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

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

Joanna Lilley, MA, NCC

Overview
Episodes

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 335: Learning to Accept Myself, Uncertainty, and the Winding Journey To and Through Recovery with Samantha Meyer
FEB 10, 2026
Episode 335: Learning to Accept Myself, Uncertainty, and the Winding Journey To and Through Recovery with Samantha Meyer
Watching a young adult struggle can be confusing—especially when they’ve grown up surrounded by resources, knowledge, and support. In this episode, Joanna sits down with Samantha Meyer to unpack what happens when insight alone isn’t enough—and how recovery, maturity, and purpose often arrive on a nonlinear timeline. Samantha grew up immersed in the treatment world, yet still found herself battling substance use, anxiety, and depression from a young age. After years of navigating college, inte...
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24 MIN
Episode 334: Beyond Achievement: What Actually Creates a Meaningful Life with Daniel Barrasso
FEB 3, 2026
Episode 334: Beyond Achievement: What Actually Creates a Meaningful Life with Daniel Barrasso
In this episode, Daniel Barrasso shares how growing up with ADHD and never quite fitting into traditional academic boxes shaped his nonlinear path into mental health work. From redefining success beyond money and status to finding purpose through passion, structure, and relationships, Daniel reflects on what truly matters—both as a therapist working with young men and as a father of three. This conversation challenges conventional ideas of success and offers reassurance to young adults and pa...
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26 MIN
Episode 333: Rethinking Success as Life and Priorities Change with Rick & Clancy Denton
JAN 27, 2026
Episode 333: Rethinking Success as Life and Priorities Change with Rick & Clancy Denton
In this episode, Rick and Clancy Denton reflect on how their definition of success has evolved over time. Through career changes, shifting expectations, and long-term partnership, they explore how values and relationships often become more meaningful than titles or traditional milestones. Their conversation highlights how desires change across different seasons of life — and why redefining success is not a failure, but a natural part of growth. Drawing from both individual and shared experien...
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50 MIN
Episode 332: Martin Naffziger on Choosing the Next Step Based on Values, Not Timelines
JAN 20, 2026
Episode 332: Martin Naffziger on Choosing the Next Step Based on Values, Not Timelines
In this episode of Success Is Subjective, Joanna sits down with Martin Joseph Naffziger, an educator and college counselor who has spent decades helping young people step off default paths and define success on their own terms. Martin shares how early international experiences reshaped his understanding of education, why success should be viewed as a moving target, and what happens when young people are given space to reflect on their values instead of being rushed into traditional milestones...
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26 MIN
Episode 331: Wraparound Support - The Missing Link in Long-Term Recovery with Dave Herz
JAN 13, 2026
Episode 331: Wraparound Support - The Missing Link in Long-Term Recovery with Dave Herz
In this episode of Success Is Subjective, Joanna talks with Dave Herz, founder of Wonder, about why recovery doesn’t end when treatment does — and why in-home, real-world support often makes the biggest difference. Dave shares his path into community-based wraparound support and explains how coaching, mentorship, and family-systems work to help teens and young adults build confidence and stability outside of traditional programs. Together, they break down what wraparound support actually is, ...
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23 MIN