In this raw and honest solo episode, Tracy Cherpeski shares what happened when the burnout prevention expert found herself sliding into Stage 4 burnout. During one of the busiest seasons of her career - launching Thriving Practice Community, facilitating a CME-accredited wellness retreat, and developing new programs - Tracy experienced firsthand the insidious nature of burnout she teaches others to prevent. But this isn't just a story about struggle. It's about what actually works: the difference between near-burnout and full burnout, why clarity is 50% of prevention, and why community isn't optional but essential infrastructure for sustainable practice. Through stories from a powerful San Jose gathering and TPC's inaugural Community of Practice session, Tracy reveals what healthcare leaders are truly hungry for and what most of us are trying to survive without.
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"The irony was not lost on me. And that's the thing about burnout - it's insidious. You don't see it creeping up until suddenly, you're in it."
"That feeling of 'I'm keeping all these plates spinning but I've lost sight of why I'm in the circus to begin with.'"
"My body basically said, 'Okay, you pushed through the event, now you're STOPPING whether you like it or not.'"
"The 'worst advice' they were sarcastically giving? That WAS their lived experience."
"They grabbed onto connection like oxygen."
"And that's what I mean by isolation at the survival level. It's not that he's not capable - he's proven he is. It's that he's trying to navigate impossible complexity without anyone who actually understands the terrain."
"Success doesn't eliminate the need for community. It just changes what you need community FOR."
"Clarity is at least 50% of burnout prevention."
"Community isn't optional. It's infrastructure."
"Isolation intensifies everything. The doubt. The comparison. The overwhelm. The weight of decisions."
"That's the power of community. Not as a cure for burnout, but as prevention. As the structure that keeps you from getting there in the first place."
"This isn't about waiting until you 'have it all figured out' to connect with peers. It's about recognizing that connection IS how you figure it out."
Tracy's vulnerability in this episode is a gift. She didn't just teach us about burnout prevention - she showed us what it looks like to catch yourself at Stage 4, course-correct with clarity and community, and come out stronger. If you'refeeling isolated in your practice, making high-stakes decisions alone, or wondering if you have time for community, this episode is your reminder: you don't have time NOT to invest in connection and clarity. Because without them, you'llkeep spinning until your body forces you to stop.
Tracy Cherpeski, MBA, MA, CPSC (she/her/hers) is the Founder of Tracy Cherpeski International and Thriving Practice Community. As a Business Consultant and Executive Coach, Tracy helps healthcare practice owners scale their businesses without sacrificing wellbeing. Through strategic planning, leadership development, and mindset mastery, she empowers clients to reclaim their time and reach their potential. Based in Chapel Hill, NC, Tracy serves clients worldwide and is the Executive Producer and Host of the Thriving Practice podcast. Her guiding philosophy: Survival is not enough; life is meant to be celebrated.
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