Layoffs do more than drain your bank account, they shake your sense of worth, belonging, and identity. In this episode, Yowei Shaw, an emotional investigative journalist shares what it felt like to get laid off from NPR, why the experience upends identity and dignity, and how the social systems around unemployment actually make healing harder. We talk about the strange behaviors that show up before and after a layoff, how companies actually decide who goes (spoiler: it’s often opaque), and ways to recover. Get ready to rethink what safety, identity, and recovery look like after a layoff.
Check out our sponsors:
Northwest Registered Agent - Protect your privacy, build your brand, and get your complete business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes! Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/achieverfree
In this Episode, You Will Learn
00:00 Meet Yowei Shaw, an emotional investigative journalist.
05:15 What it felt like inside NPR during the layoff month.
11:00 What changed at work during the layoffs?
19:45 Is HR your enemy?
22:30 Why intense shame is a common experience after being laid off.
25:00 Stigma and hiring discrimination against laid-off workers.
30:00 How losing the illusion can be liberating.
32:45 How identity changes after leaving a big brand and why that can be a creative opportunity.
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 Yowei: @yoweishaw
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36:40
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36:40
AI, ADHD, And Humanness with Dr. Tracy Dennis Tiwary
Is your anxiety about AI actually trying to help you? In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Tracy Dennis Tiwary to talk about AI anxiety, overdiagnosis, ADHD, and why we’ve medicalized so much of our emotional life that we’ve lost sight of what it means to be human. Tracy shares why we were unprepared for the mental health fallout of social media, why we’re just as unprepared for AI, and how leaders can support teams through technological uncertainty without collapsing into fear or false certainty. Tune in to learn how to engage with AI without losing your humanity and how to work with your anxiety instead of treating it like an enemy.
Check out our sponsors:
Northwest Registered Agent - Protect your privacy, build your brand and get your complete business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes! Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/achieverfree
In this Episode, You Will Learn
00:00 Why AI anxiety is showing up differently for each of us.
06:45 Is AI an intelligence or just a (very powerful) tool?
10:45 How calling AI “smart” and human-like hides what it actually does.
14:00 Why we weren’t prepared for social media’s mental health impact.
15:15 Ways to use chatbots and therapeutic AI without getting lost in them.
21:00 ADHD, dichotomies, and how medicalizing mental health distorts what diagnoses can do.
26:00 Why treating symptoms isn’t the same as healing.
29:00 If mental illness isn’t just a broken brain, what is it?
30:30 Why there is no single biomarker for conditions like bipolar disorder or ADHD.
38:45 Why anxiety is tied to uncertainty, hope, and creativity.
43:30 Where does stress fit alongside anxiety and fear?
48:15 Advice to someone who has AI anxiety.
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 Tracy: @tracydennistiwary
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54:17
Brad Feld on OCD, Depression, and the Courage to Be Honest
Stigma loses its power when leaders tell the truth. In this episode, venture investor and Techstars co-founder Brad Feld shares why he went public about depression and OCD, how a 2013 crash led to a decade of deep therapy, and why aligning what you feel, say, and do is a leadership advantage. We talk about the “inappropriate anxiety spikes,” the trap of calling mental health a “superpower,” and the difference between passive and active avoidance. Brad also breaks down a simple dashboard for monitoring burnout, practical somatic cues to watch for, and clear guidance on when to hire a coach versus a therapist. Get ready to rethink performance, protect your team from collateral damage, and lead with courage, clarity, and real agency.
Check out our sponsors:
Northwest Registered Agent - Protect your privacy, build your brand and get your complete business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes! Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/achieverfree
In this Episode, You Will Learn
00:00 Why did you choose to speak openly about mental health?
09:00 How stigma and shame create a negative feedback loop for founders.
14:30 The irrational links between thoughts and actions that drive compulsion.
18:00 How reframing failure helps you find grace in what doesn’t work out.
20:00 The concept of “passive avoidance” and how it quietly erodes relationships.
26:00 What are the two ways anxiety shows up in leadership?
30:15 How absurdism brings comfort amid uncertainty.
