After graduating, I very quickly bagged a prestigious corporate role in my degree field . This was a career that challenged me and shaped me in ways I could never have imagined. I was young, ambitious, and determined to prove myself in an environment where women were often the minority.

Being the only woman in the room became normal. I learned quickly how to hold my ground when my capability was questioned, how to keep my composure when comments about my appearance or age were brushed off as “banter,” and how to work twice as hard just to be taken seriously.

Every day was a balancing act between strength and restraint , showing confidence without being called arrogant, speaking up without being labelled difficult. I loved the impact my job allowed me to have, but it came at a cost. I was constantly under pressure to prove I belonged, and it was exhausting.

Within two and a half years, I’d earned three promotions and built a reputation for excellence but behind the scenes, I was burning out. My job had become my entire identity. I was helping everyone else while quietly running on empty.

That’s when everything shifted. I realised that success built on self-sacrifice isn’t success at all. I started doing the inner work : setting boundaries, redefining what success meant to me, and learning how to protect my energy without guilt.