Built on Purpose, Running on Empty: Values, Burnout, and the Theology of Hard Times with Catharine Montgomery

What happens when the mission that fuels you becomes the thing that depletes you? In this episode, Nicole sits down with Catharine Montgomery, founder of The Better Together Agency, a communications firm built to amplify organizations doing good in the world. Catharine has rebuilt her business — and herself — more than once, and she doesn't hold back about what that actually costs. This is a wide-ranging conversation about purpose-driven entrepreneurship, the burnout that hides inside your passion, and what faith traditions have always known about rest that hustle culture refuses to teach us. If you're a values-driven founder, a woman of faith navigating hard seasons, or someone who has quietly wondered whether your sense of purpose is sustaining you or slowly burning you out — this episode is for you.Here's what's in the episode:What it really looks like to build a business around your valuesThe shadow side of purpose-driven work: how caring deeply can quietly become the reason you stop taking care of yourselfBias in AI, and why Catharine built her own toolThe theology of hard times: does God have a plan, does it have to be detailed, and what do you do when you've stopped believing it?Simple, unglamorous rest practices that are actually working for her right nowChapters:00:00 Introduction to Just Rest and Catharine Montgomery02:09 Taking a Deep Breath03:17 Catharine's Burnout Stories05:13 The Birth of Better Together Agency08:37 Navigating Racism and Burnout11:20 Building in Everyday Self-Care14:23 Spirituality and Personal Growth16:57 The Nature of Divine Planning19:19 Understanding Suffering and Divine Presence21:49 Evolving Values-Alignment in the Second Start-Up24:37 Navigating Change and Maintaining Mission28:48 Innovating with AI for Social Good32:50 Addressing Bias in AI Technology35:28 The Impact of AI on Racial Wealth Gap37:42 Perfectionism and Its Challenges41:08 Balancing Passion and Burnout44:31 The Importance of Rest and Creativity48:47 Highlighting Positive Change: Red RabbitCONNECT WITH CATHARINE MONTGOMERY:Website: https://thebettertogetheragency.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cnmontgomeryThe Better Together Agency on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thebettertogetheragencyOrganization highlighted: Red Rabbit — providing culturally relevant meals to children in schools across New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC. redrabbitlunch.comCONNECT WITH NICOLE HAVELKA:Newsletter: https://defythetrend.substack.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-havelka-35762022/Work with Nicole: https://defythetrend.com/contact/The Calm Calendar Club is a brain-friendly planning community for neurodivergent adults, ADHD minds, and sandwich-generation caregivers who are tired of systems that don’t fit real life. We help you build a flexible, values-based calendar that reduces chaos and protects your energy. This low-cost, community-based program is ready for you at defythetrend.com/calm-calendar. Thank you to the people who helped make this show happen.Send me a message via Speakpipe.A proud member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective.