Episodios

  • #69: The Five Dead Ends — A Conversation with Tait Arend on Image, Isolation, and Choosing Something More

    #69: The Five Dead Ends — A Conversation with Tait Arend on Image, Isolation, and Choosing Something More
    Jul 18 2025

    At some point, every man has to ask:What’s this life I’ve built actually doing to me?

    In this episode, Lon sits down with Tait Arend—fundraiser, leadership coach, and Co-host of the Bridging Connections podcast, for one of the most honest conversations we’ve ever had. Together, they unpack what happens when you’ve done everything right, checked all the boxes, built the image… and still feel like something’s missing.

    This is not a conversation about brokenness.It’s a conversation about awakening.

    From a childhood accident that changed his face, and his path, to founding a movement that helps men step out of image and into intimacy, Tait opens up about the five emotional dead ends high-performing men face silently:1. Cynicism

    2. Isolation

    3. Numbing

    4. Disorientation, and

    5. Powerlessness.

    They talk about what’s beneath the mask.And what happens when you finally take it off.

    This episode will challenge you and confront you to name the things you’ve been afraid to admit. And in the process, it might also give you your next move.

    KEY TAKEAWAYS

    --The five emotional dead ends men face (and how to break out of them)

    --Why most men go through life with 'olders' and not 'elders'

    --How image becomes a prison, even when it looks successful

    --The moment of truth: when your future stops matching your present

    --Why your ego might be your greatest asset

    --How to stop waiting, and start doing something that matters

    What’s Next?

    You don’t need to burn it all down to begin again.But you do need to be honest about where you are and where you’re headed.

    Start by asking yourself which of the Five Dead Ends are you stuck in.

    Then do the one thing most men never do: say it out loud.

    Follow the movement on Substack if you haven't already. Lon shares his best work over there.Links & Resources:

    Follow Lon on Substack: https://normal40.substack.com/

    Book a Free Ramble with Lon: normal40.com (Click “Talk to Lon”)

    Grab Lon’s book—The Trade: Amazon

    Get the 14 Questions That Changed My Life: normal40.com

    Follow Lon on LinkedIn: @LonStroschein

    🔗 Find it all right here: https://linktr.ee/lon.stroschein

    Connect with Tait here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/taitarend/



    This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit normal40.substack.com/subscribe
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    55 m
  • #68: The Journey: From ER Doctor to Middle-School Teacher - Keith Pochick's Story (Replay)

    #68: The Journey: From ER Doctor to Middle-School Teacher - Keith Pochick's Story (Replay)
    Jul 12 2025

    Some trades don’t make sense—until they do.

    This is one of them.

    Keith Pochick was an ER doctor. Twenty years in. Saving lives. Leading teams. Teaching residents. Everything he was trained to do and everything the world told him he should want.

    Until it stopped working.

    This conversation started the way most do: a quiet nudge, a LinkedIn post, and a DM sent without a plan. Forty-eight hours later, Keith and I sat down for the first time. No prep, no script. Just two guys who had made The Trade™ and knew the cost.

    He didn’t leave medicine on a whim. He left over years.One dissection. One advisory meeting. One tug from his future at a time.Until one day he said yes to something that had been whispering for years.

    Now, he teaches middle school science.And he’s never felt more useful.

    This isn’t a story about burnout. It’s a story about awakening—when staying felt heavier than leaving,when the “right thing” wasn’t the thing that felt true anymore,and when Keith finally stopped letting guilt steal his curiosity.

    You’re going to feel this one.

    And if you’re wondering whether it’s too late to start over...listen to the guy who did it—with no regrets, and no backup plan.



    This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit normal40.substack.com/subscribe
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    1 h y 11 m
  • #67 The Calling: From Wall Street to Psychiatry. The Cost of Chasing Image - With Dr. Eric Arzubi

    #67 The Calling: From Wall Street to Psychiatry. The Cost of Chasing Image - With Dr. Eric Arzubi
    Jul 4 2025
    What if the life you built—the job, the title, the salary—wasn’t the life you were meant to live?

    Lon sits down with Dr. Eric Arzubi, a former Wall Street bond trader who walked away from Morgan Stanley to become a psychiatrist and mental health advocate. But the real story isn’t the résumé.

    It’s what happened in between.