33:30 Why performative passion often hides real insecurity.
37:45 The “anxiety spikes” that jump from 2 to 11 in seconds.
43:00 How ACT therapy helps you feel, accept, and act instead of suppressing emotion.
46:00 The dashboard of green–yellow–red lights to watch your energy in real time.
50:00 Advice to leaders who want to understand how their behavior impacts others.
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 Brad: @bfeld
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59:04
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59:04
The “Losing-My-Sh**” Playlist And Other Tools For High Strivers With Dr. Diana Hill
Feeling overworked, overwhelmed, and still unsatisfied? In this episode, psychologist and author Dr. Diana Hill is back to share how to transform anxious over-effort into meaningful action. Based on her new book Wise Effort, Diana breaks down how to align your drive with your values, use your body as a source of wisdom, and stop wasting energy on fear, guilt, and proving yourself. We talk about why achievement alone won’t fulfill you, ways to work through feedback, burnout, and uncertainty. Tune in to learn how to find your genius energy and show up wisely, especially when life feels like it’s falling apart.
Check out our sponsors:
Northwest Registered Agent - Protect your privacy, build your brand and get your complete business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes! Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/achieverfree
In this Episode, You Will Learn
00:00 Why did you write Wise Effort for high achievers running on empty?
02:00 How to use music as a nervous system regulator and create a “Losing My Sh*t” playlist.
07:45 What Wise Effort really means and how it helps you stop striving on autopilot.
10:15 Why the body holds deeper wisdom than your pros and cons list.
14:15 How to reframe your struggles and build psychological flexibility.
17:30 How to turn your worries into clarity around your values.
24:00 Four questions to challenge unhelpful stories.
33:12 How to prioritize your genius energy and align work with your core values.
41:30 Ways to use feedback as information.
45:45 Tips to cope with layoffs, uncertainty, and fear without toxic positivity.
52:15 Why showing up with dignity creates lasting impact.
Resources + Links
Grab your copy of Dr. Diana Hill’s book Wise Effort 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. Diana Hill: on LinkedIn @drdianahill + Instagram @drdianahill
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59:57
Leading For Human Agency With SAP's V.R. Ferose
In today’s high-pressure world, leading with love isn’t idealistic, it’s essential. In this episode, I sit down with V.R. Ferose, 26-year SAP leader and Head of SAP Academy for Engineering and founder of the Autism at Work program, to talk about why love as a leadership practice, seeing people clearly, protecting dignity, and amplifying agency, is the most powerful business strategy of all. He shares why trust compounds over time, how to lead with both strength and compassion, and why the future belongs to leaders who lead with heart intelligence, not just artificial intelligence. Get ready to rethink success, rediscover meaning, and learn how leading with love can create workplaces where everyone can thrive.
Check out our sponsors:
Northwest Registered Agent - Protect your privacy, build your brand and get your complete business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes! Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/achieverfree
In this Episode, You Will Learn
00:00 Meet V.R. Ferose, 26-year SAP leader and Head of SAP Academy for Engineering.
07:00 How history’s great social movements teach modern leadership lessons.
15:45 What “only strength respects strength” really means when facing conflict.
24:00 Why heart intelligence, not AI, is our greatest human advantage.
32:45 How real learning and growth happen through in-person connection.
37:30 How AI is eroding creativity and reflection.
42:45 The link between social comparison and anxiety.
48:45 What is the origin of Autism at Work?
55:00 Why “Autism at Work” began as a choiceless decision.
01:04:00 Why do so many high-achievers feel boxed in and powerless?
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 V.R. on LinkedIn @ferosevr
Host Morra Aarons-Mele is on a mission to reframe how we think about anxiety and mental health in the workplace. Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S. We desperately need better models for leadership and a more holistic view of mental health. Our culture tells those of us who suffer from anxiety and depression that we can’t succeed, but we tell a different story — without sugarcoating the tough stuff. We feature stories from people who’ve been there and experts who can help you thrive.
Listen in your favorite podcast app: https://pod.link/1480904163
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