F*ck you Tyler.
Redefining Success for Women Entrepreneurs Who Actually Build the Future
Hey there, Erin here! For the month of March, each blog will include a female founder who said YES. However, I’m starting off with what feels like a bad hangover: Hustle Culture isn’t a flex, and I need single young tech bros to stop telling us what the f*ck to do.
“I’ll never bet on a founder who doesn’t work on the weekends.” - Tyler Denk, Co-Founder and CEO at Beehive.
Cool. F*ck you Tyler. I made the switch from Beehive to Kit a while back, and now I’m seriously glad I did–I should have seen the red flag from that Nike ad they tried to suggest to me…
Lately, I’ve seen a trend of founders (mostly younger tech bros) flexing that they “work on Saturdays” like it’s a new badge of honor. Luckily, Tyler got some well-deserved backlash on his post, THANKFULLY. While I *feel* like society has gone away from the constant hustle culture, it was only a matter of time before it all came back around–like all bad trends (Looking at you, low-rise jeans.)
The Choice to Work Weekends is a Privilege
Quick reminder: Tyler chooses to work on Saturdays, and he chooses to say controversial sh*t on LinkedIn so people comment and it drives more traffic to him and his business…even more annoying.
That choice is not available for many, and while I’m going to take a big step over the societal bullsh*t of not paying a fair wage, the insanely expensive cost of college, and ya know inflation and interest rates. But, I am going to talk about female founders with families or guardianship of some kind that still assumes we’re the default caregivers and the f*cking pressure that holds.
Work-Life Balance? Nah. Work-Life Priorities.
If you’re a female founder, you know exactly what I mean. I don’t need a long blog post with sourced references, stories, and data to back up my thoughts. But f*ck it…
I’m a firm believer that the work-life balance does not exist. I believe that you choose your priorities every day. Some days your work comes first - and even then some days it’s working ON the business and other days it’s working IN the business. Some days your families come first, some days your friends come first, and then last and always least…you come first.
You see, the only way Tyler is going to be able to continue his Saturday work is if he stays single forever, OR has a partner that fully supports him.
When my yoga studio first opened, it was up to the co-founder and me to work A LOT. I had been teaching a yoga class every Sunday morning for a while and I continued to teach that class for almost 5 years…so while I didn’t work Saturday (eyeroll) I did work on Sundays. I could make that choice because my husband supported me and if we wanted to make it a family option, the studio at the time also offered babysitting.
I made the conscious decision to stop working on the weekends when I took over the studio fully because I knew I needed the weekend to unwind and make my family a priority. I had the choice to stop working weekends and I took it, because I had the systems in place.
Once again, I probably don’t need to tell you that society expects women to handle it all without complaint. If you’re a mom, you’ve probably heard this gem before:
"Oh, your husband is babysitting?"
No, b*tch. He’s parenting.
There is no work-life balance because the scale is always tipped to one side.
I am back to “working” on the weekends…but only if I choose to. With going back to school, all of the content writing and development, and all of the other things I’m involved with, sometimes the ease of the weekends helps me prep for my week ahead. I try to focus mostly on schoolwork on the weekends. But, I’m not shouting it from the rooftops, because I don’t expect my team to be working weekends either.
The System Wasn’t Built for Us—So We Built Our Own
It’s no secret that the traditional workforce and ideal worker are not set up for us.
When I got my first *real* corporate job I worked in commercial leasing for a retail company. Then, when we decided to have a baby I ended up quitting my corporate job because I would have only had a whopping $300 each month after childcare. While YES $300 per month is a lot of money, that also doesn’t account for all the things the baby actually needs like diapers, clothes, doctor visits, and oh yeah the bill to actually give birth. (Once again, I’m going to make a large step right over the topic of healthcare.)
Maybe you’ve encountered the *Maternal Wall* yourself, or maybe because of inflexible work environments.Taking care of the home and family is still the number one reason mother’s don’t participate in the workforce. ORRRRRRRR, maybe all of those things together with passion and drive made you (and me) turn to entrepreneurship. No matter the reason, you aren’t alone.
