The Liberty Leavers, Issue 003: Melonie De Guzman Built a "F*ck You Fund" So She Could Walk Away From Burnout
When people talk about financial freedom, they usually picture early retirement.
But for some people, it's simply about having enough money to walk away from situations that no longer serve them.
The Liberty Leavers is a series sharing the stories of women who are taking intentional breaks from work, reimagining success, and creating lives that look different from the script we've been handed.
✨ Next up: Melonie De Guzman.
For years, Melonie built her career with one goal in mind: creating enough financial security that she'd never feel trapped in a job again.
She paid off debt, changed companies four times in three years to more than double her salary, and built what she calls her "f*ck you fund", which is money that gave her the freedom to walk away when the time was right.
In April 2024, after years of burnout, she finally did.
She spent five months travelling through Thailand, Vietnam, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands, not to find herself, but to prove that the freedom she'd worked so hard to build was actually hers.
Today, she's helping other women take control of their careers on their own terms. Here's how she made her Liberty Leave happen.
For readers meeting you for the first time, can you tell us a little about yourself and the work you've done throughout your career?
I spent over 15 years in digital media and broadcast, working as a digital producer in brand partnerships and strategy. I've worked with MuchMusic and CTV, where I led high-profile campaigns for major events like the Super Bowl, the Olympics, and the first season of The Amazing Race Canada, while also sitting on the programming committee for Women in Film & Television.
I then transitioned into project management, where I won a Canadian Screen Award for Best Cross-Platform Project, worked on Crave during its inception phase, collaborated on the Canadian launch of Amazon Alexa, and co-founded Rogers Women in Technology to build their first cross-Canada mentorship program. Alongside my media career, I spent six years as Fashion Television’s house runway photographer, shooting every Toronto Fashion Week.
To strategically increase my salary, I pivoted my career three times: moving into telecom marketing, navigating the startup world, and entering fintech.
Today, I am the founder of The Career Strategy Lab, where I work as a career coach helping women land their next roles. I also lead career workshops for colleges and universities and design mentorship programs for corporations, which includes a custom workbook I created to guide mentors and mentees through their sessions. I have spoken at events for organizations like the Women Tech Network and institutions such as Queen's, McMaster, TMU, Shopify, Carleton, uOttawa, and U of T on topics like breaking through limiting beliefs and career branding.
You set a goal in your early 30s to build a "f*ck you fund." What inspired that goal, and what did financial freedom mean to you at the time?
What inspired the goal: The goal was born out of a feeling of being completely trapped. I was at a point in my career where I felt deeply stuck in my role, but because I didn't have a financial safety net, I didn't feel stable enough to leave. That realization was a wake-up call.
“I never wanted my career choices or my personal peace of mind to be dictated by financial desperation or a paycheck. I knew I needed to build a buffer that would give me the power to make choices based on what was best for me, not just what paid the bills”.
What financial freedom meant to me at the time: At that time, financial freedom didn't mean early retirement or wealth; it meant autonomy. It meant having a 'f*ck you fund' that was robust enough to allow me to walk away from a toxic environment or an unfulfilling role, even if I didn't have another job lined up. It was about buying myself the time and space to breathe, reset, and choose my next step intentionally, rather than rushing into the next available role out of panic.
You spent years paying off debt, increasing your income, and saving for both travel and your future. What financial strategies helped you make a five-month career break possible?
The whole way I approached my career was the biggest thing that impacted my financials, where instead of trying to get my next promotion inside the company I worked at, I instead moved to another company for more money.
Between 2021 and 2024, you changed jobs four times and more than doubled your salary. What were the biggest lessons you learned about career growth during that period?
The single most impactful financial strategy I used wasn’t just budgeting or cutting back. It was how I fundamentally approached my career growth.
“Early on, I realized that waiting for internal promotions or standard annual raises within the same company wasn’t going to move the needle fast enough to fund both my life goals and a five-month sabbatical. So, I shifted my strategy from internal ladder-climbing to external job-hopping”.
Between 2021 and 2024, I changed companies four times. By taking my skills to new organizations that valued them at market rate (or higher), I was able to more than double my salary in a three-year span.
Instead of letting that lifestyle inflation creep in, I funnelled that massive income bump directly into my 'sunny fund' and my 'f*ck you fund.' Ultimately, treating my career as a business and aggressively managing my earning potential is what bought me the freedom to take that five-month break entirely on my own terms.
From the outside, your career was thriving. When did you realize burnout was becoming a serious problem?
I knew that I couldn’t continue at the pace I was going. At the time, I was working full-time in fintech, volunteering for a women’s organization, and building out my business on the side. I was always on, and I constantly felt like I was on the brink of a breakdown.
