Kim Bolourtchi: How to Be Strategically Unruly & Create the Life You Want

Most of the rules you’re following were never made with you in mind and could be the reason you’re burned out.

Cait Donovan sits down with keynote speaker and executive consultant Kim Bolourtchi to talk about what it really means to be Strategically Unruly, and why breaking the right rules might be the key to burnout recovery. Kim shares her story of living a double life as a buttoned-up lawyer and national Latin dance champion, and how a surprising moment in front of the Missouri Supreme Court shattered the divide between who she was and who she thought she had to be.

Together, Cait and Kim unpack how internalized beliefs and outdated expectations—both personal and cultural—keep people stuck in roles that drain their energy and bury their potential. They explore how resentment can serve as a clue to what you really want, why authenticity isn’t just a buzzword, and how to start making change without burning your entire life down.

This episode is a reminder that you don’t have to follow rules that were never made for you. Start with one shift. One rule you no longer want to live by. One step toward being more fully yourself.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction 

02:33 The Concept of Being Strategically Unruly

08:04 Developing a Framework for Strategic Unruliness

11:25 Internal vs. External Rules

13:53 The Impact of Rules on Personal Growth

16:14 Challenging Rules That Limit Us

18:09 Deservedness and Burnout

20:07 Focusing on Rules That Hold You Back

25:16 Finding and Challenging Your Own Rules

29:33 Resistance to Breaking Rules

34:54 Being Honest About Commitment

37:01 The Importance of Internal Feeling

39:16 Freeing Up Capacity by Being Authentic

Links

Connect with Kim Bolourtchi:

https://kimbolourtchi.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberly-bolourtchi/

Connect with Cait:

Cait Donovan is a keynote speaker, author, and host of FRIED: The Burnout Podcast, specializing in burnout, mis/match, and sustainable performance at work. She partners with corporate leaders, teams, and professional associations through keynotes, workshops, and leadership sessions that treat burnout as data, not failure, to help organizations reduce burnout without blame or shame and build healthier, high performing cultures.

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm