Erica: Hey, girl. By now, you know I have Her Collective, my online community for ambitious women who are done doing it alone. Her Collective is for the women who are smart, capable, and driven, but they find themselves stuck on the sticky floors like self doubt, burnout, and waiting for permission that quite honestly never comes. Inside HER, you get more than motivation. You get real support, real strategies, and real momentum.

Erica: We work on things like clarifying what you want now and what's coming next, building confidence without burning yourself out, navigating hard conversations, career moves, and leadership moments with clarity, and surrounding yourself with women who actually get it. This isn't about hustling harder. It's about moving intentionally with the right tools and the right people in your corner. If you're ready to stop spinning, start choosing yourself, and build a career in life that actually feels aligned, I'd love to welcome you inside her collective. You can learn more and join us at www.joinhercollective.com.

Erica: Because honestly, girl, you were never meant to do this alone. Reiki. Have you heard of it? Do you know about it? Or are you more like me wondering what the heck that is?

Erica: Today, we talked to Meg Burton Tudman, holistic health coach and Reiki master, and y'all are gonna wanna listen closely because Meg has a superpower, and that is holding space for burned out women. Now, of course, I had to ask, how does one get into Reiki? And I had an inkling that her sticky floors just might be what led her there. And guess what? I was right.

Erica: But that isn't what's important here. What is important here is Meg's journey. And in today's episode, Meg shares with us not one, but two sticky floors. One of having her identity completely wrapped up in who she was at work. And that came to a fiery crash when she was let go.

Erica: And the other is one that is near and dear to my heart, mental health. So turn up that volume. Today's guest, Meg Burton Tudman, is the first of its kind for the podcast today, y'all. She is a holistic health coach and a Reiki master, and she is so good at what she does. So Meg and I recently connected through a mutual friend, and I actually was able to participate in one of her Reiki workshops. So when I tell you that she's good, y'all, I can actually speak to it.

Erica: But, Meg, I am so pumped to have you here. Welcome.

Meg Burton: Erica, thank you so much. It's such a joy. I'm really excited about our conversation today.

Erica: Oh, me too. Well, let's kick this off. Tell me a little bit about you. Who are you, and how did you become a Reiki master?

Meg Burton: Yeah. So I am, as you mentioned, a holistic coach and also a Reiki master. My sweet spot is holding space for burned out superwomen, and I do that by helping them align their mind, body, and soul so they can live a life that they love. And having been on both sides of that spectrum of both alignment and living a life I love, this work is such a passion of mine and such a joy. And Reiki has been a thread through my whole journey, before I even knew what it was.

Erica: I love that. So tell me exactly what is Reiki? Because I did the workshop. I loved it. I felt amazing after it.

Erica: But, like, what is it?

Meg Burton: Yeah. So at the very simplest, it is the purest form of love and light. So you can think of it as conscious energy healing, whereby a practitioner, in our case, that was me, or a healer, also me, is transferring energy from a higher source to you, the recipient. Only that highest level of love and light, like the highest vibes, think of it that way, are transferred. And what's cool, I think, is that it's not the healer's energy.

Meg Burton: So you're not getting my energy. If I happen to be having an off day, that's not gonna be transferred to you. Again, that's coming from a higher source, and that higher source can be whatever resonates for you. So you might think of it as the universe. You might think of it as pure light and love.

Meg Burton: You might think of it as God or something of that nature. What's important, again, is that it resonates, and it has meaning for you. So something bigger than you and me in this human form on this particular timeline that we find ourselves on today. And one of the things I think is so cool, because I teach Reiki as well, is that there's so much intention involved in it. So I, as the healer, will set the intention to give Reiki energy for your highest self, and then I would invite anybody who's receiving it to also set an intention to receive Reiki for their highest selves.

Erica: I love that. And I was writing down the word intention and circling that as you were talking because for me, I know I struggle sometimes with the intentionality, with presence. Does being present really kind of center around this practice as well?

Meg Burton: Yes. Absolutely. I think in terms of both people involved, the person giving and the person receiving, I find that for me as a healer, it's really helpful to have a consistent meditation practice because that brings me into that present moment. That helps me develop that skill. And it's a skill.

