The Career-Integrated Entrepreneur™ Podcast

Ep 35. Dual leadership: How to own both your 9 to 5 & your side business

• Cindy Excell

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Let’s talk about the quiet guilt that no one warns you about when you start a side hustle.


You’re thriving in your corporate career, but something in you wants more. So you take the first brave step into building a coaching business… and suddenly, you’re questioning everything.


“Will people think I’m not serious about my job?”
“Can I grow a business without hiding it - or feeling like I’m betraying my employer?”


This episode goes deep into the mindset shift that changes everything: you’re not cheating on your 9 to 5 - you’re leading yourself.


I’m walking you through:

  • What integrity actually means when you’re building a business on the side
  • How to stop hiding and start honouring both your career and your business
  • Why splitting your identity is exhausting (and how to stop doing it)
  • The 5 things I always come back to when I feel misaligned
  • How to build something that feels honest, grounded, and fully yours


The right way to building a side business while in your 9 to 5 is the one that feels honest and aligned, that feels good, with who you are now and who you’re becoming.


Links + Resources:


>> Book a 30-min clarity call with me - If you’re ready to build something real 0 but want help mapping it out the smart, aligned way.

>> Grab the free Business Idea Validator tool - It helps you flush out your most aligned, profitable coaching idea (even if you’ve got 10 swimming in your head).

>> Or just DM me “INTEGRITY” on LinkedIn and I’ll send you everything directly.

 Welcome to the Career Integrated Entrepreneur podcast. Lead podcast for corporate women building a side hustle coaching business with intention and creating that financial runway while still thriving in the nine to five. I'm your host, Cindy Excell. Each week we talk strategy mindset. And the real behind the scenes of what it takes to grow a business in the margins without burning out or blowing up your career.

Now let's dive in. Hey friend, welcome back to another episode of the Career Integrated Entrepreneur Podcast. Whether you are on your way to work or in the car after school drop off. I'm so glad that you're here because today's episode, we are going somewhere a little bit deeper. We're going to talk about this internal battle that I know so many of you are having.

When it comes to starting a side business alongside your corporate job, you might be having this little voice in your head saying to you, if I start this business, will people think that I'm not serious about my nine to five job? Or you might be thinking, is that even possible to be loyal to my nine to five job and still want to have a business of my own, so be loyal to myself and my desire as well?

If that sounds familiar, or if those questions have been quietly sitting in the back of your mind, you are not alone. I had the exactly same fears when I first started about five years ago. I know that what it's like to want more, but not want to feel like you are giving up what you've already built. The conflict can feel heavy sometimes, and most of the time we don't talk about it enough in my opinion.

We are told to either go all in in your business or stay in your copy job and don't even think about anything else. But I truly believe that there is the right way to do this, to build a profitable side hustle that feels good alongside your copy job, which you are still staying high performance. It's not about the choosing between your nine to five and your dreams, but learning how to show up for both fully, honestly, and powerfully.

And with integrity personally, I'm very against hiding your side business or sneaking around behind your employee's back because you simply cannot build a successful business that feels good based on a lie to start with. I mean, how taring would that be? Right? Instead, building a side business is about self-leadership.

When you start your style hustle, you're not just managing your calendar, you are also managing a new identity. And that requires you to be staying grounded and be brave enough to be honest with yourself, stay true to yourself. This episode is for the copy professionals, a corporate women who want to build their business from the place that feels bold, feels good, and the truthful not only to what their hearts desire, but also to the responsibilities they carry in the nine to five as well.

Because integrity is your superpower. If you have been navigating that tension between being a high performer at your work and building something of your own, this conversation is exactly what you need. Now let's get started. So let's talk about what integrity actually means in this space we are in.

Because the moment when you decide to build a business while working your nine to five, a lot of stuff gets stood up, right? And at this stage, we are craving for those kind of alignment. Alignment with what you desire, alignment with what you say matters to you and with the way you treat your time, your energy, your employer and yourself.

It means showing up for your business with honesty, as well as showing up for your job. Your nine to five job with excellence and a strong work ethics. You can build your dream business and still respect the commitments that you've made to others, which is your employer or your nine to five job, and that's where this can get powerful.

Now, here is the perspective shift that changes everything for me. Integrity in this context is not just about what you tell others, it's actually about how you live. While no one's watching as well. Now I want to ask you a few questions here and be really honest with yourself as you hear this. Question.

Number one, are you showing up fully in your nine to five because that's agreement you've made with your employer? Because you're still getting paid. You're still entrusted with the responsibilities from your corporate job, and you still need to follow through with high standard and excellence while you are hhl nine to five.

Question number two, are you actually holding yourself accountable, not just to your KPIs or to your team, but to the standard that you set for yourself? Because how you do one thing is how you do everything. If you cut corners at work, you will bring that same energy into your study business. If you only half show up in meetings at work, guess what?

You probably also half show up in your coaching calls for your clients as well. Question number three is, are you setting clear boundaries between your career and your business? Not blending the two. Not working on your business during a Zoom meeting for your work, not doing any business activities during the nine to five hours where you meant to use that for your job.

Because integrity means honoring the time you've agreed to give, and protecting the time you've carved out for yourself and for your business. Question number four is, are you actually honoring your business? Not treating that like an afterthought, not giving that scraps of energy at the end of the long day.

Definitely not hiding or minimizing it because you are scared of being seen. Your business deserves more than crus. It deserves presence. Now the last question, which is a big one. Are you selling authentically in your business as well, or are you pretending to be someone you think people want to buy from?

It's so easy to fall into the traps of performance, especially in the online space. You start using the language other coaches use, you start showing up the way others show up, but it feels off because it's not you. You start to lose the groundness that make this business feel like yous in the first place.

And once that happens, integrity sleeps as well because you no longer connect to your truth. So when we talk about building with integrity, I want you to hear this. It's not about what that looks like, it's not about appearance. It's not about squeaky cling or keeping up a perfect, you know, brand of image, et cetera.

Instead, it is actually about inner congruence. It is those kind where you can look in the mirror and say, I'm showing up fully for my job I committed to, and I'm gaining the real space for the business I desire, and I believe in. I'm also doing it in a way that feels honest, grounded, and me. That is integrity and that is self-leadership as well.

Now, before I give you some tips on how to build with integrity, I want to talk about the biggest trap first. This is the biggest integrity trend I have seen when you first get started, which is splitting your identity. You show up one way in your nine to five and completely different way. When you are working on your business or when you are showing up in your business at the work, you probably downplay what you are doing with your business.

When people ask you about it, you avoid a topic, you keep it quiet, you shrink it down. But when you go online, you try to sound like a bold and a confident entrepreneur, but there is a part of you that's still holding back, filtering your words, watering down your voice, even second guessing every post you put out there, it actually creates this like the internal tug of war.

You feel like you are living in these two versions of yourself, and then neither version feels fully and truly you. That kind of disconnection can be quite exhausting. I was going through those period at the very beginning stage of my, um, sad hustle journey as well. Here's what I want you to hear. You can't build something meaningful if you are hiding from it.

When you act like your business is something to be hidden, you send a signal to yourself and your audience that is not worth being seen, and that's definitely not what we want, right? Because that can slowly chip away at your confidence, your creativity, your belief in what you are building. Now, I'm not saying you need to announce your site coaching business at your, you know, Monday team meetings at work every week.

Not at all. But I am saying that you still need to own it. Let me also be clear, having two identities isn't the problem. At this stage of your startup journey, you are wearing two hat. You are a high performing professional in corporate and an emerging business owner. You are serving your team and your clients at your nine to five job, and you are also building something that's truly yours that you desire and you want to feel proud of.

That's not a split identity, that's dual leadership. And while you are integrity, each of those identities feels intact. So you can move actually between them with intention, not guilt. You are not hiding one to justify the other. You're not pretending you are not apologizing. The problem is when those two identities feel fractured, when you feel like you are, you know, having those kind of shapeshifting energy between the versions of yourself to fitting the room you are in, that's when the confidence wobbles.

That's why your voice can get quiet. It can even, you know, feel like you are betraying one to honor the other at a times. But when you build with alignment and self-leadership, you don't have to choose one or the other. You actually get to hold both identities with strengths and honesty, and that is the integrity I'm talking about, and that's the real power.

I want to bring this down to earth for a moment because it's one thing we want to build our business with integrity. It's another to know how to actually do it. I'm going to give you five practical tips here that I've personally used and the coach, my clients on that as well to help you build a side business that feels good.

Clean, congruent, and aligned. So tip number one is anchor in your identity. Acknowledge that Now you have the two identities. One is the employee to your copy job, the other is the business owner of your business. It might take some time and even take some deep inner work to get used to this.

Fundamentally, this goes back to the question that you need to ask yourself. So, who do I want to become? Or who am I becoming and why am I starting this business in the first place? Because you're not just a coach or business owner, you are actually a woman or man, um, who's chosen to lead to claim more for yourself, to use your experience and expertise for something beyond just a job description.

It is a reflection of your identity, so you are not building your business off your resume. You actually build your business off your values, your perspective, your voice, your lived experience, and a personal brand that people can trust. Tip number two is to declare your boundaries. This one is non-negotiable.

If you want to build a startup business with integrity and stay sane. Set clear boundaries between your nine to five and your start business. You really don't want to blur the lines and create great zones when guilt can sneak in during your work hours. Be present during your business hours. Be focused.

Don't check your work email while writing your business newsletter. And don't take your business coaching call while you are in the middle of the nine to five job. So I know sometimes it can be tempting, especially when you first started. You are excited about your business, but being stretched in all directions doesn't make you more productive.

It will bring you out, and it can also bring that guilt back in if you blend the boundaries. So use your calendar, block your time, and honor both commitments like the professionals that you are, because that is who you are. Boundaries are the ultimate forms of respect to others and to yourself. Tip number three is be transparent.

