logo
episode-header-image
Yesterday
42m 42s

How to Avoid Burnout and Build Sustainab...

Grant Baldwin
About this episode

“...hustle and hard work might get you past a certain project or deadline, but then habits will help you last over the long haul, right? So build a business that doesn’t ultimately break you over time.”

What does it take to build a speaking business and a life that lasts? In this week’s episode of The Speaker Lab, host Grant Baldwin sits down with his longtime friend Chris Ducker, who just released his new book, The Long-Haul Leader. Together, they dig into the real strategies behind sustainable success, steering clear of the non-stop hustle that risks burnout.

Chris shares candid insights from his entrepreneurial journey and research, emphasizing that while hustle is required in the early days, you can’t stay in high gear forever. Instead, he champions the power of habits, boundaries, and honest self-care, arguing that protecting your energy is more important than squeezing every last minute from your calendar.

The episode is packed with valuable advice: how to recognize burnout before it hits, why recovery is a competitive edge, and how to make sure your business supports your life, not the other way around. If you’ve ever wondered how to chase big goals without losing yourself along the way, don’t miss this conversation, and check out Chris’s new book for even more practical wisdom on becoming a true long-haul leader!

You’ll learn:

  • Building lasting habits over perpetual hustle
  • Redefining success to include health, relationships, and joy
  • Navigating the nature of starting a business
  • Aligning business priorities to support personal well-being
  • Big-picture thinking without neglecting current obligations
  • About Chris’ new book The Long-Haul Leader
  • Reframing self-care as strategic, not selfish
  • Distinguishing between busy seasons and burnout
  • The importance of adaptability
  • And much, much more!


“What you have to understand is that success, even initially, should not cost you your health, it shouldn’t cost you your family, it shouldn’t cost you your relationships or your joy of the work that you’re doing.”

Episode Resources

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Up next
Aug 19
Boosting Your Speaking Business with Visual Storytelling with John DeMato
“A photo in general is not going to win you business, but bad photos are going to lose you your business all the time because it absolutely crushes.”Ever dread getting new headshots or wonder if your photos help your speaking business? On this episode of The Speaker Lab, Grant Ba ... Show More
39m 59s
Aug 12
How to Share Your Story with Purpose with Bill Blankschaen
“If your heart is genuinely how do I care about people by doing what I love to do, if that’s the driver of it, I don’t see how you can not end up in a place that is rewarding, fulfilling, and doing something that makes the world a better place.”Ever wonder if your story is worth ... Show More
39m 49s
Aug 5
Using AI as a Thought Partner for Speaking with Geoff Woods
“The mistake I’m seeing a lot of companies make is they’re racing to shove it into a product where they’re trying to drive costs down before the leaders making the call have become AI-driven leaders.”Feeling overwhelmed by AI and unsure how it fits into your speaking business? In ... Show More
47m 21s
Recommended Episodes
Nov 2017
SDH206: Being Patient, but Persistent with Your Dream
If you’re starting podcast what equipment do you need? How do you set up your systems? How soon will you have to monetize it and how? Where and how do you start to build your audience? Today’s episode is set up a little different, and we get to listen in on Brandon T. Adams’ podc ... Show More
1h 23m
Jul 2019
20. The Money Mindset Episode: From Being in Debt to Owning a 7 Figure Company, Rewriting Financial Limiting Beliefs & Stepping Into Your Highest Self With Emily Williams
In this week’s episode, BossBabe Co-founder Danielle Canty interviews Emily Williams: Hay House author, leading Success Coach for female entrepreneurs and Founder of I Heart My Life Now.Together they dive deep on rewriting your self-limiting, pre-conditioned beliefs around money, ... Show More
46m 52s
Dec 2020
When your side hustle leads to your dream job | Sarah Fleihan | Leadership Activators Global Edition #10
Who would have thought that starting a side hustle could be the doorway to a dream job? A few months before a series of crises hit Lebanon, Sarah had already set herself up to success through embracing the challenge of running a side hustle. Thanks to the invaluable lessons learn ... Show More
47m 10s
Jun 2024
Introducing The Biz of Nonprofit Consultants
***Currently reviewing applications for 2025 1:1 Coaching and Impact Collective Mastermind!*** Are you a Nonprofit Consultant pulled between making an impact and running a profitable business? Join Natalie Eckdahl, MBA, on a podcast crafted just for you. With 25 years of diverse ... Show More
3m 7s
Aug 2021
SDH 457: Making the Leap From Subcontracting To Playing A Game of Her Own with Jahaan Blake
Hello friends! This week I’m sitting down with the amazing Jahaan Blake. Jahaan is a sports expert turned career coach who helps high-achieving women in the sports and entertainment industries lose the feeling of being stuck, frustrated and defeated and finally find their voice s ... Show More
38 m
Sep 2024
How Networking and Personal Growth Can Transform Your Career Path with Ena Hull
“Curiosity led me to where I am today.”When Ena Hull, TIGER 21 Chair for Newport Beach, said this on the show, I paused. I realized just how underrated curiosity is.Curiosity brings new tests and experiments.Curiosity leads to new ways of thinking.Curiosity opens doors to new pos ... Show More
41m 22s
Dec 2018
301: Wanna Be A Boss In Business and Life? Advice From the Original Boss Babe with Natalie Ellis
In This Episode You Will Learn About: How Natalie got her entrepreneurial start Where BossBabe came into Natalie’s life Experiencing burn-out Deciding to take a stand for her health Balancing self-care and high standards Finding the right type of integrator for your business Crea ... Show More
1h 11m
Oct 2022
NLP Transformed My Mindset and Unleashed The Potential Of My Business - the journey of a Personal Stylist with Sian Fisher
Have a passion to run a business but know your mindset is getting in the way of your success? Are you looking to get rid of the “what if” moments? Wondering if NLP can help Business Leaders (who are not Coaches)?  … this was Sian Fisher. Sian had an opportunity in 2019 to leave h ... Show More
45m 49s
Oct 2016
SDH096: Filling in the Gap With Something You Love with Megan O'Connor
Have you identified a gap in a market that aligns with your passion? Are you ready to fill that gap, take the leap, and land? Are you a Type A person, unsure how to deal with the transition from having a predictable work schedule to an anything can happen at any moment schedule? ... Show More
25m 3s
Feb 2025
Episode 328: BTS of Building A Multi-Million Dollar Brand, Leaders Who Do The Work... WIN!!!
On this episode of the Women Inspiring Women podcast, Melanie Mitro shares her personal journey of entrepreneurship, diving into the mindset shifts required to start over, the challenges of scaling a business, and the strategies that truly make a difference. She discusses the oft ... Show More
33m 27s