What is the connotation of work hard, play hard? The mindset of influencers, celebrities, executives, entrepreneurs and determined entry-level workers use the hustle culture to advance their careers and bank accounts, even if it leads to burnout.
Grinding has become a custom in business to offer a feeling of purpose and drive. But how does the hustle and the grind evolve for people in their forties and fifties?
Let’s first look at 20 and 30-year-olds. Hustling and grinding are part of their daily routine and goals; it’s learned and implemented while in college. From taking the best classes to landing top internships, young millennials and Gen Zers understand the mentality’s purpose.
Gigi Robinson, founder of It’s Gigi Media, speaker and creator, in her mid-twenties, whole-heartedly believes hustling and grinding helps people build momentum and move careers forward. “My career hustle is about constantly pushing myself to create new connections, network with industry leaders and always try to do my work in the most efficient way that I can,” she explains in an email. “Career grind is all about one’s ability to constantly push yourself to learn new things, build your skillset, and refine your work with performance data. I found that scheduling time to network and make it routine can become an integrative part of your work.”
As people advance in their careers, the meaning of working hard, playing hard evolves.
From no sleep to intentional rest
Sarah Jones Simmer, CEO of Found and a breast cancer survivor, has evolved her grind to be more intentional about her schedule, time and sleep regimen. She started her career at a hedge fund before pivoting to strategy consulting.
Afterward, she was vetted for the COO position at Bumble. She had just given birth to her second child and had to bring her to the company retreat to nurse. Everything up to this point demanded high levels of energy, attention to detail and long hours. During this time, she was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer, and even though she worked while receiving treatment, she realized how important the role of rest would be in her personal and professional success.
Now in her 40s and leading Found, Simmer has prioritized her schedule for rest. “The best thing you can do for behavior change is get more sleep and strength training,” she comments over a Zoom call. “I have a different level of awareness and appreciation for that, given my cancer journey; this is the one body that I’ve got. The staying up until two in the morning to be responsive to international teams, I still want them to value the consistency that I demonstrate, and I know that I think better when I’ve had seven hours of sleep. So, I really make that a priority. I make exercise a priority. I work out with my husband twice a week at 8 a.m.; it is blocked on our calendars.”
Permission to disconnect
Estelle Cockcroft, exclusive buyers’ broker at Catamaran Guru, had difficulty saying no earlier in her career. Located in South Africa, entrepreneurship was the way of life. She started a swimwear line. Manufacturing was her biggest challenge, so she opened a factory in her garage.
However, her husband, Stephen, sailed catamarans and yachts around the world. He did help her with her business, but Cockcroft decided she wanted to join him on the excursions. She learned a new craft and implemented her entrepreneurial skill set by working immense hours to provide for the company’s clients. Now, with 60 on the horizon, she values her free time and makes it a point to have fun—disconnect from her phone.
“I realized that if I work the business, there’s very little time to implement your vision,” Cockcroft states in a phone interview. “I decided I have to have time to look at the greater picture. I couldn’t just be working twenty-four-seven. I still do, but I’m having fun at it; I can see the vision. My husband and I sit in our jacuzzi, and we call it our boardroom, and we have two-hour discussions about what we see in the future for the business. Now in my 50s, my husband is ten years older than I am, we realize that we are not as vital as we were before. It’s not all about work, how great we are or how great our businesses is. We want to enjoy the time together.”
Beyond the hustle
Amy De Salvatore, partner at NightDragon, values how a solid strategy helps her work smarter rather than harder. Her influence spans leading global IT and cybersecurity companies, including Documentum, EMC, McAfee, Intel Security and Forescout Technologies. She built and managed alliances with diverse IT and OT partner portfolios.
Even into her 40s, De Salvatore describes her work ethic as determined and hard-working. She saw results and thrived in the success.
“Towards the end of my 40s, I started to get a bit more into diversity, equity inclusion work,” she explains during a Zoom interview. “That’s when I started to see that now, in my late 40s and 50s, a whole other realm, which I would call beyond the hustle. Beyond the hustle to me, it’s much more satisfaction than success that I’m striving for because you already feel like you’ve proven yourself earlier in your career. And now I’m in a place where a lot of the work that I’m doing is for me. I don’t necessarily have to work at this stage in my life, but I still am. I’m looking ahead to what the end looks like for me. What will the future look like for the next generation of cybersecurity individuals in the industry? And what kind of legacy am I going to leave behind.”
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