Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Neha O’Rourke. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Neha, thanks for joining us today. Can you share an important lesson you learned in a prior job that’s helped you in your career afterwards?

The most important lesson I learned was through epic mental, emotional and physical breakdown in my ad career.

Prior to starting my coaching company, I used to work in advertising and from the outside looking in, I had everything together in my career: I was working at the top ad agencies, made six-figures, worked with some of the best brands, got promoted quickly, and was on the path of what society deems “successful.”

What you didn’t know is that I was breaking from death by 1,000 cuts. I worked 60-80 hour weeks, had 12 bosses in 4 years, was chained to my email, never made it to the gym, was eating frozen meals because I hadn’t made time to cook and rarely saw my friends and family because when I had any free time, I wanted to sit at home in a groutfit watching Netflix until it shamed me (this was pre-pandemic when the groutfit wasn’t as socially acceptable😜).

Needless to say, my tank was on “E”, but I kept going because I loved the people I worked with, I was challenged and I thought I was doing what I was “supposed” to be doing. But on the inside, I felt numb, unhappy, unfulfilled, and in “survival mode” with my career.

Because I kept ignoring those feelings, at one point my body physically started to shut down – I came home crying every day, my hair was falling out, I didn’t sleep and was constantly exhausted. I was burned out and hit breakdown mode. It was my body’s way of saying – NO MORE.

I allowed my career to suck the life out of me. It had become my entire life and I had lost sight of who I was and what was important to me. I was doing what society deems as “successful” because I was following the traditional path. However, it didn’t make me happy.

My now husband saw me struggling and was actually the one who encouraged me to quit. I had no plan of what I was going to do.

I quit my job with one goal in mind – prioritize my well-being and figure out how to design my career and life around what is important to me and what fills up my cup.

I was terrified. No, petrified. Up until this point, there was a plan to life:

Go to a good college → work at the best companies → climb the ladder → etc.

For the first time in my life, I didn’t have a path to follow and that was nerve wracking. Not to mention, my identity as an adult was being the ad gal and all of a sudden I didn’t have that. Who the hell was I now?

I was about to find out.

My burning desire to figure out my purpose and how to design a career around the life I wanted personally and professionally quickly became my mission. And after a messy 2 years of trial and error, I finally got clear on my purpose and the career and lifestyle that would fulfill me. And today, I get to help people do the same.

The lesson:
– It’s important to know what YOUR definition of “success” is, both personally and professionally. And let’s be clear: it’s not what society tells you “you should do”, it’s not your parent’s vision of it, it’s not what your company outlines, but what “success” means to YOU deep down inside. Because if you ignore your own needs, feelings and definition of success and instead live life based on everybody else’s definition of “success”, you will end up burned out, unfulfilled and unhappy. Because at the end of the day, you are not being true to yourself. We each have unique needs, abilities, desires and definitions of success. The more you honor your own unique definition of success and ways to attain it, the more fulfillment, joy and energy you’re going to experience!

Neha, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Neha O’Rourke and I’m the Founder, and Award-Winning Career & Energy Coach at Somewhere In Between Coaching.

I named my company “Somewhere In Between Coaching” because I realized, more often than not, when we’re in an undefined “between” place we label ourselves as confused, in crisis, or merely an outsider. I wanted to help change that thinking because it’s those moments “in between” where we learn, grow, come home to ourselves and experience life’s magic!

And this not just a job for me. In fact, through my own self-discovery journey, which resulted in my company, I’ve realized it’s my purpose and life’s work.

I’ve gone from being burned out, lost and unfulfilled to discovering my purpose and leading a career and life I can’t get enough of! And in turn, I’ve helped thousands of people get the tools to uncover their purpose, have more career and life satisfaction, recover from burnout, gain work-life alignment, grow their confidence, heal and so much more!

And it hasn’t been by chance.

I always say, “when you walk in your purpose, you are inevitably destined for success”.

And my story is a direct example of it.

Within three months of starting my business, without a certification (ya girl’s burnout depleted her savings), I was named 20 on the Rise in the coaching industry by Honeybook and Rising Tide Society.

My thought leadership has been featured in publications such as: The Lily by The Washington Post, Apartment Therapy, The Chic and Yoga Digest and on WGN News and Fox 32.

I’m also a published contributing author – I had the honor of being selected to collaborate with some of the best coaches from around the world to create a book with our top wellness hacks for the busy professional trying to lead a healthier lifestyle, both personally and professionally.

And my range of services — including 1:1 Coaching, Audio Courses, Group Workshops, and Public Appearances — have been embraced by brands such as Expedia, WeWork, Athleta, NEMA, The Wing, and more.

I truly know I was able to achieve all of that, because it was my purpose. And when I launched, I made it a goal to get certified as soon as I earned enough to do so. And I did just that.

I got trained through one of the top ICF accredited programs and today I am an ICF Professional Certified Coach, iPEC Certified Professional Coach and Energy Leadership Index Master Practitioner.

But above all of that, I am simply a human being walking in their purpose, both personally and professionally, and enjoying every moment of it. And it’s my honor to help you do the same while you enjoy all of life’s moments Somewhere In Between.

How to work with us:

1. Discover You Purposeful Career & Life: The Audio Experience

– Who it’s for: Anyone who is feeling burned out and stuck in their career, but is struggling to figure out what’s next. You want a more fulfilling career that allows you to not only feel fulfilled and energized while using your strengths to their fullest potential, but also have a life outside of work.

– What it is: This is an audio course + group coaching program that is designed to help you heal from burnout and get clarity on a fulfilling career and life path, rooted in your purpose.

– Learn more here: https://sibcareercoaching.com/course/

2. 1:1 Coaching

– Who it’s for: Anyone who is looking to improve their life or career satisfaction, show up in their purpose, heal from burnout, grow personally and professionally, and find more joy and fulfillment in their life! This format is perfect for those who enjoy a more intimate setting for support

– What it is: High-touch weekly 1:1 coaching calls where you get to work directly with me and each session is customized specifically for your needs

– Book a FREE consult here: https://hello.dubsado.com/public/form/view/5f9ae2d21362f270abecb047

3. Speaking & Workshops

– Who it’s for: Companies, communities and brands who want to light up the world through humanizing important conversations and providing practical tools to ignite lasting, empowered and impactful change

– What it is: A custom experience with an award-winning coach that empowers your audience. Formats include: keynote speaking, workshops, retreats and brand partnerships

– Book an intro call to learn more: https://hello.dubsado.com/public/appointment-scheduler/5fb5da7e9d413367948e7a93/schedule

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Knowing who I am (and who I’m not) and why I am here.

After getting clear on my purpose, my why and what makes me unique, I’ve been able to show up authentically in my market. And I firmly believe authenticity will always win because out of the 7.7 BILLION people on this planet, there is ONLY 1 YOU.

That is purposeful. YOU are purposeful.

You being YOU is your competitive advantage.

Show up authentically and own who you are and your reputation will flourish.

Because when you walk in your purpose, you are destined for success.

Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?

Listening to your intuition.

It’s time to stop ignoring the wealth of knowledge that is within YOU. Your intuition has the answers. You just need to give it some space so you can actually hear what it’s telling you.

I promise you, you will never regret listening to it.

Contact Info:

• Website: sibcareercoaching.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/somewhereinbetweencoach/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nehao/

Image Credits
Photo Credit: Hannah Schweiss, Bloom and Flourish