Setting Myself Free
was my responsibility
I worked so damn hard for others...
why couldn't I do the same for me?
It took me almost 30 months to leave a relationship I knew was over.
I was a textbook middle-aged introvert—quietly dependable, emotionally restrained, and always solving problems no one saw me carry.
I over-delivered at work, held it down at home, and smiled through exhaustion. Like many introverted men, I internalized stress, avoided conflict, and prioritized peacekeeping at all costs.
Until it all came crashing down.
Now, I teach other men how to walk away the right way, and rediscover the power they forgot they had.
Introvert Since birth
I’ve been told that as a baby, I didn’t cry much because I didn’t like people hovering over my crib.
(That sounds about right.)
I loved my solitude, loved my imagination, and would often hear my family joke that I was “my own best friend.”
I wasn’t shy or antisocial—I was just wired to observe, track tone, and process meaning before words were ever spoken. And in a house where composure was a requirement, that instinct was an asset.
Throughout my childhood, each member of my family would teach and reinforce this requirement in their own unique way:
Mom taught me poise so I could stay in tough academic rooms.
Dad taught me prudence so I could stay useful in the community.
My sister taught me perseverance so I could stay needed–anywhere.
And what I’d eventually learn from all of them was Patience, and
Patience taught me how to STAY PUT
Fast-forward to adulthood…
Learning how to Stay had given me the tools to survive in San Francisco for almost 20 years, building a career, a life, and a version of myself that could handle virtually anything… Or so I thought.
Eventually, I collapsed under the weight of years of YES’s.
But like most introverts, it wasn’t in dramatic fashion.
Instead, it was a slow crumbling–like I was being returned to dust.
What emerged is The EXIT Framework
I didn’t flip a table or burn it all down. I left honestly and honorably.
And in the same way I had learned to stay—I was learning how to leave.
But on the way out, I documented it all. Years of journal entries, meditations, conversations, realizations, and ideas – all captured and organized. Step by step; boundary by boundary; decision by decision.
This framework–which gave me my personal deliverance –was built from lived experience.
And now? I actually love the man in the mirror.
I wake up without anxiety. I talk to people without rehearsing. I take time for myself without the need to justify it.
But more than that, my relationships are finally honest because I AM.
And this was all made possible because I made the difficult, but life-changing decision, to leave.
Is time for you to do the same?
I’ll show you how to decide.
About Don Rauzelle
Don is an EXIT Advisor, Trust Strategist, and Corporate Sociologist who empowers high-achieving individuals to break free from unhealthy personal and professional environments. With nearly two decades of experience in the technology and publishing industries, Don has worked with iconic global brands, including Adobe, Google, and Electronic Arts. Leveraging a fusion of corporate expertise with transformative coaching, he guides clients through high-stakes transitions with precision, confidence, and integrity.
As a Corporate Sociologist, he helps organizations diagnose cultural dynamics and social inefficiencies that impact performance, collaboration, and long-term success. His ability to decode human behavior enables companies to anticipate failures, build alignment, and drive change.
At the individual level, Don is known for his EXIT Framework, helping professionals confront self-doubt, silence fear, and make strategic exits from unaligned roles, toxic relationships, and restrictive lifestyles. His expertise lies in identifying the psychological forces that keep people trapped— then giving them the strategic tools to reclaim their personal agency.
Don holds a master’s degree in Sociology from George Mason University, and his insights have been featured at international conferences, such as the Game Developers Conference, and highlighted in prominent media outlets, including VICE and KTVU Fox 2.
With a focus on underrepresented leaders and purpose-driven professionals, Don’s mission is clear: to help others stand in their dignity, leave negativity, and embrace their authenticity.