Balance & Beyond Podcast

Burnout doesn't have to be the price of success.

Just ask Belinda, who transformed from a corporate high-achiever working until 1am to a purpose-driven professional with true balance and joy.

This eye-opening conversation reveals what happens when an ambitious woman decides she's had enough of "high-achieving her brokenness." Despite outperforming at work and receiving bonuses, Belinda found herself burning food on the stove because she was answering "just one more email" and missing meaningful connections with her family. Her powerful story demonstrates that you can excel professionally without sacrificing everything else.

The turning point came with two simple but profound realizations: "I am enough" and "I've got nothing to prove to anyone." These mantras gave Belinda the courage to make the previously unthinkable decision to resign without another job lined up—something she'd never done outside maternity leave.

What happened next defies conventional wisdom. Belinda found a role at a not-for-profit organization using her property development skills for meaningful social impact. She now works four days a week while earning more money than in her corporate position. Most importantly, she's rediscovered joy through "micro-moments" with her children and reconnecting with passions like water skiing.

Perhaps most powerful are Belinda's reflections on limiting beliefs: the fear of judgment that kept her trapped, the "shoulds" that dictated her choices, and the myth that ambitious women must sacrifice wellbeing for success. Her advice for anyone feeling stuck resonates deeply: "When you're inside the jar, you can't read the label"—sometimes you need outside perspective to see what needs changing.

Whether you're feeling the creep of burnout or wondering if there's a different path forward, this conversation offers both practical wisdom and the inspiration to create a life where career, family, and personal wellbeing can genuinely thrive together.

Ready to write your own transformation story? Visit balanceinstitute.com to discover the toolkit that's helped thousands of women create lives of balance and beyond.

Episode Transcript

INTRO: Welcome to Balance and Beyond, the podcast for ambitious women who refuse to accept burnout as the price of success. Here, we’re committed to empowering you with the tools and strategies you need to achieve true balance, where your career, relationships and health all thrive, and where you have the power to define success on your own terms. I honour the space you’ve created for yourself today, so take a breath, and let's dive right in…

Jo (Host)

Welcome to today's episode of Balance and Beyond, where I am joined by the wonderful Belinda. Hi, Belinda, thanks for joining me today.

Belinda (Guest)

Hey, Jo, thank you for having me.

Jo (Host)

Belinda has been on an incredible journey over the last couple of years, and a really big part, I guess, of what we're often asked here on the podcast is, you know, does this stuff really work? Are people actually able to get out of burnout? And Belinda's got such a beautiful, inspiring story, and there are so many wonderful examples of all the shifts that she's made in her life, so I thought it was a great opportunity for her to come on and share.

And I know paying it forward is a really big part of who she is. So, Belinda, before we start, why don't you just tell everyone a little bit about who you are and where you live, to give them some context for our conversation?

Belinda (Guest)

Absolutely. Thanks, Jo, and thank you for having me. I'm based in Melbourne, Victoria. I am a daughter, a wife, a mother. I have three school-aged children—they're 12, 9, and 7—so a busy household, and I work in the property development space. So, you know, busy life, but lots of fun as well.

Jo (Host)

Yep. So let's just be really clear. You don't live alone on a desert island with maids and servants to take care of all your beck and call.

Belinda (Guest)

No, I certainly don't. Some days—some days and some weeks—that'd be nice, but no, certainly, certainly not. Certainly not my reality.

Jo (Host)

No, no. So I think a beautiful place to start is—talk us through where you were a couple of years ago. And I know, you know, even sharing your story is a really big part of your journey, you know, being here in a position now, coming out the other side. But where were you? You know, obviously busy life, littler children—yeah—but how were you feeling about life?

Belinda (Guest)

Yeah, look, in coming on the podcast today, it sort of gave me that pause to reflect back on where I was, you know, two and a half, three years ago. And the one word I’d use would be "broken." And it's really hard to sort of reflect back on that time.

I think, you know, a bit like women who have had children and childbirth—it can be really traumatic at the time, and then you move on and you put it in the past. So I was working for a big corporate in the property development space. I started a new role with them right as COVID hit. So my first day in the new job, I got couriered out a laptop and was working from home.

My husband works in international travel, so once international borders were closed, his business was shut down. And roll the clock back three years—we had three very, very young children.

