My Rejection Story

In this episode, keynote speaker and former litigator Kim Bolourtchi joins Alice to unpack what happens when following all the rules still leaves you feeling hollow. After building a high-powered legal career, Kim realized that the very traits that made her “successful” — discipline, control, and achievement — were also keeping her small. She opens up about the moment her two worlds collided: argu...

In this episode, I bring together four of the smartest, funniest, most relatable ADHD creators I know to unpack one of the trickiest topics in business: self-promotion. We talk about everything from the executive dysfunction that makes “just post it” feel impossible, to the dopamine desert that hits after you finally do. There’s a lot of laughter, a lot of honesty, and a few mic-drop strategies th...

In this episode, bestselling author and former Hallmark executive Tara Jaye Frank joins Alice to talk about the messy, courageous process of letting go—of careers, of marriages, and of identities that no longer fit. From leaving a long-term marriage to walking away from a lucrative book deal, Tara opens up about what it means to choose yourself when everything in you has been wired for people-plea...

What if success takes longer than expected? In this reflective and empowering episode, writer and creative entrepreneur Jamie Varon joins My Rejection Story to talk about the uncomfortable space between effort and outcome. We dig deep into the psychology of delayed gratification vs instant gratification, what it means to stay motivated when the world isn’t watching, and how to keep creating even w...

What if the fear of rejection is actually a fear of being fully seen? In this poetic and soul-searching episode, author and spoken word artist Arielle Estoria opens up about what it means to grow beyond who the world expects you to be—and how devastating, liberating, and cyclical that journey can be. Best known for her viral Arielle Estoria poems, her book The Unfolding, and her ability to speak s...

What happens when the dream ends and you're left with nothing? In this raw and powerful episode of My Rejection Story, former NFL player turned motivational speaker Marques Ogden shares his incredible journey through identity loss, business collapse, and ultimately, self-reinvention. At one point, Marques was at the top: running a $25 million construction company, driving luxury cars, and living t...

Ever heard of defensive failure? What about productive failure? In this deeply honest and psychologically rich episode, cognitive psychologist and bestselling author Dr. Amanda Crowell unpacks what it means to do the work that truly matters. We explore the Great Work framework, the emotional toll of overachievement, and the quiet sabotage of “defensive failure”—a pattern that stops us from even at...

What if the thing that hurts the most isn’t rejection itself, but how your brain processes it? In this emotionally resonant solo episode, host Alice Draper unpacks the lived experience of Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD): a lesser-known but deeply felt condition experienced by many, especially those with ADHD. Through childhood memories, Reddit stories, and peer-reviewed research, she explores...

What happens when success becomes a prison? In this candid and soul-baring episode, bestselling author and branding expert Jessica Zweig opens up about the emotional cost of staying in a business that no longer aligned with her truth. She shares the moment she realized it was more painful to stay than to leave—and what followed was a journey of healing, identity loss, and radical self-reinvention....

In this short and powerful replay, ADHD coach, creator, and author Meredith Carder explains why masking happens, what ADHD masking symptoms look like, and how to make strategic choices about when to mask and when to unmask. Many people with ADHD mask their symptoms (at work, with friends, or in public) to fit in and avoid judgment. But masking comes at a cost, and for some, it can lead to ADHD mas...

Christine Platt boldly embraces the power of less. She has written more than two dozen books, and spent more than 20 years advocating for social justice and the environment in academia, governments, non-profits and the private sector. After writing  The Afrominimalist’s Guide to Living with Less, she became widely known as the Afro-minimalist, a black woman who started a movement. In the book,   s...

This episode is personal, vulnerable, and messy — for a reason. Alice reflects on the fear of saying the wrong thing, the rejection that often follows speaking up, and what happened when influencer Jenna Kutcher finally broke her silence on Palestine. This is a conversation about rejection, shame, activism, and the paralysis of perfectionism in the age of public scrutiny. Chapters: 00:00 Opening —...

Your loneliness isn't weakness, it's love without a home. In this raw and reflective episode, writer and mindset coach Katie Horwitch joins Alice to explore the emotional roots of identity, self-talk, loneliness, and healing. Katie shares her journey from childhood eating disorders to building a platform that helps others shift their inner narratives—without sugarcoating the messiness of t...

Heartbreak doesn’t just feel like withdrawal. It is withdrawal. In this short, powerful replay, psychologist and author Guy Winch explains why breakups hurt so much and why trying to “stay friends” with your ex might be sabotaging your recovery. He breaks down the neuroscience of heartbreak, compares it to addiction, and shares why going cold turkey - unfollowing, muting, and cutting contact - isn...

What if every tiny criticism (real or imagined) felt like a full-body betrayal? In this validating and deeply personal episode, ADHD educator and author Jesse J. Anderso n joins Alice to unpack what rejection-sensitive dysphoria (RSD) really feels like, and how it’s shaped his relationships, self-perception, and emotional responses. Jesse shares how RSD used to hijack his nervous system, leading t...

Why do we still fear being left out, even in safe, loving friendships? In this solo episode, Alice opens up about a vivid dream that left her in tears and the deeper fears it uncovered. Despite being a grown adult with supportive relationships, her subconscious still clings to the belief that one day, the people she loves might just… stop loving her. This episode dives into the science behind soci...

What would you do if a media giant stole your idea—and then went viral with it? In this deeply personal and surprisingly funny episode, Alice sits down with Marina Iakovleva, the creator of Dating Beyond Borders , a wildly popular YouTube channel with over 675,000 subscribers. Marina built her brand from a scrappy video experiment in Panama to a global platform exploring intercultural relationship...

Why does criticism feel like a punch to the gut when you have ADHD? And why do so many women with ADHD go undiagnosed for decades? In this bold and eye-opening episode, bestselling author and podcast host Tracy Otsuka joins Alice to unpack how rejection shows up in the ADHD brain, and why it’s often misunderstood, minimized, or masked. Tracy shares the brain science behind rejection-sensitive dysp...

What if success wasn't the reward for grinding through work—but the result of actually enjoying it? In this candid and deeply insightful episode, multi-time founder and former Airbnb leader Jason Silver joins Alice to unpack the often backwards narratives we hold about work, ambition, and rejection. Jason shares the raw story of crashing his startup—and the surprising way that failure led to a...

Uncertainty can feel like standing on the edge of a cliff, waiting for instructions that never arrive. In this solo episode, Alice reflects on her early career decision to turn down traditional jobs and lean into freelancing—not because it felt brave, but because it made a strange kind of sense. Years later, she’s still navigating the discomfort of not-knowing, and learning to stay present through...

with Senamile Zungu In this episode, Alice sits down with her best friend Senamile Zungu for the most personal conversation ever recorded on My Rejection Story. Sena opens up about what it took to unravel—and survive—after years of perfectionism, people-pleasing, and pushing through pain. From two psychiatric hospitalizations to setting boundaries that cost her relationships, this is the story of...

We all know we’re going to die. So why do we live like we have unlimited time? In this episode, author and life design coach Jodi Wellman joins Alice to talk about the surprising power of using your mortality as a motivator for living a bigger, bolder life. Jodi shares how rejection, boredom, and “just fine” living are often symptoms of a life stuck in autopilot—and how death can wake us up to the...

What happens when you reach the next level—and feel worse, not better? In this episode, confidence coach and podcast host Nicole Kalil shares the story of climbing the corporate ladder, earning the promotion she thought she wanted… and realizing she was completely misaligned with the life she was building. We talk about what it’s like to have external success and internal disconnection, why so man...

What happens when everything you’ve worked for starts to feel misaligned—but you’re too successful to quit and too scared to stay? In this episode, Kelli Thompson, leadership coach and author of Closing the Confidence Gap , returns to the show to talk about the messy middle—what she calls the “Poop Soup” phase—when clarity hasn’t arrived, but your gut already knows it’s time for change. Kelli shar...

Why did so many of us grow up believing we were too loud, too hairy, too much? In this episode, journalist, author, and personal essayist Iman Hariri-Kia joins Alice to unpack how early media shaped our shame—and how she’s spent her adult life writing herself out of it. From reading Cosmo and Seventeen at an age when she barely understood her own body, to publishing her debut novel and watching it...