It all
started with Soulbbatical.

But that story is just the beginning.

“The perfect book to read during a pandemic.”

— Los Angeles Herald

Part memoir, part manifesto.

Published by Simon and Schuster, Soulbbatical: A Corporate Rebel’s Guide to Finding Your Best Life is an invitation to become Chief Soul Officer of your own life—and to open up a whole new world of possibility. Former Harley-Davidson executive Shelley Paxton did just that. She walked away at the peak of her twenty-six year marketing career and embarked on a profoundly personal journey to reconnect with her true purpose and deepest desires. She called it her “Soulbbatical,” and it not only changed her life, it became her calling.

Paxton had a wildly successful life by most definitions—iconic brands, executive titles, and a globe-trotting career that took her to over sixty countries. She had one of the coolest jobs in the world, yet couldn’t shake the feeling that she had lost herself along the way. Something was missing.

Here, she takes readers on a sometimes harrowing, often hilarious journey through the illness, divorce, addiction, and tragedy that finally woke her up. Suddenly she was rebelling for her best life, and embracing a new mission: to encourage others to live their most authentic, courageous, and purposeful lives…today.

Soulbbatical is an unconventional, exhilarating, and totally badass road map to discovering what you really want—and getting it. Because no matter how far you’ve strayed from your soul’s true path, it’s never too late for transformation.

  • “We’ve all heard of corporate sabbaticals, and Shelley Paxton’s twist on her own sabbatical story in “Soulbbatical” will help you get in touch with your own inner roadmap and reignite your own inner flame. After twenty six years as an executive for Harley-Davidson, Paxton embarked on a journey within to understand her true passion and calling. This story kept me glued to the pages and woke me up to my own inner compass. This is a must-read for anyone at any stage in their lives who is looking for a wake-up call for a life full of more courage and purpose.”

    – Forbes’ 21 Books to Read in 2021

  • “This debut memoir couldn’t be timelier…Her fervor is palpable: The courage it took for Paxton to detach from corporate life, the fear and uncertainty she candidly reveals, and the verve and vitality of her prose all serve to make this a most memorable book…An honest, emotionally gut-wrenching, and ultimately soul-satisfying memoir.”

    – Kirkus Review

  • “If you’ve ever worried you were sabotaging your soul in favor of traditional success, Shelley’s story is infinitely entertaining and inspiring. Her rebel corporate soul accounts from the boardrooms of McDonald’s and Harley-Davidson to becoming Chief Soul Officer of her own life will have you longing to venture on your own Soulbbatical.”

    – Linda Sivertsen, Bestselling author, and host of the Beautiful Writers Podcast

  • “Do you ever have the feeling that you’re successful on the outside but dying a little on the inside? This is the book for you… Shelley will inspire you to create the life you’ve always wanted to live. And her practical guidance will help you make it a reality.”

    – Rich Litvin, Best selling co-author of The Prosperous Coach and Founder of 4PC, a community of extraordinary leaders

  • “This is an important book for all to read. It’s a raw, honest and at times heartbreaking reminder of how we waste away the importance of our time on this planet and ignore our true priorities in favor of a position, money, status etc. We are here to live our most authentic life, one that feeds our soul and is in flow with what the universe has in store for us. Thank you for being brave enough to write this book and put this message out into the world, Shelley.”

    – Heather Malenshek, SVP CMO at Land O’ Lakes and Former SVP/Chief Marketing Officer of Harley-Davidson

  • “Soulbbatical is a soulful expression and exposure of Shelly Paxton's life experience. I first heard of the new book release on a local news station and immediately ordered it. Something struck me about the title and its profound message that it was time for me to look at my own journey and the dreams within. Turning the last page and closing the back cover, I was lighter on my feet and ready to change my Universe! Thank you, Shelly, for being my compass!”

    – Eileen K.

  • “I like this book because of its authenticity. It also speaks to the inner rebel in all of us. The one that speaks to you in the mirror, wondering when it will be unleashed, if ever. ‘Intention follows purpose, both report to soul’. That is a true reflection of what went into making Soulbbatical and I suspect will drive Soulbbatical as a practice moving forward.”

    – Tobin W. Trevarthen

Book #2 is in the works—and I would love for you to come along for the ride!

It’s true. I’m writing another book—no easy feat! It takes time, energy, love, coffee, more time, more coffee, and a whole lot of soul! I’d love to bring you, my Rebel Soul Fam, with me on the journey.

Tentatively titled Success-FULL, it’s a provocative and inspiring look at how to rewrite the script of success …on your own bold, brave, and badass terms. Sign up for my Soul Fuel newsletter to get all the behind-the-scenes yumminess you won’t find anywhere else.

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