In strata management, we’ve long celebrated the hustle, long hours, sacrificed weekends, and relentless dedication. A recent post from a fellow strata professional described working 20+ hour days, skipping holidays, and pushing through 36-hour stretches as the path to success.
Let me be clear: if this is your “normal,” something is wrong.
Not with you personally, but with the culture we’ve allowed to take root. A culture that glorifies burnout, rewards overextension, and quietly fails the very colleagues it claims to support.
The Hidden Cost of Overwork
When we normalise extreme hours and constant availability, we don’t just risk our own wellbeing, we undermine the sustainability of our teams and the integrity of our service. We create environments where:
- Burnout is inevitable.
- Boundaries are blurred.
- Support systems are absent.
- Talent leaves, and morale suffers.
And we do all this while telling ourselves it’s “just part of the job.”
This isn’t leadership. It’s survival mode.
No One Gets a Gold Medal for a 70-Hour Week
Let’s be honest, no one’s handing out trophies for working yourself into the ground. There’s no podium, no applause, no “Employee of the Month” sash for clocking 70 hours and skipping every weekend.
And if you drop dead from exhaustion? Guess what, your inbox gets reassigned, your clients get redistributed, and the machine keeps humming. We are all replaceable. That’s not cynical – it’s reality.
So why are we sacrificing our health, our families, and our sanity for a system that doesn’t even pause to notice?
I Was That Guy, And It Cost Me
I say this not from the sidelines, but from experience. I was, in part, that guy.
I worked the long hours. I skipped the holidays. I said yes to everything and no to myself. And it cost me – my health, my previous marriage, and precious time with my family. I wasn’t present. I wasn’t well. I was a cautionary tale.
That’s why (in part) I created Bettr Strata.
We’re building a better way. One that values people, not just performance. One that understands that sustainability isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity.
What We’re Doing Differently at Bettr Strata
At Bettr Strata, we’ve made conscious choices to support our team and challenge the industry norm:
- Flexible working arrangements that respect personal time and energy.
- Open to four-day work weeks to promote balance and productivity.
- Paid maternity leave because family matters.
- A culture of care where wellbeing is a priority, not an afterthought.
We’re not perfect, but we’re intentional. And we’re committed to leading by example.
This Isn’t Just a Strata Problem
And let’s be clear: this isn’t just a strata problem. This culture of overwork and burnout is common across many industries. Whether you’re in property, finance, tech, education, or healthcare, the glorification of exhaustion is everywhere.
But that doesn’t make it right. And it doesn’t make it sustainable.
We need to stop romanticising burnout and start promoting:
- Healthy boundaries
- Smart workflows
- Shared responsibility
- Respect for personal time
Success should be measured not by how much we give up, but by how well we build, lead, and sustain.
The Myth of Sweat Equity
An old colleague of mine used to say, “Sweat equity is important.” And look, I get it. It sounds noble. Gritty. Entrepreneurial. It was probably from some book.
But let’s be honest: it’s also manipulative.
It’s a phrase that’s been used to justify overwork, unpaid hours, and sacrificing your health and relationships for the “greater good” of the business. And it’s outdated.
The great leaders and business minds I admire – those I read, listen to, and learn from – don’t invest in that model anymore. They invest in people. In systems. In sustainability.
So, let’s stop pretending that sweat equity is a “normal” path to success. It’s not. It’s just the path to burnout.
At Bettr Strata, we’re building something different. Something better.
A Call to Colleagues
If you read posts like the one I mentioned and think, “That’s just how it is”, I challenge you to think again.
We can do better. We must do better.
Let’s raise the standard for client care and colleague wellbeing. Let’s build a culture – across industries – that values people, not just performance.
Yours in strata,
JM
PS: The formatting on this blog does my head in. I apologise for it. I cannot get the spacing to be “just right.” Trust me, I have tried!