What happens when your dream job starts crushing your values instead of honoring them?
In this episode, Steph Pennell—founder of The Event Critic and former marketing leader—opens up about the moments that pushed her to reevaluate everything. From getting a shocking piece of feedback about wearing red lipstick to quitting a high-profile job with no backup plan, Steph shares what it takes to walk away from misalignment and rebuild your career around who you actually are.
We talk about the events industry, the power of self-awareness, and how manifestation, ADHD diagnosis, and human design helped her take back control. Whether you’ve ever felt like you’re “too much” or you’re navigating burnout behind the scenes, this one’s for you.
In this conversation, you'll learn:
- How Steph went from bartending to running high-impact events
- What it feels like when your work and values are out of sync
- How to navigate inappropriate or personal feedback
- What manifestation and human design taught her about leadership
Things to listen for:
(00:00) Intro
(02:29) Foundation-setting experiences
(06:19) Finding the right career path
(07:31) Thank you to our sponsors, Navattic and Appcues
(11:33) Losing love for events and getting it back
(14:21) Coaching, core values, and finding alignment
(22:16) ADHD, rest cycles, and human design
(23:14) Giving feedback without repeating past mistakes
(26:36) Balancing professional and personal boundaries
(42:21) Manifestation and human design insights
(46:43) What’s holding you back?
This episode is presented by:
Navattic: Interactive Product Demo Software - https://navattic.com/value
Appcues: User Engagement for SaaS - https://appcues.com/value
Resources:
Connect with Steph:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theeventcritic/
The Event Critic: https://www.linkedin.com/company/eventcriticofficial/
Connect with Andrew:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewcapland/
Substack: https://media.deliveringvalue.co
Hire Andrew as your coach: https://deliveringvalue.co/coaching
Popular Podcasts
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and current events with intelligence and humor. From the border crisis, to the madness of cancel culture and far-left missteps, Clay and Buck guide listeners through the latest headlines and hot topics with fun and entertaining conversations and opinions.