Ditch the Chaos: The Productivity Rebellion

Cara Chace
  • 5.0 (6)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Updated Weekly

The productivity podcast for burned out women entrepreneurs who are tired of holding their business together with duct tape and coffee. Your week fell apart by Tuesday. Again. You started Monday with a perfectly planned calendar, and by Wednesday you're drowning in "quick requests," rewriting the same to-do list for the third time, and rage-eating lunch at your desk because you're behind on everything. You've tried the productivity systems. The morning routines. The time-blocking. The apps that promise to fix everything. And they all assume your life goes according to plan—which it never does. Here's the truth: You're not bad at time management. You're exhausted from being everyone's backup plan. Your brain is running three parallel to-do lists during client calls. You're carrying the mental load for both your business and your family. And no planner app can fix that. You need weekly planning that bends when life doesn't cooperate. Boundaries that actually protect your capacity. And permission to stop apologizing for needing rest. That's what Ditch the Chaos: The Productivity Rebellion is for. I'm Cara Chace—entrepreneur since 2015, homeschooling mom of two, and recovering people-pleaser who learned the hard way that most productivity advice is built for people whose days are predictable. Mine aren't. Yours probably aren't either. This isn't another podcast telling you to wake up at 5am, batch your content, or hustle harder. This is where you learn to build your own systems instead of following everyone else's rules. Every week, you'll get strategies for entrepreneur burnout recovery, real talk about setting boundaries without guilt, and practical ways to create white space in your calendar and breathing room in your brain—before you hit the wall. You'll learn how to stop white-knuckling your way through every week, get your Fridays back, and run your business without sacrificing your sanity. No templates. No rigid time-blocking. No productivity guilt. Just relief that actually works when your Tuesday falls apart. Ready to stop being the failsafe for everything? Subscribe now and let's ditch the chaos together.

  1. 3d ago

    Business Admin Tasks You're Forgetting (And How to Automate Them)

    Send in your question or leave me some love! Business Admin Tasks You're Forgetting (And How to Automate Them) If you've ever had that low-grade "I know I'm forgetting something" feeling running in the background of your workday, this episode is for you. The recurring business admin tasks that keep your online business running are invisible until they become a problem — and by then, they're a much bigger problem than they needed to be. In this episode, you'll learn: Why business admin tasks feel optional until they absolutely aren'tThe four-category system (weekly, monthly, quarterly, yearly) that gets recurring tasks out of your headExactly what belongs in each category so you can build your own versionHow to schedule and automate recurring tasks using tools you already haveWhy "I'll get to it when things slow down" is keeping you stuckKey Topics Covered: Why admin overwhelm sneaks up on entrepreneurs (00:02:00)The four-bucket recurring task system (00:03:31)Weekly and monthly tasks breakdown (00:04:00)Quarterly and yearly tasks breakdown (00:05:22)Three steps to automate without a new app (00:06:51)Reset & Reclaim action step (00:09:03)Reset & Reclaim Action Step: Pick one category — weekly, monthly, quarterly, or yearly — and spend 15 minutes listing every admin task you can think of that belongs there. Start with monthly if you're not sure where to begin. Don't worry about scheduling yet. Just get it out of your head and onto a list. Resources Mentioned: The Productivity Rebellion (free monthly guide): carachace.com/productivity-rebellionChaos Detox: carachace.com/chaos-detoxEpisode 53 — 5 Tough Lessons I Learned the Hard Way as an EntrepreneurConnect with Cara: Website: carachace.comInstagram: @carachaceEmail: hello@carachace.comLove this episode? Leave a review and help other exhausted entrepreneurs find the show. The Social Media Burnout Cure drops fall 2026. Get on the launch list at socialmediaburnoutbook.com for first look at the introduction, pre-order info, and launch bonuses.  Support the show ❓Want your question answered on the show? Join the Productivity Rebellion for free monthly guidance + the chance to ask me anything! Connect: Instagram | YouTube | Website ✨Start your Chaos Detox 📩Join The Productivity Rebellion ⭐Loved the episode? Leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

    11 min

  2. May 21

    Is Your Business Too Complicated? Here's the 5-Step Fix.

