Thursday, December 4, 2025



Hustle vs. Leverage: Why Working Harder Didn’t Save Me Financially



I was working five jobs in 2011. Driving all over Calgary. 50, 60, 70 hours a week. Falling behind on bills.

And the hustle? It didn't save me.

Not because I wasn't working hard enough. I was working too hard at the wrong things.

In this post (and video), I break down why hustle alone doesn't work—and what I learned from one of the hardest financial seasons of my life.

I was living in established patterns that weren't serving me. I was supporting a lifestyle I couldn't actually afford. I was too spread out—five jobs meant no focus, no leverage, just survival mode. I had no time to find better opportunities. I was trying to do too much myself without the support I needed. And there were invisible expenses to the hustle—costs I couldn't see because I was too busy to notice.

My mindset was also off. I wasn't trying to find a job. I was trying to find a calling, a purpose, a passion. And while that's noble, I wasn't being pragmatic about my practical needs.

Here's the truth: Virtually everyone who makes their dream a reality works a job at some point. Sometimes for months. Sometimes for years. Sometimes much longer.

But one thing I've learned about financial setbacks is this: It puts you in a different mode. It bypasses your inhibitions. You start having conversations you wouldn't normally have. You start doing things you wouldn't normally do. You start texting people, messaging people, calling people—asking for things you wouldn't normally ask for.

And there are seeds of lessons within that. Lessons that can prove very valuable.

The hustle didn't save me. But what came after? That's a different story. https://davidandrewwiebe.com/?p=28008

No comments:

Post a Comment

 I was working five jobs in 2011. Driving all over Calgary. 50, 60, 70 hours a week. Falling behind on bills. And the hustle? It didn...