What if burning it all down was the first step to building something better?
In this deeply honest and powerful episode, Lisa sits down with Alisha Robertson – founder of Doing Everyday Well – to explore what happens when the hustle culture nearly breaks you.
After experiencing severe postpartum burnout, Alisha made the bold decision to shut down her business completely…with no plan B.
What emerged was a new way of working, living, and leading; one that prioritises rest, radical honesty and sustainable success. Alisha shares the emotional toll of pushing through for too long, how she helps high-achieving women set boundaries, and why self-care is so much more than a spa day.
From Hustle Culture to Healing
Alisha built her first business by working late nights, pushing through weekends, and holding herself to impossible standards. But when her daughter arrived, so did a stark reality: she couldn’t keep operating like that and still be the mother, wife and human she wanted to be. Juggling postpartum depression and intense pressure to keep going, she reached a breaking point…and decided to walk away from a business that was still making money.
It wasn’t a pause. It was a full stop. She wrapped up her last few clients and closed the doors with no clear plan for what came next. The decision was terrifying, but necessary. As she shares, healing from burnout isn’t about quick fixes like a vacation or a nap. It often means making bold, uncomfortable decisions to remove the root cause of your overwhelm – even when that root is something you’ve worked hard to build.
“It was not healthy. And I knew that if I would have kept that up mentally and physically, I was not going to be the type of woman that I wanted to be.”
Redefining Self-Care (It’s Not Just Spa Days)
For Alisha, self-care didn’t look like bubble baths and candlelit journaling. It looked like therapy – unpacking generational beliefs, facing childhood patterns, and sitting in the discomfort of doing things differently.
She talks candidly about how we’ve been sold a surface-level version of self-care that doesn’t address the deeper issues driving burnout. And how the real work? It’s messy.
She had to learn to sit still, say no, and accept that healing wouldn’t come through output or overachievement. The result wasn’t instant, but through real emotional work and deliberate unlearning, Alisha began building a more sustainable life – and business – on her own terms.
Rest, Guilt, and the Myth of Doing It All
Alisha and Lisa discuss the guilt that creeps in the moment we try to rest. For so many women, rest feels like laziness. And even when we try to take a break, we end up half-working from the couch or scrolling emails by the pool, convincing ourselves that’s downtime.
Alisha breaks this down with striking clarity. She explains that guilt is only valid when you’ve actually done something wrong – so if you feel guilty for prioritising your wellbeing, it’s a false signal. She offers powerful advice on setting boundaries with yourself, not just with other people, and gives real-life tactics to disconnect in a world where everything demands your attention.
“We have to learn to let go of the guilt. And what I tell people all the time is guilt is only felt when you’re doing something wrong.”
Ambition Without Burnout
Should we tame our goals to live a more peaceful life? Alisha doesn’t think so. Instead, she encourages women to honour their ambition – just with more self-awareness. She introduces the idea of seasonal ambition: knowing when to push, and when to pull back, based on what’s needed most in your life right now. Whether it’s your business, your family, your health, or your own joy – it’s okay for your focus to shift.
Her advice? Don’t scale back your dreams – just get more intentional about how you pursue them. By aligning your schedule with your season, you can stay ambitious and present, without burning out in the process.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
✨ The burnout breaking point that forced Alisha to shut down a thriving business
✨ Why loving your work doesn’t mean you’re immune to burnout
✨ The hidden costs of tying your self-worth to productivity
✨ How to stop tricking yourself into “resting” while still working
✨ Practical ways to start healing from burnout…without quitting everything
✨ The truth about “ugly” self-care and why it matters more than bubble baths
✨ Why redefining success might be the bravest thing you ever do
If you’ve ever felt torn between your business and your wellbeing, or questioned whether slowing down means giving up, this episode is your permission slip to choose differently…and to choose yourself.
