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In 2014, I joined the prestigious management consulting firm, McKinsey & Co., inspired by the dream of making a difference and leading change in the world. It was everything I’d hoped for—exciting, high-profile work, incredible learning opportunities, and the chance to travel the globe. For 4.5 years, I thrived, mastering skills that would serve me for a lifetime.
And yet, something wasn’t right.
I’d always been a high-performer, but amidst the grind of feedback sessions and relentless performance reviews, success felt perpetually out of reach. I anticipated the “perfect” engagements, knew which leaders I wanted to work under, and yet when I landed those opportunities, I felt... nothing. Disappointed. Burnt out.
I started questioning myself:
⁉️ Wasn’t this the dream?
⁉️ Shouldn’t I feel grateful?
⁉️ What was I missing?
When I left McKinsey, I felt completely lost. I’d been so caught up in the hamster wheel of achievement that I no longer knew what I wanted—or who I was. I thought I wanted to be in a fast-paced entrepreneurial environment, so I explored startups and venture capital, landing high-profile offers in both.
But even as my career looked great on paper, my lived experience was hollow. I kept chasing the next big thing, but with every step forward, I felt emptier, more alone, and disconnected from the person I once was.
🌿 Then, I tried ayahuasca.🌿
In one night, everything shifted. I was taken back to the young engineer who had turned down a prestigious corporate role to work in the heart of South Africa, building processing plants in some of the toughest conditions. My why was clear then: I wanted to contribute to something meaningful, something that mattered to my country’s growth and progress.
And now? What was I doing? Selling plastic shoes as a Nike exec? No wonder I was miserable.
Ayahuasca didn’t sugarcoat the truth. It made me face it—every hard, uncomfortable reality about how I’d lost my way. But in that process, it also gave me the courage to rebuild. I rediscovered self-compassion and forgiveness, and, most importantly, I reconnected with my purpose.
This marked the start of a journey back to myself. I realized that while money and success mattered, they couldn’t be my only drivers. I needed to contribute to solving the world’s most pressing challenges.
Since then, I’ve sat in ayahuasca circles with some of the most impressive leaders, founders, and change-makers I’ve ever met—people whose visions inspire me and who credit this sacred medicine for their clarity and purpose.
If you’re a leader feeling stuck, burnt out, or disconnected, I want you to know: You’re not alone. Sometimes, the answers aren’t found in working harder or chasing the next opportunity—they’re found in coming back to yourself.
Its time for you to face the fears that are holding you back from being your authentic self, and living a life worth living.
It's time to join us in ceremony.
Aria (Rhea) Naidoo is the founder and a reverend of the Sacred Waters Sanctuary. She specializes in unlocking human potential through sacred plant medicines and transformational spiritual guidance programs. She works with visionary leaders and change makers who are ready to get out of their own way, face their fears and make the bold moves necessary to bring about positive change and make a difference.
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