Can achievement become a coping mechanism? In this classic episode, I sit down with entrepreneur, investor, and former Facebook and Twitter growth leader Andy Johns to talk about the connection between childhood trauma, anxiety, achievement, and self-worth. Andy shares how growing up with instability, loss, and trauma shaped his relentless drive to succeed, why panic attacks eventually forced him to confront his mental health, and how years of healing helped him realize that achievement and self-love are not the same thing. We also dive into PTSD, entrepreneurship, intrusive thoughts, overwork, and why so many successful people struggle to slow down even after they've reached their goals. Tune in to learn why healing is the most important achievement of all.

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In this Episode, You Will Learn

00:00 What’s the connection between achievement and self-worth?

05:00 What "growth" really means in the startup world.

07:15 Why entrepreneurs are more likely to struggle with mental health conditions.

08:45 How anxiety can fuel exceptional performance and success.

15:00 Why speaking publicly about mental health felt so risky.

18:30 What are intrusive thoughts?

20:30 How childhood trauma can shape adult anxiety and depression.

25:15 The childhood experiences that contributed to Andy's PTSD.

30:15 When does achievement become an addiction?

34:15 How to recognize when overachievement is masking emotional pain.

35:45 Why mental health is about more than brain chemistry.

36:45 What is the biopsychosocial model of mental health?

38:15 How your experiences shape the way you think, feel, and live.

Resources + Links

Read Andy's writing at https://andyjohns.substack.com

Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever

Watch the podcast on YouTube 

Find more resources on our website morraam.com

Follow

Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam

Follow Andy: on LinkedIn @andrewjohns + Substack @cluesdotlife

How do you build a meaningful career when AI is rewriting the future of work? In this episode, I sit down with New York Times investigative reporter Jodi Kantor to talk about why so many young professionals feel discouraged about the future, and how digital shifts are reshaping our modern workplaces. Jodi shares how she survived getting fired from her college paper and dropping out of law school, and how those setbacks paved her way back to journalism. We also dive deep into the realities of AI-driven hiring, the loss of workplace autonomy, and the formula for reclaiming your agency. Get ready to rethink what it truly takes to protect your career in a rapidly changing world.

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In this Episode, You Will Learn

00:00 What Jodi Kantor believes is one of the most important ingredients for a meaningful career.

04:15 How do you think about hope?

05:45 The question that Columbia students wanted answered during a year of campus turmoil.

09:45 How technology has reduced worker autonomy over the last decade.

14:45 Why AI is making the hiring process feel increasingly impersonal.

17:00 How do you define craft?

19:45 What's the relationship between strengths, interests, and building expertise over time?

24:00 Why career setbacks are often essential parts of growth.

27:00 How to stay focused on the work instead of public praise or criticism.

30:00 How to identify the problems, opportunities, or needs you want your work to serve.

31:45 Why AI won't eliminate the need for fresh talent and new ideas.

33:00 What colleges can do to better prepare students for today's workforce.

35:15 How universities can better help students find their life's work.

38:00 Jodi's advice for anyone starting their career today.

Resources + Links

Get a copy of Jodi’s book, How to Start: Discovering Your Life’s Work HERE

Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever

Watch the podcast on YouTube 

Find more resources on our website morraam.com

Follow

Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam

Follow Jodi: on LinkedIn @jodikantor + Instagram @jodikantor

What if achievement doesn't have to come from suffering? I sit down with Congressman Adam Smith to talk about the complicated relationship between anxiety, achievement, and self-worth. Adam shares his journey through panic attacks, psychotherapy, chronic pain recovery, and the difficult work of building self-worth that isn't tied to performance. We also dive into why so many high achievers believe anxiety is the price of success, how trauma and stress shape the way we lead, and what happens when you stop using fear and self-criticism as your primary source of motivation. Get ready to discover a healthier path to high achievement.

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Pebl - Take advantage of Pebl’s limited-time offer before it’s gone. Visit hipebl.ai today

In this Episode, You Will Learn

00:00 Can anxiety make you a better leader?

04:30 Why ambitious people often struggle with fear and insecurity.

06:15 How can you give your anxiety a productive job to do?

08:45 What's the difference between feeling anxious and having clinical anxiety?

10:45 How Adam navigated years of panic attacks, chronic pain, and mental health challenges.

