We recently connected with M.B. Thurman and have shared our conversation below.
M.B., thrilled to have you on the platform as I think our readers can really benefit from your insights and experiences. In particular, we’d love to hear about how you think about burnout, avoiding or overcoming burnout, etc.
Ambition is something I’ve never lacked, but knowing when to quiet those ambitions has truly been the struggle of my career. Almost five years ago, I left corporate to purchase a bed & breakfast with my husband and pursue my dreams of becoming a published author. I traded my city commute for walking across the wooden bridge that spans the creek between my inn and my cottage. I dumped company meetings for baking cinnamon rolls, and I stopped living my life around others’ schedules and curated my own. Sounds idyllic, right? But what I didn’t realize was there would soon be so much to do that I could work around the clock and still never quite catch up. We’ve had water leaks and extensive remodeling, learned how to manage personnel and payroll, were shocked by taxes and insurance, and learned to operate a 24/7 business that comes with an endless to-do list. It’s been beautiful and ridiculously challenging, the best and the worst, and I wouldn’t change a thing.
However, when I decided to publish two books while still running the inn full-time, I leapt head-first into a season of very little sleep and more work than any one person should ever consider taking on. And while I achieved my goals—both books released on time, we ran a successful launch campaign, which included an incredible book launch event, and the inn stayed on track—I had to ask myself at what cost. My physical and mental health declined, and I crashed the moment I reached the finish line for the books. I experienced a season of burnout and illness that I never could have anticipated. It was a difficult and lengthy lesson. After 14 years in the workforce believing that I could do and have it all if I just worked hard enough, I realized that not only had I been missing far too much joy in life, but a key piece of my life was also missing.
I finally understood that I wasn’t living for myself.
When I made the connection, I took hold of my life once more and began making necessary changes. I spoke with my publisher and delayed the release of my third book. I stepped down as a performer from a role that I enjoyed but realized I was mostly doing to please others. I reevaluated our workload and processes at the inn and restructured until we found a better balance. And I asked for grace from everyone in my life while I recovered from the fallout of what I had done to myself.
The lesson was brutal, but it was equally necessary. I know now that I am better for it. Life these days is different. I’m still busy, but I’ve learned to extend grace to myself and to form habits that help me maintain my balance. I no longer push myself past my limits. I no longer work until I crash. I no longer say yes to opportunities that are not meant for me. I’m much more protective of my time, my schedule, and my bandwidth. I’ve learned to truly evaluate each and every opportunity and to walk away when it isn’t right. This has unequivocally changed my life for the better.
If you’re struggling with saying yes even when you should say no, if you push yourself to the point of burnout, if you pursue opportunities even when you know they aren’t right for the fear that you’ll miss the chance forever… if you feel completely overwhelmed and burnt out right now, know that you aren’t alone. It isn’t easy to overcome years of patterned behavior to forge a new path forward—but it is possible. I’m living proof. If you identify with what I’ve shared, I invite you to stop, breathe, and evaluate your priorities and your workload. It’s okay to say no. It’s okay to take care of yourself. Burnout isn’t a badge of honor; it’s a worst-case scenario.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned on this journey, it’s this: we’re only given so much time in this life… so, live it.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I traded my corporate career as an executive assistant to purchase the Miller Tree Inn in Forks, Washington. My husband and I own and operate the inn, spending most of our days prepping breakfast, chatting with guests, and spending time alongside our incredible team keeping things on track. The inn is most notably known for being designated as the local Cullen House from the Twilight Saga. The Forks Chamber of Commerce gave us this designation due to how similarly we match Stephenie Meyer’s description of the house. We have eight guest rooms and are situated just on the edge of town next to a lovely field with low mountains just beyond.
I’ve also pursued my dream of becoming a published author! The third book in my romantasy book series (The Summoned Series) releases September 9th, 2025. We’ll be celebrating the book launch on September 10th, and we have four tickets left for this immersive event. We’ll be joined by four members of the Summoned cast, two members of the Summoned music team, and my editor from Contrarian Publishing (she and I will have a Q&A)!
My next scheduled in-person appearance after the book launch event is Friday, September 12th at the Forever Twilight in Forks Festival. We’ll add a few other appearances for the fall, and I’d love to see you!! You can keep up with that schedule on my Instagram page or by signing up for my newsletter over on my website.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
If I had to name the top three contributing factors in my journey, I’d say perseverance, a belief in myself, and my desire to learn from others.
It can be difficult to keep going when things don’t seem to be working out. I’ve known for a long time that I wasn’t meant to work for someone else, that I needed to create something of my own. Along the way, I’ve heard one word quite a bit: no. If I had stopped each time I heard that word, I’d have given up on my dream of being an author and a business owner a long time ago. But because I believed in myself, I kept going. I’m not the smartest person in the room, and I know it! I’ve learned so much from other people over the years: business owners, coworkers, parents, friends, countless people I’ve met while traveling, and the list goes on. I’m honored to have had such diverse mentors over the years and been able to soak up their wisdom. I know I’ll never stop learning on this journey, and it’s part of what makes being a business owner and an author exciting and rewarding.
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
I’m always looking to collaborate with other creatives! At Summoned, we’re a small team of creatives who are passionate about storytelling and are always looking for other talented individuals who would be a good fit for our team. We focus on bringing the story of Summoned to life through visual media, audio projects, photoshoots, music, in-person events, and more by partnering with Firecracker Entertainment, a production company I founded with Samantha Rose Baldwin, the lead actress on the Summoned team. We’re currently looking for musical artists, as well as performers who would be interested in our immersive events. Our Instagram pages are a great place to start if you’d like to check out what we’re doing. @thesummonedseries @firecrackerentertainment
Contact Info:
- Website: www.mbthurman.com
- Instagram: @mbt_writes
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SummonedSeries
- Other: https://www.threads.com/@mbt_writes
Image Credits
Britt Byrd
Charles Krause
Darrian Kirksey
