Surviving the Side Hustle

Rob Tracz
  • 4.8 (22)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

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. 3d ago

    E216 - Lessons from Justin Warren: Trust Beats Technical Skill

    "I'm not just their accountant, I'm their business partner." Justin Warren said that near the end of our conversation this week, and it reframed the whole thing for me. Justin is a partner at PKF O'Connor Davies, one of the top accounting and advisory firms in the country, and he co-leads the Stamford, Connecticut tax practice alongside a team of about 18. If you have ever been around public accounting, you know that making partner is not something that just happens. It is earned over years of long days, hard pivots, and a lot of proving yourself. In this Friday recap I pull out what stuck with me. The high school guidance counselor who pointed him toward accounting because his dad owned a business. The three days he lasted in college calculus before pivoting back. Five years at a Big Four firm in New York, where he talked about leaving the office as the sun was already coming up. Taking a chance on PKF in Stamford two months before COVID hit, certain he would be the first one cut, and a boss who instead told him he was part of the long term plan. And the part nobody puts on a resume: 12, 13, sometimes 15 hour days for three and a half months straight while his wife holds the house together. In the Prime Performance process, two principles run through all of it. Resilience, which Justin built on wrestling mats and football fields long before he walked into a Big Four office. And influence, which is not about being loud, it is about being someone people actually want in their corner. Underneath both sits self awareness, knowing what you are made of and how you are fueled. That is where looking good, feeling good, and doing great things stop being three separate goals and start being one system. Chapter Timestamps: 00:00 Show intro 01:38 I'm not just their accountant, I'm their business partner 02:05 Who Justin is and what making partner actually takes 02:32 Stumbling into accounting through a guidance counselor 02:56 Three days of calculus and the pivot back 03:21 Five years at a Big Four firm in New York 03:47 Leaving the city for PKF, two months before COVID 04:14 The part nobody puts on the resume 04:40 The emotional weight of starting over 05:06 Staying visible while still doing the work 05:28 Where the work ethic came from 05:55 Connecting with people as people 06:20 Bringing it back to the Prime Performance process 06:43 A quick word from GetThePrime 07:26 Resilience built on purpose 07:53 Influence is not about being loud 08:20 Know yourself before you show up for anyone else 08:43 Why Justin is worth a real conversation 09:29 Remembered for how you made people feel 09:56 Skill opens the door, the relationship keeps it open Connect with Justin Warren: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-warren-cpa-17b85b90/ PKF O'Connor Davies: https://www.pkfod.com/people/justin-warren/ Listen to the full conversation with Justin Warren in E215. Follow Surviving the Side Hustle at https://survivingthesidehustle.com for every episode.

  2. 6d ago

    E215 - What It Really Costs to Make Partner with Justin Warren

    Justin Warren shut his life down for three and a half months a year, running 12 to 15 hour days while his wife held the house together and helped raise their kids. He is a partner at PKF O'Connor Davies, one of the top accounting and advisory firms in the country, and he walks Rob through what climbing to partner actually costs and how he keeps a life while doing it. The conversation covers how Justin stumbled into accounting in high school, five years of 18 hour days at a Big Four firm, and why he left New York City the same year COVID hit. Rob and Justin also get into protecting one hour a day for the gym, why the hardest part of tax season is the stress and not the hours, and how to tell whether the tax advice you see on social media actually applies to you. Topics Covered: - How a high school guidance counselor nudged Justin into accounting because his dad owned a business - Why he lasted three days in college calculus before committing fully to accounting - Five years of 16 to 18 hour days at a Big Four firm and what finally made him leave - Starting a brand new role in November 2019, two months before COVID, and being sure he would be the first one cut - Why the hardest part of tax season is managing hundreds of clients at once, not the long hours - How protecting one hour a day for the gym became a non negotiable he would quit a job over - What to check before you trust tax advice from an influencer or ChatGPT - How to know whether you actually need an accountant or can handle it yourself Chapter Timestamps: 00:00 Show intro 01:39 Meet Justin Warren, tax partner at PKF O'Connor Davies 03:20 Stumbling into accounting in high school 04:43 An internship in tax and the road to a Big Four firm 09:44 Five years of 18 hour days, then leaving New York City 10:57 Starting a new role right before COVID hit 12:28 How an athletic background fuels the grind 13:33 Connecting with clients beyond the numbers 15:03 Becoming a thought leader on tax law 17:10 The hardest part is the stress, not the hours 19:12 Front loading to survive busy season 20:48 Building a team at home with his wife 21:51 Role switching and protecting an hour a day 26:00 The truth about tax advice on social media 28:24 How to vet a tax professional 30:32 Is a firm the right fit for you 33:01 When a business actually needs an accountant 34:23 How to connect with Justin 35:34 The legacy he wants to leave Connect with Justin Warren: LinkedIn: Justin Warren, Partner at PKF O'Connor Davies Follow Surviving the Side Hustle at SurvivingtheSideHustle.com for every episode.

