Just Rest: Burnout Tips for Everyday Radicals

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.

What if the way you've been told to run your business was never designed for you? Nicole sits down with feminist business coach, podcast host and author Becky Mollenkamp to unpack the capitalist conditioning most entrepreneurs carry without realizing it. They trace the through-line from toxic corporate workplaces to the inner boss we recreate in our own businesses, and ask the question that changes everything: what's enough for you?Becky's new book, Liberate Your Business: A Radical Guide for Entrepreneurs Building Inside a Broken System, is the resource she wishes she'd had — one that honors the full complexity of building a values-aligned business inside a system that wasn't built for your humanity.What's in the ShowBecky's burnout story — rooted in emotional exhaustion, not overworkWhy capitalist conditioning follows you into your own businessThe Hedonic Treadmill and why capitalism keeps moving the finish lineDefining your own "enough" in money, hours, rest, and joyConsent-based marketing as an alternative to high-volume launch sequencesHow Becky used AI to finally write the book her ADHD brain couldn't organize aloneCommunity-building as resistance — and embroidery as restBecky lifts up: Transgender Law Center (transgenderlawcenter.org)Chapters00:00 Introduction to Rest and Burnout03:13 Becky's Journey with Burnout08:58 Corporate Culture and Expectations of Creativity12:04 The Cost of Doing Business: Burnout as Normal15:03 Values and Rest: A Personal Reflection17:03 Becky's Spiritual Grounding: Values-based living21:02 Agency and Control in Our Lives22:29 Bringing Capitalism into our work and businesses31:04 Navigating Capitalism as Entrepreneurs40:45 Rethinking Commerce and Relationships43:35 Redefining Enough in a Capitalist Society47:09 The Hedonic Treadmill and Its Impact on Happiness49:29 The Privilege of Safety and Security50:47 Finding Rest in a Demanding World52:55 Building Community as Resistance55:40 Empowering Rest Rebels59:31 Supporting Trans Rights and Advocacy01:00:16 Connecting with Becky and Her WorkSources MentionedLiberate Your Business by Becky Mollenkamp — available at beckymollenkamp.com/bookKelly Diels — feminist marketing educator, featured in Liberate Your Business https://kellydiels.com/Transgender Law Center — transgenderlawcenter.orgCONNECT WITH BECKY MOLLENKAMPWebsite: beckymollenkamp.comThreads: https://threads.com/@beckymollenkampSubstack: https://feministrants.substack.com/LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/beckymollenkampCONNECT WITH NICOLE HAVELKA:NewsletterLinkedInThe 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.

What does faith have to do with reproductive justice — and what does either have to do with rest? Everything, it turns out. Nicole sits down with Elaina Ramsey, Executive Director of FaithChoice Ohio, an organization that elevates the moral power of faith communities for abortion justice and reproductive freedom in Ohio and beyond. Elaina shares her journey from fundamentalist evangelical to pro-faith, pro-choice advocate, and how that transformation shaped her understanding of bodily autonomy, mutual aid, and rest as a deeply spiritual practice. Whether you're navigating burnout in movement work or simply trying to stay human while doing hard things in the world, this episode is for you.In this episode you'll hear:Elaina's journey from fundamentalist evangelical to pro-choice Christian reproductive justice advocateHow a traumatic experience in college cracked open her thinking about bodily autonomy and led her to this workThe difference between reproductive health care, reproductive rights and the broader reproductive justice framework — and why it mattersHow FaithChoice Ohio builds rest, grief and mutual aid into their organizational culture as a lived valueGiving practical support for people accessing abortion care in Ohio including through the Jubilee FundA "Dear Rest Rebels" message: what you freely give others — permission to rest, grieve and be human — is also a gift you can give yourselfChapters List00:00 Introduction to Change Makers and Rest03:25 Time for a Deep Breath04:33 Elaina's Journey from Evangelicalism to Advocacy10:45 Outgrowing Evangelicalism is a lot like Burning Out12:28 The Shift to Reproductive Justice18:30 Christian Grounding for Rest23:20 Grief, Lament, and Community Care28:18 Creating a Culture of Rest in Organizations31:18 Navigating Expectations in Nonprofit Work35:01 Understanding Reproductive Justice42:00 The Broader Implications of Reproductive Justice44:56 Community Care and Mutual Aid51:18 Empowering Rest and Self-Care51:42 Dear Rest Rebels53:33 Support FaithChoice Ohio57:18 How to Find FaithChoice OhioCONNECT WITH ELAINA RAMSEY & FAITHCHOICE OHIOWebsite: faithchoiceohio.orgInstagram: @FaithChoiceOhioFacebook: @FaithChoiceOhioPodcast: R-Soul https://www.faithchoiceohio.org/podcastCONNECT WITH NICOLE HAVELKA:NewsletterLinkedInWork with NicoleThe 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.

