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

    E218 - Lessons from Joanna Zhang: You Cannot Build While Putting Out Fires

    You cannot build something meaningful while you are putting out fires. That one line from Joanna Zhang is the thing I could not unhear this week. In this Friday recap I pull out what stuck with me from the E217 conversation with Joanna Zhang, the operations strategist who basically invented the fractional VA model before anyone had a name for it. I get into her hot potatoes habit, delegating the biggest energy drain first before any system is perfect, why fear sits on top of the decision we have not actually made yet, the soul awakening that taught her to detach from the outcome, and how all of it maps to the clarity principle of the Prime Performance process: you manufacture clarity by removing the noise first. Chapter Timestamps: 00:00 Show intro 01:38 The lesson: you cannot build while putting out fires 02:05 Who Joanna is and the fractional VA model 02:34 From a bank and a family restaurant to her own business 03:30 When the operations came rushing in 03:54 The fractional VA model and a Stevie Award 04:19 Self-doubt in the ups and downs seasons 04:39 Fear sits on top of the decision 05:19 A soul awakening and embracing the unknown 05:47 Delegate the hot potato first 06:04 Why so many owners stay firefighters 06:21 Detaching from the outcome 06:48 Clarity and the Prime Performance process 07:18 Self-knowledge is the ignition switch 07:47 What are the hot potatoes in your hands? 07:59 How to connect with Joanna and her free guide 09:03 One hot potato and where to hear the full episode Connect with Joanna: LinkedIn: search "Joanna Zhang" (add "operations" if more than one shows up) Free listener gift: her practical guide on how and where to delegate to get time and energy back. Listen to the full conversation with Joanna in E217. Follow Surviving the Side Hustle at SurvivingtheSideHustle.com for every episode.

  2. 6d ago

    E217 - Why Unconditional Love Unblocked Her Stuck Business with Joanna Zhang

    When a mentor kept asking Joanna Zhang why she really ran her business, one word finally fell out of her mouth and her tears dropped: unconditional love. That answer dissolved a blockage that years of smart strategy never could. Joanna is the founder of a fractional VA service, a plug and play team that fills the gaps in growing businesses, and an operations strategist whose model was later named "fractional VA service" by international award judges. She walks Rob through how she went from a transactional, proving mode operator to building a business rooted in genuine care. The conversation covers her family restaurant side hustle while she worked nine to five in a bank, discovering virtual assistants in the Philippines, and the Stevie International Business Award that gave her model its name. Rob and Joanna also get into finding your own creation style, why courage means acting even when you are afraid, and the four stage delegation process she now uses to help other founders scale. Topics Covered: - During the day she was working nine to five and after work she had to go to the restaurant to help. - She started to work with VAs eight years ago and got to know some VAs in the Philippines. - Her team won a Stevie International Business Award, and the judges named the model fractional VA service. - Courage is not that we are not afraid of it, it is that we are afraid of it but we still do it anyway. - When the mentor asked why she does her business, the answer was unconditional love and her tears suddenly dropped. - She believes energy management is even more powerful than time management. - She calls the first delegation layer hot potatoes because there are always a few things on a plate giving stress. - Her model is more like a plug and play team that fills the gaps you are not ready to hire full time for. Chapter Timestamps: 00:00 Show intro 01:38 Welcome and meet Joanna Zhang 03:07 A restaurant side hustle while working nine to five 03:58 Starting her own financial planning business 05:07 Discovering virtual assistants in the Philippines 05:45 The fractional VA model and a Stevie Award 06:40 Why great ideas never turn into action 09:20 Courage is acting even when you are afraid 13:02 The moment of doubt and second-guessing 14:32 A breakdown, then meeting a spiritual mentor 15:58 The question: why do you do your business? 16:53 Unconditional love unblocks the business 19:58 Reversing priorities from doing to being 23:09 Energy management over time management 25:07 Quick break 25:59 Stage one: tackling the hot potatoes 27:46 Building momentum and systemizing the business 34:02 Who benefits: solopreneurs, B2B, and startups 36:04 How to connect and a free delegation guide 37:24 What Joanna wants to stand for Connect with Joanna: - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zhang-joanna/ - Free listener gift: her simple guide on how and where to delegate to get more time and energy back. Reach out to Joanna on LinkedIn to grab it. Follow Surviving the Side Hustle at https://survivingthesidehustle.com for every episode.

  3. Aug 28

    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.

  4. Aug 25

    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.

  5. 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.

  6. 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.

  7. 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

  8. 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.

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4.8
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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
    219
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Rob Tracz
  • Show Website
    Surviving the Side Hustle