#117 I Built a Multi-Million Dollar Empire— I Had Everything… And I Still Walked Away. Here’s Why.

In this episode, I open up about one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever made—walking away from my business at the peak of its success. After years of pushing through burnout, loss, and exhaustion, I finally asked myself a crucial question: If this were my last year, would I keep doing what I’m doing? The answer changed everything.

I share:

• My blog post about taking a sabbatical that went viral: Ask Somebody Else to Do It, Please
• Why I ignored the signs for six months before finally making a change
• The emotional toll of losing a close friend and how it reshaped my perspective
• The realities of shutting down a multi-million-dollar business and stepping away
• How I struggled with identity, money, and expectations during my sabbatical
• The biggest lessons I learned about prioritizing my happiness over hustle
• If you’ve ever felt trapped by your own success, this episode is for you.

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Timestamps:

• 00:00 – The question that changed my life
• 04:30 – How I knew it was time to walk away (but waited 6 months)
• 08:45 – Losing a close friend & how grief pushed me to rethink everything
• 12:30 – The struggle of stepping away from a multi-million-dollar business
• 17:00 – The harsh truth about burnout & ignoring the signs
• 22:15 – What my sabbatical really looked like (and what I learned)
• 27:40 – Living below my means: The financial shift I had to make
• 32:00 – The hardest part of stepping back: Identity, expectations & fear
• 38:10 – The risk of not doing anything when you know it’s time to change
• 42:50 – My biggest takeaway: Redefining success on my own terms

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Key Takeaways:

• The signs that it’s time to pivot are often small, but ignoring them only makes it harder.
• Success doesn’t mean happiness—if your success is costing you your well-being, it’s time to reassess.
• Your identity isn’t tied to your business; walking away doesn’t mean failure.
• Taking a sabbatical isn’t running away—it’s choosing to pause and realign.
• You don’t need permission to choose yourself.

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Mentioned in this episode:

• Vanessa Lau Instagram
• Vanessa Lau: I'm going on sabbatical
• Vanessa La: I'm Back: Why I Quit My 7-Figure Creator Business

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Sponsored By:

• Power Your Launch Marketing Accelerator | Get over 50% OFF your order with this special link: https://go.poweryourlaunch.com/pylenroll
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