From Struggles to Success: A Working Mom’s Journey into Wellness
I was a working mom at Amazon who struggled to relax. After I was laid off, I went all in on wellness.
Jacob Zinkula
September 10, 2026
6 min read
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Rania Zheng, a 34-year-old former senior technical product manager at Amazon, shares her story of how she turned her passion for wellness into a full-time business after a sudden layoff.
When Rania learned she was being laid off from Amazon in October 2025, she wasn’t panicked. With layoffs becoming a common theme in the tech industry, she understood it wasn’t personal.
With her official departure in January, she had time to reflect. She could either search for another job or pursue her side project – a wellness-travel business she’d started while at Amazon. The layoff became the push she needed to dedicate herself to her side hustle.
A Struggle to Relax
Rania joined Amazon in 2020 as a business intelligence engineer, and her career progressed smoothly. She transitioned to a senior product manager role in 2022, enjoying the challenges and opportunities.
Despite her success, Rania struggled to balance her demanding career with her personal life as a mother and partner. She felt the pressure to "relax" but didn’t know how. Her interest in holistic wellness practices, including traditional Chinese medicine, tea ceremonies, and Qigong, became her escape.
A Side Hustle Turns into a Business
Driven by her passion and personal experience, Rania co-founded Puyu Retreat – offering curated wellness trips to China. These trips, lasting from five to seven days, focus on various wellness themes like tea ceremonies and creative mindfulness.
Initially, the business was a collaboration with a co-founder based in China, but Rania quickly took the lead, turning it into her primary focus post-layoff.
