From Breakdown to Breakthrough:
How I Became a Passionate Advocate of Knowing When to Walk Away at Work
In 2020, I was at the top of my career game. At 35 years old, I had been recruited to become the first chief marketing officer for a private equity-backed wellness concept that was scaling nationally.
I was also in my final semester of a rigorous executive MBA program at one of the Financial Times’ top-ranked global programs.
I finally had everything I’d been working toward.
Or, so I thought…
My Story
Between the demands of my CMO role and school, I was clocking up to 20 hours of work per day, and my body began to rebel.
Two trips to the ER after throwing up blood, and one shingles diagnosis later, I finally hit my breaking point.
I knew there had to be more to my life and career than simply existing to work. Living in a state of perpetual exhaustion, emptiness and discontent was no way to live for the next 25+ years.
It was time to hit the life “reset” button.
In just 97 days, I quit my hard-won chief marketing officer job, trekked to Peru's Sacred Valley to reset my frayed nervous system, and moved from the buzzy metropolis of Atlanta to the beach in sunny Boca Raton, Florida for a new job and a fresh start.
The extreme nature of my story caught the attention of The Wall Street Journal and The Journal podcast, both of which featured my journey – from stress-induced health scares and endless hamster wheeling, to finding more peace and a slower pace of life on the water – as part of their pandemic burnout coverage.
Behind the scenes, though, my burnout wasn’t fully healing, as I once again encountered deeply ingrained, systemic cultural issues at my new job that no amount of self-care could allay.
Ultimately, I walked away again, becoming a two-time member of the Great Resignation: class of 2021 and 2022.
Since then, I’ve dedicated my work to helping other women make bold career moves by learning when and how to quit a job that’s taking more than it’s giving. I’m passionate about providing you with tools to navigate even the most tumultuous of career transitions with intention and ease.
In addition to Raze to Rise — my journalism project sharing heartfelt personal stories from the women of the Great Resignation — I have some exciting projects in the works, including my first book, a podcast, and career transition programming to be shared later this year.
So, be sure to join our email list and stay tuned!
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for joining me in this movement to shift how we as women approach our careers — from burnout and breakdowns to brilliant breakthroughs.
My official CMO headshot taken during that period of 20-hour days. I was so proud of my success but overwhelmingly lost and hollow inside.
Sound familiar? Your journey to greater career fulfillment starts here
Join the email list to receive freebies, resources and tools to support you as you reimagine the way you work and learn the power of walking away — delivered straight to your inbox!
No spam ever—scout's honor!
Unsubscribe anytime.
“Respect yourself enough to walk away from anything that no longer serves you, grows you, or makes you happy.”
— Robert Tew