Emily thought a packed calendar was proof she was successful, right up until a manic episode at 28 forced a pause she never would have chosen. In this solo reflection on her Pool Nation Women's Summit keynote, she unpacks why busy is not the same as balanced, why no one else will manage your output for you, and how to build a structure you can return to. The takeaway: you don't need a diagnosis or a breaking point to redefine success.

I didn't build the habits because I'm disciplined. I built them because I had no other option. In 2018, a manic episode turned into psychosis, and when I came back to work three months later, I had to rebuild everything. Here's what that rebuild looks like — and what it still looks like when life breaks the routine.