The Productivity Hamster Wheel vs. Capacity: A Conversation I'm Having With Myself

This week I attended a two-day conference. On paper, it was a 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. event. In reality, it looked a little different. I live about 75 minutes away from the venue, so both mornings started with the same rhythm: coffee in hand, in the car by 7 a.m. to make the 8:30 registration.

The drive in became learning time (podcasts about marketing, profitability, scalability.

Then a full day at the conference, learning about digital marketing, SEO, paid ads, personal brand, all while simultaneously building out AI systems inside my own business) because let’s be honest, even when you’re at a conference, the business is still running in the background. Messages, emails, client check-ins.

Then at 5 p.m., everyone packs up and heads home.

Except “home” didn’t mean switching off. On Thursday night, the drive back was a working call with my automation specialist and VA.

By the time I got home (post bath, books and bedtime), there was writing to finish, a newsletter to send, and one more thing I actioned — implementing a welcome email sequence.

Twelve hours later, that earned a sale. Success (!) — but also a moment of reflection.

Because Friday morning looked identical.

Another early drive, a client call in the car, then 45 minutes voice-noting lessons to implement. Another full conference day.

Then a call on the way home with a potential team member, and another to secure my place as an MC at HairFestival.

After that call, I sat in silence thinking — no wonder I’m running on adrenaline, coffee, dry shampoo, and champagne.

But this isn’t just a me problem. I message clients at 10:30 p.m., expecting a next-day reply, and they respond instantly.

We’re all on this wheel.

So the question is: Are we building businesses that can hold the pace?

Productivity without capacity leads to burnout. It’s often not laziness — it’s scaling without foundations.

I’ve come to learn of four stages, shared originally by Sarah Agboola.

First, Survive: if you’re plugging holes with relationships, document and hand it off.

Second, Deliver: if you’re trying to scale before consistency, go back.

Third, Scale: if growth drops quality, something was skipped.

Fourth, Sustain: what makes someone thrive in your business?

After two days, I realised: we don’t just need productivity. We need capacity.

The goal is not just success, but a sustainable business that doesn’t exhaust its people. It starts with knowing your stage.

If you feel this (and your shoulders are practically touching your ears) I see you. I feel you. I am you. And maybe next time we reach for a coffee before a meeting, we swap it for a green smoothie and a magnesium shot—to balance out those never-ending cortisol levels.