  3. Aug 21

    E214 - Lessons from Maria Garcia: Strategy Without Self Work Is Just Noise

    At twenty five, Maria Garcia had a stroke that left her paralyzed from the nose down and unable to speak, communicating through finger taps and eye movements. It took fifteen years to claw her way back. Stem cells, hyperbaric oxygen therapy in Germany, every legitimate therapy she could reach. The thing that finally moved the needle was nutrition. In this Friday recap I pull out what stuck with me from my second conversation with Maria. The lesson I keep circling back to is that strategy without self work is just noise. I get into the Meta AI update that quietly blew up her entire ad strategy and forced her to pause and rebuild, her honesty about being in her own way with public speaking, why her flagship three month coaching program opens with food psychology instead of a meal plan, and the line worth writing on your wall: you make changes from awareness instead of willpower. Willpower is a depletable resource. Awareness is not. That maps straight onto the Prime Performance process, where doing your inventory is the prerequisite to everything else. Clarity and optimization both fall apart if the person operating the machine has not done the honest self assessment first. Chapter Timestamps: 00:00 Show intro 01:38 Strategy without self work is just noise 01:58 Why Maria Garcia is back on the show 02:26 A stroke at twenty five and fifteen years of clawing back 02:55 The arc of Maria's story 03:20 Fully aware, communicating with her eyes 03:47 The thing that finally moved the needle 04:06 Turning survival into Genuinely Maria 04:36 The Meta AI update that broke her ad strategy 05:03 Losing manual targeting and pausing the ads 05:27 I am in my own way 05:45 Awareness, not willpower 06:07 Food psychology before the meal plan 06:31 Why willpower runs out and awareness does not 06:55 Focus on you first, not strategy 07:10 A word from Get The Prime 07:47 How this maps to prime performance 08:17 Inventory before the work 08:37 Clarity and optimization start with self assessment 09:00 Where to find Maria 09:24 Free discovery sessions and The Change 09:52 Thank you, Maria 10:17 Are you running on awareness or willpower Connect with Maria Garcia: Website: https://genuinelymaria.com Free discovery sessions are open through her site Featured in the upcoming book The Change with Jim Lutz and Jim Britt Listen to the full conversation with Maria Garcia in E213. Follow Surviving the Side Hustle at https://survivingthesidehustle.com for every episode.

  4. Aug 18

    E213 - Why Survival Was Never the Goal with Maria Garcia

    Maria Garcia had a stroke at 25 that left her paralyzed from the nose down and unable to speak, and it took a 15 year climb to get her life back. Nutrition is what finally moved the needle. Maria, a nutrition coach based in New Jersey who now helps clients worldwide, returns to Surviving the Side Hustle for a second conversation, this time about what happens after you survive the thing and realize survival was never the full point. The conversation covers how Maria went from introducing herself as a stroke survivor to owning her role as a coach with a mission, why she treats nutrition as 80 percent of the results, and how her three month flagship program rewires food psychology instead of leaning on willpower. Rob and Maria also get into the Meta AI update that broke her ad strategy overnight, why hope is not a strategy, the danger of handing your business to a platform you do not control, and the daily health habits every tired business owner should start with. Topics Covered: - Why Maria says survival was never the full point, and what she chased once she could function again - How she reframes herself from stroke survivor to coach, and why the identity shift was the hard part - Why nutrition is 80 percent of results while therapy and movement make up the rest - What actually happens inside her three month flagship program built on awareness instead of willpower - How Meta's AI audience change broke her ad strategy and what she is doing about it - Why hope is not a strategy and why she refuses to build a business on social media alone - The hydration and box breathing basics she starts nearly every client on - How she helps clients find a why strong enough to change before a health crisis forces it Chapter Timestamps: 00:00 Show intro 01:39 Welcome back, Maria returns 04:14 The stroke at 25 and a 15 year climb back 05:54 Stepping into public speaking 06:49 From survivor to coach with a mission 08:29 Why nutrition is 80 percent of the results 09:08 Inside the three month flagship program 11:02 When Meta's AI broke her ad strategy 14:37 Hope is not a strategy 15:30 An allergy to social media 16:41 Do not hand your business to a platform 18:20 Coaching clients to not need you 20:22 Why nearly 90 percent are metabolically ill 21:28 Box breathing and hydration basics 22:11 When to push and when to rest 23:35 Training seasons applied to business 25:37 A why strong enough to change 28:34 The vegetarian myth for health 30:09 Building Genuinely Maria as a brand 32:11 One piece of advice for side hustlers Connect with Maria Garcia: Website: https://genuinelymaria.com Book a complimentary discovery session at https://genuinelymaria.com More Resources: Listen to Maria's first appearance in E131 of Surviving the Side Hustle. Follow Surviving the Side Hustle at https://survivingthesidehustle.com for every episode.

