Overcoming stress & burnout: I had a panic attack but still went to the meeting (Sarah Stockdale)

In this episode, Sarah Stockdale, founder of Growclass, shares her journey of overcoming burnout while leading growth teams at tech startups, addressing gender bias in the workplace, and building a thriving community for marketers. She reflects on how these experiences shaped her leadership style, approach to mental health, and entrepreneurship.

Sarah opens up about:

Witnessing a mass layoff and facing inappropriate comments from a coworker

Pushing herself so hard that she had a panic attack on her way to a partnership meeting

Making the bold decision to take a risk on a startup over a secure job because she wanted to optimize for learning.

Things to listen for:

(00:00) The wonderful humans that shaped Sarah

(06:39) Transitioning from a risk-averse upbringing to entrepreneurship

(08:04) Turning down a safe job offer for a learning opportunity in a startup

(11:26) Not true, but he said, “Sarah wasn’t fired because the boss wants to f*** her”

(18:42) Thanks to our sponsor of this episode, Churnkey

(20:33) “You get to decide your own worth and impact”

(25:33) Busting the hustle = success myth

(31:18) Liters of coffee, panic attacks, and burnout

(39:10) Sarah’s therapist told her to quit her job

(42:39) The impact of frentors (friend + mentor)

Thanks to our sponsor!

Learn more about Churnkey: https://churnkey.co/

Resources:

Connect with Sarah:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahstockdale/

• Growclass: https://www.growclass.co/

Connect with Andrew:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewcapland/

• Hire Andrew as your coach: https://deliveringvalue.co/coaching