    Send in your question or leave me some love! Is Your Business Too Complicated? Here's the 5-Step Fix. If your business has quietly turned into a stack of subscriptions, tangled funnels, and offers connected to platforms you barely use — you're not alone, and you don't have to keep running it that way. Simplifying your business isn't a step backward. Sometimes it's the smartest move you can make. In this episode, you'll learn: How to evaluate your offers and cut what's no longer serving youA straightforward method for auditing every tool and subscription you're paying forWhy constantly tweaking your branding is secretly a form of avoidanceWhat to do before you switch email service providers (so you don't drag problems with you)How to use 12-week planning to turn a massive simplification project into something you can actually finishThe mindset shift that makes all of this stick long-termKey Topics Covered: Step 1: Evaluate what's working (and what's not) (00:03:25)Step 2: Sourcing evergreen tools (00:05:10)Step 3: Simple branding (00:07:04)Step 4: Email marketing and the big switch (00:09:00)Step 5: 12-Week Year planning (00:11:35)Simplicity as a mindset (00:13:03)Reset & Reclaim Action Step: Open your bank or credit card statement and pull up every recurring business expense you're paying for right now. Don't cancel anything yet — just look. Write it all down in one place, then ask two questions for each line item: Do I really need this? And is it priced right for where my business actually is? Resources Mentioned: The Productivity Rebellion (free monthly guide): carachace.com/productivity-rebellionChaos Detox: carachace.com/chaos-detoxFocus Sessions (co-working community): https://carachace.com/focus-sessionsMagic Marketing App (AI marketing app): https://carachace.com/marketing-magicThrivecart (lifetime pricing shopping cart + course platform): https://carachace.com/thrivecartNotion (free project management): https://carachace.com/notionFlodesk (email marketing): https://flodesk.com/c/TI8D7ZThe 12-Week Year (book): https://amzn.to/3QccJQmConnect with Cara: Website: carachace.comInstagram: @carachaceEmail: hello@carachace.comLove this episode? Leave a review and help other exhausted women entrepreneurs find the show. The Social Media Burnout Cure drops fall 2026. Get on the launch list at socialmediaburnoutbook.com for first look at the introduction, pre-order info, and launch bonuses.  Support the show ❓Want your question answered on the show? Join the Productivity Rebellion for free monthly guidance + the chance to ask me anything! Connect: Instagram | YouTube | Website ✨Start your Chaos Detox 📩Join The Productivity Rebellion ⭐Loved the episode? Leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

    17 min
  3. 5 Entrepreneur Mistakes I Made So You Don't Have To

    May 14

    5 Entrepreneur Mistakes I Made So You Don't Have To

    Send in your question or leave me some love! If you started your business without a roadmap and learned most of what you know the hard way, this episode is for you. Cara shares five hard-won lessons from 10 years of running a business — the ones that cost the most and taught the most — so you can skip a few of the painful parts. In this episode, you'll learn: Why taking any client who'll pay you is a fast track to burnout (and what to do instead)How to build a client filtering system that protects your time and energyWhy there's no one-size-fits-all approach to marketing your businessA 4-question checklist for building a marketing strategy that actually fits your lifeHow to gut-check shiny object syndrome with 5 questions before you click buyWhy finding a peer with no expectations of leverage can be a business game-changerThe real skill you need when the to-do list never endsKey Topics Covered: Lesson 1: Not everyone is your client, and that's okay (00:01:31)Lesson 2: You don't have to market your business the way everyone else says (00:03:50)Lesson 3: Shiny object syndrome is real — have a gut-check system (00:07:00)Lesson 4: Find a peer with no expectations of leverage (00:10:00)Lesson 5: You'll never get through your to-do list — prioritizing is the skill (00:11:31)Reset & Reclaim Action Step (00:14:14)Reset & Reclaim Action Step: Pick one of these five lessons and ask yourself honestly if it's something you need to work on right now. Then ask: what's one small thing I can do this week that moves me in the right direction? Just start there. Resources Mentioned: The Productivity Rebellion (free monthly guide): carachace.com/productivity-rebellionChaos Detox: carachace.com/chaos-detoxMarketing Magic App (affiliate): link in show notes https://carachace.com/marketing-magicConnect with Cara: Website: carachace.comEmail: hello@carachace.comLove this episode? Leave a review and help other exhausted entrepreneurs find the show. The Social Media Burnout Cure drops fall 2026. Get on the launch list at socialmediaburnoutbook.com for first look at the introduction, pre-order info, and launch bonuses.  Support the show ❓Want your question answered on the show? Join the Productivity Rebellion for free monthly guidance + the chance to ask me anything! Connect: Instagram | YouTube | Website ✨Start your Chaos Detox 📩Join The Productivity Rebellion ⭐Loved the episode? Leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

    16 min
  4. Breaking the Burnout Cycle: The Real Reason Nothing Changes

    May 7

    Breaking the Burnout Cycle: The Real Reason Nothing Changes

    Send in your question or leave me some love! Breaking the Burnout Cycle: The Real Reason Nothing Changes Breaking the burnout cycle as a woman entrepreneur isn't a motivation problem — it's a timing problem. And once you understand what's actually driving the chaos-to-calm-to-chaos loop, the path forward gets a lot clearer. In this episode, you'll learn: Why you can't fix the burnout cycle when you're in crisis modeWhy the calm phase never leads to change eitherWhat "the third moment" is — and why it's the only thing that actually moves you forwardThe one question that cuts through the noise and helps you see your situation clearlyWhy staying stuck has a real cost — and how to finally look at it honestlyKey Topics Covered: The crisis-to-calm cycle and why both states keep you stuck (00:01:09)Why most productivity advice lands at the wrong moment (00:03:52)The student story: doing the math on the cost of staying stuck (00:04:30)Cara's own reckoning: social media, the book, and the brutal math (00:05:42)The question that changes everything (00:07:07)Reset & Reclaim action step (00:08:19)Reset & Reclaim Action Step: Take 10 minutes this week and write down what staying in the cycle is actually costing you — not a vague list, but specific things. A project that keeps getting pushed. The version of yourself you keep promising to get back to. The thing you've been wanting to build that keeps losing to the chaos. Write it down. Look at it. Let it be real. Resources Mentioned: The Productivity Rebellion (free monthly guide): carachace.com/productivity-rebellionChaos Detox (weekly planning method): carachace.com/chaos-detoxConnect with Cara: Website: carachace.comInstagram: @carachaceEmail: hello@carachace.comLove this episode? Leave a review and help other women entrepreneurs find the show. The Social Media Burnout Cure drops fall 2026. Get on the launch list at socialmediaburnoutbook.com for first look at the introduction, pre-order info, and launch bonuses.  Support the show ❓Want your question answered on the show? Join the Productivity Rebellion for free monthly guidance + the chance to ask me anything! Connect: Instagram | YouTube | Website ✨Start your Chaos Detox 📩Join The Productivity Rebellion ⭐Loved the episode? Leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

    10 min
  5. Mindfulness Habits for Women Entrepreneurs: 10 Ways to Reset Your Day

    Apr 30

    Mindfulness Habits for Women Entrepreneurs: 10 Ways to Reset Your Day

    Send in your question or leave me some love! When your day goes sideways before 9am, mindfulness habits for women entrepreneurs aren't a luxury — they're how you get back on track without ending the day feeling like you failed. This episode gives you 10 simple practices to pull out the next time everything goes off plan. In this episode, you'll learn: Why the "perfect day" is rare — and what to do about the imperfect ones insteadHow box breathing actually slows down the momentum of panic in about five minutesWhy going outside without your phone or earbuds can break a spiral faster than anything elseThe surprisingly simple reason your 2pm brain fog might not be a productivity problem at allHow to stop getting buried in decision paralysis and find the next right thing to doWhat "observing your thoughts" actually means — and why it works when nothing else doesWhen journaling works and when it doesn't (hint: it depends on where you are mentally)Why staring out the window is a legitimate productivity strategyHow a body scan pulls you back into the present when your brain has completely taken overKey Topics Covered: What mindfulness actually means — and what it isn't (00:02:00)Deep breathing and box breathing explained (00:02:45)Go outside — why fresh air breaks a mental spiral (00:03:24)Hydration and the 2pm crash (00:04:00)Stretching and movement to reset your body (00:05:23)One thing at a time vs. multitasking (00:06:00)The next right thing — how to break decision paralysis (00:06:26)Observing your thoughts like passing clouds (00:07:12)Journaling as a brain dump, not a productivity exercise (00:08:21)Staring out the window — genuinely underrated (00:09:00)Body scan and Yoga Nidra (00:09:35)Reset & Reclaim Action Step: Pick two practices from this episode and write them somewhere visible before your next chaotic day. A sticky note, a phone note — anywhere you'll see it. When things spiral, you've already decided what to do. Resources Mentioned: The Untethered Soul by Michael Singer (mentioned at 00:08:02)Yoga Nidra on YouTube — search "Yoga Nidra" (mentioned at 00:10:00)The Productivity Rebellion (free monthly guide): carachace.com/productivity-rebellionChaos Detox: carachace.com/chaos-detoxConnect with Cara: Website: carachace.comInstagram: @carachaceEmail: hello@carachace.comLove this episode? Leave a review and help other exhausted entrepreneurs find the show. The Social Media Burnout Cure drops fall 2026. Get on the launch list at socialmediaburnoutbook.com for first look at the introduction, pre-order info, and launch bonuses.  Support the show ❓Want your question answered on the show? Join the Productivity Rebellion for free monthly guidance + the chance to ask me anything! Connect: Instagram | YouTube | Website ✨Start your Chaos Detox 📩Join The Productivity Rebellion ⭐Loved the episode? Leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

