FRIED. The Burnout Podcast

The right support changes everything. Our Director of Coaching, Sarah Vosen, combines expertise and compassion to walk beside you: https://caitdonovan.com/coaching Burnout takes a different shape when the life you worked hard to build no longer feels like it belongs to you and you’re pushed to rebuild meaning from the inside out. Cait welcomes back author and coach Hailey Paige Magee, whose work has supported thousands of recovering people-pleasers and high achievers as they redefine their relationship with success. Their conversation focuses on the moment burnout stops looking like exhaustion and starts revealing a deeper misalignment. Hailey speaks candidly about the quiet collapse that happens when your identity no longer fits the life around you and the grief that rises when you can no longer pretend everything is fine. The heart of the episode centers on reconnection. How do you return to community after a long stretch of self-protection? How do you stay rooted in yourself without slipping into performance or old habits? And what becomes possible when belonging has nothing to do with achievement? Cait and Hailey explore these questions and offer a grounded reminder that meaning grows through honest relationships, not algorithms or accolades. Episode Breakdown: 00:00 Burnout, Misalignment, and Identity Collapse 06:02 Social Media, Success, and Loss of Purpose 12:02 Grief as a Turning Point in Burnout Recovery 14:56 Rebuilding Connection and Community 37:08 Evolving Identity and Rediscovering Meaning 42:06 From Me to We in the Next Phase of Recovery Links If you’re ready to take the next step toward healing, you can explore 1:1 coaching with Sarah Vosen at bit.ly/unfriedcoach Download the Web of Causation Exercise to uncover the layers behind your burnout and begin creating your recovery plan: https://www.caitdonovan.com/freebie-web Connect with Hailey Paige Magee: Visit Hailey’s Website Read more about Hailey’s story Get Hailey’s free guide! Listen to Hailey’s last episode on FRIED Follow Hailey on Instagram Connect with Hailey on LinkedIn Connect with Cait: Initial Call with Cait Initial Call with Sarah The right support changes everything. Our Director of Coaching, Sarah Vosen, combines expertise and compassion to walk beside you: https://caitdonovan.com/coaching Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Your energy and well-being are worth investing in. Explore what recovery could look like for you: https://caitdonovan.com/coaching Many people mistake burnout for personal failure, but the real issue is the quiet mismatch between the energy you actually have and the expectations you keep pushing yourself to meet. Sarah Vosen gets to the core of why so many burned-out high achievers feel defeated: the math of your life stopped working long before you noticed it. When your energy drops but your expectations stay at their old setting, even simple days feel impossible. The conversation challenges listeners to ask what they believe they “should” be able to do and where those beliefs came from in the first place. How often are you measuring yourself against a past version of you? And what changes once you base your plans on your real capacity instead of the fantasy of unlimited output? This episode is an invitation to rebuild self-trust by telling the truth about what you can actually give right now. Recovery begins when you stop assuming your worth hinges on productivity and start giving yourself permission to operate from reality. Sarah offers encouragement, clarity, and accessible next steps for anyone ready to release the shame of falling short and move toward days that feel doable again. Episode Breakdown: 00:00 Understanding Burnout and Its Real Impact on High Achievers 02:55 How to Adjust Expectations for Better Burnout Recovery 05:45 Realistic Ways to Assess Your Energy, Time, and Capacity 09:13 Why Consistent Self-Care Supports Burnout Healing 11:54 How to Find the Right Support for Burnout Recovery Links If you’re ready to take the next step toward healing, you can explore 1:1 coaching with Sarah Vosen at https://www.bit.ly/unfriedcoach Download the Web of Causation Exercise to uncover the layers behind your burnout and begin creating your recovery plan: https://www.caitdonovan.com/freebie-web Connect with Cait: Initial Call with Cait Initial Call with Sarah Your energy and well-being are worth investing in. Explore what recovery could look like for you: https://caitdonovan.com/coaching Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

You don’t have to walk this road alone. https://caitdonovan.com/coaching connects you with Sarah Vosen, our Director of Coaching, who’s helped countless people reclaim their energy. Fall can hit like a quiet emotional landslide as grief, guilt, and old heaviness rise to the surface and ask for release. Sarah Vosen talks about why this season often feels heavier than we expect and how that weight points to emotion that never fully moved through the system. She highlights the way sadness, guilt, and that familiar tightness in the chest show up when the pace naturally shifts and the body finally has room to speak. What if those uncomfortable waves are your body reaching for relief instead of signaling something you did wrong? And how would your days shift if you treated that heaviness as guidance instead of something to outrun? This episode offers a steady invitation back to release. Sarah focuses on the simple acts that help the body soften and recover its flow: tears that want to be felt, breaths that need more space, warmth when the cold settles in, hydration when everything feels dry, rest when your system begs for it, and the inner clarity that comes from paying attention to what you truly need. Fall isn’t a season for pushing harder; it’s a season for loosening your grip. Sarah gives listeners a grounded, compassionate framework for honoring that rhythm so they can move through this time with more ease and far less judgment. Episode Breakdown: 00:02 Why Fall Triggers Grief, Guilt, and Emotional Burnout 03:10 How Chinese Medicine Explains Fall Emotions 06:55 How Unprocessed Emotions Create Seasonal Burnout 10:22 Deep Breathing Techniques for Emotional Release in Fall 13:41 Embracing Natural Cycles and Letting Go Links Want personalized support? Book an initial consult with Sarah and she’ll help you: Name where your energy is leaking and what needs to stop. Explore whether a break, a shift, or a redesign is what your next move must be. Build the case to your HR or L&D department: Sarah provides a template letter you can customize (yes, she’s got a downloadable version on the website) and present so that you might get partial or full coverage for your coaching through organizational budgeting. Click here to book a session Connect with Cait: Initial Call with Cait Initial Call with Sarah You don’t have to walk this road alone. https://caitdonovan.com/coaching connects you with Sarah Vosen, our Director of Coaching, who’s helped countless people reclaim their energy. Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Burnout isn’t the end of your story. With Sarah Vosen’s guidance, recovery becomes not just possible—but sustainable. Learn more: https://caitdonovan.com/coaching Burnout doesn’t end with a mindset shift—it begins when you finally allow grief, emptiness, and small sparks of joy to coexist without needing to fix any of them. Author and speaker Cyndie Spiegel joins Cait to talk about what it means to live inside the gray area, the space where both pain and beauty can exist at once. She shares how walking away from a high-profile fashion career led her to teaching, writing, and discovering the idea of microjoys: brief, accessible moments of light that don’t erase hardship but remind us life still holds goodness. Together, they unpack how black-and-white thinking fuels burnout, why forced gratitude doesn’t work, and how simple awareness can shift everything. What if healing starts with noticing what else is true? What might open up when you stop chasing “better” and start paying attention to what’s already here? Episode Breakdown: 00:00 Introduction 02:00 Cyndie Spiegel’s Burnout Story in the Fashion Industry 08:35 Finding Purpose Through Yoga and Teaching 10:37 Writing A Year of Positive Thinking 16:08 The Birth of Microjoys 18:40 Finding Hope When Life Isn’t Okay 24:30 Living in the Gray: Holding Multiple Truths 32:54 Practicing Microjoys in Daily Life 39:21 Where to Find Cyndie Spiegel and Final Reflections Connect with Cyndie Spiegel: Cyndie’s Website Follow Cyndie on Instagram Connect with Cyndie on LinkedIn Sign up to Cyndie’s Email List Connect with Cait: Initial Call with Cait Initial Call with Sarah Burnout isn’t the end of your story. With Sarah Vosen’s guidance, recovery becomes not just possible—but sustainable. Learn more: https://caitdonovan.com/coaching Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Healing happens faster with guidance. Give yourself permission to ask for and receive help: https://caitdonovan.com/coaching Most people think they’ve failed at change when they’ve actually just hit the part where being human takes over. Cait Donovan is taking a closer look at why behavior change is so hard to maintain and why relapse isn’t a sign of weakness but proof that your brain is doing exactly what it’s designed to do. She explains how old habits never fully disappear, they just sit quietly, waiting for a moment of stress or fatigue to reappear. Change takes effort, repetition, and compassion for the part of you that’s still learning. Cait shares how progress depends on context and patience. A new habit might feel strong at home but crumble at work, and that’s normal. The real work isn’t about erasing the old pattern but building trust in your ability to return to the new one again and again. This episode is a reminder that being human is not the problem, it’s the process. Episode Breakdown: 00:00 Understanding Why Behavior Change Feels Impossible 01:39 How the Brain Builds and Keeps Old Habits 04:10 Why New Behaviors Don’t Stick in Every Environment 06:20 Relapse as a Normal Part of Behavior Change 09:01 Final Takeaways: Being Human Is the Process Connect with Cait: Initial Call with Cait Initial Call with Sarah Healing happens faster with guidance. Give yourself permission to ask for and receive help: https://caitdonovan.com/coaching Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

You don’t have to carry burnout alone. The right support can help you breathe again—start here: https://caitdonovan.com/coaching Burnout doesn’t always look like collapse; sometimes it hides in the moments when you’re still performing, but your spark keeps flickering out, and that’s where this honest coaching session begins. In this episode, Sarah Vosen sits down with Jennie, an attorney and mom unsure whether what she’s feeling qualifies as burnout. Together they unpack the World Health Organization’s markers of burnout—exhaustion, cynicism, and reduced efficacy—and what those look like in real life. Is it possible to feel functional yet fried? How do you know when your capacity is shrinking faster than you realize? As Sarah guides Jennie through a clearer understanding of her patterns, practical steps begin to emerge: protecting space on the calendar, creating buffers between meetings, and rebuilding small habits that restore energy. The conversation also touches on the role of perimenopause in stress and recovery, giving Jennie a compassionate framework for why her old pace no longer fits. The episode leaves listeners with a grounded reminder: burnout recovery isn’t about doing more, it’s about doing differently, one small boundary at a time. Episode Breakdown: 00:00 What Burnout Really Looks Like 04:10 Understanding the WHO Definition of Burnout 10:06 Small Doable Steps for Burnout Recovery 14:51 Setting Boundaries and Time Blocks That Stick 22:32 Learning to Control What You Can Control 25:14 Dropping Self-Judgment and Reclaiming Energy 34:54 The Connection Between Burnout and Perimenopause 39:36 Building a New Operating System for Sustainable Work 45:07 Grace, Compassion, and Real Recovery Links If you’re ready to take the next step toward healing, you can explore 1:1 coaching with Sarah Vosen at bit.ly/unfriedcoach Download the Web of Causation Exercise to uncover the layers behind your burnout and begin creating your recovery plan: https://www.caitdonovan.com/freebie-web Connect with Cait: Initial Call with Cait Initial Call with Sarah You don’t have to carry burnout alone. The right support can help you breathe again—start here: https://caitdonovan.com/coaching Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