The real struggle was that every piece felt non-negotiable. I needed the full-time corporate work for the money. I had made a commitment to the women’s organization that I wasn’t prepared to back out of. Meanwhile, the side business I was building felt like the only thing keeping me sane and giving me energy. I realized burnout was a serious problem when I could no longer find a balance between what paid the bills and what gave me purpose, leaving me completely running on empty.
Many people dream about taking an extended break but never actually do it. What finally gave you the confidence to leave in April 2024?
It really came down to the money. I had hit a point where my savings were at a level where I couldn't justify not doing it anymore. Taking an extended break was a long-held dream of mine, and as my financial goal number got closer, I knew I had to actually make the leap.
There was also a distinct shift in my mindset.
“I realized that if I didn't step away right then, it would never happen. The corporate world will always tempt you with the next project or the next title, but I had hit my target, and I had to prove to myself that the financial freedom I worked so hard for was real”.
You intentionally decided not to work while travelling. Was that difficult, and what did you learn from giving yourself permission to fully disconnect?
Looking back, I actually wish I had worked more on my business during my travels. I didn't feel completely disconnected because I was still managing my volunteer commitments for the women's group while away.
What I really learned was that simply changing your physical location doesn't automatically change your mental state. The anxious, high-stress feelings I had while working corporate translated right over into my travels. Instead of leaving my corporate burnout behind at the border, I brought it with me, which taught me that true disconnection requires a mental boundary, not just a plane ticket.
Looking back on your travels through Thailand, Vietnam, France, Belgium, and Amsterdam, were there any moments or experiences that stood out to you the most? If you had to choose, which destination was your favourite and why?
Thailand was definitely my favourite destination. If you have the funds, living in Thailand offers an incredible quality of life that allows you to truly slow down.
After years of high-stress corporate hustling, being there allowed me to experience a completely different pace of life. The warmth of the culture, the ease of day-to-day living, and the ability to live comfortably while focusing on my well-being made it the perfect place to start recovering from burnout.
Much of your Liberty Leave was spent travelling solo, despite being in a relationship. What did you learn about yourself from navigating such a significant chapter independently, and how did that experience shape your relationship?
I felt like this was something I needed to experience by myself. I had never traveled solo before, and I was always drawn to stories of women who did it.
It ultimately came down to what I call a deathbed question. If I were on my deathbed, would I regret not doing this? The answer yelled yes.
When it came to my relationship, I was confident enough to know that this trip was not going to negatively impact us.
We had already successfully done stretches of long distance before, so the foundation was there.
You returned home with a corporate job offer waiting and chose not to accept it. Can you walk us through that decision and what ultimately led you to bet on yourself instead?
The decision ultimately came down to having the financial freedom to choose my own path. Because I had saved enough money to give myself a solid runway, I did not have to make a decision out of financial fear or panic.
At the same time, the momentum was shifting. Even though I was turning down a steady corporate paycheck, new opportunities for my coaching and consulting work kept coming in. Seeing that market demand, combined with the clarity I gained during my time away, made me realize that the safest bet I could make was actually on myself and my own business.
For someone who feels burnt out but worries they can't afford to take a break, what advice would you give them about preparing financially and emotionally for a Liberty Leave of their own?
The biggest blocker for me was my finances. Once that piece was taken care of, everything else lined up.
“You have to get your numbers right first because financial security is what gives you the emotional peace of mind to actually enjoy the time off”.
Emotionally, I was completely ready, but I also took the pressure off myself by maintaining a flexible mindset. I told myself that if I really hated it, I could just change my plans. I could move to another country or even just pack my bags and go home. Giving yourself permission to opt out at any time removes the fear of the unknown and makes the leap feel a lot less daunting.
What are you up to these days? Please share details on where people can find you and how they can work with you.
Through The Career Strategy Lab, I work as a career coach helping mid-career women navigate their next career moves and land their next roles. For post-secondary institutions, I lead specialized career development workshops designed to prepare students for the modern job market.
Through The Mentorship Corner, I partner with corporations to design and implement impactful mentorship and career development programs. This includes providing organizations with a custom mentorship workbook I created to structurally guide mentors and mentees through their sessions. I also have a Mentorship Workbook, which you can check out here.
You can connect with me on LinkedIn. If you are a woman looking to map out your next career pivot, or an organization looking to elevate your internal mentorship and student development programs, you can reach out directly at melonie@meloniedeguzman to explore how we can work together.
Have a sabbatical, career break, or slow travel story of your own? Pitch it to dani@libertyleave.com and you could be featured in a future edition of The Liberty Leavers.
💰 Not sure if you can afford a break? Take the free quiz to find out: Are You Financially Prepared to Take a Career Break?
🌴 Ready to plan your own purposeful pause? The Liberty Launchpad is our signature course that teaches burnt-out women how to plan & take a career break (without going broke).
