Hustle Rebels: Burnout & Identity Recovery for High Achievers

Renae
  • 5.0 (13)
  • SELF-IMPROVEMENT
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

A podcast for burned-out professionals ready to build sustainable success without living in survival mode Welcome to Hustle Rebels — the weekly wake-up call for driven professionals who are burned out, overworked, and done pretending the grind is normal. This is a space to challenge the blueprint you were handed, question the conditioning you never consented to, and rebuild success in a way that’s actually sustainable — not just impressive on paper. Inside the podcast, you’ll learn science-backed tools and practical strategies for: regulating your nervous system in high-stress careersrecovering from burnout without quitting your job or blowing up your lifesetting boundaries that protect your time, energy, and identityrebuilding productivity through rest, regulation, and capacitynavigating anxiety, workplace overwhelm, and dysfunctional leadershipredefining success so it finally feels like yours This isn’t hustle-culture motivation or a “fix yourself” self-improvement show.It’s for professionals who are tired of paying for success with their health, relationships, and sense of self. Hosted by Renae Mansfield — former firefighter-paramedic turned Burnout Recovery and Identity Coach, and founder of Wayward Wellness Coaching — Hustle Rebels flips grind culture on its head and teaches you how to build sustainable success that your nervous system can actually support. If you’re done white-knuckling your way through a life that looks good on the outside but feels expensive to live — you’re in the right place. This is Hustle Rebels.And the rebellion starts here.

  1. Burnout, Productivity & Power: Why High Achievers Are Still Expected to Work During a Blizzard (1978 vs 2026)

    6H AGO

    Burnout, Productivity & Power: Why High Achievers Are Still Expected to Work During a Blizzard (1978 vs 2026)

    Send a text Why are high achievers still expected to work during severe weather? After a record-breaking Massachusetts snowstorm, this episode of Hustle Rebels breaks down toxic productivity culture, employer pressure during blizzards, and how burnout conditioning keeps employees compliant — even when it’s unsafe. From the Blizzard of 1978 to the 2026 Massachusetts snowstorm, something shifted. Broad shutdowns became targeted travel bans. Collective pause became individual pressure. And modern work culture quietly normalized “business as usual” — even when roads are buried in three feet of snow. In this episode, we unpack: • Burnout culture and productivity conditioning • Why employees feel pressure to work during severe weather • Travel bans, employer expectations, and power dynamics • The “good employee” identity and nervous system compliance • How hustle culture trains high achievers to ignore real-world risk If you’re a driven professional questioning the cost of hustle culture, this conversation will challenge the blueprint you’ve been operating under. 🔥 Learn more about Burn the Blueprint: Masterclass - Click here to learn more on Burn the Blueprint: Masterclass 🎙️ Subscribe to Hustle Rebels 💛 Support the podcast to keep it independent Support the show Support the Show: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2560329/supporters/new FREE RESOURCES: Weekly Recharge Newsletter → https://wayward-wellness-coaching.kit.com/wayward-wellness-newsletter FREE ACCESS to Week 1 of Burn the Blueprint → wayward-wellness-coaching.kit.com/burn-the-blueprint-week-one CONNECT ON SOCIALS: LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/waywardwellnesscoaching/ Website → https://www.waywardwellnesscoaching.org Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/wayward_wellness_coaching/ Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/p/Wayward-Wellness-Coaching-61566792351111/

    27 min
  2. BONUS - Clutter, Decision Fatigue & Your Nervous System: Why Letting Go Feels So Hard

    1D AGO · BONUS

    BONUS - Clutter, Decision Fatigue & Your Nervous System: Why Letting Go Feels So Hard

