Choose Courage Inc.

If you think leaving corporate is the hard part … this episode will challenge that.Vivianne sits down with Rachael Dietkus LCSW to unpack what actually happens after you leave: the patterns, grief, and identity shifts no one prepares you for. This is a conversation about what it really takes to heal, rebuild, and trust yourself again.In this episode:The invisible patterns you carry out of corporate (even after you leave).Why autonomy can feel uncomfortable after years of seeking permission.How hypervigilance, overperformance, and people-pleasing follow you into your next chapter.Why leaving often feels worse before it feels better.The role of grief, disorientation, and identity loss after you walk away.How corporate conditioning shapes your nervous system.What it actually looks like to heal from corporate (beyond surface-level fixes).They also explore a powerful reframe: What if the behaviors you’re judging yourself for… were never flaws, but survival patterns?You didn’t just leave a job, you left a system your body learned how to survive in.So if it feels messy… disorienting… or harder than expected…You’re not doing it wrong.You’re unwinding patterns that took years to build._______More on Rachael Dietkus LCSW: Rachael is an internationally recognized leader in trauma-informed design, civic tech ethics, and care-centered public interest technology. As founder of Social Workers Who Design, she works at the intersection of design, social work, and systems change, helping organizations build ethical, sustainable, and trauma-responsive practices that support both people and impact._______Resources MentionedThe Walkout (June 3–5) — 2.5 days with an expert team (attorney, accountant, health insurance specialist) and entrepreneurs who left corporate and built something worth leaving for.How To Prototype Your Purpose In 30 Days free downloadBook | Time Off by John Fitch and Max Frenzel

Show Notes

If you think leaving corporate is the hard part … this episode will challenge that.

Vivianne sits down with Rachael Dietkus LCSW to unpack what actually happens after you leave: the patterns, grief, and identity shifts no one prepares you for.

This is a conversation about what it really takes to heal, rebuild, and trust yourself again.

In this episode:

  • The invisible patterns you carry out of corporate (even after you leave).
  • Why autonomy can feel uncomfortable after years of seeking permission.
  • How hypervigilance, overperformance, and people-pleasing follow you into your next chapter.
  • Why leaving often feels worse before it feels better.
  • The role of grief, disorientation, and identity loss after you walk away.
  • How corporate conditioning shapes your nervous system.
  • What it actually looks like to heal from corporate (beyond surface-level fixes).

They also explore a powerful reframe: What if the behaviors you’re judging yourself for… were never flaws, but survival patterns?

You didn’t just leave a job, you left a system your body learned how to survive in.

So if it feels messy… disorienting… or harder than expected…
You’re not doing it wrong.

You’re unwinding patterns that took years to build.

_______

More on Rachael Dietkus LCSW: Rachael is an internationally recognized leader in trauma-informed design, civic tech ethics, and care-centered public interest technology. As founder of Social Workers Who Design, she works at the intersection of design, social work, and systems change, helping organizations build ethical, sustainable, and trauma-responsive practices that support both people and impact.

_______

Resources Mentioned

  • The Walkout (June 3–5) — 2.5 days with an expert team (attorney, accountant, health insurance specialist) and entrepreneurs who left corporate and built something worth leaving for.

What is Choose Courage Inc.?

We're reimagining business and workplace experiences with we-aint-afraid-to-go-there conversations. Choose Courage Inc. is an experience designed for leaders, entrepreneurs, and visionaries who are ready to break free from outdated norms and build workplaces, experiences, and businesses where people, creativity and courage come first.