    12 min
  6. Deep Work for Entrepreneurs: 5 Ways to Boost Productivity and Stop the Overwhelm

    Apr 23

    Deep Work for Entrepreneurs: 5 Ways to Boost Productivity and Stop the Overwhelm

    Send in your question or leave me some love! Deep Work for Entrepreneurs: 5 Ways to Boost Productivity and Stop the Overwhelm Deep work — the ability to focus without distraction on cognitively demanding tasks — is how you get the right things done, not just more things done. And for entrepreneurs especially, it might be the most underused productivity tool you have. In this episode, you'll learn: What deep work actually is and why Cal Newport's definition changes how you think about productivityWhy your best thinking requires protecting yourself from your own to-do listHow to set up the right environment for focused work (no hotel required)Why multitasking burns through your brain's capacity — and what to do insteadThe one-goal rule that makes deep work sessions actually productiveHow to recognize when your brain needs a break before it tanks your outputKey Topics Covered: What is deep work + why it matters for entrepreneurs (00:02:00)Tip 1: Be flexible about what you're working on (00:03:05)Tip 2: Set the right environment (00:04:00)Tip 3: Stop multitasking (00:05:00)Tip 4: Set one goal (00:06:00)Tip 5: Take breaks (00:07:15)Reset & Reclaim action step (00:08:52)Reset & Reclaim Action Step: Block two hours for a focused work session on whatever strategic work you keep bumping down your list. Before you start, pick one goal — just one thing you want to have moved forward by the end of that block. Turn off notifications, close the extra tabs, and protect that time. Resources Mentioned: The Productivity Rebellion (free monthly guide): carachace.com/productivity-rebellionChaos Detox (weekly planning method): carachace.com/chaos-detoxDeep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal NewportConnect with Cara: Website: carachace.comInstagram: @carachaceEmail: hello@carachace.comLove this episode? Leave a review and help other exhausted entrepreneurs find the show. The Social Media Burnout Cure drops fall 2026. Get on the launch list at socialmediaburnoutbook.com for first look at the introduction, pre-order info, and launch bonuses.  Support the show ❓Want your question answered on the show? Join the Productivity Rebellion for free monthly guidance + the chance to ask me anything! Connect: Instagram | YouTube | Website ✨Start your Chaos Detox 📩Join The Productivity Rebellion ⭐Loved the episode? Leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

    11 min
  7. Monthly Planning for Entrepreneurs: 3 Days You Should Block Every Month

    Apr 16

    Monthly Planning for Entrepreneurs: 3 Days You Should Block Every Month

    Send in your question or leave me some love! If you're constantly behind on admin, running on empty, and watching your goals get bumped every single month — the fix might not be another weekly system. These three monthly planning days for entrepreneurs change the way your whole month feels. In this episode, you'll learn: Why theme days work better at the monthly level than the weekly levelHow a Hooky Day actually makes you a better entrepreneur (not just a better rester)What a Back Office Day is and how it clears the mental weight of unfinished admin tasksHow open loops drain your focus even when you're not actively thinking about themWhy your Review and Planning Day is the key to getting out of reaction modeHow to structure your monthly review — including what to look at and what to let go ofThe one scheduling move that keeps all three days from getting bumpedKey Topics Covered: What theme days are and how they reduce context switching (00:00:29)Hooky Day: what it is, why it matters, and how to actually take one (00:01:13)Back Office Day: tackling open loops and admin before they take over your brain (00:04:07)Review and Planning Day: zooming out and designing your month before it runs you (00:06:35)Reset & Reclaim action step (00:09:00)Reset & Reclaim Action Step: Open your calendar right now and block three days for next month — a Hooky Day, a Back Office Day, and a Review and Planning Day. Do it before the month fills up. Fifteen minutes now protects the whole month. Resources Mentioned: The Productivity Rebellion (free monthly guide): carachace.com/productivity-rebellionChaos Detox: carachace.com/chaos-detoxConnect with Cara: Website: carachace.comInstagram: @carachaceEmail: hello@carachace.comLove this episode? Leave a review and help other exhausted entrepreneurs find the show. The Social Media Burnout Cure drops fall 2026. Get on the launch list at socialmediaburnoutbook.com for first look at the introduction, pre-order info, and launch bonuses.  Support the show ❓Want your question answered on the show? Join the Productivity Rebellion for free monthly guidance + the chance to ask me anything! Connect: Instagram | YouTube | Website ✨Start your Chaos Detox 📩Join The Productivity Rebellion ⭐Loved the episode? Leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

