Ep 138 Life After Corporate with Deb Boulanger: Self-Worth, Pricing, Visibility & Building What Comes Next

What happens when you’ve spent decades becoming exceptionally good at succeeding inside a system — and then decide to build something of your own? In this episode, Anna sits down with Deb Boulanger, founder of Life After Corporate, who works with accomplished corporate women leaders making the transition into consulting, fractional leadership, coaching, and advisory work. Deb knows this transition from the inside. After a highly successful corporate career — including growing a new business from zero to $32 million in 30 months and leading a team of more than 50 people — she reached a point where the pace was no longer sustainable. Burnout, the end of her marriage, caregiving, motherhood, and menopause all converged into a larger question: What do I actually want my life to look like now? What followed was not simply a career change, but an identity shift. In this conversation, Anna and Deb explore what happens psychologically when the title, team, salary, and company name that once reinforced your sense of competence are suddenly gone — and you have to trust your own judgment in a whole new way. They talk about: • Why leaving corporate can bring up unexpected self-worth wounds • The role perfectionism, people-pleasing, procrastination, and fear play in entrepreneurship • Why market research can feel much more emotionally loaded than it sounds • The fear of being perceived as “salesy” — and how Deb reframes selling as service • Why visibility is essential if you want to be discoverable • The connection between pricing and self-worth • Deb’s powerful reminder: “No one is buying your self-esteem.” • Why underpricing can lead to burnout, resentment, and blurred boundaries • The difference between overpricing and overpromising • Why one failed webinar, launch, or sales conversation is simply a data point — not proof that your business won’t work • The financial and emotional “wobbles” that often happen when building something new • How to keep going when your nervous system wants immediate proof that your efforts are working • Why leaving corporate and building your next chapter can become something much deeper than a career move Deb also shares stories from her work with women who have moved through uncertainty, rebuilt their confidence, and turned decades of experience into sustainable businesses and high-value advisory relationships. At its heart, this conversation is about learning to separate your value as a human being from the results in your business — and trusting that the expertise you built over decades did not disappear when you left your corporate role. Connect with Deb Boulanger Website: https://lifeaftercorporate.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debboulanger-thegreatdo-over/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deb_boulanger/ You can also find the Life After Corporate podcast wherever you listen to podcasts. Connect with Anna Holtzman Website: www.annaholtzman.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-holtzman/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anna_holtzman/