You deserve to feel whole again. Sarah Vosen’s coaching can help you get there—start here: https://caitdonovan.com/coaching Admitting you’re burnt out can feel like failure, but as Heather learns in this live coaching session, it’s actually the first brave step toward freedom. In this coaching conversation, she opens up about the shame of slowing down and the fear that rest will undo everything she’s worked for. For years, she’s equated effort with worth, believing that if she just pushed a little harder, she’d finally feel secure. Now, even basic motivation feels impossible, and the idea of taking a real break feels terrifying. Through grounded, compassionate coaching, Sarah Vosen helps Heather untangle the shame that keeps her stuck and recognize that burnout isn’t a reflection of weakness, it’s what happens when capacity runs out but expectations don’t. The turning point comes when Heather admits she needs more time than she’s willing to allow herself. That moment of honesty marks the real beginning of recovery. This episode is a reminder that stepping back isn’t quitting; it’s choosing to rebuild your life at a pace that actually sustains you. Episode Breakdown: 00:00 Welcome to Fried: The Burnout Podcast 00:53 Live Coaching with Heather: Admitting Burnout 04:50 The Shame and Fear Behind Taking a Break 09:11 Capacity vs. Capability: The Core Burnout Distinction 15:17 When Burnout Becomes an Existential Crisis 20:24 Restoring Your Inner Ecosystem 22:24 Learning to Stop and Rest Without Guilt 25:07 Fear as a Symptom of Burnout 31:09 How Unconscious Coping Leads to Burnout 36:35 Taking the First Step Toward Recovery 41:01 Reframing Burnout as an Opportunity for Renewal 44:05 Reflections and Encouragement Links Sign up for our email newsletter and office hours invites Join our Facebook group Connect with Cait: Initial Call with Cait Initial Call with Sarah You deserve to feel whole again. Sarah Vosen’s coaching can help you get there—start here: https://caitdonovan.com/coaching Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Burnout recovery isn’t about doing more—it’s about finding the right help. Begin here: https://caitdonovan.com/coaching Burnout convinces you that rest should be enough, and when it isn’t, you assume you’re broken. In this #straightfromcait episode, Cait shares how a shoulder injury revealed a missing step in her own recovery process. Two months of full rest left her pain-free but not ready. When her physical therapist handed her one-pound weights and she could barely lift them, she realized the injury had healed, but her strength hadn’t returned. That moment reframed everything. Most of us focus on the pause — the sleeping, the pulling back, the stopping. But recovery isn’t just the absence of strain. At some point, rest has to turn into rebuild. Gently. Slowly. Without ego. This isn’t about going back to who you were before burnout, it’s about training for who you’re becoming. If you’ve been wondering why life still feels heavier than it should, maybe nothing’s wrong with you at all. Maybe you’re not fragile, just not rebuilt yet. Episode Breakdown: 00:00 What Burnout Recovery Gets Wrong About Rest 01:19 The Shoulder Injury That Sparked a Realization 02:22 Physical Therapy and the Wake-Up Call of Weakness 03:06 Rest vs. Rebuild in Burnout Recovery 07:12 Nutrition, Movement, and Mental Habits That Restore Capacity 09:09 Recovery as a Foundation, Not the Finish Line Connect with Cait: Initial Call with Cait Initial Call with Sarah Burnout recovery isn’t about doing more—it’s about finding the right help. Begin here. Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Sometimes the next step is simply asking for help. Sarah Vosen is here to guide you through it: https://caitdonovan.com/coaching Burnout hides best inside people who love their work so much they don’t notice it draining the life out of them. PGA coach and RGX founder Will Robins joins Cait to unpack how devotion to service can turn into slow-motion burnout, especially when you’re praised for being endlessly available. He shares how surviving the 2004 tsunami gave him purpose, but years later COVID thrust him into a different kind of survival mode, fielding nonstop crisis calls from golf pros worldwide. Passion became obligation, generosity became emotional labor, and saying yes became his default until resentment started to seep in. Together, he and Cait expose how burnout isn’t about workload—it’s about tension, expectations, and the belief that being needed equals being valuable. They map a way back through honest boundaries, aligned priorities, and Will’s Scoring Method as a metaphor for life: stop swinging for perfection and focus on consistent, pressure-free plays. You'll hear practical language for saying no without guilt, a reframing of stress as a physical reaction rather than a personal failing, and a challenge to stop optimizing your recovery like another achievement project. If you're the “reliable one” who keeps muscling through, this episode invites you to build a life where people need you less, and love you more because of it. Episode Breakdown: 00:00 Burnout and Purpose After Surviving the Tsunami 02:45 COVID Burnout and the Cost of Constant Service 08:04 Why High Performers Miss Burnout Signs 11:47 Burnout Culture in the Golf Industry and Beyond 17:31 Rebuilding Life with Faith, Health, and Family 21:02 Setting Boundaries Without Guilt 32:02 The Scoring Method for Life and Burnout 36:00 Mastering Emotional Regulation Connect with Will Robins: Will’s Website Follow Will on Instagram Connect with Will on LinkedIn Connect with Cait: Initial Call with Cait Initial Call with Sarah Sometimes the next step is simply asking for help. Sarah Vosen is here to guide you through it: https://caitdonovan.com/coaching Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Sometimes the bravest step is reaching out. Support is waiting for you here: https://caitdonovan.com/coaching Control shows up early in Christy’s story — first as protection, then as identity, and eventually as exhaustion. She has spent years anticipating other people’s needs, convinced that staying ahead of every outcome would keep things safe. Instead, it left her overextended and unsure how to take up space without earning it through service. In this real-time coaching session, Sarah helps Christy notice