Meet Michelle Mehta

We recently connected with Michelle Mehta and have shared our conversation below.

Michelle , so great to have you with us today. There are so many topics we want to ask you about, but perhaps the one we can start with is burnout. How have you overcome or avoided burnout?

Have you ever poured your heart and soul into your career, worked tirelessly to be a high performer, took pride in every task, and stayed fueled by passion—until one day… you just weren’t? That was me.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been driven by a deep desire to help people. When I stumbled into life coaching, it felt like finding my calling. I started out with a clear purpose: I wanted to make a difference, and I wanted to do it for the right reasons. My business began with a heart-centered mission, mostly working with professional women in their 30s to 50s who were desperate for a healthier work-life balance. They needed permission to put themselves first, and I was honored to guide them.

Those first few years were incredibly fulfilling. The results were tangible, and the feedback was heartfelt. I was making a difference. Then, word spread, and before I knew it, I was being asked to support a new group: teenagers in middle and high school who were struggling with confidence and motivation. Becoming a Teen Confidence Coach changed everything. Suddenly, I had purpose, credibility, and impact on a whole new level. During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, I became an International Best Selling Author, a TEDx Speaker, and was widely recognized as a Teen Confidence Expert.

I was living the dream—until I wasn’t.

At first, I couldn’t put my finger on why I felt off. I still loved the work. I loved the teens. I knew I was making a difference. However, the emotional weight was getting heavier by the day. The results I was striving for didn’t seem to match the effort I was putting in. Parents were overwhelmed, teens were facing unprecedented uncertainty, and I started doubting myself. Should I still be a coach? Should I switch careers again? What was happening to me?

It took me a while to realize it, but I was experiencing burnout, and it hit hard. Despite all my achievements, I found myself at a crossroad feeling emotionally drained, mentally scattered, and questioning whether I even belonged in the role I had worked so hard to build.

In the midst of all this doubt, I forced myself to remember the years of time, energy, and love I had poured into building this career. Walking away didn’t feel right, but I knew something had to change. So I started taking small steps by hiring a business coach.

Why? Because I had lost my “happiness factor.” The spark that used to drive me was gone. I needed guidance, a fresh perspective, and support from someone who could see what I couldn’t. Working with a coach helped me realize something crucial, I had outgrown my passion working with teenagers. What I had been interpreting as personal failure was actually a natural part of growth. I learned that it’s normal to evolve, and sometimes that means shifting focus.

With support, I was able to focus on coaching professional women experiencing burnout in their careers and personal lives—the very same burnout I had faced. This shift wasn’t just strategic; it was healing. I wasn’t abandoning my passion for helping people—I was refining it. This time, I did it with more wisdom, healthier boundaries, and a sustainable approach.

Now, I support women who, like me, once felt stuck in a cycle of giving too much and losing themselves in the process. I help guide them back to clarity, balance, and fulfillment. I do it with empathy that only comes from lived experience.

Burnout taught me one of the most important lessons of my career: success doesn’t make you immune to burnout. In fact, the more heart you put into your work, the more vulnerable you may be, especially if you don’t have the right systems and support in place. I also learned that burnout isn’t a sign of failure; it’s a signal for change. Getting support from a coach, mentor, or community can be the very thing that pulls you out of doubt and into clarity to reclaim your purpose.

If you’re reading this and you feel stuck, lost, or exhausted—even in the work you once loved—know that it’s okay. You’re not broken. You may simply be at a transition point, just like I was. You don’t have to quit, but you do have to listen to yourself.

Sometimes, burnout isn’t the end of the road—it’s the beginning of a new chapter. Trust me, it can be even more aligned, fulfilling, and impactful than you ever imagined.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

As a professional, you know what it means to pour your heart into your work. You’re always reaching for the next goal, driven by passion, and the desire to make a real impact. However, even the most dedicated people can find themselves running on empty. Burnout isn’t a sign that you’re not strong enough—it’s a signal that something needs to change.

I understand this deeply, because I’ve experienced it myself. There was a time when I thought pushing harder was the answer, but all it did was leave me exhausted and disconnected from the very purpose that once inspired me. That journey taught me that burnout isn’t just about working too much; it’s about losing touch with what truly matters and forgetting to care for yourself along the way.

That’s why I’ve made it my mission to help professionals like you break through the barriers that keep you from thriving. My goal is to support purpose-driven individuals in creating lives that are also rich with love, creativity, and meaning. Most importantly, you don’t have to sacrifice your wellbeing to achieve your dreams.

My own transformation inspired me to create a resource. I’m excited to share my free eBook, “Breaking Free From Burnout: Reclaim Confidence for a Fulfilling Life and Career.” This is a practical roadmap based on real experience. Inside, I share the seven proven steps that have helped countless clients, and me personally, to move beyond burnout and build lives that feel aligned, energized, and deeply fulfilling.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, stuck, or just longing for more clarity and ease, this guide is for you. It will help you reconnect with your purpose, identify the real causes behind your burnout, and realign your goals with your core values. You’ll learn how to build confidence from within, and most importantly, how to reclaim your time, energy, and joy.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Over the past several years, my coaching journey has taken me on a rollercoaster ride of exhilarating highs, tough setbacks, self-doubt, and moments of profound clarity. Looking back, I can see that a handful of lessons truly shaped the path I’m on today. These aren’t just business strategies or motivational quotes—they’re hard-won truths that have guided me through uncertainty and helped me move forward with more purpose and confidence. Whether you’re building a business, reinventing yourself, or simply trying to figure out your next step, I hope these lessons resonate with you as much as they did with me.

