The Group Chat Goes Live... Slightly Salty Edition

Burnout, Boundaries, And Besties

• Leanna DeBellevue • Season 1 • Episode 2

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Ever plan a dramatic escape to a quiet farm because your calendar is a wildfire? Same. We kick things off with a tongue-in-cheek vision of 100 acres, three houses, one hot tub, and exactly zero responsibilities—then unpack what that fantasy really signals: burnout, overstretch, and the craving for peace without losing our ambition.

We get honest about the guilt of feeling overwhelmed while life looks abundant on paper—healthy families, thriving businesses, full social calendars. That tension shows up as constant yeses, overfull schedules, and the heavy feeling that you’re disappointing someone either way. We talk through the small, practical moves that help us right-size our commitments: visible calendars everyone respects, one evening event per week, a travel buffer day, and a 24-hour pause before accepting new asks. We also reframe “reset” as a repeatable skill, not a once-a-year vacation, and share how trusting our teams (and not doom-texting from the hotel) can be the bridge between leadership and real rest.

The through line is connection. Our group chat isn’t just memes and snark; it’s a pressure valve that interrupts rumination and replaces shame with perspective. We use two grounding prompts—what would make this easy, and what will you regret saying yes to—to cut through urgency and choose based on values. We also compare the different realities of employees vs. entrepreneurs, why some personalities struggle to switch off, and how to retire the “busy” badge without shrinking your goals. If you’ve ever flirted with the idea of selling it all—or adopting a highland cow named Crunchy—you’ll feel seen, laugh a little, and leave with clearer ways to protect your energy.

If this resonated, tap follow, share it with a friend who needs a reset, and drop your favorite burnout hack in the comments. Your story might be the reminder someone else needs today.

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Kerri Ann: https://www.facebook.com/kerri.carmodyvalenzuela

Want to send us a message? Contact us here:

Adrianne: adrianne@lynchteamaz.com

Kerri Ann: info@allaboutyouplacement.com

Leanna: info@debellevueconsulting.com

Voice Over:

Welcome to the Group Chat Goes Live Slightly Salty Edition, where your three favorite troublemakers turn the chaos of the group text into a full-blown weekly show. We're talking real life, real opinions, and just enough sass to keep things interesting. No filters, no perfection. Just three women with big personalities, bold stories, and a habit of saying the quiet parts out loud. So grab your drink, brace yourself, and join us. Because the group chat didn't just spill the tea, it went live.

Leanna:

Welcome back to the group chat goes live, the slightly salty edition. This is our second episode. Last episode we did our introductions, and today we are actually going to jump into what is in our group chat. What from this week's chat should we talk about? I feel like we saw a lot of willing to move to the country and live on our own, away from everyone. Adrienne?

Adrianne:

I'm just going to say my algorithm is telling me that I need to live on a giant farm in Tennessee. And I'm feeling that vibe this week of, you know, could I farm? Could we?

Kerri Ann:

I mean, I could look like I farm and someone ex-military, because maybe he can help with that part. Oh, is he going? He's going.

Adrianne:

Yeah, he gets the converting algorithm. Yeah, he can. Yeah, he well, someone has to run all the things there. That's right. I just want to film I'm on a farm. Yes. You know, living the farm life. Yes. Not doing the farm life.

Leanna:

No. And we may or may not have agreed to live on this 50 acres with you.

Speaker 2:

I know after 2.2 seconds. Yes.

Adrianne:

I envision our compound. I'm just going to tell you guys that we're going to have like 100 acres and we're each going to have our houses off. And then the middle is going to be the fire pits, the pool, the hot tub. And then we all just gather there to hang out and drink. That's my vision.

Speaker 6:

Okay.

Leanna:

I'm all in. My problem is I believe you. And then I'll be like, let's go. And you guys are going to be like, no, we weren't serious.

Kerri Ann:

We're not. No, we're not.

Leanna:

Yeah.

Kerri Ann:

But this is about burnout, right? Yes. We didn't say. We just started talking about Tennessee.

Adrianne:

Yes.

Kerri Ann:

We have to let people in our brains.

Adrianne:

Of why? Because I'm feeling the burnt out. I'm feeling burnout this year. And maybe because it's the end of the year, um, it makes me envision living on a farm with my cows.

Leanna:

Yeah. What about now, other than the holidays, makes you feel burnout?