Meg Burton: Right? Our brains are made to think. Our minds are made to bebop around, so to speak. And so having those moments consistently where we're practicing taking a pause, noticing that space between stimulus and response, noticing our thoughts. It's not as if we're gonna quiet the mind and have no thoughts.

Meg Burton: I don't think that happens for any of us. But I think we try to make it happen maybe when we're newer to meditation because we think that's the point. It's not, though. I think the point is more to practice that pause, bring that presence in, and start to develop that skill so that we can not only be present, be in this moment, but also make choices to respond rather than react.

Erica: Okay. I'm glad you said that because as someone who believes that they really suck at meditation

Meg Burton: No one sucks at meditation.

Erica: I'm always like, don't think anything, Erica. Don't think anything. And so when you're like, that's not the point, I was like, okay, well, I'm not doing it wrong.

Meg Burton: Well, and how frustrating, right, to try to do a practice that we hear so much about, we think is supposed to be so great for us, and then to feel like we're failing or we're not doing it right because we can't stop our thoughts. That's awful. It's a terrible experience. And I'll share a story too. I've been meditating for a long time, but when I first started, I felt miserable.

Meg Burton: I was just so uncomfortable. My body felt like I couldn't stop my thoughts. I felt like it was a useless practice. And for a little while, I was like, this is baloney. This doesn't work at all.

Meg Burton: I don't know who all of these experts are who are saying that this is so great, but this is terrible. And what I realized was that I actually was always in that state of feeling really miserable, really unfulfilled, really unhappy, but it was only when I paused and tried to meditate that I noticed that. So it wasn't that meditation didn't work. It wasn't that meditation was making me feel worse. It was instead medi

Erica: Wow. That's really powerful because those are all the emotions that we always try to suppress and we don't want to face.

Meg Burton: Yes. Yeah. So hard. Worth it, but difficult.

Erica: So tell me about your story in becoming a Reiki master. How did this come to be?

Meg Burton: Yeah. So I'll go back a ways, and then I'll get specific as far as Reiki goes. We chatted a little bit before we started recording today, and you were asking about sticky floors. And I feel like I have two, one professional and one personal. And from a professional standpoint, I was fired from a job that I initially thought was my dream job.

Meg Burton: Not so much at the end, but for sure in the beginning, I was like, this is it, I found it. And being fired, I was totally blindsided. I was so embarrassed. I was so ashamed. I actually stayed a week and a half after they fired me to wrap everything up.

Meg Burton: And I did that for two reasons. One, I was super dedicated, but two, I thought that it would soften the blow. And I thought, well, nobody needs to know that I was fired. If I stay a little bit longer, I can kind of continue to weave this narrative that I'm a good girl, I'm perfect, I'm doing all the things. And it was interesting because this opposing feeling of feeling ashamed, feeling like a failure, feeling like I had made some kind of mistake or wrong decision along the way.

Meg Burton: And at the same time, I also had this fleeting, but it was strong enough where I noticed it and felt it, and I'm sure meditation helps with that too, where I noticed this element of freedom. And I thought, oh my goodness, I don't have to try to cram myself into this box to find myself by something that really doesn't fit anymore. And I can choose to do something that brings me passion, that brings me joy, that does truly feel aligned. So I took a lot of responsibility to figure out how I wanted to define myself and what made sense in terms of, from a professional standpoint, what are the roles that really fit, not just what are the roles that I'm really good at.

Meg Burton: And it took me a long time to learn that lesson, that just because we're good at something doesn't mean that we're meant to do that or that that's the only option for us. It just means that's a skill that we have.

Erica: I think that's so powerful, and I think it's very commonplace for a lot of people, probably because if you're good at something and it comes naturally, you continue to do it, and we never really take that moment to stop and ask ourselves, does this even make me happy? Do I even enjoy doing this?

Meg Burton: Right. Right.

Erica: I'll use myself with HR. I've been in HR for fifteen years. I can fire somebody really well.

Meg Burton: Like

Erica: it's good

Erica: So I think that is a very great point and really good advice for anyone out there to really sit back and wonder, is this something that I enjoy?

Meg Burton: Yes. Yeah. And to look at it too, I would encourage anybody who's in that particular season or who has that opportunity to look from a place of curiosity and compassion rather than a place of judgment. You haven't done anything wrong. You haven't made the wrong choice or invested in an incorrect way.

Meg Burton: Instead, you're kind of taking stock of where am I right now. And in this particular moment in my life, what does bring me joy? Where do I have passion to direct energy and focus? And does my current role allow for that? Is there something I could pull in that would feed that, or am I right for a new opportunity?

Erica: What I find really interesting about that statement is you talk about the curiosity. And I think that's such a big piece of it because, as you said, you felt shame, you were embarrassed, and those are natural feelings, but it can be very hard to separate from the shame and embarrassment to look at it with a lens of curiosity. How did you do that?

Meg Burton: Oh, that's such a great question. I had some really great support around me in terms of family and friends. I also was open to doing the inner work, and at the same time, gave myself space to feel those feelings of failure and shame and everything else that was coming up, and tried as best I could, because this is a practice for all of us, but tried to do it from a place of compassion and curiosity. And so I tried not to bury those down, and for sure there was a lot of crying.

Meg Burton: There was a lot of frustration. I think what worked in my favor was that I also was open and aware that this could be a gift, that this wasn't, being open to weaving a new narrative for myself, that this actually wasn't a failure, that I made great choices, I did great work, I had great connections, and this was an opportunity to switch paths. But it didn't negate anything that came before it, and it didn't mean that anything before it was a waste or that I shouldn't have done it that way.

Erica: Yeah. That's very powerful because I think all of us, especially anyone who's listening, we've all been through a great piece of change or a struggle or something like that that has kept us stuck. To be able to really do that inner work, to put that lens of curiosity on kind of separates you from yourself almost a little bit, and that's how you get in and do the work.

Meg Burton: Yes. Yeah. I think one of the most powerful pieces of that whole experience, and I work with clients a lot on this, is starting to dive into the stories that we tell ourselves, the narratives that we weave around who we are. And looking at things in terms of, is this my voice or is this somebody else's? Did I pull this from childhood or did I pull this from someone who had some kind of formative impact on me?

Meg Burton: Is this my value? Is this my belief? Is this true for me now? Hopefully, we're always growing and changing and evolving, so we shouldn't be the same person that we were x number of years ago. And so it's okay if something no longer feels like it aligns and no longer feels good.

Meg Burton: And so to get curious about, what's the story that I'm telling myself about myself? And is it true? And is it mine?

Erica: So I've got a question for you. When you think back to this moment of being fired, what was the hardest part about that for you?

Erica: Hey there, listeners. If you have ever felt like you're stuck in a place, held back by self doubt, perfectionism, or that pesky inner critic, you're not alone. We all face those sticky floors that keep us from reaching the heights we dream of. But guess what? It's time to shatter those limiting beliefs and toxic behaviors to uncover infinite possibilities.

Erica: My book, Glass Ceilings and Sticky Floors, is your ultimate guide to smashing through barriers, overcoming limiting beliefs, and stepping into your full potential. This book has been endorsed by none other than the great Mel Robbins, best selling author and motivational powerhouse. It's also been featured in Success Magazine, so you know it's packed with insights that work. Inside, you'll find real life sticky floor stories, practical strategies to help you navigate your own sticky floor moments, and a whole lot of inspiration to keep you climbing. This isn't just a book.

Erica: It's your road map to success, confidence, and freedom. Grab your copy of Glass Ceilings and Sticky Floors today at www.ericaandersonrooney.com. Whether you're in the boardroom, the classroom, or just starting out, this book is for you because no one, and I mean no one, deserves to stay stuck, no one deserves to feel small, and you have glass ceilings to shatter. Let's do this.

Meg Burton: So much of it was so hard. I think that the hardest part at that time was that I defined myself completely by my work and nothing else. Even though I put energy and time and effort into other things, the value that I assigned myself was purely in relation to the work that I did.

Erica: And how did you move through that?

Meg Burton: Yeah. A lot of inner work from a mindset standpoint and also from an energy standpoint, trying to figure out where are the blocks energetically throughout the body, where are the blocks mentally in terms of that story, that value, that definition. And is that how I want them to be? And is there space for me to work through that and to tease that out a little bit so that that's not all I am.

Erica: So now that we've done this work, when you think about how you assign value to yourself, how does that show up now?

Meg Burton: Oh, I love that question. I try to take a really holistic look at it, and I also try to anchor into, and this is true for everybody listening, not just me, that we each have inherent value, that we don't have to be or do or have anything differently, that each of us, in our heart of hearts as we are, we are valuable, and we matter, and we make a difference. And I think it can be so easy to get caught up in what is my title, or what is my income, or even what's my zip code, or what kind of car do I drive, or what is my social status or even relationship status. And look at those external things as a way to define our value and our worth. And it took a lot for me to get there and to be able to say, I am inherently worthy.

Meg Burton: That it's these external things, not that they don't matter, because certainly they impact the life that we live, but they don't matter in terms of am I valuable as a human being, that we all inherently are valuable no matter what.

Erica: Yes. And we have a mutual friend, Diane Wenger, who was on the podcast earlier this

Meg Burton: Love her.

Erica: This season. Yes. And she talks about converting to Buddhism and how in Buddhism, there is this whole idea of not having attachment to careers, self, things, relationship. And when you can separate your attachment, that's when you're truly free. And I think that's such a great way to look at being fired from a job.

Erica: Because all of these things could be gone in an instant.

Meg Burton: Yeah. Exactly. Right. And who are we if those things disappear or are taken away or leave or are gone, however it happens, who are we then?

Erica: Who are w

Meg Burton: Yes. That's a good one to explore.

Erica: Yeah. What is this second sticky floor you speak of?

Meg Burton: Yeah. The second sticky floor. So since I was a kid, I struggled with pretty severe depression and anxiety and was really, really skilled at hiding it and functioning and achieving at a really high level. So very few people knew that that was an internal struggle that was happening for me. And this worked for a really long time.

Meg Burton: Well, worked, I guess, in quotes. It was manageable for a really long time. And I happened to be at a four way stop one day with a blinking red light and got to the light and couldn't, for the life of me, figure out when it was my turn to go. And I had this moment of, one, panic because I was driving. But two, I thought, oh boy, this is extending into other areas of my life where I can't think clearly.

Meg Burton: And that was a major red flag for me because I'd never experienced that type of symptom before. And so I invested in a really significant outpatient therapy program and was terrified to do that kind of work, especially in a group setting. And at the same time, I walked in the door to the facility on the first day, and I felt like this weight had been lifted off of my shoulders. And I thought to myself, I can take off all of the masks. I can show up here exactly as I am, as broken as I was feeling.

Meg Burton: Not that I was broken, right, or inherently whole and worthy, but I felt that way. And there was such a freedom and such a release in giving myself permission to show up authentically, to drop that perfectionist facade and to just work on feeling whole and healing. And that work was absolutely transformative. Difficult, right, like any of that inner work, whether it's mindset or energy or therapy or any of that where you're really looking inward and taking responsibility for yourself is challenging, and yet it's also such a gift. It's such an opportunity to really figure out who am I, right, at my core?

Meg Burton: Who do I want to be? And what are the necessary thoughts and beliefs and actions that can support that?

Erica: Here's what I wanna explore here, and maybe it could be a better topic for my therapist. I don't know. But when I think about this, I am such a proponent of therapy. I'm like, everybody needs a therapist, everybody go get a therapist. Yet when I needed to go get one, I was like, nope, can't do it, not going, I don't need that.

Erica: Why do you think we do that to ourselves?

Meg Burton: Oh, boy. I think there's probably a few reasons. I think that as far as mental health has come, I think there really still is a stigma against that. And I think there is, right, kind of an element of maybepeople are comfortable seeking that kind of support.

Meg Burton: I also think, and I say this with all of the love in my heart, I think that there is too an element of ignorant bliss. And it's like, well, I know what I know right now, and it may not be ideal, and it may not feel great, but at least I know. If I start to peel away layer after layer, who knows what's gonna come up? And I think one of the dirty secrets about therapy, and I think coaching is the same, when you start to do that inner work, it doesn't end.

Meg Burton: There's not a finish line. There's always something else to get curious about and explore, and it may be vastly different from the initial situation that brought you to that expert, but we hopefully are always growing, and we're always transforming ourselves, and we're always expanding. And so I say that not to scare anybody off who is teetering on do I invest in a therapist or any other kind of support like that, but rather as, this is a good thing. It's okay that it's gonna be a lifelong journey, and it's not gonna be the same. The challenges that you face are not gonna be the same.

Meg Burton: And I think the more inner work that we can invest in and do, when those situations either repeat themselves or come up again, we've got this whole new set of skills. So we're not the same person we were beforehand. I also think, and this is true especially for women, it's really hard for us to ask for help. We have this idea that we have to do it all on our own and that we can't outsource or backfill or ask anybody else for support on this journey.

Meg Burton: And one of the things I think is often misunderstood about inner work is that you don't have to do it alone. Yes, it requires you to take responsibility. Yes, it requires you to show up for yourself, but it's not like a solo journey. You can absolutely have someone else or even a team of people supporting you through it.

Erica: Yes. Community. Build that community around you and let that therapist be a part of your community. There is no shame in what I will tell you, when I worked through that sticky floor of mine of not wanting to ask for help, I think that's absolutely spot on how I was feeling.

Erica: I didn't wanna face the failure that I needed a therapist, air quote. I now have this person in my corner who always has my back, who checks me on a regular basis if I'm out of line, and allows me to explore all of those areas, which I just think is super cool.

Meg Burton: It is so cool. And what a gift, right, to have somebody in our corner who has our back, unequivocally, no questions asked. They're always gonna have your back, and they're also gonna continue to push you. That balance is invaluable.

Erica: Yep. And if you're here, it's because you like to grow, you like to continue to grow. So that's what a therapist is helping you do.

Meg Burton: Yes.

Erica: Alright. My therapy soapbox is over. My plug for a therapist is over, but get yourself a good therapist.

Meg Burton: Mhmm.

Erica: So I bet I would put some money on this one, Meg, that your sticky floors led you to where you are today being a holistic health coach. Is that what happened?

Meg Burton: That is absolutely what happened. I happened to have coffee with a dear friend of mine who was also a health coach at the time, and she was telling me about the program and training that she went through. And she said, you know what, Meg, if you do this, you're gonna have to go through all of your own stuff. You're gonna have to dig deep. You're going to have to grow and heal and do all of the inner work.

Meg Burton: And she said it in such a way that I would have signed the dotted line right then. And I didn't look into any other programs. So when she told me about hers and explained what was required of the participants, I said, I'm in, I am ready for that opportunity. I am ready for that kind of insight and that kind of growth. And so started on that path from a coaching standpoint and have never looked back.

Meg Burton: And from an energy standpoint, one of the things that I realized was, and this was true for me as well as for my clients, we could be doing all the things, air quotes again, right, like all of the things that we know are supportive for us. And that might mean meditation. It might mean healthy eating. It might be a specific kind of movement. It might be the job or the partner.

Meg Burton: Whatever it is that's gonna support us. And if we've got energy blocks throughout the body, those, quote unquote, right things are gonna appear not to work. And it's not that they're wrong or bad in any way. It's that we've got energy that's stuck in the body that can't move. So those great investments in terms of time and energy and focus aren't able to work as well as they could if those energy blocks throughout the body were healed.

Meg Burton: So I had an experience with Reiki. I was in a yoga class as a participant, and the teacher gave Reiki at the end, a quick little hit, probably less than a minute per person, and I felt this tingling throughout the body. I felt a sensation of warmth. I had never experienced anything like it and went up to her after class and was like, what was that? I wanna know more.

Meg Burton: And she explained to me what Reiki is, and I ended up going through the same training that she went through, and much like coaching, have never looked back. I think the mindset and the energy piece together are really, really powerful and doable for us. I think, and I'm sure this is true for so many of the women listening, I think that we're so busy. We do have a lot of demands on our time.

Meg Burton: And so being able to make small shifts that have a big impact is so much more sustainable than trying to pull the rug out from underneath ourselves and do a one eighty and do everything differently. It's really hard to, one, do that initially, that kind of change is really difficult, but it's also really hard to sustain that. It's like it's too much. But if we can start to, block by block, step by step, build these rituals and these habits and these new beliefs and kind of wire in new thoughts, that is a place where we can thrive.

Meg Burton: And that is a place where we can really start to create, again, a life that we love and that balance and alignment that can help support us with everything that we're doing.

Erica: So when you're working with these burned out superwomen, which I love that.

Meg Burton: Thank you.

Erica: I don't love that, but I love the term. Resonate.

Erica: What are the things that you do to start helping these women put, I guess, these micro habits into place?

Meg Burton: Yeah. The first step, I think, with just about everybody is an awareness. So what are your deep rooted beliefs? Often, if we haven't done that type of introspection, if we haven't done that type of exploration, we actually have no idea where the belief came from or sometimes no idea that it's even something that we're holding close. And so getting curious about, what are your values?

Meg Burton: What are the things that you believe? And, like we talked about earlier today, are those in line with how you feel today? Do they represent you in this moment? And if they don't, there's no judgment or criticism, especially based on wherever they came from. There's no shaming, like, the parents or the teachers or whoever it was that kind of instilled that belief within us.

Meg Burton: Instead, it's a curiosity of, well, yeah, I see that, oh, I understand where that came from. And, oh my goodness, no, that's not me right now. That doesn't align anymore. And so what's the shift? Once you have that awareness, okay, that actually doesn't align, that doesn't feel so good anymore.

Meg Burton: So what is my new belief, and then how can I start to cement that new belief in? So what are the actions that are required to have that belief be strong and to override or crowd out the actions that the old belief was connected to.

Erica: What I think is paramount to understand with this too is that it's okay if those things change over time.

Meg Burton: Yes.

Erica: You would not have to commit to a lifetime. And, like, this is a very light and fluffy example, but before I had kids, my priorities and my values were different. That's okay. Now that's very different.

Erica: I've got two little kids and doing all these other things. People hold on to those things for so long like a death grip. If they lose sight of it, it's just everything that they ever know is gonna fall apart. How do you get women to kind of move past this, like, I may be in a different place right now?

Meg Burton: Oh, I love that question. I think that twofold. One, it reminds me of the conversation that you and Diane had about releasing attachments. So what is the attachment that you have to how something or someone should be? And what is the attachment that you have to the outcome?

Meg Burton: Well, we always do it this way, or this is always how it's expected to be. And is there space there to loosen that grip? Can you let go and be more present focused rather than more future focused? And that's a practice. And that's one that I still regularly have to be mindful of and practice in order for it to work for me and support me.

Meg Burton: The other piece, I think, is almost weaving in an element of opportunity or even, dare I say, excitement or even fun, that it's okay to redefine yourself, that you don't have to be the same little girl you were when you were five. You also don't have to be the same woman you were a year ago, or even last week, that it's okay to redefine what matters to you, what's important to you. It's okay to direct energy and focus to other things, other opportunities. And this takes the pressure off, I hope, a little bit. But one thing that I'm really big on is let it be an experiment.

Meg Burton: So, test and learn. I'm gonna try this. I'm gonna go in wholeheartedly, but it might just be like a toe in. And I'm gonna see what happens, if I honor a boundary or if I make a different choice or if I prioritize something differently today. What does that empower and enable me to do moving forward?

Meg Burton: And if it doesn't work, that's okay. If it doesn't work, give yourself permission to let it go. And that's easier said than done for sure. But you're the only person who can give you that permission. You're the only one who can say to yourself, I tried this, I gave it my all, it didn't work for me, I'm going back to the drawing board, not back to square one because I've got all of these new skills and strengths that I've developed over the course of my life.

Meg Burton: But I'm gonna go back, and I'm gonna reevaluate, and I'm gonna test something new. And if that works, great, I may figure out how to amplify that. And if it doesn't work, that's great too because that's one less thing I have to focus on. I know that that's not for me.

Erica: I love how you put all of these actions into very small steps, bite sized chunks that people can do because they can fit that into their lives. That is probably the biggest misconception, is people think I have to have this huge overhaul of my life. I've gotta start doing the Reiki, I've gotta start doing the yoga and drinking the green juice and going to therapy now too. Where do I find the time?

Meg Burton: Right. Right. Yeah.