12:15 Why a lack of self-worth can fuel anxiety and achievement.

16:30 How ambition can remain strong even after anxiety is no longer the primary motivator.

28:45 Meditation techniques that help stop the cycle of chasing anxious thoughts.

31:15 What does it mean to demystify trauma?

33:30 New approaches that help people reprocess and heal from trauma.

35:30 The leadership skills that create healthier teams and workplaces.

37:15 How mental health struggles can become a source of empathy, patience, and stronger leadership.

Resources + Links

Get a copy of Adam Smith's book, Lost and Broken: My Journey Back from Chronic Pain and Crippling Anxiety HERE

Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever

Watch the podcast on YouTube 

Find more resources on our website morraam.com

Follow

Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam

Follow Adam on LinkedIn @​​adamsmith

Why does modern work feel impossible for so many families? In this episode, I talk with sociologist, former Navy pilot, and workplace researcher Dr. David Smith about why so many modern couples feel trapped in work-life conflict, how to navigate the structural stress of dual-career life, and the realities of modern caregiving. David breaks down the "Lead-Follow" relationship strategy used by highly successful couples. We also dive into the anxieties men face surrounding workplace allyship, why traditional mentorship scripts are broken, and how organizations must design work for a cross-generational workforce. Tune in to learn about the pressures modern families face and what needs to change.

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Pebl - Take advantage of Pebl’s limited-time offer before it’s gone. Visit hipebl.ai today

In this Episode, You Will Learn

00:00 Why the traditional "breadwinner" corporate model is completely broken.

03:15 How repetition and exposure help build confidence under pressure.

06:15 What can military families teach us about work-life conflict?

08:45 Why women were leaving the military at much higher rates than men.

11:15 The 4 strategies dual-career couples use to navigate work and family stress.

16:45 Why constant renegotiation is essential in long-term partnerships.

22:00 What does work-life conflict mean?

25:00 How outdated workplace structures create burnout for both women and men.

27:30 Why millennial fathers are demanding flexibility and shifts in family culture.

35:00 Why many men now feel anxious about mentoring women at work.

37:15 How avoidance and fear damage workplace culture.

41:45 Can workplaces support women without men feeling left behind?

44:15 How device reliance and isolation are reshaping the incoming Gen Z workforce.

51:15 What can leaders do to better support modern families?

54:45 How organizations can better support career breaks and re-entry.

Resources + Links

Get a copy of David Smith’s new book, Fair Share HERE

Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever

Watch the podcast on YouTube 

Find more resources on our website morraam.com

Follow

Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam

Follow Dr. David on LinkedIn: @davidgsmithphd

How much of your life is being driven by fear without you even realizing it? In this episode, I sit down with Harvard Business School lecturer, entrepreneur, and former executive Martin Sinozich to talk about the pressure high achievers carry to prove themselves, stay successful, and never disappoint anyone. Martin shares about divorce, identity, workplace culture, and the freedom that comes from letting go of perfection and learning to trust yourself instead. We also break down the imposter feelings in elite environments, the anxiety of always needing to be “right,” and why so many ambitious people feel like they don’t belong. Get ready to rethink achievement and self-worth.

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In this Episode, You Will Learn

00:00 Martin Sinozich on achievement pressure and mental health.

03:00 What happens when high achievers lose their identity at work?

06:30 What do psychologically healthy workplaces look like?

09:30 Why asking better questions matters more than having answers.

11:45 How achievement culture affects relationships at home.

17:30 How divorce forced Martin to confront the fear driving his life.

20:00 What changed after you stopped living for other people’s approval?

24:15 Living with imposter feelings at Harvard Business School.

27:30 How fear and achievement pressure affect marriage, parenting, and identity.

Resources + Links

Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever

Watch the podcast on YouTube 

Find more resources on our website morraam.com

Follow

Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam

Follow Martin on LinkedIn: @sinozich

Have you started expecting therapy to do too much? In this episode, I sit down with therapist and writer Megan Cornish to talk about the pressure we place on therapy to solve problems that may actually stem from isolation, lack of community, and modern life itself. Megan shares that many of the struggles we now label as “mental health problems” were once held by friends, neighbors, faith communities, and everyday human relationships. She also breaks down ACT therapy exercises that can help you hold painful thoughts more lightly and reconnect to your values instead of chasing constant happiness. Get ready to rethink therapy, connection, and what makes a meaningful life.

