Successful AF Pod
Successful AF is the podcast for high-achieving women who've checked all the boxes but still feel empty inside, exploring how to redefine success without sacrificing your sanity. Join host Jess West as she interviews women who've cracked the code on setting boundaries, ditching perfectionism, and building a life that's truly successful AF.
Successful AF Pod
Shedding Armour, Sabbaticals and Letting Faith Lead - Toto Lambert is Successful AF
Episode Summary
What if the promotion you didn't get was actually the universe's way of setting you free?
In this deeply moving episode, Jess sits down with her dear friend Toto Lambert, who went from Team Secretary to one of the youngest female partners at a leading global real estate agency in just seven years.
Toto's career transformation story is one of courage, vulnerability, and the radical act of prioritising work-life balance. She's navigated complex health challenges whilst climbing the corporate ladder, all while learning to shed the armour of perfectionism and embrace authentic leadership.
Perfect for listeners experiencing career burnout, seeking professional fulfilment, or looking for career change inspiration to align work with personal values.
In this conversation, we explore:
- Career burnout recovery: The moment Toto realised her health was more important than her job title
- Resilience after rejection: Why getting rejected for her "dream" promotion became the catalyst for transformation
- Career sabbatical benefits: Her six-month "soulbattical" that changed everything
- Female leadership development: How she's learned to integrate strength with grace, and masculine drive with feminine softness
- Redefining career success beyond job titles and salaries in corporate culture
About Toto: Toto is a female business leader and Partner at The Buying Solution, a leading property buying agency, where she helps individuals and families acquire homes in central and southwest London. Alongside her work in real estate leadership, Toto is a yoga teacher and qualified nutritional therapist. This portfolio career represents professional reinvention and shows how work-life integration can create both success and fulfilment in a traditionally male-dominated industry.
Toto's swift rise from Team Secretary to youngest female partner in just over seven years left her "successful" but experiencing career burnout. In 2023, after a decade at the company, Toto embarked on a six-month career sabbatical to India, Sri Lanka and the Balearics. Those transformative months helped her discover authentic success and professional wellness.
You can find Toto teaching yoga in SW London studios, many of which stream their classes online for those further afield. Outside of real estate and off the yoga mat, Toto enjoys tennis, running and swimming - embodying true work-life balance.
Connect with Toto: Instagram: @toto.lambert Website: www.totolambert.com
Key Takeaways for Career Success:
This episode is a masterclass in trusting your intuition and career pivot strategies, even when it's terrifying. Toto's professional development journey reminds us that sometimes the biggest disappointments are actually redirections towards our authentic career path. Her story of overcoming perfectionism whilst maintaining business success shows us that we don't have to choose between authenticity and achievement - sustainable career success means having both.
Love this episode? Hit subscribe and leave us a review! And if you know someone who's redefining success on their own terms, nominate them at successfulafpod@gmail.com - we're always looking for incredible people to feature.
Connect with Jess:
Instagram: @kalicoaching.co
Website: www.kalicoaching.co.uk