the cost of constantly shaping herself around other people’s comfort. She isn’t confused about what’s wrong, she’s simply never been given permission to stop carrying so much. The turning point comes when she names one commitment she quietly resents: a year-long carpool obligation she agreed to out of pressure rather than choice. Renegotiating that responsibility becomes the first act of repair. It’s not about convenience. It’s about finally allowing reciprocity. This episode offers an honest look at the earliest stage of burnout recovery, the moment you decide that exhaustion is no longer proof of goodness. One boundary. One ask. One hour of energy reclaimed. Episode Breakdown: 00:00 Live Burnout Coaching with Sarah Vosen 01:15 Christy Realizes She’s Burned Out for the First Time 04:30 Control and Codependency as Burnout Fuel 09:00 Parenting Crisis and Emotional Breaking Point 16:00 The Tree of Life Exercise for Energy Awareness 23:45 Naming Resentment and the Carpool Boundary 29:00 Learning to Delegate Without Guilt 37:30 Choosing Discomfort That Leads to Recovery 40:00 Final Reflection: What Will You Prune from Your Life? Links Connect with Cait: Initial Call with Cait Initial Call with Sarah Sometimes the bravest step is reaching out. Support is waiting for you here: https://caitdonovan.com/coaching Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

The right support changes everything. Our Director of Coaching, Sarah Vosen, combines expertise and compassion to walk beside you: https://caitdonovan.com/coaching Burnout recovery gets complicated as Sarah sits down with Janine, an anonymous guest who is more than halfway through medical leave but still unable to rest. She loves her team and takes pride in her work, yet the thought of returning to the same boss and culture fills her with dread. Even time away hasn’t quieted the anxious loop of questions: Should she go back? Ask for a different role? Step into something lighter? Or leave altogether? And how do you listen to the body’s warning signals when the brain insists you “should” push through? Through thoughtful coaching, Sarah helps Janine notice how her nervous system responds to each option and what those reactions reveal about her deeper truth. The turning point comes when Janine recognizes she isn’t looking for more information, she’s been waiting for permission to trust herself. One small next step, like reading a book without interruption, becomes more than rest. It’s an act of self-leadership. This conversation pulls back the curtain on the messy middle of burnout recovery. There’s no perfect plan or quick fix - just the slow work of honoring signals, taking honest steps, and remembering that rest isn’t earned, it’s allowed. Episode Breakdown: 00:00 Real-Time Burnout Coaching with Sarah Vosen 02:11 Janine’s Burnout Story and Medical Leave Struggles 04:40 Recognizing a Toxic Work Environment 07:27 Should I Return to Work or Walk Away? 08:15 Financial Concerns and Early Retirement 12:10 Anxiety About Returning to the Same Boss 20:04 High Achievers and the Pressure to Recover Quickly 24:52 The Trap of Maximizing Leave Time 31:11 Brain vs. Body: Who Do You Trust? 35:03 Learning to Trust Intuition and Body Signals 40:08 Creating Safety Through Small Choices 45:15 Choosing Restorative Activities Over Productivity Connect with Cait: Initial Call with Cait Initial Call with Sarah The right support changes everything. Our Director of Coaching, Sarah Vosen, combines expertise and compassion to walk beside you: https://caitdonovan.com/coaching Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Your energy and well-being are worth investing in. Explore what recovery could look like for you: https://caitdonovan.com/coaching Grammy Award–winning producer Barry Goldstein joins Cait Donovan to explore burnout and the healing power of music. Barry shares how chasing success in New York’s music scene drained the joy from his craft - until he began composing at the rhythm of a relaxed heart. That experiment sparked “acoustoceuticals,” music designed to calm the nervous system, restore heart-brain coherence, and reignite passion. Together, Cait and Barry unpack why some music heals while other music agitates, how to use sound as “musical nutrition” throughout your day, and why your heartbeat may be the most powerful frequency of all. Burnout isn’t the end… it’s a chance to fan the flame back to life! Episode Breakdown: 00:00 Introduction and Guest Barry Goldstein 03:26 Burnout in the Music Industry: Barry’s Story 08:04 Rediscovering Passion Through Heart-Centered Music 09:25 Healing at 60 Beats Per Minute 20:25 Entrainment: How Music Syncs With the Heart and Body 30:46 Resonance vs. Dissonance in Burnout Recovery 42:09 The Healing Power of Mantras and Daily Music Practices Connect with Barry Goldstein: Barry’s Website Follow Barry on Instagram Connect with Barry on LinkedIn Connect with Cait: Initial Call with Cait Initial Call with Sarah Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

You don’t have to walk this road alone. https://caitdonovan.com/coaching connects you with Sarah Vosen, our Director of Coaching, who’s helped countless people reclaim their energy. What does burnout look like before it takes you all the way down? For Emily Slachetka, it showed up as constant overwhelm, unexpected tears, and the thought of leaving a job she once valued. She joined UnFried hoping for validation that her workplace was toxic. Instead, she discovered her real challenge was over-functioning. Emily shares how she learned to separate capability from capacity, the unexpected relief of “life pruning,” and the daily practices that helped her rebuild balance - like meditation, clearer boundaries, and asking for help. She also reflects on realigning her life with core values, from choosing a home with green space to recognizing the value of rest and doing nothing. How do you know when you’re taking on too much? What shifts when you ask for help early? And how might work feel different if more of us normalized being human? Emily’s story is a reminder that recovery doesn’t always mean dramatic change. It can begin with small, intentional choices. Episode Breakdown: 00:00 Introduction: Emily Slachetka 02:07 Emily’s Burnout Story and Joining UnFried 05:59 Toxic Workplace or Personal Overfunctioning? 