Be BOLD. Choose You
- Kim Meninger
- 7 days ago
- 26 min read
In this episode of the Impostor Syndrome Files, we talk about being BOLD (believe, own, learn and design). Many of us stay trapped in the wrong situation for too long because we’re afraid to take risks or make changes. But living our best lives requires that we choose ourselves and take bold action. This week, I’m talking with Leigh Burgess, founder of Bold Industries Group and author of Be BOLD Today. Here she shares the story of how severe burnout led her to leave a successful career in healthcare and start her own business. Leigh and I talk about her BOLD framework and how to use it to regain control of your own life. She also emphasizes that you can be bold incrementally and at a pace that works best for you.
About My Guest
Leigh Burgess is an entrepreneur, visionary leader, and the unstoppable force behind Bold Industries Group, Inc. (BIG). As the CEO and Founder, Leigh has transformed a passion for business consulting, coaching, and creating life-changing experiences into a multi-seven-figure enterprise in just four years.
Her debut book, Be BOLD Today: Unleash Your Potential, Master Your Mindset, and Achieve Success (Simon & Schuster, 11/ 2024) explores The BOLD Framework that Leigh created and the four actionable and relatable steps to embrace your true self and design a life of purpose and passion. Leigh shares from personal experience how she made her dream a reality through B.O.L.D. (Believe, Own, Learn, Design), and it is the roadmap for living your own #bold life. After more than 20 years leading in the corporate world, Leigh hit a wall. Burnout came knocking, and suddenly, the success she’d been chasing felt empty. She was out of sync—emotionally, physically, mentally, and spiritually. But instead of sticking it out, Leigh did something most wouldn’t dare to do, she left her job, choosing herself and her well-being.
This decision led to Leigh becoming the bootstrapped founder and CEO of BIG in 2020. Leigh wanted to create a space where organizations and individuals can make bold moves, be curious and take life to the next level. She co-founded the company with her daughter, her biggest inspiration and partner-in-business. Leigh’s mission? To make sure no one ever has to go through the burnout she did, that they learn how to break free of self-doubt and to leave a legacy that her daughter can be proud of.
Through BIG, Leigh has cultivated a vibrant community of women. Events like The Bold Table and The Bold Retreat are more than just gatherings—they are transformative experiences that foster deep connections and lasting change. Leigh also launched The Bold Leaders Collective, a curated powerhouse community that’s all about women leading, living and learning. Her podcast, The Bold Lounge, is where leadership meets bold moves, with a side of innovation and a whole lot of living life on your own terms.
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Connect with Leigh:
Website: https://leighburgess.com/
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Transcript
Kim Meninger
Welcom, Leigh. It's so great to have you here today. I would love to start by inviting you to introduce yourself.
Leigh Burgess
Sure. I am Leigh Burgess and thank you for having me. I am the CEO of Bold Industries Group company I formed in the middle of 2020 I got to a point in my corporate career which I'd had for over 20 years at that point in time, and I was just burnt out, and I needed to make a change. I needed to choose my health, which every level of health was just a wreck, you name it. It was not in good shape from a health perspective, and I had tried to do what would be the normal look for a job apply, and it just wasn't moving as of course, it was also the pandemic as well. So I just got to a point by August that I quit. So I resigned, gave my notice, and then a month later, was off and running with my company, and I had to really just be fueled by self-belief initially, and a little bit of savings, and a little bit of my retirement, which was the runway and had a short runway to get going and, and really for me, it was just that time of my life where I did choose me which felt so wrong, you know, the just because of where we were in the world, also just kind of being, you know, one that provides for our family. And, you know, is this selfish? Is this the right thing to do? But it absolutely was. And so that was my big swing of bold in 2020, where we launched the company, which we started with consulting and added in coaching, and then events, and then now the membership, along with the book. So have been busy over the last five years, in addition to doing those types of things and just excited about what's ahead.