Adrianne:

I feel like, well, in our industry, it's been a rough three years and difficult. We're very busy, but I think it's just there's so many high emotions right now. So every deal you already deal with emotions, but now it's kind of tenfold. So I feel like by the end of the year, I'm just mentally, someone's having a breakdown. And they're all minor breakdowns in their mind. But when you have client after client calling you and you're trying to calm everyone down, I just feel like at the end of the year, I I'm envisioning living on a farm, selling it all. I literally told Terry, I'm like, Do you want to sell everything and live on a farm? And his face. He's used to it. He knows I'll get over it.

Kerri Ann:

And Brian wants me to get my citizenship in for Italy so we can go and buy a villa that he can fix up because he's a contractor. Those are the dollar villas. Those are the dollar villas. Yes. That's where he wants. That's what he's doing. Well, get your citizenship and let's do that.

Leanna:

Wait, you don't even have to be a citizen, though. I mean, it would be helpful. Yes. But we can buy a villa. That's been my dream. Yes. Jeff thinks I've lost my mind. Because we don't know anything about it.

Kerri Ann:

But when you review our text and I have been reviewing our text because I'm like, first of all, I there's not enough finger swiping to get to the beginning of where this all started. But there's a lot about burnout with us and supporting each other. And I just one I cannot fathom that everybody else out there isn't hasn't been the same, isn't the same.

Leanna:

Yeah.

Adrianne:

I would say the difference though, I feel like when I'm on burnout and I send you guys that I want to move to Tennessee, instead of you just being like, okay, you guys are like, hey, I'm coming with you. And then I'm like, oh, this is gonna be great. We're gonna be fine. Like we're all gonna move together, you know, or I don't know if everyone has that type of friendship where you know that all of a sudden we're all just going.

Kerri Ann:

Well, I s reviewed one where you were talking about we needed to get together. Yeah. And literally within an hour and a half, we were like on our way there. Yeah. Yeah. Which is really unique. Yeah.

Leanna:

Really unique. I think as busy as we all are, the fact that we will drop something, you know, in order to be there for one another is really nice. Yeah. And I think the reason why you're never gonna be able to live alone or outside of our town is because my life is dependent on your advice and your reminding me that I don't look good in orange. Or coming up with your chat GPT, coming up with the solution to whatever my problem of the day is. And if you're in a different time zone, either one of you, I don't feel confident that I could live by myself.

Kerri Ann:

Well, I definitely in reviewing of our texts, um, I'm I'm much more burning out than the two of you. Or I feel like I'm watching myself through what I looked at and seeing that like reaching out. I think that's the big thing is do people feel comfortable about reaching out when they're in burnout?

Leanna:

Yeah.

Kerri Ann:

Because with you guys, it doesn't make me feel vulnerable.

Leanna:

Yeah.

Kerri Ann:

And and that is scary. But when like do other people feel the ability to feel vulnerable to say, I'm burning out, I'm spinning, I'm stressed, I don't, you know, or just in reflection. Like I looked at Brian Saturday and I was like, Do you realize in less than 10 days we went to New York, we got delayed four times getting home, we both came back to go back into work, had a birthday, had a son graduate from college, prepared a party for a college graduation, and then did our yearly gingerbread houses in a 10-day time period. Yep. And then I wonder why, like, I'm feeling like heavy chest or whatever. Like we I think we just get so used to not just us, like that gets reproduced in your life, in your life, and other people's lives, where I don't think you have time to sit in reflection of all the things that you do every single day. And why do I feel exhausted? Why do I feel tired? Why is my body aching because I just took a walk longer than I've ever taken? Why is my chest heavy?

Leanna:

Yeah.

Kerri Ann:

Like, why am I gaining weight? Why am I losing like all these things? Because we just when you're running the way that you're running, you don't have time to sit and reflection. And when you do, you're like, wow, no wonder.

Leanna:

Well, and it helps. I mean, you do have two businesses and employees with both businesses. And I mean, but I think we all live a life that most people don't, you know, in regards to all the responsibilities that we have. And I read today the average American picks up their phone 3,000 times a day. I think that's a good thing. 3,000. We are constantly inundated with people requesting things from us. Like, you know, can you do this? Can you do this? Can you donate to this? Can you be here? Can you show up?

Kerri Ann:

And we're trying or mom or honey or whatever that may be. And the Because it's it's kids too. Exactly. Whether they're 20s or not, it's grandkids, it's life, it's friends, it's all of it.

