The Why Me Podcast

What if your purpose isn’t something you have to go out and find—but something that’s already woven into who you are? In this episode of the Why Me Podcast , host Brianna Spurgeon shares a simple 5-minute purpose exercise she learned more than six years ago during a season of career uncertainty. At the time, Brianna was questioning what she brought to the table beyond her résumé, experience, and j...

In this episode of The Why Me Podcast with Brianna Spurgeon , Brianna explores the lost art of telling people what they mean to us—before tragedy, grief, or a major life event forces us to say it. From Facebook comments filled with “thoughts and prayers” to the disappearing nature of text messages, Brianna wonders whether modern technology has made it easier to acknowledge someone’s pain without t...

In this episode of The Why Me Podcast , host Brianna Spurgeon takes an honest look at self-criticism, negative thinking, judgment, and the exhausting habit of constantly comparing ourselves to others. Brianna shares a personal realization that the criticism she had been directing toward herself was beginning to spill over into how she viewed other people. From judging our appearance, homes, career...

What if the setback you’re facing isn’t actually a setback at all—but a redirection? In this episode of The Why Me Podcast, host Brianna Spurgeon explores the unexpected detours, delays, closed doors, and disappointments that can completely change the direction of our lives. Drawing from her own experience stepping away from an AI consulting business just as it was beginning to gain momentum, Bria...

What if the best time to prepare for a hard season isn’t when you’re already struggling—but when life is going really well? On this episode of The Why Me Podcast , host Brianna Spurgeon reflects on what happened when an unexpected season of complications after surgery completely shook up her routines, leaving her feeling out of balance and unsure how to find her way back to the things that made he...

What if getting out of a rut starts with getting out of your routine? In this episode of The Why Me Podcast , host Brianna Spurgeon explores the surprising connection between routine, novelty, memory, and how we experience our lives. When life shakes you up with an unexpected change, disappointment, loss, transition, or difficult season, it can be tempting to retreat into the same routines and env...

Everyone knows the advice: “You should exercise.” Move your body. Go for a walk. Get outside. Work out. Take care of yourself. But what if exercise could do far more than improve physical health? In this episode of The Why Me Podcast , host Brianna Spurgeon takes a deeper look at exercise as a powerful complementary tool for navigating the mental and emotional weight of a Why Me Moment. Whether so...

In this powerful episode of The Why Me Podcast , host Brianna Spurgeon shares what she learned after a 10-day hospital stay, two surgeries, time in the ICU, and some of the most physically and mentally difficult days of her life. Brianna opens up about what happens when mental strength, positivity, and resilience aren’t enough—and what it means to reach the end of yourself. Through a powerful mome...

In this episode of The Why Me Podcast, host Brianna Spurgeon explores the power of zooming out when life feels overwhelming. Through personal reflection and practical perspective shifts, Brianna shares how stepping back from the details can help people see their challenges, fears, and decisions through a bigger lens. From stressful work moments to life-changing leaps of faith, this episode challen...

In this episode of The Why Me Podcast, host Brianna Spurgeon explores why gratitude is not just an emotion we experience when life is going well, but a discipline we can practice in every season. Inspired by her conversation with Emily Stuckwish, who experienced being struck by lightning and later the loss of her father, Brianna reflects on the power of choosing gratitude even in the middle of dif...

What happens when life doesn’t go according to plan? When the outcome is uncertain, the timeline is unknown, and the weight feels too heavy to carry? In this powerful episode of The Why Me Podcast, host Brianna Spurgeon explores the difference between surrender and giving up. Through a deeply personal story from her pregnancy with her second son and the unexpected challenges that followed in her o...

In this powerful episode of The Why Me Podcast, host Brianna Spurgeon explores what happens when life brings us moments we cannot undo. Inspired by the story of Emily Traveller, a young woman whose life changed forever after a devastating accident, Brianna reflects on the grief of losing the future we imagined and the courage it takes to move forward when circumstances cannot be changed. Drawing f...

