Shows / The Anxious Achiever
The Anxious Achiever
Host Morra Aarons-Mele is on a mission to reframe how we think about anxiety and mental health in the workplace. Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S. We desperately need better models for leadership and a more holistic view of mental health. Our culture tells those of us who suffer from anxiety and depression that we can’t succeed, but we tell a different story — without sugarcoating the tough stuff. We feature stories from people who’ve been there and experts who…
Episodes
- The Anxious Achiever
AuDHD: The Diagnosis of Contradictions with Dr. Jessica Schonhut Stasik
What if success isn’t about fitting in, but about creating something that fits you? In this episode, I talk with astrophysicist Dr. Jessica Schonhut Stasik…
- The Anxious Achiever
Please Sleep: It Makes You More Charismatic with Dr. Christopher Barnes
Are you actually more productive when you work longer hours or just more exhausted? In this episode, I talk with Christopher Barnes, Professor of Management…
- The Anxious Achiever
Moving Towards "Neuroconvergence" with Google's Ennis Olson
What if the problem isn’t your focus, your discipline, or your productivity, but the way you’ve been taught to work? In this episode, I talk with Ennis Olson…
- The Anxious Achiever
The Freelancer's Guide To Less Anxiety with Chris Brogan & Ada Calhoun
Is entrepreneurship making your anxiety worse, or is it actually revealing something deeper about how you work and cope? In this episode, I talk with…
- The Anxious Achiever
A Mad Scientist's Guide to Happiness: Arthur Brooks on Anxiety and Meaning
What if happiness isn’t something you feel, but something you learn? In this episode, I talk with Dr. Arthur Brooks about why anxious achievers often struggle…
- The Anxious Achiever
Manage Anxiety When It's Your Daily Companion with Alice Boyes
Is your anxiety something you need to eliminate or something you need to understand better? In this episode, I talk with psychologist Alice Boyes about the…
- The Anxious Achiever
“College Is Your Best Four Years” And Other Lies We Need to Stop Telling with Dr. Alexis Redding
Are today’s college students really in a mental health crisis, or are you misunderstanding what it’s always been like to grow up? In this episode, I talk with…
- The Anxious Achiever
Hiding In The Bathroom: Social Anxiety And You with Dr. Ellen Hendriksen & Arvind Rajan
What if the anxiety you feel walking into a meeting, networking event, or conference isn’t a personal flaw, but social anxiety? In this episode, clinical…
- The Anxious Achiever
Greg Lukianoff: Why Free Speech Makes Us Mentally Stronger
What if the skill that makes you a stronger leader is the same skill that protects free speech? In this episode, I’m joined by Greg Lukianoff, First Amendment…
- The Anxious Achiever
Your Attachment Style At Work with Jack Hinman
What if the stress you feel at work isn’t just about deadlines or difficult bosses, but about your attachment style? In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Jack…
- The Anxious Achiever
Jedi Mindsets for the Anxious Achiever with Shirzad Chamine
What if the biggest obstacle to your performance isn’t your workload or your leadership challenges, but your own mind? In this episode, I sit down with Shirzad…
- The Anxious Achiever
Do Conflict Better With Amy Gallo
Do difficult conversations keep you up at night, or do they make you want to avoid conflict altogether? In this episode, I sit down with workplace conflict…
- The Anxious Achiever
The Gift of Introverted Leadership with Jennifer Kahnweiler
For years, leadership has been associated with charisma, confidence, and speaking the loudest in the room. But what if some of the most powerful leadership…
- The Anxious Achiever
How To Negotiate When Negotiating Makes You Nervous with Chris Voss & Moshe Cohen
Negotiation isn’t just about boardrooms and big deals. It’s every time you ask for what you need that brings up fear, self-doubt, and a rush of emotion that…
- The Anxious Achiever
Inside the Role of Chief Wellbeing Officer with Jen Fisher
Work is making people sick, and quick fixes are not enough. In this episode, I’m joined by Jen Fisher, former Chief Wellbeing Officer at Deloitte, to talk…
- The Anxious Achiever
Why Do We Micromanage People? With Prof. Julia Milner
You’re not trying to control people. You’re trying to help. But what if your “help” is quietly draining your team’s confidence, creativity, and trust? In this…
- The Anxious Achiever
The Best Leadership Advice You'll Ever Get with Margaret Andrews
Self-understanding is the foundation of great leadership. In this episode, I sit down with Margaret Andrews, leadership educator, former executive director of…
- The Anxious Achiever
Should You Be Yourself At Work? With Dr. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic
We’re told to “bring our whole selves to work.” But what if that advice is burning you out, especially if you’re anxious, neurodivergent, or wired differently?…
- The Anxious Achiever
David Lancefield Has A Better Way To Talk About Mental Health At Work
We’ve never talked more about mental health at work and yet, burnout is rising, disengagement is everywhere, and leaders still feel stuck. In this episode, I’m…
- The Anxious Achiever
Eating Disorders, Body Image, Anxiety with Melissa Gerson
For so many high-achievers, food becomes the one thing we can control when everything else feels uncertain. In this episode, I’m joined by Melissa Gerson…
- The Anxious Achiever
Jane Chen On Collapse, Extreme Self-Help, and Healing Yourself
Work becomes the place where we pour everything we can’t face elsewhere. In this episode, I’m joined by Jane Chen, founder of Embrace, to talk about burnout…
- The Anxious Achiever
ADHD Ahas from a Combat Pilot, a $250 Million Founder, and a Professor
What do a combat pilot, a $250M entrepreneur, and a world-renowned academic have in common? ADHD. In this episode, I revisit one of my favorite conversations…
- The Anxious Achiever
Fitting In Is the Enemy of Excellence (with Anne Morriss & Frances Frei)
What if the very differences you’ve been trying to smooth out are actually your greatest leadership strengths? In this episode, I’m joined by renowned…
- The Anxious Achiever
Breathwork For A Better Workday with Zsombor Szabo
Most of us are unknowingly over-breathing all day long, and it’s quietly keeping our nervous systems stuck in fight or flight. In this episode, I sit down with…
- The Anxious Achiever
Train Your Brain To Focus with Dr. Michael Gervais
What if peak performance isn’t about grinding harder but mastering your inner world? In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Michael Gervais, high-performance…
- The Anxious Achiever
Maladaptive Perfectionism Explained with Jordana Confino
Perfectionism often looks like ambition, discipline, and excellence until it quietly turns into anxiety, burnout, and relentless self-criticism. In this…
- The Anxious Achiever
Get What You Need At Work (Without Making It "About You") with Stew Friedman
Asking for what you need at work wasn’t an accommodation, but a leadership skill. In this episode, I sit down with Stew Friedman, the pioneer of Total…
- The Anxious Achiever
Is It Toxic? Your Questions Answered with Benish Shah
We throw the word toxic around a lot at work, but how do you actually know when an environment is truly toxic versus just uncomfortable, stressful, or not the…
- The Anxious Achiever
Is Taylor Swift An Anxious Achiever? With Kevin Evers
Is Taylor Swift an anxious achiever? In this episode, I sit down with Kevin Evers, editor at Harvard Business Review Press and author of "There's Nothing Like…
- The Anxious Achiever
Millennials, Gen Z, and the Loss of The American Dream with Annie Lowrey
Many older workers complain that younger generations don’t work hard enough or don’t want their jobs to define them. But what if that behavior is actually a…
- The Anxious Achiever
Netflix Former Chief Talent Officer On Why We Can't Seem To Fix Burnout with Jessica Neal
Burnout isn’t just about working too hard, and stress isn’t always the enemy. In this episode, I talk with Jessica Neal, former Chief Talent Officer at Netflix…
- The Anxious Achiever
Uncertainty Can Be Awesome With Maggie Jackson
Uncertainty isn’t something to fix, but something that actually makes you sharper, more resilient, and more innovative. In this episode, I sit down with Maggie…
- The Anxious Achiever
Patrick Lencioni: Stop Feeling Guilt About What's Hard For You
What if the things you feel most ashamed of at work are actually your superpowers? In this conversation, I sit down with bestselling author and Founder & CEO…
- The Anxious Achiever
The Secret To Becoming A Mindful Leader with Dr. Ravi Kudesia
The most powerful leadership tool you have isn’t authority or expertise, but attention. In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Ravi Kudesia, Associate Professor…
- The Anxious Achiever
You Can Unshame Yourself with David Bedrick
The shame you feel at work isn’t a personal flaw, but a kind of violence acting on your story, your body, and your worth. In this episode, I sit down with…
- The Anxious Achiever
Exploring AI Anxiety With A Leader In Charge Of AI Transformation with Lee Gonzales
What if your AI anxiety isn’t a flaw, but a signal to evolve how you work? In this episode, I sit down with Lee Gonzales, engineering leader and creator of…
- The Anxious Achiever
America’s Nervous System Is Dysregulated with Kate Woodsome
What if the problem in America isn’t just political? What if our collective nervous system is overloaded? In this episode, I sit down with Kate Woodsome…
- The Anxious Achiever
How To Heal After A Layoff with Yowei Shaw
Layoffs do more than drain your bank account, they shake your sense of worth, belonging, and identity. In this episode, Yowei Shaw, an emotional investigative…
- The Anxious Achiever
AI, ADHD, And Humanness with Dr. Tracy Dennis Tiwary
Is your anxiety about AI actually trying to help you? In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Tracy Dennis Tiwary to talk about AI anxiety, overdiagnosis, ADHD…
- The Anxious Achiever
Brad Feld on OCD, Depression, and the Courage to Be Honest
Stigma loses its power when leaders tell the truth. In this episode, venture investor and Techstars co-founder Brad Feld shares why he went public about…
- The Anxious Achiever
The “Losing-My-Sh**” Playlist And Other Tools For High Strivers With Dr. Diana Hill
Feeling overworked, overwhelmed, and still unsatisfied? In this episode, psychologist and author Dr. Diana Hill is back to share how to transform anxious…
- The Anxious Achiever
Leading For Human Agency With SAP's V.R. Ferose
In today’s high-pressure world, leading with love isn’t idealistic, it’s essential. In this episode, I sit down with V.R. Ferose, 26-year SAP leader and Head…
- The Anxious Achiever
What Neurodistinct Professionals Really Think About Their Careers with Dr. Diane Biray Gregorio
If you’ve ever wondered how to lead and thrive with a different brain, this conversation will help you feel less alone and better understand your neurodistinct…
- The Anxious Achiever
Self Compassion For Overachievers with Attorney Mark Goldstein & Dr. Kristin Neff
Today we’re exploring the skill that ambitious, anxious brains often resist: self-compassion. You’ll hear attorney Mark Goldstein’s candid story of OCD…
- The Anxious Achiever
Muriel M Wilkins: Get Unblocked, Lead With More Ease
Ever feel like the very habits that made you successful are now holding you back? In this episode, I sit down with executive coach Muriel Wilkins, author of…
- The Anxious Achiever
Gabrielle Union on PTSD, Social Anxiety, and Navigating Fame
What does it take to tell the truth when the world punishes you for it? In this conversation we're bringing back from 2021, Gabrielle Union talks about living…
- The Anxious Achiever
He Built Coach Into a $5 Billion Company, But Feared Failure Every Day | Lew Frankfort
What happens when one of America’s most admired CEOs admits that fear of failure never left him, even after building a multi-billion-dollar brand? In this…
- The Anxious Achiever
Why "the Worst Advice Ever" Taught Entrepreneur Robert Glazer To Play To His Strengths
What happens when the adrenaline fades and achievement alone stops feeling fulfilling? Robert Glazer is back to talk about what it really means to live and…
- The Anxious Achiever
ADHD, Anxiety, and the Challenge of Doing What You Know You Need to Do with J Russell Ramsay
ADHD isn’t just about distraction, it’s about emotion, motivation, and the gap between knowing what to do and actually doing it. In this episode, I sit down…
- The Anxious Achiever
Morra x Fixable: How to feel less awkward, stay strong during a job search, and build your team's confidence
We’ve been taught that confidence means the absence of anxiety, but what if that’s completely wrong? In this special crossover episode, I joined Anne and…
The Anxious AchieverBeekman 1802's Josh Kilmer-Purcell: Anxiety Is My Superpower
So many high achievers feel like their anxiety or depression will hold them back, but what if those challenges are actually your edge? In this episode, I sit…
- The Anxious Achiever
Great Leaders Have Anxiety– And They Know How To Manage It
Anxiety isn’t a flaw you have to hide or a weakness you need to fix, it’s information you can use. In this special cross-post from The Next Big Idea podcast, I…
- The Anxious Achiever
Leading for Inclusive Excellence with Dr. Keivan Stassun
What can an Astrophysics Lab teach us about managing for inclusive excellence- and how can it make your own meetings better? In this episode, I sit down with…
- The Anxious Achiever
Conflict Is Necessary At Work... Really with Amy Gallo
Most of us hate conflict. It feels uncomfortable, anxiety-inducing, and often easier to avoid. In this episode, I talk with conflict expert Amy Gallo about why…
- The Anxious Achiever
"For 20 years I just pretended like there was nothing wrong with me." How this CFO Stopped Hiding His Anxiety and Depression with Adam Nemer
What if the key to better leadership wasn’t just strategy, but self-awareness? In this episode, I am joined by Adam Nemer, Founder of Simple Mental Health. We…
- The Anxious Achiever
Why You Should Stop Labeling Emotions Good or Bad with Dr. Susan David
We’re often taught to push away grief, sadness, anxiety, or anger, but what if those emotions aren’t the enemy, but the key to resilience? In this episode…
- The Anxious Achiever
The Gifts of Neurodivergent Leadership with Dr. Michael Freeman
What if the traits that trip you up at work are the same ones that make you exceptional? In this episode, psychiatrist, researcher, and entrepreneur Dr…
- The Anxious Achiever
Why Anxiety Can Be Your Superpower with Shopify’s Harley Finkelstein
Behind every bold move is often a quiet fear. In this episode, I sit down with Shopify President Harley Finkelstein to talk about how anxiety has shaped his…
- The Anxious Achiever
How Childhood Adverse Experiences (ACES) Impact Your Working Life with Dr. Melissa Merrick
Did you know your childhood story can shape your health, work, and relationships? In this episode, Dr. Melissa Merrick, President and CEO of Prevent Child…
- The Anxious Achiever
Turning Anxiety Into Your Growth Edge with Whitney Johnson
Anxiety doesn’t have to be the thing that holds you back, it can actually be the spark that pushes you forward. In this episode, I sit down with Whitney…