Would I Go Back Into the Corporate World?

(I Used to Say No. Now It’s a Heck Ya!)

My corporate friends can tell you…

It used to be a hard no on going back.

I’d say, “I would never go back, it sucked the life out of me. They always want more. They don’t care about your well-being and I am over the bureaucracy.”
And I meant it.

Because for years, I was that person who could handle it all. I was driven, ambitious and a performer.
I would take on more. Deliver results. Push through exhaustion.
I believed that if I just kept proving myself, I’d finally feel like it all mattered.

But instead of feeling fulfilled, I felt depleted and miserable.
I was rarely home, working 18-hour days on massive data migration projects, clocking 60+ hour weeks, exceeding expectations and running myself into the ground. I often felt like I had to sacrifice parts of myself to measure up, especially in male-dominated rooms.

And here’s what I didn’t realize until later…

I wasn’t just burnt out. I was operating in survival mode.

Looking back now, I can see how deeply that environment shaped my way of being:

🔹 I was constantly anticipating problems before they happened because mistakes had real consequences
🔹 I couldn’t slow down because the pressure to prove, perform, and deliver never let up
🔹 Remote work blurred the boundaries so being “off” didn’t really exist
🔹 Productivity felt like the only measure of value so I stayed in go mode
🔹 I wasn’t driven by ego I was driven by a deep desire to matter

 But the more I gave, the more I lost the good parts of me…

The optimist. The one who could laugh easily and lead with lightness.

So no…back then, I wouldn’t have gone back.

Because I didn’t yet know there was another way to work.
A different way to be.

But stepping away gave me the space to figure out how to work in a way that wasn’t just valued by my employer, but finally valued by me. 

The last 10 years became my research lab.

Through certifications, coaching, self-study, and real-world trial and error, I changed how I operate.

• Yes, I became a trauma-informed and whole-person coach.

• Yes, I took deep dives into nervous system regulation.

• Yes, I now teach breathwork.

But it wasn’t just about helping clients…

It was about becoming the version of myself I wish I had back then.

So what is it that changed my attitude about going back to the corporate world?

Well, in 2020, while working at our local university, I had to prepare a PowerPoint for my annual review.
As I sat down to reflect on my accomplishments, leadership, and impact, I realized…

I was showing up differently.
I was working differently. Leading differently.
Living differently.

That PowerPoint showed me, in my own words, that I had changed.
That I had integrated what I’d learned into how I showed up every day.

So yes… I’d go back, but this time, I’d bring a different energy with me.

One that’s grounded, aware, and built to thrive in the system, not be swallowed by it.

I still have the drive, perseverance, and tenacity. But now I have the tools, the awareness, and the emotional regulation to navigate the stressors of corporate life in a completely different way.

Would I still be ambitious? Yes.
Would I still deliver? Absolutely.
But now I know how to do it without losing myself.

If I were to go back to corporate I would step back into project management, but I’d strike a deal with the company to lead breathwork breaks and energized movements designed to help the team reset their energy, sharpen their focus, and feel good in their bodies.

Because when people learn how to reset their energy in real time they operate differently. 

✨ Decisions get clearer

✨ Creativity comes back online

✨ They feel more resilient, connected, and calm

✨ And they actually start enjoying the work again

When you learn to master your own physiology, you can absolutely change how you think, feel, and function at the cellular level. 

Learning to use your breath to optimize your energy, focus, and emotional state is the missing skill most professionals were never taught, but desperately need.

If this spoke to you, and you want support creating a new way of working and living…