She Had the Dream Business… So Why Was She Burnt Out? | Natalya Bedikyan

Guest: Natalya Berdikyan, founder of Life by Design Academy, EO Barcelona member since 2016 Host: Linh Podetti, EO Sydney Member since 2022 and Owner of Outsourcing Angel Natalya Berdikyan had what many would call a successful life — international business experience, a chocolate factory in Belgium, and a thriving career. But behind the picture-perfect success, something felt misaligned. In this episode, Natalya shares her journey through entrepreneurial exhaustion and how it led her to create Life by Design Academy, where she now helps founders and leadership teams build energised, connected, high-performing businesses without burning out. A powerful conversation on redefining success, slowing down, and designing a life and business that truly support your wellbeing, relationships, and purpose. ABOUT NATALYA Natalya Berdikyan is the founder of Life by Design Academy, where she helps founders and leadership teams create energized, connected, high-performing businesses without burning out. With over two decades of international business experience, including running a chocolate factory in Belgium and helping launch EO Belgium, Natalya understands the pressure entrepreneurs face when success looks perfect on the outside but feels misaligned on the inside. After experiencing her own journey through entrepreneurial exhaustion, she now works globally as a holistic life and business coach, facilitator, speaker, and retreat leader. Through keynotes, workshops, coaching, and immersive retreats, Natalya guides entrepreneurs to redesign how they lead, work, and live, so business results, wellbeing, and meaningful relationships can grow together. CONNECT WITH NATALYA Website: https://www.lifebydesign-academy.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalyaberdikyan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/natalyaberdikyan/ Chapters / Timestamps 00:00 – Intro 02:17 – Welcome to Natalya Berdikyan 02:46 – Starting EO Belgium and running a chocolate factory 03:37 – Natalya’s first entrepreneurial experience 05:30 – When the business started taking energy away 05:50 – The hidden signs of burnout 07:00 – The Machu Picchu moment that changed everything 08:10 – Why burnout can happen unseen 09:14 – Redefining success beyond money and titles 11:08 – Why working out is not always recharging 14:06 – Doing the right things for the wrong reasons 15:56 – The first step to redesigning your life 18:23 – Why slowing down creates clarity 19:27 – Building routines that support your life 21:34 – Creating retreats and experiences for entrepreneurs 23:27 – Boundaries, parenting, and being present 27:09 – Natalya’s definition of success today 28:17 – What Natalya wants to be remembered for 30:35 – How to connect with Natalya -------------------- ABOUT EO Entrepreneur's Organization (EO) is a global business network of 18,000 + influential business owners in over 220 chapters across 76 countries. We offer world-class events that encompass engaging entrepreneur and business stories, skills-specific workshops, and exciting social gatherings. Our mission is to drive both business and personal growth through peer-to-peer learning, providing support for the holistic entrepreneur experience covering business, family, community, and personal aspects. As a not-for-profit organization, all our funds directly contribute to member benefits. If you're a business owner with revenues ranging from US$250k to US$1m, you can join our Accelerator Program. If your revenues exceed US$1m, you can join the main EO Program in your nearest local chapter. To join or find out more about your nearest chapter, visit https://www.eonetwork.org/why-join/apply-for-membership-form. For further information, please contact: Podcast Host Linh Podetti: linh@outsourcingangel.com.au General Inquiries: support@eonetwork.org.au EO Sydney: www.eosydney.com.au EO Global: https://hub.eonetwork.org/ EO Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@EntrepreneursOrganization -------------------- ABOUT THE HOST Linh Podetti is the CEO and Founder of Outsourcing Angel, a Sydney-based company that helps to create jobs for people in the Philippines while creating freedom for business owners around the world. Outsourcing Angel provides Systemise & Scale Up Services as well as Recruitment of Virtual Assistants to help business owners grow a business that doesn't rely on them. Linh has been an active member of EO Sydney since June 2022, and she actively seeks out opportunities to promote and uplift fellow entrepreneurs. Business Website: www.outsourcingangel.com Personal Website: https://www.linhpodetti.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@360degreesuccesslife Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/linhpodetti/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/linh.podetti/