Leanna:

It's people that you want to be there for. Yes. But when you're having to be present for so many different groups of people all the time, it's exhausting. And then I think that sometimes I feel guilt because I'm living a life. I am so blessed. I have so much abundance, right? Whether, and to me, abundance and and success and and riches is a healthy marriage, healthy children, you know what I mean, successful business, whatever it is. Right. And I have all of these things, so I feel guilty for being overwhelmed. Like, how am I gonna complain that so many people want my attention? What? Right. So then I struggle with that and I don't want to share with people that I might be feeling overwhelmed or burned out. And thankfully we do have this safe space. Yeah. But more and more people that I'm talking to feel this exact same way. I can't keep going like this. I can't keep saying yes to everything. And, you know.

Adrianne:

That's why I think, you know, we have to learn. I mean, the same. Terry's really good with me because when he can tell I'm getting overly stressed, he'll be like, you don't even have an opening on your calendar. You don't even have an opening to go to dinner with me. And that's a reality that all of a sudden it's so easy that, you know, you come to this event, we go to this. Hey, can you come to my event here? And you get into a yes, yes, yes, and then all of a sudden you're overwhelmed. And then he's good for me because he'll be like, Nope, you've got to reel it back in. Yeah. And not telling me to stop things. He'll just be his comments will be about you're overfilling your calendar, which is adding to your burnout and overwhelm type of thing. So I feel like that is where we're just constantly, you don't want to let someone down that wants you to be somewhere.

Kerri Ann:

Yeah.

Adrianne:

And you appreciate that they invited you or wanted you to be there.

Kerri Ann:

But and it's amazing how many memes are out there that are about burnout that we have sent to each other. Yes. To make each other feel better about it going that shit crazy at the moment.

Leanna:

Yeah. Yeah. And again, it's that like it's funny that you said that you've got too much stuff on your calendar because we both know when we need to say no, yes, we ask you, yeah, should we do this? And you're like, just say no. And we're like, but how do we say no? I think it's something everybody struggles with.

Adrianne:

And I feel like I go in cycles where I'm very strict with my schedule and my parameters of what I will go to, how I spend my time, and then all of a sudden it'll slowly creep back in.

Kerri Ann:

Yeah.

Adrianne:

And then I have to work on getting it all back out again.

Kerri Ann:

Well, isn't there, I mean, I know that there's somebody that says that you're supposed to say yes and. Like, I know I'm supposed to know who that person is. There's somebody that do we know? I don't know. I don't know. Somebody told me you're supposed to say yes and all the time because then you're leaning into uncomfortable. But then then when are you setting boundaries? Yeah. So there's mixed messages out there. Yeah. Like, am I limiting myself, my growth, my business, my relationships, all those things by not saying yes and doing it. When you say no, that sometimes feels worse than trying to figure out where to put stuff the time. Yeah.

Leanna:

I just think we never want people to feel disappointed. At least I don't.

Voice Over:

No.

Leanna:

Right? And someone told me that if you say yes to something, that means you're saying no to something else, which sounds great in theory. You know, but learning to navigate, then I think our husbands do play a role. I know Brian has had conversations with Jeff and Terry, right? About like all of us doing too much. Yeah.

unknown:

Mm-hmm.

Leanna:

As I'm launching a new business and we're starting a podcast, and you have two businesses and a podcast.

Kerri Ann:

Well, Brian said that to me about the podcast for sure. And I said, you know what? I feel like this is this is a relief. Yeah. Like this is like our text message. Like when I go hide and I'm texting you guys, and you I don't know why I'm doing that, but that's what you do. But that's it's like a it's my escape from it and my ability set to be able to get trusted opinions about what I'm going through so that I can feel fine about saying no or saying yes in a certain way, or you know, not blowing somebody's phone up with a text message or an email that I should not be sending because that burnout is there. You know, and I didn't realize, honestly, and I said this to Brian, when we got back from New York walking around because there was so much going on, I didn't realize how close I was before getting on that plane because I was gonna cancel that trip because I'm like, I can't go, there's too much going on. But like as we were in the trip, I was reflecting of things I was saying before I left and what I was doing. And I'm like, I was really, really on the edge.

Adrianne:

You needed the reset.

Kerri Ann:

Yes.

Adrianne:

You know, and I and I do think that our husbands help on that of needing the reset. And even as I feel like you kept saying you were canceling, and I felt like we were like, don't cancel it. Like you have to leave business sometimes and go reset your mind and remember, I mean, what's the point of us all working all the time and not getting to enjoy it?

