From Burnout to Beginning Again: The Untold Story Behind My Bio

“From burnt-out VP to Reiki Grandmaster” barely scratches the surface…

When I began my 14 Days of Reiki series, I knew I had at least 14 reasons how Reiki had changed my life, probably far more. I didn’t want to overpromise or overwhelm, so I kept it simple.

What I didn’t expect was that it would lead me here, to finally telling the story I’ve been holding in my heart for so long.

For nearly 20 years, I lived a life that many would have considered a dream. I worked for one of the most iconic fashion brands in the world Hermès.

I started as a sales associate in 2005, moved through store operations, corporate operations, and eventually became the Vice President of Commercial Activities.

In those early years, my mother was dying of cancer. For nearly a year, she was hospitalized downtown, and I would visit her every day, on my lunch break, after work, whenever I could. I was 27 when she passed away.

I would leave the hospital, heartbroken, and return to work with clients complaining that they hadn’t been called about a $15,000 handbag. I can still feel the way it cracked something open in me, the disconnect between the pain I was holding and the world I was operating in. I remember walking home in tears, night after night, silently asking, How did I end up here?

Fast forward to the pandemic. During lockdown, when our store was closed, I was either stuck alone in my condo or working long hours with a skeleton staff. The world felt uncertain. People’s lives were at risk. And yet the complaints we received from some clients were focused solely on how to access their next exotic Birkin, how to drop $60,000 during a crisis just to feel some semblance of control.

There was no concern for the people behind the counter. Just urgency. Status. Possession.

And that was hard for me.

Because while the world saw glamour, I saw pain.

While others admired the image, I lived the unraveling.

Let me be clear, I still love fashion. And Hermès is a beautiful brand. I carry immense respect for the quality, the artistry, the heritage. This isn’t about discrediting the brand itself. This is about honoring my truth, the internal dissonance that grew louder over time.

My boss would call me at 5am, 11pm, and everywhere in between. The pressure was constant, and so was the emotional manipulation. There was always this underlying tension, who would be the target this week? And if it wasn’t you, you had to hold space for the one it was.

I lost relationships because I gave everything to my work.

I turned to unhealthy coping mechanisms, smoking, drinking, just to make it through.

And perhaps most painfully, I took on my boss as a mother figure after losing my own. The praise, the punishments, the gifts to smooth things over, it mirrored an abusive dynamic.

And yet, I also had a deep love and respect for her.

She was, and still is, a brilliant, resilient woman who achieved so much. I admired her strength, her vision, the way she broke barriers in a male dominated world.

I just didn’t love how she dealt with people.

But now, through my own healing, I can see it differently. I understand that hurt people hurt people. That sometimes the strongest among us are carrying the deepest wounds. It doesn’t excuse the harm, but it does help me find peace.

When I finally made the decision to leave, people were shocked.

Why would you walk away from that?

You’ll never make money starting your own business doing Reiki.

It took years to release those voices from my mind. And even now, I carry some of it.

To this day, it’s easier for me to write than to speak. Showing up on video or going live still feels vulnerable. There are old wounds around visibility, worthiness, and being misunderstood that I continue to move through.

But here’s what I’ve learned:

As we heal, we heal the world.

And we don’t have to be fully healed to help others begin.

Eventually, I stopped telling people where I worked. I didn’t want to be seen as a job title or a brand. I wanted to be seen as me. But for a long time, I didn’t know who that was anymore.

And yet, there is light woven into the dark.

Because through all of it, I formed friendships that will last a lifetime.

We bonded through something that’s hard to explain, something only those who lived it will ever fully understand.

We held each other up when it was hard. We laughed when we could. We made it through together.

To this day, I still speak to these women. We check in. We gather once or twice a year. And in them, I found not just coworkers, but soul sisters.

For that, I will always be grateful.

Even in the hardest places, there was connection. There was love.

Writing this now is deeply healing. It’s a reclamation.

It’s the part of my story that can’t be summed up in a clever Instagram bio.

This wasn’t just a career change.

It was a soul awakening.

Reiki didn’t just give me peace, it gave me purpose. It brought me home to myself.

I’m still healing. Still growing.

But now, I’m doing it in alignment with my truth.

And that’s why I do the work I do today.

To hold space for others who feel stuck or afraid.

To remind you that you are not too old. It’s not too late.

And you are never alone.

You have the power to begin again.

And when you’re ready, I’ll be right here.

Sending you so much love & light,

Natalie

🙏🏻💖💫

Power to Begin Again

Reiki Grandmaster, Teacher & Soul Coach

Guide for sensitive, intuitive souls ready to return to themselves and begin again.