Listening First: How Amy Gurske Turned Burnout into a Human-Centered Tech Company

By: Hilario Caro, Talent Optimization at StaffBuffalo

In this deeply human episode of the Pain Points Podcast, Lauren Lewis sits down with Amy Gurske, Founder of sayhii, to talk about burnout, fear, self-worth, and the moment she chose her health over her job, and unknowingly built a tech company in the process. Amy’s story is raw, reflective, and a powerful reminder that some of the biggest breakthroughs come from listening to the pain we try hardest to ignore.

Seventeen Years, One Glass Ceiling

Amy spent 17 years rising through roles, building teams, driving results, and believing she’d retire at the company she spent the majority of her career. She was loyal, ambitious, and deeply committed!

But after a decade in a high-performing role, she hit a painful turning point. When a senior opportunity opened, one she was qualified for and had trained for, she was told no. Not because of performance, but because she was “too valuable where she was.”

That moment revealed a truth many professionals face: being indispensable can quietly become a ceiling.

Rather than fight a losing battle, Amy chose to leave, with grace, perspective, and an understanding that fear often drives decisions on both sides of the table.

When Success Turns into Burnout

Amy’s next chapter took her into startup leadership, launching a new venture for a global organization. On paper, it was everything: scale, impact, and recognition.

Physically and mentally, it was unsustainable.

Despite working out, eating well, and “doing everything right,” her body told a different story. A doctor visit revealed dangerously high blood pressure and chronic stress she didn’t even realize she was carrying.

The advice was simple, and terrifying: quit your job.

Amy resigned without a backup plan. No role lined up. No safety net. Just the decision to choose her health and trust what came next.

“It was the hardest decision I’ve ever made,” she shared.
“And the one that built more self-worth than anything else.”

sayhii: A Company That Was Never Planned

sayhii wasn’t part of a business plan. It emerged organically.

After stepping away, Amy created a small consulting LLC. The only available domain name? sayhii. Months later, she was asked to help lead innovation in healthcare, specifically around human wellbeing, burnout, and performance.

Her idea was deceptively simple:
what if companies checked in with people once a day?

That idea became sayhii, a platform that listens to employees daily, adapts in real time, and guides individuals to resources, skills, and conversations they actually need.

What started as a consulting experiment quickly turned into a tech company with enterprise impact.

Technology That Reconnects Humans

sayhii asks one thoughtful question a day, taking just seconds, but builds powerful insight over time. With nearly universal participation, the platform creates awareness at the individual level while giving organizations real-time visibility into burnout, capacity, and engagement.

The magic isn’t just the data, it’s what happens next.

Monthly activations provide resources, coaching prompts, and human connection points. In one powerful moment, sayhii helped a leader recognize how deeply work was affecting his marriage, ultimately helping save it.

Amy is clear: technology should never replace humanity, it should restore it.

sayhii doesn’t remove responsibility from individuals. It gives them ownership, clarity, and permission to set boundaries, ask for help, and show up better at work and at home.

Fear, Presence, and Choosing What Matters

Throughout the conversation, Amy returns to one theme: fear.

Fear of failure.
Fear of success.
Fear of speaking up.
Fear of slowing down.

Her journey from corporate leadership to burnout to building sayhii taught her that growth only happens when we get quiet enough to hear ourselves.

Meditation, presence, and self-awareness became her compass. And now, they’re embedded into the mission of her company: helping people recognize pain points early, before they become breaking points.

A Mission Bigger Than Work

Today, sayhii is making its biggest impact in healthcare supporting frontline workers, improving operational decisions, and helping organizations care for the people who care for everyone else.

Amy’s story is not about leaving corporate America. It’s about listening to your body, your instincts, and the signals that tell you something needs to change.

At StaffBuffalo, we believe the strongest workplaces are built when leaders prioritize humanity, not just performance. Amy Gurske’s journey is proof that when you listen first everything else follows.