  5. Aug 14

    E212 - Lessons from Joe Rendina: Comfortability Is Death

    Joe Rendina was making good money. By most measures he was doing fine, and yet he described it as a heaviness on his chest every single day, the slow grinding weight of being in the wrong seat. In this Friday recap I pull out what stuck with me most from my conversation with Joe: the torn ACL that started his path, how he built Iron Health Physical Therapy to four locations and what that speed really cost, why his operating philosophy is that comfortability is death, and the color coded calendar exercise that shows you exactly how much of your week is technician time versus CEO time. Plus how it all maps back to clarity and optimization inside the Prime Performance process. Chapter Timestamps: 00:00 Show intro 01:38 Picture it: good money and a heaviness every single day 02:09 Who Joe Rendina is: PT, business owner, consultant 02:37 Joe's origin: a torn ACL and the PT who lit the spark 02:57 Never wired for other people's rules 03:20 Making the jump and finally feeling aligned 03:41 From one location to four, from treating to leading 03:59 The honest part: going really fast has a cost 04:13 Sleepless nights, turnover, and shiny object syndrome 04:41 Building locations without a foundation underneath 05:04 Rebuilding the operating system while the business runs 05:48 Joe's secret: comfortability is death 05:58 Comfort makes you sloppy, comfort makes you weak 06:15 Color code your week: technician time versus CEO time 06:40 Carve out CEO time, even two hours a week 07:06 Clarity: the 10 year vision, written down 07:32 The calendar as a diagnostic tool 07:58 Optimization: right things in the right slots 08:19 Where to find Joe: the Technician Trap workshop 09:06 Thank you Joe, and the question to sit with 09:33 Where is the heaviness? Look at your calendar this week 10:01 Hear the full conversation in episode 211 Connect with Joe: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joey._rendina Business: Iron Health Physical Therapy Free workshop: The Technician Trap, a 90 minute working session for service based business owners Listen to the full conversation with Joe in E211. Follow Surviving the Side Hustle at https://survivingthesidehustle.com for every episode.

    E212 - Lessons from Joe Rendina: Comfortability Is Death

  6. Aug 11

    E211 - Why Most Business Owners Stay Stuck as Operators with Joe Rendina

    Joe Rendina was making good money as a physical therapist and still felt what he calls a heaviness on his chest — the sense that no matter how hard he worked, he was building someone else's business. Joe, who now owns Iron Health Physical Therapy across multiple locations and consults for service-based business owners, walks Rob through the move from operator to CEO and why so many owners never make it. The conversation covers the vision-first sequence Joe runs clients through — ten years, three years, one year, then the next ninety days — and the order he builds systems in, starting with intake and delivery before touching marketing. Rob and Joe also get into why leadership is the single biggest lever, the fourth location that failed because Joe wasn't the leader his team needed, and the simple calendar exercise that shows you how little CEO time you're actually protecting. Topics Covered: - The heaviness of earning well while building equity in someone else's business, and the identity shift required to leave - Why every rebuild starts with a vision, and the ten-year / three-year / one-year / ninety-day sequence Joe uses to make it real - The order to build systems in: intake and delivery first, marketing second — and why owners get this backwards - Leadership as the biggest lever, including the location that failed because Joe wasn't leading the way his team needed - What solopreneurs do when there's no right-hand person to check their thinking yet - When hiring a coach or mentor is actually worth it, versus premature - Why personal branding is becoming a commodity, and what that means for service businesses - The calendar exercise: colour-coding technician time against CEO time to see where the week really goes Chapter Timestamps: 00:00 Show intro 01:37 Welcome and guest intro: who is Joe Rendina 02:55 Iron Health and the move into consulting 04:08 What's fuelling the shift: purpose and developing leaders 06:29 The identity shift from clinician to owner 06:56 Never being fond of rules 08:15 The heaviness of good money and no ownership 11:18 Lesson one: start with a vision 14:14 Bridging the gap between vision and execution 14:47 Why you need a right-hand person 15:45 What solopreneurs do instead 16:49 When it's actually time to hire a coach 18:15 The first system to build: intake and delivery 19:37 Layer two: marketing and lead flow 20:54 How the coaching cadence works 21:22 Ten year, three year, one year, ninety days 24:02 Knowing when you're ready to step into CEO mode 26:10 Leadership is the biggest lever 27:01 "I wasn't being the leader my employees needed" 29:48 Why networking still matters 31:46 Personal branding as a commodity 32:08 The Technician Trap webinar 35:06 Technician time versus CEO time on your calendar Connect with Joe: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joey_rendina Business: Iron Health Physical Therapy Upcoming: "The Technician Trap" webinar — how to escape becoming a technician in your own business Follow Surviving the Side Hustle at https://survivingthesidehustle.com for every episode.