Kim Meninger
So can we spend a moment talking about burnout and what that looked like for you? Because what I think is interesting is burnout is probably more broadly discussed today than ever before…
Leigh Burgess
Yes, it’s all over, it wasn't before then, though, it was really interesting because I wouldn't have called myself that. I said I was a nub. That's what I would say to people, like I just had nothing left in me. And that definitely was burnout, but we didn't call it that.
Kim Meninger
Yeah, that's only relatively recently that we started using so can you sort of paint a picture of what, what it looks like, yeah, what you looked like. What were you feeling? What was, you know, I know you mentioned your health.
Leigh Burgess
Yeah. So like, my emotional health, my physical health, my mental health, my spiritual health, like, when I say all levels of health were wrecked, that is accurate. So I had gained weight. I had gained almost 70 pounds that I had lost several years before, I wasn't moving, I was working 17 hours a day at a minimum. I was probably sleeping two hours a day, and then, you know, whatever you got left there, so five hours to do everything else. And I think the time of the world was just, just a very abnormal time to just how we were working and what. And I'm, you know, coming from health care, so wanting to make sure we were doing our very best to help any patients, and, you know, anyone that was coming down with COVID, it was just a very scary time overall. And I think at that time, like, if you had very good relationships, if you had a very good kind of setup, or how you operated at work, like, everything kind of shined brighter, like it just worked. If it didn't work, like, I feel like it got exacerbated, or, you know, it definitely got worse for some reason during that time, because I think there just wasn't a lot of space for much else to happen, right? So I think if it worked well, it went well, and if it wasn't going well. I think it got worse. And that could be relationships, it could be your work, it could be, you know, your health, those types of things. So I think for me, I just was, I probably ignored the signs of burnout, probably, you know, two and a half years before then, which was, you know, just me doing more, taking more responsibility, doing what I always did, which worked, which was just to take on more and be more responsible. And it just got to a point where that wasn't fixing it. So I was trying those same things over and over that used to work and it didn't work. And I think that's what really started to take a toll on my health. And then once the pandemic hit, it just kind of like, you know, it definitely went off the charts, in the sense of, like, how much we were working, and if we had good habits, they got better. And if we didn't have good habits, I feel like it just kind of got worse. And that was me, it just didn't get it didn't get better.
Kim Meninger
That’s a really interesting way to think about it. I think that the pandemic revealed a lot of fragile foundations, that we thought we were on stable ground, and when we realized we weren't, whether that was individually, organizationally, there were a lot of things that kind of came to the surface as a result of that and, and especially with the you know, when you're in healthcare, right, there's a lot of emotional pressure and stress that you're carrying around. So I think a lot of times we think of birth. Out as just being overly busy, but it's more than that. It's not just about time we're working, right?
Leigh Burgess
Yeah, I think of it like a Lego stack. So like, every level of those health that I talked about, you know, those each are different color Lego. And like, for me, that was the stack of who I was. And so there wasn't anything that I could lean back on, right? Oh, that's in good shape. So let me lean into my spiritual health or my physical health or my mental health, like, no, that's not good. Let me try the next one. And it was kind of like me just kind of going through the inventory and there wasn't anything left. And I think that's when I just got to the point where I had to make this very big choice of my health and my relationships or my job, and both were, you know, it's you definitely never want to have to choose, but I think my family and my relationships always going to be greater than although I was scared, I wasn't everything wasn't figured out. I wasn't overly confident, but I'd I believed that I could figure it out. My family believed in me, and really, that's where I started with, you know, the bold framework. The first one is Believe. So it's believe, own, learn, design. And for me, I created that framework to actually help me figure out what's next. Because I hadn't planned this, you know, like I said, I tried the different things to, like, find a job, but couldn't find it right in the regular way.
