EP. 14 | Devon McDonald on the Secrets Successful Women Keep: Burnout, Mom Shame, & Rebuilding with Intention

About this episode

Devon McDonald shares her journey of overcoming burnout and mom shame while transitioning from a successful career in venture capital to a more aligned life.

What does it feel like to reach the pinnacle of your career — and realize it no longer fits? Devon McDonald spent 17 years in venture capital, rising to General Partner at OpenView Ventures while raising three kids and serving as the financial anchor for her family. In March 2020, OpenView had its largest exit ever when Datadog went public, returning the fund ten times over. On paper, it was the moment she'd worked her entire career for. On the inside? Devon was sitting alone in her car, listening to meditation audiobooks, wondering why she felt desperate to escape. In this raw, honest conversation, Devon and Alexis explore what happens when the life you built for everyone else stops fitting who you're becoming — and what it actually takes to rebuild. Devon opens up about the warning signs she ignored for years: the physical symptoms of chronic stress, the shame spiral of working-mom guilt, the perfectionism and control that masked how much she was struggling. She shares the terrifying work of dismantling a life that looked perfect from the outside — losing 30 pounds, hiring a psychologist and spiritual coach, learning nervous system regulation, setting boundaries at work…

People in this episode

Guest: Devon McDonald

Topics covered

• burnout
• mom shame
• rebuilding
• career transition
• mental health

Keywords

• venture capital
• chronic stress
• perfectionism
• boundaries
• spiritual coach

Mentioned in this episode

Products: meditation audiobooks, psychologist, spiritual coach

Places: Lincoln, MA

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