Is Taylor Swift an anxious achiever? In this episode, I sit down with Kevin Evers, editor at Harvard Business Review Press and author of "There's Nothing Like This: The Strategic Genius of Taylor Swift", to talk about Taylor Swift’s career through the lens of anxiety, ambition, and strategic brilliance. We dive into how Taylor’s striving energy, emotional vulnerability, and relentless work ethic fueled one of the most extraordinary careers in modern music. We also talk about her songwriting as a mirror for professional heartbreak, confidence built through insecurity, and why loving your work deeply may be the most powerful advantage of all. Get ready to rethink anxiety, ambition, and what it really takes to build something iconic.
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In this Episode, You Will Learn
00:00 Is Taylor Swift an anxious achiever?
03:00 Why Reputation resonates so deeply with anxious achievers.
07:15 How Taylor advocated for herself at just 13 years old.
15:30 How anxiety drives preparation, precision, and performance.
17:45 What the Eras Tour reveals about exceeding expectations at scale.
19:45 The physical and emotional cost of relentless performance.
22:30 Why did Taylor Swift want to become a pop star?
25:00 Why the Speak Now era marked a pivotal reinvention.
29:00 What Miss Americana revealed about the hidden costs of success.
31:00 What is productive paranoia?
37:00 How total creative control keeps Taylor authentic through every era.
42:30 Leadership lessons from humility and fan obsession.
47:45 Professional heartbreak and emotional ownership of work.
54:45 What makes Taylor Swift so successful?
Resources + Links
Get your copy of There’s Nothing Like This by Kevin Evers
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 Kevin Evers: on LinkedIn @kevin-evers1 + Instagram @there_is_nothing_like_this