From Burnout to Breakthrough: Karen Finney on Leadership

What if burnout isn’t the end but the beginning?

In this powerful episode of Inner Work, host MaryAnn Means-Dufrene sits down with Karen Finney, a seasoned HR executive and leadership coach, to explore the unseen emotional journey behind professional success. Together, they unpack how Karen’s drive for achievement nearly cost her everything and how she rebuilt a career (and life) aligned with her true self.

The Disruption

Karen’s early career was marked by ambition: working in Manhattan, climbing the corporate ladder, and pushing herself to deliver more, faster, and better. She believed her worth was tied to output,  until her body gave out. Exhausted, burned out, and physically ill days before her wedding, Karen faced a brutal truth: the life she was building looked great on paper but wasn’t nourishing her from the inside.

The Inner Work

Burnout forced Karen to ask hard questions: What am I chasing? Whose approval am I working for? What do I actually want?

She began a journey of deep reflection, peeling back the layers of external success to reconnect with her own values, energy, and purpose. This “messy middle”;  filled with doubt, recalibration, and courage, became the foundation for her most meaningful growth.

The Rebuild

Karen left the path she thought she “should” follow and created one that truly fit. She moved from the Northeast to Texas, transitioned from HR generalist roles to talent strategy, and most recently, stepped into the role of strategic advisor at Collective Growth. Now, she helps leaders scale with intention, bringing coaching, curiosity, and clarity to teams navigating rapid change.

What I Know Now

• Burnout is a turning point, not a failure.
• Achievement without alignment is hollow.
• Curiosity unlocks better leadership than judgment.
• Sustainable success comes from pacing, not just pushing.
• The hardest parts of your journey shape your greatest strengths.
  
  

Leadership doesn’t just happen in strategy decks or board meetings. It’s in the hard conversations, the emotional recalibrations, and the willingness to evolve your role.

🎧 Listen to the full episode now!