Mita Mallick: Could Your Boss Be the Real Reason You’re Burnt Out?

Burnout isn’t the end of your story. With Sarah Vosen’s guidance, recovery becomes not just possible—but sustainable. Learn more: https://caitdonovan.com/coachingToxic bosses don’t only wear people down, they spark the very burnout cycles that drain whole teams. Cait Donovan talks with author and changemaker Mita Mallick about the damage bad leadership leaves behind and the toll it takes on both people and organizations. Mita shares personal stories, including her experience with a boss she nicknamed “Medusa,” whose intimidation and cruelty pushed her into anxiety and disengagement. That season of her career led to what she calls a “get out plan,” a way to take the energy of frustration and turn it into action through networking, reflection, and mapping a path forward. How do you know when it’s time to make your own plan, and what would change if you gave yourself permission to act before you hit the breaking point?The conversation also turns to the harder truth that under pressure any of us can slip into toxic behaviors. Mita and Cait explore why leadership requires self-awareness, accountability, and vulnerability rather than surface-level fixes or quick answers. Drawing from her new book “The Devil Emails at Midnight,” Mita challenges us to rethink how we respond to unhealthy work cultures and to consider the responsibility we each carry in shaping them. What kind of workplace are you helping to build, and how might things shift if you took ownership of the way you show up every day?Episode Breakdown:00:00 Introduction to Fried, the Burnout Podcast00:57 Meet Mita Mallick: Author of The Devil Emails at Midnight02:26 Burnout Story: Surviving “Medusa” the Toxic Boss09:09 Creating a “Get Out” Plan to Escape Burnout17:13 Urgency Culture and Toxic Leadership Patterns27:01 Workplace Bias, Pregnancy Penalties, and Burnout31:37 Talent Hoarding and Betrayal at Work38:19 Building Self-Awareness and Better LeadershipConnect with Mita Mallick:Mita’s Website Follow Mita on Instagram Connect with Mita on LinkedInConnect with Cait:Initial Call with CaitInitial Call with SarahBurnout isn’t the end of your story. With Sarah Vosen’s guidance, recovery becomes not just possible—but sustainable. Learn more: https://caitdonovan.com/coachingPodcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Healing happens faster with guidance. Give yourself permission to ask for and receive help: https://caitdonovan.com/coaching.Burnout shows up in many ways, but at its core it often signals a life out of alignment. Cait Donovan sits down with executive coach and author Jerry Colonna to explore what happens when outward success hides an inner collapse. Jerry opens up about the years he spent chasing achievement as a venture capitalist and how every new milestone left him feeling worse instead of fulfilled. What does it mean when the world applauds your accomplishments but your soul feels heavier with each step forward? And how do we begin to untangle the beliefs that keep us performing long after they’ve stopped serving us?Jerry shares how radical self-inquiry became a way back to himself. Rather than a process of blame, it is a practice of curiosity, asking questions that cut through guilt and open space for conscious choice. He and Cait reflect on how early coping strategies like perfectionism may once have offered safety, yet can slowly erode well-being over time. They also look at the role of privilege and access in recovery, naming the tension between personal agency and systemic limits.Jerry’s story of “Grandfather Boulder” is a reminder that listening itself can be an act of healing. Could paying attention to our own pain, to each other, to the systems around us, the beginning of change? This episode invites you to consider what alignment looks like in your own life and how the ongoing work of inquiry can open the door to both resilience and growth.Episode Breakdown:00:00 Welcoming Jerry Colonna02:39 Jerry’s Burnout Story and Misalignment08:03 Financial Success and the Burnout Trap16:17 Radical Self-Inquiry as a Path to Healing24:00 Choosing Life in the Depth of Burnout30:06 Rewiring Beliefs and Making Conscious Choices40:30 Personal Growth as an Act of Resistance46:23 Grandfather Boulder and the Power of ListeningLinksReboot: Authentic CEO Coaching and Leadership Development Connect with Jerry Colonna:Connect with Jerry on LinkedInFollow Jerry on Instagram Connect with Cait:Initial Call with CaitInitial Call with SarahHealing happens faster with guidance. Give yourself permission to ask for and receive help: https://caitdonovan.com/coaching.Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