Confession time: Nicole didn’t plan to do a solo episode in season one. But, here it is. In this honest and vulnerable episode, Nicole shares why the podcast briefly disappeared from your feed, what happens when real life collides with ambitious plans, and why sometimes the most humane thing we can do is let good enough be good enough. If you’ve ever felt behind, overwhelmed or like you “should” be doing more, this episode is your permission slip to slow down and focus on what actually matters.In This Episode:Why this unexpected solo episode happenedThe hidden workload behind producing a podcastHow my computer dying derailed my January plansWhy winter (and life seasons) naturally slow us downLetting go of perfection and embracing “good enough”Building more humane systems for getting things doneWhat I’ve been working on behind the scenesWhy I’m still all-in on this podcastChapters:00:00 Moment to Breathe00:53 Why “Good Enough” Matters01:32 The Reality of Podcast Production03:55 Winter, Rest, and Slower Seasons06:16 Creating Humane Systems for Work08:23 Behind the Scenes: Calm Calendar Club10:46 Why I Love PodcastingCONNECT WITH NICOLE HAVELKA:NewsletterLinkedInWork with NicoleThank you to the people who helped make this show happen.Send me a message via Speakpipe.A proud member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective.

If you’ve ever sat at your desk thinking, Why is time management so hard for me? … or Googled something like “ADHD time blindness” after being late again … or whispered to yourself, I’m so disorganized. Why can’t I stick to a schedule? — this conversation is going to feel very familiar.Because what if the issue isn’t that you “can’t manage your time”…What if the systems you’ve been handed were never built for your brain?In this conversation I’m joined by Jacki Hayes, operations and systems strategist, to talk about ADHD and neurodivergent planning and the burnout that happens when your nervous system becomes your project manager.We explore why traditional time management advice often fails neurodivergent women — especially Gen X and elder Millennial women  — juggling careers, caregiving, leadership and way too many invisible responsibilities.This isn’t about becoming more productive.It’s about building humane systems that reduce overwhelm and actually support your energy.What We Talked AboutWhy ADHD time management advice often increases shameThe real reason planning feels overwhelmingThe identity trap of “I’m just disorganized”How simple backend systems reduce executive function fatigueWhy structure protects creativity (instead of killing it)Chapters00:00:00 Introduction00:00:38 Introduction of Jacki Hayes00:03:06 Moment for a Deep Breath00:03:35 Jacki’s Journey: Two Burnout Stories00:10:28 Jackie’s Spiritual Grounding to Rest00:14:02 Typical Objections to Planning & Administration00:15:53 I just don’t have time for planning!00:19:40 Creating “emergencies” for the Dopamine Hit00:23:26 Procrastination and the ADHD Brain00:28:29 Planning & Administration Take Time Away from Human Relationships00:31:15 Creating Human Safety through Automations00:40:23 Planning for your Personality00:46:11 3 Questions: Rest, Resist, Dear Rest Rebels00:50:45 Organization Doing Good: One IowaMeet Our Guest: Jacki HayesJacki Hayes is an operations and systems strategist who helps service providers build businesses that actually work for them. She combines Human Design with smart, customized strategy to create simple, energizing systems for leads, onboarding, and delivery. She’s also the host of Here’s What I Learned, a podcast about doing business your way.Connect with JackiWebsiteInstagramLinkedInThreadsConnect with Nicole HavelkaNewsletterLinkedInWork with NicoleResources & LinksCalm Calendar Club — If you’re ready for a slower, saner approach to planning your life and business, this is for you.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.