The first game-changer for me was deciding to work with a coach. I’ll admit, I hesitated at first. Was it really worth the investment? Once I took the leap, I realized that a great coach is so much more than a source of advice. They become your accountability partner, your sounding board, and sometimes, your biggest cheerleader. A coach sees your potential even when you can’t, and they challenge you to step into it. Of course, it only works if you’re willing to show up and do the work, but that’s where the magic happens. I started to see myself the way my coach did, with more capability and possibility than I’d ever acknowledged.

Another lesson that’s made all the difference is learning to stay open—open-minded, open-eyed, open-eared, and open-hearted. Opportunities don’t always arrive with a big announcement. Sometimes they show up as a passing comment, a chance encounter, or a gut feeling you can’t quite explain. I’ve found that when I let go of rigid expectations and stay receptive, life has a way of surprising me in the best ways. Being open isn’t just about noticing opportunities, it’s about trusting that the right things will come and being emotionally ready to say “YES!” when they do. It’s easy to miss out if you’re closed off or too focused on a single outcome.

Of course, there have been plenty of moments when I felt like giving up especially when the results didn’t match the effort, or when I just felt lost. In those times, I learned the importance of coming back into alignment with myself—mind, body, and soul. My mind helps me analyze what’s working and what needs to change. My body gives me signals—sometimes subtle, sometimes impossible to ignore—about whether or not I’m on the right track. My soul, well, that’s where my purpose and values live. I’ve realized that when these three parts of me are in sync, I feel clear and resilient, even when things get tough. When they’re not, that’s when I start to doubt and lose steam.

If I could offer one piece of advice to anyone on a similar journey, it would be this: Get clear on what you really want—not what others expect from you, but what truly lights you up. Find people who share your values and aspirations, and don’t be afraid to let them in. Be willing to share your dreams, even if it feels vulnerable. The truth is, you’re not alone. There are people out there who genuinely want to support you, but they can’t help if you don’t reach out. Asking for help isn’t a weakness—it’s often the thing that changes everything. So be clear, be vulnerable, and let yourself be supported. You never know where it might lead.

Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?

There was a time in my life when feeling overwhelmed wasn’t just an occasional annoyance—it was the background noise of my every day. I’d wake up with a mental to-do list already running, fueled by genuine passion for my coaching career, and yet, I’d freeze. Instead of moving forward, I’d find myself stuck in an endless loop of overthinking, which led to inaction, then guilt, then frustration, and finally, burnout. If you’ve ever found yourself paralyzed by your own ambitions, you know exactly what I mean.

This cycle, often called analysis paralysis, slowly started to drain the joy and energy out of the very things that once lit me up. I’d get frustrated with myself for not acting sooner, which only made the pressure worse and deepened my sense of failure. The work I loved—helping others grow, building something meaningful—began to feel impossibly heavy. That’s when I realized I wasn’t just stuck; I was truly burned out.

In the middle of that burnout, one quote from Mahatma Gandhi kept echoing in my mind: “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” At first, it felt like a cliché. However, as the days went by, it started to feel more like a challenge. If I wanted to help others find clarity and purpose, I had to start by modeling it in my own life. I didn’t need to be perfect; I just needed to take one small, intentional step forward.

That’s when the idea for my book was born. I started to ask myself: what if we stopped letting Monday dictate the tone of our week? What if we could prepare for success, celebration, and intention before the week even began? That’s how I started writing Friday: The New Monday – 52 Secrets to Set Up Your Week Before It Begins. This book became more than just a productivity guide; it was my lifeline, a way to reclaim my time, energy, and mindset. I wrote it for anyone who’s ever felt trapped by overwhelm, constantly trying to catch up, and desperate for a better way to start the week.

Why Friday? Most people wait until Monday to get their head in the game, but by then, they’re already behind. What I share in my book is that using Friday to celebrate your wins (no matter how small), reflect on what worked and what didn’t (without judgment), and plan for the next week puts you in the driver’s seat. You start Monday not with dread, but with a sense of calm, clarity, and confidence. You have a roadmap, and your mindset is ready to match it.

At its core, Friday: The New Monday is about helping you prioritize yourself. When you take care of your mindset, your energy, and your emotional clarity first, your decisions, your productivity, and your ability to stay motivated becomes easier to handle, even when things get tough. It’s not just about getting more done; it’s about feeling more in control, more aligned, and more like yourself again.

If you’re caught in overwhelm and burnout, I want you to know: you’re not lazy, you’re not broken, and you’re not behind. Maybe you just need a new rhythm or a new way to approach your week, a mindset shift that brings you back to your purpose. Writing Friday: The New Monday was a huge part of my own healing. It helped me move from burnout to action, and from paralysis to purpose. And I truly believe it can help you do the same.

Start small. Start on a Friday. Start with yourself. That’s how I reclaimed my motivation and you can, too.

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