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“As a result of our core wounds, we wear corresponding masks. If you have the rejection wound you wear the mask of avoidance. If you have the betrayal wound, you wear the mask of control. If your ambition is coming from that place, it’s going to be wobbly.” – Amina AlTai

Intro

If you’re a high achiever who constantly feels like you’re either “too much” or “not enough,” this conversation will resonate deeply. Amina Alai, author of “The Ambition Trap,” shares her journey from severe burnout and autoimmune disease to building a sustainable model of success that doesn’t require sacrificing your health.

Discover what’s behind painful ambition, why doing it alone is killing your growth, and how to embrace the seasonal nature of achievement. 

Highlights:3:20 Amina’s origin story5:00 The difference between painful and purposeful ambition7:00 How women get stuck between too much and not enough11:40 Navigating “cancel culture” as a woman in business14:50 The lean-in movement and ambition17:00 Avoiding toxic individualism30:50 The consequences of painful ambition34:00 Setting boundaries when you come from a collectivist cultureConnect with Amina Altai

Amina AITai (pronounced AH-MIN-UH) is a holistic business and career coach, a proud immigrant, and chronic illness advocate.  A leading coach to notable leaders, executives, and founders—Amina’s mastery is connecting us to our brilliance; teaching us to live and lead from it each day.  

As a graduate of NYU with a degree in marketing and economics, she started her career with luxury brands and worked for companies such as Cartier, Dolce & Gabbana and Vera Wang before co-founding a marketing agency to work with emerging female entrepreneurs. She then went on to lead marketing for two wellness companies— Spafinder Wellness and Bliss. After spending a decade grappling with a fast-paced career in marketing, Amina looked successful on paper, and although high-achieving, she was chronically unhappy. 

Overworked and unknowingly making herself physically sick, Amina received a call from her doctor and was told she was days away from multiple organ failure. In hopes of healing her own life, she sought training in coaching, nutrition, movement, and mindfulnes,s and her goal became teaching others how to balance a thriving career, bod,y and mind. She takes a holistic approach to coaching, examining any blocks in the mindset, in our bodies and, in how we lead. 

As a half-Iraqi woman of color, she often works with marginalized communities to help them realize possibilities in a way that honors their particular lived experiences. Amina is also committed to helping diverse leaders thrive through her corporate leadership trainings, which aims to create cultures where everyone can thrive. 

Amina’s debut book, The Ambition Trap: How to Stop Chasing and Start Living (Penguin), will launch on May 13, 2025.  

Along with her one-on-one work with forward-thinking individuals, Amina has partnered with progressive companies such as Google, Roku, Deloitte, Snap, Outdoor Voices, NYU, and HUGE. Amina was a founding coach for Chief (the women’s leadership organization) and also led the coaching division for Inspire Justice (which trains entertainment organizations and celebrities). She’s an Entrepreneur Magazine expert-in-residence, a Forbes contributor, and was named one of Success Magazine’s Women of Influence. Additionally, she’s been featured in goop, Well+Good, The New York Times, Yahoo, NBC, and more. 

In addition to Amina’s coaching certifications, she is trained in Shamanic Reiki, as a meditation teacher, in somatic practices, and has a background in nutrition. Amina currently resides in Brooklyn, NY, where, between client sessions, she can be found playing sound bowls, reading cards, and power-lifting.

Find Amina at: 

https://www.aminaaltai.com

https://www.instagram.com/aminaaltai

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