Illustrating Leadership Lesson: Time is Valuable

In this episode of the Illustrating Leadership Podcast, I sat down with Tara Haislip, founder of Grounded Energy 111 and host of the upcoming Burn the Script podcast. Tara’s story is one of reinvention, resilience, and redefining what success really means. From professional dancer to paralegal to health coach and now entrepreneur, her journey reflects what happens when we stop following everyone else’s rules and start creating our own.

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A Nonlinear Path to Purpose

Tara’s career path has been anything but traditional. She began as a professional dancer, performing at a high level but struggling to take care of her own well-being. After burning out early, she pivoted into law—working for the Department of Justice, local banks, and regional firms.

But no matter how successful she became, something always felt off. “I was a health coach trying to support others in making healthy choices,” she shared, “and I felt and looked like I was falling apart.”

Her realization that achievement without alignment leads to exhaustion became the catalyst for change. When her high-pressure health tech job left her managing hundreds of clients and thousands of messages a week, she finally made the decision to walk away and rebuild her life on her own terms.

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Leadership Lessons from Two Unexpected Mentors

When asked about leaders who shaped her journey, Tara reflected on two mentors who modeled trust, respect, and balance in the workplace.

Her first mentor, a commercial lender she worked with early in her career, taught her the value of boundaries and mutual trust. He didn’t micromanage—he empowered. “He gave me my time back,” she said. “He trusted me to do my job, respected my time, and showed me that leadership can be collaborative, not controlling.”

Her second mentor, a managing partner at a law firm, recognized her value even when the system didn’t. He advocated for her raises, gave her flexibility, and rewarded her dedication with trust and appreciation. These experiences, she said, showed her that good leadership values humanity as much as productivity.

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The Cost of Overcommitment

Tara also witnessed the darker side of professional life—what happens when people sacrifice everything for work. She described a colleague who spent decades devoted to her firm only to become bitter, unhealthy, and resentful. That image stuck with Tara as a warning: “I didn’t want to wake up one day and realize I’d given everything to my job and had nothing left of myself.”

That realization, paired with her own burnout, pushed Tara to question the traditional definitions of success. The constant chasing, proving, and overgiving weren’t worth the cost of her health and happiness.

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Redefining Success and Leadership

Today, Tara helps others break free from that same cycle. Through Grounded Energy 111, she works with clients to regulate their nervous systems, reconnect to their energy, and build sustainable lives that support—not suffocate—their ambitions.

Her philosophy is simple but powerful: You can still be driven, ambitious, and successful without sacrificing your well-being. “I’ve played the game by other people’s rules,” she said. “Now I’m making my own.”

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The Courage to Burn the Script

Tara’s next chapter includes launching her own podcast, Burn the Script, where she invites guests to share stories about rewriting the expectations society has handed them. It’s about burning the old playbook—the one that says success has to come with exhaustion—and instead embracing authenticity, balance, and freedom.

As she put it, “The best stuff happens when you finally say, ‘Nope, I’m done playing by everyone else’s rules.’”

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Connect with Tara Haislip

You can connect with Tara on Instagram at @grounded_energy111, where she shares practical tools for energetic alignment, emotional regulation, and authentic living. You can also follow her upcoming show, Burn the Script, on Instagram at @burnthescriptpod to catch new episodes when it launches.

Your host, Jessica Wright, is a Life & Career Development Coach for Leaders and the Founder of Wright Life Coaching, LLC. You can connect with and follow her on LinkedIn.