    Send a text This episode is part of the Weekly Recharge Newsletter - to subscribe and grab a free silence self-doubt guide, click here - Subscribe to the Weekly Recharge Newsletter  You thought you were avoiding clutter. Turns out you were avoiding decisions. In this Weekly Recharge episode, we unpack why physical clutter feels heavier than it should — and what it’s actually doing to your nervous system. Clutter isn’t just “stuff.” It’s unfinished decisions. Open cognitive loops. Silent notifications your body keeps registering every time you walk past that pile. If you’re a high achiever who feels: Mentally overloadedEasily distractedWeirdly tense in your own spaceStuck in “I’ll deal with it later” modeThis episode breaks down the real nervous system cost of visual noise, executive dysfunction, and low-grade decision fatigue. You’ll learn: Why clutter increases cognitive load (even if you think you’re fine)How unfinished decisions keep your system in a micro-braceWhy physical purging can become emotional regulationA simple one-loop practice you can try this weekHealing doesn’t always look dramatic. Sometimes it looks like a trash bag and finally deciding. If burnout recovery and nervous system regulation are part of your growth right now — this one will hit. Support the show Support the Show: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2560329/supporters/new FREE RESOURCES: Weekly Recharge Newsletter → https://wayward-wellness-coaching.kit.com/wayward-wellness-newsletter FREE ACCESS to Week 1 of Burn the Blueprint → wayward-wellness-coaching.kit.com/burn-the-blueprint-week-one CONNECT ON SOCIALS: LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/waywardwellnesscoaching/ Website → https://www.waywardwellnesscoaching.org Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/wayward_wellness_coaching/ Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/p/Wayward-Wellness-Coaching-61566792351111/

    6 min

  3. FEB 19

    High Achievement Without Burnout: How to Succeed Without Self-Destructing - Erika Coleman (Guest)

    Send a text What happens when “giving your all” quietly becomes the only way you know how to live? In this episode of Hustle Rebels, Renae sits down with Erika Coleman — speaker, consultant, and recovering overachiever — to talk about what she calls “even achieving”: pursuing big goals without burning everything down in the process. Erika founded a million-dollar virtual training company, then hit clinical burnout while “doing everything right.” That crash led her to study stress, motivation, and performance at Harvard, where she realized something most high performers never hear clearly: You don’t have to give your all to give your best. Together, Renae and Erika dig into why so many of us live in permanent championship mode — treating every email, meeting, and shift like overtime in the playoffs — and what that does to your nervous system, identity, and long-term performance. In this episode, you’ll hear: How achievement, effort, and identity get tangled for overachieversHow “leave it all on the field” thinking backfires in real life (and in high-risk jobs)Why “just do less” and “just rest” don’t work for driven people whose safety is tied to performanceErika’s idea of even achieving and what sustainable momentum actually looks likeTwo simple questions to check your pace and presence before burnout blindsides youHow to talk about boundaries with leaders and systems that still reward overextensionWhy hobbies, celebration, and wrapping up seasons intentionally are non-negotiable for long-term successIf you’ve built your reputation on being the reliable one, the fixer, the person who always says yes and outworks everyone, this conversation will give you language, frameworks, and permission to stay ambitious — without sacrificing your body, relationships, or sense of self to hustle culture.  Want to connect with Erika? Here's how: Website: https://www.erikacolemanspeaks.com/ Free team assessment: https://balanceyourteam.scoreapp.com/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erika-coleman-1591b435/ To watch Erika's TEDx Talk, search: How to Support the show Support the Show: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2560329/supporters/new FREE RESOURCES: Weekly Recharge Newsletter → https://wayward-wellness-coaching.kit.com/wayward-wellness-newsletter FREE ACCESS to Week 1 of Burn the Blueprint → wayward-wellness-coaching.kit.com/burn-the-blueprint-week-one CONNECT ON SOCIALS: LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/waywardwellnesscoaching/ Website → https://www.waywardwellnesscoaching.org Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/wayward_wellness_coaching/ Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/p/Wayward-Wellness-Coaching-61566792351111/

    57 min
  4. BONUS - Nervous System Recovery: Why It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better

    FEB 18 · BONUS

    BONUS - Nervous System Recovery: Why It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better