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In this Episode, You Will Learn

00:00 How capitalism and work culture affect mental health.

04:15 Megan’s viral experiment with AI, LinkedIn, and gender bias.

10:00 Can therapy really work in the workplace?

14:30 How therapists became substitutes for friendship and community.

21:00 How therapy evolved beyond treating severe mental illness.

25:00 Did people cope better emotionally before therapy existed?

29:15 How AI relationships remove friction from connection.

33:30 The ACT therapy exercise that changed how Megan approaches friendship.

36:30 Why discomfort doesn’t always mean something is wrong.

45:30 Why non-attachment to suffering exists across many traditions.

47:45 Do we actually need life to make perfect sense?

49:00 The “80-year-old self” exercise for perspective and gratitude.

Resources + Links

Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever

Watch the podcast on YouTube 

Find more resources on our website morraam.com

Follow

Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam

Follow Megan Cornish on LinkedIn: @megan-cornish

This week we’re sharing a special episode from our friends at How To!, the 2026 Ambie Award-nominated “Best Personal Growth Podcast” that’s back with a new host and new topics to fuel your curiosity. 

Each week on How To!, award-winning journalist Mike Pesca tackles a listener’s question – on topics ranging from travel and finance to health and relationships – with help from world-class experts who actually know what they're talking about. Think of it as eavesdropping on someone else's therapy session, without the co-pay or awkward silence. 

And today, we’re sharing their recent episode “How To Take Psychedelics for Your Mental Health” where Mike interviews psychiatrist Will Van der Veer, a psychedelic researcher, and Myq Kaplan who has taken psychedelics for his mental health and other reasons. I love this episode because you get to hear a bunch of personal experiences of medical psychedelics and learn more about this emerging treatment for mental health conditions. 

And for more interviews like this, make sure to follow How To! on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. And tell them we sent you.

Why do so many capable, high-performing people end up exhausted, and emotionally drained even when they’re doing everything “right”? In this episode, I sit with psychologist Dr. Thomas Greenspon to talk about perfectionism, shame, and self-worth. Thomas breaks down why perfectionism isn’t actually about excellence, then entrepreneur Eleanor Beaton shares how perfectionism shaped her leadership, ambition, and identity and what changed when she stopped chasing perfection and started embracing wholeness instead. Get ready to rethink the way you work, care for others, and define success.

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In this Episode, You Will Learn

00:00 What is perfectionism?

08:30 What’s the difference between perfectionism and the pursuit of excellence?

10:00 How perfectionism becomes a coping mechanism for anxiety.

14:30 What’s the connection between perfectionism, depression, and hopelessness?

17:00 How childhood experiences shape perfectionism.

20:45 Why humans are wired for connection and belonging.

22:45 How modern culture rewards perfectionism and overachievement.

23:30 What can parents do to help perfectionistic kids?

25:45 The 4 things that help people overcome perfectionism.

32:45 Why perfectionism disconnects you from our wholeness.

35:30 How perfectionism delays growth and keeps people stuck.

41:00 Why entrepreneurship becomes personal development work.

44:00 How perfectionism shows up as avoidance and overwork.

46:30 What are the signs that perfectionism is running your life?

Resources + Links

Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever

Watch the podcast on YouTube 

Find more resources on our website morraam.com

Follow

Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam

What if the problem isn’t your brain, but the systems you’ve spent your life trying to fit into? In this episode, I sit down with David Flink, founder of the Neurodiversity Alliance. We talk about what it means to navigate work, leadership, and identity as a neurodivergent person. David shares how he learned to stop forcing himself into systems that didn’t fit, how metacognition changed his life, and why today’s younger workers are approaching neurodivergence differently. Get ready to build your life around your strengths instead of constantly trying to fix your weaknesses. 

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Monarch - Use code ACHIEVER at monarch.com to get 50% off your first year

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In this Episode, You Will Learn

00:00 How do you define leadership?

04:00 What became easier for you as you got older as a neurodivergent leader?

08:00 The strengths David has come to love about his dyslexic ADHD brain.

11:15 Why neurodivergent adults spend years unlearning shame.

