My self worth was tied up in my career - with Talia Wolf (founder, GetUplift)
"If I didn’t work fifteen hours a day, I was lazy. If I didn’t work weekends, I was lazy.”
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“A lot of my self worth was tied up in my career,” shared Talia Wolf. “If I didn’t work fifteen hours a day, I was lazy. If I didn’t work weekends, I was lazy.”
That perspective came from her family.
“My dad came from a very, very poor background. He started painting houses at ten years old, and eventually had his own construction firm building houses all over London. He fought for everything he had,” Talia says. “As soon as we could walk and talk, he instilled in me and my three siblings that your work (and your family) is your life.”
Taking her dad’s advice - Talia started working at twelve, was waitressing at fourteen, and did over 1000 jumps as a skydive photographer before starting her tech career 🤯.
Talia’s intense work ethic has served her well. She’s the CEO and founder of GetUplift, a CRO agency and training space that serves high-growth brands like Mercedes, Bitly, Sprout Social, and Thinkific. She’s spoken on stages all around the world. And was recently named one of the most influential CRO experts in the world.
The journey hasn’t been without its low points. Having been raised to believe that having a career is the most important thing, becoming a mom for the first time really challenged her identity.
“Having to step back to nurse and change diapers and have poo conversations was a downgrade for me,” Talia says. “Hashtag unpopular opinion — motherhood wasn’t everything I ever wanted (at first). I was sad and angry, and I resented my husband for being able to go to work every day while I — as a woman — had to stop.”
Coming to terms with her new reality was a life-changing experience for Talia. Emulating her dad’s ability to grind it out all day every day had taken her far, but then it became her kryptonite. She needed to find a different kind of work-life balance. And she did.
“If I made $100 million today, I still wouldn’t quit my job. I’m not that person,” Talia says. “But my goals now are around seeing how much I can step back from the business — what can I do so that my work supports my life and not the other way around?”
Talia is still doing amazing work, but she’s doing it on her own terms, working fewer hours and spending more time with her family. She shared so many great stories in our conversation, including:
The jaw-dropping moment — when she was six months pregnant — that Talia pushed past her imposter syndrome, quit her job, launched her first online course, and realized she would never work for anyone else.
How standing up to a schoolyard bully may have been good practice for a career challenging gurus and their best practices
Staying in a CMO role because she was too scared to start her own business
Watch or listen below 👇
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