Let’s get real: every entrepreneur gets stuck.
Stuck in fear.
Stuck in overwhelm.
Stuck in indecision.
Stuck wondering if you should pivot or push through.
Stuck watching everyone else seem to move forward while you feel frozen in place.
The difference between entrepreneurs who succeed and those who don’t isn’t that successful people never get stuck—it’s that they know how to get themselves unstuck faster.
Last month, I sat down for lunch with my two favorite Elizabeths:
Elizabeth Koraca and Elizabeth Yang at the Waldorf Astoria in Dana Point.
It was the first time Elizabeth K and I had seen each other since we both lost our homes in the Palisades fire last year.
We didn’t plan to make it a masterclass.
We just wanted to be together.
To breathe.
To remember that even when life burns everything down, we’re still here.
Still building.
Still showing up.
But what started as a reunion became one of the most honest conversations I’ve had about what it actually takes to get unstuck when you’re an entrepreneur navigating loss, overwhelm, and the constant pressure to keep moving forward.
This is the real talk you need to hear.
Meet the Women Who Refuse to Stay Stuck
I first met Elizabeth Yang at the Langham Hotel, where I was interviewing Elizabeth Koraca for a panel discussion about overwhelm. Elizabeth Yang happened to be there, and we instantly connected over our shared experiences as entrepreneurs who refuse to let circumstances define us.
Elizabeth Yang is the CEO and Founder of Yang Law Offices, a licensed attorney and real estate broker, and a serial entrepreneur who has built multiple businesses. She was just elected to the Monterey Park City Council in November 2024, representing District 2. Her law firm specializes in Family Law, Business Law, Estate Planning, and Intellectual Property Law, with offices across Southern California.
What makes Elizabeth truly remarkable isn’t just her professional accomplishments—it’s her vulnerability. She’s open about her father’s death by suicide when she was three years old and how her family’s “saving face” mentality kept her silent about it for years. After personal development work, she learned that vulnerability is strength. Now she uses her story to help others, particularly around mental health advocacy in her community.
Elizabeth Koraca is an Emmy Award-winning broadcast journalist turned entrepreneur, executive coach, and speaker. You can learn more about her work at elizabethkoraca.com. She’s someone who has mastered the art of reinvention and helps others do the same.
These aren’t women who theorize about getting unstuck. They live it.
The Question That Changes Everything
I believe the quality of your questions determines the quality of your conversations—and ultimately, the quality of your life. Great questions spark great insights. They open doors. They create breakthroughs.
So I asked them the question every entrepreneur needs to answer:
“I feel stuck. What do I actually do to get unstuck?”
Here’s what they said.
Elizabeth Yang: Work on Yourself First (And Yes, Use AI)
“I love that question,” Elizabeth Yang said, leaning forward. “Whenever someone’s stuck or has no idea which journey to go on, which path to go on, I tell them: work on yourself. Focus on yourself. Take a personal development class. Listen to a podcast. Read a book. Do something to improve yourself, and then the light will come.”
Then she added something unexpected.
“And AI too. I rely so much on AI nowadays for brainstorming, for strategies. When I’m stuck, I talk to AI and it gives me ideas.”
Then she told us a story that had both of us in stitches—and secretly taking notes.
She and her mother had been arguing in the car on the way to the Hello Kitty Cafe in Irvine.
They were talking over each other, butting heads, going nowhere. Her mom wanted to change the subject. Elizabeth had a different idea.
She turned on ChatGPT’s voice feature.
“Hi, ChatGPT,” she said—in Chinese, because AI can switch languages instantly. “My mom and I are having a dispute right now. Can we talk to you? Maybe you can help us work things out?”
She had to clarify who was speaking each time: “This is Elizabeth talking. This is my mom talking.”
And ChatGPT mediated their argument.
It calmed them down. It slowed the conversation. It helped them actually listen to each other.
Her mom, who doesn’t believe in therapy and once vented for two hours straight to a therapist without letting them get a word in, loved it.
The issue? Elizabeth’s mom wanted to be invited on every family trip. Elizabeth didn’t want to bring her because her mom would get upset over small things and make the vacation miserable.
ChatGPT suggested they sit down, set some rules, and establish boundaries. It recommended they communicate issues immediately instead of holding onto resentment or blowing up later.
Elizabeth’s mom said, “That’s a great idea.”
The takeaway? Sometimes the tools we need to get unstuck are right in front of us. We just have to be willing to try something new—even if it feels unconventional.
