
← BUT FIRST, SHE FAILED - Career Growth, Women Entrepreneurs, Overcoming Imposter Syndrome, Growth Mindset, Confidence22 apr · 23 min
167. How I Almost Gave Up on My Dreams: The Story That Changed Everything
What happens when you slowly start becoming the version of yourself you never wanted to be?
In this deeply personal episode, Paola Soares shares a story she doesn't often talk about—the season where she felt stuck, disconnected from her purpose, and dangerously close to giving up on her dreams altogether.
Between leaving her career in national news and launching her podcast, there was a chapter filled with uncertainty, unfulfilling jobs, and a quiet but heavy question: "Is this really it?"
This episode walks through the internal battle of starting and stopping, losing momentum, and almost accepting a life that felt out of alignment. But it also reveals the pivotal moment when someone stepped in, believed in her, and refused to let her stay stuck.
Because sometimes the breakthrough doesn't come from doing more—it comes from someone reaching out their hand when you've stopped reaching for your own future.
This is a story about identity, self-belief, and the power of not doing it alone.
If you've been feeling inconsistent, discouraged, or afraid you might become the woman who gives up on her dream… this episode will meet you right where you are.
In this episode:
The season where everything felt uncertain and off-track
The pattern of starting and stopping (and why it's so hard to break)
The moment that changed everything—and why it mattered more than you think
What actually shifts when you stop trying to do it all on your own