39. From group home to corporate America: what they don't tell you about grief, identity, and rebuilding after rock bottom ft. Sandy Davis

Most people white-knuckle through hard seasons hoping no one notices. Sandy did it for decades: childhood abuse, alcoholic parents, ward of the state at 16, told by a school counselor she wasn't "fit for society." She didn't just survive all of that, she built a 25-year corporate career in investment banking and commercial real estate, moved across the country with no job and no contacts, and eventually founded her own operations advisory firm.Then she lost both parents within 37 days of each other.That was the moment the armor stopped working.In this episode, Sandy shares what grief, identity collapse, and a toxic workplace in your 50s actually feel like from the inside, and what it took to do a real hard reset. A full excavation of who she was, whose voice she'd been carrying, and what she actually wanted her next season to look like.We get into:Why the "healing process" people talk about is actually about returning to older versions of yourself, one by oneThe danger of letting someone else write your story (especially when you're 16 and in crisis)How imposter syndrome shows up the moment you shrink to fit a room and what it takes to stopWhy the negative voice in your head is a younger, scared version of you and how to actually talk to itAbout Sandy Davis:Sandy Davis is a Fractional COO, Founder of Elevate Operations Advisory, and the creator and host of Elevate Within, a platform centered around reinvention, healing, entrepreneurship, and the honest conversations women are often afraid to have out loud.With more than 25 years of experience in operations and leadership, Sandy helps founder-led businesses move from “successful chaos” to structured, scalable operations so they can grow without burning out their teams or themselves.She’s known for quickly identifying operational breakdowns, founder bottlenecks, and organizational friction points, then implementing practical systems that create sustainable growth and operational stability.But her work extends beyond business.Through Elevate Within, Sandy openly shares her personal journey through loss, burnout, healing, rebuilding, and rediscovering herself after major life transitions. What began as a personal outlet has evolved into a powerful space for women navigating reinvention in both life and business.Her work sits at the intersection of operational strategy, emotional resilience, and personal transformation.“Keep elevating.”Connect with Sandy Davis:Website: https://elevateopsadvisory.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandra-davis-abb21236/Substack (Elevate Within): https://substack.com/@elevatewithinYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ElevateWithinAlwaysSpotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/5RYST6DEyeQTgmIa5O6J1t?si=e3b6f7942635466fTimestamps:[2:03] Losing both parents within 37 days of each other[6:51] Healing the past: childhood abuse, alcoholic father, bipolar mother, ward of the state [9:12] "It's okay if you fail" what a counselor told her at 16, and how it lit her fire [12:04] Getting her first corporate job with a fake reference and a payphone on the resume[18:00] Getting laid off on a Wednesday and moving to California by the weekend [32:49] Your life is a series: how to think in seasons instead of a straight line [36:07] Why instant gratification is making us miss the actual story of our lives [42:43] Why everyone wants to be seen, loved, and heard, and why you have to earn your own version of it [47:50] Learning to fight for yourself when no one taught you how [54:14] Stop editing the ugly parts, that's where the resilience lives [55:58] The inner child voices in your head: how to identify them and what to say back [58:58] Imposter syndrome explained and how Sandy got over it [1:03:24] Why "know who you are" is the hardest and most important work you'll ever do[1:07:19] Sandy's three non-negotiables for protecting her identity, peace, and sense of worth