In this episode of Lonely at the Top, Alina Doran opens her private ledger to reveal the hidden costs of a career built on constant achievement. From the outside, her leadership journey looked flawless, but inside, she was running on fumes. Alina shares candidly about the toll of being the reliable, high-performing leader who never lets her guard down, and how that survival strategy eventually left her disconnected from herself.

Through vulnerability and reflection, Alina walks us through her breaking point, the healing practices she’s embraced, and the deeper freedom she’s found by learning to say “no” and honor her own limits. This is a conversation for every leader who has ever felt the pressure to keep it all together while quietly falling apart.

✨ Highlight Moments

• Alina shares the moment she realized her high-achieving drive was unsustainable, despite looking successful on the outside.
• She describes the invisible labor of being “the strong one” in both her career and personal life.
• A powerful admission about using achievement as a shield against vulnerability and how it ultimately cost her connection with herself.
• Her turning point: choosing to prioritize rest, therapy, and boundaries instead of endlessly pushing through.
• Alina reflects on the permission she wishes more leaders had to admit they’re not okay — and how that honesty has transformed her approach to leadership.

Connect with Alina:

• HighlineLeadership.com
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/alinadoran/