The Earned Privilege of ‘Working Smarter,’ According to Christine Carrillo

In a recent LinkedIn post, Christine Carrillo discusses the crucial distinction between working hard and working smart, emphasizing that the latter is a privilege earned through experience, not a shortcut to be sought without foundational effort. Carrillo shares her personal journey, highlighting how an intense period of building her company led to burnout and a serious health incident, ultimately forcing a re-evaluation of her work strategies.

Carrillo’s post begins by asserting a fundamental principle for professional growth: “Working smarter is a privilege you have to earn. Hard work always comes first.” This sets the stage for her narrative, which contrasts the common pursuit of “hacks and shortcuts” with the necessity of deep understanding and genuine effort.

“You should never burn yourself out to be productive. (I learned this the hard way).”

The founder recounts the intense pace at which she built her company, a period marked by significant personal cost. “I built my company at breakneck speed. ↳ Burnt out. ↳ Got a concussion. ↳ Had a brutal wake-up call,” she writes, detailing the physical and mental toll. This experience presented her with a stark choice: either slow down and fundamentally change her approach or continue to jeopardize her health.

The Shift from Hard Work to Smart Work

According to Carrillo, the breakthrough came not from finding new, easier methods, but from optimizing the established foundation of hard work. She explains that to create a sustainable business model, she had to systematically improve her workflow. This involved several key strategic changes:

• Documenting every process
• Automating repetitive tasks
• Delegating responsibilities that did not require her direct involvement

This structured approach, Carrillo notes, was transformative. “That’s when everything changed. It trimmed my work time down to 20 hours a week,” she states, illustrating the dramatic efficiency gains achieved through deliberate process improvement.

Learning Through Experience

Carrillo expresses regret that it took a significant health scare to internalize this lesson. “I wish it didn’t take a concussion to learn this lesson. So I’m sharing this with you now,” she says, underscoring her motivation to help others avoid a similar fate. She reiterates that true smart work is born from experience and a thorough understanding of one’s domain.

“Smart work comes from experience. Put in the effort. Learn what matters. Streamline the process.”

Carrillo encourages her network to reflect on their own work habits and identify areas for streamlining. She concludes by asking, “What’s one thing you learned that saved you hours of work?” This interactive element aims to foster a community discussion around effective productivity and sustainable work practices. For those seeking to scale their businesses effectively, Carrillo points to a resource she has developed, suggesting it offers a comprehensive “playbook” for transforming business operations.