I Can't Hustle Any Harder Than This

In this episode, host Rachael Wonderlin sits down with networking powerhouse Emily Merrell, a business coach, marketing strategist, and founder of Second Degree Society, to unpack what actually makes networking work for entrepreneurs today. Emily shares her journey from the 2008 recession to building her own global networking community, how she transitioned into coaching without a traditional certification, and why the coach–consultant labels have become so tangled. The conversation expands into running events that don't suck, the pitfalls of modern virtual summits, MLM echoes in coaching culture, and the power of doing your due diligence before saying yes to anything online. Key Takeaways: – Networking that works is intentional, not accidental. Emily built Second Degree Society around curated, hand-picked introductions, solving the problem of people attending events but never truly connecting. – Coach vs. consultant is more than semantics. Entrepreneurs often use these terms interchangeably, but Emily breaks down why they require different skill sets and expectations.  – Good coaches have done the thing. Lived experience matters more than certifications, and people want mentors with real-world proof of concept. – Virtual summits and list-building can get sketchy. Emily and Rachael compare notes on summit "scripts," email list grabs, and why due diligence matters before participating.  – Internet transparency has changed the game. Scammy business models are harder to hide when Reddit, reviews, and digital footprints exist…if you pause long enough to look. Memorable Quotes: "I didn't intend to start a business—I intended to start a space where people could genuinely connect. The business came after." "Consultants do the work for you. Coaches teach you how to do the thing. Those roles get lumped together, but they're not the same." "At conferences, you just float around, grab a snack, and leave with business cards you never use. Curated connections change the whole experience." "Not everyone has people around them who will say, 'Hey, that doesn't sound legit.' Community matters." "Being an entrepreneur means wearing a lot of hats, but hiring help is still one of the hardest things to do." About the Guest:  Emily Merrell is a business coach, community builder, and the creator behind the global networking community Second Degree Society, known for its curated, meaningful connections between entrepreneurs. She is also the co-founder of Ready Set Coach, where she helps coaches launch and grow businesses rooted in real experience, instead of empty promises. With a background in luxury fashion (Ralph Lauren, Tory Burch, Intermix), event planning, and nearly a decade in entrepreneurship, Emily blends strategy, storytelling, and thoughtful connection into everything she builds.   About Rachael: Rachael Wonderlin is a dementia care consultant and gerontologist. She founded her consultancy, Dementia By Day, in 2014. She is the author of When Someone You Know is Living in a Dementia Care Community, Creative Engagement, and The Caregiver's Guide to Memory Care and Dementia Communities.   Find out more at www.rachaelwonderlin.com and Instagram.com/dementiabyday.

