Burnout, Breakthroughs, and Building a Better Way - by Peta Thompson

I’ve been the burnt out entrepreneur. The alcoholic. The high school dropout. The soldier. At 19, I started my first business and by 23, I had my own Pty Ltd company. I’ve worked 7 days a week for a year straight as a skydiving instructor and frequently worked 60 – 80 hour weeks as an entrepreneur, launching five projects at once while trying to grow my business, hold space for others, and launch a podcast, all while working two jobs. If I didn’t make a change, there was only one way this was going to end.

I’ve burned myself out by chasing certifications, signing up for course after course, mentorship programs, coaching programs, always telling myself I just needed this one thing, it's the missing piece of the puzzle to finally feel be “enough.” There was a point when a naturopath told me my adrenal fatigue was so severe that I needed to take cortisol orally just to function.

Beyond my entrepreneurial journey, I’ve worn many hats. I was a skydiving instructor, jumping up to 16 times a day with people of all kinds strapped to my body, teaching me how to override the stress response in its rawest form. I’ve been a completely green HR professional, supporting nearly 200 employees without formal training or guidance, figuring it all out through resources and short courses I was able to get my hands on. I’ve worked as a recruiter in the demanding cannabis industry, hiring all kinds, from production workers to CEOs to highly specialized technical roles. Along the way, I’ve built systems and processes for businesses of all kinds, from aluminum factories, military offices still clinging to fax machines, remote start-ups, breweries, and more.

I accomplished all of this while quietly watching my personal relationships and self-care routines slip through the cracks. It’s a reality I ignored for far too long, but one that taught me some of my most valuable lessons.

What I know now, that I didn’t know then, contrary to popular belief, is that being a successful entrepreneur or business owner does not have to mean burnout, overwhelm, and isolation. But for many of us, that’s where the path leads.

The question that changed everything for me

I’ll never forget when one of my coaches asked me, “How would you describe your relationship with life?”

This was an incredibly difficult question for me to consider. The ‘parts’ of myself that showed up in response, tugging at one another like a game of tug-o-war, were brutal. But it gave me clarity. Somewhere along the way, I’d severely sacrificed my relationship with life. I wasn’t living, I was surviving. I was constantly chasing the next thing, thinking it would fill some invisible void; the next training, the next mentorship, the next workshop to facilitate.

But why? Because two core beliefs had been subconsciously running the show:

1. Scarcity mindset - the fear and mentality that there’s never enough, that I’ll never have enough.

2. Self worth - “I’m not enough” - the belief that no matter how hard I work, I’ll never be

enough.

These beliefs had been with me for most of my life. I left high school at 17 to join the military, and for the longest time, couldn’t see how deeply that had imprinted me, until I finally stopped long enough to take a good, hard look at what was driving me.

Healing in Isolation

This year, I took part in a sacred healing tradition that involves deep isolation, silence, and a diet stripped of distractions. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, and yet it offered me space for deep, hidden truths to finally surface.

1. I am a deeply social being, but I’d been starving myself of connection. Even though I'd been constantly surrounded by people through work, trainings, or events, I’d never felt

so lonely.

2. My drive to take on more and more was less about passion or ambition and was primarily about trying to prove that I was worthy, that I was enough. And in doing so, I

had completely neglected the parts of my life that needed nurturing: relationships, creativity, rest, and spirituality and ritual.

Building a new way

Awareness changes everything. Once I recognized how these beliefs were driving my decisions, I was able to work with them instead of letting them control me. Now, I’m intentionally creating a life that feels balanced. I’ve learned how to dismantle those limiting beliefs, rewire my habits, and build routines that serve me as a human in this lifetime, not just as a business owner. I’ve restored relationships, reconnected with creativity, and learned how to pour energy into the things that truly matter. And guess what? My work didn’t suffer. It actually flourished!

Why I’m sharing this

If you see a version of yourself in this story, I want you to know that It doesn’t have to be this way. Burnout and overwhelm aren’t badges of honour, they’re alarm bells. And while the journey out of that cycle isn’t easy, it’s absolutely possible.

The truth is, I wouldn’t have been able to make these changes on my own. I needed the right people to ask me the right questions with the right amount of compassion. I needed guidance, space, and accountability to make real changes.

That’s why I’m so excited to be launching Empower: Business and Wellness Coaching with Rāj Chahāl at Rāja Accounting.

Empower is designed for entrepreneurs and business owners who are ready to build lives and businesses that don’t just survive, but thrive, without self-sacrifice. We’ll be sharing the tools, insights, and strategies that have helped us (and so many others) break free from burnout and find balance, clarity, and fulfillment in our work and lives. I’ll be drawing from my experience in the business world, as well as the yoga and somatic therapy worlds. Rāj will be incorporating his expertise with Holistic Accounting, financial well-being, and his trauma and money and money and mindfulness workshops.

But more importantly, we’ll be offering the same kind of support that changed everything for me: compassionate questions, real conversations, and the kind of guidance that leads to lasting transformation.

Because you deserve to love your life and your work. And you don’t have to do it alone.