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. 2d ago

    E221 - Your Business Is Stuck Because You Are with Jordan Reeves

    Jordan Reeves does not technically exist. He is a composite of 53 real business owners Rob sat down with over one summer of research conversations, rolled into a single story. And there is a very good chance that this person is you. Coaches, consultants, creatives, real estate operators, service providers of every kind kept telling Rob the same story, the same wall, and the same frustration, so he built one character to carry all of it. In this special solo episode, Rob walks through the wall almost every skill-built business owner hits, and the four secrets those 53 conversations revealed for breaking through it. He gets into the reactive loop where your day happens to you, paralysis by analysis, and the identity trap that makes delegation feel like giving up who you are. Then he lays out the shift that mattered most in every single conversation: the business only grows as far as the person running it has grown. Topics Covered: Why Rob replaced a guest with "the guest," a composite of 53 research conversationsThe reactive loop: reacting to noise until noon before any needle-moving work happensParalysis by analysis, and why the most capable owners freeze on picking a directionThe identity trap: still feeling like the technician while the title says founderSecret 1, momentum is a daily choice you make with directed action, not weather you wait forSecret 2, the niche pivot, and how getting smaller makes marketing, sales, and confidence easierSecret 3, external accountability as the unlock, and the compounding cost of working in isolationSecret 4, personal growth is business growth, proven by the owners who changed themselves firstChapter Timestamps: 00:00 Show intro 01:39 A different kind of episode: 50 conversations, one story 02:37 Not a guest, "the guest": a composite of 53 owners 03:27 Inside the research conversations 05:04 Meet Jordan Reeves 06:00 Three years in and stuck, wearing every hat 06:54 The biggest shift is internal 07:44 The reactive loop: my day happens to me 09:31 Paralysis by analysis 10:45 The identity trap 12:19 Secret 1: Momentum is a choice 15:06 Secret 2: The niche pivot changes everything 17:40 Quick break 18:16 Secret 3: External accountability is the unlock 21:10 Secret 4: Personal growth is business growth 23:51 The proof is Jordan 24:53 Stage two: the applied research cohort 26:38 Who it is for and how to join 27:28 Why taps is becoming a strategy firm 28:57 Recap and your next step Join the applied research cohort: If Jordan Reeves felt a little too close to home, the six-week founding cohort of the Prime Performance process is now taking calls. Book one at SurvivingtheSideHustle.com/freecall. Follow Surviving the Side Hustle at SurvivingtheSideHustle.com for every episode.

  2. 6d ago

    E220 - Lessons from John Mendez: A Pivot Is Not a Failure

    A pivot is not a failure. Sometimes it is the most strategic move you can make. That is what my buddy John Mendez proved, and he is not just any guest. John was the very first interview I ever recorded for Surviving the Side Hustle back in 2023, he came back for our 100th episode, and now he is here for a third time. The world still saw him as the AI guy while his income was taking a nosedive, his expenses were climbing, and the business he bet everything on was barely breathing. In this Friday recap I pull out what stuck with me from our conversation: the fork in the road where John could either fight to reclaim his AI throne or pivot into what he already knew, why his deepest low point was about identity and not money, how he packaged the digital marketing and webinar skills he already had into a five day challenge that signed clients within weeks, and the five Ps he uses to build a webinar from scratch. All of it lands squarely inside the Optimization principle of the Prime Performance process. Optimization is not about turning your weaknesses into strengths. It is the self awareness to see what is already working inside you, and then building your whole operation around that. You do not grow by becoming someone you are not. You grow by becoming a more focused version of who you already are. Chapter Timestamps: 00:00 Show intro 01:38 Picture this: the moment it all caved in 02:06 Why John Mendez is not just any guest 02:33 What John is building now 03:03 2023: the 33K launch that let him quit his job 03:29 2024 into 2025: flat, then falling apart 03:56 The gut punch at speaker school 04:25 A fork in the road: catch up or pivot 04:50 The real struggle was identity 05:15 Money pressure and the deal that got away 05:44 John's secret: stop becoming who you are not 06:13 Packaging the skills he already had 06:40 The five Ps of a successful webinar 07:06 Where this lands: the Optimization principle 07:32 Self awareness is the first move 08:01 Optimization is a decision about your energy 08:28 The five day webinar challenge and how to join 09:25 The one thing to leave you with Connect with John: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnmendezofficial/ Five Day Webinar Challenge: https://stopandstare.media/challenge Listen to the full conversation with John Mendez in E219. Follow Surviving the Side Hustle at https://survivingthesidehustle.com for every episode.

  3. Sep 8

    E219 - Why Learning More Strategies Is Keeping You Stuck with John Mendez

    The results you are looking for are not in the breadth of your knowledge. They are in the depth of your execution. John Mendez said that about halfway through this conversation and it reframes almost everything people reach for when business gets hard. John was the very first guest ever recorded for Surviving the Side Hustle back in May of 2023, he was the first guest brought back for a second time on the 100th episode, and now he is back for a third. He is a TEDx speaker, the host of the Walk 2 Wealth podcast, and the founder of Stop And Stare Media, where he builds webinar based client acquisition systems for coaches and business owners. The conversation covers the three years since his last full episode, including the 33K launch that let him quit his job, the year that nearly broke him, and the quarter his business took a complete nosedive. John walks through the decision to stop being the AI guy and pivot into webinars, the internal battle over charging premium prices, and the four Ps he uses to build a webinar from scratch. Rob and John also get into camera anxiety, why a webinar exists to shift beliefs rather than to teach, and why sharpening a strength beats grinding on a weakness. Topics Covered: 2023 was the year he went all in, with a 33K launch that let him quit his job.Charging premium prices is an internal battle. You have to believe you are worth it, not just that the offer is worth it.Webinars fit people with a teacher's heart and industries where you educate clients before they can buy.The greats do not fix weaknesses, they make their strengths impossible to stop.People only pay for the payoff. They do not care about your credentials, your accolades, or your process.A webinar is a vehicle to shift beliefs. Teach people who to become before you teach them what to do.The four Ps are pitch, presentation, pipeline and promotions, plus a bonus P, the presenter.Chapter Timestamps: 00:00 Show intro 01:38 Welcome back: the show's very first guest, now on his third visit 04:12 Three years in: a 33K launch, then a nosedive 05:36 Surviving by any means and gutting the business 06:05 The epiphany that started the pivot away from AI 07:45 How he landed on webinars 10:19 Running the first five day webinar challenge 11:27 The call that produced his first high ticket client 12:22 Charging premium is an internal battle 14:09 A mastermind with a done for you front end 16:39 Camera anxiety and the screen share trick 19:19 TEDx versus workshop: two different jobs 21:52 Blending Russell Brunson with keynote craft 23:08 Quick break 23:50 Depth of execution beats breadth of knowledge 24:43 Who webinars are actually good for 27:09 Sharpen your strengths instead of fixing your weaknesses 31:07 The four Ps: start with the pitch 33:03 The Dunning Kruger effect and the false sense of competence 34:26 A webinar shifts beliefs, it does not teach 36:37 The bonus P: becoming a better presenter 40:18 The five day webinar challenge and how to join Connect with John: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnmendezofficial/Five Day Webinar Challenge: https://stopandstare.media/challengeFollow Surviving the Side Hustle at https://survivingthesidehustle.com for every episode.

  4. Sep 4

    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.

  5. Sep 1

    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.

  6. 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.

  7. 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.

  8. 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.

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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
    222
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Rob Tracz
  • Show Website
    Surviving the Side Hustle