I Turned 40… And Realized I’m Running Out of Time

For the first time in my life, I realized I probably have more years behind me than I do in front of me.

That changes how you look at everything.

In this solo episode, I’m not coming to you with answers. I’m coming to you with the questions I’ve been sitting with.

What am I doing with the time I have left?

Where am I still holding back?

And what does it actually mean to live in a way where nothing is left on the table?

We move through life like we have time. Like we can start later, say it later, fix it later.

But at some point… later starts running out.

If you’ve been feeling that pressure… if you know there’s more in you but you’ve been waiting…

This episode is for you.

🎧 Listen on all major podcast platforms: https://flowcode.com/p/FIHnpn9a

📺 Full video episodes on YouTube coming soon. Subscribe now.

https://flowcode.com/p/FIHnpn9a⁠

This episode was mixed and edited by the amazing Henry Yang. He is available for hire. Tell him that Tony sent ya :)

https://www.instagram.com/henry_yang_productions/

In this episode, I share a personal update about the fight my family has been navigating and how it led me to step into advocacy in a deeper way. As a caregiver to a child with PANDAS PANS, I open up about the emotional weight, the challenges of navigating broken systems, and the moment I realized I could not stay silent any longer.

I talk about returning to school for counseling, supporting legislation for families like mine, and what it truly means to lead when the stakes are personal. This episode is about resilience, responsibility, and taking action when the system falls short.

If you are carrying stress, advocating for your family, or searching for purpose through hardship, this conversation will remind you that leadership often begins in the middle of the struggle.

Subscribe to Leaders Lead and leave a 5 star review. It helps the right people find the show.
Listen here: leadersleadthepodcast.com

Community
Join the Leaders Lead Community: flowcode.com/p/cSHVgIMAa?fc=0
Join for support grounded conversation and a place to connect without the online noise while you navigate real life.

Resources
National Mental Health Support Lines: 988 or 1 800 273 8255
Podcast website: leadersleadthepodcast.com
Leaders Lead Community: flowcode.com/p/cSHVgIMAa?fc=0

If you freeze in the moment or say yes when you really want to say no, this episode gives you words you can use and a way to stand behind them.

You will learn why freezing is a trauma response, why pausing is the first move, and how to use one simple line to buy time: let me get back to you. Barb Nangle also breaks down the difference between a boundary and control so you can stop managing other people’s feelings and focus on your responsibility. You will hear scripts like that is not going to work for me and not at this time, plus how resentment can be your signal that it is time to set or shore up a boundary. You will leave with a grounded next step you can practice today.

Subscribe to Leaders Lead and leave a 5 star review. It helps the right people find the show.
Listen here: leadersleadthepodcast.com

Community
Join the Leaders Lead Community: flowcode.com/p/cSHVgIMAa?fc=0
Join for support grounded conversation and a place to connect without the online noise while you navigate real life.

Resources
National Mental Health Support Lines: 988 or 1 800 273 8255
Podcast website: leadersleadthepodcast.com
Leaders Lead Community: flowcode.com/p/cSHVgIMAa?fc=0

I have watched estrangement hit like a full-body shock, not just a sad season.

I have felt that disbelief where it seems like I am in the twilight zone, replaying every conversation, asking what I did, and getting nothing but silence back. In this conversation, I sit with Nancy McCartney as she explains why estrangement feels so cruel, why rumination starts, and how walking on eggshells trains the nervous system to stay on high alert.

I keep coming back to one truth that changed how I move through this: awareness is the first act of liberation. You will leave with a clearer way to stop the loop and start moving again.

Subscribe to Leaders Lead and leave a 5 star review. It helps the right people find the show.
Listen here: leadersleadthepodcast.com

Community
Join the Leaders Lead Community: flowcode.com/p/cSHVgIMAa?fc=0
Join for support grounded conversation and a place to connect without the online noise while you navigate real life.

ResourcesNational Mental Health Support Lines: 988 or 1 800 273 8255
Podcast website: leadersleadthepodcast.com
Leaders Lead Community: flowcode.com/p/cSHVgIMAa?fc=0

Feeling overwhelmed by physical, digital, or emotional clutter?

In this episode, my guest Barbara Hemphill breaks it down with a simple truth: clutter is postponed decisions.

Barbara shares how clutter isn’t just “stuff,” it can be a symptom of emotional, spiritual, and mental weight that keeps people stuck, especially after loss, fear, or grief.

She explains a practical decision-making approach that helps you sort what’s in front of you, build systems that last, and create a productive environment where you can actually breathe again.

If clutter stress is draining your energy at home or at work, you’ll walk away with a clear way to decide, start small, and build momentum in 90 days.