So I was absolutely killing it in the new job at work. But where I found myself was that I was prioritizing that over everything else, and found myself at a point where, whilst I was kicking goals at work, every other aspect of my life was suffering.

And, you know, there's only so long that you can sustain that for, and I got to a point where I was just—I was just completely broken. And reflecting back now, you know, I just wasn't holding any boundaries. I didn't know what boundaries were. I didn't know how to hold them.

You know, my modus operandi—you know, if you can't get through what you need to get through, just work harder. You know, head down, butt up, and just work harder.

But that found me in a position where I was, you know, finishing up my workday at 5, wrangling kids, doing dinner, doing the dishes, and then getting back on the computer at 10 o'clock at night and working through till midnight—1 a.m. in the morning.

But more, that was a badge of honor. I was like, no, no, I've got this. And, you know, when people were like, "Oh, you were on the computer late last night," I was like, "Yeah, yeah, just had to get through it. You know, it's all good."

Jo (Host)

Until I got to a point where it wasn't, and it was just unsustainable. But, as you said, if anyone had asked you then—you know, you were crushing it at work by all your, you know...

So no one at work would have had any idea that any of this was going on. Your performance wasn't impacted. But it was more that sort of personal feeling of like, "Oh... this isn’t how it’s meant to be. Like, I want to see my children, and I want to have energy for them," as opposed to just putting everything into work.

So I think that's always a really important distinction—that we often hear people feel like, "Well, you know, my life falls apart." Well, it doesn't always have to. On the surface, it can look fine because you're a high achiever. You can get a lot done, right?

You know, you would have been juggling all the balls and all those things. So that's a, I guess, a really important distinction that I want to make sure you know—anyone listening—is that it's not like Belinda was, you know, bedridden and couldn't work. Like, she was high-achieving her brokenness, which is, you know, an interesting insight in itself, right?

Belinda (Guest)

Yeah. Yeah, 100%. You know—performance reviews of "outperform," getting paid big bonuses, earning good money, you know. But, yeah, when you're, you know, not having a proper conversation with your husband or your children because you're trying to respond to emails... and, you know, there were a few real tipping points for me.

One was, you know, burning something on the stove because I was back down in the office, the kids were out the back, something was on the stove, and I just had to, you know, respond to one more email, get one more thing done. That—you know, being able to multitask and again, seeing that as a superpower—but instead doing nothing. Doing nothing well, and just constantly distracted, you know, and running at a pace that just wasn't sustainable.

Jo (Host)

Yeah, you know, and running it at a pace that just wasn’t sustainable.  And so now, you know, you’ve said so much has changed—where are you now? How would you describe your life?

Belinda (Guest)

Honestly, Jo, I’m in a really great place. And a big part of that was doing the Balance Issues Foundations course—which, I have to say, was completely life-changing. I’ll admit, I was a total skeptic at first. Even when you sent through the first invoice, I was like, “Hmm, I need to do some background checks here, Jo—I don’t want to get scammed!” laughs But it’s definitely not a scam. It’s a brilliant course that gives you real, practical tools.

I ended up resigning from the big corporate job, which was one of the scariest things I’ve ever done. The only time I’d ever been out of work before was during maternity leave—and I always had another job lined up. But doing the course, and working alongside the women in it, gave me the courage to walk away from what I thought I wanted... and to actually reset.

Now, I’ve found a role where I get to use my property development skills in a not-for-profit setting, delivering projects with meaningful social outcomes. I didn’t even realise how much I needed that. I was so caught up in the busyness of climbing the corporate ladder, chasing the next job title, that I couldn’t see that while I was ticking boxes, I wasn’t fulfilling my need for purpose. I needed to use my skills in a way that actually contributed to something that mattered to me.

But it was a terrifying decision. I remember saying to you, Jo, “If not this, then what?” I knew I didn’t want to keep going like I was—but I had no idea what else I could do. I’d invested 20 years of my career developing these skills. How could I transfer them into something different? What else could I do?

And then there were two things that really stuck with me from one of our group coaching calls. The first: “I am enough.” And the second: “I’ve got nothing to prove to anyone.” I never saw myself as a people pleaser, but it turned out one of my biggest fears about resigning was: “What will people think?” That maybe I couldn’t cut it. That I’d failed. That people would say, “Yeah, we saw the signs—she was never really up to it.”