Kerri Ann:

And go ahead and that's hard too, because literally, so the second day in New York, I would not stop messaging the girls and Sandy and Sydney because I wanted to keep in touch with them because I was like, they really and they kept saying, just have a good time, stop messaging. And it was like they didn't need me. So then I'm struggling, enjoying, but then I'm like, well, they don't need me. And now I'm enjoying. Like, does that make sense? Like, yeah, you're I'm always saying this, like, does that make sense? Because I'm it's like the schizophrenic way of living. Like, yeah, you have all these people that are phenomenal that at what they do and they want you to genuinely go and unplug. And then when you do and they don't need you, which is not bad, yeah, then it's challenging.

Adrianne:

But that's what you're I feel like for you, that's what you're building. I mean, you want to build teams where then you can go and you don't have to worry about it. I mean, you don't want to be working.

Leanna:

Yeah. And I'm gonna tell you this. I felt that when we went, we took our grandson to Disney World, uh-huh, and for the first time the team really stood on their own. And I remember checking in and they were like, no, we're good. And it really kind of messes with your mind that they don't need you. Yes. But I'm gonna remember, like, remind you, you are the one that told me, like, trust your team, you're good. Oh, and when you're sitting in it, it's very both of you guys, because I was like checking in with everybody, and everyone's like, you're fine. But it I learned to lean into it, and that's been the biggest gift and the biggest blessing. It's super hard. And who doesn't want to be needed, especially in your own company? Like, you know, I've got there's like a anyways. There you go. It's not easy. Yes. I think we do part of my like I think with burnout with me, I say the most unhinged stuff to you guys in text messages, in a meme, on Facebook, on Instagram. Like, I will send, and you guys know where my heart is. You know that as much as I would love to go do whatever, burn it all down, sell it all, and live in a, you know, in a one-bedroom shack, right, in my Yugo, right? And not have to worry about anything ever again. You guys know where I'm at. So you let me have that space to pretend like that's a reality, right? Because we've also talked about it. Wonder if we really did do that. I don't think we're all pretty driven. We wouldn't know what to do with ourselves. Although we did come up with a plan to like have people at the farm. Like, yeah, we were yes.

Adrianne:

I feel like that too in our brains. We can't even go live on a farm and sell everything and relax because we already were mapping out like we could do retreats and women could come here and we do this, and you know, we win strawberries. And sell them.

Leanna:

Yes. Yeah. But I don't think we have the ability to just turn it off. No. And I think people who can, I have a different type of respect for them now. Like how lovely their life must be just to I don't know.

Adrianne:

Can people I think some personalities can, and I feel like that too can be different. If you work in a job and you're like, I have two weeks off and I'm not gonna do anything in work. I think it's a different mentality than when you're entrepreneurs. Because I feel like when you own and run businesses, there never really is, you can never truly turn it off.

Kerri Ann:

But don't you fill in the blanks? Because before I owned businesses, when I was working and then being a mom and doing that, I found enough to fill in the blanks all the time. Because it was, you know, being the PTO parent or doing this or doing that, or I just think we can always find something. I think we glorify busy a lot, though. Yeah.

Adrianne:

Right? Oh, I'm so busy.

Leanna:

Oh, like and that's supposed to be like a badge of honor.

Adrianne:

Yeah. Right. I think the older I get though, I don't want the busy badge of honor. Like I feel like I'm really trying to, and maybe that's the feeling of burnout because I feel like I'm trying to have peace and time and have fun. And then, you know, when there's work, I'm thankful for the work, very thankful for it. But then I feel like I'm battling this war. Because I'm like, no, you want this free time and some fun. And that's where I in my own head I'm battling. Like it might not even be real burnout. It's my own burnout that I'm trying not to be burnt out and then I'm burning myself out.

Leanna:

That makes so much sense. Yeah. No, totally. It's like a cycle. Yeah. Yeah.

unknown:

Yeah.

Leanna:

No, 100%. I think we all struggle with it. What do we do with it?

Kerri Ann:

Well, I know that people, well, first of all, I have like 25 unread full books and my Audible. They think I've gotten five minutes, seven minutes into it, like I just can't. And all of them have to do with this subject. Where somebody tells me, you know, the just say no book or this or that. The the Mel Robbins is probably the only one I've gotten through.

Voice Over:

Yeah.

