Meet Tina Kapp-Kailea

We were lucky to catch up with Tina Kapp-Kailea recently and have shared our conversation below.

Tina, 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.

For me to overcome burnout, I had to learn about all the nuances that burnout can have and understand what it meant. I really wasn’t aware of all the symptoms or the effect that prolonged stress has on the body. I used to believe that being busy and stressed was just normal and that burnout was just a catchphrase.

For years, I was the woman who “had it all”—on paper. The high-powered career, the big title, the relentless drive to achieve more. I had convinced myself that exhaustion was just part of the game, that success required sacrifice, and that stress was just part of the deal. I ignored the sleepless nights, the creeping anxiety, and the way my body begged me to slow down. But I wasn’t listening or in tune—I was too busy.

Burnout wasn’t something I had time for—I had deadlines, responsibilities, and a career to uphold. I would have carried on, but it all came to a head when I was trying to have a baby. My burnout crept in quietly, disguising itself as ambition, productivity, and drive—until one day, it knocked me flat. The result? I miscarried five times while being trapped in a corporate hamster wheel I had created. My body—my nervous system—was broken. I had adrenal fatigue, my cortisol levels were through the roof, and I was battling anxiety and depression. The emotional and physical toll of what I had gone through was too much. My body decided for me that I had to stop. I had hit rock bottom. I felt hollow.

That was my wake-up call. I walked out of the office one day knowing something had to change.
It was the moment I knew that I wasn’t just under stress—I was burned out. I had suffered a complete breakdown, and my body did not deem it “safe” to carry a pregnancy to full term.

And that’s when everything changed. It was a difficult time in my life, and the road to recovery started by taking radical self-responsibility. I had to break an entire cycle and rewire my belief system around how I approached life, work, and leadership. I learned to come back into my body, how the body holds and responds to trauma, and how our subconscious conditioning can run the show without us even realizing it.

I learned to set boundaries without feeling guilty, redefine my worth beyond productivity, and listen to my body instead of overriding it. I made peace with my past and stopped chasing a life that looked good on paper—I built one that felt good to live. I also built a great community for support and incorporated a lot of somatic practices into my daily routines—my non-negotiables.

My big takeaway: Burnout isn’t a failure—it’s a wake-up call.
It forced me to ask myself: What does success look like if I’m not burning myself to the ground to achieve it? What would it mean to lead from alignment instead of exhaustion?

And that? That created freedom—my real definition of success.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I believe that we’ve been sold a lie: that our worth is tied to our productivity. I found that from a young age, most women are taught to overdeliver, overextend, and prove themselves twice as hard—at work, at home, in relationships, and everywhere else. And for many high-achieving women, that conditioning runs so deep that slowing down feels like failure. I lived that lie for four decades, and I paid a high price for it. I do not wish for any other woman to experience that.

When I began reclaiming myself and dove into my conditioning and how that showed up in my life—the stories I told myself—I started questioning everything I had been taught about “success.”

• What if pushing harder wasn’t the answer?
• What if doing more wasn’t the goal?
• What if I could feel fulfilled, not just accomplished?
• What if, as women, we could be “full of ourselves”?
• What if we could embrace our femininity and align with that energy?

The problem is burnout doesn’t happen overnight. It builds up over time—we say “yes” when we want to say “no,” push through exhaustion, and ignore our body’s signals. Then, one day, we wake up and realize that we don’t even recognize ourselves anymore. We have lost our essence.

The shift starts when we realize that success and well-being are not mutually exclusive—that we don’t have to choose between being ambitious and being healthy. It’s about realigning with what truly matters, setting unapologetic boundaries, and leading from a place of power—not depletion.

My book, Corporate Rewilding – A Wild Woman’s Guide to Reclaiming Your Feminine Power, shares my journey back to self—the lessons and the reflection process we need to go through to understand what makes us tick. “Rewilding” means “returning to its natural state,” and that is exactly what we can do—if we give ourselves permission.

That’s what led me to develop R.E.A.L.I.G.N., a seven-step framework that helped me rebuild my life—without burnout, without the constant hustle, and without sacrificing my well-being for success. Now, I help high-achieving women do the same. When we have that wake-up call, and when we answer it, we don’t just survive. We thrive.

If you had told me years ago that I’d be running a global movement helping high-achieving women break free from burnout, I would have laughed—probably while sipping my third coffee of the morning, convincing myself I was totally fine. But here I am, and I can tell you that despite a busy schedule and endless opportunities, I’ve never been more aligned with my purpose.
I’ve made it my mission to be a disruptor and agitator—a wild executive—so that I can be the living, breathing permission slip for other women to break free from the hustle and put themselves first. I want to light a spark in the women who have become mere shadows of their former selves and guide them back to embracing life and getting their mojo back—in life and business. I know that we can change our lives. If I can do it, so can they. I know that every time I share my story—on stage, on podcasts, or through my writing—I reach a woman who feels that same disconnect.

I created R.E.A.L.I.G.N. because I lived the story so many of my clients are still trapped in. Women who “have it all”—successful careers, influence, a life that looks picture-perfect from the outside—but behind the scenes, they’re running on empty. They’re exhausted, overextended, and questioning if this is really all there is to life.

My work as an embodiment coach is about rewriting that narrative. Through coaching, workshops, immersive retreats, and speaking engagements, I guide women to reclaim their energy, realign their beliefs, and redefine success on their own terms. The REALIGN framework is more than just a process—it’s a life-redirect, a permission slip, and a roadmap back to living “full of yourself” and being unapologetic in how you show up.

Right now, I’m expanding my impact in big ways:
• Offering my REALIGN Mastermind & Workshops globally—for women ready to break the burnout cycle, rediscover who they are, and step into a new way of being.
• Speaking on more global stages—because the conversation about success and well-being needs a serious overhaul.
• Growing the REALIGN movement—bringing this work to corporate teams, entrepreneurs, and changemakers who are tired of sacrificing themselves for success.
• Launching immersive retreats to offer women a powerful space to disconnect from the noise and reconnect with themselves.
• Collaborating with like-minded women to magnify our collective impact.

What excites me most?
Watching women reclaim their power. Seeing them set bold boundaries without guilt. Watching them go from doubting their worth to owning their space—unapologetically. That transformation is why I do this, and I know how good life feels on the other side of burnout.

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?

When I reflect on my journey, the three most impactful qualities and skills that shaped my path were radical self-awareness, strong boundary-setting, and truly embodying my leadership and the purpose of my business. Each of these played a vital role in my transformation and personal growth beyond the superficial affirmations of self-development. “The only way out is in” is one of my favorite quotes. Going from burnout to balance takes courage, as it requires a deep dive into your subconscious—your shadow self, the parts you’re avoiding, are ashamed of, or are reluctant to face. I had to learn how to shift from constantly proving myself and seeking external validation to stepping fully into my power—unapologetically.

Radical Self-Awareness

The first step to realigning my life and the way I viewed success was getting honest about what wasn’t working. Many high-achieving women push through discomfort, ignoring the signs that something is off—until their bodies force them to stop. In my work, I intercept that trajectory and REALIGN a woman’s path before she breaks down. Learning to tune in rather than override was a game-changer for me, and it is for many of my clients. My advice? Develop a practice of reflection—whether it’s journaling, meditation, or simply pausing to check in with how you feel. The sooner you recognize misalignment, the sooner you can course-correct.

Mastering Boundaries

This is a big one and often difficult for women to allow. I used to say “yes” to everything—at work, in relationships, even when I was running on empty. True leadership in business requires strong self-leadership (and true freedom), and if that is missing, things get out of balance. It requires knowing when to say no, without guilt. For women, this can be one of the hardest things to master because we’re conditioned to be agreeable and accommodating. As a recovering people-pleaser, I know this firsthand. My advice? Start small. Set one clear boundary today, honor it, and watch how it transforms your energy and confidence.

Embodied Leadership

Leadership isn’t just about what you know—it’s about how you show up and, as women, how we feel. Integrity and personal values need to be aligned with what we do. In a world that glorifies hustle culture, I had to unlearn the belief that power comes from pushing harder and having a big title and instead, lean into leading from alignment, presence, and intuition. My advice? Learn to listen to your body, trust its wisdom, and lead from a place of authenticity rather than obligation. Your energy speaks louder than your words. If you feel like you have to put on a mask to function every day, that’s a big red flag—it’s exhausting, and it will lead to burnout.

If you’re early in your journey, my biggest advice is to invest in your own growth—whether through coaching and mentorship, self-inquiry, or simply making space to hear your own voice. Success isn’t about doing more; it’s about becoming more of who you truly are.

It took me almost a decade to come back to equilibrium, and I sought help along the way with a lot of trial and error. My REALIGN framework is a roadmap for women to find their way home to themselves again—guided by someone who has been there. Investing in help is not selfish—it means you honor your needs and are ready to make a change. If you are hesitant to ask for help and invest, ask yourself: What is the cost of staying stuck where you are?

Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?

Ironically, the book that played the most significant role in my development wasn’t one I read—it was the one I wrote. Corporate Rewilding has been my most impactful book: my own story, written for those who need it most—a courageous act of freedom by putting it all out there.

I had vowed to write my story as an ode to the babies I lost along my journey, a way to make it okay for other women to feel seen and heard. So many of us suffer in silence, afraid to show vulnerability, afraid to admit that we’re lost. My book was my way of breaking that silence.

Despite spending over a decade in publishing, writing my story was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. It had me on my knees, crying, as I revisited the darkest moments of my life—miscarriage, burnout, losing myself to the relentless pursuit of success. And yet, in writing it, I found healing. I found clarity. I found a mission greater than myself. The feedback from women who have read it has humbled me and fueled my mission further—I call it a wink from the universe that I am on the right track, and it keeps me going when things do get hard.

That book didn’t just change me—it changed the course of my work. It led me to create a whole new arm of my business as what I call a “rebel publisher.” I now help other women write and birth their own deeply personal books, not through a rigid “write your book in 90 days” formula, but through a space that honors their story, their healing, and their truth. It is profound and something that deeply fulfills me.

Because AI can write content, but it can’t hold space for trauma. It can’t weave together the raw human experience the way we spell words—you’re casting a spell, recording a legacy. And I found that’s the missing link in so many book coaching programs today.

Writing my book was more than just an accomplishment—it was an initiation, a portal showing me that growth lies where the fear is. Being afraid of being fully seen resonated with a lot of women, and by transmuting that fear, I have become unapologetic. I actually changed my title on my business card to Unapologetic Wild Woman and Possibility Agent. I show others what’s possible. Now, I help other women step into that same power, using their stories to heal, transform, and create real impact.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.femmepreneurpathfinder.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_femmepreneur
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tinakkailea
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tinakkailea
• Other: Linktree:
  https://www.femmepreneurpathfinder.com/instagram

Image Credits

Image credits:
Rachel Lochhead
Marie Ferguson