I’m Tia Castagno. Here’s how I went from from a lack of control to becoming the Queen of My Hustle
As a high achiever, I did everything by society’s book – graduated with top grades, got a Master’s degree, landed a corporate job (media & advertising), and started climbing the ladder.
By my early thirties, I had all the outward signs of success. But behind the scenes? I was a full-blown workaholic.
My BlackBerry (remember those?) was practically glued to my hand. Evenings, weekends, holidays – work always came first. Out-of-office mode? Never heard of it.
Not even my father’s tragic suicide was a wake-up call. Instead of stepping back, I threw myself even deeper into work, using busyness to numb the grief. Within six months, the burnout hit me like a freight train, and I found myself paralysed by post-traumatic anxiety.
Something had to change. But what? And more importantly – how?
Back then, I didn’t have the kind of support that UnlockYourBlock is for others now. So, I spent years figuring it out through trial and error.
Yoga and meditation became lifelines. I got certified and started teaching in my free time. I also began speaking at events, drawn to the energy of sharing ideas and sparking change.
Ironically, as I worked less and focused more on what energised me, my career took off. I rose rapidly to C-suite roles at top global advertising and media networks, such as WPP and Dentsu – not by grinding myself into the ground, but by shifting my mindset, my leadership approach, and my priorities.
Things were better. And yet… something still felt off. The more I progressed, the more I realised I was playing a game whose rules I didn’t like – even if I had managed to rewrite some of them for myself. Around me, I still saw the long hours, the relentless pressure, and the constant struggle to balance it all.
Then I became a parent, and the stakes got even higher. It was tempting to believe that true balance between a high-flying career and a fulfilling personal life simply didn’t exist. But something pushed me to double down on personal development.
Once I stripped away my own limiting beliefs about work – and the blocks that were truly holding me back—the real shift happened. I stopped waiting for external factors to change (which, to be clear, do exist!) and focused on transforming my own energy.
And guess what? Shortly after returning from maternity leave, I got two big promotions—without even asking (yes, that does happen sometimes!). At the same time, I started a side hustle and took care of a baby – all without overworking.
But just climbing in such a linear fashion didn’t feel like the full me.
For a while, I felt trapped in a paradox:
corporate life in its traditional treadmill form wasn’t for me
the thought of giving up my safe salary and seniority terrified me
I felt reckless and ungrateful for even considering ‘wasting’ all my corporate experience
Then came the longed-for epiphany that allowed everything to make sense: shaping the corporate world into a better place and helping other mid-career women find their purpose after… unlocking their blocks (sounds familiar, right?).
I could carve my own path and become in charge of my career and life (in fact, I started to be known as the Queen of My Hustle)
I could begin this project as a side hustle and build a portfolio career
I could use my background and decades of corporate experience to help others go through similar life and career transitions
And that’s exactly how UnlockYourBlock came about.
I’m now on a mission to help more corporate women and people-first companies thrive and achieve their full potential
(let’s face it: the current 2% is an embarrassing percentage!).
Why work with me through UnlockYourBlock
I use scientifically-based tools to bridge the connection between heart and mind:
- Reducing stress
- Increasing resilience
- Unlocking your natural guidance to make better choices
- Allowing you to access your creativity and get into flow state more often
- Increasing the amount of time you spend in optimum performance
I enable you to develop long-lasting mental fitness by working on key brain areas or ‘muscles’:
- Weakening the saboteurs by training the relevant interceptor to catch and reduce negative thoughts
- Strengthening the sage powers to produce positive emotions and attitudes
- Improving your self-command to face new challenges confidently
I’m an ICF Professional Certified Coach with +20 years of both corporate and entrepreneurial experience.
So you’ll get to:
- Benefit from my unique professional background
- Know that you are trusting a consultant approved by the #1 coaching institute and who’s in the top 5% of executive coaches worldwide
