You did everything right. You climbed the mountain, hit the milestones, checked all the boxes — and then you got there and thought… is this really it?
That quiet emptiness at the top of success is something nobody warns you about. In this episode, Stephanie and Maren get honest about why achieving your goals can feel like the loneliest moment of your life — and what's actually missing. Spoiler: it's not another goal. It's the inner work that most of us were never taught to do.
From Alex Hormozi's “apathy problem” to the woman who thought her gift was numbers (it wasn't), this conversation will have you rethinking what success actually means — and how to make it feel as good on the inside as it looks on the outside.
Key Takeaways
- Success can feel empty when it's built on someone else's prescription. When we follow the “right house, right car, right job” formula without checking in with our own longings, we arrive at the top of a mountain that was never ours to climb.
- Your gifts and your skills are not the same thing. You may have built skills to survive or fit in — but your true gifts are the things that come so naturally you've probably dismissed them entirely.
- Your inner world creates your outer reality. Most of us are unconsciously running on autopilot. Pausing to ask what do I actually need? — emotionally, mentally, spiritually — changes everything.
- Identity is not static. Who you are right now doesn't have to be who you stay. Growth requires updating the story you tell yourself about yourself.
- Simple practices create profound shifts. Evening journaling, flow writing, asking better questions — these aren't soft extras. They're how you access the magic that your conscious mind filters out.
Referenced in This Episode
– Alex Hormozi — entrepreneur and investor who openly discussed his “apathy problem” after achieving significant outer success
– Vicki Keith (Ep. 150) — Neurodiversity is Your Superpower (https://thesoulfulleaderpodcast.com/2024/05/28/150-neurodiversity-is-your-superpower-with-vicki-keith/) — referenced in the conversation around ADHD as a gift, not a deficit
– Morning Pages / Flow Writing — a journaling practice (popularized by Julia Cameron's *The Artist's Way*) that Maren uses as evening pages to access subconscious insight
Love this episode? Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts—it helps other soulful leaders find us!
Have a question or topic suggestion? We'd love to hear from you. Reach out through our website or social media.
📬 Connect With Us
Website: http://www.TheSoulfulLeaderPodcast.com
Main Website: http://www.tslp.life
Find us on:
- YouTube: @soulfulleaders
- LinkedIn: The Soulful Leaders
- Facebook: The Soulful Leaders
Newsletter: Get our weekly newsletter 'Shift Happens' with tips, tricks, and insights to uplevel your life and leadership, plus notifications of new podcast releases and blog posts. Sign up at http://www.tslp.life