What Happens When You Walk Away from the Dream Job? - Sarah Walton - S2 - E11

What happens when you walk away from the “dream job”? In this episode of A Founder’s Life, Leo Gestetner talks with Sarah Walton—former Nike executive turned founder of Better Meant—about how burnout, parenting, and the pursuit of freedom reshaped her definition of success.

Sarah left corporate life without a plan and ended up building a thriving company that helps others find agency, happiness, and true work-life balance. Her story is a powerful reminder that fulfillment often starts with listening to what you really want.

🔍 What you’ll get from this episode:
•What led Sarah to leave Nike with no backup plan
•The surprising start of Better Meant and her first clients
•How to reconnect with your health—mentally and physically
•Why gritty founders win (and what most get wrong)
•Her advice for anyone stuck in a job that “should” be enough
•Tools for finding purpose and designing a life you love

🔔 Subscribe for more powerful conversations with founders

⏱️ Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
00:58 - Meet Sarah Walton
02:10 - Quitting Nike without a plan
04:20 - What family means now
06:50 - Health, values, and energy
08:30 - The surprising birth of Better Meant
13:45 - When it stopped being “just a project”
17:15 - What freedom looks like today
20:50 - Her #1 advice to aspiring founders
22:30 - How to connect with Sarah

Learn more about Better Meant:

https://www.bettermeant.co/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/bettermeant/

Instagram @bettermeant.co

Connect with Sarah:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahwaltoncoach/

LinkedIn

linkedin.com/in/leogestetner

Website

leogestetner.com/leo

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