Most of us do exactly what we were told to do: we work hard, climb the ladder, check the boxes, and live the life we set out to build. From the outside, it looks like success. But inside, many of us wrestle with the same silent question: “Is this it?”

In this conversation with Justin on Grody and Unprofessional, I go back to the beginning of my story—the moment I realized I had everything I thought I wanted, yet felt empty inside. We talk about:

Why I call myself a dude from the internet and why people trust me with the things they’ve never said out loud to anyone else.

The four-year arc from “Is this it?” to “My work here is done”—and how I finally had the courage to make The Trade.

The guilt and shame that comes from “having so much but feeling so little”—and why you’re not broken if you feel this way.

The 753 Rambles I’ve had with people at the edge of change, and the patterns that show up in every one of those conversations.

What leaders really want: not more money, but freedom, purpose, and a voice that sounds like their own.

Why “never lose your art” might be the most important advice you’ll ever hear.

This isn’t theory—it’s real life. And if you’ve ever looked around and wondered if you were meant for more, this episode will help you see that you’re not crazy, you’re not alone, and you’re one decision away from a radically different life.

Let’s be up to something.

🔁 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

Connect with Justin McMenamy here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-mcmenamy-59a6087a/

Find the Grody & Unprofessional podcast here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/grody-unprofessional/id1761211065

At some point, your success starts to feel like a trap.

You’ve got the title, the money, the corner office—but something’s off.You’re restless. You’re starting to wonder, is this it?And no one around you seems to get it.

This episode is for you.

Lon and Adam are back to break down Lon’s next book, The Gap—the emotional, spiritual, and practical space between the life you’ve built and the life you know is still out there.

They dive deep into the 12 Ascents; the stages every elite provider must go through to move from the lower curve (the life they’ve outgrown) to the upper line (the life they want to build). These all are born from 1,000+ rambles Lon has had with people just like you.

What to Expect:

--What “The Gap” actually is and how to know if you’re in it

--Why most high performers flatline in their 40s (even while making more money)

--The real reason success can start to feel suffocating

--The hidden cost of someone else’s scorecard

--Why “freedom” is usually a mask for “I don’t want this anymore”

--The first 4 ascents: how to start, when to stop tolerating, and why clarity only comes through action

--Adam’s own journey and why reinvention doesn’t always mean quitting

Key Takeaways:

->Awareness → Acknowledgment → Acceptance → Permission → Action

->There’s a version of you you haven’t met yet, but you can feel them getting closer

->You don’t have to quit to start. But you do have to start if you ever hope to quit.

->Burn the scorecard they gave you. Write the one that’s yours.

->You’re not alone. But you have to get around people who make you believe it.

->The most important chapter of your life won’t be written by your boss.

🔁 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

Follow Adam Eaton here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-eaton-21646a4/

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 awakening

The difference between being “loyal” and being “obedient”

Why grief isn’t just about death but what happens when identity changes

How codependency shows up in high performers

The moment her life changed forever: “You’re a liability”

How one rogue coach (with no certifications) saved her life

Why your second résumé is more valuable than your first

Key Takeaways:

The people who helped you get here may not be the ones who can help you go next

You can grieve a job, a dream, or an identity and still begin again

The stories we carry about our past often aren’t true

Your second résumé holds the key to your next chapter—but only if you’re brave enough to read it

Permission 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.stroschein

Subscribe to Laverne’s Substack – Moonshot Mentor: https://moonshotmentor.substack.com/

Connect with her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lavernemckinnon/