Success Without Self-Sacrifice: Breaking the Burnout Cycle

On this episode of the Wild Enthusiasm for Living podcast, I sit down with career and executive coach Maya Sharfi, founder of Build Yourself, for a powerful conversation about leadership, burnout, nervous system regulation, confidence, and authentic success.

We explore why so many high-achieving women fall into cycles of overworking, over-proving, perfectionism, and people-pleasing, and how to break free from chasing external validation in order to create a career and life that truly feel aligned. Maya shares practical tools for building confidence, responding instead of reacting, navigating fear, and understanding the somatic signals our bodies give us in moments of stress and self-doubt.

We also talk about leadership, emotional intelligence, career transitions, work-life balance, and how women can step into their next level without sacrificing themselves in the process.

If you’ve been feeling stuck, burned out, disconnected from your purpose, or unsure of your next step, this episode will help you reconnect to your strengths, trust yourself more deeply, and move forward with clarity and confidence.

More about Maya:

Maya is the founder of Build Yourself, a coaching company that helps women rise into senior executive roles and thrive once there. She empowers purpose-driven women to ditch overworking and lead more boldly and impactfully.

Her clients have landed executive roles, launched innovative initiatives, and achieved five- and even six-figure salary increases. Companies she’s partnered with have tripled women’s promotion rates and increased female employee recommendations of the company by 18%.

A former Harvard Innovation Lab resident, Maya was named a 40 Under 40 by Impact Design Hub. She’s a proud Brown University and Harvard Graduate School of Design alumna who loves graphic nonfiction, the color yellow, and reading to her daughter.