Hey Reader,

Can I tell you about the moment my body literally forced me to change my life?

Picture this: I'm in a hotel room in Moscow, 2012. I'm a "successful" Business Development Director, about to become partner before 30 years old (checking all those good immigrant daughter boxes ✅). I've worked 60+ hour weeks for three years straight without a real vacation, because hey, that's what success looks like... right?

Then my body said "enough."

I woke up with crippling anxiety, physically unable to leave my hotel room. Three days of developing temporary agoraphobia, alone in a foreign country, thousands of miles from anyone who knew me.

That hotel room became my wake-up call.

Here's what I realized: I wasn't broken. My body was simply refusing to participate in a game that was killing my spirit.

Sound dramatic? Maybe. But I bet something in this story feels familiar:

• The constant push to prove yourself
• The "success" that looks great on LinkedIn but feels hollow inside
• That nagging voice saying "There has to be more than this"
• The exhaustion you're trying to ignore (please don't wait for your Moscow moment)

For 9 months after that, I worked with therapists and coaches to understand what my body was trying to tell me. The truth? All those environments I was in, the people I was working with, what I was working on...none of it aligned with who I really was or how I wanted to live.

That moment in Moscow taught me something crucial: Our bodies keep the score even when our minds try to ignore the truth. Mine was screaming that success at the expense of wellbeing isn't really success - it's just existing in a fancier cage.

It took walking away from that golden handcuffs career, and the identity I'd built around it, to discover what was possible when I stopped trying to fit myself into someone else's definition of success.

Today, I'm writing this from my home in Bali, running a business that actually energizes me instead of depleting me. But more importantly? I finally understand that success doesn't have to mean sacrifice.

For the first time in a while, I'm opening up 3 spots in my private coaching program. Just 3, because this work is intimate and transformative.

This is for you if:

• You're successful on paper but something feels off
• You know you're meant for more but can't see the path yet
• You want to build something meaningful without burning out
• You're ready for support but not ready for another "hustle harder" program

Reply to this email with the subject line 'Ready for change' and tell me:

1. What's your current reality really looking like? (The unfiltered version)
2. Where do you feel the most out of alignment right now?
3. What would "success" look like if you could define it your way?

I read every reply personally because 11 years ago, I was exactly where you might be right now – successful, capable, and quietly wondering "Is this all there is?"

If you're ready for that conversation, I'm ready to listen.

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To redefining success on our own terms,

Lydia

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P.S. You don't need a dramatic wake-up call like mine to know it's time for change. If something in this email stirred something in you, reply now. These 3 spots usually fill quickly, and I'd love to explore if this is your next right move.