Success is Subjective: Real People. Raw Stories. Embracing a Non-Linear Life! | Podcast Guru

Details

Interviews of people who took a break from life at one point or another to get help, grow up, or just to reassess their life direction. Some guests struggled with depression, anxiety, substance abuse, a death in the family, or just decided college was not the place for them. These stories are all-to-real, and yet we don't talk enough about how common it is for those who took a gap year to defer college, went to college and took a break, or those who struggled launching into the workforce post-college graduation. This goes out to all the young adults and parents of young adults who are struggling and contemplating what will happen if they walk away right now.

Recent Episodes

Episode 371 - From Berkeley Honors to a Schizophrenia Diagnosis: Sally Littlefield on the Life She Never Saw Coming

For Sally Littlefield, success once meant earning top grades, attending prestigious schools, and building an impressive career. After graduating with honors from UC Berkeley and landing a promising job in San Francisco, her future seemed bright. But an unexpected descent into psychosis would turn everything she'd worked toward upside down. In this episode of Success is Subjective, Joanna welcomes Sally, a schizophrenia advocate, speaker, and consultant, to share her journey through mental ill...

30 MIN

Episode 370 - “Dad, I Just Want to Be Happy Like You:" Patrick Flanagan on Finding a Success Money Could Never Buy

For Patrick Flanagan, success was once measured by the size of his paycheck. But after alcoholism cost him his career, marriage, home, and relationships with his children, everything he believed about success began to change. Following multiple stays in treatment, Patrick faced the overwhelming task of rebuilding his life from the ground up. What began as a journey toward sobriety eventually led him to discover a new calling: helping individuals and families navigate the very struggles he kno...

20 MIN

Episode 369 - Masking, Flunking Out, and Finding Her Purpose: Mallie Lake on the Path That Led to GLIDE

Mallie Lake grew up feeling like she was always behind. Diagnosed with a learning disability at a young age, she struggled academically, masked her insecurities, and entered adulthood unsure of where she fit. After flunking out of college and finding her way into recovery, Mallie discovered something she had never felt before: a sense of purpose, community, and confidence in what she had to offer. That experience eventually shaped her career in substance use treatment and led her to found GLI...

27 MIN

Episode 368 - You Can Be Anything You Want to Be…But Should You? Dr. Graham Husick on Knowing Yourself

Dr. Graham Husick once thought his future was clear: he was on his way toward becoming a professional athlete, and nearly every decision and sacrifice he made pointed toward that goal. Then an unexpected health crisis brought that dream to an abrupt end, leaving Graham to grieve not only the future he had planned, but the opportunities he had passed up along the way. In this episode of Success is Subjective, Graham joins Joanna to share how that unexpected turn ultimately led him to psycholog...

26 MIN

Episode 367 - Stop Rescuing, Start Preparing: Dave Frost on Raising Young Adults Who Can Stand on Their Own

In this episode of Success is Subjective, Joanna sits down with Dave Frost of Echo Springs to explore the role that struggle, responsibility, and independence play in helping young adults move forward. Drawing from his own journey and years of working with young people and their families, Dave shares how taking ownership of his life shaped the person he became and the work he does today. Dave offers valuable insight for parents navigating the difficult balance between supporting their childre...

27 MIN