Carrie West

Carrie West is an international bestselling author, speaker, and transformational coach for high-achieving entrepreneurs and leaders. Known for her warm, grounded presence and powerful blend of mindset, nervous system regulation, and soulful strategy, Carrie helps clients move from burnout to breakthrough. Her book Life Rewritten chronicles her own journey of rebuilding from rock bottom and offers a roadmap for anyone looking to realign their life and leadership. With a focus on rewriting internal narratives and stepping into authentic purpose, Carrie empowers others to lead from the inside out—creating businesses and lives that feel as good as they look. Her work blends deep emotional awareness with actionable tools for sustainable transformation.

What if burnout isn’t the end—but the beginning of something better?

In this powerful and transformative episode, Rose Davidson welcomes Carrie West, a transformational coach and bestselling author of Life Rewritten, to explore the intersection of burnout, alignment, and purpose-driven leadership.

Carrie shares her story of overcoming deep exhaustion and disconnection by turning inward—reconnecting with her nervous system, reframing limiting beliefs, and leading from her core truth. Now, she helps high-achieving entrepreneurs and leaders do the same: release the pressure of perfectionism and build businesses that reflect their authentic selves.

This episode offers listeners an invitation to slow down and re-evaluate what success really looks like. It’s not about doing more. It’s about becoming more—of who you are, not who the world expects you to be.

You’ll walk away with practical tools and powerful mindset shifts to help you recognise burnout, regulate your nervous system, and build a business that fuels you rather than depletes you.

If you’re ready to lead with clarity, confidence, and compassion—this conversation will inspire you to rewrite your own story.

📌 THREE Key Takeaways:

1. Burnout is not failure—it’s feedback. Learn to listen to your body and shift toward alignment.
2. Your inner stories shape your leadership. Rewrite them with intention and self-compassion.
3. Authentic success is sustainable. Lead from your truth, not from pressure or perfectionism.

Carrie West’s Background and Approach

• Carrie West is a transformational coach, speaker and international best-selling author of “Life Rewritten” who helps high-achieving entrepreneurs and leaders break free from burnout.
• She works with clients to reconnect with their inner alignment so they can lead from a place of purpose and power.
• Her approach combines mindset work, nervous system work and soulful strategy to help clients rewrite their inner stories.
• She rebuilt her own life and business from the inside out after experiencing her own rock bottom moment.

The Power of Storytelling in Personal Transformation

• Carrie discovered that storytelling literally saved her life, as she used stories as a comforting tool from childhood.
• She realized during film school that life follows story structure, with antagonists, themes, and character development.
• Her childhood theme was survival rather than thriving, which came from accepting her family’s limiting stories.
• Understanding story structure allowed her to identify and change the stories that weren’t serving her.

How Family Stories Shape Our Lives

• Children accept family stories as a way to belong and know they are part of the family unit.
• Parents pass down their own stories and limitations to their children through language and expectations.
• These inherited stories often include messages about working hard, following traditional paths, and avoiding passion-driven choices.
• Many clients discover they chose careers based on their parents’ stories rather than their own desires.

Identifying Limiting Internal Stories Through “Should” Statements

• The greatest identifier of limiting stories is when people use the word “should” in their thinking or speech.
• “Should” statements reveal inherited beliefs about what people think they must do rather than what they want to do.
• These statements often come with fear and shame that was dumped on them when they tried to pursue their own dreams.
• Common limiting messages include “Who do you think you are” and warnings about disappointment or financial failure.

Physical Signs of Story-Based Limitations

• People physically shrink back when confronted with limiting stories or when about to tell themselves why they can’t pursue their dreams.
• This physical response indicates that a person is about to engage with a limiting belief system.
• The shrinking response shows the body’s reaction to inherited shame and fear around pursuing personal desires.
• Recognizing these physical cues helps identify when limiting stories are being activated.

The Importance of Authentic Purpose Over External Metrics

• Rose Davidson runs her podcast to help business owners rather than to make money or gain fame.
• She doesn’t focus on downloads, subscribers, or other “egometrics” because her true purpose is to help people.
• Carrie wrote her book from the heart rather than trying to find a commercially viable topic.
• Both speakers emphasize that the right people will find you when you operate from authentic purpose.

