20 October 2026
Beyond the Stage: Burnout, Identity and Building Ella Shaw's Academy
with Ella Shaw — Ella Shaw's Academy
About this episode
Ella Shaw began singing at 11 after developing alopecia and finding safety on stage. By 16, she had performed at Manchester Arena. At 21, she launched Ella Shaw's Academy as a side hustle to support her singing career. It went on to become her main focus.
In this open conversation with Carla Chatburn, Ella shares the experience behind that shift. She talks about losing her love for singing, scaling after COVID, reinvesting in the business and learning how to lead without losing its values. She also speaks honestly about severe burnout, boundaries, friendships and the challenge of discovering who she is outside work.
They explore why confidence matters for young people, the importance of building the right team and Ella's plans to grow carefully rather than chase expansion for its own sake.
REAL WOMEN. REAL STORIES. REAL CONVERSATIONS.
Experience is the new degree.
Key takeaways
- 01Starting before you feel fully ready creates experience that cannot be gained by standing still.
- 02Growth needs systems, education and the right team, but it should not cost a business its original values.
- 03Busy is not the same as productive. Boundaries and scheduled personal time protect both the founder and the business.
- 04Reinvesting for the long term can create greater freedom and choice later.
- 05A career may shape your identity, but it does not have to define your whole life.
In their words
but you only know them through experience.
the side hustle became the hustle
I actually don't know it all, and I'm still making mistakes, and I'm still learning
I don't have to do it, I get to choose to do it.
the success of the business was a byproduct of creating something with so much more value first.
the goal isn't to have more money, the goal is to have freedom and to have choice
I'm always busy being busy, and I'm like, am I actually being productive here?
I will literally just keep going until my body says no
you never know who's speaking about you in rooms that you are not in.
you're only as good as your team
being in the room full of people that know more than you is the only way that you are going to grow.
the stage was a safe place for me
we are not our jobs.
more is not always more, and bigger is not always better
One thing about the Red Room is building up that resilience and empowering yourself to drive your own company, which is what the word Red stands for for me.
you've turned all your positive and negative experience into something to support others.
wealth that's spent properly can actually do so much more impact than the founder
surround yourself with smart people, and be the idiot in the room
Who was Ella before she became Ella Shaw?
You've made all the mistakes you don't want anybody else to make.
Clips
The Stage Became a Safe Place
Ella shares how developing alopecia at around 10 or 11 changed her childhood, and how singing gave her somewhere safe to be.
The Side Hustle Became the Hustle
Ella explains why teaching began as a way to fund her singing career, then became more fulfilling than the original dream.
I Kept Going Until My Body Said No
Ella speaks openly about severe burnout and the pattern of working until she could no longer do her job.
Who Is Ella Outside the Business?
Ella discusses therapy, approaching 30 and trying to understand herself beyond being a performer and entrepreneur.
Bigger Is Not Always Better
With a long-standing waiting list and the current venue at capacity, Ella explains why she will not rush the Academy's next stage.