In this episode, host Rachael Wonderlin sits down with award-winning journalist and author Stefanie O'Connell for a razor-sharp conversation about tradwife culture, gendered labor, and why women are still penalized for ambition.  Stefanie, whose forthcoming book The Ambition Penalty debunks the myths surrounding women's work, money, and power, breaks down the rise of the "tradwife" aesthetic, the illusion behind it, and the very real structural issues that make this content resonate with so many women. This conversation goes far beyond social media trends and digs into policy, power, partnerships, and the economic realities shaping modern womanhood.   Key Takeaways: – Tradwife content romanticizes gendered labor, packaging traditional gender hierarchy as aesthetic lifestyle content. – Ambition is still gendered. Women ask for more as often as men but are less likely to get it, because they're penalized for the same behaviors that benefit men. – The system runs on women's unpaid work. Childcare, eldercare, and emotional labor still fall mostly on women, limiting their time, income, and long-term security. – Benevolent sexism is a trap. "Be beautiful, compliant, and we'll protect you" sounds comforting, but societies built on this model have worse outcomes for women and men. – Interdependence is the real goal. Neither girlboss independence nor tradwife dependence works. We need shared labor, community, and flexible systems that support everyone. Memorable Quotes:  "If something asks you to shrink, to pull back, to make yourself smaller, that's a red flag — no matter how benevolent it's framed." "Care work is the cost of living in a society. Everyone depends on it, but women are the ones expected to do it for free."   "Tradwife content isn't about valuing care work, but about maintaining a gender hierarchy where women's labor subsidizes men's success." "I didn't tell clients I was pregnant until late in my pregnancy because I was afraid I'd lose work. That's the pressure women feel." "The caregiving burden hits women on both ends — raising children and then caring for aging parents. It's the same pattern."   About the Guest:  Stefanie O'Connell is an award-winning journalist, author, and researcher whose work focuses on money, power, ambition, and gender. Her reporting has been featured in Slate, Bloomberg, Newsweek, USA Today, Glamour UK, Business Insider, and CNBC. She wrote, hosted, and co-produced Real Simple's podcast Money Confidential, and publishes the popular Substack Too Ambitious, where she examines how cultural narratives shape women's economic and professional lives. Her forthcoming book, The Ambition Penalty: How Corporate Culture Tells Women to Step Up and Then Pushes Them Down (May 2026), uncovers the systems that punish women for doing exactly what they're told will help them succeed. Preorders are now available. Stefanie's Substack: https://tooambitious.substack.com/ Preorder The Ambition Penalty: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-ambition-penalty-stefanie-oconnell/1148171301?ean=9781541705210   About Rachael: Rachael Wonderlin is a dementia care consultant and gerontologist. She founded her consultancy, Dementia By Day, in 2014. She is the author of When Someone You Know is Living in a Dementia Care Community, Creative Engagement, and The Caregiver's Guide to Memory Care and Dementia Communities.   Find out more at www.rachaelwonderlin.com and Instagram.com/dementiabyday.

In this episode, host Rachael Wonderlin sits down with returning guest Leah Peysha, a former stay-at-home mom turned corrections officer, to unpack one of the most predatory corners of the self-improvement industry: fitness MLMs. From Instagram hashtags like #FitMom and #BoyMom to auto-pay "coaching" subscriptions that never end, Leah shares how she was targeted by a recruiter from a fitness conglomerate while navigating new motherhood, and why she got out after six months. They talk about how the "coaching the coaches" model still thrives online, why new moms are such an easy target, and how shame and self-comparison keep the cycle going. Spoiler Alert: starving yourself on $40 shake powder isn't self-care… it's manipulation wrapped in "empowerment."   Key Takeaways: – MLM "fitness coaching" programs prey on postpartum insecurity, promising quick results and flexible income. – Behind the "boss babe" branding is a pyramid model, where most participants lose money while enriching those at the top. – False claims like "get your body back fast" exploit vulnerable new moms under the guise of empowerment. – If a product requires recruitment or constant check-ins from a "coach," it's not mentorship. It's control. – The best protection against manipulation? Supportive friends who question what sounds too good to be true. Memorable Quotes:  "Anything that promises you quick results or quick money is lying to you. Nothing good happens fast." "It's so nasty that they target moms. You've just done the craziest thing your body can do, and someone's already trying to monetize your insecurity." "I thought I was joining a fitness program, but I was really joining her income stream." "If your coach's success depends on you buying more powder, she's not a mentor — she's your subscription service." About the Guest:  Leah Peysha is a Cleveland-based former stay-at-home mom turned corrections officer. A returning guest from the inaugural season of "I Can't Hustle Any Harder Than This," she candidly shares her experience being recruited into a fitness MLM and how she got out, offering clear-eyed advice for new moms navigating "coach" culture online.   About Rachael: Rachael Wonderlin is a dementia care consultant and gerontologist. She founded her consultancy, Dementia By Day, in 2014. She is the author of When Someone You Know is Living in a Dementia Care Community, Creative Engagement, and The Caregiver's Guide to Memory Care and Dementia Communities.   Find out more at www.rachaelwonderlin.com and Instagram.com/dementiabyday.  

