Most people think an encore means returning to what worked before.Paula Washington knows better.
After decades of success in corporate leadership, consulting, and entrepreneurship, Paula reached a moment most high-achievers quietly fear. Not burnout. Not failure. Irrelevance. The deeper question of who am I becoming now?
In this Beyond the Boost conversation, Paula shares the moment her life shifted from achievement to alignment, and why the second act isn’t about doing more. It’s about becoming truer.
This episode is for leaders, entrepreneurs, and professionals standing at a threshold. The outer success is there. The inner pull won’t shut up.
And the encore is already calling.
In this conversation we talk about
* Why the encore phase is an identity shift, not a career pivot
* How loss, legacy, and mortality clarified Paula’s next chapter
* The Encore Framework. Exit, Navigate, Commit, Opportunity, Relevance, Excellence
* Why confidence doesn’t come from thinking, it comes from motion
* The hidden cost of relevance anxiety in high-performers
* How niche clarity creates authority instead of limitation
* Why most business bottlenecks live in the leader, not the team
* The difference between working in the business and for the business
* Why time, not money, is the real currency of leadership
Key Takeaways
The encore isn’t about starting over.
It’s about integrating everything you’ve lived into a more honest expression of who you are now.
Fear doesn’t disappear with experience.
It changes shape. At this stage, fear isn’t about failure. It’s about wasting what’s left.
Relevance isn’t earned by volume.
It’s earned by clarity. Knowing who you serve, why you serve them, and what you stand for.
Confidence follows action, not preparation.
You don’t think your way into courage. You walk it out, shaking if necessary.
Leadership always reveals itself in the mirror first.
Teams, businesses, and systems reflect the self-trust and blind spots of the person at the helm.
Reflection Prompts
* If I stopped proving anything, what would I choose next?
* Where am I still performing a role that no longer fits?
* What part of my identity did success quietly eclipse?
* What would relevance look like if it came from alignment, not visibility?
* If time is my true currency, what am I overspending it on?
The Boost (Identity Action Step)
Take ten uninterrupted minutes today.
No planning. No fixing.
Write this sentence and finish it honestly:
“If my encore was about becoming instead of achieving, it would begin with…”
Then notice what shows up in your body before your mind tries to edit it.
That’s where the real work starts.
About Paula Washington
Paula Washington, MBA, MS, is a strategist, speaker, and author of The Encore Playbook: Bold Strategies for Women Redefining Their Next Career Chapter. Her work helps high-achieving professionals clarify identity, reclaim relevance, and design purpose-driven second acts rooted in wisdom rather than urgency.
Website: paulawashington.com
LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram: Paula Washington
Connect with Me
If this conversation touched something quiet but persistent in you.
That sense that your outer success no longer matches who you’re becoming.
If you know you’re not done. But you’re also not meant to keep performing the same role.
I offer a No-Cost Identity Clarity Call.
Not a pitch. Not a plan dump.
We’ll look honestly at where you are, what’s no longer true, and what your next chapter is asking of you.
So the life you’re building starts to reflect the identity you’re ready to live from.
When you’re ready to stop circling the question and start answering it.
That’s the moment to book.
You can also
* Subscribe to Daily Power Boost for rhythm based identity shifts
* Find me on Social Networks
* Instagram: @coachshawnmichael
* TikTok: @coachshawnmichael
* YouTube: @coachshawnmichael
* LinkedIn: @coachinguatemala
With strength & heart,
❤️🔥 Shawn Michael
Get full access to True North: Your guide to an intentional life at trunorth.substack.com/subscribe
