Young, Scrapy & Hungry - Looks Like Work, Season 1, Ep 23

Looks Like Work

5 Jun

After a reflective break full of holidays, life curveballs, and some good old-fashioned inner snail-mode, Chedva returns to the mic solo—ready to ask a few brave questions about ambition, effort, and what we’re really building when we say we’re building a business (or a life).

This is part personal update, part cultural meditation. From the Jewish High Holidays to startup lessons and burnout reckonings, Chedva explores what it means to work hard—especially when the definition of “hard” and “work” is shifting underneath us.

If you’ve ever asked yourself whether the hustle is still worth it, why effort gets romanticized, or who you’re really trying to make proud—this episode is for you.

What We Talk About:

Reflections from the Jewish High Holidays: self-forgiveness and reimagining effort
Why Chedva paused the pod—and what brought her back
The power of women-led small businesses to reshape work culture
What startup life taught her about values-first strategy
Effort as a value—and as a question
Why we mythologize "effortless" success and why that’s dangerous
Productivity and self-worth: untying the knot
Family expectations, ambition fatigue, and redefining what matters
The millennial lens on working hard (and letting go)
Chedva’s Powerful Question:
“Do I agree with what my ambition is costing me—and who am I trying to make proud?”
A powerful reframe for anyone chasing a dream, reevaluating their energy, or writing a new chapter.
Key Lessons:
- Breaks can be both strategic and sacred
- Effort isn’t the enemy—but effort without reflection might be
- Our early supporters shape more than our business—they shape our sense of self
- Productivity and worth are not the same thing
- Small business can be a radical act of cultural leadership
- Letting go of inherited ambition can make room for something far more honest
- Your future self might just be the only person you need to impress