08:48 Capability vs. Capacity Explained 10:05 Life Pruning and Asking for Help 15:19 Listening to the Body’s Signals 22:13 The Value of Doing Nothing 23:14 Moving States with Burnout Protection in Mind 36:24 Reigniting Passion, Purpose, and Identity Beyond Work Connect with Cait: Initial Call with Cait Initial Call with Sarah You don’t have to walk this road alone. https://caitdonovan.com/coaching connects you with Sarah Vosen, our Director of Coaching, who’s helped countless people reclaim their energy. Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Burnout isn’t the end of your story. With Sarah Vosen’s guidance, recovery becomes not just possible—but sustainable. Learn more: https://caitdonovan.com/coaching Toxic bosses don’t only wear people down, they spark the very burnout cycles that drain whole teams. Cait Donovan talks with author and changemaker Mita Mallick about the damage bad leadership leaves behind and the toll it takes on both people and organizations. Mita shares personal stories, including her experience with a boss she nicknamed “Medusa,” whose intimidation and cruelty pushed her into anxiety and disengagement. That season of her career led to what she calls a “get out plan,” a way to take the energy of frustration and turn it into action through networking, reflection, and mapping a path forward. How do you know when it’s time to make your own plan, and what would change if you gave yourself permission to act before you hit the breaking point? The conversation also turns to the harder truth that under pressure any of us can slip into toxic behaviors. Mita and Cait explore why leadership requires self-awareness, accountability, and vulnerability rather than surface-level fixes or quick answers. Drawing from her new book “The Devil Emails at Midnight,” Mita challenges us to rethink how we respond to unhealthy work cultures and to consider the responsibility we each carry in shaping them. What kind of workplace are you helping to build, and how might things shift if you took ownership of the way you show up every day? Episode Breakdown: 00:00 Introduction to Fried, the Burnout Podcast 00:57 Meet Mita Mallick: Author of The Devil Emails at Midnight 02:26 Burnout Story: Surviving “Medusa” the Toxic Boss 09:09 Creating a “Get Out” Plan to Escape Burnout 17:13 Urgency Culture and Toxic Leadership Patterns 27:01 Workplace Bias, Pregnancy Penalties, and Burnout 31:37 Talent Hoarding and Betrayal at Work 38:19 Building Self-Awareness and Better Leadership Connect with Mita Mallick: Mita’s Website Follow Mita on Instagram Connect with Mita on LinkedIn Connect with Cait: Initial Call with Cait Initial Call with Sarah Burnout isn’t the end of your story. With Sarah Vosen’s guidance, recovery becomes not just possible—but sustainable. Learn more: https://caitdonovan.com/coaching Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Healing happens faster with guidance. Give yourself permission to ask for and receive help: https://caitdonovan.com/coaching. Burnout shows up in many ways, but at its core it often signals a life out of alignment. Cait Donovan sits down with executive coach and author Jerry Colonna to explore what happens when outward success hides an inner collapse. Jerry opens up about the years he spent chasing achievement as a venture capitalist and how every new milestone left him feeling worse instead of fulfilled. What does it mean when the world applauds your accomplishments but your soul feels heavier with each step forward? And how do we begin to untangle the beliefs that keep us performing long after they’ve stopped serving us? Jerry shares how radical self-inquiry became a way back to himself. Rather than a process of blame, it is a practice of curiosity, asking questions that cut through guilt and open space for conscious choice. He and Cait reflect on how early coping strategies like perfectionism may once have offered safety, yet can slowly erode well-being over time. They also look at the role of privilege and access in recovery, naming the tension between personal agency and systemic limits. Jerry’s story of “Grandfather Boulder” is a reminder that listening itself can be an act of healing. Could paying attention to our own pain, to each other, to the systems around us, the beginning of change? This episode invites you to consider what alignment looks like in your own life and how the ongoing work of inquiry can open the door to both resilience and growth. Episode Breakdown: 00:00 Welcoming Jerry Colonna 02:39 Jerry’s Burnout Story and Misalignment 08:03 Financial Success and the Burnout Trap 16:17 Radical Self-Inquiry as a Path to Healing 24:00 Choosing Life in the Depth of Burnout 30:06 Rewiring Beliefs and Making Conscious Choices 40:30 Personal Growth as an Act of Resistance 46:23 Grandfather Boulder and the Power of Listening Links Reboot: Authentic CEO Coaching and Leadership Development Connect with Jerry Colonna: Connect with Jerry on LinkedIn Follow Jerry on Instagram Connect with Cait: Initial Call with Cait Initial Call with Sarah Healing happens faster with guidance. Give yourself permission to ask for and receive help: https://caitdonovan.com/coaching. Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

You don’t have to carry burnout alone. The right support can help you breathe again—start here: https://caitdonovan.com/coaching Burnout recovery gets real as Sarah Vosen sits down with an anonymous guest who feels trapped by perfectionism, people-pleasing, and the voice of an inner critic that makes self-compassion feel out of reach. In this episode, she’s trying something different for the podcast: a real-time coaching session. Her guest “Kate” describes how burnout began with constant illness and eventually knocked her flat, leaving her exhausted and uncertain about how to move forward. Years later, Kate still feels caught in a loop of trial and error, trying new practices, hoping for change, and losing faith when nothing seems to last. How do you find the courage to say no before your body forces you to? And how do you begin to quiet the inner critic that insists you’ll never get better? Through thoughtful coaching, Sarah helps Kate see the fear of saying no for what it is: a strategy that once kept her safe but now keeps her stuck. She offers a new way to look at recovery, like a scale that can slowly tip away from self-judgment