Escaping Hustle Culture: $10K Hours, 4-Week Vacations & the 25-Hour Workweek

What if you could swap $10 tasks for $10k impact?

Host TJ Lewis talks with Dr. Sabrina Starling—“The Business Psychologist,” bestselling author of How to Hire the Best and The 4 Week Vacation®—about escaping hustle culture in modern accounting firms. Citing research on 700+ entrepreneurs, Dr. Sabrina reveals that 90% are burning out and explains how to flip the script by focusing on “$10,000-an-hour activities”: work done in your zone of strength that makes everything else easier or unnecessary. She recounts limiting her own schedule to 25 hours a week, delegating low-value tasks, and using “vacation-testing” to build a business that runs smoothly during a fully unplugged four-week break—demonstrating that Work Supports Life™, not the other way around. Listeners get practical guidance on time-blocking, tracking tasks for delegation, and empowering teams.

Links mentioned in this episode:
$10,000-an-Hour Activities Chart 

Where to Find Dr. Sabrina Online (41:00 – 41:20):

• Profit by Design Podcast 
• Tap the Potential website
• Instagram: @DrSabrina
• Facebook: Tapthepotential

Upcoming Dr. Sabrina Events

• How to make your time worth $10,000/hr | July 17 at 2-3 p.m. ET.

The Modern Firm® is produced and owned by Rightworks. You can learn more about the podcast, episode recaps and more at rightworks.com/resources/podcasts.

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Creators and Guests

TL

Producer

TJ Lewis

What is The Modern Firm®?

The hot-topic podcast where firms, thought leaders, influencers, and research nerds converge, collaborate, speak out and dig into common challenges impacting accounting firms. We ask the critical questions on topics that matter—from the pipeline shortage and security threats to the “how–the–hell–can–anyone–keep–up” pace of technology change—and then work to amplify actionable guidance and takeaways for firms. Join TJ Lewis and other dedicated industry champions who all have a single, focused goal: Moving the profession forward.