Let’s face it, as business owners, it’s easy to get sucked into the hustle mentality. But it’s not always the healthiest way to grow your business. So what can you do to alleviate hustle to grow your business and pursue success God’s way?
Step one for growing your business without unhealthy hustle, is to pursue success God’s way.
The questions that changed Erin’s life
You don’t know who you are and whose you are? And do you know Jesus? These are the questions that a friend asked Erin when she expressed her lack of fulfillment in her career. All the money and success wasn’t making her happy. She felt empty. Having been surrounded by New Age thinkers, Erin hadn’t had a relationship with Jesus. But after this conversation, Erin committed her life to Christ. Now Erin emulates Christ in her business and teaches others to do the same.
There is peace when you don’t have to be self-reliant
When you invite God into your business and let Him guide you, you can experience peace. And you can let the hustle go. Social media can result in you looking in multiple directions, creating chaos, or causing confusion. Confusion on what to do next, and pursuing success without God, will result in more hustle. Comparison and imposter syndrome result in hustle. Instead, you can pursue success God’s way, and if it feels better, grow your business without social media.
Money Mindset
It’s never how much money you make, it’s how much money you spend. We are called to be good stewards of our money, first and foremost. With this recognition, you can discover how much money you need to bring in for your family. And, not be afraid of what that number is. Another important question to ask is how much money does God want you to make? And then not shaming yourself if you don’t make the same amount of money as what you are seeing other people online making.
When you have a healthy mindset around money, it’s easier to stop playing small.
Erin explains her 3 money mindset shifts
God gives us our businesses for Kingdom impact, to administer your gifts and talents for others. The first money mindset shift is to understand your money, save money, give money back to God, and recognize that you aren’t defined by the dollars you make. If you allow money to define you, what happens when you have a down month or when your job goes away?
The second mindset shift is going from a love of money to accepting money as a tool to provide for her family. Scripture reminds us that the love of money is the root of all evil. Money itself isn’t bad, it’s a tool. For Erin, this was a money mindset shift because she had been in a place of idolizing money and looking at it as her savior, as many of us often do. That is a worldly principle and goes against what God wishes for us.
The third money mindset shift for Erin is that God is a God of agriculture. He is a God of multiplication. God is constantly planting seeds and if we believe in Him, the seeds will grow. We don’t have to worry about them growing, He will make sure they grow if we are obedient to Him. In addition, we don’t have to live in fear of it going away or constantly try to make it grow by hustling.
We can be intentional, and purposeful, seek God, and let Him handle the growth while we are simply obedient to Him. Robyn emphasized that during the sowing season when we are waiting for the harvest, it’s important to have gratitude for what He’s doing on our behalf. What He’s planting and what we will eventually reap.
God is faithful
If we ask the Holy Spirit for wisdom and knowledge, He will provide it for us. But we must get quiet and listen for Him. Where we get tangled up, is that God’s plan isn’t always what we want it to look like. He is always faithful. But what He knows is best for us isn’t necessarily what we want and think is best for us.
We want to let God lead us, but we live in fear that He’s going to lead us someplace we don’t want to be. It’s a matter of going back to trusting Him. In Deuteronomy, Moses told the Israelites that the Lord your God is who gives them the power to gain wealth. Wealth is defined in various ways.
The anti-hustle message
Erin emphasized that it isn’t necessarily about no hustle. As ambitious women, the hustle may energize you. The key is to do it in a way that is relaxed and peaceful. The definition of hustle is working with intention in a sense of timing. Mark Chapter 4 reminds us that even Jesus rested and sought wisdom from God.
Robyn shared that quiet time, doing devotions and journaling in the morning, is a time when she regularly has a flood of ideas from God. When we give God time and seek Him, we’ll experience Him answering us, and we can give up control. Preface your requests from a place of gratitude. Be grateful in the moment because God will be a light for you, He will always come through for you. There is always a way with God.
Should your faith be forward-facing in your business?
The answer to this question? Ask the Holy Spirit. You may fear that there will be backlash, or that people will not hire you. And as Erin said, you’re right. But if this is what God is calling you to do, He will ensure that the people He wants you to help will find you and you will have them as clients. The people that you do turn off, aren’t your soulmate clients anyway.
If you are trying to serve everyone, you are serving no one.
When you aren’t called to have your faith forward-facing, you will demonstrate your relationship with Jesus through your actions and how you work with others. We aren’t all called to have our faith forward-facing. When people see you as calm and peaceful, they will ask how you are that way.
When you show love, you will demonstrate Jesus’ love.
The Holy Spirit will nudge you, pay attention. It’s not crazy, you will have recurring thoughts, or you’ll hear the same thing from other people.
No competition
If you believe that we each have our own unique gifts to share with certain people, there is no need to be competitive with other people in your space. God has already planned what people need to hear from you versus hearing it from other people. Your job is not to compare yourself to others, but to do what He’s called you to do to bring Glory to Him.
Getting Quiet
When you get quiet and allow yourself to experience quiet time, God will bring you connection. He will shed light on new ideas for content or offerings. Getting quiet isn’t laziness, it’s focused time with God so that you can hear what He’s telling you and calling you to.
We have to give God the margin to move. And when he provides, be grateful for the opportunity He has presented to you. We aren’t meant to serve everyone. If someone says no, they don’t want to work for you, maybe the timing isn’t right, or maybe God is saving you from getting into a situation that won’t be fulfilling for either of you.
Where God guides, He provides. If you are meant to do something, He will make it clear to you. If you believe God will provide, your job is to trust Him, be obedient and receive His instructions, and receive the outcome of your obedience.
Scripture verses Erin frequently reflects on
John 15:4-5
“Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me, you can do nothing.”
Don’t block the nourishment of the branch. What does that mean? Well, we as humans, get caught up in idolatry or coveting, looking at what others have and wanting it. When this happens, we lose gratitude. Abide in Christ and He will abide in us. We can’t do anything without Him.
Psalm 25:4-5
Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.
This verse is a reminder that it is God’s way, not our way. Use scripture as prayer.
About Erin Harrigan
Erin’s mission is to teach ambitious women how to break free from that overwhelm and overachievement by redefining hustle. She helps them see that they can walk out to complete God’s assignment with clarity, serenity, and fulfillment. Erin gives women a SAFE space to integrate their faith and business with strategy, accountability, focus, and encouragement. In addition, she helps the women she works with tune out the world, tune into God’s truth, and turn up focus as they build thriving businesses.
Erin’s book: Pursuing Success God’s Way
Additional references mentioned
Obedience Over Hustle: The Surrender of the Striving Heart by Melinda Fuller
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