Alignment Versus Hustle for Sustainable Success

• When people are out of alignment, their energy and focus become split between what they should do and what they want to do.
• Alignment occurs when someone feels grounded in their purpose and nobody can take them off their path.
• Carrie experienced a cycle of taking high-paying jobs she hated, then quitting to follow her passion, then running out of money and repeating the cycle.
• True alignment means being fully engaged with your real work and knowing your purpose clearly.

The Role of Purpose in Human Productivity

• Human beings need to feel productive and that they are contributing in some meaningful way.
• Knowing your purpose allows you to feel that you are making a contribution to the world.
• Many people get caught up in societal stories about what success and happiness should look like.
• These external definitions of success often conflict with individual purpose and create misalignment.

Defining Personal Leadership

• Leadership means different things to different people and must be defined individually rather than following societal expectations.
• Some people want a stronger voice in their community, others want a seat at the table, and others want to lead their own personal lives.
• Taking leadership positions solely for money or promotion often leads to misalignment and burnout.
• True leadership comes from clarity about what leadership means to the individual person.

Recognizing and Recovering from Burnout

• Burnout occurs when people are doing work they don’t care about or that feels like drudgery.
• When someone is passionate about their work, they can work long hours without feeling burnt out.
• Carrie demonstrates this by feeling energized during an evening interview despite having a tiring day.
• Finding your passion and voice is the key to combating burnout, exhaustion, and overwhelm.

Balancing Personal Passion with Family Responsibilities

• People with family responsibilities don’t need to abandon everything to pursue their passion.
• The key is thinking about consequences and finding ways to share your passions so everyone benefits.
• When one person starts living authentically, it often frees up their partner to do the same.
• Carrie’s relationship improved when both she and her partner began pursuing their individual paths.

Setting Boundaries to Maintain Alignment

• Carrie had to turn down high-paying contracts that conflicted with her aligned work, even when money was a concern.
• Taking work you hate, even for good money, drains energy that could be used for passionate work.
• Setting good boundaries means making choices based on alignment rather than fear.
• Clear boundaries help maintain focus on work that truly matters to you.

Next Steps

• Individuals should identify their “should” statements and physical shrinking responses to recognize limiting stories.
• People need to define what leadership and success mean to them personally rather than accepting societal definitions.
• Those experiencing burnout should examine whether they are working in alignment with their true purpose and passion.
• Setting clear boundaries around work and opportunities helps maintain focus on aligned activities.

• Carrie West explains how storytelling saved her life, describing how she used stories as a self-care tool during a difficult childhood and later realized through film school education that her life was structured like a story with themes of survival rather than thriving.
• The stories we inherit from our parents shape our identity and career paths, often leading to unhappiness when following paths that aren’t aligned with our true selves.
• The primary identifier of limiting internal stories is the word “should” – whenever someone says they “should” do something, it reveals an underlying story that may be holding them back from their authentic path.
• Physical reactions like shrinking back or making yourself small are indicators that you’re telling yourself a limiting story about why you can’t pursue your dreams.
• When creating content or pursuing passion projects, focusing on helping others rather than metrics like downloads or subscribers leads to greater fulfillment, as demonstrated by Rose’s approach to her podcast.
• Alignment rather than hustle is key to sustainable success because when you’re in alignment with your purpose, your energy isn’t split between what you feel you should do versus what you truly want to do.
• The American definition of success (like home ownership being the “American dream”) is described as a story that creates unnecessary shame for those who don’t fit that narrative.
• Validation from even one person who truly understands your message can provide enough motivation to continue your work, regardless of metrics or financial success.
• When defining leadership, it’s important to clarify what it means personally rather than accepting external definitions – whether it means having a stronger voice in your community, a seat at the table, or simply leading your own life.
• Pursuing work aligned with your passion helps combat burnout, as demonstrated by Carrie feeling energized for their late evening conversation despite having had a long day.
• Setting boundaries and making conscious choices about work commitments based on alignment rather than fear (especially financial fear) is crucial for avoiding burnout.

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