✨Journeys of Empowerment✨ – Episode 24

Sometimes, burnout isn’t a breakdown..it’s a breakthrough!

I had the pleasure of speaking with Magdalena Szumna, founder of Indigo Diversity Consulting. Her journey from feeling out of place in the corporate world to becoming a bold voice for intercultural empathy and inclusion is a testament to how reclaiming your truth can lead to meaningful change..not just for yourself, but for entire teams and organizations.

In our conversation Magdalena shared the moments that reshaped her path, from the spark of curiosity ignited by a family story in Poland, to the decision to leave corporate safety behind and align fully with her purpose.

One moment that deeply touched me was when Magdalena shared her childhood dream of becoming an archaeologist in Egypt. She devoured hundreds of books about Ancient Egyptian culture, even though travel was out of reach at the time. That young girl, dreaming beyond her surroundings, was already nurturing a deep longing to understand other worlds—and it’s that same longing that now fuels her work in intercultural connection and psychological safety.

What We Explored:

• Intercultural leadership: supporting diverse teams through awareness, communication, and curiosity;
• Burnout & realignment: how a crisis became a compass for purpose;
• Psychological safety: why it’s foundational for team performance and human connection;
• The birth of Indigo: from surviving in corporate to thriving in entrepreneurship;
• Speak your truth: owning your story as a source of power and transformation!

Nuggets of Empowerment:

• “You don’t need to break to begin again”: burnout can become the doorway to realignment;
• “Diversity work is inner work”: it starts with knowing yourself before you can truly understand others;
• “Openness isn’t just a mindset it’s a muscle”: and it strengthens every time we choose curiosity over judgment!

Connect with Magdalena Szumna:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mszumna/ 
• Website: https://indigodiversity.com 
• Bonus a free eBook on psychological safety in Intercultural teams: email TOOLKIT to [email protected]

Ready to lead real change? 

• Explore Neotopia’s approach: https://neotopia.nl   

Discover No More Boring Workshops:

• https://www.strategysprint.company/nomoreboringworkshops  

What truth are you ready to speak out loud, and without apology?