Highroads Coaching | Burnout Prevention Strategist

For Leaders Making the Decisions That Matter Most

Helping high-achieving leaders and organizations build sustainable success through values-based leadership.

Annie Stephanos,

M. Ed.

Leadership Coach | Speaker | Creator of the Highroads Decision Process™

founder & operator

Meet Annie

I'm Annie Stephanos, founder of Highroads Coaching.

After 26 years as a teacher, instructional coach, and leadership coach in public education, I came to understand something that changed the way I think about leadership.

Burnout rarely begins with one big decision.

It grows through hundreds of small ones—often made with the best intentions—that gradually pull us away from what matters most.

That realization became the foundation of the Highroads Decision Process™, a practical framework that helps leaders make values-based decisions with greater clarity, confidence, and sustainability.

Today I work with leaders, teams, and organizations who want to build success they can actually sustain.

My Approach

• Values before velocity.

• Practical, structured, and evidence-informed.

• Focused on better decisions—not just better coping.

• Designed for sustainable leadership.

Trusted by Leaders & Organizations

Shelby Garay

Program Director, Headspace Training Institute

“

Annie has led several workshops for the Headspace Training Institute on the topics of Know Your Worth: Eliminate Burnout for Good and Step by Step – Building Your New Coaching Business, which were extremely successful. She brings a rare combination of deep expertise, clarity, and genuine care to her training. Annie creates an engaging, supportive environment while delivering practical, actionable insights you can immediately apply. Her ability to explain complex concepts in clear ways makes her workshops both engaging and empowering. If you’re looking for a knowledgeable, impactful facilitator who helps people move forward with confidence and purpose, Annie delivers this and more.

Mary Alice Keator

Program Approval / Continuing Education Manager, National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching

“

Annie has a unique ability to meet people with compassion while still challenging them to grow. Her work is grounded in real-life experience and a genuine understanding of what it means to navigate burnout, rebuild balance, and create meaningful change. She doesn’t just teach concepts, she helps people integrate them in a way that feels sustainable and empowering. As reflected in her work, Annie is deeply committed to helping individuals reconnect with themselves, set boundaries, and build lives rooted in well-being and purpose.

Leaders I Work With

Make values-based decisions with greater clarity.

Lead with confidence instead of constant pressure.

Navigate difficult decisions without losing themselves.

Build sustainable success that aligns with what matters most.

Strengthen leadership from the inside out.

It all starts with the Highroads Decision Process™.

Annie listens deeply and really gets what I’m aiming for. I’ve worked with other coaches before, Annie stands far above the rest.
Debbie Wachsberg
Houston, TX
Annie has given me the tools to help me along my journey, encouraged me to find the strength in myself, and reminds me that I deserve to be in this space for ME!
Taylor Burns
San Jose, CA
Annie continually guides me to utilize my best skills to attain confidence, while helping me achieve the best work-life balance with her kind and relatable qualities.
Kathleen Brandon
Las Vegas, NV
I deeply value her ability to help people feel seen. Annie doesn’t just offer support, she helps people reconnect with their own strength.
Amanda Jacobson
Folsom, CA
As someone who has long struggled with work-life balance, Annie has helped me to identify clear strategies to create boundaries so I can have that balance.
Erica Hallock
Spokane, WA
The “Higher Roads Better Days” coaching newsletter that comes in my email weekly is a great way to remind yourself to take a break and take a moment for yourself.
Beatrice Rowan
San Jose, CA

Annie listens deeply and really gets what I’m aiming for. I’ve worked with other coaches before, Annie stands far above the rest.
Debbie Wachsberg
Houston, TX
Annie has given me the tools to help me along my journey, encouraged me to find the strength in myself, and reminds me that I deserve to be in this space for ME!
Taylor Burns
San Jose, CA
Annie continually guides me to utilize my best skills to attain confidence, while helping me achieve the best work-life balance with her kind and relatable qualities.
Kathleen Brandon
Las Vegas, NV
I deeply value her ability to help people feel seen. Annie doesn’t just offer support, she helps people reconnect with their own strength.
Amanda Jacobson
Folsom, CA
As someone who has long struggled with work-life balance, Annie has helped me to identify clear strategies to create boundaries so I can have that balance.
Erica Hallock
Spokane, WA
The “Higher Roads Better Days” coaching newsletter that comes in my email weekly is a great way to remind yourself to take a break and take a moment for yourself.
Beatrice Rowan
San Jose, CA

