The Hidden Cost of Holding it all Together: My Story & How Trauma Shapes Us as High Achievers- Episode 1

In this very first episode of the Successful & Stuck podcast, I want to share the heart behind this show and why it exists in the first place.

I open up about my experience growing up with an alcoholic parent and how that shaped the way I moved through the world—from the survival patterns I developed to the identity I built around being the strong, responsible one. I also share how these early experiences eventually led me to the work I do today as a somatic practitioner and trauma-informed business coach.

If you’ve ever felt the pressure to keep it all together, to always be the one others depend on, or if you’re someone who looks successful on the outside but struggles with burnout or anxiety underneath—it’s not just you. You're not alone.

In this episode, I talk about:

• My personal story of growing up in a household impacted by alcoholism
• The survival role I stepped into as "the one who holds it all together"
• How trauma can lead to high achievement and chronic over-functioning
• Why hyper-independence, people-pleasing, and perfectionism often trace back to childhood & HOW they show up in our lives as high achievers
• The role of self-awareness in breaking these cycles
• How this healing journey shaped the work I do today

This episode is an invitation to reflect, to feel seen, and to start releasing the belief that your value lies in how much you do or how well you hold it all together. Change is possible—and you don’t have to do it alone.

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