38 | When You Feel Like You're Never Enough, From thriving to Self-Worth | Burnout Recovery with Joanna Zhang

What if your worth had nothing to do with how much you accomplished today? Joanna Zhang, founder of Operations Genius, joins Laura at the Counter for an honest conversation about the exhaustion of chasing approval, the fear behind perfectionism, and the journey toward recognizing our value beyond external success. Joanna shares how she once appeared confident while privately doubting herself, how a spiritual awakening challenged her patterns of control, and why learning to receive care became as important as caring for others. Together, Laura and Joanna explore the questions many of us carry quietly: Why do compliments feel so difficult to accept? Why do we keep pouring into others when we're already empty? And what might change if we stopped measuring ourselves by our accomplishments? In this conversation: Moving from fear and control toward trust Recognizing the difference between achievement and self-worth Learning to accept compliments without dismissing them Caring for yourself before giving everything to others Redefining success beyond titles, recognition, and expectations Finding meaning through life's unexpected turns Connect with Joanna: https://linktr.ee/joannazhang Continue the conversation inside the At the Counter community. Find encouragement, connection, and a place to remember you don’t have to carry everything alone. 📱 Search At the Counter in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store and pull up a chair. Support the show ☕ Enjoying At the Counter? Share the podcast with a friend: If an episode made you think of someone, send it their way. Leave a review: Your review helps more people discover At the Counter with the Baking Pastor and find encouragement for the season they’re walking through. Come join us at the Counter: Download the At the Counter app in your phone’s app store and connect with a welcoming community where the conversation continues between episodes. At the Counter with the Baking Pastor is for anyone looking for Christian encouragement for hard seasons, grief support, burnout recovery, soul care, and faith in everyday life. We talk about grief and loss support, caregiving, life transitions, unwanted change, emotional healing, spiritual weariness, rest and renewal, and practical soul care for the days when life feels heavy, faith feels tired, or you simply don’t feel like yourself anymore. Pull up a chair. The counter is open. ☕