S6 E39 Breaking Burnout and Building Boundaries with Jo Hooper

Grab your coffee and settle in for this raw conversation with Jo Hooper, founder of GetWildlyFree. From two mental health breakdowns that ended her corporate career to building a business that actually serves her life (not the other way around), Jo shares the real talk about boundaries, burnout, and why rest doesn't fix everything. This episode is for anyone who's tired of working all the damn hours and ready to design a business that energizes rather than exhausts them.

Key Topics Covered

The Reality of Burnout and Breakdown

• Why rest doesn't fix burnout - you have to change what burnt you out in the first place
• The difference between burnout and actual breakdown ("nervous breakdown")
• How thought patterns like "I need to prove myself" drive destructive behaviors
• Jo's recovery journey: traditional therapy, medication, and later embracing alternative therapies like Reiki and sound baths

The Permission Slaps System

Jo's innovative approach to interrupting habitual behaviors:

• 10 two-minute audio recordings for moments when you're about to break your own boundaries
• Examples: "Put the phone down now," "Take the day off," "You can sit and read your book"
• Creating neurological speed bumps (like moving the Instagram app on your phone)
• Why habits are like muscle memory - both physical and cognitive

Building Sustainable Business Boundaries

Jo's current structure:

• Working 4-6 hours per day maximum
• Call days only on Tuesdays and Thursdays (two calls max per day)
• Available to clients on Voxer only Tuesdays and Thursdays
• No calls before 10:30am or after 4pm
• Fridays completely call-free

The "Me First" Method

Jo's framework for transformation:

• Beliefs: Identifying limiting thoughts like "If I want to earn more, I have to work more"
• Decisions: What choices are you making from those beliefs?
• Actions: How are you perpetuating the cycle through your daily behaviors?

Challenging Common Business Myths

• Why "if I'm not working really hard, I'm lazy" is capitalist conditioning
• The false belief that difficulty equals value
• How to separate revenue from profit when evaluating "success"
• Why authenticity in marketing matters more than being "vanilla"

Let's Connect!

Come say hi in my Instagram DMs @mills_gray.

For full show notes and more resources visit https://www.millsgray.com/breaking-burnout-and-building-boundaries-with-jo-hooper/