Stephanie McMahon has opened up about the personal adjustment she experienced after stepping away from her executive position with WWE, revealing that she initially questioned her identity and self-worth outside of the role.
McMahon resigned as WWE co-CEO in January 2023, ending her latest stint as an executive with the company. She had previously taken a leave of absence in 2022 to focus on her family before returning and serving as co-CEO alongside Nick Khan.
During this week’s episode of her What’s Your Story? podcast with Charlotte Flair, McMahon reflected on the difficulty of transitioning away from a position that had been such a significant part of her life. “I struggled a lot with coming home because — I mean, I’m still doing a lot of stuff, obviously,” McMahon said. “But I was an executive, a working executive. And now it’s like, am I less of someone now because I’m not?”
McMahon explained that she also began questioning why she continued to feel pressure to prove herself after leaving the executive world behind. “And do I have to still prove it — to who? To myself? No, I don’t,” she continued. “And it’s okay for me to enjoy my life and still, of course, work hard and give back.”
With time, McMahon said she has learned to appreciate being able to devote more of herself to her family and recognize what matters most to her personally. “And I get to pour my love into my family and be there,” she said. “And that’s what matters the most to me, is what I’ve realized.”
While McMahon no longer holds an executive position with WWE, she remains connected to the company and the wrestling business, including through her What’s Your Story? podcast.
McMahon made clear that stepping away from her corporate role hasn’t changed how she feels about the industry that has been a major part of her life. “And of course, I love the business, always will,” McMahon added. “I pour my love into the business no matter what, and all the people in it.”
