You did everything right. You built the career, earned the title, took the speaking slot, and finally had the baby. From the outside, you reached the pinnacle. From the inside, something is empty, and you can't name it.
In this episode, I sit down with Rachel Spekman, founder of Made for More Coaching, a licensed therapist, and a former senior director in tech startups. Rachel spent a decade in entrepreneurship and tech, walked through a three-year fertility journey, and came back from her first parental leave to a realization she didn't expect: the career she had built no longer fit. She tells the story of the international flight, the Disney movie, and the cry that started the pivot — and then she shares the practical, non-impulsive way she now helps other high performers redesign their careers without blowing up their lives.
What you'll take from this conversation:
- The 0-to-100 happiness question Rachel asks every client (and why most arrive at 30%)
- Why "I'll just push through" stops working and shows up as insomnia, anxiety, and burnout instead
- The identity work nobody warns you about when you've outgrown a career you used to love
- Rachel's three C's — community, contribution, challenge — and how to use them to diagnose what's actually missing
- Why the answer is rarely "quit tomorrow" and almost always "leave with a plan"
- A practical exercise for figuring out what to do next, starting with your childhood self and the dinner party conversations you're drawn to right now
If you've ever looked successful on paper and felt empty inside, if you've ever wondered whether you're allowed to want something different, if you've ever felt stuck and didn't know how to start moving, this conversation is for you.
About Rachel SpekmanRachel is the founder of Made for More Coaching, a career strategy firm that helps high-performing professionals trade high-paid, soul-sucking careers for work that is deeply aligned. She brings ten years of experience supporting startup founders together with five years as a licensed therapist, blending market strategy with the mental health work most career coaches skip. Rachel is an LICSW and MBA based in Boston.
Connect with Rachel:
Connect with Limor:
Website: https://limorbergman.com
Podcast: https://limorbergman.com/podcast/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/limorbergman/
Substack: https://limorbergman.substack.com