and toward self-compassion with each small act of courage. Along the way, Kate begins to see how even the tiniest pieces of evidence, moments of asking for help, choosing rest, or protecting her needs, can start to shift the balance. This conversation opens a window into the real work of burnout recovery. It’s messy and slow, but it’s also a practice of rediscovering your voice, setting boundaries that protect your energy, and remembering that even a flicker of hope is proof that change is possible. Episode Breakdown: 00:00 Real-Time Coaching on Burnout Recovery 02:26 Kate’s Burnout Journey and First Signs of Collapse 05:09 Career Uncertainty and Feeling Stuck 10:52 Battling the Inner Critic and Self-Judgment 12:38 Fear of Saying No and People-Pleasing Patterns 14:13 Rediscovering Passion for Storytelling and Audio 20:08 Hyper-Independence and the Struggle to Ask for Help 24:02 The Core Loop: Avoiding “No” to Feel Safe but Staying Stuck 33:00 The Burnout Recovery Process and the Unfried Program 43:03 Practicing Self-Compassion During Setbacks 49:41 Building Evidence for Growth and Recovery Links Hailey Page Magee episode Kristin Neff episode Your Burnt Out Brain Is Mean, And A Liar episode Connect with Cait: Initial Call with Cait Initial Call with Sarah You don’t have to carry burnout alone. The right support can help you breathe again—start here: https://caitdonovan.com/coaching. Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Burnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [ http://bit.ly/unfried ] Burnout reaches far beyond the office, touching every layer of health, purpose, and identity, and Dr. Jen Wagner joins Cait Donovan to uncover what true recovery really looks like. As Chief Health and Performance Officer at Canyon Ranch, Dr. Wagner brings both professional expertise and lived experience, sharing how her own burnout as a young physician and mother reshaped her path and deepened her commitment to helping others heal. Together, she and Cait explore why burnout isn’t just mental exhaustion but a full-body, whole-life disruption that can strip away joy, relationships, and meaning. This episode shines a light on Canyon Ranch’s integrative model of care, where labs, glucose and cortisol monitoring, nutrition, mental health, and spiritual practices come together to give people the tools and support they need to rebuild. Recovery, they emphasize, is not an overnight solution but a 12 to 18 month journey of self-awareness, community, and purpose realignment. Along the way, they tackle the systemic pressures that push women leaders to the brink and the cultural belief that suffering through misery is a badge of honor. What emerges is a powerful reminder that joy and well-being are not luxuries but essentials, and that choosing recovery is one of the most important investments we can make in ourselves and the people we love. Episode Breakdown: 00:00 Meet Dr. Jen Wagner and the Burnout Retreat 03:28 How Burnout Reshapes Body, Identity, and Purpose 04:35 Recovery vs. Prevention of Burnout 06:56 Medical Testing and Biomarkers That Matter 10:18 Integrative Care and Community at Canyon Ranch 13:53 Dr. Jen Wagner’s Personal Burnout Story 22:09 Inside the Burnout Retreat Experience 29:12 Long-Term Recovery and Ongoing Support Connect with Dr. Jen Wagner: Canyon Ranch Canyon Ranch: Beat Burnout Follow Canyon Ranch on Instagram LinkedIn Connect with Cait: Initial Call with Cait Initial Call with Sarah Burnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [ http://bit.ly/unfried ] Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Burnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [ http://bit.ly/unfried ] Burnout recovery takes more than waiting for time to pass. It asks you to examine who you’ve been, who you want to be, and what kind of life will truly sustain you. In this #straightfromcait episode, Cait Donovan explores one of the questions she hears most often: how long does it take to heal from burnout? Drawing on her own experience, client stories, and survey results from her community, Cait shares why most people need 12 to 18 months to recover, with some taking longer when deeper shifts are involved. The process can be stretched by the challenge of letting go of a “dream job,” the demands of caregiving, or the fear of stepping into unfamiliar territory. Recovery unfolds in cycles where you make a change, work through the emotions that follow, and then move into the next phase. How do you handle the moments when your old identity no longer works? How do you adapt when your relationships change in ways you didn’t expect? This episode reveals why burnout pushes you toward a life that actually fuels you and why the journey, though demanding, is worth the effort. Episode Breakdown: 00:00 How Long Does Burnout Recovery Take 01:19 Typical Recovery Timelines and Survey Insights 02:32 Key Factors That Prolong Recovery 04:08 Caregiving Challenges and Boundary Setting 06:05 Emotional and Identity Shifts in Recovery 08:14 Why Burnout Requires a Life That Fuels You Connect with Cait: Initial Call with Cait: bit.ly/callcait Initial Call with Sarah: bit.ly/callsarahv Burnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [ http://bit.ly/unfried ] Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Burnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [ http://bit.ly/unfried ] Burnout can make every decision feel impossible. When you’re stuck in fear and second-guessing everything, how are you supposed to move forward in a way that actually feels right? In this episode, Cait Donovan shares a tool she’s used for years to help people get unstuck: the “Worst Case Scenario” exercise. Instead of pushing fear aside, Cait walks you through what it looks like to write it down, face it head-on, and figure out what you’d do if the worst really did happen. What if the job burns you out all over again? What if you don’t take it and money runs out? What then? This episode offers a different way to navigate those moments, one that makes space for fear without letting it take over. Cait also reminds us that support doesn’t have to come from big, obvious places. Sometimes it’s your local librarian. Sometimes it’s a Facebook group. There are more options than you think. If you’ve been feeling stuck and unsure what to do next, this is a place to start. Episode Breakdown: 