In this episode, hosts Rachael Wonderlin and Emily Naples sit down with Vancouver-based content creator and YouTuber Danielle Ryan, known for her viral commentary on the "coaches coaching coaches" economy. Danielle pulls back the curtain on how the girlboss era morphed into an online coaching pyramid, complete with fake income claims, toxic positivity, and a "keep investing in yourself" mentality. From her early yoga business to her first scam experience, Danielle shares how she fell for (and recovered from) the false promises of online coaching—and why she now uses her platform to expose predatory business practices and teach creators how to build income without exploitation. Key Takeaways: – Coaching ≠ Credibility. Many online "mentors" sell success they've never achieved themselves. – MLM Mindset in Disguise. The pressure to "keep investing" and recruit others mimics multi-level marketing tactics. – The Shame Factor. Both victims and former coaches often stay quiet out of embarrassment, allowing the cycle to continue. – Receipts Over Reels. Income claims are easily faked. ALWAYS verify testimonials and timelines. – Ethics Over Aesthetics. The real flex isn't flaunting wealth—it's transparency, discernment, and doing the actual work. About the Guest:  Danielle Ryan is a Vancouver-based content creator, UGC producer, and YouTuber whose channel dives into online business scams, coaching culture, and influencer ethics. A former yoga teacher turned digital entrepreneur, she uses her platform to share the realities of self-employment, call out exploitative industry practices, and empower creators to build businesses rooted in authenticity instead of manipulation. Resources mentioned: – Danielle's YouTube: @itsdanielleryan – TikTok: @itsdanielleryan About Rachael: Rachael Wonderlin is a dementia care consultant and gerontologist. She founded her consultancy, Dementia By Day, in 2014. She is the author of When Someone You Know is Living in a Dementia Care Community, Creative Engagement, and The Caregiver's Guide to Memory Care and Dementia Communities.   Find out more at www.rachaelwonderlin.com and Instagram.com/dementiabyday.  

In this episode, hosts Rachael Wonderlin and Emily Naples sit down with clarity business coach Anna Ludwinowski – a four-time founder – to talk about the difference between real coaching and scammy promises. Anna breaks down why "I'll 10x your revenue" is a red flag, how unethical coaches prey on vulnerability, and why most founders don't need a "scale" plan. What they do need is foundational clarity, i.e., ideal clients, positioning, offers, pricing, and messaging. We also dig into ethical vetting, transparent results, and how to verify a coach before you invest money.  Key Takeaways: – Beware the promise machine. "I'll 10x your revenue" without context is marketing, not a plan. – Build foundations first. Ideal clients, positioning, offers, pricing, and messaging come before "scaling." – Don't niche yourself into a corner. Think focus over hyper-niche; your skills can translate across similar service categories. – Vet like a pro. Verify testimonials, ask for concrete deliverables, and use a free discovery call to check for fit. –  Ethics matter. A good coach is willing to say, "I'm not the right fit," and refer you elsewhere. About the Guest:  Anna Ludwinowski is a clarity business coach and 4x founder. She's built an event décor company, scaled a packaging company to 15 employees and 7-figure years, owned a women's boutique fitness studio, and now helps solopreneurs and small teams get foundational clarity with strategy work that makes growth possible. Anna is known for no-fluff coaching, transparent deliverables, and fit-first discovery calls. Connect with Anna: Website: annaludwinowski.com Instagram: instagram.com/asmallbusinesslife LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/anna-ludwinowski-strategic-business-coach Substack: asmallbusinesslife.substack.com About Rachael: Rachael Wonderlin is a dementia care consultant and gerontologist. She founded her consultancy, Dementia By Day, in 2014. She is the author of When Someone You Know is Living in a Dementia Care Community, Creative Engagement, and The Caregiver's Guide to Memory Care and Dementia Communities.   Find out more at www.rachaelwonderlin.com and Instagram.com/dementiabyday.