Success is Subjective: Real People. Raw Stories. Embracing a Non-Linear Life!

Today’s episode of Success is Subjective continues Joanna’s Special Parent Series. This new series gives parents the opportunity to share their journey of helping their child navigate mental health and higher education. Today’s episode is a conversation between Joanna and Scott. Scott’s son struggled with anxiety in his teenage years, which later morphed into OCD, Body Dysmorphia and eventually, R...

With a mind wired for academic success, Amanda thought she was prepared to take on college. What she didn’t expect though, was that her underdeveloped social and emotional skills would push her towards substance abuse and addiction. After a near-death experience, rehab and a lot of self-reflection, Amanda eventually found her passion in helping teens and young adults recover from their own addicti...

Brenda Zane almost needs no introduction.  She's a mother who’s been vocal about her experience dealing with her son’s struggles with substance abuse. So vocal, she created and launched an online community for moms. She’s also the host of the Hopestream podcast, where each episode is filled with resources and information from experts for parents of adolescents and young adults dealing with su...

Joanna Lilley is a therapeutic consultant who works with the families of young adults to help them get the various resources that they need. On this episode, Joanna sits down with another therapeutic consultant, Michael Collins. Michael talks about his journey of climbing the corporate ladder in one of the world’s largest contract research organizations. He shares how he eventually grew into a con...

Some studies have shown that PTSD is most prevalent in 18-24 year olds; the same time frame when many individuals are transitioning into college, the work force, and a life of adult responsibilities for the first time. On today’s episode of Success is Subjective , Joanna sits down with Grace Filiss, founding member of the Colorado Community Collaborative for Eating Disorders. Grace talks about how...

Growing up in a family of overachievers, some of whom had multiple master’s degrees, Valerie Milburn knew what was expected of her as she approached post-secondary education. While following the path paved before her, Valerie set out for college. While she was able to succeed and earned her undergraduate degree in journalism, Valerie was just beginning to realize how severe her issues with mental...

With the influence of highly successful family members exemplifying what traditional success looks like, it’s no wonder that Steven Angerosa had a hard time deciphering what career path was the one for him. After completing college, Steven knew he had to let go of what he thought he needed to do and discover what he was truly passionate about. On today’s episode of Success is Subjective, Steven si...

While not receiving her ADHD diagnosis until halfway through college, Samantha Kolkey says it was so empowering when she finally did. On today’s episode of Success is Subjective , Samantha sits down with Joanna to share how liberating it was to be able to filter her life experiences through the lens of ADHD. She explains the freedom and fulfillment she now finds as the director of a nonprofit that...

Everyone takes their own path in hopes of attaining success. Some effortlessly glide past the all too familiar and sometimes, stereotypical mile markers that society has held up to highlight the expected route. Others stumble down the road less traveled, looking for their own version of ultimate fulfillment. No matter one’s path, we’re all hoping to eventually attain our own idea of fulfillment. ...

We all go through seasons where our mental health is suffering more than usual. It can come with the natural ebbs and flows of life and can serve as a reminder that when we have capacity, our minds need nurturing.  Jesse Cody, a successful student-athlete who earned a full ride athletic scholarship to Providence College, appeared to the outside world to have it all together. But as the saying goes...

While it may appear on the outside that someone has acquired great success, that doesn’t necessarily mean that they are internally satisfied, or that their exterior status was worth the turmoil it took to achieve.  Tom Anderson started training for the Speed Skating Olympics at a young age. After struggling academically, this athletic endeavor felt like his big-break – a once in a lifetime opportu...

The point of college is to pour into your studies, work hard and hopefully come out on the other end as an employable candidate, ready to achieve great success in the workforce. But at what cost? Surely not that of your mental health.  Sarah Ketchen Lipson is a dual-title PhD, the Principal of the Healthy Minds Network and the Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Law Policy and Manageme...

Maybe you’re feeling left behind and confused as all your peers head off to more prestigious colleges than yours. Or, maybe you’re feeling lost and alone in your battle with mental health. Whatever season you might be in, as frustrating as it can be, the unknown parts that don’t make any sense hold a purpose.  Tess Reardon’s academic and career story is a great example of this. From feeling like a...

Let’s face it. Transitions are anything but easy. But, guess what?! You aren’t alone! We all go through them. Some, handle them better than others, though, that doesn’t mean you can’t too! Halie Devlin, Founder of Embodied Recovery Community, has learned over the years to take transitions as an invitation to not take herself so seriously and as an opportunity to bring more light into her life. Fro...

Raising children into adults isn't a cookie cutter strategy. It’s about much more than taking certain steps –it’s about working alongside your child, with the future in mind. Deana Thayer, co-founder of Future Focused Parenting, went into college thinking it was about graduating and becoming an adult as fast as possible. When she graduated college with a bachelors at age 20, she thought her c...

Navigating school with learning difficulties is hard enough, let alone taking them to college and grad school. It can be easy to let fear take the reins and give up on the idea of success altogether. Though, what if you instead really leaned into the fear?  Paul Taylor, Founder of the Live Strong House, grew up with learning difficulties weighing him down for the majority of his academic career. I...

Whether it be your first nightmare of a job working at a flower shop or the many addiction treatment centers that were involved while in college –each and every experience you go through, positive and negative, are necessary. You never know how even the most not-so-great experiences have made an impact in where you are now and where you’re headed. Alex Zemeckis, President & Owner of The Ground...

Some say, “The journey is the destination.” though, what if the struggle is the journey?  As a recovery advocate, Chris Kirby has personal experience with seeing how imperative struggle has been in his own journey, as well as a front row look at how important it has been for his recovering clients in treatment. Chris graduated from The Last House in 2014 and now works in direct client care as a co...

What are you going to do about it? That’s the real question. Whether you’re at a career crossroads or stuck in a 90-day treatment center, what are you going to do about your predicament? The answer might be simple.  Matt Nannis, Executive Director of PivotPoint WNC, had to ask himself this exact question multiple times throughout his young adult journey –from trying to reach never-ending unrealist...

“When you compare, you lose.” It’s really as simple as that. Comparing adds nothing to your life or anyone else’s because your experience is yours and yours alone. Not your parent’s experience, not your teachers’ experience, not your best friend’s experience.  So, what would it really look like to live out a life without comparing? Colin Cass, an Associate Certified Coach at Parent Coach Professio...

We often think that in order to survive, we have to major in a career that we hate but pays well or work ourselves to the bone at the cost of time with loved ones. But, what if you could survive while still enjoying life? Tracy Hopkins, Director of Business Development and Inclusion & Belonging Specialist at Outback Therapeutic Expeditions, grew up with an intense amount of pressure to make a...

How can you create meaning in your life? Sounds like a daunting question –a daunting task. When, in reality, it can be found even in the smallest things that bring you life. When you can find something that does that for you and lean into that, that’s when you lean into true success. Anything else, that’s definite or objective, can easily give you a false sense and fleeting sense of success. And,...

What is driving your decisions? Fear? Your parent’s experiences? Greed? Your teachers’ opinions? When your life decisions are being made from any place other than your best self, you seek out disaster. Brian Tierney, Clinical Outreach Manager for Red Rock Recovery Center, was told by many to put off college following high school but decided to go anyway in hopes to not feel less than his peers. Af...

Tried out a major that ended up not being for you? Try another one! Didn’t get the job that you wanted? Maybe it wasn’t meant for you. Time to pursue another option! It’s really as simple as that. Continue to shift gears and try different paths. Failure is never final as long as you continue to try. Kaysha Sorenson has had her fair share of ‘failures’ in life but, she’s never let that stop her. Fr...

That’s the big question: will a degree really make your life more comfortable like your parents and teachers make it seem? Growing up, Brennon Moore had the idea that getting a degree would fix everything and had no question about whether or not it would be a part of his success story. Turns out, the key areas of his success story would involve his hardships, rather than how many degrees he earned...