    Eric shares his remarkable, winding path. From early success to devastating anxiety. From image management to identity collapse. From the Upper East Side to the mountains of Montana, where he now leads one of the most innovative mental health organizations in the country - Frontier Psychiatry.

    They talk about high-functioning anxiety, burnout, fatherhood, ego, and the choice to live for impact instead of applause.

    This is an episode for anyone who has ever wondered if they’re allowed to want more and feared what might happen if they said it out loud.

    WHAT TO EXPECT:
    • Why Eric left a $400K Wall Street job to start over in medicine
    • The anxiety spiral that nearly broke him and how he clawed his way back
    • What panic feels like for elite performers (and why it’s so often hidden)
    • Why mental health care is still out of reach for too many
    • The power of marrying ambition with service
    • How Frontier Psychiatry is transforming rural care across the U.S.
    KEY TAKEAWAYS:
    • You can wear the costume of success and still feel completely lost inside it.
    • The pursuit of “brand” won’t protect you from burnout.
    • Sometimes, you don’t need a new job. You need a new identity.
    • Anxiety doesn’t make you weak. Ignoring it does.
    • You don’t need to fix everything. You just need to advocate for yourself.
    • What feels like unraveling might actually be your reassembly.

    What’s Next?
    If you’ve been silently struggling, this is your permission slip. Whether you’re chasing clarity, community, or calling, follow the movement on Substack if you haven't already. Lon shares his best work over here.

    Links & Resources:
    • Follow Lon on Substack: https://normal40.substack.com/
    • Book a Free Ramble with Lon: normal40.com (Click “Talk to Lon”)
    • Grab Lon’s book—The Trade: Amazon
    • Get the 14 Questions That Changed My Life: normal40.com
    • Follow Lon on LinkedIn: @LonStroschein



    🔗 Find it all right here: https://linktr.ee/lon.stroschein
    Connect with Eric here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drzoobs/
    Website: https://frontier.care/

    This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit normal40.substack.com/subscribe
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    1 h y 47 m
  • #66 The Layoff: How Google Exit Sparked Personal Transformation — With Nicholas Whitaker

    #66 The Layoff: How Google Exit Sparked Personal Transformation — With Nicholas Whitaker
    Jun 20 2025
    What if success didn’t satisfy you the way it was supposed to?

    Lon sits down with Nicholas Whitaker, former Googler, entrepreneur, and founder of the Conscious Lead Collective.

    Nicholas shares his journey from punk anarchist to Google executive and the unraveling that began in a hotel room in Japan. At the peak of a global career, Nicholas found himself crumbling under the weight of performance, loneliness, and anxiety, living a version of success that felt more like survival.

    They talk about burnout, reinvention, and the quiet, powerful decision to build community over competition. This is for anyone who feels called to build something more intentional and honest and is brave enough to start.

    WHAT TO EXPECT:
    • How Nicholas went from punk rock to the boardrooms of Google and why he walked away.
    • The secret cost of “success” and why chasing status eventually leads to burnout.
    • Building the "Conscious Lead Collective" and what it means to lead with awareness.
    • Why collaboration beats competition every time.
    • The power of healing through community, storytelling, and shared purpose.


    KEY TAKEAWAYS:
    • Reinvention doesn’t start with a résumé. It starts with curiosity.
    • Real leadership is rooted in compassion, not control.
    • You don’t need to “burn it all down,” but you do need to build something that aligns.
    • Your past doesn't define you. If anything, it prepares you.
    • Sometimes the next chapter starts with a layoff and ends with legacy.


    What’s Next?
    Whether you’re chasing clarity, community, or calling, this episode is your permission to get started. Follow the movement on Substack if you haven't already. Lon shares his best work over here.

    Links & Resources:
    • Follow Lon on Substack: https://normal40.substack.com/
    • Book a Free Ramble with Lon: normal40.com (Click “Talk to Lon”)
    • Grab Lon’s book—The Trade: Amazon
    • Get the 14 Questions That Changed My Life: normal40.com
    • Follow Lon on LinkedIn: @LonStroschein

    🔗 Find it all right here: https://linktr.ee/lon.stroschein
    Connect with Nicholas here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholaswhitaker/



    This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit normal40.substack.com/subscribe
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    1 h
  • #65: The Diagnosis: What Cancer Taught Steve Garraty About Regret, Resilience, and the Second Resume

    #65: The Diagnosis: What Cancer Taught Steve Garraty About Regret, Resilience, and the Second Resume
    Jun 6 2025
    Sometimes it takes a crash, literal and emotional, to finally wake up. For Steve Garraty, it was both.

