The goal of Hardly Hustle is to provide inspiration, drive and motivation in a 10 minute read or less. What you see is what you get. This is hot off the press without an editing team.
Francesca Paschetta is up.
Who are you and what do you do?
Hi, my name is Francesca and I am a productivity and time-management coach for side hustlers and busy professionals.
What did it take / how did you get started?
Everything started 4 years ago, when I almost hit burnout. I was always organized and disciplined, but I was super busy and overwhelmed, not productive. I was always exhausted. All throughout school I wanted to be the best, have the best grades, be the best at ballet and having the best social life. I was such a perfectionist and I was terrified of other people's judgement and of letting them down.
My poor work habits and my anxiety got completely out of control 4 years ago. I couldn’t sleep, I started suffering from insomnia and bad digestive issues. This was the result of years and years trying to “do everything” and being extremely busy, but not productive.
I was saying yes to everything, I was studying really hard, doing multiple internships, working for a nonprofit, working out every day, prepping all my meals, attending social and networking events… I had no boundary between my studies, my work and my personal life.
Until 1 day my body started screaming at me to stop! This time I couldn’t ignore it, I was severely sleep deprived and anxious. So I was forced to stop and make changes. I was never officially diagnosed with burnout, but I know I was really burnt out.
In the process of healing and recovering, I started really educating myself. I started reading blog posts and articles, watching YouTube videos, taking online courses and reading books about habits, performance, energy management and real productivity.
It took me months to dig myself out of that whole and it all started with creating a morning routine and changing my mindset. I put together the best of what I learned and I created my own system to be really productive and optimize my time and energy.
And so here I am today, sharing what I know and my experience with the world. I went through hell because I didn’t know how to work in a smart way, how to create and stick to healthy and productive habits and how to maintain a healthy and positive mindset. And I don’t want anyone to ever go through this. Which is why I do the work I do as a coach. I help driven side hustlers be productive and achieve their goals, while staying healthy and having balance in their life.
What does the future look like for you and your hustle?
I have left my corporate job in digital marketing in August 2019 to be a full time coach. My goal is to keep growing my business and help as many people as I can redefine productivity for them. No more unrealistic routines and tips and tricks that are just quick-fixes. I want to help people create systems and structures, habits and a mindset that allow them to become truly productive and stay consistent long-term.
What drives / motivates you?
What really motivates me everyday is the time freedom I was able to create for myself, the freedom to choose to spend my time and energy how I want to. I want to help others have the same freedom and independence and take ownership of their time and energy.
What advice would you give someone interested in doing what you do?
Think about this everyday: whatever you believe, you will achieve. This is what got me through the time where I was side hustling and I couldn't wait to leave my corporate job. I kept believing in myself and in my plan and that allowed me to keep going and make consistent progress.
What has been the hardest part of the hustle?
I didn't feel really supported or even understood by my partner and the people close to me. I got my "dream job" and they thought I had gone crazy for wanting to start my business as a an online coach. Over time, they have seen me make progress and get happier and more fulfilled. So now they are really supportive and they understand why I do what I do.
What are a few resources that you'd recommend?
I recommend anything by David Allen, Michael Hyatt and Chris Bailey. Other books: Essentialism by Greg McKeown, The 5 Second Rule by Mel Robbins, High Performance Habits by Brendon Burchard Podcasts: Asian Efficiency and The One Thing Websites/blogs: Thrive Global and Intelligent Change
The STATS
Side or full-time hustle?
Full-time.
List the founders
Francesca Paschetta
# of Employees?
Just me!
When did you start?
January 2019
How much did it cost to launch?
$107 for my domain and website setup
What were your funding methods and ballpark amount raised?
My own savings and my corporate salary
Social: https://francescapaschetta.com/