Kim Meninger
Well, and I love that your framework starts with Believe because a lot of the I would say the hesitation or the resistance to doing something new is fueled by that self-doubt and almost that sense of I have to have everything figured out before I even start right. And I often say that confidence isn't about being fearless. It's not about knowing everything. It's about trusting that you can figure it out, right? It's trusting that you can handle it. And so I'm sure there was a lot of anxiety right around…
Leigh Burgess
I already had it, right? You know, like it, believe it or not, like making this decision helped with that, I think, in the sense of, I think one of the myths of being bold is that, you know, it's too late in your life, and I was 48 so who was I to kind of make this change so late, quote, unquote, in my career. But I didn't feel like I could fix it or make it work, and I just knew I needed a break from a health perspective. And then the other piece of it was, you know, I agree with you. I don't. For me, the definition of bold is moving forward, even when you feel fear. And, you know, you do it anyway, right? And you know you're going to figure it out. And so for me, there was also, you know, kind of counterbalancing this fear was freedom. So I had fear and freedom really, kind of, you know, as my, as my mates as I kind of went into this next phase of what would be the founding of our company. Now, I didn't sit around and try to, like, you know, do anything other than get active in my health and start figuring out how to rebuild it, and then also get active and like, how do I figure out what's next? Because I had never felt imposter syndrome in the corporate setting ever. I had always felt like I belong there. I had a really, really strong sense of confidence, but as an entrepreneur like, I definitely felt it for the first time. Like, who am I? What am I doing? I have no idea. I feel like I don't know what I'm doing. You know, we say this a lot as an entrepreneur, but we are honestly just being open, I think, with things we don't know and that we figure out. So I think for me, that was the first time I had felt it. And so I think that was also me really focusing in on what I owned and what I didn't own. And I think for me, I was owning so much of what was going wrong or what wasn't going right, in, in my, in my role, that I never was able to see what, what went well and what we achieved. And so I think that was also a switch for me, as I kind of transitioned out of that world of, you know, focusing on what I was believing. Was it helping hindering me or holding me back? And then what was I owning that I should and what was I owning that I shouldn't?
Kim Meninger
My gosh, you, you just jam-packed that golden nuggets. So I want to, I want to talk a little bit about the action piece that you just described, because to me, that is the, that is the antidote to anxiety, right? Like, as somebody who has struggled with a lifetime of anxiety, if you just sit there and let it swirl, it's only going to get worse, but taking action even imperfect action, right? Action. That's experimental action when you only know the first step gets you moving in that direction, right and building momentum, which I think is so important. And so when you talk about like you didn't just sit around, right, like you were doing things, I think that's important for us to remember. In any situation where we're, we're worried, we're, we're experiencing a lot of fear, as you said. The other piece that I want to emphasize is you said fear and freedom. And I often say, like, what's bigger than your fear? Because fear will always be with you when you're doing something new or uncertain. It's the way our brains are wired. But we have to ask ourselves, what's more important than that, right now, right? And like, What? What? And almost think about it is like, what do I lose if I don't?
Leigh Burgess
Right? People think about the cost of action, which you should think about, but we never or rarely think about the cost of inaction, right? If I don't what happens? Well, I continue to feel this way. I continue to be reactive and negative and just a shell of who I used to be. I mean, that's why I couldn't even look at myself in the mirror. So, like, it was bad, and it was such a bad time for the world, too. It wasn't like I could just go pick up a therapist or go kind of start something, you know, with a different coach, or do something you know, that you know, I needed something other than, you know, a job switch, like I needed to, you know, really get healthy, and you couldn't do that. Like, if, if someone wasn't already a client, you couldn't be a client, you know, like it was just such a, I mean, a crazy time. I had to drive even for a root canal during that time, back to a state I used to live in, because no one here would see me because I wasn't a current client, you know, everyone was just very careful during the pandemic, especially the beginning, where there was no shot at that point. So it was just, I think for me, it was just one of those times was like I had to make the choice. And I really did think about the cost of inaction, because it was, I think, potentially, like it could be life-threatening for me, like it would just get to the point of, you know, what was next was possibly a stroke, like, I'm guessing for me because I was just that much. I was that far stressed, stressed out, and just not doing well, and coping with everything that was going on, but keeping it together, but behind the scenes and underneath the surface just wasn't take it was taking a toll on me.