When Elizabeth feels overwhelmed by AI’s responses, she has a hack:
“Focus on one thing. Don’t look at the rest. Start with one thing. And for some reason, when we focus on the first step, the overwhelm goes away.”
Elizabeth Koraca: Reality or Story?
“You feel stuck?”
Elizabeth Koraca said. “Ask yourself: what’s holding you back? And is what’s holding you back the reality or a story you’re telling yourself in your mind?”
She let that question hang in the air.
“You want to ask yourself these tough questions. And then from there, how can you help yourself? And if you’re still feeling stuck, who can help you? Because you don’t have to do it alone. It could be a mentor, a friend, a parent, a coach. It could be many people.”
Then she said something that cut through all the noise.
“Make sure whomever you’re going to is someone who has your best interest at heart. Because not everybody does. Not every friend you have in your life does. So you want to go to someone who loves you, who can give you the tough feedback you need to hear, but who also has your best interest at heart.”
Elizabeth K’s approach to overwhelm has become my new operating system:
“Pinpoint what is actually overwhelming you. Is it finances? Is it a relationship? Are you miserable in your job? First, pinpoint what is bothering you the most. Then get it out of your head. Do a whole dump on paper. Write about what it is that is bothering you.”
“And then from there, what can you do to help yourself? Is it to take some stuff off your plate? Is it to move some calendar items down the road? Is it to start saying no to certain people?”
“And if you’re still having a hard time, you don’t have to do it alone. Hire a coach. See a therapist. Go to someone who’s trusted and has your best interests at heart.”
The Mistakes That Made Them Wiser
Real talk means talking about regrets.
Elizabeth Yang shared a story about saying yes too quickly to help a Chinese company buy trademarks. She didn’t think twice because she just wanted to help people. But it turned out Amazon was trying to keep those companies out, and her account got suspended for 30 days.
“If I had just talked to my husband about it—you know, at that time, he wasn’t in my business yet—or if I had maybe had another business partner or associate to talk to, then I wouldn’t have said yes so quickly.”
Her lesson?
“There needs to be a balance between taking action fast and stopping to get input from trusted people.”
Elizabeth Koraca’s regrets centered around not believing in herself sooner.
“When I left journalism, you get that direct deposit every two weeks. People know you. You have a brand because you are affiliated with the company you work for. And then when you start from scratch, all of a sudden, you don’t have that big reputable company behind you or on your business card.”
She wished she had:
- Believed in herself more from day one
- Hired people faster instead of trying to do everything
- Set firmer boundaries with clients who weren’t aligned
- Said no sooner and more often
- Known what she didn’t know so she could delegate faster
“There’s a fear when you start out as a business owner,” she said. “Business is booming now, so I should say yes to these people, because what if in two months I don’t have that? So I say yes even though it’s not meant to be, even though it’s not my expertise, even though the client is not aligned. You know in your gut when it’s right.”
What This Really Means for You
Getting unstuck isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about being willing to:
- Ask yourself honest questions
- Distinguish between reality and the stories you’re telling yourself
- Focus on one thing at a time instead of everything at once
- Reach out to people who actually have your best interests at heart
- Try unconventional tools (yes, even AI) when traditional methods aren’t working
- Get your thoughts out of your head and onto paper
- Know when to take action fast and when to pause for input
- Believe in yourself even when you don’t have external validation
These aren’t theories. This is what actually works when you’re in the trenches, when everything feels hard, when you’re not sure which way to turn.
So Here’s My Question for You
What’s keeping you stuck right now?
Is it fear? Is it overwhelm? Is it a story you’re telling yourself? Is it not having the right people around you to give you honest feedback?
And more importantly: what’s one thing you can do today to start moving forward?
Not ten things. Not a complete overhaul. Just one thing.
Ready to Get Unstuck?
If you’re feeling stuck in your business or your life and you need someone who will ask you the hard questions, give you honest feedback, and help you find clarity, I’d love to talk with you.
Book a complimentary discovery call with me: https://calendly.com/Kalika
Let’s figure out what’s really holding you back and create a plan to move forward. Sometimes all it takes is one conversation to change everything.
Because getting unstuck isn’t about waiting for the perfect moment. It’s about taking the first step from exactly where you are.
DOWNLOADABLE WORKSHEET
Getting Unstuck –
From Paralysis to Progress
This worksheet is designed to help you get honest with yourself about what’s really keeping you stuck—and more importantly, to help you take the first step toward getting unstuck.
