the higher the cost: Over-identification with money or statusQuiet regretFeeling like you never really chose your lifeAs Florian said: “Work becomes exhausting when it’s disconnected from who you are.” This episode aligns directly with Prime Principle: Clarity. Clarity isn’t about having all the answers — it’s about asking better questions and acting intentionally instead of reactively. If this episode resonated, this is exactly the work we do inside Prime Performance Coaching and the Momentum Mastermind: Clarifying who you are becomingAligning effort with intentionTurning awareness into momentumDesigning a life and business that actually fits youYou don’t need to abandon your life — you need to author it. To dive deeper into Florian’s work: 📘 Book: On Vocation – Aligning Purpose with Profession🌍 Website: on-vocation.comFlorian also has upcoming books on Purpose & Business and Purpose & Capital, along with future workshops and a gamified platform. Final ThoughtYou don’t need to figure everything out today. But you do need the courage to ask the question honestly: Am I living my life — or just responding to expectations? As always:Reflect honestly. Choose intentionally.And keep surviving the side hustle.

    15 min

  8. 20 JAN

    E153 - From Success to Significance: Discovering Your Vocation with Florian Kemmerich

    What happens when you achieve the life you were told to want… and realize it isn’t yours? In this episode of Surviving the Side Hustle, Rob sits down with Florian Kemmerich — founder of On Vocation, author, investor, and global thought leader — to explore what it truly means to align your work with who you are. At just 33 years old, Florian walked away from a high-level corporate career, a marriage, and a version of “success” that looked good on paper but felt empty in real life. What followed was a deep personal reckoning that led him to ask a question most people avoid: Am I living my life — or just responding to expectations? This conversation is a powerful invitation for anyone who feels successful, capable, and busy… yet quietly disconnected from meaning. 🧭 The Difference Between a Job and a VocationFlorian shares that most education systems teach us how to make a living, not how to live a life. We learn skills, roles, and expectations — but rarely pause to ask what we are actually here to contribute. That gap eventually shows up as: Midlife crisesBurnoutDivorceThe “golden handcuffs” feelingOr the quiet regret of “I was too busy to live.”Despite external success, Florian realized he was hiding behind competence, achievement, and identity. A coaching process helped him see that beneath the armor was an unexpressed inner calling — something ignored since childhood. His realization: “I had been the absent subject of my own education.” ⚖️ Imagination vs. IntuitionOne of the most powerful distinctions in this episode is the difference between: Externally driven imagination (fame, money, approval)Internally driven intuition (service, contribution, meaning)A vocation isn’t about titles or outcomes — it’s about dedicating your skills in service of something greater than yourself. 🧩 Vocation + Skill Set (Not One or the Other)You don’t need to burn your life down or abandon your experience. Florian emphasizes that vocation and skill set must work together. Just like Rob’s transition from strength & conditioning into performance coaching, your skills transfer — the context changes. Vocation answers: Why do I care?Skill set answers:How do I contribute?🛠️ The 7-Step “Vocating” FrameworkFlorian developed a practical, repeatable process to help people: Cut through noiseIdentify their vocationDefine a theory of changeChoose where to apply itBuild stamina & perseveranceMeasure impactDesign a meaningful professional pathThis framework now lives in his book On Vocation, with more books and a gamified platform on the way. 📚 Learn More from Florian🌍 Website & Book: on-vocation.com📖 On Vocation: Aligning Purpose with Profession🔜 Upcoming books on Purpose & Business and Purpose & Capital🔑 Final ReflectionVocation isn’t about quitting everything.It’s about choosing consciously. When your work becomes an expression of who you are, effort feels different.Contribution feels energizing.And success stops feeling hollow. As always — reflect honestly, choose intentionally, and keep surviving the side hustle.

    47 min
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About

Welcome to "Surviving the Side Hustle," the ultimate podcast for balancing the demands of entrepreneurship with maintaining mental, physical, and emotional well-being. Hosted by Coach Rob Tracz, an expert in helping driven professionals achieve 'personal development for professional success,' this show is more than just storytelling—it's a masterclass in thriving amidst the entrepreneurial grind. Each episode features candid conversations with leaders who are rewriting the rules of entrepreneurship, sharing their unique stories, the creative solutions they're offering, and the everyday challenges they’re overcoming. Whether you’re a side hustler looking for your big break or an established entrepreneur seeking fresh perspectives, "Surviving the Side Hustle" provides valuable insights that resonate with the movers, the shakers, and everyone in between. Feeling burnt out and sidelining your own health? This podcast empowers you to overcome stagnation, build resilience, and optimize your life and business. We dive deep into your goals, identify obstacles, and share strategies to boost your energy, improve your strength, and keep the entrepreneurial grind enjoyable. Join us for inspiring stories, expert insights, and practical advice to help you look good, feel good, and do great things at every stage of your entrepreneurial journey. Let’s not just survive the side hustle—let's master it.

Information

  • Creator
    Rob Tracz
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    161
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Rob Tracz
  • Show Website
    Surviving the Side Hustle