Betting On Yourself: Fear, Freedom, And The Founder’s Leap Second Life Leader podcast

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Betting on Yourself: Fear, Freedom, and the Founder’s Leap

4d ago 19:43

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Sue spent years leading high-performing teams in New York City’s recruitment world. Then came burnout, long commutes, and layoffs. With a newborn and a toddler at home, she decided to stop building other people’s companies and start her own. In this episode, we unpack what it really takes to pivot from paycheck to purpose — fear, patience, and the discipline to design a life around freedom, not frenzy.

We dive into what founders get wrong about scale, how “stickiness” beats speed, and why being your own bottleneck can kill your dream faster than any competitor. From cash flow realities to the myth of overnight success, Sue shares the emotional and tactical lessons of rebuilding after collapse.

TL;DR

* The courage equation: Real growth = equal parts fear and excitement.

* Don’t go back to burnout: Layoffs can be a chance to rebuild — not return.

* Cash flow kills faster than failure: Design for early revenue before “scaling.”

* Patience > virality: Shark Tank stories aren’t the norm — steady wins.

* Stickiness beats scale: Differentiation creates sustainability.

* AI advantage: Use GenAI for leverage, not replacement — efficiency still needs execution.

* Don’t be your own bottleneck: Founders must delegate or automate to grow.

Memorable lines

* “If you’re doing the right thing, you should feel equal parts fear and excitement.”

* “Nobody knows you’re here until you tell them — at least eight times.”

* “Fast growth is sexy, but slow cash burn wins the long game.”

* “AI can’t replace human grit — it just compresses the distance between idea and action.”

Guest:

Sue Bortone — Founder & Executive Coach, former NYC recruitment leader helping professionals rebuild their second act.LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suenorelle/

Website: https://www.nobletalent.group/

Why it matters

Freedom isn’t found in escaping failure — it’s earned by rebuilding smarter. Every founder in transition has to bet on themselves twice: once to leave, and again to last.

Call to Action

If this conversation lit something up for you, don’t just let it fade. Come join me inside the Second Life Leader community on Skool. That’s where I share the frameworks, field reports, and real stories of reinvention that don’t make it into the podcast. You’ll connect with other professionals who are actively rebuilding and leading with clarity. The link is in the show notes—step inside and start building your Second Life today.

https://secondlifeleader.com

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