The Story Behind Unhustle™

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How Unhustle® Was Born

This is a story about hustling. And Unhustlling.

I used to hustle. A lot. I grew up in Eastern Europe. I started my first business at the age of 17, on the Black Sea of Bulgaria, renting windsurfs my family made by hand. We made everything – the boards, the sails, the masts and booms. Don’t ask me how. Somehow we managed to do it. This kickstarted my entrepreneurial spirit. 

I pursued a master’s degree in the US managing eight different jobs during one single year. Then I had to hustle to find a job and get my immigration status. I’ve hustled pretty much all my adult life. Determined to prove to the world that I’m successful. Determined to make money in the US. I wanted to buy things. I wanted to own a house. With an MBA and 20 years of marketing experience I thought I had achieved a lot. I ran a digital marketing agency, working with national and international brands. I thought I made a difference in the world. I won various marketing awards. It was all good until I started to feel burnt out. I no longer desired to feel connected to my computer and phone all the time. Managing employees and responding to emails became more of a chore than satisfaction. My health deteriorated, my exercise suffered and my happiness decreased. My sleep quality suffered. Countless hours on social media affected my attention and my listening skills. I knew that it was time to take a break. I needed to find balance again. 

My husband and I planned a trip to Baja California Sur for 10 days in November 2013. Many of our friends have been going to a place called La Ventana in Baja California Sur. It’s a windsurf and kiteboard mecca where life is slow and Internet is even slower. The food consists primary of seafood and vegetables. People are relaxed and outdoors most of the time. They spend their days doing yoga, mountain biking and kiting in the afternoon. By 9pm (also known as Baja midnight), exhausted from being active and outside it’s time to go to bed. 

I didn’t know if I can survive 10 days without Internet. I knew I would have anxiety from being disconnected, not knowing what’s going on. I knew I would be able to call in on occasions by phone. Craving a little bit of change of pace, I decided to trust my team to take care of my clients and my business. I bought an airline ticket to San Jose del Cabo to meet my husband who drove there ahead of me. 

The minute we saw the little bay by the sea, where the mountains meet the ocean we fell in love. The small community of La Ventana has its charm. The friendly expats, retirees who live here 6 months out of the year, vacationers and the local fishing community all live in harmony. A couple of ocean overlooking terraces for yoga, local restaurants, and a coffee shop provide level of comfort for the people here. For everything else, nearby La Paz was the answer. 

Once in Baja, we decided to take kiteboarding lessons. As someone who is very athlethic, I find kiting very challening. It requires strong mental focus. Something I was missing at that time from too much time on social media. I had a new challenge in life. This time, it had nothing to do with making money, winning clients or coming up with creative marketing campaigns. It had to do with being present, in the moment, fully engaged in the one thing I was doing. Something that was new to me despite all the regular yoga and meditation practice I used to do. Kiting was my very first mindful activity I had to do to not kill myself. This was serious. They say that kiting changes your life. I used to laugh about it but now I know it’s true. 

After 10 days of floating in the water connected to a kite, it was time to go home. I didn’t master kiting but I knew I got addicted. Being in my body, outside in the sunshine in the salty water was very healing for me. I also realized that being present is what was missing from my life. We made a decision to come back in a few months and spend an entire month by the ocean. 

It was then, on a morning walk on the beach that we decided to change our life. We were both burnt out from the long, snowy Tahoe winters. We were craving warmth, sun and light. I desired a lot more meaning in my life. I wanted a change from the hustle of my everyday life. I realized that “hustle” is the worst possible advice and activity for an entrepreneur or even just for a regular person. During my 10 day digital detox time in Baja, my mind had cleared. I was able to see my priorities better. I was able to focus and be more productive in less amount of time and slower speed, than working from my US office with high speed Internet. I find balance. Something beautiful was emerging from these 10 days of well needed reset. What if there was something more to this that I couldn’t see during my life in chaos. I began to search. 

We committed to spending the winter months in Baja. Changing the environment from Baja to Lake Tahoe adds in change and excitement to our life. We live in our airstream and enjoy the simple pleasures in life and the slower pace of Mexican life. I’m able to work remotely from here. The Internet has improved a lot since my first visit but it’s still not as fast as in the US. And sometimes it disappears completely. This teaches me to be very efficient with my time. It also add a new level of challenge and another lesson to mindfulness. I continued to do freelance marketing and exploring my deepest desires and values. Living here part of the time has given me a unique advantage and a different mindset. I had stopped to hustle. There’s a difference between working hard and hustling. I began to change my habits and behaviors to end hustling once and for all. 

Instead of looking at my phone first thing in the morning, I take my time. I begin my morning with gratitude and mindfulness practice. I engage in some type of physical activity. I spend time in nature with my dog. I take the time to have a conversation with my husband and to really listen to him. I pay attention to my nutrition. I plan my day and stick to the most important things for that day. I take regular breaks and give my iphone breaks. I move. I listen to people. When I notice that I’m off balanced, I take time for self care. When I feel anxious, I breathe deeply. I invest in personal development and learning. I go to bed early and disconnect from all screens around 7pm. I read books. I meditate. I take the time to connect with friends I haven’t seen in a long time. I cook healthy meals while talking with my husband in the evenings. I celebrate life. And I let life liberate me. As a result, I’m a lot happier and healthier individual than I used to be. 

Then in 2018, I discovered the Human Potential Institute (Bulletproof Institute) coaching program. Actually, I let it find me. I wanted to dive deeper into nutrition, movement, play, mindfulness, mindset, balance, happiness. I wanted to experience satisfaction in all areas of my life. It was during the Human Potential Coaching Program that Unhustle™ was born. My husband and I had talked about tech free programs for a long time. We want to bring people into nature and reconnect them with a real human connection instead of an online relationship status. We want to get entrepreneurs out of the hustle into a more balanced and fulfilling life. I’m grateful to be able to work with individuals in 1-on-1 or group setting. Unhustle™ includes human potential development coaching, online an offline programs and retreats. I’m the first to admit that when you change your environment, it’s easier to change your habits and behaviors. 

I look forward to Unhustling more people in the future and stopping the craziness of hustling. We are starting with programs in Lake Tahoe and Baja and then expanding from there. I know first hand that sometimes, all we need is a little reset to find our balance.

Join our Unhustle Movement.