I Can't Hustle Any Harder Than This

About I Can't Hustle Any Harder Than This

Unlike the so-called "influencers" on social media talking about how easy it is to run your own business or start a side hustle, "I Can't Hustle..." is all about the truth of business ownership. Rachael Wonderlin started a blog in 2014 called "Dementia By Day," which she converted into a consulting firm in 2016. After nearly a decade of running a small, online business, Rachael has some thoughts to share.

Publisher

Rachael Wonderlin

Category

business · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

31 Jan 2025

Latest episode

17 Feb 2026

Latest episodes

26 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   17 Feb 2026

   The Dark Side of Unregulated Coaching with Dr. Julie Hanks

   In this episode, host Rachael Wonderlin speaks with Dr. Julie Hanks, a licensed therapist, author, and featured expert in HBO's Ruby & Jodi: A Cult of Sin and Influence, about how "helping people help people" can become a dangerous trap when therapy language, faith, and unregulated coaching collide. Together, Rachael and Dr. Hanks unpack the rise and fallout of Jodi Hildebrandt's coaching empire, her influence over Ruby Franke, and how coercive control, made-up certifications, and "train-the-trainer" coaching models created a high-control group that resulted in real harm. Dr. Hanks also explains how mental health terminology like trauma, truth, distortion, and healing was weaponized, why the lack of coaching regulation matters, and how vulnerable people are targeted through shame, urgency, and spiritual authority. Key Takeaways: – Unregulated coaching creates real risk. Anyone can call themselves a coach, create a certification, and charge thousands, without any oversight or accountability. – Therapy language can be used to manipulate. Words like trauma, truth, and healing become dangerous when used by unqualified leaders claiming authority over others' lives. – "Coaching coaches to coach" mirrors MLM and cult structures. Jodi Hildebrandt's model relied on paid certifications that allowed followers to recruit and coach others using her ideology. – High-control groups thrive on fear and urgency. Isolation, moral judgment, and pressure to "act now" are key warning signs that support has crossed into control. – Ethical help restores autonomy instead of fostering dependency. Legitimate therapy and coaching empower people to trust themselves, not surrender their inner compass to an external authority. Memorable Quotes: "If anyone sets themselves up as the expert on your life—run." "Good therapy teaches people to go inward, not seek external authority." "She didn't just blur boundaries…she erased them." "Certifications don't mean safety. Ethics do." "When questioning costs you more money, you're not being helped. You're being controlled." About the Guest: Dr. Julie Hanks is a licensed clinical social worker, psychotherapist, author, and media expert with over 30 years of experience specializing in women's mental health, relationships, and faith-based recovery, particularly within the LDS community. She was a featured expert in HBO's Ruby & Jodi: A Cult of Sin and Influence, where she provided critical insight into coercive control, ethical violations, and the misuse of therapy language within high-control groups. Dr. Hanks runs Wasatch Family Therapy in Utah and also offers coaching through a separate, clearly defined practice. 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.

2. 

   3 Feb 2026

   Hiring a Coach Too Early (and Other Entrepreneur Traps No One Talks About) with Betsy Leonidas

   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.

3. 

   20 Jan 2026

   What Happens After You Leave a Business Cult with Anna Failla

   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.

Who has been a guest on I Can't Hustle Any Harder Than This

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Amanda Nowak
• Nick Walker
• Kat Walker
• Mindy McHale
• Candice Komar

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.6 / 5

11 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 48 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

76

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

51

Contact I Can't Hustle Any Harder Than This

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.