  7. Aug 7

    E210 - Lessons from Christy Meaux: Give Yourself Permission to Dream Bigger

    Picture the end of 2022: multiple major losses in a short stretch, waking up sad every day, hesitant to even step outside. That's where Christy Meaux was when she decided something had to change, and then walked into 2023 and decided she was going to brand herself, with no idea what that meant. In this Friday recap I pull out what stayed with me from the conversation: the networking-room question that changed everything ("who are you and what do you actually do?"), the decades she spent living inside other people's expectations before giving herself permission at 48, and why the power of the no turned out to be stronger than the power of the yes. Plus embodied vision, the London flight story, and how all of it connects to clarity and opportunity inside the Prime Performance process. Chapter Timestamps: 00:00 Show intro 01:39 Picture this: the end of 2022 02:04 Who Christy Meaux is and what Cohesive Confidence does 02:55 The script she was handed, and years building someone else's brand 03:38 Independent operator, certification, and writing bios for women 04:03 The question that changed everything 04:26 Decades spent inside other people's expectations 04:43 Fifty now, and zero apology 05:03 Saying yes to everything and confusing everyone around her 05:26 Why people can't dream past what's right in front of them 06:28 Embodied vision: getting in the feeling before it arrives 06:49 The London flight and the row 2 upgrade 07:09 The power of the no is stronger than the power of the yes 07:55 Clarity: know who you are and the decisions get easier 08:26 You can't catch an opportunity you're not paying attention to 08:53 Christy built a practice of noticing 09:19 Where to find Christy 10:15 What expectations are you still carrying that were never yours? 10:43 If Christy could do it at 48, you can do it now Connect with Christy: Website: https://cohesiveconfidence.com Instagram / TikTok / Facebook: @cohesiveconfidence LinkedIn: search Christy Meaux Listen to the full conversation with Christy in E209. Follow Surviving the Side Hustle at https://survivingthesidehustle.com for every episode.

  8. Aug 4

    E209 - Why Confidence Is Something You Give Yourself with Christy Meaux

    In 2023, Christy Meaux came out of a long stretch of grief and had to decide whether she was going to keep living inside that identity or build a new one. Christy, a confidence coach and personal branding strategist, walks Rob through how she rebuilt from that point — and why confidence turned out to be something you hand yourself rather than something you're born with. The conversation covers why "what do you do?" is the wrong question and what to say instead, the permission letter Christy wrote herself at 48 to stop serving other people's expectations, and why gratitude has to come before manifestation if you want either to work. Rob and Christy also get into the stages of rebuilding after loss, the surprisingly hard skill of learning to receive help, and the boundaries and routines that hold it all together. Topics Covered: - The 2023 decision point: choosing whether to stay in a grief identity or build a new one from scratch - Why leading with your job title loses people, and the reframe Christy used instead — "I create cohesive confidence" - The permission letter: writing yourself explicit permission to want what you actually want - Giving herself permission at 48 to stop living out other people's expectations for her life - The stages of a rebuild, starting with letting yourself grieve things that aren't deaths — a job, a friendship, a business - Why gratitude has to come before manifestation, and what goes wrong when people skip straight to the vision board - Learning to receive: how a popped rib while moving forced Christy to practice asking for help - Practical structure — the "good news" notes habit, starting calls with a win, and a hard 6 o'clock shutdown Chapter Timestamps: 00:00 Show intro 01:37 Welcome and guest intro: who is Christy Meaux 03:08 Back to 2023: coming out of grief and choosing a new identity 04:51 Why "what do you do?" is the wrong question 06:07 "I create cohesive confidence": naming the result, not the title 10:04 Embodying the client experience 11:32 The permission letter you write to yourself 12:27 Giving herself permission at 48 15:01 The power of saying no and walking away well 16:38 Leaving the mortgage industry after six and a half years 19:24 Allow yourself to grieve: the stages of a rebuild 21:23 How gratitude journaling changed the way she executes 24:58 Learning to receive: reciprocity and asking for help 25:34 The popped rib that forced her to ask 27:10 Why gratitude has to come before manifestation 29:13 Writing it by hand and slowing the brain down 30:03 The "good news" notes app habit 31:00 Starting every coaching call with a win 33:06 Boundaries, routine, and the 6 o'clock shutdown 33:52 Defining manifestation in practical terms 34:27 The flight visualization that kept coming true 37:55 Manifestation works both ways 39:27 Turning 50 and what's coming next 40:57 Where to find Christy Connect with Christy: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cohesiveconfidence TikTok: @cohesiveconfidence Facebook: Cohesive Confidence LLC Follow Surviving the Side Hustle at https://survivingthesidehustle.com for every episode.

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4.8
out of 5
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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
    217
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Rob Tracz
  • Show Website
    Surviving the Side Hustle