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Have you ever achieved a major milestone in your career, only to find yourself wondering, “What’s next?” It’s an odd feeling, isn’t it? That mix of pride, joy, and maybe a little fear about where to go from here.
Today’s guest, Azie Jazestani, knows this feeling all too well. With nearly two decades in the events industry, Azie went from planning unforgettable celebrations to running her own venue, Maison Principale. She scaled and sold that business—a massive achievement that any entrepreneur would dream of. But what came next wasn’t just a victory lap. It was a brave step into reinvention.
Now, Azie is the founder of The Sweet Table Shop, a beautifully curated product line for event professionals and party lovers. Her story is one of resilience, creativity, and constantly evolving to embrace new opportunities.
But it’s also a story about the comeback after a win—the surprising challenges that arise after reaching a peak and the courage it takes to build again.
In our conversation, we discuss how Azie navigated this journey, her insights on staying true to your vision while reinventing yourself, and the lessons she’s learned about resilience and renewal.
What We Get Wrong About Success
Entrepreneurs are wired to chase big goals, but we rarely discuss the emotional fallout when we reach them.
Azie shares her journey of selling her business and feeling unexpectedly lost rather than excited. While to the outside world, success often looks like the ultimate goal, the internal experience can be much more complicated.
Many of us attach our identities so deeply to our work that when it changes, we feel like we’ve lost ourselves. Instead of celebrating, we might find ourselves questioning our worth, our purpose, and our next steps.
The Emotional Toll of Achieving Big Goals
Success isn’t always the fulfilling moment we anticipate—it can bring isolation and confusion.
Azie describes feeling detached from the celebration, even as those around her cheered her on. She experienced waves of unexpected emotions, from excitement to grief, as she navigated life post-business.
The fear of “what’s next?” can overshadow the pride of accomplishing something huge. For many women, success can feel like a loss, because it requires a reinvention of identity. Without a clear plan for what comes after, it’s easy to feel stuck in limbo, unsure of how to move forward without the business that once defined so much of who we are.
The Importance of Renegotiating Your Relationship with Work
We need to constantly check in with ourselves: Are we defining our self-worth by our work?
Women, in particular, become deeply involved in the details of their businesses, making it even harder to separate identity from work. Many of us pour our hearts into our businesses, making every decision personal, every success deeply gratifying, and every setback even more painful. The key is to create a business that fits into your life, not one that overtakes it.
If your business was taken away tomorrow, who would you be?
If you’re unsure, it may be time to redefine your identity outside of your work. Azie reflects on the importance of creating boundaries between who you are as a person and what you do professionally, allowing space for both to exist without one consuming the other.
How to Maintain Alignment and Avoid Burnout
Azie shares how she processed her emotions after selling her business and allowed herself time to grieve the transition. She emphasizes the importance of recognizing unhealthy work habits and being intentional about work-life balance.
Rather than forcing herself to immediately jump into the next big thing, she gave herself permission to pause, reflect, and decide what she truly wanted.
One of her biggest takeaways? Learning to celebrate wins and acknowledge success without immediately moving the goalpost. So often, entrepreneurs are quick to set the next challenge without taking the time to appreciate how far they’ve come.
She also made a conscious decision to create a new business that was passion-driven and brought her joy, rather than one that solely focused on financial success. She wanted something that would fuel her creatively and fit into the life she envisioned for herself and her family.
Finding Success Beyond Business
Azie’s new chapter is all about fulfillment outside of work—spending time with her son, traveling, and creating something that brings her joy. She encourages us as entrepreneurs to ask ourselves: What does success feel like, not just look like?
Success isn’t just about more money or bigger achievements—it’s about how you feel in your everyday life. It’s about waking up and feeling excited about what’s ahead, rather than trapped by the very thing you built.
Azie reminds us that life is more than our professional accomplishments. The relationships we nurture, the experiences we collect, and the personal growth we achieve are just as—if not more—important than the accolades we accumulate.
If you’ve ever felt like your work defines you, I hope this conversation challenges you to rethink what fulfillment really means. Your business can be an incredible part of your life, but it should never be your entire identity!
If you enjoyed this interview, be sure to connect with Azie on Instagram and check out The Sweet Table Shop!
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