Way Out #20: Laid Off From Her Executive "Dream Job": The Burnout Story with Haley Scruggs
For years, Haley Scruggs believed that success required pain — and her body eventually made sure she knew the cost. In this episode of 101 Ways Out, the founder of A Lighter Way Consulting opens up about the extreme corporate burnout that pushed her to her breaking point, how being laid off from her executive "dream job" became the ultimate blessing in disguise, and why you do not have to sacrifice your health and happiness to be successful.
Way Out #18: Rising from the Ashes: From Fired to Founder with Anne Pao
Two days after her VP role was suspiciously eliminated in an act of corporate retaliation, Anne Pao sat down at her desk, dried her tears, and created a spreadsheet titled: "Rising from the Redundancy Ashes like a Phoenix." She committed to taking one step every single day toward her new future. Today, she is the highly successful CEO of Ignite Consulting, working Monday through Thursday and making up to 45% more than her former corporate salary. Discover how Anne escaped a toxic corporate culture, broke generational cycles, and built an incredibly successful life entirely on her own terms.
Way Out #17: From Pastor to Serial Entrepreneur with Keith Davenport
In this episode, we sit down with Keith Davenport, a man whose life is a masterclass in radical transformation. Keith went from growing up in a conservative evangelical household with a childhood calling to be a pastor, to ultimately leaving his faith to identify as a progressive atheist and political candidate. After experiencing severe burnout and untreated ADHD while managing crisis communications during the COVID-19 pandemic, Keith took a massive leap into serial entrepreneurship. We discuss how he acquired a beloved local coffee shop, launched a multi-six-figure consulting firm, and founded an HR tech startup. Ultimately, Keith shares how he redefined success entirely, choosing his mental health and his role as a husband and father over traditional corporate power.
Way Out #16: She Walked Out of Manhattan Publishing With $25,000 and No Plan with Alisa Messeroff
Alisa Messeroff was a Manhattan publishing associate who said “fuck you” to her director, walked out after a broken promotion promise, and moved to the Caribbean with $25,000 and no plan. What followed was a head-to-toe hives diagnosis that nearly killed her, a decade-long journey with plant medicine, a spirit guide named Iribella, and a multi-modality practice that now spans breathwork, Reiki, mindset coaching, and empowerment photography across Breckenridge and Tamarindo. This is her way out.
Way Out #14: Leaving a $200K Salary to Build an Indoor Dog Park with Devon Brown
“It didn’t start as ‘I want to be an entrepreneur.’ It started as ‘I don’t want to be here anymore.’”
Devon Brown spent 10 years in corporate America, made $200K, and still sat in a bathroom doing the math on how many more years she had until retirement.
The answer? 40 something. Her answer? Nope.
Meet the woman who’s building Chicago’s premier indoor dog park — and living proof that the way out sometimes starts with a medication shortage and a morning walk with your husband. 🐾
Way Out #4: She Had Tenure, a Marriage, and a Child: It Was Slowly Killing Her with Dr. Risa Stein
Most of us are taught to be strong. Push through. Don’t complain. Be grateful for the tenure, the house, the title.
Dr. Risa Stein did all of that. By her mid-30s, she had checked every box: PhD, marriage, child, tenure-track career. From the outside, it looked like success.
On the inside, it was slowly killing her.