Kerri Ann:

Which I should not have this tattoo if I did not get through that one. But I yeah, I mean, I I think that we I think we know all the things to do. You know, like people tell you meditate, which I can't do because I giggle. Because I can't I don't know how to quiet my brain. Yeah. So then I end up disrupting an entire meditation class. Yoga I can't do because I have no balance. Like all the things that you're stuck, like journaling. I'm afraid that if I journal and then I drop dead, somebody's gonna find it and then they're gonna be mad about it. Not that I care because I'll be dead.

Leanna:

Like what are all the things like I It doesn't feel like anything is a real answer, honestly. Like the same thing. Like you can meditate when, right? Or in my meditation, I'm like, oh, I forgot to add this. Let me add this to the grocery list, and then let me go here and then I can go here. And I've had you know, like people come out of there and they're like, Oh, I'm so refreshed. I'm like, I'm exhausted. I just thought of 25 things more that I have to do.

Kerri Ann:

I do think that helping burn out is connection. Yeah. Because I think that when you are running in circles, you get you feel less connected, you feel less I don't I keep saying vulnerable, but I don't I think that you know, you we just in our brain are like, no, I'm not burning out, I'm fine, and we keep adding and adding and adding, and then you get more disconnected. And I so I do think that I have been better and avoided some levels of big time burnout by us.

Adrianne:

For sure. Yeah, I think a big thing for me is just the laughter. I mean, yes, our memes, our attacks, I feel like that offsets my reality that it it gets me out of my head. Yeah where I'm like, I'm really not. That burnt out. And when I start reading stuff or I see memes, I don't know. To me, I think it's the laughter helps. And that we have that here. But but I like being like sarcastic and catty and text of you know living in Tennessee or you know, owning a highland cow that I don't even know how big they get. I know I want a crunchy, but I don't want a crunchy because I don't want to take care of a crunchy. But those would be the things. Yeah. I just want to cuddle a cow when I'm stressed. I'm gonna walk out and cuddle a cow.

Leanna:

Yes.

unknown:

Yes.

Leanna:

I'm trying to convince Jeff to let me get one for the backyard, but he's like, we have a pool and fake grass. Like, what about the HOA?

Kerri Ann:

I'm like, that's not. So are we giving anybody any type of advice? So I are we just letting them know that it's normal. It's normal.

Leanna:

You know, with the amount of memes that we do find that we can relate to, I'm guessing that everybody feels that way. Yeah. But maybe the answer is connection. Yeah. Or maybe it is holding each other accountable. Like we all agree that our husbands are like, okay, you need to slow it down. But we also do that to each other. We do. Right? Like you cannot say yes one more time, right? Or if you're gonna say yes, it has to make sense. You know, I'm looking at you and pointing out. But maybe just re-honoring ourselves and respecting ourselves enough to say no.

Kerri Ann:

Yes. Right. And having a good having a I just go back to having a good support system. Yeah. Like if it's one person, if it's ten people, if it's trusted people that you can have a connection with. And and it is something is to be said for those that are in the same space as you.

Leanna:

Yeah.

Kerri Ann:

You know, that are going through similar things. And it doesn't have I mean, I have friends that don't own their own businesses that are that work for people that go through a lot of the same things that we go through because they come to that job like we come to our businesses.

Leanna:

Yeah.

Kerri Ann:

So I find commonality with them in that way.

Leanna:

Yeah. Showing up authentically. Yeah. Okay.

Kerri Ann:

Not being afraid.

Leanna:

We are almost out of time for this episode, surprisingly. Is there anything that we are leaving on the table that we need to talk about before we wrap up today?

Kerri Ann:

If anybody tells you they're not ever have burnout or maybe not live in a constant state of it, then they're not telling the truth.

Adrianne:

100%. Yes. So if this resonated with you, leave a comment with your favorite burnout hack. Don't forget to like, share, and subscribe to keep up to date with our saltiness.

Leanna:

See you guys next time. See ya. Bye bye.

Voice Over:

And that's a wrap on today's episode of the Group Chat Goes Live, Slightly Salty Edition. If you laughed, cringed, nodded along, or mentally texted your bestie, good. That means we did our job. Make sure you follow, subscribe, and slide into our DMs with your own slightly salty stories. You know we love the chaos. Until next time, keep your group chat spicy and the real world slightly saltier.

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Adrianne Lynch

Co-host
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Kerri Ann Ronquist

Co-host
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Leanna DeBellevue

Co-host