You don’t have to carry burnout alone. The right support can help you breathe again—start here: https://caitdonovan.com/coachingBurnout recovery gets real as Sarah Vosen sits down with an anonymous guest who feels trapped by perfectionism, people-pleasing, and the voice of an inner critic that makes self-compassion feel out of reach. In this episode, she’s trying something different for the podcast: a real-time coaching session. Her guest “Kate” describes how burnout began with constant illness and eventually knocked her flat, leaving her exhausted and uncertain about how to move forward. Years later, Kate still feels caught in a loop of trial and error, trying new practices, hoping for change, and losing faith when nothing seems to last. How do you find the courage to say no before your body forces you to? And how do you begin to quiet the inner critic that insists you’ll never get better?Through thoughtful coaching, Sarah helps Kate see the fear of saying no for what it is: a strategy that once kept her safe but now keeps her stuck. She offers a new way to look at recovery, like a scale that can slowly tip away from self-judgment and toward self-compassion with each small act of courage. Along the way, Kate begins to see how even the tiniest pieces of evidence, moments of asking for help, choosing rest, or protecting her needs, can start to shift the balance.This conversation opens a window into the real work of burnout recovery. It’s messy and slow, but it’s also a practice of rediscovering your voice, setting boundaries that protect your energy, and remembering that even a flicker of hope is proof that change is possible.Episode Breakdown:00:00 Real-Time Coaching on Burnout Recovery02:26 Kate’s Burnout Journey and First Signs of Collapse05:09 Career Uncertainty and Feeling Stuck10:52 Battling the Inner Critic and Self-Judgment12:38 Fear of Saying No and People-Pleasing Patterns14:13 Rediscovering Passion for Storytelling and Audio20:08 Hyper-Independence and the Struggle to Ask for Help24:02 The Core Loop: Avoiding “No” to Feel Safe but Staying Stuck33:00 The Burnout Recovery Process and the Unfried Program43:03 Practicing Self-Compassion During Setbacks49:41 Building Evidence for Growth and RecoveryLinksHailey Page Magee episodeKristin Neff episodeYour Burnt Out Brain Is Mean, And A Liar episodeConnect with Cait:Initial Call with CaitInitial Call with SarahYou don’t have to carry burnout alone. The right support can help you breathe again—start here: https://caitdonovan.com/coaching.Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Burnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [http://bit.ly/unfried]Burnout reaches far beyond the office, touching every layer of health, purpose, and identity, and Dr. Jen Wagner joins Cait Donovan to uncover what true recovery really looks like. As Chief Health and Performance Officer at Canyon Ranch, Dr. Wagner brings both professional expertise and lived experience, sharing how her own burnout as a young physician and mother reshaped her path and deepened her commitment to helping others heal. Together, she and Cait explore why burnout isn’t just mental exhaustion but a full-body, whole-life disruption that can strip away joy, relationships, and meaning.This episode shines a light on Canyon Ranch’s integrative model of care, where labs, glucose and cortisol monitoring, nutrition, mental health, and spiritual practices come together to give people the tools and support they need to rebuild. Recovery, they emphasize, is not an overnight solution but a 12 to 18 month journey of self-awareness, community, and purpose realignment. Along the way, they tackle the systemic pressures that push women leaders to the brink and the cultural belief that suffering through misery is a badge of honor. What emerges is a powerful reminder that joy and well-being are not luxuries but essentials, and that choosing recovery is one of the most important investments we can make in ourselves and the people we love.Episode Breakdown:00:00 Meet Dr. Jen Wagner and the Burnout Retreat03:28 How Burnout Reshapes Body, Identity, and Purpose04:35 Recovery vs. Prevention of Burnout06:56 Medical Testing and Biomarkers That Matter10:18 Integrative Care and Community at Canyon Ranch13:53 Dr. Jen Wagner’s Personal Burnout Story22:09 Inside the Burnout Retreat Experience29:12 Long-Term Recovery and Ongoing SupportConnect with Dr. Jen Wagner:Canyon Ranch Canyon Ranch: Beat BurnoutFollow Canyon Ranch on Instagram LinkedInConnect with Cait:Initial Call with CaitInitial Call with SarahBurnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [http://bit.ly/unfried]Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Burnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [http://bit.ly/unfried]Burnout recovery takes more than waiting for time to pass. It asks you to examine who you’ve been, who you want to be, and what kind of life will truly sustain you. In this #straightfromcait episode, Cait Donovan explores one of the questions she hears most often: how long does it take to heal from burnout? Drawing on her own experience, client stories, and survey results from her community, Cait shares why most people need 12 to 18 months to recover, with some taking longer when deeper shifts are involved. The process can be stretched by the challenge of letting go of a “dream job,” the demands of caregiving, or the fear of stepping into unfamiliar territory. Recovery unfolds in cycles where you make a change, work through the emotions that follow, and then