The first time Keith Pochick joined this podcast, he had just walked away from medicine and into a classroom full of eighth graders. His story hit home because it was raw; a man in mid-leap, hoping he wasn’t crazy for wanting a simpler, more joyful, more human life.

Two years later, Keith sits down with Lon to talk about what life actually feels like on the other side of his trade. And what he describes is something most high achievers haven’t felt in years: ease, presence, and the spark he now calls the soul tickle — that unmistakable, physical sensation of doing work that touches your life at the deepest level.

Keith also shares the story behind his new book, Tickled Soul, and why he felt compelled, almost obligated, to write it. What started as a legacy gift for his children became something much bigger: a declaration of what he believes, who he is, and how he hopes others will rediscover the parts of themselves they’ve forgotten.

This episode is an honest look at what it means to start over, stay the course, and finally feel like yourself again.

What to Expect

-Why Keith walked away from medicine and why he hasn’t looked back

-What it really feels like on the other side of a big life trade

-How burnout quietly rewrites your identity

-What middle school students taught him that medical training never could

-The spiritual experience behind Tickled Soul—and the legacy it creates

-The unexpected freedom of being fully present again

Key Takeaways:

-->The Trade only looks reckless to people who’ve ignored their own restlessness.

-->Money can’t buy meaning, but presence can.

-->You don’t have to be burned out to want something better.

-->Legacy is what people will remember when your voice is no longer in the room.

-->If you want to live differently, you have to slow down long enough to feel what’s missing.

📘 About the Book: Tickled Soul

In his debut book, Keith shares a thoughtful memoir about what happens when the life you built no longer feels like the life you’re meant to keep. What begins as a quiet “what if” becomes a full‑scale reinvention—from seasoned ER physician to middle‑school science teacher.

Through stories of faith, purpose, motivation, and meaning, Keith explores the beliefs and inner philosophy that made such a radical midlife transition not only possible, but necessary.

It’s a wake‑up call for anyone sitting in the status quo, wondering if there’s more to life than the role they’ve been playing.

Order the book directly from the publisher here:

Tickled Soul (hardcover)

Tickled Soul (softcover)

What’s Next?

If you’re feeling the restlessness Keith once felt, that quiet knowing that your current life isn’t your forever life, this episode is your invitation to stop ignoring it.

If this episode speaks to you, this is an invitation to join the growing Normal 40 community to connect with like-minded individuals. Whether through a free Ramble, Lon's Insider group, or his bestselling book 'The Trade,' this episode is your call to action to start designing your next chapter.

Find it all right here: https://linktr.ee/lon.stroschein

Learn more about Keith Pochick here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kpochick/

Most people go into medicine to help people.But somewhere along the way, the system swallows that dream.

Long hours. Broken processes. Pressure to perform, not to care.

But not Chris Cannell.

Chris is a PA, endurance athlete, husband, father of three, and president of a national nonprofit in legal medicine. But more than that, he’s a man who kept chasing the spark that started it all: a sister’s cancer diagnosis, a team on the field, and a deep belief that medicine could still feel human.

In this episode, Chris joins Lon for a conversation about reinvention, restlessness, and building something better for patients, providers, and the families caught in between.

Together, they talk about what happens when you hit the ceiling of your success, when your ambition gets mislabeled as discontent, and how the right partner, the right mission, and the right moment can give you permission to lead from your gift.

This isn’t just a conversation about medicine.It’s about meaning.It’s about movement.And it’s about creating the future you’ve been quietly craving.

What to Expect:

--How a childhood cancer diagnosis shaped Chris’s calling

--What football, medicine, and leadership taught him about purpose

--The role his wife Stacy played in giving him permission to change

--What most high-performers get wrong about reinvention

--Why he’s creating a new model for healthcare through community

--What it really means to be great at something—and why most people won’t say it out loud

Key Takeaways:

-> Restlessness isn’t a flaw, it’s a clue.

-->Permission doesn’t mean control.

-->If you want to build something that lasts, build it with people who care.

-->You don’t have to know how it ends. You just have to know what matters now.

