How I Left Corporate Burnout Behind to Build a Life of Purpose

It was a Tuesday afternoon during COVID.

I was sitting in yet another virtual executive meeting for the recovery center where I worked. We were reviewing financials, chart audits, and policy updates across multiple locations. The grid of faces on the screen looked just like they had the week before—tired, determined, efficient.

On paper, I had made it. I had the title, the influence, the dream job I had once prayed for. I was working in a field I loved—substance use and mental health recovery—with one of the best bosses I’d ever had.

But on the inside?

I felt hollow.

That day, something cracked. I clicked “Leave Meeting,” walked over to my couch, and collapsed into it. I sobbed. Deep, gut-wrenching tears I hadn’t let myself cry in years.

Because even though I had everything I thought I wanted… I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was settling. I wasn’t betraying myself for a paycheck—I was betraying my purpose by staying small. I wasn’t burnt out from work—I was burnt out from playing a role that no longer fit.

And that’s the thing about purpose. Once you hear its whisper, you can’t un-hear it.

The Dream That Started to Chafe

When I first took that job, it was a dream come true. I believed in the mission. I loved the team. I brought my whole heart to that work.

But as I grew, something shifted. The walls began to close in around me. The meetings became monotonous. The red tape weighed me down.

My soul kept nudging me—there’s more.

Not more money. Not more recognition. Just… more truth. More impact. More alignment with the vision I had tucked away for years: to create something of my own. Something expansive, creative, healing. Something that allowed me to lead with heart, not hierarchy.

And so, in the middle of a pandemic, with no perfect plan—just an undeniable inner knowing—I made the decision to leave.

Walking Away (and Toward)

I wish I could say it was easy. That I leapt into the next thing with grace and confidence. But it was messy. Emotional. Full of fear and second-guessing.

Still, I couldn’t ignore that moment on the couch. The truth of it lived in my bones.

So I started building.

I began offering the kind of coaching and guidance I once needed. I poured my experience, education, and intuition into what would become The Institute for Female Trailblazers—a movement, a mission, a home for women who know they’re meant for more.

Today, I support visionary women who feel that same quiet ache of misalignment. Women who are tired of shrinking, pretending, or spinning in circles. Women who are done settling—and ready to create lives, careers, and businesses that feel like them.

What I Know Now

You don’t have to be broken to leave. You don’t have to hate your job or boss.

Sometimes the most confusing part is walking away from something that once felt so right… because it no longer is.

Growth will do that.

And just because something looks good on paper doesn’t mean it’s your soul’s path.

Purpose doesn’t always come with fireworks or grand signs. Sometimes it arrives as a quiet knowing. A tear-stained moment on the couch when you finally admit: This isn’t it anymore.

If You're at That Edge…

I want you to know—there’s nothing wrong with you.

Feeling unfulfilled in a life that “should” make you happy doesn’t mean you’re ungrateful. It means you’re awake.

You were made for more, not because what you have isn’t enough, but because your soul came here to create.

To trailblaze.
To evolve.
To live a life that lights you up from the inside out.

And when you choose that life—not someday, but now—you become a living permission slip for every other woman who's quietly wondering if there's more for her too.

If this story stirred something in you—if you're standing at that same edge, unsure but knowing—you’re not alone. The path to purpose isn't always clear, but it begins with a single brave step: trusting your inner voice.

I see you. I’ve been you. And I’m here to walk beside you.

Leanne Jamison is a Licensed Psychotherapist, Master Coach, and Founder of the Institute for Female Trailblazers, where she helps visionary women leave behind the life they’ve outgrown and create a legacy rooted in authenticity, purpose, and soul. Her programs and certification trainings blend psychology, energy work, and heart-led leadership to empower women to lead lives they were born for.

Learn more at www.instituteforfemaletrailblazers.com or connect on Instagram @institute_for_female_trailblazers.