On 31st March 2024, I stepped down as CEO of the company I co-founded in 2009 - a multi-award-winning, 7-figure success that had grown internationally.

Behind the scenes, I’d spent years balancing that success with a silent battle against depression. For too long, I feared sharing my truth would hold the business back.

When I stepped away, I launched Leaders in Disguise with a clear purpose - to break the stigma of mental health and wellbeing in leadership. I knew my story wasn’t enough, and I had to invite others to share theirs too. They brought raw honesty to the mic, proving vulnerability is strength.

Over a year later, the change is real. More leaders are speaking up. More conversations are happening. The stigma hasn’t disappeared, but it’s cracking.

This episode closes a chapter of Leaders in Disguise, and opens the door to my next mission:

Selfish Leadership. A positive reframe on the word “selfish,” it’s about leaders filling their own batteries, putting on their own oxygen masks first, and seeing self-prioritisation not as a weakness, but as a strategy for sustainable success.

We’ll be back. Until then - keep talking. Keep being you. You matter.

What if chasing 10x growth and entrepreneurial “success” is actually destroying your health, your happiness, and your business?

In this eye-opening episode of Leaders in Disguise, finance coach Serena Humphrey reveals the hidden costs of hustle culture. After surviving three financial traumas in her twenties and suffering a total physical and mental collapse, Serena exposes why the relentless pursuit of more nearly broke her - and why she chose to walk away.

This isn’t just a story about burnout. It’s a blueprint for redefining success, building intentional wealth, and leading with purpose (not pressure).

What You’ll Discover:

• Why the 10x mindset and hustle culture are a fast track to burnout and chronic illness
• The emotional and ethical toll of making an entire workforce redundant in your twenties
• How surviving financial trauma redefined Serena’s ideas of wealth, security, and leadership
• The difference between chasing an exit fantasy and building sustainable, intentional wealth
• Why performative success (cars, status, revenue milestones) is a trap - and how Serena’s viral LinkedIn post challenged the narrative
• Grounded, practical advice for leaders feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, or stuck

Subscribe for more powerful, unfiltered stories about the real cost of leadership and the courage it takes to redefine success.

Have you ever felt trapped by the pressure to scale or “succeed”?

Connect with Serena: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/serena-humphrey

Join us for an exclusive episode, and incredibly brave and honest conversation with Nicky Shearer as she opens up about living with OCD and the challenges that come with leadership roles. This episode breaks down barriers and stigma around mental health in professional settings.

Key Topics Covered

•⁠ ⁠Living with OCD: Nicky's personal journey and daily realities

•⁠ ⁠Pregnancy & OCD: How symptoms evolved during pregnancy

•⁠ ⁠Relationship Disclosure: The courage to tell her partner about her condition

•⁠ ⁠Postnatal Challenges: Navigating motherhood with OCD

•⁠ ⁠Workplace Conversations: When and how to disclose mental health conditions to colleagues

•⁠ ⁠Leadership Authenticity: Using vulnerability as a strength

Key Takeaways

•⁠ ⁠Mental health doesn't disqualify you from leadership

•⁠ ⁠Vulnerability can be a superpower in building trust

•⁠ ⁠The importance of support systems in professional settings

Resources Mentioned

•⁠ ⁠Up There in the Sky by Nicky Shearer, available on amazon https://www.amazon.co.uk/Up-There-Sky-Nicola-Shearer/dp/1787883442

Connect with Nicky

•⁠ ⁠(https://uk.linkedin.com/in/nicky-shearer-b3a5481b4