move into the next phase. How do you handle the moments when your old identity no longer works? How do you adapt when your relationships change in ways you didn’t expect? This episode reveals why burnout pushes you toward a life that actually fuels you and why the journey, though demanding, is worth the effort.Episode Breakdown:00:00 How Long Does Burnout Recovery Take01:19 Typical Recovery Timelines and Survey Insights02:32 Key Factors That Prolong Recovery04:08 Caregiving Challenges and Boundary Setting06:05 Emotional and Identity Shifts in Recovery08:14 Why Burnout Requires a Life That Fuels YouConnect with Cait:Initial Call with Cait: bit.ly/callcaitInitial Call with Sarah: bit.ly/callsarahvBurnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [http://bit.ly/unfried]Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Burnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [http://bit.ly/unfried]Burnout can make every decision feel impossible. When you’re stuck in fear and second-guessing everything, how are you supposed to move forward in a way that actually feels right?In this episode, Cait Donovan shares a tool she’s used for years to help people get unstuck: the “Worst Case Scenario” exercise. Instead of pushing fear aside, Cait walks you through what it looks like to write it down, face it head-on, and figure out what you’d do if the worst really did happen. What if the job burns you out all over again? What if you don’t take it and money runs out? What then?This episode offers a different way to navigate those moments, one that makes space for fear without letting it take over. Cait also reminds us that support doesn’t have to come from big, obvious places. Sometimes it’s your local librarian. Sometimes it’s a Facebook group. There are more options than you think. If you’ve been feeling stuck and unsure what to do next, this is a place to start.Episode Breakdown:00:00 Introduction to FRIED. The Burnout Podcast00:00 Burnout Recovery and Cait’s Mission01:28 The Worst Case Scenario Exercise Explained03:35 Burnout Fear Example: Job Decision After Leave05:01 What to Do If the Worst Happens08:11 How to Build a Personal Safety Net10:10 Exploring Alternate Outcomes12:04 Final Thoughts and EncouragementLinksConnect with Cait:Initial Call with Cait: bit.ly/callcaitInitial Call with Sarah: bit.ly/callsarahvBurnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [http://bit.ly/unfried]Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Burnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [http://bit.ly/unfried]Burnout thrives in silence. This episode is your reminder that healing often starts with one simple but radical act: asking for help.Sarah Vosen, Director of Coaching at Burn Bold, shares a personal #sarahshares about finding herself stuck in exhaustion despite doing everything she thought she needed to recover. As a coach and acupuncturist, she’s used to helping others untangle their burnout, but this time, she needed someone else to help her remember what works. That turning point led her back to a grounding Qigong-inspired practice called “pulling down heavens,” which uses breath, movement, and intention to bring energy back into flow. Sarah’s story is a powerful reflection on how easy it is to slip into hyper-independence and how much shifts when we let ourselves receive support. If you’ve been tired for too long, this episode is a gentle nudge toward replenishment.Episode Breakdown:00:00 Why Burnout Recovery Starts with Asking for Help01:24 The Trap of Hyper-Independence and Self-Judgment02:06 Why Even Coaches Need Coaches03:54 How Refusing Help Fuels Burnout04:39 Qigong and Daily Practices That Actually Work06:14 Pulling Down Heavens: A Burnout Recovery Ritual10:14 How to Make the Practice Stick11:39 When It’s Time to Ask for SupportLinksGuided meditation:https://open.spotify.com/episode/0WGHqwQAVbZEY1qLC9XyZL?si=bf0217195beb4b2fLinks to book 1:1 calls:bit.ly/callsarahvbit.ly/callcaitBurnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [http://bit.ly/unfried]Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Burnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [http://bit.ly/unfried]Cait Donovan is back with a #straightfromcait episode that gets real about something most of us wrestle with quietly, how we soothe ourselves when things get hard, and what that looks like after burnout.This time, Cait’s digging into her long-standing sugar habit. Not the occasional treat, but the reflex to reach for something sweet when emotions start to build. She thought she’d done the work. And in many ways, she had. But what happens when one old pattern refuses to budge? What if the thing you’re avoiding isn’t the habit itself but the discomfort underneath it?With support from dietitian Sydney Green, Cait starts looking at her sugar story with a new kind of honesty, one that doesn’t involve shame or harsh rules. Instead of overhauling everything, she chooses one small shift: no more sugar in her coffee. That simple move starts a ripple effect, including tracking her blood sugar with a CGM and learning what her body’s been trying to say