In The Pausecast Ep. 235, Rachael O’Meara sits down with tech entrepreneur Sandra Ma for a refreshingly honest conversation about career reinvention, leaving big tech, leadership, and joy at work.

Sandra shares her journey from starting out in finance, to MTV, to Google, to co-founding Jovial, a startup dedicated to helping teams build more human, joyful, and impactful workplace cultures.

Together, Rachael and Sandra explore what happens when external success no longer feels like enough—and the inner nudges that signal it’s time for something more.

This episode is for leaders who are doing “all the right things,” yet quietly wondering if there’s another way to work, lead, and live.

You’ll hear candid reflections on investing in yourself, navigating uncertainty, breaking free from autopilot, and remembering that—sometimes—it’s really not that serious.

A grounding, perspective-shifting conversation for anyone craving more meaning, joy, and agency in their career journey.

Pause-worthy moments:

• It’s okay to still be figuring out who you’re becoming—even at the top of your game

• Wanting more impact doesn’t mean something is wrong—it means you’re evolving

• Joyful, human-centered workplaces are possible—and necessary

• The interview process is as much for you as it is for the employer

• Entrepreneurship can be the fastest personal growth accelerator there is

• Perspective is leadership: we often forget to zoom out

• Work matters—but your whole life matters more

  
  

  Standout sound bites:

• “I’m still figuring out what I want to be.”

• “We get so caught up in our own lives.”

• “It’s not that serious.”

  
  

  Episode Chapters

  • 00:00 – Introduction & Sandra’s background

  • 03:14 – From corporate success to startup curiosity

  • 06:09 – Founding Jovial and reimagining workplace culture

  • 08:45 – Navigating uncertainty, mistakes, and growth

  • 11:35 – Investing in yourself through coaching and inner work

  • 14:09 – What success looks like now

  • 16:45 – Finding balance and perspective in a busy world

  • 19:36 – Final reflections on joy, impact, and leadership