00:00 Introduction to FRIED. The Burnout Podcast 00:00 Burnout Recovery and Cait’s Mission 01:28 The Worst Case Scenario Exercise Explained 03:35 Burnout Fear Example: Job Decision After Leave 05:01 What to Do If the Worst Happens 08:11 How to Build a Personal Safety Net 10:10 Exploring Alternate Outcomes 12:04 Final Thoughts and Encouragement Links Connect with Cait: Initial Call with Cait: bit.ly/callcait Initial Call with Sarah: bit.ly/callsarahv Burnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [ http://bit.ly/unfried ] Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Burnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [ http://bit.ly/unfried ] Burnout thrives in silence. This episode is your reminder that healing often starts with one simple but radical act: asking for help. Sarah Vosen, Director of Coaching at Burn Bold, shares a personal #sarahshares about finding herself stuck in exhaustion despite doing everything she thought she needed to recover. As a coach and acupuncturist, she’s used to helping others untangle their burnout, but this time, she needed someone else to help her remember what works. That turning point led her back to a grounding Qigong-inspired practice called “pulling down heavens,” which uses breath, movement, and intention to bring energy back into flow. Sarah’s story is a powerful reflection on how easy it is to slip into hyper-independence and how much shifts when we let ourselves receive support. If you’ve been tired for too long, this episode is a gentle nudge toward replenishment. Episode Breakdown: 00:00 Why Burnout Recovery Starts with Asking for Help 01:24 The Trap of Hyper-Independence and Self-Judgment 02:06 Why Even Coaches Need Coaches 03:54 How Refusing Help Fuels Burnout 04:39 Qigong and Daily Practices That Actually Work 06:14 Pulling Down Heavens: A Burnout Recovery Ritual 10:14 How to Make the Practice Stick 11:39 When It’s Time to Ask for Support Links Guided meditation: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0WGHqwQAVbZEY1qLC9XyZL?si=bf0217195beb4b2f Links to book 1:1 calls: bit.ly/callsarahv bit.ly/callcait Burnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [ http://bit.ly/unfried ] Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Burnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [ http://bit.ly/unfried ] Cait Donovan is back with a #straightfromcait episode that gets real about something most of us wrestle with quietly, how we soothe ourselves when things get hard, and what that looks like after burnout. This time, Cait’s digging into her long-standing sugar habit. Not the occasional treat, but the reflex to reach for something sweet when emotions start to build. She thought she’d done the work. And in many ways, she had. But what happens when one old pattern refuses to budge? What if the thing you’re avoiding isn’t the habit itself but the discomfort underneath it? With support from dietitian Sydney Green, Cait starts looking at her sugar story with a new kind of honesty, one that doesn’t involve shame or harsh rules. Instead of overhauling everything, she chooses one small shift: no more sugar in her coffee. That simple move starts a ripple effect, including tracking her blood sugar with a CGM and learning what her body’s been trying to say all along. This episode is an invitation to ask yourself the hard questions with compassion. What have you been unwilling to change? What would it feel like to start small and let that be enough? Episode Breakdown: 00:00 Sugar, Self-Neglect, and Burnout Recovery 02:16 How We Trick Ourselves Into Thinking We’ve Done the Work 03:10 Unpacking Lifelong Food Patterns with Sydney Green 04:26 Why Starting Small Actually Works 06:13 Using a CGM to Understand Sugar’s Impact 07:26 Real Healing Begins with Small, Honest Steps Links Connect with Cait: Initial Call with Cait: bit.ly/callcait Initial Call with Sarah: bit.ly/callsarahv Burnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [ http://bit.ly/unfried ] Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Burnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [ http://bit.ly/unfried ] If your brain screams ‘lazy’ every time you try to rest, it’s time to stop trusting a bully and start listening to the one part of you that never lies: your body. So many people in burnout recovery hear the same harsh inner dialogue. “You’re lazy.” “You should be doing more.” “You’ll never be enough.” But what if those thoughts aren’t reflections of reality, just echoes of a brain running on exhaustion and fear? Sarah Vosen is back for another #sarahshares episode to unpack a powerful community poll that revealed just how mean our minds can be when we try to rest. She walks through what it means to recognize those messages as lies and gives guidance for tuning into your body’s truth instead. Because when the body says “I’m too tired,” it isn't a weakness. It’s wisdom. This episode invites you to try a different approach - one rooted in self-compassion, small moments of rest, and the radical idea that your worth isn’t tied to your productivity. Episode Breakdown: 00:00 What Your Brain Says When You Try to Rest 03:02 The Lying Brain vs. the Truthful Body 07:09 How to Rest Even When Guilt Creeps In 08:13 Why Self-Compassion Is Key to Burnout Recovery 10:00 Sarah’s Personal Turning Point with Self-Kindness 13:03 Can Wearable Data Help You Trust Your Body Again? Links Listening to your body: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7f3rMZ42rwnWW3c8kuAKk5?si=YSkz0JS0RTyOwWu6LN4XOA Kristin Neff: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5vHiMpzVHcOYRdvDXwbyE1?si=AmhF8nCERjm5zLBY2rKsFw How to resolve exhaustion: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0W65Yv1l2aOI7F5ZyebfXs?si=Eyt5XV8uS8ODyv7DxoJfeg Connect with Cait: Initial Call with Cait: bit.ly/callcait Initial Call with Sarah: bit.ly/callsarahv Burnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [ http://bit.ly/unfried ] Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Burnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [ http://bit.ly/unfried ] Imposter syndrome has a way of creeping in when we’ve spent so long meeting everyone else’s expectations that we forget what we actually want for ourselves. In this episode, Cait Donovan reconnects with Nicole Kalil for a conversation about burnout, confidence, and