My name is Donna Star and I am the author of Stop Chasing Balance: Do Less. Feel More. I wrote this book because I spent decades being really good at looking fine—and really bad at actually being fine. I was accomplished, capable, bone tired, and deep down, miserable.

My hope is that, in reading this book, you will discover that balance is almost never about time management or your to-do list. Like my colleague Rob, who you will get to know in the book, what you see is only half the story. The other half is the story you’ve been telling yourself about what you have to do, be, and give in order to deserve some semblance of peace.

In this book, I hope you’ll feel the same passion and excitement I have for reclaiming what it means to truly thrive — not just survive. Ultimately, I want you to see this book as a tool to help you stop measuring your worth by how productive you are and start stewarding your life like it actually belongs to you. Because it does. And you only have one of them.

In this book, you’ll meet people who will make you think about your own life — maybe differently, maybe more honestly.

The man I thought I knew. I worked with Rob for years. I thought I had him figured out. Then I interviewed him for this book — and what he shared made me think twice. His story will change the way you think about boundaries, about how we show up at work, and about how much we miss when we assume we already know someone.

The woman who almost let her circumstances define her. Julie was good at her job and knew it. But the environment around her was chipping away at that. She was making decisions her confident self never would have made. Until she made a bold leap, took a chance on herself, and landed the CFO title she almost talked herself out of. She’s thriving.

The woman who lost everything and had to find her way back. Theresa didn’t just lose her job. Within a short time, she lost her mother, her husband, and her brother. And then — in the middle of all of it — she gained a child. Her story is about what it takes to rebuild not just your career, but your confidence, when the ground keeps shifting underneath you.

The woman who genuinely does it all. Natalie has the high-powered job, the marriage, the two kids. She’s not dropping balls — the place would fall apart without her. But even superstars need space to breathe.

You will love this book if you’re tired of being told to do more with less, if you’ve tried every productivity hack and still feel behind, or if some part of you suspects that the way you’re living isn’t actually working—even if everything looks great from the outside.

Stop Chasing Balance is a nonfiction book that speaks to ambitious professional women who are achieving by every external measure but feel internally stretched, depleted, or vaguely empty—and who are ready to do something about it.

The Book

The book is organized in four phases.

Phase One lays the foundation. You’ll learn why balance — as we’ve been sold it — is a myth, and why chasing it is making things worse. We’ll name what’s really going on: the invisible weight of doing too much, feeling too little, and never quite measuring up to your own expectations.

Phase Two introduces the four archetypes of imbalance: The Juggler, The Container, The Scanner, and The Atlas. You’ll recognize yourself immediately. You may feel a little called out. That’s the point. Understanding which archetype you’re living in is the first step to getting out of it.

Phase Three is where the work gets real. This is the stewardship framework — a way of relating to your time, energy, and self that isn’t about doing less for the sake of doing less. It’s about doing what matters, on purpose, without apologizing for it.

Phase Four brings it all together. Because knowing and doing are two different things, and this section is about the gap between them — the habits, the mindset shifts, and the small daily choices that actually change how you live. It’s also about learning to trust the thing you’ve been talking yourself out of for years. Your intuition. Turns out it was right all along.

My Publishing Journey: Where Your Support Goes

I’m publishing Stop Chasing Balance with the support of Manuscripts Press, an innovative publisher that provides me with a full publishing team to bring this book to life. Over the coming months I will work closely with:

• A revisions editor, copy editor, and proofreader to refine and elevate every story in the book
• A marketing strategist to help me connect with new audiences and make the book’s message reach those who need it most.
• A cover artist and layout editor who will ensure the final product is visually stunning and professionally produced.

Other Ways to Support Me

Not in a position to pre-order right now? No worries—you can still make a huge difference:

• Please share my presale campaign on Facebook, Threads, and LinkedIn. Use #StopChasingBalance and tag me so I can thank you and amplify your reach.
• Recommend the book to five people in your life—a friend, a colleague, a sister, a daughter—who you think need to hear this message. A text or DM goes a long way.

Thank you so much for being here. Truly. Your support means everything.

With love, Donna

About the Author

Donna Star is an executive coach, speaker, and author—known as the Say It Like It Is Coach—who works with ambitious professionals ready to do less and feel more.

After 30+ years in the corporate world, Donna launched DStar Coaching and Consulting at 57, built around one core belief: the most successful people in the room are often the least at peace with themselves. Her coaching practice operates under the tagline Unearth. Unravel. Unlock. Unleash.—and her signature promise to every client is, “I am your guide, not your leader.”

Stop Chasing Balance is her second book. When Donna is not writing, she enjoys life in the beautiful Berkshires, her friends, and her family. She also loves word games and since her last book, has finally embraced Wordle. And she will always be a rabid Boston sports fan.