From Burnout to Clarity: My 15-Year Journey of Redefining Growth

From Burnout to Clarity: My 15-Year Journey of Redefining Growth

In this first solo episode of Growth Uncensored, host Shiela Krabbenborg opens up about her 15-year journey as an entrepreneur — from losing a scholarship at 18, to building a business out of necessity, to burning out, scaling back, and finding clarity again. Through honest reflections, Shiela shares the real behind-the-scenes story of growth: the sleepless nights, the fear of falling behind, and the courage it takes to start over. She explains how scaling back became a turning point that led to her reverse scale framework and the creation of Skala Business Advisory, a business built on clarity, structure, and sustainability. If you’ve ever felt stuck between fear and possibility, this episode is a reminder that growth doesn’t always mean doing more. Sometimes it means coming back to yourself. 🌱 In This Episode * The early beginnings: freelancing to stay in school * The isolation and comparison trap of solopreneurship * How “success” turned into burnout and what recovery looked like * Why scaling back can become the most powerful growth strategy * The loneliness and lessons of starting over in a new country * How Skala Business Advisory was born from a decade of rebuilding and reflection ✨ Key Takeaway True growth isn’t about adding more. It’s about finding clarity in what matters most and building a business that sustains you, not drains you. 🔗 Connect & Support If this episode resonated with you: 💬 Leave a rating or review to help more people find Growth Uncensored📩 Share this episode with someone who might need to hear it🎧 Follow or subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts 🌐 Connect with Shiela Krabbenborg 🔗 Book a Call: skalabusinessadvisory.eu/consult [https://www.skalabusinessadvisory.eu/consult]📸 Instagram: @skalabusinessadvisory [https://www.instagram.com/skalabusinessadvisory]💼 LinkedIn: Shiela Krabbenborg [https://www.linkedin.com/in/shiela-krabbenborg/] 💡 About Growth Uncensored Hosted by Shiela Krabbenborg, Growth Uncensored explores the unfiltered side of entrepreneurship and self-development — the moments of doubt, reinvention, and quiet transformation that shape who we become. 🎧 Listen on: * Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/3DCFSMLoyQPvJ7tgIOUCu7] * Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/nl/podcast/growth-uncensored-beyond-the-business-blueprint/id1842300705?l=en-GB] 📲 Follow the Podcast: * Instagram: @growthuncensored [https://www.instagram.com/growthuncensored/] * TikTok: @growthuncensored [https://www.tiktok.com/@growthuncensored] * LinkedIn: Growth Uncensored [https://www.linkedin.com/company/growthuncensored/]

Rewriting the Story: From Pharmacy to Emotional Freedom with Rawia Liverpool

What happens when you’ve built a life that looks secure — but doesn’t feel like your own? In this episode of Growth Uncensored, Rawia Liverpool joins me to share her journey of starting over, finding her voice, and transforming the stories that once held her back. Born in Ghana to a Ghanaian mother and Lebanese father, Rawia spent her childhood in Lebanon before moving across countries including Oman, the UK, and now the Netherlands. Growing up between cultures shaped her lifelong curiosity about identity, belonging, and how we adapt to change. Before she became a Behavioural Change Coach and Counsellor, Rawia spent years working as a pharmacist — a respected and logical career path that never fully aligned with her deeper purpose. After confronting depression and a sense of disconnection, she began her own healing through therapy and personal development, eventually training in Transactional Analysis and NLP. At fifty, Rawia made the courageous decision to leave pharmacy behind and launch her practice, Recipes4Change. Today, she helps clients explore the stories they tell themselves about self-worth, identity, and belonging — and guides them to rewrite those stories into something authentic, compassionate, and free. This conversation is about courage, awareness, and the quiet power of beginning again — no matter where you are in life. In This Episode * The courage to start again after decades in a different career * Why self-awareness is the foundation of all change * How childhood experiences shape our sense of identity and belonging * Moving through depression and emotional burnout * The stories ambitious women often carry — and how to rewrite them * Redefining success at 50 and building a business rooted in purpose * Finding freedom in vulnerability and emotional honesty About Rawia Liverpool Rawia Liverpool is a multilingual and multicultural Behavioural Change Coach and Counsellor based in The Hague, Netherlands. She’s the founder of Recipes4Change, where she works with individuals navigating life transitions, anxiety, overwhelm, and identity. Certified in Transactional Analysis Counselling and as an NLP Master Practitioner, Rawia supports clients in understanding the unconscious stories shaping their lives. Her work helps people move from surviving to thriving through self-awareness, emotional literacy, and compassionate action. Before establishing her practice in 2012, Rawia worked as a pharmacist, project manager, and special needs assistant. Her lived experience — as a woman of mixed heritage, a mother, and an entrepreneur — informs her unique understanding of belonging, identity, and transformation. Learn more at recipes4change.com [https://recipes4change.com] or follow her on Instagram at @recipes4change [https://instagram.com/recipes4change]. Connect with Rawia Liverpool * Website: recipes4change.com [https://recipes4change.com] * Instagram: @recipes4change [https://instagram.com/recipes4change] * LinkedIn: Rawia Liverpool [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rawia-liverpool] About Growth Uncensored Hosted by Shiela Krabbenborg, Growth Uncensored explores the unfiltered side of entrepreneurship and self-development — the moments of doubt, reinvention, and quiet transformation that shape who we become.

Trailer: Welcome to Growth Uncensored

Entrepreneurship isn’t just about growing a business — it’s about growing yourself. And growth is messy: full of fears, doubts, and unexpected turns no one prepares you for. That’s why I created Growth Uncensored. This podcast is about the real, unfiltered side of entrepreneurship — the wins, the struggles, and the lessons in between. Every two weeks, I’ll share raw conversations with entrepreneurs and solo episodes from my own journey. Expect honest stories, practical takeaways, and the reminder that success isn’t just about the destination — it’s about who you become along the way. Subscribe now so you’ll be the first to hear new episodes. Follow us for updates, behind the scenes, and more: * YouTube: youtube.com/@growthuncensored [https://youtube.com/@growthuncensored] * Instagram: instagram.com/growthuncensored [https://instagram.com/growthuncensored] * Facebook: facebook.com/growthuncensored [https://facebook.com/growthuncensored] * LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/growthuncensored [https://linkedin.com/company/growthuncensored]