An Inspired Chat with Emily Guerra of Culver City

Emily Guerra shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Emily, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What do you think others are secretly struggling with—but never say?
I think a lot of people are quietly wrestling with this fear that they’re never doing enough. And underneath that, that they aren’t enough. Most folks won’t say it out loud, but you can see it in the way they push themselves past their limits, overbook their calendars, or stay glued to their laptops long after their brain has tapped out.

I see it all the time in my work-from-home clients: they’re exhausted, they’re resentful, and yet they still feel guilty for not doing more. It’s like hustle culture convinced us that worthiness is a race we can finally win if we just go faster.

But here’s the truth I had to learn the hard way during a season where I was juggling too many roles and resenting the very goals I once begged for:

We don’t burn out because we’re lazy or incapable. We burn out because we keep trying to outrun a feeling.

That’s exactly why I started coaching and speaking. I wanted to show people there’s another way to be productive, one that works with your brain instead of against it. One where progress counts even when it’s just 1% forward. One where you don’t have to earn your worth through exhaustion.

When people learn to slow down, listen to their energy, and build systems that support their real life, everything shifts. And suddenly, “enough” doesn’t feel like something they have to chase anymore. It feels like something they already are.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Emily Guerra, a mindful productivity coach and the founder of The Productivity Flow. I help remote workers get out of overwhelm and build sustainable work-from-home routines that actually fit their real lives, not the hustle culture version of “success.”

My approach blends neuroscience, mindset work, and simple systems that move you just 1% forward each day. I learned early in my own entrepreneurial journey — especially during a season of juggling multiple roles and trying to prove I could “do it all” — that productivity isn’t about pushing harder. It’s about understanding how your brain and energy naturally work.

Today, I coach, speak, and create resources that help people swap burnout for balance, and chaos for clarity. Whether it’s through my corporate workshops, my signature 1% forward method, my 1-1 coaching program, or my weekly content, my goal is always the same: to show people they don’t need to overhaul their entire life to feel better. They just need the right support, the right system, and the courage to start small.

Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. Who taught you the most about work?
My dad taught me the most about work, though not in the traditional “mentor” sense. Growing up, he was the only professional example I really saw…and he was a workaholic. He missed most dinners, worked weekends, and even powered through holidays. Eventually, that pace and pressure took a toll on our family, and it played a role in my parents’ divorce.

For a long time, I thought that level of sacrifice was just what adulthood looked like. But as I got older, I realized he taught me something incredibly valuable: the kind of work life I did NOT want. His example showed me that productivity without balance comes at a cost, one that spills into your relationships, your health, and your ability to enjoy the life you’re working so hard to build.

That lesson shaped my entire philosophy. It’s why I help people work in a way that supports their energy, their families, and their sanity. If your work becomes your whole world, you end up missing the world you’re working for. I believe deeply that you can be ambitious and present, successful and grounded, but only if balance is part of the plan from the start.

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Absolutely. And what’s funny is the moment I almost gave up didn’t happen in the early days. It actually happened pretty recently.

Between my coaching clients, my Director of Operations role, speaking engagements, and all the behind-the-scenes parts of running a business, I hit a point where I was stretched so thin I could feel myself disconnecting from the thing I love most: The Productivity Flow. It’s my passion, the work that feels like “me,” and yet I caught myself wondering if I should let it go simply because I was exhausted.

It wasn’t burnout from the mission. It was burnout from trying to hold everything at once and everyone else’s priorities.

So instead of walking away, I paused. I did what I teach my clients to do: I stepped back, got quiet, and asked myself what I really wanted long-term. I mapped out a vision, then reverse-engineered it into a plan that actually fits my real life. That’s when everything shifted. I went from “maybe I should quit” to “absolutely not…I’m building this intentionally.”

That season reinforced my own 1% forward philosophy: you don’t quit the things you love! You redesign your life so you have the capacity to pursue them. And I’m grateful I didn’t step away, because that clarity has made my work (and my clients’ results) stronger than ever.

So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. How do you differentiate between fads and real foundational shifts?
Being in the productivity world means I’m constantly separating what’s a passing trend from what’s an actual, foundational shift. The truth is, most “productivity hacks” go viral for a reason: they promise fast results. But they’re usually band-aids. They work for a week or two, and then people slip right back into the same patterns because nothing about the way they think, plan, or regulate their energy has actually changed.

That’s exactly why I got into this industry. I was tired of watching people blame themselves for not sticking to systems that were never designed for real humans with real responsibilities. I wanted to move the conversation away from gimmicks and toward sustainable, brain-friendly habits that actually last.

For me, the difference between a fad and a genuine shift comes down to one thing: sustainability.

Can you stay consistent with it?
Does it support your energy instead of draining it?
Does it work with your brain, your schedule, your home life, or does it fight against them?

In my work, I always come back to my 1% forward philosophy. If a strategy can’t help you move forward in small, manageable ways day after day, then it’s a fad. But if it helps you build momentum, reduces friction, and fits into the way your life actually operates? That’s when you know you’ve found something real, something that can genuinely shift the way you work and live.

Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
If I knew I had ten years left, the first thing I’d stop doing is obsessing over “making it.” So much of our stress comes from this invisible finish line we’re all trying to reach. I’d drop that pressure immediately.

I’d pour myself fully into the work I love…not from a place of hustling, but from a place of joy and service. I wouldn’t waste energy second-guessing myself or holding back ideas for “later.” Later wouldn’t exist, so I’d give everything I have to the mission that genuinely lights me up.

And I’d stop sacrificing my weekends and evenings for work. I’d protect that time for the people who matter most — my fiancé, my little siblings, my best friend, my family. I’d spend more time laughing, cooking, traveling, being present, creating memories instead of to-do lists.

Ultimately, I’d focus on what I try to teach others every day: making the most of the life you have now. After all, we don’t live to work, we work so we can live. So you can do what you love, prioritize the people you love, and not postpone joy for some a “someday” that isn’t guaranteed.

In fact, why wait until you have ten years left to realize this? Why not take this lesson and think about how to apply it to your life now?

Contact Info:

• Website: https://theproductivityflow.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theproductivityflow
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-guerra-the-productivity-flow/
• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/groups/theproductivityflow/
• Other: https://linktr.ee/theproductivityflow