    Before the diagnosis, there was the drinking. The parties. The wrecked cars. The spiral most people didn’t see coming, not even him. But then came the mass on his neck. A cancer diagnosis at 18. And suddenly, the path he was speeding down came to a screeching halt.

    In this episode, Lon sits down with Steve for a deeply personal conversation about the years that led to his diagnosis, and the transformation that followed. Steve doesn’t hold back about the chaos, the consequences, or the grace that found him in the darkest places.

    This episode isn’t about cancer.
    It’s about change.
    And about choosing what you do with the life you get after it all falls apart.

    Key Takeaways:
    • It’s not a question of if adversity comes. It’s when. And how you use it.
    • Most people avoid their past. Steve turned it into a book that might save someone else.
    • True change rarely comes from comfort.
    • Support doesn’t always come from where you expect.
    • Real growth starts when you stop pretending everything’s fine.
    • Gratitude, empathy, and faith are survival tools for the long game.
    • You don’t need a perfect life to have an impact. You need a truthful one.
    • Your “second resume,” the messy, painful stuff you usually hide, might be the most powerful thing you have to offer.

    What's Next
    You don’t need a diagnosis to decide to change. But you do need to decide.
    Start by reading Steve Garraty's book Greatfruit now available on Amazon, then ask yourself: What’s in your Second Résumé™… and who might it help?

    Buy Steve's book "Greatfruit" here: https://a.co/d/7GktD9M

    🔗 Connect with Lon and Steve
    • Lon Stroschein: https://linktr.ee/lon.stroschein
    • Steve Garraty:
      • LinkedIn
      • Facebook
      • Instagram
      • https://stevegarraty.com/


    This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit normal40.substack.com/subscribe
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    1 h y 4 m
  • #64: The Inventory: What Your Gut Knows Before Your Head Does

    #64: The Inventory: What Your Gut Knows Before Your Head Does
    May 23 2025
    In this raw and revealing episode of Normal 40, Lon Stroschein and Adam Eaton reunite for a signature ramble—and what unfolds is one of their most honest conversations yet.
    It begins with a simple question: What if you followed your passion 10 years ago? And what if that passion has changed?
    What follows is a masterclass in midlife clarity. Lon and Adam unpack the invisible tension between time and passion—how your career is linear, but your interests, energy, and identity evolve. They explore the false promise of “follow your passion,” why most people are stuck rehearsing worst-case scenarios, and how to take an inventory of the life you’ve built… and whether it still fits.
    Lon introduces practical tools for self-reflection, including the 15-Ingredient Dream Life exercise and a powerful question you should ask your spouse tonight.
    Whether you’re 35 or 55, if you’re feeling the nudge that “this isn’t it,” this episode will help you listen to your gut, outsmart your fear, and take the first step toward the life you know is waiting.


    Key Takeaways:
    • Why “follow your passion” is both beautiful and broken
    • How your desires shift from collecting to contributing in midlife
    • The 3 things most people are really looking for: Easy. Obvious. Free.
    • What to do when your head says “stay” but your gut says “go”
    • How to take a meaningful life inventory—when you’re ready
    • The power of being a lantern for someone one half-step behind you
    • How to tell if you’re living a “get to” life or a “have to” life
    • The financial freedom framework no one is talking about
    • Why most people are one deep conversation away from clarity




    Conversation Highlights:
    • [03:45] — Time is linear. Passions aren’t. What do we do with that tension?
    • [07:00] — The difference between “passion” and “art”… and why it matters
    • [10:06] — How your goals at 22 can trap you at 42
    • [15:47] — Why clarity has to come before you quit
    • [29:57] — Why taking inventory alone doesn’t always work
    • [37:27] — The single most powerful question to ask your spouse tonight
    • [44:24] — “Get to” vs. “Have to” — how to identify the work you love
    • [48:34] — A new way to think about money, time, and meaning
    • [54:01] — The moment Adam realized he was someone’s “Manny”
    • [58:34] — Lon’s personal decision to take a 100-day break from alcohol
    • [01:00:11] — The future of Normal 40: live events, coaching cohorts & more