Letting go of that fear—and getting to a place where I genuinely felt like I had nothing to prove to anyone—was a huge shift. Now, I’ve got a role where I work full-time over four days. That gives me a day to help out in my kids’ classroom, to do the life admin, and that means on the weekends I get actual quality time with my family. I’m not constantly rushing. I’m not working evenings or crazy hours. And I’m still doing work that’s meaningful to me.

And get this—I’m actually earning more now than I was when I left the big corporate job. That totally shattered the myth I’d told myself: “You won’t get paid this well anywhere else,” or “You won’t find flexibility anywhere else.” And look, if you’ve built credibility where you are, you can absolutely do it again somewhere new. Sticking your head in the sand and just working harder? That’s not going to create a different outcome.

Jo (Host)

Right, and like you said, that took so much courage. Letting go of those limiting beliefs—especially the ones about being seen as a failure or someone who just couldn’t keep up. And now here you are: you’ve got great income, flexibility, a sense of purpose… and you’re still a top performer. That didn’t change—because you’re still you. Just with a better, more balanced life. So over the last couple of years, how has that shaped your day-to-day? What’s changed emotionally and experientially now that you’ve made this shift?

Belinda (Guest)

So much. One of the biggest things was learning how to own my emotions and reset my emotional home. That idea that our thoughts influence our beliefs, which influence our actions—it’s so true. I used to live in stress and rush, but now I actively try to cultivate calm. I’m consciously bringing joy and fun back into my life.

I don’t want my kids to grow up remembering a mum who was always busy, always rushing. I used to think, “If I don’t have a whole hour, perfect workout gear, and a gym nearby, then I can’t exercise.” And I realised I was doing the same thing with spending time with my kids. If I didn’t have half a day for the zoo or a big outing, I’d tell myself I couldn’t be present with them.

But one day, when my youngest was still in kinder, we were driving home and he asked, “Can we stop at the playground?” My automatic response was, “No, we’ve got shopping to do, laundry to fold, too much to do.” But then I caught myself—and said, “Actually, yes. We can.” We stopped for 15 minutes. And it brought so much joy. Just that simple shift.

Jo (Host)

And now it’s little things, like a hot day and the kids ask, “Can we go get a Slurpee from 7-Eleven?” And I say, “Sure. Why not?” Not always, of course. But often enough. It’s about those micro-moments. And that all came from the desire-pulling exercise we did.

We get so busy chasing what we think we should want, we never stop to ask, “What do I actually want?” What brings me joy? And then setting small goals to make space for those things—even if it’s not right now, just having a plan makes a difference.

Exactly. That desire-pulling exercise can be so eye-opening. We spend so long focused on what we should want or what other people expect, that we lose sight of what we really want. But when we tap into that, and we start saying yes to the things that truly matter—whether it’s a Slurpee or a cartwheel at the park—we finally feel real joy, instead of that hollow “this should feel better” feeling.

You’ve had some beautiful examples of that—new experiences, new hobbies, new purchases—that are truly aligned with your values, not anyone else’s expectations.

Belinda (Guest)

Yeah, absolutely. One of the biggest revelations for me was realising that I’d been ticking boxes my whole life—promotion, pay rise, nicer house. But when I did that desire-pulling exercise and got quiet with myself, what came up wasn’t prestige or status. It was connection, creativity, and freedom.

So I bought a second-hand piano—because I used to play as a kid and loved it. Now I’ll sit and play, even just for 10 minutes, and it’s meditative. I also started painting again—just for me, not to post or sell or anything. And we bought a little camper trailer! We’ve done a few weekend trips—simple, unglamorous, but so joyful. Campfires, board games in the rain... moments I would’ve rushed past before.

When your desires are truly yours, they land differently. They fill you up. It’s not like chasing something that looks good on paper but feels hollow in real life.

Jo (Host)

So true. That feeling of “I got the thing... why doesn’t it feel good?” You flipped that. You’re living in alignment now.

Belinda (Guest)

I am. And look, I still have days where I fall into old patterns or self-doubt creeps in—but now I have the tools to pull myself back. I’m more compassionate with myself. I’m more present. I used to live constantly in “what’s next.” Now, I actually live in my life. And that’s the biggest shift of all.