the stories we tell ourselves when we’re doing all the right things but still don’t feel like we belong. Nicole shares what happened when she finally cleared space in her life and was left with a surprising sense of emptiness, a feeling that’s all too common but rarely talked about. What do you do when achievement no longer feels satisfying? How do you navigate that awkward in-between where you’re no longer burned out, but not quite sure who you are without the hustle? Together, Cait and Nicole explore the deeper patterns behind imposter syndrome, including the habit of blaming yourself when things go wrong and dismissing your role when things go right. They talk about how women especially are conditioned to internalize failure, and how that mindset can make even well-deserved success feel like a fluke. They also raise an important question: when you say you don’t belong, is it because of the culture around you or because you haven’t figured out what belonging actually feels like for you? This isn’t a step-by-step guide. This episode’s an invitation to pause, question what you’ve been carrying, and consider what it might look like to build confidence from a place of self-trust rather than constant achievement. Episode Breakdown: 00:00 Welcome to FRIED: The Burnout Podcast 02:16 The Link Between Burnout and Feeling Underwhelmed 07:22 What Imposter Syndrome Really Means 12:28 Why High Achievers Struggle to Own Their Success 17:06 Recognizing Red, Yellow, and Green Light Phases 21:05 How to Manage Head Trash and Build Confidence 24:23 Gender, Expectations, and the Pressure to Perform 30:02 Is It a Toxic Workplace or Just a Bad Fit? 36:56 Separating Facts from Feelings 41:26 Rewiring Your Brain with Cognitive Reappraisal 47:11 Where to Find Nicole Kalil and Her Confidence Quiz Links Connect with Nicole Kalil: https://www.instagram.com/nicolemkalil/ www.linkedin.com/in/nicolekalil https://nicolekalil.com/confidencequiz Connect with Cait: Initial Call with Cait: bit.ly/callcait Initial Call with Sarah: bit.ly/callsarahv Burnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [ http://bit.ly/unfried ] Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Burnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [ http://bit.ly/unfried ] Burnout quietly hijacks your focus, your memory, your sleep, and eventually, your sense of self. In this #straightfromcait episode, Cait Donovan unpacks the results of a burnout symptoms survey answered by over 150 listeners. What shows up again and again? Brain fog. Forgetfulness. Sleep issues. That heavy, unshakable sense of dread. She walks through the patterns in these responses with honesty and insight, weaving in what we know about how burnout affects the brain and what it feels like to lose your ability to think clearly or remember what used to bring you joy. Have you ever found yourself feeling disconnected from who you are? Struggling to rest even when you finally have time? Wondering why everything feels harder than it used to? Cait gets it. She’s been there, and she knows how isolating it can feel. This episode offers language for what you’ve been living through and a reminder that self-abandonment doesn’t have to be your default setting. Healing starts when you begin listening to yourself again. Episode Breakdown: 00:00 Introduction 01:30 How the Burnout Survey Was Conducted 02:33 Why Burnout Impacts Your Brain 07:26 The Emotional Weight of Dread 10:39 When You Can’t Think, Plan, or Remember 13:50 How Burnout Disrupts Sleep and Fuels Anxiety 16:22 Shame, Guilt, and the Struggle to Rest 18:29 Burnout and the Loss of Self 21:02 Reclaiming Compassion in the Healing Process Links Connect with Cait: Initial Call with Cait: bit.ly/callcait Initial Call with Sarah: bit.ly/callsarahv Burnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [ http://bit.ly/unfried ] Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Burnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [ http://bit.ly/unfried ] Perimenopause and burnout often hit at the same time, and when they do, it can feel like something is off but you’re not quite sure what. Cait Donovan talks with wellness expert Adrien Cotton about the confusion so many women face in midlife. Adrien shares how years of high-pressure work and unresolved health issues led her into what she calls a “perimenopause prison,” and how she eventually found her way out by learning to understand her body on a deeper level. How do you tell the difference between burnout and hormonal shifts? Why do symptoms like headaches, sleep issues, and mood swings so often get brushed aside? Adrien offers clarity without oversimplifying and reminds us why it matters to track our cycles, lift heavy things, and rethink the stories we’ve been told about our bodies. Adrien doesn’t promise a quick fix. She offers tools, context, and the encouragement to pay closer attention. She also shares how her program, Master Menopause Now, helps women approach this phase with more knowledge and less shame. If you’ve been feeling off and haven’t been able to explain why, this episode will help you start making sense of the changes and remind you that you’re not alone in them. Episode Breakdown: 00:00 Welcome to FRIED. The Burnout Podcast 02:21 Adrien Cotton’s Burnout and Perimenopause Story 05:18 Debunking Common Myths About Perimenopause 06:06 Why Tracking Your Cycle Matters 08:00 Early Signs of Hormonal Shifts 12:12 Weight Gain, Insulin Resistance, and Sleep Disruption 18:08 Symptoms of Late Perimenopause 23:18 Distinguishing Burnout from Perimenopause 24:52 How Menopause Specialists Can Help 32:22 The Power of Commitment in Health Changes 37:02 Rethinking Diet Culture and Food Relationships 42:13 Strength Training as a Tool for Resilience 48:38 Life and Relief After Menopause Links Connect with Adrien: https://adriencotton.com/ https://adriencotton.com/master-menopause-now/ Use the coupon code FRIED25 for a special discount only for FRIED listeners! https://www.instagram.com/adrienmcotton/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/adriencotton/ https://adriencotton.com/newsletter/ Connect with Cait: Initial Call with Cait: bit.ly/callcait Initial Call with Sarah: bit.ly/callsarahv Burnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [ http://bit.ly/unfried ] Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm