You’re Not Burnt Out—Your Body Is Trying to Tell You Something
There was a moment in this conversation that stopped me.
Not because it was shocking. But because it was so deeply familiar.
Angela was describing a time in her life when things felt… unmanageable.
Not just busy. Not just stressful.
Unmanageable.
She told me she wasn’t sleeping on sheets anymore.She was sleeping on towels.
One set underneath her. One set on top.
Because the night sweats were so intense, she would soak through them completely. And when one side was done?
She’d roll over… and start again.
And then she said something that I think far too many women have said at some point in their lives:
“I just thought… this is the way it is.”
I felt that in my bones. Because I’ve been there too.
Different symptoms. Same story.
Fibroids. Heavy bleeding. No sleep. Iron levels so low I could barely function.
I remember thinking, this can’t be normal…
And at the same time? Accepting that maybe it was.
The Lie We’ve Been Sold
As women - especially as leaders - we’ve been taught to normalize a lot.
To push through. To keep going. To separate what’s happening in our bodies from how we show up in our businesses.
But here’s the truth:
You don’t get to separate the two.
Your energy is your leadership capacity.
Your sleep impacts your decision-making.
Your hormones influence your patience, your clarity, and your ability to think strategically.
And when your body is off? Everything feels heavier.
This Isn’t Just Personal - It’s Professional
We love to talk about growth. Scaling. Hiring. Strategy. Revenue.
But we rarely talk about the very thing that underpins all of it:
The condition of the person leading the business.
In our conversation, Angela Johnson, CEO of sanoLiving shared something that should be obvious—but isn’t talked about nearly enough:
Women in midlife are often navigating significant physiological changes… while also operating at the highest levels of leadership in their careers.
Recommended by LinkedIn
Running companies. Leading teams. Making high-stakes decisions.
All while dealing with:
And when things start to feel harder? Slower? Heavier?
Most women don’t ask, “What’s happening in my body?” They ask:
“What’s wrong with me?”
This question changes everything.
Because it leads to → More pressure. More pushing. More self-doubt.
Instead of curiosity. Instead of support. Instead of solutions.
The turning point—for Angela, and for so many women—is realizing:
This isn’t a discipline problem.
It’s not about trying harder. It’s about understanding what’s actually going on… and getting the right support to navigate it.
What This Means for How We Lead
If your energy is inconsistent… if your focus feels off… if your capacity isn’t what it used to be…
That’s not just a personal issue. That’s a leadership issue. A business issue. A sustainability issue.
Because you cannot build a high-performing team… a scalable business… a healthy culture…
…if you are running on empty.
A Different Conversation We Need to Start Having
We don’t need more advice about “time management.”
We don’t need more pressure to “push through.”
We need better conversations.
About:
Because the goal isn’t just to build a successful business.
It’s to build one you can actually sustain.
If This Is Hitting Close to Home…
This conversation with Angela is one every female founder needs to hear.
It’s honest. It’s validating. And it opens the door to a conversation that has been missing for far too long.
👉 Go listen to the full episode of Female Founder Unplugged 👉 And make sure you subscribe so you don’t miss what’s coming next
Because you’re not broken.
You’ve just been trying to lead… without the full picture of you.