In this episode of Just Rest: Burnout Tips for Everyday Radicals, host Nicole Havelka sits down with Dana Tenille Weekes — lawyer-lobbyist, creative and voice behind The Rest of Us podcast — to talk about what rest actually is (and isn’t), how burnout reshaped Dana’s life, and why conversations about rest feel so hard and a little as political violence escalates.We acknowledged that we are recording the podcast in a moment of incredible political and social pain in the United States — including the recent fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal immigration enforcement agents in Minneapolis. which have sparked widespread protest and grief nationwide.In this vulnerable and unfiltered conversation, Dana and Nicole explore:Dana’s burnout storyWhat rest did to the nervous systemWhy rest matters right nowRest as liberation (not resistance)Rest in organizational culturePracticing liberating restDana’s definition of rest — deeply connected to your agency and truth — reframes tired clichés about self-care into something political, perceptive and embodied. By relearning how to feel, name, and act from our truths, rest becomes a practice of liberation even in times of upheaval.Whether you’re navigating burnout, activist fatigue, nervous system overwhelm or just trying to stay honest with yourself about how exhausted you really feel — this one’s for you.Sources cited and recommended“U.S. witnessed many ICE-related deaths in 2026. Here are their stories” by Ali Harb on AlJazeera News“Renee Macklin Good, murdered by ICE, was a prize-winning poet. Here’s that Poem,” by Jonny Diamond in Literary Hub.Rest is Resistance by Tricia Hersey“Want to be Respected? Tell People How You Want to Be Helped. Part 1” The Rest of Us Podcast with Host Dana Tenille Weekes“Want to be Respected? Tell People How You Want to Be Helped. Part 1” The Rest of Us Podcast with Host Dana Tenille WeekesDana’s Organization Recommendation: Torch Literary ArtsCONNECT WITH DANA TENILLE WEEKESWebsiteInstagramSubstackLinkedInCONNECT WITH NICOLE HAVELKA:NewsletterThe 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.

Do you feel like you are constantly "behind," racing against a clock that never slows down? For many revolutionary leaders and creators, time feels like an extractive resource that is always running out. This pressure isn't a personal failing—it is the result of colonial time, a system designed to sever our connection from the land, our bodies, and our natural rhythms to serve toxic capitalism.In this episode of Just Rest, Nicole Havelka talks with Indigenous-Time Ecologist Ixchel Lunar about the radical practice of decolonizing time. Ixchel shares their journey from high-stakes political activism and tech-culture burnout to finding liberation through ancestral wisdom and somatic healing. If you are ready to stop "spinning plates" and start living in a more relational, spiral, and cyclical rhythm, this conversation offers the roadmap to move from an adrenalized state to a place of deep, restorative flow.Ixchel Lunar Ixchel Lunar is an Indigenous-Time Ecologist, writer, and ancestral medicine guide known for decolonizing Time. They help multi-passionate creators and revolutionary leaders break free from the capitalist grind to reclaim time, realign energy, and reconnect with creative flow. Blending ancestral wisdom, modern neuroscience, and somatic practices with the technologies of personal cosmology—including the Mayan Cholq'ij, Human Design, and Astrology—Ixchel guides visionary misfits in reshaping their relationship with Time, creativity, and their innate rhythms. A former vice-mayor and activist, they champion decolonial leadership and Indigenous land stewardship, offering transformative guidance for those seeking liberation beyond the clock. Their trauma-aware, culturally rooted approach helps people move through burnout and cultural disconnection by returning to ancestral reverence, relational ritual, and cyclical spiral Time.Key TakeawaysDe-adrenalizing the BodyColonial vs. Decolonial TimeFlow Begins with RestThe Power of NepantlaThe Seven Types of Rest"Dear Rest Rebels: You’re not behind. You’re not failing. You’re living in a moment that asks for new rhythms. Time is not your enemy. Just remember how to listen."Support the Work: In honor of Ixchel’s time today, consider supporting The International Mayan League.Learn more about Just Rest at https://defythetrend.com/ CONNECT WITH IXCHEL LUNAR:SubstackInstagramWebsiteCONNECT WITH NICOLE HAVELKA:NewsletterLinkedInWork with NicoleThe 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.

