Welcome to STANDOUT From the Crowd.
I'm Darine, and if you are anything like me, you have probably been through a few unexpected twist on your journey.
My plan “A” was to be a diplomat, but life had other plans leading me to become an impact entrepreneur and champion for women's leadership.
Sometimes life has a funny way of throwing us curveballs.
Right?
I have always wondered why fit in when you were born to stand out.
In this podcast, I sit down with remarkable women leaders who have embraced their unique path, defied expectations, and created lasting impact.
We dive into their stories, explore their mindset, their resilience, and the strategies that help them succeed even when left through stones in their path.
Whether it's insights on personal growth, strategies to amplify your visibility, or tips to boost your well-being and overall productivity, you will find the inspiration you need to unlock your full potential.
Join me every other Wednesday for conversations that will empower you to stand out in your career, in your life, and in everything that you do.
Because listen, here, we don't just follow the crowd.
We STANDOUT.
We are now in part three of “redefining having it all” series.
And today, we are pulling the curtain on some things that's not often talked about in professional settings.
What if the success you worked so hard for no longer fulfills you?
Maybe you have climbed the ladder.
Maybe you have hit your goals.
Maybe on paper, things look great, but inside, you are tired.
You are exhausted, uninspired, and disconnected.
And so today's episode is all about shifting from exhaustion to empowerment by rewriting your own vision of success, your own version of success.
So why in today's age, traditional success metrics are no longer enough?
In general, society has taught us that success is a six figure title, endless productivity, external recognition, and constant availability.
And don't get me wrong here.
These things can be amazing as long as they are aligned with your values.
But in general, we chase them because we think and society makes us believe they are supposed to make us feel fulfilled.
According to a study by Indeed, fifty two percent of women in high level roles report feeling emotionally disconnected from their work despite their achievement.
That's the other half, and it's definitely a red flag.
Because when success is misaligned, it becomes a source of stress, not satisfaction, and this is what we want to avoid.
So what might be the signs that you are chasing someone else's version of success?
You hit a big goal and feel nothing.
You are constantly busy, but rarely inspired.
You dread the life you have built, but you don't feel allowed to pivot.
Or your ambition feels like obligation instead of inspiration.
Sounds familiar?
Ultimately, that's not failure.
If you feel one, some, or maybe all those signs, it is not failure.
That's not failure.
That's feedback.
That's feedback that your inner compass is trying to point you towards something deeper, towards something different, and you need to do an introspection.
You need to allow yourself.
You need to give yourself permission to do an introspection and to make the decision to pivot and to make the decision to change if you realize that the version of success that you have achieved is not aligned, is no longer fulfilling, is not aligned with your values, and is no longer fulfilling.
So why in 2025, finally, fulfillment is the new power move?
In 2025, we are seeing a massive shift among ambitious women away from traditional climb the ladder goals and toward values based living.
McKinsey latest data shows that more than sixty percent of women who made recent career changes say they did it to prioritize well-being and purpose.
Not pay, not perks, but alignment.
So finally, and for the better, fulfillment has become the new status symbol.
Peace is the new flex, and energy is the new ambition.
You wanna keep your energy high and you no longer want to exhaust yourself, to lose your energy towards something that is not aligned with who you are.
And that's ultimately, that is not fulfilling.
If you are a millennial like me, then the former version of success that we have carried on into our generation is the version of success of our parents.
Okay? You work hard. You work hard. You work hard. You kill yourself at work.
You exhaust yourself at work.
You always make yourself available to the boss.
And then, eventually, you will climb the ladder, and you will be successful.
We have inherited this version, this vision, this definition of success.
And better later than never, we are shifting and we are deciding to redefine what success should mean to us.
And we understand that success there is not one single version of success, but that success can be different to each of us.
And I kind of love that.
I'm here for the change, and I'm here for it.
Now let's do a quick visualization and redefine what success means to you.
Take a deep breath, close your eyes, and imagine your version of a successful life.
But here is the trick.
Don't think about what it looks like. Instead, ask yourself what does it feel like?
Does it feel calm, confident, balanced, creative, free?
Now ask, what am I doing in that life?
Who am I surrounded by?
What am I no longer tolerating?
And once you get the answers to those questions, that becomes your new definition of success. A new definition of success that is waiting to emerge.
So let's even be more practical here with three steps that you can implement to help you even further redefine your own definition of success.
First of all, take a success inventory.
List your current goals.
Ask for each.
Does it still belong to me, or what is inherited from someone else's expectation?
And most of the time, the expectations that we carry are oftentimes from society, but more precisely from family members, our parents, for example.
So other expectations for yourself, for your own success that you carry are from you, from your parents, or from someone else.
Number two, do a feeling first exercise.
Write down five words that describe how you want your success to feel.
Use these to guide future decisions.
And last but not least, fill in the blank.
For me, success means and you use your own definition.
And now you repeat that to yourself every day.
If you wanna keep all your exercises into one place, then I created the standout journal just for you to go through deeper exercises to have access to resources and to practical tips in order to help you elevate yourself, being aligned with yourself, and live a fulfilling life because that's what life is about. Right?
So if you would like to download your four week standout journal complimentary, you just need to click the link in the description of the episode.
Success is not what impresses others.
Success is what sustains you.
Coming up next in the last part of our miniseries, redefining having it all, we are getting even more practical.
And we are going to look at how to create boundaries, reclaim, balance, and lead without any apology.
It's time to stop overfunctioning and start protecting your peace.
So once you have listened to this episode, go through the exercises, and downloaded your standout journal, let me know.
I really, really wanna know, and I'm curious to know what your new definition of success is.
So share it with me.
You can tag me, tag the podcast, the standout podcast on Instagram or even on LinkedIn, and I would like to feature some of your new version of success in the next episode.
And if this conversation hits home, share it with another woman, with your family members, your network, your friends, your neighbors who have been questioning the grind.
Let's start normalizing success that feels right, not success that just looks right.
We leave it behind.
We are done with that. Because, ultimately, you don't need to chase what drains you, but you can define what fills you. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review.
Your feedback helps us to continue to grow and bring more valuable content. Until next time. Bye.