all along.This episode is an invitation to ask yourself the hard questions with compassion. What have you been unwilling to change? What would it feel like to start small and let that be enough?Episode Breakdown:00:00 Sugar, Self-Neglect, and Burnout Recovery02:16 How We Trick Ourselves Into Thinking We’ve Done the Work03:10 Unpacking Lifelong Food Patterns with Sydney Green04:26 Why Starting Small Actually Works06:13 Using a CGM to Understand Sugar’s Impact07:26 Real Healing Begins with Small, Honest StepsLinksConnect with Cait:Initial Call with Cait: bit.ly/callcaitInitial Call with Sarah: bit.ly/callsarahvBurnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [http://bit.ly/unfried]Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Burnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [http://bit.ly/unfried]If your brain screams ‘lazy’ every time you try to rest, it’s time to stop trusting a bully and start listening to the one part of you that never lies: your body. So many people in burnout recovery hear the same harsh inner dialogue. “You’re lazy.” “You should be doing more.” “You’ll never be enough.” But what if those thoughts aren’t reflections of reality, just echoes of a brain running on exhaustion and fear?Sarah Vosen is back for another #sarahshares episode to unpack a powerful community poll that revealed just how mean our minds can be when we try to rest. She walks through what it means to recognize those messages as lies and gives guidance for tuning into your body’s truth instead. Because when the body says “I’m too tired,” it isn't a weakness. It’s wisdom.This episode invites you to try a different approach - one rooted in self-compassion, small moments of rest, and the radical idea that your worth isn’t tied to your productivity.Episode Breakdown:00:00 What Your Brain Says When You Try to Rest03:02 The Lying Brain vs. the Truthful Body07:09 How to Rest Even When Guilt Creeps In08:13 Why Self-Compassion Is Key to Burnout Recovery10:00 Sarah’s Personal Turning Point with Self-Kindness13:03 Can Wearable Data Help You Trust Your Body Again?LinksListening to your body:https://open.spotify.com/episode/7f3rMZ42rwnWW3c8kuAKk5?si=YSkz0JS0RTyOwWu6LN4XOAKristin Neff:https://open.spotify.com/episode/5vHiMpzVHcOYRdvDXwbyE1?si=AmhF8nCERjm5zLBY2rKsFwHow to resolve exhaustion:https://open.spotify.com/episode/0W65Yv1l2aOI7F5ZyebfXs?si=Eyt5XV8uS8ODyv7DxoJfegConnect with Cait:Initial Call with Cait: bit.ly/callcaitInitial Call with Sarah: bit.ly/callsarahvBurnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [http://bit.ly/unfried]Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Burnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [http://bit.ly/unfried]Imposter syndrome has a way of creeping in when we’ve spent so long meeting everyone else’s expectations that we forget what we actually want for ourselves.In this episode, Cait Donovan reconnects with Nicole Kalil for a conversation about burnout, confidence, and the stories we tell ourselves when we’re doing all the right things but still don’t feel like we belong. Nicole shares what happened when she finally cleared space in her life and was left with a surprising sense of emptiness, a feeling that’s all too common but rarely talked about. What do you do when achievement no longer feels satisfying? How do you navigate that awkward in-between where you’re no longer burned out, but not quite sure who you are without the hustle?Together, Cait and Nicole explore the deeper patterns behind imposter syndrome, including the habit of blaming yourself when things go wrong and dismissing your role when things go right. They talk about how women especially are conditioned to internalize failure, and how that mindset can make even well-deserved success feel like a fluke. They also raise an important question: when you say you don’t belong, is it because of the culture around you or because you haven’t figured out what belonging actually feels like for you?This isn’t a step-by-step guide. This episode’s an invitation to pause, question what you’ve been carrying, and consider what it might look like to build confidence from a place of self-trust rather than constant achievement.Episode Breakdown:00:00 Welcome to FRIED: The Burnout Podcast02:16 The Link Between Burnout and Feeling Underwhelmed07:22 What Imposter Syndrome Really Means12:28 Why High Achievers Struggle to Own Their Success17:06 Recognizing Red, Yellow, and Green Light Phases21:05 How to Manage Head Trash and Build Confidence24:23 Gender, Expectations, and the Pressure to Perform30:02 Is It a Toxic Workplace or Just a Bad Fit?36:56 Separating Facts from Feelings41:26 Rewiring Your Brain with Cognitive Reappraisal47:11 Where to Find Nicole Kalil and Her Confidence QuizLinksConnect with Nicole Kalil:https://www.instagram.com/nicolemkalil/ www.linkedin.com/in/nicolekalil https://nicolekalil.com/confidencequizConnect with Cait:Initial Call with Cait: bit.ly/callcaitInitial Call with Sarah: bit.ly/callsarahvBurnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [http://bit.ly/unfried]Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm