> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.foundedbywomen.org/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # From Burnout to Living True: How Alison O'Leary Turned Her Own Transformation Into a Coaching Business - URL: https://www.foundedbywomen.org/women-who-lead/from-burnout-to-living-true-how-alison-oleary-turned-her-own-transformation-into-a-coaching-business/ - Published: 2026-09-10T11:11:29.000Z - Updated: 2026-09-10T11:11:29.000Z - Author: Editorial team - Tags: Women Who Lead After 20 years in high-pressure communications roles, Alison O'Leary hit a wall - literally, when years of stress finally shut down her digestive system. A hospital consultant's diagnosis of stress from living out of alignment with herself became the catalyst she needed. That health scare led to a complete reinvention: training as a Martha Beck life coach, founding [Live True](https://livetrue.co.uk/?ref=foundedbywomen.org), and moving from central London to the Welsh mountainside. Alison has since worked with hundreds of professionals navigating the exact career and life transitions she once feared herself. In this Q&A, Alison shares what really holds people back from making the change they know they need, and how she's now expanding beyond coaching into The Adventure Club - immersive retreats and experiences designed to help people stop postponing the lives they actually want. > Know a founder (or are one) doing incredible work? **Founded by Women Awards** are open for entries. If you're building something bold, leading with purpose, or driving change in your industry, we'd love for you to enter. 👉 [foundedbywomen.org/awards](https://www.foundedbywomen.org/awards/) --- ### Q: After 20 years in communications, you trained as a Martha Beck life coach and founded Live True. What made you decide to make that shift? It was a combination of things. My late husband and I worked really long hours so we barely saw one another, and when we did, we were tired out. During the times we spent with family and friends we struggled to be present because we were consumed by our jobs and the stress of them. Personally, I was also fighting to find genuine meaning and purpose in my day job. The longer I was in it, the harder it became to really care about it or see the point of it. Plus, I’d been ill on and off for 10 years. When my digestive system finally shut down after years of ongoing stomach issues, a hospital consultant diagnosed stress caused by living and working in a way that wasn’t aligned with my true self, and this finally sent me searching for new answers. I hired a coach to help me figure out what I needed and wanted, and a path forward, and I determined through that process that I wanted to be a coach myself. After training with Martha Beck, I specialised in career and life change after working through both myself, and I’ll often share my own story with clients of how I transitioned from a corporate career to running my own coaching business, and made a lifestyle move from the centre of London to a beautiful mountainside in Wales. Ultimately, my business is called [Live True](https://livetrue.co.uk/?ref=foundedbywomen.org), because I didn’t for many years (!!) and now I help others work out and action what living true means for them. ### Q: You've worked with hundreds of professionals on career and life transitions. What's the most common thing holding people back from making a change they know they want to make? The biggest hurdle for most people is not knowing what change to make. The majority of people I work with are in their 30s, 40s and 50s, and they’ve been really successful in their careers, but they’ve hit a point of no return. They feel like something is missing from their work and lives – which often has to do with meaning, purpose and fulfilment – but they don’t know which move to make to deliver this, and they fear making the wrong decision. They are can-do people who will take action once they are set on a direction, but without a clear picture of the right route to take, they feel stuck and often end up in analysis paralysis, mulling over ideas but being afraid to commit in case they choose the wrong thing and risk losing what they’ve built up to date. Through a rigorous, data-led process, I help people truly understand what drives and motivates them, what they are interested in, what they are good at, and what they care about, and we use that data to direct the right career and/or life changes. The conclusions they arrive at are ones they know they can trust because they are based on their own unique criteria, meaning they can rationalise why they’ve come to it and feel empowered to act on it confidently. ### Q: You launched Work Wonderland as an online course to scale your coaching approach. What's next for Live True? I’m branching out with in-person retreats and experiences. Earlier this year I ran a retreat called Your Era, which was designed to help people reconnect with themselves, understand what drives them, and consciously design the life they’re ready to create next. I’ve also set up something called The Adventure Club, and I’ve run its inaugural experience, The Expansion Escape. The ethos behind the Club is that life was never meant to get smaller. Somewhere along the way, many of us stop collecting stories. Our calendars fill up, the weeks start looking the same, our comfort zones quietly shrink and we tell ourselves we'll travel more, spend more time outdoors, try new things, make new friends or prioritise ourselves...one day. But what if one day started now? Through The Adventure Club I create beautifully curated escapes and experiences for people who want more from life than simply getting through it. ​​​​​​​ Every experience is thoughtfully designed to blend adventure, community, nature, personal growth and genuine connection. Think unforgettable days outdoors, inspiring conversations, new experiences, plenty of laughter, a few moments that gently stretch you, and the kind of memories that stay with you long after you get home. People can join The Adventure Club priority list to learn more about upcoming experiences [here](https://livetrue.pages.ontraport.net/AdventureClubPriorityList?ref=foundedbywomen.org). > Are you a woman leader with an inspiring story? Founded by Women elevates the voices of women making an impact. > Breaking barriers or paving the way for others? We'd love to feature you. Get in touch! 👉 [hi@foundedbywomen.org](mailto:hi@foundedbywomen.org)