The story behind THRIVE, my burnout recovery program for high-achieving women
We deserve more than just surviving.
If you're a driven, mission-oriented woman who's always been the go-to person at work, at home, everywhere - this is for you.
If you’ve hit that wall where everything feels like too much, and where the passion that once fueled now feels like unrelenting pressure... I see you.
I was you.
And if you’re burnt out and at your breaking point, I want you to know there’s a better way.
A better way to approach your work and your life.
A better way that’ll bring you more ease, more balance, and more success - on your terms.
I know from personal experience that it can be challenging to figure out how to do this on your own- crawl out of burnout, recoup your health, recreate your life…
That’s why I created THRIVE, my private burnout recovery coaching program for high achieving women.
In this post, I’m sharing the story behind THRIVE and why I believe the holistic approach I guide clients through is not just the best but the only approach that works for sustainable burnout recovery- and for creating a life that fulfills you.
My story: From Driven Academic to Disconnected Overachiever
For years, my identity revolved around academic success. I earned my PhD in sociology and poured myself into work I genuinely cared about - researching indigenous peoples’ rights in Latin America. I published in top journals and chased prestigious grants and fellowships to fund my work. I wanted to make a difference!
But somewhere along the way, little pieces of me were chipped away.
I stopped doing things that I loved but were “unproductive” and diverted me from my work- hobbies like skiing, cooking, and gardening. Even nutrition and exercise, which had always been a priority, started shifting to the back burner. Sadly, many pre-grad school friendships faded.
Honestly? It wasn’t just “the hours” or the workload that had me swamped.
—> It was something deeper: I was consumed with perfection and proving my worth, especially as a first-gen student at an Ivy League institution. Imposter syndrome had me in a chokehold- I felt like I didn’t fully belong and needed frequent confirmation that I was ‘good enough’. That (self-imposed) pressure was heavy.
This went on for almost 15 years. A life marked my long days and little play, holding on the best I could.
The first breaking point hit soon after I finished my PhD. I had the degree, but I felt tired and empty. I wanted to start living my life again! To have fun again.
And so I did… at first. I started being more social, going out more. Trying to pick up new creative hobbies. I even tried getting back into darkroom photography, an old passion of mine.
What I soon discovered, however, was that carving out space for life amongst my teaching responsibilities, the pressure to publish, and the demands of the academic job market wasn’t so easy. The fact that I had little support and was still battling my inner demons- perfectionism and imposter syndrome- made finding balance even more challenging.
I was in a constant struggle to prioritize “what mattered” and create a life that had purpose. But it was hard for me to figure out what actually mattered, because for years, I’d just been doing what I thought I was supposed to do.
“It was hard for me to figure out what actually mattered, because for years, I’d just been doing what I thought I was supposed to do.”
I know now that the definition of success I was trying to live out wasn’t entirely my own- but it took me a while to reach that insight.
Meanwhile as a postdoc and professor, stress continued to wear me down until I was just plain old EXHAUSTED- physically, mentally, and emotionally. I couldn’t get done what needed to get done- especially publishing. I felt numb to my work and life, just going through the motions.
(Cue the obligatory crying on the bathroom floor. Yes, that happened.)
My second burnout ‘breaking point’ came when my mom had a major health scare and nearly died from heart complications. I felt the world crumbling around me.
And I decided at that moment, while grading papers in my mom’s hospital room, that I needed to prioritize LIVING, finding joy again, and spending time with people I loved… whatever it takes.
Today, I’m so grateful that I listened to the voice inside of me back then that was screaming, “There’s got to be a better way!”
HOW I REGAINED MY BALANCE after burnout
Burnout recovery was not a linear process. There was a lot of experimentation. Some unexpected bumps. But everything I learned helps inform how I support women in THRIVE.
Food was my first step on the road back to myself. I’d been eating poorly, but I also knew I loved cooking. So I enrolled in a plant-based culinary school online and started spending more time in the kitchen- one of those hobbies that I’d dropped years ago. I began eating the nutritious foods my body was craving instead of turning to takeout, cereal, and Starbucks.
Soon, I could feel my energy return, and see new possibilities unfold in front of me.
Not long after that, I made the difficult decision to walk away from the academic career that was draining the life-force out of me. This isn’t the best step for everyone and, honestly, it was terrifying. I didn’t know what was next, career-wise (besides an ‘interim’ job to pay the bills). I just knew that whatever move I made, it would need to be aligned with my values and no one else’s.
Next, I moved closer to my family, near the ocean. And I started truly LIVING- spending afternoons at the beach, learning to surf, reading Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat Pray Love and Big Magic and journaling everything in my head (I know, sounds corny but it’s true). Eventually, I set a key boundary and let go of a toxic romantic relationship that was a huge source of stress and had been preventing me from truly moving on in my life.
And I kept SURFING because it made me feel good. Being in the water gave me a sense of freedom and joy that I hadn’t experienced in a long time, but also taught me how to deal with feelings of uncertainty and lack of control- two major stressors in most peoples’ lives. You can’t control the waves or the wind, only how you react to it.
(A surfing accident that gave me a serious concussion highlighted for me the important role surfing played in my burnout recovery journey - I write about that in another post.)
For a while, I was fixated on discovering the new ‘me’ and helping my mom make changes to improve her health. Eventually, I trained as a health coach and learned everything I could about nutrition in order to do that.
But in the process of diving deep into the ‘wellness world’, I discovered that I truly loved supporting women with their health. So I pursued that career path further, created Rooted Life and developed my THRIVE coaching program, and used all the strategies and tools I’d learned to make my new business work without getting burnt out again.
