'Tine Zekis | Founder & CEO, Getting Black Women Paid
I help Black women professionals advance their careers, dramatically increase their lifetime earning potential, and build generational wealth. Sign up for my newsletter to learn more!
For so many Black women, survival mode feels like home. We’ve been taught to push through, carry the load, and sacrifice ourselves to make sure everyone else is good. Generations have modeled resilience, but rarely rest. We’re praised for strength, yet often denied softness. And while survival kept us alive, it isn’t the same as thriving—it’s not what we were created for.
Survival mode is often familiar because it’s rooted in fear. Fear of not having enough. Fear of letting someone down. Fear that if we slow down, we’ll lose everything we worked so hard for. Fear convinces us that exhaustion is noble and that our worth is tied to productivity. But sis, thriving requires a shift—moving from fear to trust, from lack to overflow.
Overflow isn’t about perfection or endless hustle. It’s about alignment. It’s when you allow yourself more ease, more abundance, and more joy—not as a reward for working harder, but as your baseline. Overflow is waking up without dread, making choices from freedom, and knowing that you don’t have to prove your value—it already exists within you.
Here are three shifts you can start making today to move out of survival mode and toward overflow:
Redefine “enough.” Stop measuring yourself against someone else’s yardstick. Enough isn’t about what looks impressive on paper or social media—it’s what sustains you, nourishes you, and allows you to breathe. When you redefine enough for yourself, you break free from cycles of comparison and constant striving.
Release the struggle story. Somewhere along the way, we were told that struggle is the price of success, that suffering makes us more deserving. But thriving doesn’t mean someone else has to lose—it simply means you stop apologizing for wanting more. Joy is not selfish. Ease is not weakness. Abundance is not indulgence. They are your birthright.
Practice expansion. Gratitude and growth can live together. Be deeply grateful for what you already have, but don’t silence your desire for more. Expansion is about allowing yourself to dream bigger, to claim new opportunities, and to create space for blessings you once thought were out of reach. Gratitude grounds you; growth propels you.
Remember: thriving doesn’t erase challenges. Life will still bring responsibilities, hard days, and setbacks. But thriving means you no longer live only in reaction to them. Instead, you move with intention, anchored in trust that you are worthy of more than survival.
Reader, you deserve more than just getting by. You deserve a life where joy, ease, and abundance are your norm—not the exception. Survival may have been your past, but overflow can be your future.
Best, 'Tine
P.S. This week, I sat down with Joy Rowland for a powerful conversation about what it really takes to pivot out of survival mode and into overflow. Her story is filled with truth, wisdom, and practical tools you can start using today.
In this article, OpEd: Forget Hustle Culture: How Black Women Can Build Without Burnoutby ReShonda Tate, readers are challenged to reject the all-grind, always-on mentality. It argues that true success includes rest, boundaries, soft wealth, and sustainable strategies—not sacrificing health and joy to hustle harder.
Exhausted woman holding neck in pain
For generations, Black women have been told that to succeed in the world of finance, business and personal wealth, we must work harder, faster and longer than anyone else.
We’ve been led to believe that financial success is tied to an exhausting cycle of hustle, pushing through fatigue and sacrificing everything—health, relationships and joy—to pursue a dollar. But let’s face it: hustle culture isn’t sustainable, and it certainly isn’t healthy.
It’s time we challenge this narrative and reclaim our power, peace and prosperity.
From saying “no” without guilt to finally raising your rates—we want to know: what’s the one shift you’re making to leave survival mode behind? Answer in the poll below.
Check out this week’s podcast, The Mindset Shifts That Helped Me Pivot Out of Survival Mode and Into Overflow (with Joy Rowland). In this inspiring conversation, Joy shares the exact shifts that helped her stop surviving and start thriving—with lessons you can apply right now.
Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or check it out here.
Prefer video? You can WATCH the podcast on our YouTube channel here.
Claim Yours Tip of the Week
Overflow Is a Choice
This week, choose one small action that shifts you out of survival mode—whether it’s setting a boundary, celebrating a win without minimizing it, or investing in your next move. Overflow isn’t a miracle; it’s a choice you practice daily.
What's Going on with 'Tine?
Let’s Talk About Your Income Goals! Did you know you can book a Complimentary 45-minute Income Elevation Discovery Call with 'Tine? Whether you're looking to advance in your career, grow your business, or both, this call is designed to help you gain clarity on your income goals and the best next steps to achieve them. Together, we’ll define your objectives, identify challenges, and explore strategies to help you increase your earnings—without burnout. 🔗 Let’s chat! Grab your free session now:
'Tine Zekis | Founder & CEO, Getting Black Women Paid
I help Black women professionals advance their careers, dramatically increase their lifetime earning potential, and build generational wealth. Sign up for my newsletter to learn more!
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