An Indian-origin former Deloitte partner has revealed how her relentless 100-hour work weeks triggered a severe health crisis that left her bedridden for eight months with last-stage Lyme disease. Deepa Purushothaman's journey from corporate success to health collapse serves as a stark warning about the dangers of overworking.
From Harvard to Corporate Burnout
Purushothaman began her impressive career at Deloitte in 1999 as a senior consultant, fresh from graduating from the prestigious Harvard Kennedy School. Her dedication and work ethic propelled her through the ranks rapidly, and by age 34, she achieved the remarkable milestone of becoming a partner at the global consulting firm. She was among the first women of color to reach this position at Deloitte.
"My superpower wasn't being smarter than anyone else; it was that I could outwork almost anyone," Purushothaman reflected on her early career approach. This mentality would eventually take a devastating toll on her health.
The Breaking Point: 100-Hour Weeks and Collapsing Health
The situation intensified after her move to San Francisco in 2014. Her work schedule became increasingly unsustainable, with workweeks stretching to an exhausting 100 hours. She routinely left home at 4:00 AM and returned around 1:00 AM, maintaining this grueling pace for months at a time.
Her body began sending warning signals through various health issues, including persistent headaches, recurring infections, adrenal fatigue, and shingles. Despite consulting 15 different doctors, the root cause remained elusive until she received a diagnosis of late-stage Lyme disease. Medical professionals determined the disease had likely been dormant since childhood but was activated by the extreme stress and exhaustion from her work schedule.
Redefining Success After Corporate Life
By 2019, Purushothaman's health had deteriorated to the point where she spent eight months completely bedridden, battling neuropathy and losing sensation from her elbows to her knees. This profound experience led her to question fundamental assumptions about success.
"If success doesn't include health, is it really success?" she wrote in her Business Insider blog, capturing the essence of her hard-won realization.
In May 2020, after a 21-year career with Deloitte, Purushothaman made the decision to walk away from corporate life. Her transition proved remarkably successful - within just six weeks of leaving, she sold her debut book, The First, the Few, the Only: How Women of Color Can Redefine Power in Corporate America, to HarperCollins.
Drawing from interviews with 500 senior women of color, she co-founded nFormation, a community for professional women of color, and began speaking on corporate stages across the United States. However, she soon found herself slipping back into familiar patterns of overworking.
When her health began declining again, she made the strategic decision to shut down nFormation and launched re.write in 2024, a thinktank dedicated to reimagining the future of work. Now serving as an executive fellow at Harvard Business School, she has found clarity about her career transition.
"I worried at first if I made a mistake leaving," she admitted. "Now I know I didn't lose anything. I gained and grew."
Her story serves as a powerful reminder about the importance of sustainable work practices and the very definition of professional success in today's demanding corporate environment.