Jo (Host)

Yeah, which is just, I think, so beautiful and a testament to all the work you've done. You know, Belinda's finished our Foundationals, your signature program, and has then gone on to our mentorship. She's been there for a couple of years and has developed beautiful relationships and just keeps leaning in—like, just keeps saying, "All right, what's the next level? What's the next level?"
Uh, what would you say?

I know you mentioned a couple of key words before that really gave you the courage to, you know, take that big leap out of corporate. But what would you say are some of the biggest lessons you've learned about yourself in the last couple of years? You've alluded to some, but are there any in particular that come to mind?

Belinda (Guest)

Yeah, I think the two that I mentioned before have really sat with me. One is "I am enough."

It's really interesting because if you had said those words out of context and not as part of the program, I would have said, "Yeah, yeah," you know, "I've always been pretty self-confident." I've been, you know, I was a high achiever at high school, I'm fit, I'm healthy—but clearly there was something underlying that made me feel like I wasn't enough, and I had to continue, particularly in a work environment, to prove myself.

And it was actually really leaning into that: "I am enough." And do I still have wobbles? Absolutely.
Do I suffer from imposter syndrome? Yes, absolutely.
Have I reached the pinnacle of my career? No, I haven't.

But the other was: I have not looked to anyone. I was so worried about what other people would say and that judgment—and that's really flipped now. Where I talk to people who are in that high-performance, high-achieving, you know, really on the treadmill, and I actually look at them with some empathy and go, "I don't want that."

Busy doesn't equal importance. So I think the learning for me was that some people are really driven by being the next CEO. Will I continue to progress in my career? Yeah, absolutely.

But finding that ability to sit in the duality of being ambitious and wanting more—and wanting that sense of achievement that I get from work and working... You know, I'm never going to be a full-time stay-at-home mum.

I had a really lovely break between the current job I'm in and leaving the last job. I had a three-month break and that was beautiful. But I was absolutely ready.

And I saw lots of women in our community, Jo—you know, the same as McKernie Lee—ready to get back in and make a bigger contribution, you know, to society, to the workforce.

So, you know, there are a number of different layers.
Part of it was having that courage to actually walk away and start fresh. But the other part was, yeah, I don't need to prove anything to anyone.

It's about finding what works for me. I've had a lot of mentors on my journey who have given me opportunities to move through different parts of an organization—because, you know, you need that broad exposure if you're going to be the CEO.

And it's like—well, what if I don't become a CEO? Am I going to disappoint them? Have I not lived up to my potential? And that word—potential—was one that was really cutting for me.

It's like, you know, I was a top performer at school. I went on to university. I graduated with honours. You know, I should be operating at a higher level.
I'm at this stage in my career, and I should be higher. And "should" is just a really crappy word.

That's one of the things that I've learned. There is nothing good when you use the word should in any conversation because you're doing it out of obligation—whether that's for someone else or for yourself.

It doesn't matter what context it's used in—it's a really crappy word. And I think anytime I hear myself saying "I should," it's a red flag that actually—that's not what I need to be doing right now.

Jo (Host)

And we see, as you said—you can now see so many women who aren't living the life they want, whatever that is. Whether they're a stay-at-home mum and don't want to be, or stuck at a level...

There are so many women who want to hear stories like yours—that you can walk away, that something better will come.

Because there are so many women trapped in this, as you said, the treadmill—the hamster wheel of roles they don’t like, stuck in proving themselves.

And you can start to see it now, can't you? When you speak to those friends, you're like, "Oh, I know where you are."

This is the beauty of doing this work, right? You can now start to see it in others. And rather than judge them, you just have compassion.

Belinda (Guest)

I've got nothing but admiration for women who have climbed further up the corporate ladder than I have.

There’s zero judgment from me. And if that’s what they want to be doing—and that fills their bucket—hats off.

And there are times I get twinges of envy, or I scroll through LinkedIn and think, "Oh, they're in a Director role or a General Manager's role," or this or that...

And I have to check myself and go, "If that’s what I want, I can make different choices. I can go after it, and I can go get it."

So I think it's that constant check-in: Is this still what I want?
This is right for me now, but it doesn’t have to be right for me forever.

But that being a decision—not an obligation. If I feel compelled to further my career at a later stage, then that’s okay. It’s my choice. And I can choose to change that.

And to the women who are right at the top of the corporate ladder and in CEO roles: thank you. Thank you for being a role model that lets us know that women can do that and be there.

