Don’t you feel trapped between two choices nowadays? Continue to stay at work where stress has been skyrocketing. Or leave for retirement where the financial prognosis seems bleak… Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.
But what if you have another option? Something that’s available if only you have the courage to go for it.
Hello! I'm Michelle Skalnik, THE EXIT COACH, and I’m living the lifestyle I love in the south of France.
We are surrounded by nature, we have access to cultural events like concerts and theatre, we have fresh food that’s grown within a 2-hour radius, there’s affordable travel options to neighboring countries, and we spend long lazy days sitting at our favorite café in town.
I have the freedom to try new things and pursue my passions like hosting a tour of the neighboring villages, joining a dance class, learning to cook new dishes.
I am discovering who I am in deeper ways. I am no longer lost after spending years conforming to the image that I projected to the world. And I am falling in love with my own uniqueness.
It hasn’t always been this way. A few years ago, I was an IT manager with a 27-year career, earning multi-six-figure salary, leading teams of up to 40 people, delivering multi-million-dollar projects.
But deep inside I lost the ambition to keep climbing the corporate ladder.
I felt an inner longing for something else, to enjoy and live life fully.
I felt trapped in my role because we had no savings and I was the sole breadwinner of the family.
And I was afraid that time was slipping by. Between overtime and project deadlines, years seems to pass so quickly.
The breakthrough: One day, in the middle of managing 3 major projects, my appendix burst.
Following 3 weeks of forced inactivity, I realized that I was spending my skills, capabilities, time and energy to achieve what others want. I sponsored and supported my parents and 3 sisters so they can move to Canada. Time and again, I enabled my employers to achieve success for their projects, goals and vision.
But what if instead, I can use my power to create the life I wanted? A life aligned with my own unique self.
I have already shown that I can do it for others! Why not for me?
This is the amazing potential that many women overlook!
The truth is, working towards the outcome for others has been you training ground for this moment in your life. It has allowed you to safely develop and practice the skills and capabilities that you can now use to create the life YOU want.
But to make this change a reality, I needed:
1. A mentor and role model – to show me possibilities that I never envisioned because these possibilities were outside my current reality and experience.
I found women who have successfully forged a non-traditional path that I could emulate. I found teachers who showed me how to approach things differently in my finances, in my decision making, in achieving my goals. I found stories of others who are living the life that I wanted too.
2. Clear direction – to focus my energy/efforts and not waste my time.
I was in my late 40s and I knew I had less runway if I wanted to leave the rat race at 50.
The week that I planned to hand in my resignation so I can start executing my exit plan, I was offered a global director position. It was very tempting to take on this new challenge and postpone my dream for another few more years. But knowing the outcome I wanted clearly showed me that the promotion was not the path to take.
3. Support from others – I needed my coaches and community to supercharge my progress.
More than help planning or taking action. I needed people with different expectations from me. Those who will hold me to doing the great thing that is outside my comfort zone. Those who will help me through my self doubt. Those who can support me to achieve the key milestones that I needed.
With these in mind, I developed YOUR HIDDEN POWER to get you there too.
It’s a system that puts you in the center: your uniqueness, your desires, your power and your results.
It’s based on 3 principles of: Clarity, Courage and Celebration.
And it follows 3 phases of execution:
Phase 1: Certainty of self awareness – Having that deep knowing of what you want, not what others expect of you. It allows you to clearly distinguish between our social conditioning and what's right for you. This also involves strengthening that inner guidance system so you do not overly rely on external direction.
Phase 2: Support of a safety net – Creating that financial, relational and professional backing that you need to thrive.
Phase 3: Freedom to explore your potential – This is the fun part. Permission to extend yourself and reach for your greatness. Learning to see opportunities instead of roadblocks. Experiencing continuous leveling up on your journey to become the best version of yourself. And celebrating YOU.
Step into Possibility
When you become certain of who you are, give yourself permission to value yourself, and find the ease and flow to take inspired action, changes such as these women experienced come naturally.
She was overworked and close to burnout as a volunteer board member in an international organization. Two weeks after our session, she was glowing with joy and engaging in activities that she loved. She can now set aside work without anxiety and any second thoughts.
For 4 years, she wanted to build her dream life but couldn’t seem to get started. Two months after our first session, she sold one of her businesses and gave herself more time and space (and less stress) to explore options towards setting up her retreat center in a Caribbean island.
For 7 years she was riddled with self-doubt about her abilities as a professional and as a person. Her anxiety level caused by a toxic situation at work was as high as it was years ago. A week after releasing the emotional memory in our session, she has found the confidence to start going after what she wants again.
All her life she has been unable to ask for help, finding it easier to give than to receive from others. She hated being a burden to her loved ones. She had a deep aversion to feeling beholden to others. At our session, we uncovered and released a painful childhood memory that has kept her stuck. In the 4 weeks that followed, she increased her productivity and started enjoying her life by asking for help from her friends, family, colleagues and staff at work. She has now retired and is enjoying building a practice that will help other women break free from their own inner stories.
She was in a toxic relationship for 2 years. She invested 25 years of her life and can’t seem to let go. The weekend after our session, she called a lawyer and finally took steps to end it.
“You are a creature of infinite possibilities.”
I believe in you. With the right support to follow this process, leaving the rat race is totally possible for you to achieve.
When you come to the end of your days here on earth, I want you to be able to say “I love my life!”.
This is the time that your whole life has been leading up to. Will you step up to it?
If so, I would love to support you to start exploring this possibility for yourself. I would love to invite you to a
2-hour online workshop where I will share The Exit Blueprint on June 27 2025 at 12NN EST / 9AM PST. (Registration opens on June 16).
If you would like to be notified when the registration is open, send an email to michelle@maviebelle.com with the subject line "Exit Blueprint".
WHAT CLIENTS SAY
"I love how Mich is able to see and mirror me. In the session, she was focused on understanding me, allowing her to see things I did not previously realize and affirm things I am doubting. Compared to previous therapy sessions I had I felt more connection with Mich. "
-- Jennifer, Technology Head for Asia
"Her sessions are well structured and her guidance is helping me move forward and go beyond my personal blocks and issues. She knows how to guide me in questioning myself in a supportive way and in discovering new opportunities for my future. "
-- Isabelle, Business Owner, Denmark
"With her deep listening skills, her flashes of inspiration as she gently guides the coaching conversation is remarkable. The result: seemingly magical breakthroughs!"
-- Helena, Medical Doctor and Clinic Founder, Australia
"Michelle is an extraordinary coach who seamlessly blends emotional and energetic healing with practical guidance. Her ability to genuinely connect, intuitively understand, and compassionately guide is rare. She intuitively identified and helped me release deeply rooted emotional blockages, significantly shifting my mindset. This emotional clearing left me feeling lighter, more open to positivity and abundance, and empowered me to clearly define my career and personal goals with intention."
-- Kelly, Senior Project Manager, Canada
