Send us Fan Mail

On this week’s episode, Jana sits down with therapist, organizational advisor, and founder of Meaning in Practice Ashley Gibson, who walked away from a successful executive career in Broadway marketing to pursue a mission she believed could create deeper, longer-lasting change.

Ashley takes us back to a realization that didn't happen overnight.

After years of climbing the ladder in arts and entertainment, she found herself increasingly drawn toward understanding burnout, not just helping individuals recover from it, but uncovering the organizational systems that create it in the first place. The conviction was clear, but acting on it wasn't.

At the time, Ashley was navigating a divorce, raising a young daughter, building a financial safety net, and questioning whether it was responsible to leave behind the stability of a successful career for an uncertain future in private practice and research.

The challenge wasn't deciding what she wanted.

It was becoming the person willing to choose it.

For nearly two years, Ashley tested ideas, pressure-tested her research with professionals across industries, built financial runway, and wrestled with the identity of leaving behind the career she had spent years building. She realized the biggest obstacle wasn't financial.

It was letting go of the version of herself she thought she was supposed to be.

This episode breaks down:

• Why major career decisions are built through small, intentional choices
• How to know when you've outgrown a successful career
• The difference between chasing stability and living in alignment with your values
• Why transferable skills matter more than starting from scratch
• How testing, listening, and iterating can reduce the risk of big life pivots

Ashley also shares how building her own practice gave her something she never had before: the freedom to align her work with her values, spend more intentional time with her daughter, and pursue research that addresses burnout at its source instead of simply treating its symptoms.

Because at the end of the day, the biggest career decisions aren't about choosing the safest path.

They're about building a life that's aligned with who you're becoming.

Where to find Ashley:

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleycbgibson/overlay/contact-info/
• https://www.meaninginpractice.com/

Where to find Jana:

• https://janaaxline.com/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/janaaxline/
• Instagram: @unstoppableleaders
• TikTok: @jana_axline