Summer Series #9 – Jessica Walked Away From a 60-Hour Week and Discovered a Whole New Life

<p><strong>Summer Series #9 – Jessica Walked Away From a 60-Hour Week and Discovered a Whole New Life</strong></p><p>What happens when you're really good at your job, you're making a difference in the world, and yet you know deep down that the life you're living isn't good for you anymore?</p><p>In this episode of the Summer Series, I talk to Jessica O'Neill about one of the most incredible career-break transformations I've encountered.</p><p>Jessica had spent years building and leading a community food-access organisation in Western Massachusetts. As executive director, she was working 60–80 hrs a week, managing staff, writing grants, working with the board and carrying the weight of an organisation that meant an enormous amount to her. She was successful, but exhausted. </p><p>The hardest part wasn't knowing she needed a change. It was letting go.</p><p>Jessica feared that everything she'd built would fall apart if she stepped away. Through her work with me, she began to challenge those fears, create a concrete plan for her career break and ultimately give herself permission to choose herself.</p><p>What happened next was far beyond what she could have predicted.</p><p>During her break, Jessica travelled to England to study equine healing and communication, spent time with her twin sister in Italy, rediscovered writing and gardening, and most importantly, learned how to slow down, breathe and reclaim her own time. </p><p>That experience eventually became the foundation for an entirely new career working with horses, combining equine energy work, communication, nutrition, plants and sound therapy into what Jessica and her twin sister developed as the <strong>TwinErgy Method</strong>.</p><p>Follow Jessica - <a href="https://www.orchardbrookfarm.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.orchardbrookfarm.com/</a></p><p>🎙️ <strong>Enjoying the podcast?</strong></p><p>⭐ Follow or subscribe on your favourite podcast app so you never miss an episode!</p><p>💬 If the show has helped or inspired you, leaving a quick <strong>5-star review</strong> genuinely makes a huge difference and helps more people discover the podcast.</p><p>📲 And if you know someone feeling burned out, stuck in their career, or dreaming about taking a career break, share this episode with them — it might be exactly what they need to hear.</p><p>❤️ Your support helps us continue creating honest conversations, practical advice, and inspiring stories for people ready to make a change.</p><p>▶️ Watching on YouTube? Don’t forget to <strong>like, subscribe, and turn on notifications</strong> so you never miss future episodes and career break conversations - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@TakingaCareerBreakwithKatrina" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@TakingaCareerBreakwithKatrina⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></p><p><strong>Timestamps</strong></p><p>00:00 – Jessica's incredible career-break transformation<br />03:37 – Working 60–80 hours a week as an executive director<br />05:46 – Knowing something had to change<br />07:18 – The fear of walking away from everything she'd built<br />09:35 – Leaving the organisation and finally taking the break<br />16:45 – Saying no to six figures and choosing the unknown<br />17:27 – The big goals Jessica achieved during her break<br />21:01 – Recovering from burnout and learning to relax<br />22:30 – Studying equine healing in England<br />26:54 – Creating a holistic approach to healing horses<br />29:24 – The TwinErgy Method<br />33:00 – What Jessica's work with horses actually looks like<br />38:56 – Learning to value your work and charge for it<br />41:18 – The highs and challenges of taking a career break<br />45:54 – The biggest impact of coaching<br />50:17 – What Jessica would tell someone considering a career break<br />51:37 – Saying yes to yourself and opening new doors<br />53:56 – Where to find Jessica and her work</p><p>Ready to stop "running on empty" and star