What makes a woman walk away from a prestigious CEO role with nearly 3,000 employees and a corner office... with zero plan for what’s next?

For Dr. Terri Levine, the answer was simple: joy.

She had the title. The salary. The stock options. But late nights, moral conflicts, and the weight of corporate pressure left her drained—and dreading Mondays. So one day, after a board member handed her “budget numbers” to fudge, she stood her ground… and walked away.

Terri’s story isn’t about throwing caution to the wind. It’s about listening to your gut—and realizing that success isn’t worth it if it costs your peace.

From Speech Pathologist to Serial Entrepreneur

Before she ever became a coach, Terri built and sold multiple businesses—including a million-dollar speech clinic and a wildly successful home art show company. So when corporate burnout finally hit, she wasn’t new to entrepreneurship. But this time was different.

On a whim, she booked a flight to a mind-body-spirit expo. The woman next to her on the plane said she was a coach. Terri had never heard of it. But thirty minutes later, she knew: This is what I’m meant to do.

She enrolled in a training program the same day.

Action Brings Clarity (and Confidence)

Terri didn’t wait to be “ready.” She took action. Within 30 days of leaving her corporate role, she had 30 coaching clients—just by reaching out to people she knew and offering to help. Over time, she fine-tuned her niche and found her sweet spot: helping women entrepreneurs build juicy, joyful lives—and businesses that support them.

Her signature approach? Life design first. Business second.

Burn the Bro Marketing

Terri is refreshingly honest about what doesn’t work in business—and she’s not afraid to call out the bro energy. The fake urgency. The performative wins.

“I don’t ring bells or post income screenshots,” she says. “Success is being in integrity and creating impact.”

Instead, she models a collaborative, heart-centered approach that aligns beautifully with what Penny for Your Shots is all about: service over sales, clarity over chaos, and leading with love (and maybe a good cocktail, too).

When Women Support Women

One of the biggest takeaways from this conversation? We don’t have to compete.

Terri shared stories of clients transforming faster inside group programs—not because of her alone, but because of the magic that happens when women cheer each other on. And she didn’t hold back about the real work it takes to deprogram scarcity thinking and perfectionism.

Your business doesn’t grow from hustle. It grows from healing.

If you’re standing at your own crossroads—whether in corporate, direct sales, or just a “what’s next?” season—take this episode as your nudge.

There’s power in walking away. There’s purpose in starting over.
And just like Terri says… the only real security is designing a life you actually love.

You can find Dr. Terri Levine on her website: https://heartrepreneur.com/