About My Backstory:

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I started as a temporary employee, eager, determined, and ready to prove myself supporting the Senior VP of HR. Throughout my career, I advanced to the position of Executive Vice President of HR, becoming the first woman to hold this role on an all-male executive team.

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On paper, I had “made it.”  But behind the scenes? I was silently burning out.

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• 12-hour workdays became my standard

• Fast food replaced real nutrition

• Sleep was sacrificed for deadlines

• The pressure and desire to succeed led to a complete disregard for my personal well-being

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I wore resilience like armor. I internalized the pressure to outperform, outwork, and outlast my male counterparts.  I also thought long hours and around-the-clock accessibility were the model I was to demonstrate as an example for my team. 

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Until one day, everything stopped.  A ride in an ambulance forced me to confront what I had ignored for far too long.  Years of chronic stress, emotional suppression, and self-sacrifice had led to a surprise medical condition.

 

That moment changed everything.  I had believed success required sacrifice.  That wellness was optional.  That leadership meant burnout was the cost of admission.  But what if I had it all wrong?

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