Meg Burton: I think when you approach it from that test and learn and that element of experimentation, that allows you the awareness. This works for me, so there's a reason I'm doing it. I'm not doing it because it's somebody else's agenda or priority. I'm not doing it because it's what I've always done.

Meg Burton: But instead, oh, I see, I've got evidence stacked up behind me. When I do this, it creates this for me. And that's really powerful.

Erica: Yeah. What's also powerful is you can do this not just in your personal life, but in your career and in your job and in your role. Maybe you're a people leader and you don't wanna be a people leader anymore. I don't know, but you can apply it to so many places.

Meg Burton: Yes. Yeah. I think it can be so easy for us to silo ourselves. We're like, oh, I'm only good at such and such in my personal life, or I'm only good at that professionally. And you're a whole being.

Meg Burton: You're this whole amazing human. And so trying to figure out, okay, these are the skills and the strengths that I have in this one area, how can I apply them to another? I really enjoy doing this particular thing. Is there a way I can infuse that into other aspects of my life? And starting to look at things from a really holistic standpoint with you in the center.

Erica: I love that. And one question I wanna ask you, because in all the conversations I've had, you're so positive. You come across so happy. And we've talked about the struggles with mental health, we've talked about the shame. Do you ever find yourself sliding back into those sticky floors?

Meg Burton: Yes.

Erica: And how do you break free from that again?

Meg Burton: Yeah. It's not easy. I think it will be, for me anyway, I can't speak for anybody else's mental health journey especially, but for me, I think it will be a lifelong, I was gonna say opportunity, but that really feels Pollyanna. I think it'll be a lifelong struggle. I think that part of the key for me is getting ahead of it.

Meg Burton: So continually tuning in and making it a priority to be aware of how am I feeling, how am I responding, is what I normally do helping me, or do I need something more or different? And if it's more or different, what's the team that I can call on for that support? So to your point earlier about having a community, knowing in your community who is good and able to do what and willing to. There's a willingness to. And so being prepared, and it may be as specific as a list, or it may just be in the back of your mind.

Meg Burton: I know I call on this particular person for this. I know I seek help for this particular thing from that person, and being clear about who in your network can support you.

Erica: I love that. Well, Meg, if somebody wanted to learn more about Reiki and about what you do, and if they are feeling burned out, how can they find you? How can they work with you?

Meg Burton: Yeah. My heart is open for you, friends. And for sure, you are not alone if you're experiencing this. And I know that each of our journeys is really unique. And at the same time, we're not the only ones.

Meg Burton: So you're not on an island. I'm here for you. The best place to start is my website, and that's my name, megburtontudman.com. I'm also on LinkedIn.

Erica: Amazing. But I cannot let you go without asking this one question, and it's my favorite one to ask. If you could go back to the Meg who was let go from her job, who was struggling with her mental health, what is the one piece of advice that you would give her today?

Meg Burton: Oh, I love this question. I think in the spirit of our conversation, I love looking at it from a point of curiosity and compassion again instead of judgment. So it's not like, oh, what should I have done when I was in that particular situation, but more based on everything I've learned and how I've grown, what would have been helpful to that version of me. I think that the most helpful advice for both of those situations was to give myself permission to be authentic, to show up as I truly was, to drop the perfectionism, to drop the masks, and to really just show up as me.

Erica: So powerful. And I will just compound on that, that when you allow others to see who you truly are, they can step in and help you when you're struggling.

Meg Burton: They can. They absolutely can.

Erica: Well, Meg, thank you so much for being here. I absolutely loved having you on the podcast.

Meg Burton: Thank you so much, Erica. This was such a joy.

Erica: Meg's journey through separating herself and her worth from her work was so inspiring. And as someone who might be considered a workaholic to others, it resonates with me, and I hope it resonates with you too. And if you take nothing else from this episode, I hope that you take that throughout the struggles, if you are feeling any kind of anxiety or depression or mental health issues, you are not alone. Meg's right there with you. I'm right there with you.

Erica: Heck, we're all right there with you. So please make sure that you are always taking care of yourself, especially during these crazy holiday seasons. And if you enjoyed this episode, please make sure to go rate, review, and subscribe as it truly helps it land in the hand of the woman that needs to hear it the most.