You can be busy all day and still feel like you got nothing done.
Sound familiar?
In this episode, Andrew Berger sits down with Alexander Plank — a mindset coach who hit burnout hard — to talk about what it actually takes to grow your business without losing your life in the process.
Alex opens up about his wake-up call after working 14-hour days, chasing the “top 1%” dream, and realizing he was building success that didn’t feel successful. Together, he and Andrew get real about:
- Why hustle culture is so addictive (and dangerous)
- How to build a business that runs with your life, not against it
- The truth about burnout, clarity, and what “focus” really means
- And Alex’s simple 3-step system — Reset, Rise, Reshape — to get back your time, energy, and purpose
If you’ve ever felt like slowing down means falling behind, this episode will flip that story on its head.
Connect with Alexander Plank
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexander-plank-coaching/
Website: https://theangelonyourshoulderacademy.kit.com/7daystorealproductivity
Connect with Podclimb
Linkeidn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-berger-44h/
Website: https://www.podclimb.com/
----Timestamps 00:07 — Why being busy isn’t the same as being successful
01:30 — Alexander’s burnout story and the moment everything crashed
03:20 — “From the outside I looked successful… but inside, I was empty.”
05:45 — Andrew’s turning point: leaving the studio world to start PodClimb
07:00 — Why podcasting gives founders a voice that compounds over time
08:59 — The toxic side of hustle culture (and how to unlearn it)
10:22 — You can’t outwork burnout — here’s what actually works
12:28 — Focus > Hustle: how to get real results without the chaos
14:06 — Why school never taught us how to think like founders
15:14 — Coaching vs. therapy: what makes it different
17:38 — Step one to change: learning to sit still and actually listen to yourself
19:21 — Andrew’s “three-legged stool” framework for balancing creative passions
22:11 — “Wonders are triggered, not planned.” Why clarity attracts opportunity
23:37 — How curiosity and trying (and failing) are the real entrepreneurial edge
26:02 — Alex’s 3Rs explained: Reset, Rise, Reshape
29:25 — The cost of “just being busy”: how founders lose 10 hours a week
30:30 — Why time with family is the real flex
31:43 — How your personal life and business are always connected
32:23 — Closing thoughts and gratitude