<p>What if the biggest gap between your work and your life is not your schedule, but how you define success?</p><p>Alan Lazaros built what most people would call a successful life. High income, fast growth, and clear upward momentum. But after a near-fatal car accident at 26, he was forced to confront a harder question. Was any of it actually meaningful?</p><p>For working dads trying to balance ambition, work-life balance, and presence at home, this conversation reframes what meaningful work really means and how easily success can drift away from what matters most.</p><p>Alan shares how to:</p><p>• Shift from chasing external success to building a life from the inside out</p><p>• Recognize when your goals are driven by validation instead of values</p><p>• Avoid building a life that looks successful but feels empty</p><p>• Focus on long-term growth instead of short-term approval</p><p>• Close the gap between your intentions and your daily actions</p><p>• Redefine meaningful work in a way that actually fits your life</p><p>This conversation is not about abandoning ambition. It's about aiming it in the right direction so your work, your values, and your life are moving together instead of pulling you apart.</p><p><strong>Dig Deeper</strong></p><p><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.agfa.com/corporate/">Agfa</a></p><p><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.wpi.edu">Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)</a></p><p><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://americanspcc.org/take-the-aces-quiz/">Adverse Childhood Experiences Score</a></p><p><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://lionking.fandom.com/wiki/Pride_Rock">Pride Rock</a></p><p><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2EotmVUdDE">Hey Arnold</a></p><p><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rog8ou-ZepE">Ice Ice Baby</a></p><p><strong>Follow Alan</strong></p><p>On his website: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nextleveluniverse.com">https://www.nextleveluniverse.com</a> </p><p>On Instagram: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://www.instagram.com/alazaros88">http://www.instagram.com/alazaros88</a></p><p>On Facebook: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://www.facebook.com/alan.lazaros">http://www.facebook.com/alan.lazaros</a></p><p>On LinkedIn: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/alanlazarosllc">https://www.linkedin.com/in/alanlazarosllc</a></p><p>On his podcast on YouTube: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.youtube.com/@NextLevelUniversity">https://www.youtube.com/@NextLevelUniversity</a></p><p><strong>Follow Gap to Gig</strong></p><p>On Instagram: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://instagram.com/gaptogig">instagram.com/gaptogig</a></p><p>On TikTok: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://tiktok.com/@gaptogig">tiktok.com/@gaptogig</a></p><p>On X: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://x.com/gaptogig">x.com/gaptogig</a></p><p>On YouTube: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://youtube.com/@gaptogig-gtg">youtube.com/@gaptogig-gtg</a></p><p>On your podcast player of choice: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://rss.com/podcasts/gaptogig/">https://rss.com/podcasts/gaptogig/</a></p><p>Sign up for the Gap to Gig newsletter: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://gaptogig.com">gaptogig.com</a></p><p><strong>Follow Michael</strong></p><p>On LinkedIn: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/themichaeljacobs/">https://www.linkedin.com/in/themichaeljacobs/</a></p>