“We're much more powerful than we think.”— Victoria Mensch

How do you know if you're on the right path—especially when you've done everything “right” and still feel... off?

This week on the WanderWomen Podcast, I sit down with Victoria Mensch, CEO of the Silicon Valley Executive Academy, a woman who’s lived many lives across many geographies. From Moscow to California to Spain to Bali, from psychologist to marketer to entrepreneur, Victoria’s story is a masterclass in bold pivots, reinvention, and internal alignment.

But this episode isn’t just about success.It’s about truth.

About the quiet discomfort that lingers even after you've checked all the boxes.About the inner critic that whispers, “You made a mistake,” even after following your passion.About the radical permission to pivot—again and again—until your life actually feels like your own.

🔁 Reinvention ≠ Failure

Victoria reminds us that reinvention isn’t always a product of clarity. Sometimes, it’s born from exhaustion. From hitting a wall. From realizing that doing what you love doesn’t always mean loving what you do.

Her story is a powerful reminder that failure is not a flaw in the system—it is the system. That freedom lives on the other side of fear, and that “faith over fear” is more than a mantra. It’s a decision we make every day.

🎒 Finding Home (Even in a Hotel Room)

There’s a moment in this conversation that stayed with me: Victoria shares that every time she traveled for work, she carried a small plush toy and placed it on her hotel pillow. That was her ritual. That was her anchor.

Because home, for many of us, is not a place.It’s a feeling.A familiarity we recreate over and over, wherever we land.

💼 Burnout ≠ Weakness

As someone who’s worked with high-stakes corporate teams, Victoria sees firsthand how burnout sneaks in—not because we’re not capable, but because we forget to center ourselves. In this episode, she shares a free toolkit from her Burnout to Harmony program (linked in the show notes) that gives tangible steps for reclaiming peace, perspective, and purpose.

🧭 Steering Through Uncertainty

What if you’re not lost? What if you’re just in transition?

Victoria ends with a truth that hits hard for many of us who’ve crossed borders—geographically or emotionally:

“You are always at the steering wheel. The question is: what can you do from here?”

It’s a gentle but firm reminder that power doesn’t lie in perfect plans—it lies in present choices.

Watch Full Episode

📕 Order the WanderWomen book – A love letter to women who dare to dream across borders: https://www.shivangiwalke.com/wanderwomen

With courage,Shivangi

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