Episode #66 The Dad Funnel, the Death of Hustle, and the Power of Saying “No” with Jacob Pegs

In the latest episode of The Queen of Automation, I  got to sit down and chat with Jacob Pegs, a conversation two years in the making. We’ve been orbiting each other online, commenting, sharing, and supporting each other's content on LinkedIn, but this was our first real face-to-face (well, Zoom-to-Zoom) chat, and it did not disappoint.Jacob is one of those rare operators who actually lives what he preaches. He walked away from a half-million-dollar agency not because it wasn’t working, but because it wasn’t working for him. We got real about what burnout really looks like, and how building something successful doesn’t mean it’s sustainable, especially when you’re doing it at the expense of your creativity, your energy, and your identity.He shared his journey of moving from proposal-writing and endless calls to something radically simple and sustainable: one offer, one post, one email. That’s the Modern Maker model, and let me tell you, it just works. His systems are elegant, simple, and human. They reflect a founder who actually wants to live the life he’s building. And now with a daughter in the picture, Jacob’s “Dad Funnel” concept hits even harder.We talked about designing a lifestyle-first business, and what it actually takes to unlearn the toxic hustle narrative that keeps founders locked in cages of their own creation. I opened up about my own experiences too, working in SaaS, running ops for multiple companies, managing my own tech business, and how even with 20+ years of experience, you still need people in your corner to bounce ideas off of and keep you grounded.This episode is for every founder, ops nerd, and tech-savvy entrepreneur who’s wondering if there’s a simpler way. Spoiler alert: there is. And Jacob’s doing it brilliantly.If you’re building your own thing and feel like you're drowning in complexity, you're going to love this episode. You’ll walk away with a permission slip to make your business boring, in the best possible way.Connect with Jacob Pegs on LinkedIn to see exactly how he’s rewriting the rules of simplicity, systems, and showing up fully as yourself.