Why I Created THRIVE
When I first started coaching women, my goal wasn’t to support them with burnout. I just wanted to help every woman I knew, mainly with nutrition and cooking. My mom was my inspiration. I knew the pain and fear she was going through with her diabetes and heart disease, and how scary it was for me as her daughter, who didn’t want to lose her.
I wanted to help my mom and women like her to live healthier, happier, pain-free lives. And so I began teaching healthy cooking classes in my community and helping women gently shift their diets.
*But the universe had bigger plans.
My first few clients were just like me: high-achieving perfectionists who were smart, successful, and exhausted.
Even though food can be a powerful healer, these women needed more than just nutrition support. They struggled with stress and work-life balance so much that they'd become deeply burnt out. In fact, most of their health challenges- from fatigue and weight gain to autoimmune conditions- were largely a result of months or years of stress weighing on their bodies.
In classic overachiever style, these women had already tried countless solutions - like yoga, meditation, therapy. Even vacations. But they hadn't figured out how to truly break free from burnout or stay consistent with habits that they knew would make them feel good- and potentially change their lives.
Because here’s the thing: burnout doesn’t go away with a detox diet or a few yoga classes and a week at an island resort.
And the habits and mindsets that help so many women get to the topic of their career- like working hard, overachieving, saying ‘yes’ to every opportunity and request– are counterproductive when dealing with burnout or getting to the next level of your career and life.
Instead, burnout recovery requires a full reworking of how you approach work, life, and success.
And that’s why I created THRIVE—a private coaching program to help high-achieving women recover from burnout for good, not just temporarily mask some of the symptoms. A program where you learn a new and better way of approaching work and life, and create your own version of success.
THRIVE offers women what I wish I’d had years ago: a clear path to healing and real-life tools, rooted in what actually works.
With THRIVE, you can Re-Write Your Story
Contrary to popular opinion, burnout isn’t just about work stress and career satisfaction. It’s also about your health and your overall happiness with your life. It’s multi-dimensional:
Physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion - where even your motivation and drive are plummeting.
Extreme stress and overwhelm - including overwhelm about what to do to feel better.
Feeling like your life is out of control and that you lack the power to change anything.
This can show up in your daily life in a multitude of ways. To name a few:
Waking up already tired, needing caffeine just to function, and seeing your productivity at work tank so much that you need to work nights and and weekends just to keep up.
Snapping at coworkers, your partner, even your kids - and then beating yourself up about it because try as you might, you just can’t shake this constant feeling of being ‘on edge’.
Missing your daughter score her first goal in soccer because you were frantically checking work email on your phone from the sidelines. And feeling both guilty and frustrated that you’re unable to be fully present whether you’re at work or off the clock.
THRIVE helps you rewrite that story and recover your energy and peace of mind- without taking a step back in your career.
Many burnout recovery approaches focus on surface-level things like time management and productivity strategies. Don’t get me wrong- these things are important! And we do them in THRIVE. But they’re not enough to get you unstuck when you’re at your lowest. And they’re definitely not enough to keep you from burning out again (and again, and again).
That’s where THRIVE comes in.
In THRIVE, we use a holistic body-mind-spirit approach that addresses the multiple dimensions of stress and burnout - and we do so in the easiest and simplest way possible, meeting you exactly where you’re at.
That means we start by using foundational self-care- like nutrition, movement, and sleep- to de-stress your body and quickly reignite your physical and mental energy. Plus, you’ll learn to use tools like simple breathwork to regulate your nervous system so you’re not living each day in a constant state of fight-or-flight.
But we don’t stop there, because we want burnout recovery to be permanent.
And permanent means addressing the deep-down reasons you got burnt out in the first place. (Because it’s almost never just your demanding job). For most women, those reasons include some combination of habits and mindsets like people pleasing, perfectionism, overachieving, and over functioning.
In coaching sessions and through structured exercises I’ve incorporated into the THRIVE approach, we’ll dig below surface-level stressors, explore what’s driving your burnout patterns, and start to shift them. We’ll also train you to respond to stressors instead of simply reacting in the moment.
You’ll learn to say no, let go of guilt and anxiety, and finally feel like you are in the driver’s seat of your life again.
And most importantly, you’ll re-discover what gives you joy, and learn how to (re)align your life and work so that they reflect your core values and your definition of “success”.
Through this process, you’ll discover what you really want in your life and what direction you want to take your career and your relationships. And you’ll gain the confidence to step outside your comfort zone and take the scary action required to create this vision of success.
Since THRIVE is a private (1-1) coaching program, personalized to your needs and capacity, you’ll consistently take the right actions, at the right pace for you. For 6 months, you’ll have the support, guidance, and accountability that’ll get you ‘unstuck’- and keep you on your path to a burnout-free life.
A New Vision of Leadership and Success for High-Achieving Women
The more women I work with in THRIVE, the more clear I can see the future for high-achieving women. It’s a future where success extends beyond obvious societal measures - like money and career advancement- to include wellbeing, connection, and joy.
A future where women like you and me aren’t burning out to prove our worth or please everyone.
Where you don’t have to sacrifice your health to lead. Where you can be present for your family and make bold moves in your career. Where being ambitious doesn’t mean being constantly on edge, tired, or overwhelmed.
This future- this new version of success- doesn’t ask you to choose between impact and happiness. It’s one where you get to experience BOTH.
THRIVE is here to help you create that future and ascend to your next level of leadership - the kind of true leadership that begins with yourself.
Ready to Thrive?
If you’re done just surviving, and you're ready to feel energized, present, and in love with your life again—THRIVE is for you.
Let’s create a version of success that doesn’t cost you your health, your joy, or your relationships.
You don’t have to do this alone anymore. And you don’t have to burn out to make an impact.
It’s time to THRIVE.
