The Anxious Achiever

• Self Compassion For Overachievers with Attorney Mark Goldstein & Dr. Kristin Neff

  Today we’re exploring the skill that ambitious, anxious brains often resist: self-compassion. You’ll hear attorney Mark Goldstein’s candid story of OCD, depression, panic attacks, and the leave of absence that helped him rebuild a career and a life with support, therapy, mindfulness, and (yes) compassion. Then, Dr. Kristin Neff, pioneer of self-compassion research, teaches practical tools you can use today. We cover how to handle rumination, reframe “perfection” into being a “compassionate mess,” and when to turn on fierce self-protection versus tender care. If you hold yourself to impossible standards, this conversation will give you language, strategies, and permission to be human and still perform. In this Episode, You Will Learn 00:00 Why self-compassion is a performance skill for anxious achievers. 02:00 Learn from Mark Goldstein on perfectionism, OCD, and the billable-hour trap. 05:45 “I couldn’t stop checking”: the 2017 spiral and panic attacks. 09:30 When did you decide you needed help and where did you start? 13:00 Taking a leave of absence, the fear of perception, and the reality of support. 18:45 Reframing “weakness” and treating mental health as a disability. 21:00 Dr. Kristin Neff on why our brains default to self-criticism. 23:30 The hack to turn caregiving inward. 25:15 Tips for practical self-talk (authentic compassion, NOT empty affirmations.) 27:30 When to deploy fierce vs. tender compassion and harnessing anger for protection. 30:00 How to stop rumination. 32:15 How to create room for compassion and grow without fear. 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

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• Muriel M Wilkins: Get Unblocked, Lead With More Ease

  Ever feel like the very habits that made you successful are now holding you back? In this episode, I sit down with executive coach Muriel Wilkins, author of Leadership Unblocked: Break Through The Beliefs That Limit Your Potential, to talk about the hidden beliefs that drive overachievers to perfectionism, micromanagement, and control. She breaks down how deeply rooted beliefs about worth, control, and safety shape your behavior at work. Tune in to learn how to rewire your thinking so you can lead with more ease, clarity, and confidence. In this Episode, You Will Learn 00:00 Meet Muriel Wilkins, Executive Coach and Founder & CEO of Paravis Partners. 07:00 How performance-based beliefs shape your sense of worth and leadership identity. 10:30 Ways to “break out of the matrix” and rewrite beliefs that keep you stuck in perfectionism. 13:30 The three most common “blockers” that high-achieving leaders face. 18:15 The belief that traps high-performing leaders in frustration and conflict. 21:15 Coaching exercise that helps leaders see their blind spots. 26:45 How over-caring and over-consensus quietly become leadership paralysis. 30:30 Ways to set limits and “contracts” that help reel in perfectionism. 35:45 How “I need to be involved” thinking keeps leaders stuck in the weeds and blocks growth. Resources + Links Read Muriel's book, Leadership Unblocked 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 Muriel: on LinkedIn @murielwilkins + Instagram @coachmurielwilkins

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• Gabrielle Union on PTSD, Social Anxiety, and Navigating Fame

  What does it take to tell the truth when the world punishes you for it? In this conversation we're bringing back from 2021, Gabrielle Union talks about living with PTSD and social anxiety, the experiences in toxic workplaces, and what it means to keep speaking out even when fear follows close behind. She shares how activism triggers anxiety, the coping tools to keep you grounded from therapy to mindfulness, and how to redefine success through truth, purpose, and self-acceptance. Get ready to see how courage and healing can coexist and how learning to be alone doesn’t mean being lonely. In this Episode, You Will Learn 00:00 What does a toxic workplace look like, then vs. now? 06:30 The emotional cost of telling the truth in an industry built on silence. 11:00 How trauma survivors navigate social anxiety, boundaries, and life in the public eye. 16:00 Tools to calm anxiety and regain control. 21:45 How intentional alone time restores peace, clarity, and self-trust. 24:30 The powerful distinction between being alone and being lonely. 28:15 How Gabrielle’s 2012 Essence speech became a turning point toward truth and self-acceptance. 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 Gabrielle: on LinkedIn @gabrielleunion + Instagram @gabunion

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• He Built Coach Into a $5 Billion Company, But Feared Failure Every Day | Lew Frankfort

  What happens when one of America’s most admired CEOs admits that fear of failure never left him, even after building a multi-billion-dollar brand? In this episode, I sit down with Lewis Frankfort, the former CEO who transformed Coach from a small leather goods company into a global powerhouse and coined the term “accessible luxury”. Lew shares about the lifelong anxiety that drove him to excel, the depressive episodes that followed high-pressure seasons, and the methods to stay grounded, from meditation and exercise to cognitive coaching and “magic and logic” leadership. Get ready to see how even the most accomplished leaders are powered by the same fears and how facing them with purpose, curiosity, and compassion unlocks greatness. In this Episode, You Will Learn 00:00 Meet Lew Frankfort, former CEO of Coach, Inc. 02:00 How was the term “accessible luxury” born? 06:15 How do high-performing leaders manage depression? 10:00 Ways to turn fear of failure into fuel for growth. 14:00 The discipline that turned Coach into a best-in-class business. 19:30 What happens when success leads to disconnection and burnout. 23:30 Daily practices that restore energy and emotional balance. 26:00 Lew’s first mental health toolkit. 30:00 Interviewing method to uncover self-awareness and potential blind spots. 36:15 Why great leaders hire for complementarity, not similarity. 40:30 Lew’s “Three-Bucket Framework” for CEOs. 43:00 Why therapy and mental health care should be normalized for every leader. Resources + Links Get your copy of Lew’s book, “Bag Man: The Story Behind the Improbable Rise of Coach” 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 Lew Frankfort on LinkedIn @lewfrankfort

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• Why "the Worst Advice Ever" Taught Entrepreneur Robert Glazer To Play To His Strengths

  What happens when the adrenaline fades and achievement alone stops feeling fulfilling? Robert Glazer is back to talk about what it really means to live and lead by your values. After selling his company and spending years in overdrive, Bob shares his journey of slowing down, rebuilding identity, and rediscovering purpose through self-awareness and core values. We talk about how to shift from fixing weaknesses to playing to your strengths, how values guide better leadership and relationships, and why authenticity, not automation, will define the future of content creation in the AI era. Get ready to learn how your core values can become your compass for work, purpose, and well-being. In this Episode, You Will Learn 00:00 How stress hormones and constant adrenaline shape your health and identity. 08:15 Ways to identify and leverage your strengths instead of fixing weaknesses. 14:30 What are the dangers of overusing your strengths? 18:00 How core values become your ultimate decision-making framework. 23:15 Aligning personal values with relationships, work, and community. 28:00 How childhood experiences shape your leadership and money values. 36:45 The future of content, authenticity, and paying creators in the AI era. 41:45 Why human connection and imperfection will be the new premium in a digital world. 44:45 How to re-train your audience to pay for content they value. Resources + Links Grab your copy of Robert’s The Compass Within HERE! Explore The Six Core Values Questions Page to help identify your personal and professional core values Subscribe to Robert’s newsletter HERE! Listen to Robert’s The Elevate Podcast 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 Robert on LinkedIn @glazer + Instagram @robertglazer_

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