The Secret to Sustainable Success

Kristina Schmitt
Oct 29
3 min read

Redefining What It Means to Be a High Performer

What does success really look like for you?

Business leader reflecting on what success means.

Is it reaching a certain title, earning a specific income, or leading a growing team?

For many of us—especially leaders and entrepreneurs—success has been defined by the next achievement, the next milestone, or the next “yes.” But in this episode of the Business Building Blocks Podcast, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Stephanie Donahue, CEO Growth Partner and High Performance Coach, to explore what it truly means to be a high performer—and how to pursue sustainable success without losing what matters most.

💫 From Nurse to High Performance Coach: A Journey of Purpose

High performance coach Stephanie Donahue journey from nurse to CEO coach.

Stephanie didn’t start out as a coach. Her story began in healthcare—ten years as a nurse caring for others in their most vulnerable moments.

“I’ve always loved helping people,” she shared. “Even as a kid, I’d help elderly people cross the street. Nursing felt like a natural extension of that.”

But after years of service and starting a family, Stephanie began feeling a new calling—a pull to use her gifts differently. That tug led her into blogging, entrepreneurship, and eventually into helping CEOs and business owners grow—first as an operations strategist and now as a certified High Performance Coach.

What struck me most was how naturally her story evolved. Her “enablement” and “tenacity”—two of her Working Genius types—shine through everything she does. She doesn’t just help people dream big; she helps them finish strong.

⚖️ The High Performer’s Dilemma: “I’m Drowning.”

High performer overwhelmed with work seeking balance.

When Stephanie works with high achievers, she often hears one phrase:

“I’m drowning.”

As leaders, we wear that phrase like a badge of honor sometimes—juggling too many tasks, pushing past exhaustion, and telling ourselves it’s just part of success.

But as Stephanie explained, the truth is often the opposite.

“High achievers tend to want to do everything at once, and they want to do it yesterday. But they’re missing the pause—the reflection, the white space to celebrate, to think about what truly matters.”

Four pillars symbolizing clarity, courage, productivity, and influence.

Her coaching helps people reclaim that clarity. Through the pillars of High Performance—clarity, courage, productivity, and influence—she helps leaders identify their “big domino,” the one thing that will make everything else easier or unnecessary.

And sometimes, that means letting go of the noise and returning to what really matters.

💡 Defining Success—On Your Own Terms

One of Stephanie’s most powerful sessions revolves around a simple but life-changing question:

“What does success look like for you?”

Faith-driven entrepreneur leading with impact.

She’s found that many people can’t answer it clearly. They default to the world’s definition—money, position, recognition—without realizing that success is deeply personal.

By the time clients complete twelve sessions with her, they often discover that their definition of success has shifted completely.

“At first, they’ll say it’s about hitting a financial number,” Stephanie explained. “But by the end, it’s about impact—how they’re making a difference in the lives of others.”

That resonated with me deeply. As leaders, we start businesses to make an impact, to serve, to fulfill a calling. Yet somewhere along the way, the world’s metrics creep in.

Stephanie’s work reminds us to pause, reflect, and ask:

💭 What really matters right now?

💭 What does success look like in this season of my life?

🙌 Courage to Redefine, Permission to Slow Down

Woman journaling to redefine her purpose.

If you’ve ever felt hesitant to dig deep—to really explore your purpose and priorities—Stephanie gets it. With her background as a nurse, she’s walked with people through their hardest seasons. That empathy and confidentiality now fuel her coaching practice.

“My clients know they can tell me anything without judgment,” she said. “I’ve seen it all. My job is to walk beside them as they discover what success looks like for them.”

And for those wanting to start small, Stephanie even offers a 5-Day High Performance Challenge—a test drive that helps you experience breakthrough without the overwhelm.