Success is Subjective: Real People. Raw Stories. Embracing a Non-Linear Life!
Interviews of people who took a break from life at one point or another to get help, grow up, or just to reassess their life direction. Some guests struggled with depression, anxiety, substance abuse, a death in the family, or just decided college was not the place for them. These stories are all-to-real, and yet we don't talk enough about how common it is for those who took a gap year to defer college, went to college and took a break, or those who struggled launching into the workforce post-college graduation. This goes out to all the young adults and parents of young adults who are struggling and contemplating what will happen if they walk away right now.
Episodes
As you listeners know, Success is Subjective is all about the winding road many people take—going from teen to adult, to an adult who’s unsure about their direction, to someone who tries out different paths… and eventually, kind of figures things out. As is the case for today’s guest, Cindy Palmer. While her family messaging instilled “college or bust”, Cindy’s path through college and beyond was anything but predictable… anything ...
Growing up in a figurative fish bowl in a small town in Texas, Chelsea Reeves had no idea what the world had in store for her beyond a bubble-wrapped life of what she describes as privilege. By the time she got to college, it didn’t take long before Chelsea realized the world she grew up in was much different than what her peers and others around her had experienced. With undiagnosed learning disabilities and a back injury that too...
On this episode of Success is Subjective, Joanna brings you another story from our special former participant series where she extends the opportunity for the former participants who feel comfortable, to share their journey with others. Today’s former participant is Fred Palmer. Fred is a licensed alcohol and drug counselor and certified recovery coach, who also works as a career educator at Colorado State University. While he’s fo...
On this episode of Success is Subjective, Joanna brings you another story from our special former participant series where she extends the opportunity for former participants who feel comfortable sharing their journey with others. Today’s former participant is Bryan Fikes. His start to life was what most would consider an American “ideal” upbringing. Attending a private school and having healthy relationships with family and friend...
Having one’s identity tied to an external source or outcome such as a job or physical skill can prove to be detrimental. Joe Fuller, today’s Success is Subjective guest, knows this plight firsthand. A highly driven child, Joe had his mind made up to become a professional baseball player. Not only did he have the passion for it, he had the discipline and raw talent that may have taken him all the way to the big leagues. That picture...
Today’s episode of Success is Subjective features a conversation between Joanna and Steve Roth. Steve is a licensed clinical social worker, and the Executive Director of The Arise Society – a transition center that supports young adults with digital addictions, mental health challenges, and those who struggle with motivation. While college wasn’t optional in Steve’s family system, he personally was very eager to begin his post-seco...
For many people, it takes trying new things and experiencing different opportunities to discover one’s true passion. Sometimes, it’s the mini-interests that lead us to the ultimate one – the passion we will embrace for many years to come. That was the case for today’s Success is Subjective guest, Daryn Reiner. While Daryn is settled into her role in the mental health field, and as a mom to a child with special needs, it took many p...
Many high school students feel pressured by friends and relatives to attend college upon graduation. Interestingly, today’s guest had the complete opposite experience. For Darla Beam, college was overtly out of the question as it wasn’t something her parents could afford. After exploring one coast to the other, becoming a caretaker for a loved one and everything in between, Darla slowly started identifying her own strengths. She be...
On this episode of Success is Subjective, Joanna brings you another story from our special former participant series where she extends the opportunity for former participants who feel comfortable sharing their journey with others. Viviana is today’s former participant and she comes with a story of transparency. Sharing what it was like as a teen in foster care, to being in an inpatient facility for three years before being thrust i...
It’s not uncommon for someone to set out on a path they really believe in, or pursue the path that grueling years of hard work earned them a degree in. It’s also not out of the ordinary for a certain eye-opening life experience to cause an individual to want to change course in pursuit of a different passion, lifestyle or outcome. That was the case for today’s Success is Subjective guest, John Morris. After undergraduate studies at...
Today’s episode of Success is Subjective comes from the heart, lived experience and professional background of Scot Marken. Scot Marken is the founder and CEO of EdRedefined – a national educational consulting firm with the purpose of helping those with mental health struggles and disabilities to thrive in their education and pursue their dreams. Deeply involved with mental health nonprofits for over 20 years, Scot is an esteemed e...
It’s not uncommon for successful high school students to get to college and find themselves hit with the reality that their former education wasn't nearly sufficient enough to help them feel confident and equipped for the rigorous academics that lay in front of them. For others, this process of pursuing a degree can be infinitely more daunting with any undiagnosed mental health conditions, as was the case for today’s Success i...
On this episode of Success is Subjective, Joanna brings you another story from our special former participant series where she extends the opportunity for former participants who feel comfortable sharing their journey with others. Today’s former participant is Jacqueline. Jacqueline sought out treatment for substance use as a 22-year-old adult. While not a teen, and certainly not forced into treatment, Jacqueline very much felt tha...
On this episode of Success is Subjective, Joanna brings you another story from our special former participant series where she extends the opportunity for former participants who feel comfortable sharing their journey with others. Today’s former participant is Dan O’Gorman. Dan grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and fell to addiction as a teen. While attending a handful of outpatient treatments, as well as a short stay at a resident...
For many people, a core desire based on natural giftings or a childhood dream comes forth when asked what their passion is. For others, they don’t quite know what makes their heart come alive until they stumble upon that hobby, career or volunteer opportunity sometime in adulthood. Regardless of the “how” and “when,” life eventually seems to bring all of us to the path we need to be on, at some point or another. For Maddie McCandle...
Have you ever felt conflicted about what to do with your life? Or maybe you have multiple strengths and talents, but you’re not exactly sure which one to utilize as you reach towards your future goals. If that resonates, today’s Success is Subjective episode might bring a heaping dose of relatability and clarity to your questioning mind. Zachary Shafer graduated with a Bachelor’s in Psychology and a Master’s in Occupational Therapy...
Today’s episode of Success is Subjective features a conversation with Joanna and Dr. Ruth Viehoff, a licensed clinical psychologist. Through her own personal story, Dr. Viehoff has known what it’s like to struggle with mental health issues, especially as a teen and young adult. Now as a practitioner who works with young people, she is able to relate to and inspire her clients in a meaningful way. Dr. Viehoff discusses topics such a...
On this episode of Success is Subjective, Joanna brings you another story from our special former participant series where she extends the opportunity for former participants who feel comfortable sharing their journey with others. Today’s former participant is Evan. Evan has thrived in his sobriety for the last four years and is on a path to helping others who reflect his younger self, who also struggled with substance use and lack...
On this episode of Success is Subjective, Joanna brings you another story from our special former participant series where she extends the opportunity for former participants who feel comfortable sharing their journey with others. Today’s former participant is Andy. Currently in grad school, pursuing his master’s degree in social work, it took Andy’s own recovery for him to gain a clear vision for what he wanted to do with his life...
It’s one thing to comprehend that gap years can be helpful for some “misguided” people in the world. It’s another challenge to identify that a gap year could be personally beneficial, and to realize they can actually propel a person further in life and career than bulldozing 4 years of college immediately after high school, in many situations. But that’s part of the message today’s Success is Subjective guest is here to share with ...
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