The Normal 40 Podcast

What happens when you’ve built a perfect résumé, then lose everything it stood for?Laverne McKinnon was doing everything right.Climbing fast. Getting promoted every 18 months.She was a powerful voice behind some of the biggest shows on television—including CSI and Criminal Minds.And then, one day, it all ended.No warning. No performance plan. Just a quiet conversation behind closed doors… and a single word that changed everything:Liability.What followed was a collapse of identity, a decade of self-loathing, and a grief she didn’t yet have the words to name.She’d lost her job, her father, and her confidence—all at once.But what she found, years later, was something even more powerful:A second résumé.A deeper calling.And a new kind of freedom she never thought she'd earn.This conversation is one of the most human episodes we’ve ever recorded. We talk about ambition, pressure, identity, and the cost of being the one everyone else counts on, until you no longer count yourself.What to Expect:How losing her job during the height of her success became Laverne’s spiritual awakeningThe difference between being “loyal” and being “obedient”Why grief isn’t just about death but  what happens when identity changesHow codependency shows up in high performersThe moment her life changed forever: “You’re a liability”How one rogue coach (with no certifications) saved her lifeWhy your second résumé is more valuable than your firstKey Takeaways:The people who helped you get here may not be the ones who can help you go nextYou can grieve a job, a dream, or an identity and still begin againThe stories we carry about our past often aren’t trueYour second résumé holds the key to your next chapter—but only if you’re brave enough to read itPermission doesn’t come from your boss, your spouse, or your friends. It comes from you.🔁 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.stroscheinSubscribe to Laverne’s Substack – Moonshot Mentor: https://moonshotmentor.substack.com/ Connect with her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lavernemckinnon/  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit normal40.substack.com

There’s a moment—quiet, invisible—when you stop asking for someone else’s approval… and start listening for your own.That moment is called permission. And in this episode, Lon and Adam unpack what it actually means to give it to yourself, and why it’s often the hardest, most courageous thing you’ll ever do.Lon reveals the real pattern behind over a thousand coaching conversations, and how nearly everyone who reaches out is stuck in the same swirl: aware something is off, acknowledging the discontent, accepting the truth… but waiting for a green light that never comes.They also go deeper into the conversations that happen after you give yourself permission. With your spouse. With your friends. With the voices in your own head. Because the truth is: most of the people you love won’t understand. And some of the people you trust the most may never give you the validation you’re craving.That’s why this episode is more than just about permission. It’s about power. It’s about identity. And it’s about choosing to trust the one vote that actually counts: your own.What to Expect--Why “permission” is the most misunderstood phase of any transformation--The true cost of waiting too long to trust your gut--How to navigate the spiral of awareness → acknowledgment → acceptance → action--The exact words Lon uses in real-life Rambles that help people start moving--What to do when your spouse, friends, or coworkers don’t get it--Why most people don’t need better advice; they need better questionsKey Takeaways:--No one is coming to give you the life you want. You have to permit yourself to go get it.--Permission without action is just frustration.--You don’t need a perfect plan—you need a clear first step.--Your old friends might not understand who you’re becoming. That’s okay. Find the ones who do.--You can trade what you have for something better… even if you don’t know what “better” is yet.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.stroscheinFollow Adam Eaton here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-eaton-21646a4/    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit normal40.substack.com

Most people open ChatGPT to get answers.Rob Cressy opened it and found a new life.In this episode, Lon sits down with Rob—entrepreneur, creator, and AI enablement coach—to talk about the real power of ChatGPT. Not as a shortcut. Not as a gimmick. But as a tool for clarity, creativity, and reinvention.Rob discovered ChatGPT five days after it launched. And within minutes, he knew: this wasn’t just a tool—it was a turning point.Together, Rob and Lon unpack what it means to “think into the AI,” why curiosity matters more than technical skill, and how your next chapter might start with a single prompt. What to Expect--Rob’s journey from sports media to high-performance coach and to AI enablement leader--Why ChatGPT “felt like using the internet for the first time”--How to move from searching to creating with AI--Practical starting points: how to build a 7-day ChatGPT habit--Why the best use cases start with your own curiosityHow to integrate AI into your life and career without losing your mind (or job)KEY TAKEAWAYS1. You’re not behind, you’re just asking the wrong questions2. AI doesn’t replace creativity but it unlocks it3. “What am I not asking ChatGPT to do?” ← this mindset alone is worth six figures4. Start small, stay curious, and stack your own momentum5. The opportunity isn’t technical. It’s emotional, creative, and exponentialWhat’s Next?You don’t need a tech background to start.  You just need to show up with curiosity.Try Rob’s 7-day Challenge → 3 prompts a day. Any topic. For 7 days.– Confess something you’ve been avoiding.– Confront it in ChatGPT.– Create your way forward.You don’t need permission to start—just a better question.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: AmazonGet the 14 Questions That Changed My Life: normal40.comFollow Lon on LinkedIn: @LonStroschein🔗 Find it all right here: https://linktr.ee/lon.stroschein Connect with Rob Cressy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robcressy Website: https://robcressy.ai/  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit normal40.substack.com

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. Cynicism2. Isolation3. Numbing4. 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 mattersWhat’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: AmazonGet the 14 Questions That Changed My Life: normal40.comFollow 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 would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit normal40.substack.com

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 would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit normal40.substack.com

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 medicineThe anxiety spiral that nearly broke him and how he clawed his way backWhat panic feels like for elite performers (and why it’s so often hidden)Why mental health care is still out of reach for too manyThe power of marrying ambition with serviceHow 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: AmazonGet the 14 Questions That Changed My Life: normal40.comFollow 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 would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit normal40.substack.com

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: AmazonGet the 14 Questions That Changed My Life: normal40.comFollow 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 would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit normal40.substack.com

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 NextYou 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 SteveLon Stroschein: https://linktr.ee/lon.stroscheinSteve Garraty:LinkedInFacebookInstagramhttps://stevegarraty.com/  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit normal40.substack.com

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 brokenHow your desires shift from collecting to contributing in midlifeThe 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 readyThe power of being a lantern for someone one half-step behind youHow to tell if you’re living a “get to” life or a “have to” lifeThe financial freedom framework no one is talking aboutWhy most people are one deep conversation away from clarityConversation 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 & moreLinks & Resources: Join the Insider Community: normal40.com/insider — Use code insideraccess for a free monthBook a Free Ramble with Lon: normal40.com (Click “Talk to Lon”)Grab Lon’s Book — The Trade: AmazonGet the 14 Questions That Changed My Life: normal40.comFollow Lon on LinkedIn: @LonStroscheinFind 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 would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit normal40.substack.com

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 would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit normal40.substack.com