OM DENNE EPISODE
In this episode, Dina sits down with Sophia Mikelionis, founder of Gearing Together, to say the part out loud:
You can do everything “right”… and still feel completely drained.
Sophia’s résumé checks every box.
- BBA in Finance from Howard.
- MBA from Syracuse.
- Climbed the corporate ladder.
Delivered. Performed. Excelled.
On paper? Thriving. Behind the scenes? Exhausted.
Running on deadlines, pressure, and the promise that relief would come “after this quarter.” (You know. The mythical next week.)
This conversation is the one women have in the group chat but rarely in public.
We talk about what burnout actually looks like for ambitious women - and why it hides in plain sight when you’re high-performing.
Because here’s the truth:
Burnout doesn’t always look like falling apart. Sometimes it looks like being wildly competent… and quietly resentful.
Smiling in meetings.
Crying in the car.
Telling yourself you’re lucky.
Wondering why it still feels heavy.
We unpack:
- Why corporate culture rewards over-functioning and then calls it “leadership potential”
- How guilt keeps high-achievers stuck long after their bodies have started protesting
- The identity crisis that hits when you realize you can’t keep running at this pace
- And why stepping back can feel scarier than staying exhausted
This isn’t an episode about quitting your ambition.
It’s about interrogating who taught you what ambition was supposed to cost.
If you’ve ever thought:
“I should be grateful.”
“I just need to push through.”
“Everyone else seems to be handling it.”
This conversation will feel uncomfortably familiar - in the best way.
Because sometimes the bravest thing you can admit isn’t “I can’t do this.”
It’s: “I don’t want to keep doing it like this.”
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To learn more about Sophia Mikelionis and her work with Gearing Together, visit https://www.gearingtogether.com/ or follow her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophia-mike/