17:15 Why kids need to become detectives of their own learning styles.

19:00 What metacognition means and why it matters so much.

24:00 Don't let your current environment define your potential.

27:45 Why neurodivergent people often develop extraordinary resilience.

31:15 Can workplaces change for neurodivergent employees?

37:15 How remote work transformed David’s company culture.

41:30 Why Gen Z approaches disability and neurodivergence differently.

45:15 How focusing on deficits causes companies to miss great talent.

47:30 What happens to neurodivergence in midlife.

51:45 What is inter-able relationship?

54:15 Why the best teams are built around complementary strengths.

Resources + Links

Pre-order your copy of David Flink’s book, 20% Smarter HERE

Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever

Watch the podcast on YouTube 

Find more resources on our website morraam.com

Follow

Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam

Follow David on LinkedIn @dflink

Why does AI feel so personal to so many professionals right now? In this episode, I talk with Nilay Patel, editor-in-chief of The Verge, about the emotional side of artificial intelligence and why so much of the fear around AI may actually be about work itself. We dive into how layoffs, shrinking trust in employers, “good enough” automation, and constant technological change are reshaping the way ambitious people think about stability, creativity, and their future careers. Nilay shares why humans naturally form emotional relationships with technology, why AI companions and chatbots can feel strangely comforting, and why today’s AI hype may be running ahead of reality. Tune in to learn how AI is reshaping work, identity, and ambition.

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In this Episode, You Will Learn

00:00 Why AI feels emotionally threatening at work right now.

03:15 Why humans form emotional relationships with technology.

05:15 How social media is engineered to shape emotions and behavior.

10:00 Why the media frames AI as an existential threat.

12:15 What are the jobs already being affected by generative AI?

16:30 Can AI become a better therapist, mentor, or manager than humans?

21:30 Why constructive criticism and “teeth” matter in management.

24:00 The fear that AI will devalue expertise and creativity.

27:45 Why large language models can’t actually create original ideas.

30:13 How to think about expertise and career growth in the age of AI.

32:30 Why democratizing creative tools changes entire industries.

37:30 What happens when the middle of the labor market disappears?

40:30 Is AI actually as transformative as people claim?

43:45 Why tech companies are failing to help workers emotionally adapt.

45:30 Nilay’s advice for CEOs and billionaires building AI products.

Resources + Links

Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever

Watch the podcast on YouTube 

Find more resources on our website morraam.com

Follow

Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam

Follow Nilay: on LinkedIn @nilaypatel + Instagram @reckless1280

What happens when a leader realizes the traits they spent years hiding are actually their greatest strengths? In this episode, I talk with Amy Streater Wilson, Chief Marketing Officer, who was diagnosed later in life with ADHD and autism. Amy shares the shame and confusion that can come with a late diagnosis, from struggling with “boring” tasks to feeling overwhelmed by sensory input and social dynamics at work. We also dive into negotiation and selling through a neurodivergent lens, why many neurodivergent people struggle with traditional power dynamics, and how understanding neurodivergence can transform the way you lead, negotiate, communicate, and work with others. 

Check out our sponsors:

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Monarch - Use code ACHIEVER at monarch.com to get 50% off your first year

Physician’s Choice - Use code PCPODCAST10 at physicianschoice.com to get 10% off your entire order

In this Episode, You Will Learn

00:00 The shame many neurodivergent adults carry before diagnosis.

05:30 What is neurodivergence?

07:45 What does leadership mean to you?

10:45 Why neurodivergent people often struggle with dishonesty and mixed signals.

13:30 What’s the difference between internal anxiety and external performance?

19:45 How reading body language can be a negotiation superpower.

25:15 The pressure neurodivergent women feel to make everyone comfortable.

31:30 How BATNA reduces anxiety in difficult negotiations.

35:45 How to sell without pretending to be someone else.

39:30 How to spot manipulation and dishonesty quickly.

45:15 The downside of being “too direct” at work.

48:30 Why autonomy and agency matter to neurodivergent people.

55:00 What’s your advice for neurodivergent people trying to advocate for themselves?

Resources + Links

Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever

Watch the podcast on YouTube 

Find more resources on our website morraam.com

Follow

Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam

Follow Amy on LinkedIn: @amywilson24601