Annie listens deeply and really gets what I’m aiming for. I’ve worked with other coaches before, Annie stands far above the rest.
Debbie Wachsberg
Houston, TX
Annie has given me the tools to help me along my journey, encouraged me to find the strength in myself, and reminds me that I deserve to be in this space for ME!
Taylor Burns
San Jose, CA
Annie continually guides me to utilize my best skills to attain confidence, while helping me achieve the best work-life balance with her kind and relatable qualities.
Kathleen Brandon
Las Vegas, NV
I deeply value her ability to help people feel seen. Annie doesn’t just offer support, she helps people reconnect with their own strength.
Amanda Jacobson
Folsom, CA
As someone who has long struggled with work-life balance, Annie has helped me to identify clear strategies to create boundaries so I can have that balance.
Erica Hallock
Spokane, WA
The “Higher Roads Better Days” coaching newsletter that comes in my email weekly is a great way to remind yourself to take a break and take a moment for yourself.
Beatrice Rowan
San Jose, CA

Work with Annie

Whether you're navigating a significant leadership decision, supporting your team's growth, or looking for a keynote that sparks meaningful conversations, Highroads offers practical, values-based coaching and speaking designed for sustainable success.

Leadership Coaching

One-on-one coaching for leaders navigating important decisions, transitions, and sustainable growth.

Explore Coaching

Speaking

Keynotes and presentations for conferences, organizations, and leadership teams.

Book Annie to Speak

Workshops

Interactive leadership workshops built around the Highroads Decision Process™.

Explore Workshops

Organizations

Partner with Highroads to strengthen leadership, decision-making, and culture.

Partner With Highroads

Not sure where to start?

Start a Conversation

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is the Highroads Decision Process™?

The Highroads Decision Process™ is a practical framework I developed to help people navigate difficult personal and professional decisions with greater clarity and confidence.

Rather than telling you what to do, the process guides you through five steps: clarifying the decision, identifying what matters most, recognizing your current reality, considering the trade-offs, and taking the next aligned step.

Whether you're facing burnout, navigating a leadership challenge, or making a major life decision, the goal isn't to find the "perfect" answer. It's to make thoughtful decisions you can trust.

Can Highroads Coaching Guide Me Through Difficult Decisions?

Absolutely. Highroads Coaching is designed to help you navigate complex decisions without losing sight of what matters most.

Using the Highroads Decision Process™, we'll work together to clarify the decision you're facing, explore your options, consider the realities and trade-offs, and determine your next aligned step.

My role isn't to tell you what to do. My role is to guide you through a structured process so you can make decisions with greater clarity, confidence, and self-trust.

Do I Have to Be Burned Out to Benefit from Highroads Coaching?

Not at all.

Many people come to Highroads Coaching because they're feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, or burned out. Others come because they're facing an important decision, feeling stuck, or noticing that the way they've always operated is no longer sustainable.

The Highroads Decision Process™ can help you navigate career transitions, leadership challenges, boundary-setting, workplace change, and other situations where competing priorities make it difficult to know what comes next.

Who Is Highroads Coaching Designed For?

Highroads Coaching is designed for thoughtful, high-achieving professionals who want to make decisions with greater clarity and confidence.

Many of my clients are women in leadership, founders, professionals, educators, and people navigating significant personal or professional transitions. They aren't looking for someone to tell them what to do—they're looking for a structured process that helps them evaluate their options and move forward in a way that aligns with what matters most.

What Are the Signs of Burnout?

Burnout doesn't usually show up all at once. For many women, it builds slowly over time. You might feel constantly tired no matter how much you sleep, find yourself becoming more irritable, struggle to focus, or lose interest in things that used to bring you joy. Many high-achieving women assume they're just stressed and keep pushing forward, but when exhaustion starts feeling like your normal state, it's often a sign that something deeper needs attention.

How Do I Know If I'm Burned Out or Just Stressed?

Stress is a normal response to challenging situations and often improves with rest or changes in workload. Burnout develops over time and is characterized by ongoing emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion that doesn't simply go away after a vacation or a good night's sleep.

If you're feeling depleted, disconnected from work you once enjoyed, questioning your effectiveness, or struggling to recover despite your best efforts, it may be time to look more closely at what's driving those feelings.

Whether you're experiencing stress, burnout, or simply feeling stuck, Highroads Coaching can help you gain clarity about your current situation and determine your next best step.

How Do I Recover From Burnout Without Quitting My Job?

One of the biggest misconceptions about burnout is that the only solution is walking away from your career. While that may be the right choice for some people, many women recover without making a dramatic change. Recovery often starts by looking at how you're working, what expectations you're carrying, and where your energy is going. Small but meaningful shifts can create a surprisingly powerful impact over time.

Can Burnout Coaching Help With Work-Life Balance?