Subscribe to Leaders Lead and leave a 5 star review. It helps the right people find the show.
Listen here: leadersleadthepodcast.com

Community
Join the Leaders Lead Community: flowcode.com/p/cSHVgIMAa?fc=0
Join for support grounded conversation and a place to connect without the online noise while you navigate real life.

Resources
National Mental Health Support Lines: 988 or 1 800 273 8255
Podcast website: leadersleadthepodcast.com
Leaders Lead Community: flowcode.com/p/cSHVgIMAa?fc=0
Barbara Hemphill's Website: productiveenvironment.com

I have been so pissed that I stopped publishing the podcast for a minute because I did not trust my words to land with care.

I kept watching what I am seeing around immigration enforcement and the way people talk about human dignity like it is negotiable, and it showed up in my body.

I felt it in my sleep, in my anxiety, and in the way I moved through the day.

I could not stop seeing it, and every comment section pulled me into a back and forth that left my mind racing at night. It made me feel bad.

The lesson I received was that I can protect my mental health without shutting down by limiting intake, grounding my nervous system, and using my voice without debating, and you will get clear steps to do that.

Subscribe to Leaders Lead and leave a 5 star review. It helps the right people find the show.
Listen here: leadersleadthepodcast.com

Community
Join the Leaders Lead Community: Join for support grounded conversation and a place to connect without the online noise while you navigate real life. flowcode.com/p/cSHVgIMAa?fc=0

Resources
National Mental Health Support Lines: 988 or 1 800 273 8255
Podcast website: leadersleadthepodcast.com
Leaders Lead Community: flowcode.com/p/cSHVgIMAa?fc=0

If you have ever been blindsided by someone you trust, you know that betrayal isn't just a regular trauma. It is a psychological earthquake that shatters your identity and worldview. In this episode, Dr. Debi Silber, founder of the PBT Institute, breaks down her groundbreaking PhD research on Post-Betrayal Syndrome.

She reveals why betrayal causes unique physical symptoms like digestive issues and extreme fatigue and provides a predictable, 5 stage roadmap to move you from survival mode into a completely transformed version of yourself.

• [05:41] Why Betrayal is a Unique Trauma: Dr. Debi explains why betrayal differs from other traumas because it forces you to question your ability to trust and trashes your sense of belonging and worthiness.

  
  

• [09:38] Defining Post-Betrayal Syndrome: A look at the collection of physical, mental, and emotional symptoms including hypervigilance and low energy that affect those who haven't fully healed.

  
  

• [15:19] The 5 Predictable Stages of Healing: Introducing the evidence based roadmap that takes you from the initial shock to the rebirth of a new worldview.

  
  

• [19:56] The Stage 3 Trap: Why most people stay stuck for decades in survival mode because it feels safe, often leading to numbing behaviors like emotional eating or overworking.

  
  

• [39:19] Rebuilding the Brick Wall of Trust: A powerful analogy explaining that trust must be rebuilt brick by brick by the person who broke it, while the betrayed person's only job is to observe.

  
  

About Dr. Debi Silber:Dr. Debi Silber is the Founder and CEO of The PBT (Post Betrayal Transformation) Institute and National Forgiveness Day. She is a 2-time #1 International bestselling author and has been featured on FOX, CBS, and The Dr. Oz Show.

Her PhD study revolutionized the understanding of betrayal recovery by identifying the specific stages required for full transformation.

Connect with Dr. Debi:

• Take the Quiz: Do You Have Post Betrayal Syndrome?

• Official Website: The PBT Institute

• Watch the TEDx: Do You Have Post Betrayal Syndrome?

• Listen to the Podcast: From Betrayal to Breakthrough

If you were just diagnosed with dyslexia and don’t know what it really means, this episode is for you.
We talk about how dyslexia is misunderstood, how it affects confidence, and what actually helps moving forward.

Full description:

A dyslexia diagnosis can bring relief, confusion, grief, and fear all at once. Many people are left wondering whether this explains years of self doubt, overworking, or feeling behind, and what it means for their future.

In this episode of Leaders Lead – Even When It Hurts, Tony Taylor sits down with Willie Blake to talk honestly about what dyslexia really is and what it is not. Willie shares what it was like growing up dyslexic, being misunderstood in school, and internalizing the belief that he was less capable than others.

Together, they unpack why dyslexia is often misread as laziness or inconsistency, how it impacts confidence and self trust, and why so many people develop coping strategies like people pleasing, overworking, or staying quiet. This conversation also explores how understanding your wiring can shift shame into clarity and help you move forward without trying to fix yourself.

This episode is not about motivation or pushing harder. It is about understanding dyslexia with compassion, rebuilding confidence from the inside out, and learning how to work with your brain instead of against it.

If you were just diagnosed, support someone with dyslexia, or quietly suspect this might apply to you, this conversation is a place to start.