Kim Meninger
Well, and what I think is interesting, and I'm curious what your thoughts are on the sort of, the, the, for lack of a better term, the purpose element of what you do now. Because I'm going to go out on a limb and imagine that starting your own I mean, I've done this as well, but like starting your own business, adding all of the elements that you mentioned in your introduction, that's not a cakewalk, right? It takes time. It's, it's definitely an intensive role as well. But there's something different about it, right? So what do you think when you are, you're busy doing what you're doing now? What's different about being busy and being engaged in this work versus what you were doing before?
Leigh Burgess
Yeah, I think obviously what I was doing before was very fulfilling, and, you know, a great place for me to be, and I was still very good at my job, but I think it just wasn't aligned with who I had become. And I think also the burnout piece was just something you couldn't ignore. I think for me, the big difference now is who's in charge. First of all, like there is no and then the corporate setting, and this is just in general, you know, you're going through, you know, do work, get, get, you know, get into a space, in a place where you feel like you're aligned with what also brings you joy, but you then you're kind of working for the next raise or working for the next title change. And that was something I did my entire career. And I was a chief by 40, so like, by 40, I was like, Okay, what's next? And so I feel like I had done some of the things either very fast or very early in my career where I was like, I can't just, like, wait 25 years and then retire. That's not how I That's not how I operate. So for me, I think some of that was just, I'm glad I'm not in that anymore, because I think that also kind of spawned the for me, I'm not good enough. I'm, you know, I'm not working hard enough. I need to do more. I need to work more like that, really, that kind of pace and rate, really, I think did get set by this, wanting to get to this, the next kind of milestone of my career, corporately. So there's less of that. But on the flip side of it, there is an intense responsibility, right? So you're it, you know? And so I think in that sense, you know, a typical day is really putting your head down and working. But I think the difference is, at the end of the day, you know, you move the needle, I think more accurately or you didn't move the needle, and you need to kind of do something, you know, the next day or the next month. I also think the interaction, I think the ability to, to move or pivot or improve like you have the ability to do that, which you need to do within reason as an entrepreneur, but I think the ability to change or be more agile, I think is really much more possible in this type of setting than in kind of the corporate world. And that's probably, you know, very apparent. But I think those are the two things I really like. I know who's in charge. I'm not waiting for someone to tell me I'm good enough, and, you know, I also can kind of move and adjust or innovate at a rate and pace that's very different.
Kim Meninger
Yeah, and that makes a lot of sense because I think a lot of burnout is a lack of empowerment, right? You don't necessarily feel in control of your own destiny, right? There's a lot of different moving parts that you're at the mercy of, and especially in the middle of a pandemic when you're in the healthcare industry, right? Like, that's again, everything.
Leigh Burgess
Fix it, right? And, like, for me, it was like, I'm a fixer, like, I fix everything. And it was just such a frustrating thing for me that I couldn't figure it out, and that's usually even in my world now, like, if I can't figure it out, like I get really frustrated and I just don't want to be stuck. And for some reason in the corporate world, which now I know it was just it was time to change, but at that time, like I was still trying to fix it, and it just was making my health worse and worse and worse. So I think we just, just did it. And, you know, like I said, fueled with a lot of self-belief, not a lot of knowledge of how to do everything, feeling ready for the next step, not the next 100 steps. And I think that's really how I had to look at it. It's like, what is next and what is the next step after that? And am I ready? Can I do it? Yes, I can. Here we go, you know. And the way we went.
Kim Meninger
And I want to ask you more about the bold framework in a moment. But I also just want to make a point here for anybody who's listening and seeing themselves in the journey too. You mentioned becoming a chief at 40. I think it's really important, sometimes our identities get very tightly intertwined with our corporate careers or whatever we're doing, that's…
Leigh Burgess
That’s how you introduce yourself, right?
Kim Meninger
Exactly, and I think that’s important to recognize you said you. I can't remember exactly how you said it, but it was something to the effect of that wasn't no longer the right fit for you, right? And I think it's important to recognize that we can outgrow an environment without it being a personal failure, right? It's not that we did anything wrong. It's not so it's not like our career is, you know, we're cutting it short, or anything like that. It served its purpose that you know you, you achieved the success that you wanted to and now you're shifting into something else, and that it's okay to let go [Yeah] of your previous identity.