Absolutely. In fact, many women seek coaching because they feel like work has slowly taken over everything else. Together, we look at the habits, expectations, and beliefs that keep you stuck in overdrive and create realistic strategies that help you reclaim your time, energy, and attention. The goal isn't perfect balance. It's creating a life that feels sustainable and aligned with what matters most to you.

Can Burnout Coaching Help With Anxiety?

Burnout and anxiety often travel together, especially for women who carry a lot of responsibility and put pressure on themselves to perform at a high level. While coaching isn't a replacement for mental health treatment, it can help you identify the patterns contributing to overwhelm and create healthier ways of responding to stress. Many women find that as they strengthen boundaries and regain a sense of control, their anxiety begins to feel more manageable as well.

Why Do Clients Choose Highroads Coaching?

Clients choose Highroads Coaching because they're looking for more than advice. They're looking for a practical process that helps them navigate difficult decisions with clarity, confidence, and purpose.

My work is informed by more than 26 years supporting people in education, my own experience recovering from severe burnout, post-graduate training, professional coaching, and certification in health and wellness coaching. Together, those experiences led to the development of the Highroads Decision Process™.

Rather than telling you what to do, I guide you through a structured framework that helps you make decisions aligned with what matters most to you.

How Is Coaching Different From Therapy?

Therapy often focuses on healing, processing, and understanding experiences from your past, while coaching focuses on helping you create meaningful change in the present and future. Both can be incredibly valuable. Burnout coaching is typically more action-oriented, helping you develop practical strategies, stronger boundaries, and sustainable habits that support the life and career you're trying to build.

How Long Does Coaching Usually Last?

Coaching is very client-centered and client-directed. Every person is different, and many women may begin seeing positive changes within the first few sessions as they put new insights into practice. The deeper changes, like stronger boundaries, healthier habits, and a more sustainable relationship with work, tend to develop over time as those new skills become part of your everyday life.

Is Coaching Worth the Investment?

Coaching is an investment in your ability to navigate important decisions with greater clarity and confidence.

Many of my clients come to coaching because they feel stuck, overwhelmed, or uncertain about what comes next. Rather than offering advice or quick fixes, I guide them through a structured process that helps them understand their options, evaluate the trade-offs, and make decisions that align with what matters most.

The value of coaching isn't simply solving today's challenge—it's developing a decision-making process you can continue using long after coaching ends.

Do You Work With Organizations and Leadership Teams?

Yes.

In addition to individual coaching, I partner with organizations to support employee well-being, leadership development, burnout prevention, and values-based decision-making.

My workshops and presentations provide practical tools that help individuals and teams navigate complex workplace challenges with greater clarity and confidence. Whether I'm speaking to a leadership team, an employee resource group, or an organization committed to creating healthier workplaces, my goal is to provide practical strategies that people can apply immediately.

Do You Work With Clients Outside California?

Yes. Highroads Coaching is offered virtually, allowing me to work with clients throughout the United States and around the world.

Whether you're navigating burnout, a leadership challenge, a career transition, or another important decision, coaching can be just as effective online as it is in person. Virtual sessions provide flexibility while creating a supportive space for thoughtful conversation and meaningful progress.

How Do I Get Started?

Getting started is simple. You can reach out through the Highroads Coaching website or email Annie directly at annie@highroadscoaching.com to schedule a 30-minute complimentary session. It's an opportunity to talk about what's been going on, ask questions, and explore whether coaching feels like the right next step for you. There's no pressure, just a conversation about where you are and where you'd like to go.

What Is the Highroads Decision Process™?

The Highroads Decision Process™ is a practical framework I developed to help people navigate difficult personal and professional decisions with greater clarity and confidence.

Whether you're facing burnout, navigating a leadership challenge, or making a major life decision, the goal isn't to find the "perfect" answer. It's to make thoughtful decisions you can trust.

Can Highroads Coaching Guide Me Through Difficult Decisions?

Absolutely. Highroads Coaching is designed to help you navigate complex decisions without losing sight of what matters most.

Using the Highroads Decision Process™, we'll work together to clarify the decision you're facing, explore your options, consider the realities and trade-offs, and determine your next aligned step.

My role isn't to tell you what to do. My role is to guide you through a structured process so you can make decisions with greater clarity, confidence, and self-trust.

Do I Have to Be Burned Out to Benefit from Highroads Coaching?

Not at all.

Who Is Highroads Coaching Designed For?

Highroads Coaching is designed for thoughtful, high-achieving professionals who want to make decisions with greater clarity and confidence.

What Are the Signs of Burnout?

How Do I Know If I'm Burned Out or Just Stressed?

Whether you're experiencing stress, burnout, or simply feeling stuck, Highroads Coaching can help you gain clarity about your current situation and determine your next best step.

