I Wanted to Burn It All Down

There comes a point in many founders’ journeys when success on paper feels like failure in real life. The numbers are fine. The business is steady. But inside, something breaks.

“I wanted to burn it all down.”

That sentence came quietly, but with force. Not because my client’s business was failing – but because it was winning at the expense of everything else. Joy. Energy. Meaning. What once felt like a mission now felt like a trap. Her calendar was packed, the inbox endless, and somehow, it all still depended on one person, her.

When she said it out loud, it wasn’t a crisis – it was a release. Finally admitting what so many feel but never say.

As a coach, I knew I couldn’t just jump in with a quick fix. I didn’t suggest a vacation or a new strategy. Instead, I asked, “What if this isn’t the end – but a pivot?”

That question unlocked everything. Not in a flash of insight, but in a slow, deliberate reckoning. Step by step, she examined the choices that had built the business – and the ones that had built the burnout. There were no systems. No clear roles. No room for rest. It wasn’t just unsustainable. It was lonely.

With my help, she began to rebuild. Not the brand or the offering – but the foundation. Processes were documented. Decisions were delegated. Control became trust. The business didn’t collapse – it grew. Not just in revenue, but in resilience.

My client didn’t walk away. She walked back in – on her own terms.

That’s what a pivot really looks like. Not a flashy reinvention or shiny new product. It’s the courage to tell the truth. To admit that success has started to cost too much. And to decide that there’s another way to lead.

If you’re feeling the weight, you don’t have to carry it alone. I work with founders and executives who are ready to build a business that works—for the world and for themselves. Let’s have a conversation.