136. The Sunken Cost Trap

What if the reason you feel stuck isn’t your job, your boss, or your hotel but the story you’re telling yourself about everything you’ve already invested? In this episode, I share a pattern I see over and over again with wellness leaders, and one I lived myself. You pour years into a role. You stay loyal. You work harder. You deliver more. You wait for the next position, the recognition, the title that will finally validate all the effort you’ve invested. And when it doesn’t come… you tell yourself to wait a little longer. That “wait a little longer” becomes years. This is the sunken cost trap. And it quietly keeps some of the most talented wellness leaders stuck in roles they have long outgrown, and keeps boutique hotels attached to wellness offerings that no longer work.  In today’s episode, we’ll cover 3 key points:  1.- Why loyalty often disguises fear, and how to know when you’re staying for the wrong reasons. 2.- The real risk no one talks about, and why staying too long compounds the cost of burnout, income loss, and missed opportunities. 3.- How to honour your past experience without letting it trap you, and the mindset shift that turns everything you’ve built into the foundation of your consulting career. By the end of this episode, you’ll know how to recognise when the sunken cost trap is running your decisions, the questions to ask yourself before waiting “one more year”, and why pivoting isn’t failure, it’s leadership. And how to redirect your experience into your next stage of growth. _______Are you ready to take wellness to the next level?Here are 2 ways I can help:1️⃣  WHO: Wellness directors who want to join 1% of wellness leaders📌 WHAT: The Wellness Asset AcademyA 10-week online group programme where I guide you through my 7-step ESSENCE framework. Achieve higher pay and secure a genuine seat at the hotel’s big table—so wellness is no longer the most neglected area in the hotel.→  Join the waitlist here.2️⃣  WHO: Owners of small, independent hotels with a strong wellbeing focus📌 WHAT: Asset Builder MentorshipExclusive 6-month 1:1 mentorship programme to master creating a wellness asset, build a proud team, and deliver transformative experiences for your guests.→  Become a steward of true hospitality.💡 Why work with me?I know what works with wellness and I also know what doesn’t. I’ve made the mistakes so you don’t need to – saving you thousands of dollars on bad decisions.✅ #1 best-selling author, global wellness expert ✅ 40+ projects in 20+ countries across Europe, Middle East and Asia Pacific ✅ Top brands: Abadía Retuerta, Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, Accor, Six Senses Resorts & Spas ✅ Interviewed over 150+ hoteliers worldwide