When Hustle Breaks You

What if the thing you need most right now isn’t another push — but a pause?In this deeply moving and soul-centered episode of 5 Flavors of Happiness, host Susan Pieper sits down with mental health leader, wellness coach, and pause practitioner Nicole Pertillar for a conversation that feels like a deep exhale.This episode explores what happens when women stop abandoning themselves in the name of hustle, productivity, and achievement — and begin living life with margins.Together, Susan and Nicole unpack:Why pausing is not quitting — it’s creating space to receive wisdomHow hustle culture disconnects us from purpose, joy, and identityWhy self-care isn’t a bubble bath — it’s the rhythm of the life you liveHow grief, burnout, and major life transitions require gentler leadershipWhat it really means to listen to your mind, body, and spiritWhy so many women feel successful — yet not happyHow slowing down helps you reconnect to the purpose that never left youNicole shares her powerful personal journey through caregiving, grief, burnout, and a life-altering “forced pause” — and how that moment reshaped her mission to help women, caregivers, and solopreneurs lead from wholeness instead of exhaustion.If you’re feeling:• quietly exhausted• disconnected from joy• unsure of your purpose• overwhelmed by hustle culture• or stretched thin from giving to everyone else— this conversation is for you.This is not a podcast about doing more.It’s about coming home to yourself.✨ Listen now and discover why pausing may be the most powerful thing you do this year.🔔 Follow 5 Flavors of Happiness for conversations on happiness, self-care, grief healing, purpose, mindfulness, and living well — without losing yourself.