Leigh Burgess
Yeah, I think that's an excellent point because I think in those types of situations, one assumes you did something wrong or they did something wrong, when, in my case, I really don't think either one did anything wrong. I just feel like it wasn't a fit anymore for me, and I had tried to make it fit for extra, you know, extra innings or whatever. And it was just, I was toasted. And so, like, I think, you know, are there things they could have done better, and things I could have done better always? And if an organization doesn't think that, then, you know, like, I'm sorry. I really think there's always something we can do to care for people better, and especially during such a crazy time for everyone, including any organization in that time frame, just trying to figure things out. But ultimately, it was my choice, and you know, I needed to choose me, which felt so foreign and so wrong. And like you said, just because I couldn't fix it doesn't mean the, the career was a fair, the you know, entity was a fair like none of that. I really feel like it was just time, in that moment, in that space, I had to make that decision, and I would go back and do it again. I think I would maybe pay attention more to the signs of burnout that were coming on. But like you said, we didn't talk about it like we didn't. I think that's one thing that did come out of that time frame is we did talk about burnout, and I think that it got much more tension than it ever did in 2020. To 20, probably 22.
Kim Meninger
That's a really good point of silver-leaning.
Leigh Burgess
Yes, yeah, yeah.
Kim Meninger
So we've been talking a lot about believe, but I want to also talk about the O, the L and the D. Can you say more about the broader framework?
Leigh Burgess
Yeah, so I mentioned the o a little bit. So it's believe, own, learn, design and ownership really is about owning your next steps, owning and claiming the agency in your life to really live the life you want to live, knowing that you're going to have to do some things too. It isn't like someone's going to save you, which sure we all have heard that. In my case, it was also stop, stopping owning things that weren't mine, like I would own a lot of issues or a lot of solutioning, or a lot of things that no one asked me to solution or own, but they certainly would allow me to once I did, but it wasn't something that someone asked me to do. And again, that was really my mechanism for coping and how I would tackle things, is just if I own it, then I know who has it right, so I don't have to, like, have to work with it or how to figure it out. But the other thing, flip side of that was just owning when things go right, which I did not do at all. So I would skip over those pretty quickly. And I do think it's important to, you know, celebrate the wins, small and big as you kind of go through your life. Learning is really that ongoing growth mindset, but truly intentionally, really applying the learning that you have had in your life. So like, if you do the same thing over and over, which I was doing, right? I had a cycle of take on more, take on more. Be the fixer, be the go-to that, you know, like I needed to really figure out how to stop that, or how to reset myself, I think, also taking care of myself, health-wise, and those, I think was really, really important. But that growth mindset of, like, when you fail, it doesn't mean it's the end. Like, I've never thought that. So I think it's just really important that no matter where you're changing to, or what you're changing from, like to, remember there's things to learn. You know, what did I learn from where I was and how do I apply that to where I'm going forward? And the D is design, which is really all about you hold the pen to the next chapter of your life, and what are you going to write? What do you want it to say? How do you want this to end? You know, like, you know, as you kind of go and move through, certainly, as a woman at 48 making a career change to an entrepreneur, which I'd never even thought was possible, because it wasn't the way I was raised, was definitely bold, and I don't advise it. I say, like, recognize when there's a misalignment between what you're doing, what you're passionate about, what you get paid for, and start to really work and take steps towards that. And when you feel like you're burnt out, or something's got to give, or just, there's just too much of, like, whatever's going on. Those are signs. And those are sayings that you're you know, whether somebody's gotta give or this is just too much, I can't take much more, but the world keeps spinning. Those are signs for you to kind of pause, reflect and really think about, what could you change, even if it's incremental, what could you do differently? So I think that's really, really important as we design our life and understand kind of how to hold agency in our life, which I do think bold steps leads to more confidence, leads to a higher level of agency in your life.
Kim Meninger
And, that's a really good point, too. I think one of the things I joke about as an entrepreneur is sometimes I'll say things like, oh gosh, I really wish I had a boss. You know, sometimes being the one making all the decisions can be tiring, but [yeah,] when we are in a corporate structure, let's just say, for an example, there are often times when we're waiting for someone else to tell us what to do, or we're sort of, you know, we're in this hierarchical structure. We forget that we have agency. We forget our own personal power. And so a lot of times, we either overstay in a role that is no longer a fit for us, or the burnout piece that you're talking about. We stop taking care of ourselves. We think that we owe everything to this job or to this team. And so it sounds to me like one of the themes that runs through the whole framework is just this, this intentionality, this like slowing down long enough to notice where are things working, where are things not working? What choices do I have right now? Right like, Where can I make different decisions? Because otherwise we tend to be so reactive and, and so quick to prioritize other people's needs that until we hit that crisis point that you described earlier, we don't even notice.
Leigh Burgess
Yeah because I really felt I wasn't that important. Like, it really doesn't matter how I feel, it really doesn't matter how tired I am, it really doesn't matter how frustrated I feel. Our patients need us. My team needs us, my organization needs me to do my job. And so there was this really huge sense of mantle of responsibility that I had placed on myself again with a little bit of this and that throughout my career, of like, you know, just I want to do well, I want to succeed. I want to, you know, go to the next level. But there's just a point where it's just too much. And, you know, for me, I really could not figure out how to do it in a way where it wasn't such a, you know, a big moment, a louder moment of bold but I think, you know, as I, as I went through it, I don't think there was actually any other option. So I knew that I needed to do it. And I think that sometimes, as women, we don't do the thing we know we need to do when it's time to do it. And if that makes any sense, that he was listening, I hope it does. But like, if you know you need to do something different or make a change or stop or start something like, just think about, like I said, how you could just incrementally get there, even if it's not an immediate, you know, black and white type of moment, like, how do you just start stepping toward that change, or having that conversation about the change needs to happen, or taking a pause, like you said, slowing down enough to notice that it's not working because I didn't slow down at all. I just kept trying harder and harder and harder.
Kim Meninger
And so I mean, the way that you're talking about it, it sounds like being bold in, in the framework that you outlined for us is a way of life. It's not something that you use at pivotal moments, right? It's actually a way of approaching because you mentioned incremental, right? There. Everything that we do is cumulative. Everything that we do leads us somewhere, right? So if we can start to put some of these practices in today, even if it seems insignificant, how we handle a certain meeting or how we handle a certain conversation, that all adds up to something.
Leigh Burgess
Right. Like you said, we either going somewhere, we're going nowhere. So I'd rather go somewhere, and it is incremental, and I think that's really important because one of the myths of being bold that I talk about too in the book is that everything's big and loud, and it's a whole continuum of being bold. You know, the quieter side, how we talk to ourselves, how we reframe our, our own language, that we speak to ourselves, all the way up to kind of the incremental step toward or the conversation or the I'm going to do things differently. I'm going to stop a particular cycle in my family, or I'm going to just, you know, I've gotten wrapped up in something that I don't need to be wrapped up in so, so tightly. So it's the incremental steps that add up. And like I said, My example is big and loud. I don't advise it, but I think it is kind of a tale of like, if you don't pay attention to the signs, if you feel like you can't do anything else, you know you're right, you know. So I think, for me, fueled with belief, and like you said, being an entrepreneur is not, you know, rainbows and butterflies every day. You have your really good days, and you have your low days. I feel like my lows last shorter than, than, you know, some of my lows that I was having certainly by the time I left the corporate world. So I think you can be a fit wherever you feel like you fit. And I just got to the point where I just felt like I didn't fit at that point.
Kim Meninger
And I think that's just going back to what you said too, about really listening, listening to your body, listening to the language you're using. I can't even count how many people I've talked to who have said, you know, the signs were all there, but I missed them, or I just plowed through.
Leigh Burgess
Other people could see them. Yes, you couldn't see it, right? Yeah, because I think my whole family could see it, and I just was working hard in my mind. But they're like, it's not healthy, it's not good, you know, you're, you're not okay, you know? And so even though they tried, like it took me getting to that point where I just had to make that choice, and the day I did it, they cheered. I mean, they were so happy for me. They were happy that we were going to figure it out, and that I could be, you know, just less of a stress ball and healthier, and, you know, come back into the world a little differently than I had been.
Kim Meninger
Is there for, for people listening who are, you know, thinking that's me? Okay, is there a one, like, first step that you would recommend, or, you know, any kind of sort of practical thing that they can start with?
Leigh Burgess
Sure, yeah. Because, I mean, I think the other thing is, there's a myth that just being bold as careless, reckless, and you're just looking and without, you know, you're leaping without looking. And it isn't that. It's one of the most practical pragmatic things you can do. For me, financial stability was one of my biggest fears that I had was like, how will we pay the bills? How will we do X, Y or Z? So if it's something similar to what I've described, and you feel like, you know, you need a change, if you need a change, that changes kind of the scope of, kind of what you bring in, or what you're doing, having that, that fiscal check, and looking at the, you know, the numbers, the x's and the O's, is really going to help. You know, okay, I need to wait three months, or I'm going to take some incremental steps. I'm going to save a little bit more here, and then I'm going to, you know, propose being an advisor, and if that doesn't work, then I'll, then I'll resign, like you can think about your exit strategy can be whatever you want it to be, and it can take as long as you want to be. But what's nice is saying in two years I'm going to leave, or in three years I'm going to leave, or whatever it may be. Usually, once you have a plan and you know, the what ifs, you know, you start to take action sooner. And that's what I've seen with my clients and those that I coach is one that once they change or put the date out there, and they can change the date, they can make it earlier, they can push it back, they're totally in charge of that. But I think once you kind of say, here's the moment, or here's the variable I'm looking for, you know, X number of savings, or a certain payout, or a vestiture, or whatever it may be. I really do think that financial peace is probably a good step if it's related to kind of changing your job, or changing how you'll operate in your in your work.
Kim Meninger
I think that's a really good tip because sometimes we think in all-or-nothing terms and we feel like, Uh oh, now I've gotta leave tomorrow as opposed, right? [Yeah.] You can create a runway of any length too because if you, if you don't have that peace of mind or your anxiety, it's going to be count, it's going to be, you know, counterproductive, right? Because the anxiety is just going to continue to skyrocket. But no, even just psychologically, knowing I have a plan, I'm, I like that. You use the term exit strategy, that will come with a renewed sense of power too.
Leigh Burgess
Yeah, and you're in charge, right? And no one needs to know about it, like, obviously, you might have close loved ones, or, you know, a partner that you're, you're working with, or even a parent, you know, like, you know, my mom is my best friend. So, like, she was the one I was most nervous to tell, you know, because, like, she's brought up in a way of work that's like, 401K and insurance and being a stable organization. Don't ever be an entrepreneur that's so risky, so, but she was one of the people that was happiest for me too. Like it was, I mean, I remember her response was, it's going to be so much healthier, right? So I think in that sense, like even she knew. So I do think for people to understand that it can be incremental when you create this plan, whatever your what's next is using the believe on Learn design process in the book. You go through exercises, you can go as slow, as fast as you want. At the end, you have your bold blueprint. So you actually have your blueprint that you can wrap your dates around, or you can wrap your goals around, so that you feel definitely more in control and having higher agency of what's next, versus if you don't do anything at all, like all you can do is react to what's happening, and it's just a much more proactive way to live.
Kim Meninger
Exactly. And so I, I'd love to let everybody know you, you mentioned the book. Where can people find the book? Where can they find you if they want more support from you?
Leigh Burgess
Yeah, definitely. So definitely check out my website, LeighBurgess com. There is a book tab. You can buy the book wherever books are sold online or in bookstores. So definitely pick it up if it's something that is of interest. And then the website really gets you into kind of everything I'm up to, where I am, and my traveling, and then to follow me on LinkedIn and Instagram.
Kim Meninger
Excellent. Well, I'll make sure those links are in the show notes as well. And thank you so much, Leigh. I really appreciate your sharing your story with us. I love your model, and I just appreciate the work that you're doing. So thank you for being here.
Leigh Burgess
Thank you very much for having me.