You don't need to announce to your entire company you're building a coaching business on the side, but you also don't need to hide in the shadows like you are doing something that is sacred. You can lead with transparency, open communication in the way that builds trust, especially with your audience as well.

Say things like, I built this business while working full time. I created this off around my nine to five time because I know how hard it is to find time to make the work, because those kind of statements actually show people that you are ignorant with them. And when the time comes to have a conversation with their employer, if they question about your business, you also do not talk about it as if you're trying to hide it.

Be open stay to tell them why you built this business and to tell them the boundaries you have in place. And also to reassure them that. Your commitment to your job that has not changed, of course, depending on the type of job you are in, and be very, very mindful that your business should not create any conflict with your job, and also make sure that your contract allows you to do this as well.

When you show your employer that level of. Open communication and the transparency that also build the respect and the trust as a professional for your job as well. Tip number four is to lead with value, not ego. I know that many, many of the new coaches have the temptation to make things sound more successful than they actually are.

We've seen that all the time in the online space, right? Nothing is more magnetic than someone who's. Just real. You don't need to pretend to have everything freaked out. You don't need to fake a six figure launch. You don't need to claim you are fully booked while you are just starting out. Instead, lead with, here is what I'm learning.

Here is what was working for me. What's not here is where I'm growing and here is how I'm helping others who are a few steps behind me. So that's what people want to see, not those shiny version because they're everywhere in the online space, but they want to see the honest version, the transparent version.

Your integrity in this context is also your marketing. The funnel tip is to create from ownership, not fear. When you post, when you pitch your offer, when you show up in your content or in conversations with the potential clients, ask yourself, am I doing this from fear or from ownership, or am I standing in what I'm building with pride?

You don't really need to be loud in this online space, but you do need to be anchored because your energy is what magnetize people. It is the energy of someone who believes in what they are creating as well. So be proud and claim your space and take their ownership. Now, before I wrap up this episode, if there's anything I want you to take away is this mindset shift.

You are not cheating on your nine to five job. This is the guilt that creeps in for so many corporate professionals, corporate women, when they first start out studying something of their own. Like, am I being this lawyery to my nine to five or am I betraying my company? Or what if someone in my industry funds out?

I have, you know, I'm doing something else on the side. Are they going to think less of me? So here is what I want you to know. You are not cheating on your nine to five job. You are not sneaking around, you are not doing anything wrong. You are choosing not to place your entire financial future in one employer's hand, and then nothing wrong with that.

You are choosing the self-leadership, I call it, that's not this lawyery that takes courage. You can respect your employer and, uh, give 100% to your colleagues, to your clients at your work during your nine to five hours, and you can still honor your commitments. Building something for yourself on your own time with ethical boundaries, with transparency when needed, and that is a form of self-respect and self-leadership.

The thing is, even if many people desire to create something of their own, but most people won't do it, they'll stay stuck in the comfort of what's known, even if it probably doesn't light them up anymore. Or even if they knew that they, they desire something more. But you have the courage to choose something different, to explore your gifts in a new way, to take your skills, your experience, your personal transformation to the next level, to lead yourself even if no one claps for yet.

And if your employer is a good one, they will respect that. As long as you do not create conflict of interest, as long as you also stay high performing and do your job well, and you stay open communication and you do not let your startup business get in the way of your responsibilities to your employer, it is that simple.

Integrity starts with how you treat your business. How you treat your nine to five job and how you show up in your marketing, as well as how you serve your clients behind the scenes. So if you want to build a business that feels good, one that aligned with your heart, that reflects your values and still allows you to perform at your best in your corporate role, then you need to lead from who you are with clarity about what you are building and why it matters with open communication where it's needed, not from fear, but from confidence.

With a deep sense of responsibility and accountability for both your job and your business, most of all, with a bold willingness to be seen. Because that's what this all comes back to. The world doesn't need more perfect brands. It needs more women waiting to lead themselves, waiting to trust themselves, waiting to build something real, even if it's still in progress.

That's what self-leadership looks like, and that should be also, your future business will be built on as well. Now to wrap up, if you are ready for a proper chat about building something real, something that's aligned, honest, and profitable, I currently offer a 30 minute clarity call where we can unpack your idea, map out your time, and find a path that fits your life and your corporate career.

You don't have to figure that out on your own. So book your 30 minutes free call with me, and the link is in the should not below. Or you can send me a DM with a word integrity on LinkedIn at Cindy Excell with a LL, and I'll get you the link. Or if you are still at the idea stage, or if you've been wondering that what you want to build is actually worth pursuing.

I also have this free ebook and a builtin GPT tool called The Business Idea Validator. It will walk you through and flash out the one profitable idea for you. You can also grab that in the show note below. That's it for today. I hope you enjoy this episode, and I'll see you here next week. Bye for now.

Thank you so much for tuning in to the Career Integrated Entrepreneur Podcast. If this episode sparked something in you. Or give you the little push you needed. I'd love for you to hit follow, leave a quick review or share it with a friend who's also interested in building an online business on their terms.

Your financial runway starts now, and I'm so glad you are here. I will catch you next week.