So it’s that—we get to make the choices that are right for us.
At a point in time—which is nice. And that's not where I felt three years ago, five years ago, ten years ago. Reflecting back—it’s not the organization. Sometimes you're not in the right environment.

For me, when I hit that stage of burnout through COVID—or coming out the back of COVID—I wasn’t the right fit. I was a square peg in a round hole at that organization. But it’s okay to realize that—and make a different choice.

Jo (Host)

I think—like I said before and I’ll say it again—we have to share more stories of women who don't subscribe to the status quo. Who turn around and say, "I want something different."

Because in you doing this differently, there might be someone listening who's like, "Oh, maybe I should quit my job," or, "Maybe I feel like Belinda—if she did it, I can do it too."

We've got to lift each other up, not compete with each other, and not judge ourselves against this crazy ideal. But, yeah, I think it's so important we shed light on:
You get to do what you want, right? You get to do what makes you happy.

And most importantly—it’s not forever. So as you said, I love your confidence that if you want to put your foot back on the pedal at some point—sure.

And who knows? That might happen next week. It might happen next year. But that's on your terms—when you want.

And that check-in of not, "Oh, I should by now be..." And I know that temptation can be real. But even if that thought comes up—I think you've gotten really good at catching it now.

You're like, "Oh, hang on, I’m should-ing myself." Nope—let me check in with what I really want. And because you've got that connection now—you fly much faster.

So, you mentioned earlier on you were a sceptic. What would you say to anyone who is thinking of investing in themselves—whether it's with us or somewhere else?

You know, the whole thing with you—like so many women—was: work harder, push harder, just keep going.

What advice would you give them? What advice would you give?

Belinda (Guest)

My advice would very much be to do it. And the reason for that is: I wouldn’t try and sell my own home—I’d go get a real estate agent. I don’t draft contracts—I get lawyers to do that.

We're smart, ambitious women—but that doesn’t mean we have to have all the skills to do all the things.

And I think the same applies to our careers and our health and well-being. Sometimes we need to tap into resources that can actually help us.

The example I really like is: when you’re inside the jar, you can’t read the label. And I think what the course did for me was allow me to get outside the jar and read the label—and go, "Actually, that’s not what I want."

But you need others. And the coaching that the Balance Institute provides allows you to get outside of the jar, read the label, and work out what you want from your life.

It’s helped me in numerous ways in my career—but also every aspect. We need to consider ourselves as a whole person—not just as a wife, a mother, an employee, a daughter.

There are all the clichés around putting our own oxygen mask on first—but all those things are easier said than done.

And I think what the course, and working with you and the team, Jo, has done—is actually given me those tools and skills and strategies.

Before doing the course, I was exercising, I was keeping fit, I was eating well, I was listening to podcasts...

I’d had a few sessions with a psychologist because I just needed some strategies to deal with things.

And while all of those things were helpful—they weren’t enough. I found doing the course—
Yes, it was a big investment.
Yes, it was a big investment of time.

And trying to do it when you don’t feel like you’ve got any more space in your life to do one more thing — But it was one of the best things that I ever did.

Because it gave me that shift in perspective—and I just wouldn’t have been able to get there on my own. I would have kept doing more of the same—and clearly, that wasn’t working.

And that is the definition of insanity, isn’t it—doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results?

Most jobs where you're working at a high level—there’s always more you can do. And doing more and more isn’t going to get you a different outcome.

Jo (Host)

Absolutely. Well, thank you for sharing your story, Belinda. Your journey has been such a beautiful one, and I hope that if you’re listening today, you get inspired by not just Belinda’s courage—but know that if she can do it, you can do it too.

And, as always, you know where to find us. Reach out—book a call if you want to find out what Belinda went through.

And who knows—maybe you’ll be water skiing on a boat or working four days and being paid for five. All of the amazing results—we love seeing that in our community.

So thank you so much, Belinda, for sharing your story.

OUTRO: Thank you for joining us today on the Balance and Beyond Podcast. We're so glad you carved out this time for yourself. If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend who might need to hear this today. And if you're feeling extra generous, leaving us a review on your podcast platform of choice would mean the world. If you’re keen to dive deeper into our world, visit us at www.balanceinstitute.com to discover more about the toolkit that has helped thousands of women avoid burnout and create a life of balance, and beyond. Thanks again for tuning in, and we'll see you next time on the Balance & Beyond Podcast.