In this episode of The Why Me Podcast, host Brianna Spurgeon reflects on the quiet grief and unexpected beauty of outgrowing people, places, dreams, and versions of ourselves that once felt like home. Through personal reflection and the metaphor of two hikers whose paths eventually diverge, Brianna explores why some seasons are meant to be cherished rather than held onto forever. She shares how en...

What if one simple question could change the way you approach every challenge in life? In this episode of The Why Me Podcast, host Brianna Spurgeon shares an unexpected lesson from her three-year-old son that became a powerful reminder about the questions we ask ourselves. After a difficult evening, a simple coaching technique transformed a conversation from “I can’t” into “How will I?”—unlocking...

In this episode of The Why Me Podcast, host Brianna Spurgeon explores a Reddit thread where hundreds of people answered one simple question: what’s one change that made the biggest difference in their life? What starts as a list of familiar answers—small habits like drinking more water, exercising, and improving sleep—quickly unfolds into something much deeper. As Brianna reads through the respons...

Losing a job can feel like losing your footing overnight. In this episode of The Why Me Podcast, host Brianna Spurgeon shares the deeply personal story of being unexpectedly laid off while nearly eight months pregnant with her first child. Faced with uncertainty about health insurance, motherhood, her career, and what came next, Brianna found herself navigating one of the most stressful seasons of...

On this episode of The Why Me Podcast, host Brianna Spurgeon explores why five-year plans so often fail in real life—and what it means when the future you carefully mapped out no longer matches the life you’re actually living. We’re taught to build long-term plans as if life is predictable: set goals, define milestones, and follow the roadmap. But in reality, life rarely cooperates with the versio...

In this episode of The Why Me Podcast, Brianna Spurgeon steps back from the question people often ask in difficult seasons—“Why me?”—and explores a different perspective: “Why them?” Why do some individuals seem to build extraordinary lives, businesses, and opportunities while others remain stuck searching for what’s missing? Brianna shares a story of Greg LaVecchia, an entrepreneur she has follow...

In this episode of The Why Me Podcast, host Brianna Spurgeon explores the powerful concept of creating a “time capsule” as a metaphor for legacy, purpose, and intentional living. Brianna Spurgeon reflects on personal experiences that led her to consider mortality, motherhood, and what it means to leave something meaningful behind for her children and future generations. Through storytelling and re...

In this powerful MG Awareness Month episode of The Why Me Podcast, host Brianna Spurgeon shares her real-life experience living with Myasthenia Gravis — a chronic autoimmune neuromuscular disease that affects communication between the nerves and muscles. Brianna breaks down what Myasthenia Gravis actually is in simple, understandable terms while also opening up about her personal diagnosis journey...

In this episode of The Why Me Podcast, host Brianna Spurgeon explores the often-overlooked reality of everyday overwhelm and specifically end-of-school-year burnout, along with the emotional weight of daily mental load that builds during busy seasons of life. As schedules pile up, responsibilities increase, and capacity feels stretched thin, many people find themselves wondering why life suddenly...

In this episode of The Why Me Podcast, Brianna explores one of the most surprising parts of sharing her health journey: just how many people quietly resonate with the experience of feeling “off” in their body without clear answers. From chronic fatigue and brain fog to feeling dismissed or brushed off in healthcare settings, this conversation reflects the emotional reality of navigating unexplaine...

In this episode of The Why Me Podcast, host Brianna Spurgeon explores the psychology of navigating unexpected change and the emotional and mental phases people move through when life shifts in ways they didn’t choose. Drawing on her background in strategy and transformation within large organizations—as well as her personal experience facing a long-term health diagnosis—Brianna breaks down how hum...

In this episode of The Why Me Podcast, host Brianna Spurgeon explores a deeply personal reflection on burnout, disruption, and the search for meaning in everyday life through the lens of David Brooks’ book The Second Mountain. After reading one line—“What is life asking of me?”—Brianna begins to re-examine her own journey through corporate success, motherhood, identity shifts, and unexpected healt...

In this episode of The Why Me Podcast, host Brianna Spurgeon explores why major life events—loss, success, illness, or unexpected change—often make life feel like it splits into a “before” and an “after.” We tend to describe these moments as identity shifts, where the future we were imagining no longer matches the life we are living inside of. Why does this happen, and what are we actually experie...