#32 — Addicted to Burnout? Why Overachievers Can’t Stop | Pei Chan: From Hedge Funds to Breathwork "I Couldn't Recognize Myself After Being Made Redundant."

Former Singaporean hedge fund executive Pei Chan opens up about her addiction to corporate burnout, the shock of being made redundant, why she transitioned to teaching breathwork full-time — and how success without self-awareness can quietly destroy you from the inside out.

After nearly two decades in London at some of the world’s top hedge funds including Millennium, UBS O’Connor, and Balyasny, Pei had everything she thought she wanted — until redundancy and emptiness forced her to face what she’d been running from all her life: her unprocessed childhood grief.

Now a certified Transformational Breath® and Rapid Transformational Therapist, she helps others reconnect with themselves through the power of the breath — guiding high achievers to feel again, become more self-aware, and achieve success more sustainably.

We dive into:

🔥 The hidden cost of success for overachievers

💭 How you get addicted to burnout

😶 Why expressing emotions feels “taboo” for many Asians

🌬 What your breath reveals about control and childhood trauma

🫁 How to tell if you have “the overachiever breath”

💖 Redefining success beyond perfectionism and performance

⏱️ Chapters

02:10 — Intro

03:00 — Leaving Singapore for London at 22

03:50 — Climbing the world’s top hedge funds

05:40 — What makes an overachiever?

06:10 — Redundancy to losing self-identity

08:00 — Filling the void through sports and achievement

10:30 — Asian expectations, grief, and therapy taboos

15:30 — Many high achievers are addicted to burnout

19:00 — Holidays and success are an escape?

22:00 — Signs your body is asking you to stop

23:00 — Why people cry during breathwork

27:00 — Breathwork vs. meditation

31:30  — How to know you have “the overachiever’s breath”

34:40 — Overachievers don’t trust themselves?

40:00 — Depression after leaving finance to help people breathe

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👉🏼 Pei Chan is a certified Transformational Breath® and Rapid Transformational Therapist, and founder of Inmispace — helping people heal through breathwork and subconscious rewiring.

👉🏼 Follow Nicole Lee and the You Never Know Podcast, where we talk about life, career, finance, and health with visionary people who’ve taken the unconventional road and embraced the unknown.

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🔗 Connect with Pei Chan

🌐 Website: https://www.inmi.space/

📲 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inmi.space/

🔗 Connect with Nicole Lee

🌐 Website: www.youneverknow.co

👤 LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/nicoleleethisisme

📺 YouTube: www.youtube.com/@nicoleleethisisme

📲 Instagram / TikTok: @nicoleleethisisme