    Links & Resources:
    • Join the Insider Community: normal40.com/insider — Use code insideraccess for a free month
    • Book a Free Ramble with Lon: normal40.com (Click “Talk to Lon”)
    • Grab Lon’s Book — The Trade: Amazon
    • Get the 14 Questions That Changed My Life: normal40.com
    • Follow Lon on LinkedIn: @LonStroschein

    Find it all right here: https://linktr.ee/lon.stroschein
    Follow Adam Eaton here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-eaton-21646a4/

    This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit normal40.substack.com/subscribe
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    1 h y 3 m
  • #63: The Leap: Moral Injury, Burnout, and Leaving the C-Suite with Dr. LouAnne Giangreco

    #63: The Leap: Moral Injury, Burnout, and Leaving the C-Suite with Dr. LouAnne Giangreco
    May 2 2025
    You can spend your whole life building something... only to realize it's no longer yours. That was Dr. LouAnne Giangreco. ER doctor. Chief Medical Officer. Board Director. Decades into a career she worked hard to earn, and even harder to keep, LouAnne did the unthinkable: she walked away.

    Why?

    Because she knew deep down, staying was safer... but leaving was honest.

    In this episode, LouAnne shares the deeply personal story of what it really took to leave a prestigious identity, walk through grief, and reimagine a life built on freedom, creativity, and self-trust.

    We talk about rest (the radical kind), success (the redefined kind), and the kind of clarity that only comes when you finally stop performing.

    If you’re sitting in a life that looks good on paper but feels off in your gut—this episode is for you. This is a conversation about letting go of titles, chasing what lights you up, and trusting that your best work might still be ahead of you.

    Key Takeaways:
    • You can be grateful for your career and still know when it’s time to move on.
    • Rest isn’t a sign of weakness.
    • Grieving the loss of a former identity is part of the path forward.
    • You don’t need to burn it all down—but you do need to make space for what’s next.
    • Living fully means trusting that clarity follows courage, not the other way around.
    What's Next?
    If this episode speaks to you, this is an invitation to join the growing Normal 40 community to connect with like-minded individuals. Whether through a free Ramble, Lon's Insider group, or his bestselling book 'The Trade,' this episode is your call to action to start designing your next chapter.

    Find it all right here: https://linktr.ee/lon.stroschein

    LouAnne Giangreco: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louanne-giangreco-md-facep/

    This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit normal40.substack.com/subscribe
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    58 m
  • #62 Making the Trade: Dr. Parker Hays on Trading Physician Burnout for Balance

    #62 Making the Trade: Dr. Parker Hays on Trading Physician Burnout for Balance
    Apr 18 2025
    What happens when you reach the pinnacle of your career only to realize it’s no longer the life you want?

    In this episode, Lon Stroschein sits down with Parker Hays, a physician who spent 33 years in emergency medicine before making the courageous decision to leave and build a life of purpose and impact.

    Parker shares his journey, from a pivotal moment in his youth that inspired him to pursue medicine to the realization that it was time to trade his successful career for a new chapter focused on prevention, wellness, and helping others thrive.

    Through his company, Lasting Impact Wellness, Parker now helps leaders avoid burnout and become the best versions of themselves. This candid conversation is packed with insights about change, courage, and listening to the quiet voice inside that calls you to more.

    Key Takeaways:
    • A lifelong career can feel out of alignment when your purpose shifts.
    • Deciding to leave success behind is daunting, but the trade-off can lead to clarity, fulfillment, and growth.
    • Stepping into a new chapter isn’t about starting over but rediscovering curiosity and learning with intention.
    • Balance is possible when leaders prioritize self-awareness, wellness, and resilience over the grind of constant achievement.
    • Honor your legacy by living fully: Inspired by his father’s untimely passing, Parker is committed to embracing every moment and living a life of service and purpose.

    What's Next?
    This heartfelt conversation is a testament to the courage required to make "the trade" and a call to action for anyone feeling stuck. Whether through a free Ramble, Lon's Insider group, or his bestselling book The Trade, this episode is a call to action to start designing your next chapter.

    Find all things Lon and Normal 40 here: https://linktr.ee/lon.stroschein

    Parker Hays: https://www.instagram.com/drs.hays/
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/e-parker-hays-jr-md-facep-6296b2125/
    Website https://lastingimpactwellness.com/

    This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit normal40.substack.com/subscribe
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    1 h y 8 m