Don't Get Hustled
Mayor Tiggy Turquoize is ready to launch an intelligent rebellion. First step - don’t get hustled!
Don’t Get Hustled
The hustle shows up in more places than your job — and it’s sneakier than you think.
I love watching shows like American Greed; reading about scams; or listening to podcasts and commentary about a scammer being taken down. I also used to love watching Investigative Discovery (ID) and shows where the criminal was always apprehended. I guess it fulfills my desire to see justice!
Scamming is rampant. Scamming is one of the major unintended consequences of the modern tech era that we live in. Between the Scam Likely calls or our personal information being on the Dark Web, we are all vulnerable. It is so easy for people to be scammed. I recently watched a story about a Mobile PCS employee who CashApped money from a customer’s phone to herself when the customer came in asking for help downloading apps. And, the employee had the nerve to deny it, though her face appeared on the app. That is low down. Turns out, the employee had a history of scamming. You really can’t make this up!
But scamming is just one of the many hustles. You see, getting hustled is a different level of violation. When someone hustles you, they tend to take advantage of your naivete, kindness, generosity, empathy, or ignorance. Think about how gross the car buying process feels when the salesman tries to hustle you into buying all of the “extras” that you don’t really need. Getting hustled isn’t just about money, though most times money is involved. It is about being intentionally deceived for another person’s gain.
Getting hustled happens in so many ways and in so many places:
In the Workplace: Being praised for overworking while your salary stays flat. That “we’re like family” line? Hustle alert.
In Relationships: Giving 110% to someone who gives 20% and calls it “love.” Emotional labor ain’t free, love.
In Friendships: Always showing up for others who mysteriously go MIA when you need support.
In Self-Care Trends: Spending money on products that promise to “heal” you instead of doing actual healing.
In Online Courses & Webinars: Buying into $997 masterclasses that teach you how to build a funnel but not how to build a life.
In Spiritual/Wellness Communities: Being guilted into “high vibe” performative positivity while ignoring real life struggles.
In Entrepreneurship Culture: Getting sold the fantasy of overnight success while burning out behind the scenes.
In Consumer Culture: Falling for the “retail therapy” trap by spending money to feel better when you're actually overwhelmed.
In Capitalism (Period): Being told your worth is tied to your productivity, your salary, or your grind.
In the “Soft Life” Lie: Buying the aesthetic without unpacking the mindset — soft life without boundaries is just another hustle in pearls.
Getting hustled can sometimes feel like a full-time job. Especially on top of trying to take care of yourself and provide the basics.
But, we don’t have to be victims of the hustle. We can take our power back if we know how and when to recognize when someone is trying to hustle us:
The Anti-Hustle Plan:
Check the Fine Print. Whether it’s a contract or a “situationship,” read between the lines to understand what is not being communicated.
Ask Yourself: Who Benefits? If it’s not mutual, it’s not sustainable.
Trust the Red Flags. Your intuition knows. Don’t gaslight yourself into thinking things are fine when you know they are not.
Define Your Boundaries Early. If they constantly push back and try to convince you of things that you know aren’t good for you, you’ve found a hustler.
Question the Hype. Not everything marketed as empowerment is for your good. Oftentimes, the shiniest object is the most dangerous of them all because they operate under the assumption that the superficial is the only thing that matters. We definitely need to drop that narrative.
Protect Your Time Like Your Bag. Hustlers love wasting your energy. Guard it.
Pause Before You Commit. Urgency is a manipulation tactic in business and in life. If you have to “act now” without spending too much time thinking about it, it is a recipe for getting hustled.
Don’t Confuse Loyalty with Obligation. You don’t owe anyone your burnout.
Remember: You Are the Prize. You don’t need to compete or compare. Stop performing and start owning your worth.
Stay Educated, Not Just Motivated. Learn new things. Keep up with current events. Just like that old NBC PSA – “the more you know”, the further you’ll grow.
And growth, ladies and gentlefolk, is the key to dipping and ducking; bobbing and weaving; curving and swerving people that want to hustle you out of your own peace of mind. We are not here for that!
So, what are you going to do to make sure that you are protecting yourself from the hustlers? Need a little help? Download the Hustle-free Living worksheet to reflect on how you can avoid getting hustled. Curious about the story behind the story? Check out my latest Hustle Rewritten Substack, The Birth of the Hustle, where I start to explore how modern work culture became hustle culture. Explore the world of Sassy | Chic | Geek, check out our content here on Substack, on YouTube and Pinterest. We occasionally post on IG and Facebook.
Ready to start your year of ease? Download the Hustle Rewritten Year of Ease Collection. Get prompts, soft life planning tools and a 2026 annual planner to help you plan a hustle-free year!