How Do I Recover From Burnout Without Quitting My Job?

Can Burnout Coaching Help With Work-Life Balance?

Can Burnout Coaching Help With Anxiety?

Why Do Clients Choose Highroads Coaching?

Rather than telling you what to do, I guide you through a structured framework that helps you make decisions aligned with what matters most to you.

How Is Coaching Different From Therapy?

How Long Does Coaching Usually Last?

Is Coaching Worth the Investment?

Coaching is an investment in your ability to navigate important decisions with greater clarity and confidence.

The value of coaching isn't simply solving today's challenge—it's developing a decision-making process you can continue using long after coaching ends.

Do You Work With Organizations and Leadership Teams?

Yes.

In addition to individual coaching, I partner with organizations to support employee well-being, leadership development, burnout prevention, and values-based decision-making.

Do You Work With Clients Outside California?

Yes. Highroads Coaching is offered virtually, allowing me to work with clients throughout the United States and around the world.

How Do I Get Started?

Ready to Build What's Sustainable?

Let's talk about the leadership challenges you're facing and how the Highroads Decision Process™ can help you move forward with clarity and confidence.

Start a Conversation

Begin where you are. Build what’s sustainable.

annie@highroadscoaching.com

Hear Me on The Healthy Enterprise Podcast

Coaching available online, worldwide

Values-based leadership for sustainable success.

Sustainable Success Without Self Abandonment

Values-based leadership for sustainable success.

For Leaders Making the Decisions That Matter Most

Annie Stephanos,

Meet Annie

Trusted by Leaders & Organizations

Trusted by Leaders & Organizations

Shelby Garay

Program Director, Headspace Training Institute

Mary Alice Keator

Program Approval / Continuing Education Manager, National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching

Leaders I Work With

Leaders I Work With

Make values-based decisions with greater clarity.

Lead with confidence instead of constant pressure.

Navigate difficult decisions without losing themselves.

Build sustainable success that aligns with what matters most.

Strengthen leadership from the inside out.

Work with Annie

Leadership Coaching

Speaking

Workshops

Organizations

Not sure where to start?

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is the Highroads Decision Process™?

Can Highroads Coaching Guide Me Through Difficult Decisions?

Do I Have to Be Burned Out to Benefit from Highroads Coaching?

Who Is Highroads Coaching Designed For?

What Are the Signs of Burnout?

How Do I Know If I'm Burned Out or Just Stressed?

How Do I Recover From Burnout Without Quitting My Job?

Can Burnout Coaching Help With Work-Life Balance?

Can Burnout Coaching Help With Anxiety?

Why Do Clients Choose Highroads Coaching?

How Is Coaching Different From Therapy?

How Long Does Coaching Usually Last?

Is Coaching Worth the Investment?

Do You Work With Organizations and Leadership Teams?

Do You Work With Clients Outside California?

How Do I Get Started?

What Is the Highroads Decision Process™?

Can Highroads Coaching Guide Me Through Difficult Decisions?

Do I Have to Be Burned Out to Benefit from Highroads Coaching?

Who Is Highroads Coaching Designed For?

What Are the Signs of Burnout?

How Do I Know If I'm Burned Out or Just Stressed?

How Do I Recover From Burnout Without Quitting My Job?

Can Burnout Coaching Help With Work-Life Balance?

Can Burnout Coaching Help With Anxiety?

Why Do Clients Choose Highroads Coaching?

How Is Coaching Different From Therapy?

How Long Does Coaching Usually Last?

Is Coaching Worth the Investment?

Do You Work With Organizations and Leadership Teams?

Do You Work With Clients Outside California?

How Do I Get Started?

Ready to Build What's Sustainable?

Begin where you are. Build what’s sustainable.

Begin where you are. Build what’s sustainable.

Begin where you are. Build what’s sustainable.

Supporting Mission-Driven Organizations

I believe deeply in supporting organizations whose work strengthens communities. Each year, I reserve a limited number of reduced-fee speaking and engagements for qualifying nonprofit organizations. If this describes your organization, I'd be happy to start a conversation.

Supporting Mission-Driven Organizations

I believe deeply in supporting organizations whose work strengthens communities. Each year, I reserve a limited number of reduced-fee speaking and engagements for qualifying nonprofit organizations. If this describes your organization, I'd be happy to start a conversation.

Supporting Mission-Driven Organizations

I believe deeply in supporting organizations whose work strengthens communities. Each year, I reserve a limited number of reduced-fee speaking and engagements for qualifying nonprofit organizations. If this describes your organization, I'd be happy to start a conversation.

Sustainable Success
Without Self Abandonment