Have you ever sat down to rest and felt guilty within about ninety seconds? Not tired. Guilty.
Like rest is something you have to earn, and you haven't earned it yet.
Most high performers aren't bad at resting, they just can't shake the feeling that stopping is a kind of failing. And they usually don't stop until something makes them.
In this episode, we sit down with Fleur Marks.
20 years in senior leadership at one of the world's largest advertising agencies, running American Express across Asia Pacific, and author of the new book The Overachiever's Reset: A Better Way to Succeed, Without Losing Yourself — to unpack what happens when a rare autoimmune disease and then cancer strip away your ability to achieve anything at all, and you meet who you are without the performance.
We explore the version of success that looks flawless from the outside and costs everything on the inside — and what Fleur found on the other side of losing the career, the house, and the identity she'd built her whole life on.
Through powerful stories and real-life examples, we dive into:
- What a normal week actually looked like — two countries a week, London in the morning and New York at night, two children under five
- The four words from her five-year-old daughter that stopped her cold
- What "FINE" really stands for, and why high achievers reach for it every time
- Why she dragged herself out of bed after chemo to make perfect school lunches — and the belief underneath it
- The three types of "enough", and which one has you working past midnight
- Why resilience, the thing everyone praised her for, was the thing that broke her
If you're the one everyone relies on, the one who's always fine, this is the episode to sit with.
Fleur is living proof that the small things you're too busy to notice are the only things you'll want back.
Connect with Fleur Marks:Website: https://fleurmarks.com.auInstagram: @fleurjmarks
Reconnect to Self Retreat - Oct 23-25
If this episode landed, our October retreat is the structured version of everything Fleur talks about here.
Friday 23 – Sunday 25 October at Moondyne Estate in the Chittering Valley, just over an hour from Perth.
Three days, nine guided exercises run by Tracey, and only 10 spots.
May sold out.
Visit www.traceyquayle.com if you'd like the info pack.
If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to follow, share it with someone who needs to hear it, and leave us a review — it helps us reach more people looking to reconnect with themselves.
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Disclaimer: This podcast is for information only and isn't a substitute for personalised therapy.
