Outsmart Burnout and Redefine Success with Kelli Risse

Sep 3, 2025

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Whether you're an entrepreneur juggling business and personal life or simply seeking actionable strategies to bring more ease and joy to your journey, this episode is packed with wisdom, real-life examples, and plenty of "aha!" moments.

We are thrilled to welcome back returning guest Kelli Risse—a dynamic coach, speaker, and now accomplished author. Since her last appearance over two years ago, Kelli has been busy transforming not only her business but also the lives of countless high achievers seeking to redefine their paths to success.

Kelli shares her journey of writing her solo book, "Mindset Mastery: 25 Principles to Outsmart Burnout and Redefine Success," which quickly became an Amazon bestseller. She opens up about the creative process, her strategies for avoiding burnout even while tackling big projects, and the powerful difference between being a high achiever versus a peak performer.

Kelli also gives us a sneak peek into her upcoming book series, touches on the importance of energy management, harmony, and boundaries, and offers practical steps to help entrepreneurs shift from overwhelm to sustainability.

Get ready to take your mindset—and your business—to a whole new level!

This episode is brought to you by PureTax, LLC. Tax preparation services without the pressure. When all you need is to get your tax return done, take the stress out of tax season by working with a firm that has simplified the process and the pricing. Find out more about how we started.

Here are three key takeaways you can use immediately:

Ease is the Foundation, Not the Opposite, of Success: Kelli reminds us that building our lives and businesses on a foundation of ease leads to more sustainable results than grinding ourselves into burnout. Productivity isn’t about constant busyness; it’s about aligning work with true priorities.

Shift from High Achiever to Peak Performer: High achievers often operate in a constant state of urgency and exhaustion, while peak performers focus on sustainable energy, alignment, and letting go of perfectionism. Want to make lasting change? It starts with mindset—choose alignment over approval!

Harmony Over Balance: Trying to “balance” work and life perfectly usually leaves us more stressed. Kelli encourages leaders to seek harmony and alignment in all areas: mind, body, and spirit. Set boundaries, say no when needed, and schedule “me time”—your well-being is non-negotiable.

Moments

00:00 "Practical Coaching Principles Book"

04:36 "Coaching Principles and Tips Book"

06:41 "Peak Performance: Sustained Success Differently"

09:36 Rethinking Tomorrow's Plans

15:10 Align Mind, Body, Spirit?

19:05 Energy Over Time Management

19:51 "Boost Well-being for Entrepreneurs"

24:20 Prioritize "Me Time" for Balance

28:56 Evaluating the Value of 6am Calls

31:57 Evaluate Priorities in Decision-Making

35:01 Coaching: Growth, Accountability, Tough Love

38:42 Continuous Growth and Challenges

40:31 Coaching as Therapy Insight

45:19 "Improving Life Beyond Hard Work"

Running a business doesn’t have to run your life.

Without a business partner who holds you accountable, it’s easy to be so busy ‘doing’ business that you don’t have the right strategy to grow your business.

Stop letting your business run you. At Harper & Co CPA Plus, we know that you want to be empowered to build the lifestyle you envision. In order to do that you need a clear path to follow for success

Our clients enjoy a proactive partnership with us. Schedule a consultation with us today.

Download our free guide - Entrepreneurial Success Formula: How to Avoid Managing Your Business From Your Bank Account.

Glenn Harper, CPA, is the Owner and Managing Partner of Harper & Company CPAs Plus, a top 10 Managing Partner in the country (Accounting Today's 2022 MP Elite). His firm won the 2021 Luca Award for Firm of the Year.

An entrepreneur and speaker, Glenn transformed his firm into an advisory-focused practice, doubling revenue and profit in two years. He teaches entrepreneurs to build financial and operational excellence, speaks nationwide to CPA firm owners about running their businesses like entrepreneurs, and consults with firms across the country. Glenn enjoys golfing, fishing, hiking, cooking, and spending time with his family.

Julie Smith, MBA, is a serial entrepreneur in the public accounting space. She is the Founder of EmpowerCPA™, Founder of PureTax, LLC, COO for Harper & Company CPAs Plus, and Co-host of the Empowering Entrepreneurs podcast.

Named CPA.com's 2021 Innovative Practitioner of Year, Julie led Harper & Company's transition to an advisory-focused firm, doubling revenue and profit in two years. She now empowers other CPA firm owners nationwide through consulting and speaking, teaching them how to run their businesses like entrepreneurs. Julie lives in Columbus, OH with her family and enjoys travel, coaching basketball, sporting events, and the occasional shopping spree.