Built to Breathe

"You can't work your way through burnout, but you can learn to make new choices in how you come to work. Paige McPheely's book is insightful, generous and practical, precisely what's needed to help you make an impact without losing everything.” ––SETH GODIN, Author of The Knot

"Built to Breathe identifies the silent crisis of modern leadership: a professional exhaustion that better tools will never solve. Paige McPheely challenges the illusion that success must hurt to count, offering permission to lead with clarity instead of frenetic motion. Built to Breathe is an invaluable guide for those who want to live more fully without wanting less out of life." ––TODD HENRY, Author of Die Empty

“Paige McPheely has written a wise and deeply important book for driven people who have learned to endure more than they should. Built to Breathe challenges the false choice between ambition and wellbeing, showing that we do not need to want less in order to live more fully. Through personal insight and practical wisdom, Paige reminds us that sustainable leadership is not about holding everything together; it is about creating the conditions that allow us, and those around us, to breathe, grow, and flourish.” ––TAL BEN-SHAHAR, Founder, Happiness Studies Academy

"Do more" is the standard leadership book advice. And the hustle more, be more, know more, do more advice is exhausting leaders. Built to Breathe reminds us how to become more. Paige McPheely invites leaders to trade exhaustion for intentional living. With clarity and simplicity, she shows that the strongest leaders aren't the ones carrying the most—they're the ones creating space for themselves and everyone around them to thrive. Our workplaces need this breath of fresh air. ––JENN WHITMER, Keynote Speaker and Author of Award-Winning Joyosity

“Built to Breathe is a much-needed antidote to the grind culture that has become so deeply embedded in the way we live and work. Paige courageously shares her own journey while offering practical tools that help readers break free from the belief that more doing is the path to a meaningful life. She powerfully challenges the always-on culture and, through her work, teaches us how to lead lives full of vitality.” ––JAMIE SHAPIRO, CEO, Connected Executive Coaching and Author of Connected Culture

“Conventional wisdom says you can't build a breakout career without breaking yourself. In Built to Breathe, Paige shows you how to build better. I've sat across the board table from her and marveled at how she runs hard without running herself into the ground. The tenets in this book aren't self-care platitudes. They're the working methods of leaders who want to build a life that allows them to go the distance.” ––KRISTIAN ANDERSEN, Co-founder & General Partner, High Alpha

“We are exhausted. The better we get at our calendars, the more our calendars win. Paige knows the gauntlet and shares a calmer way through. I wish Built to Breathe existed when I was running my company.” ––MAX YODER, Author of Do Better Work and Co-founder of Lessonly

“Take a deep breath and relish Built to Breathe. This book should be required reading for entrepreneurs who find themselves lost, exhausted, and alone. I know the feeling. Paige shares an open-armed book that shows ambitious people how to redefine success without letting go of their dreams." ––MONICA NASSIF, Author of I Bottled My Mother

“Many leadership books focus on what and why to delegate. Built to Breathe tackles something much harder: why successful leaders struggle to let go in the first place. If you're serious about untangling your identity and self-worth from your work, this book is for you. Paige unpacks the inherited systems, behavioral patterns, pressures, and expectations that leaders feel they must own and hold. I've never felt more seen! Paige writes with the clarity, intention, and insight that only comes from building a business herself. Built to Breathe gives leaders permission to exhale without sacrificing their ambition or long-term success. Letting go isn't the opposite of great leadership; it's what makes it possible!” —HALLIE WARNER, Book Strategist & Author of The Founder & The Force Multiplier

"High performers in the workplace can be among the last to truly care for themselves, and can fail to see how when they do, it is good for everyone and everything around them. Paige has written a wonderful book on the why, what, and how of all of this, backed up by over a decade of supporting leaders through her own enterprise." ––DAVE BLANCHARD, Co-Founder & CEO, Praxis