In this episode, host Rachael Wonderlin is joined by marketing strategist, podcast host, and business coach Betsy Leonidas for an honest conversation about hiring a coach too early — and the broader realities of building a sustainable business.

What begins as a discussion about coaching quickly expands into a deeper exploration of entrepreneurship myths, personal branding fears, product-based vs. service-based businesses, and why so many founders feel pressured to outsource confidence before they've built it.

Key Takeaways:

– Hiring a coach from fear is a red flag. Coaching should support clarity and accountability and not replace self-trust or belief.

– Coaching ≠ consulting. Consultants do the work for you while coaches help you uncover your own answers and next steps.

– You need more than an idea. A sellable, market-tested concept and real effort matter more than passion alone.

– Entrepreneurship takes time…often years. Profitability is rarely immediate, despite what social media suggests.

– Not everything needs to be a business! Some things are better left as hobbies, and that's the raw, honest truth.

Memorable Quotes:

"If you're hiring a coach because you don't believe in yourself, that's an inside job."

"A coach shouldn't make you dependent on them — that's a huge red flag."

"Not everything you love has to become a business."

"You need business skills, a sellable idea — and you actually have to give a f***."

"Social media makes everyone look successful, and that's why people think this is easy."

About the Guest:

Betsy Leonidas is a marketing strategist with over a decade of experience, the host of the Write Your Own Story podcast, and the founder of a coaching practice focused on helping women build sustainable, values-driven businesses.

A former advertising and consulting executive turned entrepreneur, Betsy has launched and exited a product-based business, navigated single motherhood, and now runs her work within intentional time boundaries. Her coaching philosophy centers on clarity, self-trust, accountability, and rejecting one-size-fits-all business formulas.

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 Natalie De Paz welcome back returning guest Anna Failla for a candid follow-up on her time inside Devil Corp, and more importantly, the fallout after she left.

Anna previously shared how she was recruited into what's widely referred to online as "Devil Corp," a shadowy, pyramid-shaped sales ecosystem operating through rotating LLCs. This conversation picks up where that story left off, with the financial and psychological ripple effects, as well as what happened to the people who stayed behind.

Together, they unpack how cult-like work environments isolate young employees, glamorize hustle, blur ethical lines, and make leaving feel like failure. Anna reflects on the long road to untangling identity, trust, and ambition, including how vulnerability, therapy, and community helped her rebuild.

Key Takeaways:

– Leaving is only the beginning. The hardest part of Devil Corp was emotionally unpacking the experience years later.

– Pyramid-shaped systems thrive on isolation. Multiple LLCs, siloed teams, and constant "leadership" check-ins prevented employees from comparing notes.

–Shame keeps people quiet. Many former colleagues declined to speak publicly, not because the experience wasn't harmful, but because it was embarrassing.

– Stability isn't failure. Choosing a 9-to-5, lateral career moves, or creative fulfillment over constant hustle can be an act of healing.

– Not all takeaways are clean or simple. Anna learned real sales and business skills, even while experiencing deep manipulation and burnout.

Memorable Quotes:

"The business became my religion, my friend group, my whole world — and I didn't see it until I saw it."

"They sell you the idea, not the job, because if they told you the job, you wouldn't take it."

"There's this unspoken rule that leaving hustle culture feels like betrayal."

"Collecting skill sets instead of titles changed everything for me."

"Stability gets framed as failure — and that's part of the manipulation."

About the Guest:

Anna Failla is a Pittsburgh-based creative professional and a returning guest on I Can't Hustle Any Harder Than This. She previously shared her firsthand experience working inside Devil Corp, a controversial, cult-like sales organization often discussed on Reddit and YouTube. Today, she prioritizes stability, creativity, and family life, while openly sharing her story to help others recognize red flags in predatory work environments.

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 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.