Are you starting your year with a long list of ways to "fix" yourself? For many world-changers and radicals, the transition into January is often met with the heavy pressure of New Year’s resolutions that focus on getting smaller, working harder, or "improving" a body that was never broken. This episode of Just Rest explores how to dismantle the "shame spiral" of traditional resolutions and instead move toward intentional rest and self-valuation.Host Nicole Havelka sits down with Malik Turley to discuss the stark contrast between the 24/7 hustle culture of the US and the people-focused, relaxed rhythm of Valencia, Spain. We dive into why diet culture is a tool of control and how claiming your right to take up space is a radical act of resistance. Whether you are looking for burnout tips for everyday radicals or a more sustainable way to navigate the "grind," this conversation offers a new perspective on aligning your time with your humanity rather than your output.Malik Turley is the founder of the Tapas Movement and a veteran "change instigator" who spent 20 years creating movement spaces where women can inhabit their bodies without self-loathing. As a certified yoga therapist, movement instructor, and dance teacher, Malik has dedicated her career to pushing back against gym cultures focused on competition and shrinkage. Recently, Malik moved from the Chicago area to Valencia, Spain, a transition that has deepened her understanding of systemic rest and the cultural differences in how we value people over production. She continues to teach and write about movement, joy, and the intentional practice of Shabbat.Key TakeawaysIntentional vs. Accidental RestDiet Culture as a Control MechanismThe Radical Power of a Single TaskStop the "Push Through" MentalitySystemic Rest Lessons from SpainTo all the Rest Rebels listening: You have value every single day, regardless of your resolutions or the amount of space you take up in the world. This week, we invite you to take up space unapologetically.Support the Work: In honor of Malik’s time today, consider supporting World Central Kitchen or a local food pantry in your own neighborhood.Learn more about Just Rest at https://defythetrend.com/ CONNECT WITH MALIK TURLEY:FacebookInstagramWebsiteCONNECT WITH NICOLE HAVELKA:NewsletterLinkedInWork with NicoleThe 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.

Do you find yourself unable to answer the simple question, "What do you need?". For many small business owners, nonprofit leaders, and community organizers, rest feels like a luxury we haven't quite earned yet. We tell ourselves we’ll nap as soon as the to-do list is finished, the mission is achieved, or we’ve reached that next rung on a ladder we didn't even build.In this debut episode of Just Rest, host Nicole Havelka sits down with Radical Joy Coach™ Jordan Maney to dismantle the toxic habits of grind culture. We explore how habits like perfectionism and rugged individualism are actually symptoms of white supremacy culture designed to keep us depleted and alone. If you are tired of surviving on high cortisol and "more, bigger, better" expectations, this conversation is your permission slip to stop striving and start existing.Jordan is the Radical Joy Coach™ and creator of the RestLab. Through her facilitation and coaching she helps people who give a damn, aka bleeding hearts, learn the radical practice of rest so they can reclaim their joy and sustain their advocacy. She’s been featured in New York Magazine, Yahoo, Attn, Oprah Magazine, and Martha Stewart Living. You can find her resting with friends, family, and her sassy pup Duchess in San Antonio, TX.Key TakeawaysRest is Not a Reward; It is a RightIdentify the Three Toxic CousinsBeware the 72-Page Menu LifeVulnerability is Your Best DefenseSmall Wins Over Sweeping ChangesIt is safe for you to rest. It is safe for you to choose yourself and to actually enjoy your life. This week, we invite you to be a Rest Rebel in a small, practical way: Pick one item off your obligations and simply let it drop.Learn more about Just Rest at https://defythetrend.com/ Support the Work: In honor of Jordan’s time today, consider supporting the YWCA or the Southwest Workers Union.CONNECT WITH JORDAN MANEY:White Supremacy Culture by Tema Okun WebsiteThe Body is Not an Apology by Sonya Renee Taylor BookShopRest is Liberation with Jordan Maney on Feminist Founders Podcast with Becky Mollenkamp (we agree - a total badass) Jordan Maney’s WebsiteFollow Jordan on Instagram/TikTok: @thejordanmaneyCONNECT WITH NICOLE HAVELKA:NewsletterLinkedInWork with NicoleThe 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.

Just Rest: Burnout Tips for Everyday Radicals, hosted by Nicole Havelka, helps everyday radicals and world-changers who are tired, but not giving up to find connection, support, and soul-deep inspiration to keep resisting grind culture while staying true to their values.Nicole Havelka is a burnout survivor, ordained pastor, yoga teacher, and founder of Defy the Trend. She spent years trying to change the world by working harder, staying later, doing more, but realized that real change doesn't come from depletion—it comes from deep, aligned, joyful living. Now, she coaches others to make rest a non-negotiable part of their resistance. Every week, you'll hear honest, unfiltered conversations about what it takes to build differently and rest radically. Episodes talk about resistance, spiritual practice, failure, boundary-setting, burnout, recovery, and the sacred power of saying, “no more".Send me a message via Speakpipe.A proud member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective.