Redefining Ambition After Burnout | Zapier’s Kelly Vaughn

What happens when the person trained to spot burnout becomes its next victim? Kelly Vaughn is a Senior Engineering Manager at Zapier, the author of the After Burnout Substack, and a trained therapist. She joins hosts Ben and Andrew to share her incredibly candid journey of discovering burnout in herself. Kelly reveals how she (despite her professional understanding of burnout"s mechanisms) found herself deep in its grip, recounting the slow realizations like dwindling passion, increasing cynicism, and distinct physical tolls like disrupted sleep and a loss of hunger cues. This raw conversation offers vital lessons for anyone in a high-pressure career (and let’s face it: that’s all of us!). As the tech landscape accelerates with AI, Kelly shares insights on managing its pressures and opportunities. She redefines ambitions for herself alongside the non-negotiables she established for her own well-being when seeking her new role. Listeners will gain powerful insights into identifying their own limits, the courage for pivotal changes, and integrating new demands without self-sacrifice. Check out:AI Code Reviews: Automate AI code reviews for every PRSurvey: Discover Your AI Collaboration Style Follow the hosts:Follow BenFollow Andrew Follow today"s guest(s):Personal Website: kvlly.com"After Burnout" Newsletter: afterburnout.co"The Modern Leader" Newsletter: modernleader.isKelly’s Article: On burnout, quitting, and redefining what matters Referenced in today"s show:The FAA has resorted to buying parts on eBay because its equipment is so old, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says 2025-05-11 air traffic controlDOGE Is in Its AI EraIRS hopes to replace fired enforcement workers with AI Microsoft lays off about 3% of its workforce in what one executive calls a ‘day with a lo Support the show: Subscribe to our Substack Leave us a review Subscribe on YouTube Follow us on Twitter or LinkedIn Offers: Learn about Continuous Merge with gitStream Get your DORA Metrics free forever