Burned Out & Breaking Inside: Renée’s Story of Hidden Stress Behind a Successful Career
What if burnout isn’t a sign of weakness—but a signal that you’re ready for something more aligned?
Renée is one of those people whose resume reads like a success story. She’s a high-performing operations leader, an engineer, and a problem-solver through and through. From her humble roots on a DIY family farm in Ohio to leading global teams in highly technical industries, Renée built a career that many would aspire to.
But what the outside didn’t see was what was happening inside.
In Episode 5 of Your Next Success, I sit down with Renée to share the truth behind her burnout—a deeply personal and powerful story about the hidden emotional cost of success.
High-Achieving, High-Functioning... and Hiding the Strain
Renée’s story mirrors what so many ambitious professionals experience but rarely name. Raised to be self-reliant after losing her father at a young age, she internalized the belief that she had to take care of everything—and everyone—on her own.
She worked through college. Rose through the ranks. Took on more. Led more. Achieved more.
But somewhere between the nonstop travel, high-stakes projects, and showing up for everyone else, she started to feel a growing sense of exhaustion. Even at home, the weight didn’t lift. The more she tried to “fix” it by pushing harder, the more depleted she became.
“I was everything to everyone—except to myself.”
The Breaking Point Was a Beginning
In early 2024, something in Renée cracked open. It wasn’t a dramatic collapse—it was a moment of stillness. A pause. And in that pause, she finally asked a powerful question:
“Why do I feel like I always have to be the one taking care of everyone else?”
That was her moment of truth. And it was the beginning of her emotional recovery from burnout.
When Renée and I started working together, it wasn’t about fixing her. It was about reconnecting her with herself. Her values. Her energy. Her boundaries. Her truth.
Clarity Comes from the Pause
What Renée discovered through our work—and through taking the brave step of pausing—was that her exhaustion wasn’t random. It was earned. It was the natural result of decades of high-functioning service without sustainable self-care.
Together, we explored her DISC results. Her innate leadership strengths. Her deep drive to serve. And underneath all of it? A woman with wisdom, heart, and the courage to rewrite her story—not as a burnout survivor, but as a thriving leader in alignment with who she truly is.
You Are Not the Only One
If you’ve ever felt like burnout was just the price of ambition… that stress was the tax you pay for being successful… or that taking a break meant you were falling behind—you need to hear this episode.
Because the truth is:
Burnout isn’t a failure—it’s feedback.
Pausing isn’t giving up—it’s getting clear.
Your next chapter doesn’t require you to be more—it invites you to be you.
✨ Ready to Navigate Your Own Transition?
To support you in this season, I created a free resource: Navigating Career Transitions. Inside, you’ll find thoughtful prompts, emotional checkpoints, and powerful clarity exercises to help you understand where you are—and where you’re meant to go next.
💬 “Burnout often shows up when we’re no longer aligned. This guide helps you realign—with intention, not pressure.” — Dr. Caroline Sangal
It’s more than a workbook. It’s a safe space to reconnect with your purpose, energy, and voice—especially when the outside world still expects you to keep going.
🎧 Listen to the full episode now: Burned Out and Breaking Inside: Renée’s Story of Hidden Stress Behind a Successful Career — only on Your Next Success with yours truly, Dr. Caroline Sangal.
With heart,
Caroline
