why i build systems around human needs (and not profit margins or productivity hacks)

we’re not broken. the systems are. so what if we just... built new ones?

Okay. Let’s start with the obvious.

Everything’s kind of falling apart right now, right?

Systems we thought were forever—government, healthcare, tech, education, even the vibes in the grocery store—are fraying at the seams. You can feel it. You know it. And maybe you’ve already whispered it to yourself:

“We can’t keep doing it this way.”

I’ve said that. A lot.

And yeah, I get the eyebrow raise when I start talking about “systems.” Like—Marissa, why are you so into systems? Are we... okay?

Here’s the realest answer I can give:
Because the systems we’re living in—ones that put profit and productivity and power at the center—are not designed for human beings.

And honestly? They’re collapsing.

So... what now?

Well. We build new ones. Starting small. Starting where we are. Starting with you.

build a system that scaffolds you, not squeezes you

If you’re a creator, or a business owner, or just a very tired human trying to do one thing at a time...

What if your systems didn’t demand more than your body can give?
What if they didn’t punish you for needing rest or flexibility or buffer time to stare out the window and feel things?

What if you had a way of doing things that fit you—your pace, your brain, your needs?

I'm not trying to blow up capitalism in a blog post (though… tempting).
But I am saying: let’s start a quiet revolution by doing one thing differently.

Let’s build systems that hold us.
Systems that center care, not output.
Systems that leave room for fluctuation, imperfection, mess.

Not because it’s cute or trendy. But because that’s what actually works.

three reasons this isn’t just self-care—it’s resistance

1. when your needs are at the center, the system doesn’t break you

I used to think systems were supposed to make me more efficient.

Get more done. In less time. With fewer breaks.
All while smiling and pretending I didn’t just cry in the shower.

But what if the system isn’t there to squeeze more out of you?
What if it’s there to hold you up?

I’m not anti-profit. Money is a valid need. Rent is real. Groceries are expensive.
But money can’t be the only need in the system.

What if your nervous system got a seat at the table too?
What if your creative rhythms mattered just as much as your launch deadline?

A good system says: “You’re a person. Let’s start there.”

2. it’s the opposite of how we’ve been taught to operate

Even in nonprofits (ohhh the irony) the question is often:
“How much can we do with how little?”

It’s all about maximizing, optimizing, hustling...
Even when the people doing the work are literally running on fumes.

And listen, I’ve worked in corporate. I’ve worked in nonprofit. I’ve freelanced.
Every time I watch a system collapse, it’s the same story:

The humans inside were never considered in the first place.

Capacity is not a constant. Energy fluctuates. Brains get foggy. Life happens.
If the system can’t stretch with you, then it’s not a system—it’s a trap.

3. one tiny shift can start something big

I’m not asking you to burn it all down. (Unless you want to. In which case... I’m here.)

But what if—just what if—you built one system, for one project, that felt like a fit?

That actually worked for your brain. That didn’t leave you drained or resentful or stuck in your freeze response.

That small shift? That’s how movements begin.

Because once you experience a system that supports you—not just your output—you don’t go back. You start asking better questions. You start designing everything differently.

And yeah. That’s the revolution.

why i built MGTV system studio

Honestly?

Because I was tired of watching brilliant people burn out.

Teams falling apart because the system expected them to be robots.
Launches fizzling because the workflow only worked for neurotypical speed demons with 26-hour days.
People crying in Slack DMs because they were never considered in the structure.

And I just... couldn’t keep pretending that was normal.

So MGTV System Studio was born.

Not to replace every system in your business.
But to help you build one system—just one—that fits your humanity.

Maybe it’s your content plan. Your course launch. Your social media flow.
Whatever it is, we start from the center.

Your needs. Your limits. Your life.

Because when we design from that place?

The system doesn’t just work better.
It actually works at all.

real talk to close this out

You don’t have to build a business that runs like a factory.

You don’t have to follow tech bro advice.

You don’t have to optimize your mornings and monetize your hobbies and schedule your entire life into color-coded calendars that make you want to cry.

You can build a business—or a project, or a body of work—that scaffolds your nervous system instead of frying it.

You can put you at the center and still do meaningful, powerful, world-changing things.

In fact... it might be the only way to survive what’s coming.

invitation to try something new

So yeah. That’s what I’m doing. That’s what I’m figuring out.
And if you’re curious—or tired—or kinda screaming internally like the rest of us...

I invite you to start small.

Pick one project.
Name one need.
And let’s build around that.

Not for optimization.
But for sustainability.

Not because you’re broken.
But because you never were.