Burnout is silently crippling 71% of entrepreneurs, business owners, and high achievers - but Dr. Mel Taitimu reveals the real keys to sustainable success without burning out.

In this powerful episode of Two Blokes One Business, leading clinical psychologist Dr. Mel Taitimu breaks down the true causes of entrepreneurial burnout, why the "hustle harder" mentality backfires, and how mental health for entrepreneurs needs a new approach.

Using her four-factor burnout model (bottom-up, top-down, outside-in, inside-out), Dr. Mel explains why so many founders, leaders, and high performers appear successful on the outside - while struggling with stress, overwhelm, and burnout symptoms internally.

The conversation dives deep into:

✅The science behind nervous system regulation

✅Why self-compassion in business outperforms toxic resilience

✅How mental health literacy for business owners protects against long-term burnout

✅Practical parasympathetic nervous system hacks you can apply daily

✅Why belonging, not balance, is the ultimate antidote to burnout recovery

Adam and Harvey open up about their own battles with perfectionism, people-pleasing, and the constant pressure to keep moving the goalposts - a common trap for founders and business owners in today's always-on culture.

Key Points

00:02:00 Why mental health literacy matters
00:08:20 Personal journey into psychology
00:13:20 High-achieving as childhood coping
00:19:00 Four-factor burnout model explained
00:26:40 External versus internal motivation
00:33:00 Self-compassion framework
00:46:00 Burnout statistics and symptoms
00:53:00 Parasympathetic nervous system tools
01:06:40 Recognising severe burnout signs
01:12:00 Belonging as burnout prevention
01:20:00 Mental hygiene daily practices

Ready to transform your relationship with success and build sustainable high performance?

This episode provides the roadmap for ambitious individuals who want to achieve without burning out.

-

👉Connect with Dr. Mel Taitimu

https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmeltaitimu/
https://www.maiapsychology.com.au/

-

👉Connect with us

https://www.instagram.com/twoblokesonebusiness
https://www.linkedin.com/company/two-blokes-one-business-podcast

-

Adam Powell & Harvey Rivers are the founders of the specialist recruitment agency, Harwell Consulting.

Harwell Consulting are renowned for finding the top talent within the Construction, Accountancy & Finance & Labour Hire sectors.

Their award-winning concierge approach is helping companies attract exceptional talent to their team.

👉Want help finding exceptional talent for your business?

Get in touch with Adam, Harvey, and the team at Harwell Consulting: https://www.harwellconsulting.com.au/

Ever wonder why some people seem endlessly driven? It’s not magic - it’s mindset, identity, and structure.

In this episode of Two Blokes One Business, we break down the biggest myth in the motivation world - that highly motivated people were born that way.

You’ll discover why motivation isn’t about hyping yourself up - it’s about mastering your entrepreneur mindset, designing systems for consistency, and understanding your internal drivers to unlock true, long-lasting discipline.

Whether you're building a recruiting business like us, scaling a startup, or just trying to hit your personal development goals, this episode delivers a motivation strategy that actually works.

Forget fleeting motivation.

We’re sharing the 3-part framework that powers real, sustainable success:

✅ Identity and Internal Drivers: Learn how to discover your real "why," and stop chasing goals that don’t align with your values. This is where true goal setting begins.

✅ Structure Over Hype: We show how to create micro-goals and a results-focused process that supports consistent output - especially important for anyone building a business or scaling their career.

✅ The Mental Game: Gain the confidence to make changes even when those around you resist. Learn why discipline beats motivation and how to push through fear, self-doubt, and social pressure.

We also dive into real stories from our journey - from young professionals to business owners, how we scaled from the kitchen table to a multi-division team, and what kept us moving when motivation dipped.

Discover the psychology behind motivation, the impact of habit stacking, and practical ways to build self-discipline that actually sticks.

Key moments:

00:01:00 The motivation misconception
00:09:00 Identity drives everything
00:14:00 Finding your true values
00:19:00 Jimmy Carr's character wisdom
00:23:00 Values alignment matters
00:31:00 Structure over hype
00:36:00 Taking immediate action
00:43:00 Accountability power
00:48:00 Doing it when it's hard
00:55:00 Habit stacking strategy

Ready to stop relying on temporary energy spikes? Start building long-term success rooted in clarity, consistency, and self-awareness.

Listen now to learn our 3-part motivation framework that can transform how you approach any goal.

-

👉Connect with us

https://www.instagram.com/twoblokesonebusiness
https://www.linkedin.com/company/two-blokes-one-business-podcast

-

Adam Powell & Harvey Rivers are the founders of the specialist recruitment agency, Harwell Consulting.

Harwell Consulting are renowned for finding the top talent within the Construction, Accountancy & Finance & Labour Hire sectors.

Their award-winning concierge approach is helping companies attract exceptional talent to their team.

👉Want help finding exceptional talent for your business?

Get in touch with Adam, Harvey, and the team at Harwell Consulting: https://www.harwellconsulting.com.au/

Thinking of starting a business, but everyone says you'll fail? That might be the best thing that ever happens to you.

In this episode, we unpack how Ben Handler went from being made redundant in a corporate job to building one of Australia's most innovative real estate businesses - and later scaling an online education empire.

This episode explores Ben Handler's remarkable journey from corporate redundancy to co-founding Cohen Handler, Australia's pioneering buyer's agency, which revolutionised how property is purchased.

Despite having no sales training and every real estate agent telling him buyers would never pay for representation, Ben helped build a 70-person company across multiple offices, before exiting to create his current venture - an online education business helping people transition careers and become successful buyer's agents.

You'll hear firsthand how Ben tackled starting a buyer's agency in a market that barely knew what it was - scaling it with zero marketing experience, and building the foundational skills needed to succeed as a founder in Australia.

We explore the critical mindset shifts required for entrepreneurial success, stress management frameworks for founders, and why most people fail at transforming their careers.

Whether you're interested in starting a buyer’s agency, building an online coaching business, or growing a recruitment company with a one-to-many model - this episode is packed with practical advice, inspiration, and tactical lessons for real-world entrepreneurship.

Key moments:

00:03:30 The "wrong vehicle" concept and leaving corporate
00:08:00 Starting despite everyone saying you'll fail
00:16:10 Partnership challenges and growing apart
00:21:50 Transitioning from workaholic to lifestyle focus
00:29:00 Why people fail at career transformation
00:32:50 Building teams and the art of delegation
00:42:40 Moving from service business to scalable products
00:48:30 The stress filter system for founders
00:57:10 Trusting your gut on big decisions

We also dive into topics like scaling service-based businesses, achieving work-life balance as a founder, and creating digital leverage so you can build income and impact without burning out.

This is a must-listen for anyone in real estate, recruitment, or considering a career change in Australia.

-

👉Connect with Ben Handler

https://buyersagentinstitute.com.au/
https://www.instagram.com/benjaminhandler

-

👉Connect with us

https://www.instagram.com/twoblokesonebusiness
https://www.linkedin.com/company/two-blokes-one-business-podcast

-

Adam Powell & Harvey Rivers are the founders of the specialist recruitment agency, Harwell Consulting.

Harwell Consulting are renowned for finding the top talent within the Construction, Accountancy & Finance & Labour Hire sectors.

Their award-winning concierge approach is helping companies attract exceptional talent to their team.

👉Want help finding exceptional talent for your business?

Get in touch with Adam, Harvey, and the team at Harwell Consulting: https://www.harwellconsulting.com.au/