-->Your best work is still in front of you, if you’re willing to believe it.

About Chris Cannell

Dr. Chris Cannell is a doctoral-trained Physician Associate with 22+ years of clinical experience in emergency medicine, orthopedics, critical care, and internal medicine. But what makes Chris stand out isn’t just his credentials, it’s his mission.

He’s a nationally recognized voice on healthcare quality, patient safety, and medical risk, and a powerful advocate for restoring purpose and humanity to the people who deliver care.

Chris has led clinical teams, shaped national policy conversations, and built bridges between medicine, law, and education. He serves as the President of PAs in Legal Medicine, sits on multiple boards, teaches across leading PA programs, and works as a respected consultant in medical-legal risk, healthcare innovation, and clinician leadership.

But beyond the titles, Chris is a builder of people. A connector. A father. A runner. A relentless advocate for the providers who’ve given everything to healthcare and are ready to build something better.

Dr. Chris has an upcoming masterclass training as a medical legal, educational, and healthcare consultant. More details here: https://www.theapcconsultant.com/healthcare-disruptors

You can connect with Chris here: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-apc-consultant/

What's NextIf you’ve ever wanted to try something different—but talked yourself out of it—this is your sign to explore the path you haven’t yet taken.

If this episode speaks to you, this is an invitation to join the growing Normal 40 community to connect with like-minded individuals. Whether through a free Ramble, Lon's Insider group, or his bestselling book 'The Trade,' this episode is your call to action to start designing your next chapter.

Find it all right here: https://linktr.ee/lon.stroschein

Most people meet their doctor in an exam room. I met mine at the edge of a breaking point she didn’t even know she’d been carrying for years.

Dr. Jill Kruse grew up wanting to save lives for one simple reason: she didn’t want to lose her mother. She entered medicine the way so many elite performers do — head down, high achieving, fueled by good intentions and impossible standards. She pushed. She excelled. She endured.

And then life stopped asking politely.

Call every other night. A newborn and a toddler at home. A tiny rural town held together by two doctors, two PAs, and a pager that never slept.She kept giving.The job kept taking.And one day, her husband said the quiet part out loud:

“You’re killing yourself slowly.”

That’s the moment every physician fears.That’s the moment every high performer recognizes.And that’s the moment this conversation turns from résumé to truth.

This episode is about what happens when the life you fought to build becomes the life that’s quietly breaking you. It’s about the courage to walk away from a calling without abandoning the purpose underneath it. It’s about burnout, identity, the stigma of asking for help, and the freedom that shows up when you finally decide the cost of staying is higher than the cost of change.

But more than anything, it’s about this:

The heart feeds itself first — and you need to start doing the same.

Dr. Kruse’s story isn’t about quitting medicine.It’s about choosing herself.And it’s a roadmap for any elite performer who has forgotten that they’re allowed to do the same.

IN THIS EPISODE:

--What really pushes a physician to the edge (it’s not what you think)

--The truth about burnout inside medicine — the part nobody talks about

--Why high achievers wait too long to ask for help

--What happens when you realize a career won’t love you back

--How to reclaim identity without burning your life down

--The power of coaching when counseling feels risky

--The heart-first lesson every elite performer needs to hear

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

->Burnout isn’t failure. It’s the body calling for honesty.

->You can love your work and still decide it’s costing you too much.

->Courage isn’t leaving. Courage is telling the truth.

->The life you want won’t appear while you’re drowning in the life you’ve outgrown.

->You deserve the same care you give everyone else.

WHAT’S NEXT?

If Jill’s story hits close to home (if you’re hiding the same exhaustion behind the same smile), this is your invitation to stop doing this alone.

Join the growing Normal 40 community to connect with like-minded individuals. Whether through a free Ramble, Lon's Insider group, or his bestselling book 'The Trade,' this episode is your call to action to start designing your next chapter.

Find it all right here: https://linktr.ee/lon.stroschein

Learn more about Dr. Jill Kruse here: http://www.flight-time-medical.com/

https://www.prairiedoc.org/