How Taking a Career Break Helped Me Increase My Income by $50K

Back in 2019, I hit a level of burnout I had never experienced before. I spent all my time and energy aggressively climbing the corporate ladder because that’s what I thought I was supposed to do to be successful.

And to be fair, it was working. I was landing promotions and exciting opportunities, but at the cost of my mental health. I was exhausted, constantly running on fumes, and chasing a version of success that didn’t even feel like mine.

The truth is, I wasn’t living my dream. I was living the dream that society told me to want.

When I finally hit my breaking point

Because I was so mentally and emotionally depleted, I couldn’t even think clearly about what I wanted next for myself. I just knew something had to change.

So, I made one of the boldest moves of my life: I pitched a six-month sabbatical to my boss. To my surprise, he said yes. That was the start of what I now call my first Liberty Leave™.

The start of something life-changing

Here’s a photo my friends took of me at the airport the night I set off on my solo six-month adventure. I was so proud of myself for finally making it happen after 18 months of planning and saving.

I ended up traveling through Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Vietnam. And yes, the beaches, food, and adventures were incredible. But the biggest transformation was who I became.

The confidence I found on the road

That break taught me to trust myself. To follow my gut. To figure things out on the fly and back my own decisions. My confidence grew in ways that staying stuck at my desk never could have allowed.

And here’s the wildest part: within eight months of coming home, I pivoted into a brand-new industry and landed a job that paid me $50,000 more (!!!) than I was making before.

That break didn’t just change my mindset. It changed my financial trajectory. For the first time, I was making enough to invest regularly, and then those investments started making money for me.

Expert insight: The money myth women need to unlearn

Women often worry that taking a break will ruin their finances or derail their careers. And I get it. It’s a valid concern. But what they don’t realize is that the opposite can also be true. When you’re constantly operating in survival mode, you make decisions from fear and scarcity. That keeps you stuck in underpaying jobs, toxic workplaces, and burnout cycles that cost you more in the long run.

When you take a purposeful break, you create space to reset, recharge, and realign your goals. That clarity often leads to better financial outcomes because you start pursuing opportunities that match your value, not your fear. My story is proof that rest can be a strategy.

The takeaway

If I hadn’t stepped away, I never would’ve had the energy or clarity to make that pivot. Taking that break gave me the space to reset, recharge, and reimagine what I wanted my life to look like, and the courage to go after it.