Women in Entrepreneurship: The REAL stats
Women-owned businesses grew by 1.7 million, outpacing male-owned businesses by 1.9x. (Wells Fargo, 2025)
Women-owned businesses generated $576.9 billion in additional revenue, growing 1.8x faster than male-owned businesses. (Wells Fargo, 2025)
Companies with a female founder perform 63% better than all-male teams. (First Round)
Women-founded startups generate 78 cents per dollar invested, while men-founded ones generate only 31 cents. (BCG)
Despite these numbers, 75% of U.S. VC firms still lack a single female investing partner. (Harvard Kennedy School)
While this all seems great, there are still so many systems, habits, and biases in place that keep the gap huge. But, women still do it anyway.
Women who said YES anyway: Kristin & Kirsten
As a huge fan of Kristin Juszczyk, I listened to her guest appearance on Kylie Kelce’s Podcast, Not Gonna Lie. She talked about learning to sew from making Britney Spears costumes to launching and becoming Chief Creative Officer of The NFL Fanatic’s brand Off Season.
I loved the discussion between the two of them because they are both WAGS (Wives and Girl-Friends of Professional Athletes.) I was shocked at how “trad-wife” being a WAG really was and how so many WAGS are now dismantling that stereotype.
Kirstin is way more successful than her husband, but if she only just worked more Saturdays…yeah f*cking right.
Then there’s Kirsten Green, Founder and Managing Partner of Forerunner Ventures. You probably don’t know her name, but I bet you know the companies she’s backed: Warby Parker, Glossier, Away, Chime, Dollar Shave Club, OURA, hims & hers, and The Farmer’s Dog. She is one of the few women leading a major VC firm, proving once again women who invest do big f*cking things with seriously value-added outcomes. Kirsten is proving that when women invest they build the future.
Reality Inventory: The “Saturday” Hustle Check-In
Tyler brags about working on a Saturday—like it’s a badge of honor. But for many women entrepreneurs, especially those balancing business, family, and personal priorities and everything in between–that’s not the flex he thinks it is.
The real question isn’t "Are you working hard enough?" It’s "Are you investing in the right things?"
Rate each category from 1 (Neglected) to 5 (Well-Invested)
Time Capital – Am I filling my schedule with tasks that truly move the needle, or am I just keeping busy?
Work-Life Integration Capital – Am I structuring my work in a way that allows me to thrive in both business and life? Or am I adopting someone else’s (unsustainable) definition of success? (*Cough* Working on Saturdays *Cough*)
Financial Capital – Am I growing my business in a way that is scalable and financially sustainable, or am I constantly grinding because I’m undercharging, underfunded, or under-supported?
Support Capital – Am I building a network of advisors, mentors, and peers who challenge me to think bigger? Or am I still trying to do everything alone?
Self-Advocacy Capital – Do I confidently ask for what I need (funding, help, time off, fair pay), or am I falling into the trap of overworking to prove my worth?
Follow that up with a YES: “What is one YES I need to say this month–to myself, my business, or my boundaries?”
Per usual, this all comes back to mindset. Does Tyler's bragging about working on Saturdays impact me? No, because I don’t think you MUST work every Saturday to be successful. The success is in that ability to say YES to work, rest, and choice.
Final Thoughts: The Power of Your YES
At the end of the day, success isn’t about how many Saturdays you grind through—it’s about whether you’re saying YES to what actually matters.
The women who said YES anyway? They didn’t wait for permission. They didn’t squeeze themselves into outdated definitions of what a founder should look like. They built, created, led, and redefined the game—on their own terms.
So here’s the real flex: Knowing when to push forward and when to pause. Knowing that hustle isn’t about proving yourself to some dude on LinkedIn, but about building something that actually lasts.
Your YES is your power. Whether it’s a YES to stepping up, scaling back, redefining the rules, or burning them down completely—make sure it’s a YES that you own. Because the most unstoppable founders? They don’t just work hard. They work smart, they work with purpose, and they don’t need anyone else’s playbook to do it.
Courageous. Capable. Strong. Say YES to that. 🖤