Send us Fan Mail

When Geoff Curtis left a 30-year career in biotech and pharma communications, he asked a Fortune 50 executive a simple question: how long would he stay relevant after leaving? The answer, a year to 18 months, sent him into what he calls his own purgatory.

This conversation is about what happens when the role that defined you is gone: the loss of identity, relevance, and structure, and how you rebuild purpose afterward. We get into the "armor" we wear, why it's harder for men to be vulnerable, imposter syndrome, the pull of external validation, and learning to be present.

Geoff is the author of "Embracing Your Own Purgatory" and the co-founder of the Future Voices Collective. If you've been through a career transition, layoff, retirement, or any loss of identity, this one's for you.

Music licensed through Soundstripe. Code: VIWWL9NXAYLC8WFV

📘 Geoff's book, "Embracing Your Own Purgatory":
Amazon, Barnes & Noble

🔗 Connect with Geoff on LinkedIn

🎓 Future Voices Collective

Titans of Transition explores how leaders navigate career and life transitions. Hosted by Joe Miller, Career & Leadership Coach.

🎧 Follow Titans of Transition in your podcast app so you never miss an episode. 🌐 Interested in coaching with Joe? Go HERE

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

What if you're not lazy or unmotivated — you're just out of spoons?

Personal trainer Abby Clapper uses "spoon theory" to explain why sticking to a workout routine has almost nothing to do with willpower and everything to do with finite daily energy. Abby works with neurodivergent clients — ADHD, autism, and chronic health conditions — and has built her whole practice around one idea: the fitness routine that works for a neurotypical brain doesn't work for every brain.

In this episode, Abby and host Joe talk through:

- Spoon theory: why ADHD brains run out of energy for a workout, and how to budget for it
- The accountability tricks that actually make fitness stick (and why she shows up at your door)
- The 12-week rule: changing the routine right before the ADHD brain gets bored
- Her honest take on GLP-1s (Ozempic) — the energy zap, and why strength training matters even more on them
- Protein, fiber, and hydration when you're eating less
- Leaving a corporate wellness job to build her own business — scarcity mindset to abundance
- Why fitness has to be a lifestyle and an identity, not a short-term project
- Strength training as you age: starting with the 5s and 10s, not where you left off 25 years ago
- The truth about rest and deload weeks — going hard every day is the mistake

Whether you've tried the gym and quit, feel like your brain just won't cooperate with a routine, or want a sustainable approach that doesn't run on influencer-level motivation, this one's for you.

CONNECT WITH ABBY CLAPPER
🎙 Podcast: Talk Your Abs Off
📸 Instagram: @CoachAbbyClapper
🌐 Website: endorfinwellness.com

ABOUT THE SHOW
Titans of Transition explores the pivots, leaps, and turning points that shape careers and lives. New episodes monthly. Follow the show in your podcast app so you don't miss the next one.

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Mental toughness isn't enough — and grit alone won't save you. Former Navy SEAL turned leadership coach Andrew Sridhar argues that the "do hard things" culture (ice baths, ultramarathons, BUD/S-style suffering) is an INCOMPLETE answer to real-life misery — and explains what actually builds resilience when your career, your business, or your life falls apart.

In this episode of Titans of Transition, Andrew ("Sri") takes us from the SEAL teams to Wall Street to tech leadership to coaching, and breaks down how to master a career pivot, why smart people get stuck, and the practical tools that actually move the needle — agency, self-awareness, and mindfulness.

🎧 If you've ever felt stuck, over-prepared but under-moving, or unsure whether to stay or go — this one's for you.

⏱️ CHAPTERS
00:00 The resilience lie: why "do hard things" is incomplete
01:00 Meet Andrew Sridhar — SEAL → Wall Street → Tech
03:51 The pivot into coaching (after a layoff)
05:39 How to master a pivot: humility, ego, learning mindset
10:23 Confidence & gravitas: why not proving yourself is magnetic
13:08 Why people get stuck: depression, sunk cost, fear
19:34 Stop waiting for a Eureka moment — just try the thing
22:14 Know how you're wired (and why there's no playbook)
27:39 BUD/S: why physicality is necessary but not sufficient
31:54 The resilience & grit critique (the full rant)
36:29 When toughness fails: the business-owner story
40:01 Agency: accept your reality or change it
44:54 Focus, distraction, ADHD & small "nudges"
50:10 Resilience tools: mindfulness, breathing, meditation
55:51 Wrap-up: books & where to find Andrew

📚 BOOKS & RESOURCES MENTIONED
- The Procrastination Equation — Dr. Piers Steel
- How to Be an Imperfectionist — Stephen Guise
- Tara Brach podcast (free guided meditations)
- Calm / Headspace apps (free trials)
- Huberman Lab podcast (neurochemistry)

🔗 FIND ANDREW
- Website: https://andrewsridhar.com
- Podcast: The Warrior Poet Podcast: https://andrewsridhar.com/resources#podcast
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewsridhar/

🔔 SUBSCRIBE for more conversations on navigating change, career pivots, and leadership: https://www.youtube.com/c/TitansofTransition

💬 Have you ever felt the "ice bath" advice fall short? Drop a comment — if there's enough interest, we'll bring Andrew back for round two.

#Resilience #CareerChange #NavySEAL #Leadership #Mindfulness

---
Titans of Transition is a podcast about the pivots, transitions, and turning points that shape our careers and lives.

CONNECT
- Audio https://www.titansoftransition.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fjmiller3/

Support the show