I built a work life that looked right - yet it felt so wrong! (Shauna’s story)
“I was successful…but I still didn’t feel good.”
The beginning
Shauna came to Midlife Unstuck with what many would call a successful life.
She ran her own company, had two sons and lived in a beautiful home in the countryside that she’d built from scratch.
But something fundamental was missing.
Despite reaching conventional milestones,
Shauna had long felt out of place.
She’d never quite aligned with the expectations embedded in her by family, education, and society.
She was seen as - and often told that - she was “too strong-minded” or “too much” by traditional big corporate employers, and although she had carved out her own business, the unease persisted.
She always felt trapped. Confined. Like her wings had been clipped. For so long, she blamed herself.
Years of self-development courses and self-help books hadn’t unlocked the clarity she needed. Shauna felt trapped “in a cocoon waiting to become a butterfly, yet never being able to see a way out.”
“I always felt that something was missing within me...these differences increased with time. I felt that my true personality was getting further and further from who I was.”
The only place to start the redesign - Session 1
Shauna joined the Speedy Sherpa programme hoping for clarity. What she found was far more profound.
“In our very first session together, you made me understand why I have never thrived in big organisations…it had nothing to do with not being good enough.”
Shauna’s misfit tendencies within big organisations were actually to do with her unique Superpowers.
These distinct super-strengths were not valued by traditional systems and big corporations.
But entrepreneurial environments needed them to thrive.
Her perception shifted almost immediately.
She began to see herself not as broken, but as brilliant in her own unique way.
“My big light bulb moment happened when I realised that although I couldn’t work within big organisations, I could work with them—by offering something they were lacking.”
This foundational re-framing laid the groundwork for deeper transformation.
The process of unlocking and then redirecting her Superpowers.
Over the course of the programme, Lucia helped Shauna identify and apply her five core Superpowers - gifts she had always possessed but hadn’t fully embraced.
Each strength came with its own shadow side, and together they worked hard to harness the light while mitigating the drain.
1. Creating a deeper connection than most, with almost anyone, from the first moment
“People have a tendency to tell me their life story... it depletes me of energy.”
Lucia and Shauna worked together to design and experiment with healthy boundaries, so she could use this Superpower without becoming emotionally exhausted.
2. Seeking to understand the patterns, the connections and the why before considering the way forward
“Just because I can see the way forward better and quicker than others doesn’t mean I have to do the hard work for them.”
Shauna learned to guide rather than rescue, conserving energy and stepping into more sustainable leadership.
3. Actively learning what I need to learn to progress and evolve ideas - alone.
“This Superpower allows me to think differently from others...it is now helping me to evolve and differentiate myself.”
She leaned into this strength to adapt her business strategy, especially during unpredictable times, economic uncertainty in her country, political changes and the opportunities and threats that new technology brings.
4. Coming up with novel ideas and refreshingly unusual-and-better ways of doing things, then sharing them with others
“I don’t feel bad or guilty anymore about working on multiple ideas at the same time, or getting bored by dull things and not finishing everything I start!”
Instead of forcing herself into conventional productivity systems, Lucia and Shauna co-created a flexible work model that let her cycle through tasks based on her energy and curiosity—resulting in more productivity, not less.
5. Winning over anyone I choose to win over
“I’ve decided to point this Superpower at me and my health.”
Shauna used this persuasive energy not just in business development, but also to tackle personal goals—quitting smoking, restarting sport, and dealing with stress.
They also worked together on reshaping old, tired internal stories that had been holding her back.
“I’m not qualified” became “I’ve been doing this successfully since 2007.”
“I can’t do accounts” became “I can discuss financial strategy with my accountant confidently.”
“I should stick to a regular routine” became “I work more productively when I design my day around me.”
“Life hasn’t been the same since learning my Superpowers - I take pleasure in doing the tasks I hated before and do them quicker than I thought possible.”
The Results: revenue doubled & building career-long confidence
The impact of the transformation wasn’t just internal. The ripple effect was real, financially measurable and sustainable.
“I asked myself: ‘How can I bring some new business in by using my Superpowers?’ ”
Shauna used her Superpowers to design a new revenue stream from her home office. This pivot allowed her to double her business revenue within the following year, during a time when many businesses were struggling.
“It hasn’t been a grind. It’s been fun and exciting.”
More importantly, Shauna left the programme with the confidence that she could adapt and evolve no matter what the market or world throws her way.
“I’ve turned from circling endlessly around emotional problems to doing practical things to get over them.”
She’s not just operating a successful business now. She’s doing it her way, aligned with her core strengths, and free from the emotional weight of self-doubt and feeling like an outsider because of her differences.
“You’re not a career coach. You’re not a life coach. You teach people to fly.”
Could This Be You?
Shauna’s journey is just one example of what happens when self-doubt is replaced with self-designed clarity that is then put into motivated actions. If you’re feeling stuck, even if things look good from the outside, it may be time to uncover your own Superpowers and design the next decade with deep confidence.
We worked together over three months on the Speedy Sherpa programme. Want to know more?
👉 [Download the mini-brochure (including pricing and timings) here