    Send a text AUDIO for Weekly Recharge Newsletter - Want to hear more? Subscribe here When you spend years in grind mode, you’re trained to believe that “healing” should make everything instantly feel better. Spoiler: it usually doesn’t. In this episode of Hustle Rebels, part of my Weekly Recharge Newsletter, I share a very real gut-healing story from after my intestinal and back surgeries. My digestive system was wrecked from heavy antibiotics, I finally committed to an all-natural gut protocol… and everything got worse. Think 3am hot-knife pain and full “I’m dying” energy, not a relaxing wellness retreat. I use that story as a metaphor for what happens when high-functioning, overachieving humans (hi, us) finally start doing emotional and identity work: Why things can feel more intense once you stop living on autopilotHow your nervous system protests when you stop performing the old version of yourselfThe difference between actually spiraling vs. finally integratingSimple “debridement protocol” tools to support your body so you don’t burn your life down in the processIf you’re questioning the cost of your hustle, in the middle of a “healing makes me feel worse” phase, or trying to rebuild a life that actually works for your nervous system, this one’s for you. I also share how you can go deeper with my Burn the Blueprint: Masterclass and 4-week self-paced course if you’re ready for more structure and support. Enroll - Burn the Blueprint: Masterclass Support the show Support the Show: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2560329/supporters/new FREE RESOURCES: Weekly Recharge Newsletter → https://wayward-wellness-coaching.kit.com/wayward-wellness-newsletter FREE ACCESS to Week 1 of Burn the Blueprint → wayward-wellness-coaching.kit.com/burn-the-blueprint-week-one CONNECT ON SOCIALS: LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/waywardwellnesscoaching/ Website → https://www.waywardwellnesscoaching.org Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/wayward_wellness_coaching/ Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/p/Wayward-Wellness-Coaching-61566792351111/

    9 min

  5. FEB 12

    High Achiever Burnout: Why Giving 100% Is Destroying Your Energy

    Send a text When did “being dedicated” quietly turn into “being depleted”? In this solo episode of Hustle Rebels, Renae breaks down what happens when effort becomes identity—especially for high achievers, first responders, and anyone who’s been praised for pushing past their limits. Using the week after the Super Bowl and the Broncos quarterback’s overtime injury against the Bills as a metaphor, she explores why so many of us treat every situation like a championship game… and why our nervous systems can’t keep paying that price. This episode was sparked by a conversation with next week’s guest, Erika Coleman—Harvard-trained stress and performance expert and self-described recovering overachiever—who teaches that you don’t have to give your all to give your best. Erika calls this idea “even achieving,” and today’s episode sets the stage for that full interview. In this episode, Renae digs into: How effort quietly becomes identity (and why exhaustion starts to feel like proof you’re valuable)Why first responders and high performers get conditioned to wear overwork like a badge of honorThe “overtime trap” – treating regular problems with championship-level intensityWhat chronic fight-or-flight does to your nervous system, performance, and relationshipsWhy “just do less” and “just rest” don’t work for people whose drive is wired to safety and belongingA practical recalibration framework you can use in real life (like when your Slack blows up at 8:17 AM)If you’re ambitious and driven—but you’re tired of your body, relationships, and sense of self paying for it—this episode is your pre-game talk before next week’s conversation with Erika on what sustainable achievement actually looks like. Listen now, and then queue up next week’s interview for a deeper dive into “even achieving” and how to stop proving your worth through exhaustion. Register HERE for Burn the Blueprint: Live Masterclass - February 15-17th at 12pm EST with Replay available Support the show Support the Show: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2560329/supporters/new FREE RESOURCES: Weekly Recharge Newsletter → https://wayward-wellness-coaching.kit.com/wayward-wellness-newsletter FREE ACCESS to Week 1 of Burn the Blueprint → wayward-wellness-coaching.kit.com/burn-the-blueprint-week-one CONNECT ON SOCIALS: LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/waywardwellnesscoaching/ Website → https://www.waywardwellnesscoaching.org Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/wayward_wellness_coaching/ Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/p/Wayward-Wellness-Coaching-61566792351111/

    20 min

  6. FEB 11 · BONUS

    BONUS - How to Stop Overthinking: Breaking the Rumination Cycle

    Send a text AUDIO of the Weekly Recharge Newsletter - Want more? Subscribe here! A dead looper, a thinning dance floor, and a stomach-dropping silence turned into something unexpected: a better blueprint. We open up about a real gig moment that once would have fueled days of rumination and shame, and how that same moment now triggers a calm, practical plan. The shift didn’t come from blind confidence or toxic positivity. It came from rewiring old conditioning so the body could register “adapt” instead of “danger.” We get honest about where rumination actually starts: absorbed beliefs and inherited identities that teach your nervous system to equate small mistakes with threats to worth. If you grew up rewarded for perfection or labeled the reliable one, your body learned rules you never consciously chose. That’s why a minor glitch can feel like identity collapse. We break down how to spot those rules, why mindset alone rarely moves the needle, and what nervous system work looks like when it’s rooted in real life rather than theory. You’ll hear five simple, zero-cost pattern interrupts you can use the moment the replay starts—changing sensory input, naming the pattern out loud, giving your brain a task it can complete, moving to match the energy, and writing a next-time plan. Each tool is designed to buy space, lower intensity, and restore agency without turning your day into a full-time self-improvement project. We also share why these are first aid, not a cure, and how deeper “burn the blueprint” work helps you retire identities that no longer fit and write ones that do. If the phrase threat to identity rings true, this conversation will feel like an exhale. Listen for relatable stories, body-based strategies, and a reminder that you don’t need to fix yourself—you need to stop living inside a blueprint you didn’t choose. If this helped, subscribe for the Weekly Recharge, share it with a friend who ruminates on repeat, and leave a quick review to help more listeners find steady, useful nervous system tools. SUBSCRIBE The Weekly Recharge - https://wayward-wellness-coaching.kit.com/wayward-wellness-newsletter Support the show Support the Show: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2560329/supporters/new FREE RESOURCES: Weekly Recharge Newsletter → https://wayward-wellness-coaching.kit.com/wayward-wellness-newsletter FREE ACCESS to Week 1 of Burn the Blueprint → wayward-wellness-coaching.kit.com/burn-the-blueprint-week-one CONNECT ON SOCIALS: LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/waywardwellnesscoaching/ Website → https://www.waywardwellnesscoaching.org Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/wayward_wellness_coaching/ Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/p/Wayward-Wellness-Coaching-61566792351111/

    10 min
  7. Hustle Culture and Identity Loss: Why High Achievers Feel Trapped - with Patrick Faulkner (Part 2)

    FEB 5

    Hustle Culture and Identity Loss: Why High Achievers Feel Trapped - with Patrick Faulkner (Part 2)

    Send a text Why are we so good at solving everyone else’s problems — and so bad at solving our own? In Part 2 of this conversation, Patrick Faulkner digs into the beliefs and systems that quietly train people to overwork, ignore themselves, and stay loyal to roles that are slowly killing them. We talk about how hustle gets inherited — from family, culture, and leadership — and reinforced through expectation, guilt, and fear of being replaced. Patrick breaks down why questioning bad authority often comes with consequences, how “promoted incompetence” keeps broken systems running, and why many people grind harder instead of stepping back when things stop working. This episode also shifts into what rebuilding actually looks like after identity loss — not the highlight-reel version, but the real one. We talk about habit change, misdirected coping, the loneliness that follows forced transitions, and why reinvention doesn’t happen through instant gratification or hustle — but through reflection, trial, failure, and redirection. This episode explores: Why overwork is conditioned, not accidentalQuestioning authority without becoming expendableLeadership vs management — and why the difference mattersIdentity loss and misplaced loyaltyRebuilding after burnout without replacing one grind with anotherWhy high performers neglect themselves firstThis is Part 2 of a two-part conversation — and the continuation of Patrick’s story, moving from identity loss toward clarity without pretending the process is clean, fast, or comfortable. If Part 1 resonated, this episode takes it further. Guest & Links Guest: Patrick Faulkner Former LEO | USAF Veteran | Podcaster | Small Business Operator 🎙 Podcast: Knock and Talk Show - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/knock-and-talk-show/id1589492648LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/knock-and-talk-show/posts/?feedView=all🔗 LinkedIn: Charles Patrick Faulkner - https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlespatrickfaulkner/🏢 Business: Faulkner Endeavor Group - https://www.linkedin.Support the show Support the Show: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2560329/supporters/new FREE RESOURCES: Weekly Recharge Newsletter → https://wayward-wellness-coaching.kit.com/wayward-wellness-newsletter FREE ACCESS to Week 1 of Burn the Blueprint → wayward-wellness-coaching.kit.com/burn-the-blueprint-week-one CONNECT ON SOCIALS: LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/waywardwellnesscoaching/ Website → https://www.waywardwellnesscoaching.org Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/wayward_wellness_coaching/ Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/p/Wayward-Wellness-Coaching-61566792351111/

    37 min
  8. Identity Crisis After Career Loss: What Happens When Your Job Is Who You Are - with Patrick Faulkner (Part 1)

    FEB 4

    Identity Crisis After Career Loss: What Happens When Your Job Is Who You Are - with Patrick Faulkner (Part 1)

    Send a text What happens when the job that shaped your identity disappears overnight? In Part 1 of this conversation, Patrick Faulkner shares the moment his law enforcement career ended — not with ceremony, but with a quiet reality check. After being cleared to return to work following an off-duty injury, he was told his sergeant stripes had been given away, his K9 reassigned, and there was no position waiting for him. What followed was a decade-long reckoning. Patrick walks through the identity loss many first responders experience after leaving law enforcement or military service, the overwork mentality reinforced by first responder culture, and how habits built for survival don’t simply disappear when the uniform comes off. We talk about reinvention through entrepreneurship, the illusion of freedom in hustle culture, and how unprocessed experiences from military and law enforcement careers often surface years later — quietly and destructively. This episode explores: Identity loss after leaving law enforcement or first responder careersWhy overwork is rewarded in high-stress professionsHustle culture inside military, law enforcement, and EMSEntrepreneurship as a second grindWhat happens when identity is stripped before you’re readyThis is Part 1 of a two-part conversation. Part 2 continues tomorrow, diving deeper into leadership failures, inherited beliefs about work, questioning authority, and what rebuilding actually looks like after being forced to pivot. Guest & Links Guest: Patrick Faulkner Former LEO | USAF Veteran | Podcaster | Small Business Operator 🎙 Podcast: Knock and Talk Show - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/knock-and-talk-show/id1589492648LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/knock-and-talk-show/posts/?feedView=all🔗 LinkedIn: Charles Patrick Faulkner - https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlespatrickfaulkner/🏢 Business: Faulkner Endeavor Group - https://www.linkedin.com/company/faulkner-endeavor-group/Support the show Support the Show: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2560329/supporters/new FREE RESOURCES: Weekly Recharge Newsletter → https://wayward-wellness-coaching.kit.com/wayward-wellness-newsletter FREE ACCESS to Week 1 of Burn the Blueprint → wayward-wellness-coaching.kit.com/burn-the-blueprint-week-one CONNECT ON SOCIALS: LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/waywardwellnesscoaching/ Website → https://www.waywardwellnesscoaching.org Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/wayward_wellness_coaching/ Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/p/Wayward-Wellness-Coaching-61566792351111/

    26 min
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About

A podcast for burned-out professionals ready to build sustainable success without living in survival mode Welcome to Hustle Rebels — the weekly wake-up call for driven professionals who are burned out, overworked, and done pretending the grind is normal. This is a space to challenge the blueprint you were handed, question the conditioning you never consented to, and rebuild success in a way that’s actually sustainable — not just impressive on paper. Inside the podcast, you’ll learn science-backed tools and practical strategies for: regulating your nervous system in high-stress careersrecovering from burnout without quitting your job or blowing up your lifesetting boundaries that protect your time, energy, and identityrebuilding productivity through rest, regulation, and capacitynavigating anxiety, workplace overwhelm, and dysfunctional leadershipredefining success so it finally feels like yours This isn’t hustle-culture motivation or a “fix yourself” self-improvement show.It’s for professionals who are tired of paying for success with their health, relationships, and sense of self. Hosted by Renae Mansfield — former firefighter-paramedic turned Burnout Recovery and Identity Coach, and founder of Wayward Wellness Coaching — Hustle Rebels flips grind culture on its head and teaches you how to build sustainable success that your nervous system can actually support. If you’re done white-knuckling your way through a life that looks good on the outside but feels expensive to live — you’re in the right place. This is Hustle Rebels.And the rebellion starts here.

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