    11 min
  8. Smartphone Addiction Is Killing Your Business (And It's Not a Willpower Problem)

    Apr 9

    Smartphone Addiction Is Killing Your Business (And It's Not a Willpower Problem)

    Send in your question or leave me some love! Smartphone Addiction Is Killing Your Business (And It's Not a Willpower Problem) Smartphone addiction is costing women entrepreneurs more than lost time — it's draining decision-making, creativity, and nervous system capacity in ways that show up as physical symptoms. This episode breaks down why phone addiction hits differently when your business runs on your phone, and what actually creates real boundaries with the device that's supposed to be making your life easier. In this episode, you'll learn: Why smartphone addiction for entrepreneurs looks like hustle instead of addictionHow chronic phone use destroys decision-making, creativity, and business capacityWhy Apple Screen Time doesn't work (and what does)How the Opal app creates actual friction that willpower can'tWhat your body's physical symptoms might really be telling youKey Topics Covered: Why your nervous system can't tell the difference between "productive" and mindless scrolling (00:02:43)The 4 ways maxed-out nervous system is silently damaging your business (00:03:47)Why Screen Time limits fail and what you need instead (00:05:36)How Opal app blocks work and why Deep Focus mode matters (00:06:34)Listening to physical symptoms as nervous system data (00:09:26)Reset & Reclaim Action Step: Pick your most distracting app and block it during your best two hours of work tomorrow. Use Opal, Screen Time, or any app blocker that creates enough friction to make phone-picking a conscious choice. Notice what happens — the pull, the restlessness. You're not fixing everything this week. You're gathering data. Resources Mentioned: The Productivity Rebellion (free monthly guide): carachace.com/productivity-rebellionChaos Detox: carachace.com/chaos-detoxOpal app (link in show notes) — referral code for 30-day Pro trial: URH4QConnect with Cara: Website: carachace.comInstagram: @carachaceEmail: hello@carachace.comLove this episode? Leave a review and help other exhausted entrepreneurs find the show. The Social Media Burnout Cure drops fall 2026. Get on the launch list at socialmediaburnoutbook.com for first look at the introduction, pre-order info, and launch bonuses.  Support the show ❓Want your question answered on the show? Join the Productivity Rebellion for free monthly guidance + the chance to ask me anything! Connect: Instagram | YouTube | Website ✨Start your Chaos Detox 📩Join The Productivity Rebellion ⭐Loved the episode? Leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

    12 min
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The productivity podcast for burned out women entrepreneurs who are tired of holding their business together with duct tape and coffee. Your week fell apart by Tuesday. Again. You started Monday with a perfectly planned calendar, and by Wednesday you're drowning in "quick requests," rewriting the same to-do list for the third time, and rage-eating lunch at your desk because you're behind on everything. You've tried the productivity systems. The morning routines. The time-blocking. The apps that promise to fix everything. And they all assume your life goes according to plan—which it never does. Here's the truth: You're not bad at time management. You're exhausted from being everyone's backup plan. Your brain is running three parallel to-do lists during client calls. You're carrying the mental load for both your business and your family. And no planner app can fix that. You need weekly planning that bends when life doesn't cooperate. Boundaries that actually protect your capacity. And permission to stop apologizing for needing rest. That's what Ditch the Chaos: The Productivity Rebellion is for. I'm Cara Chace—entrepreneur since 2015, homeschooling mom of two, and recovering people-pleaser who learned the hard way that most productivity advice is built for people whose days are predictable. Mine aren't. Yours probably aren't either. This isn't another podcast telling you to wake up at 5am, batch your content, or hustle harder. This is where you learn to build your own systems instead of following everyone else's rules. Every week, you'll get strategies for entrepreneur burnout recovery, real talk about setting boundaries without guilt, and practical ways to create white space in your calendar and breathing room in your brain—before you hit the wall. You'll learn how to stop white-knuckling your way through every week, get your Fridays back, and run your business without sacrificing your sanity. No templates. No rigid time-blocking. No productivity guilt. Just relief that actually works when your Tuesday falls apart. Ready to stop being the failsafe for everything? Subscribe now and let's ditch the chaos together.

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