The Anxious Achiever
Episodes
Please Sleep: It Makes You More Charismatic with Dr. Christopher Barnes
02 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Are you actually more productive when you work longer hours or just more exhausted? In this episode, I talk with Christopher Barnes, Professor of Mana...
Moving Towards "Neuroconvergence" with Google's Ennis Olson
31 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
The Freelancer's Guide To Less Anxiety with Chris Brogan & Ada Calhoun
26 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
A Mad Scientist's Guide to Happiness: Arthur Brooks on Anxiety and Meaning
24 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 ofte...
Manage Anxiety When It's Your Daily Companion with Alice Boyes
19 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Is your anxiety something you need to eliminate or something you need to understand better? In this episode, I talk with psychologist Alice Boyes abou...
“College Is Your Best Four Years” And Other Lies We Need to Stop Telling with Dr. Alexis Redding
17 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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,...
Hiding In The Bathroom: Social Anxiety And You with Dr. Ellen Hendriksen & Arvind Rajan
12 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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, cli...
Greg Lukianoff: Why Free Speech Makes Us Mentally Stronger
10 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Your Attachment Style At Work with Jack Hinman
05 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 b...
Jedi Mindsets for the Anxious Achiever with Shirzad Chamine
03 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 w...
Do Conflict Better With Amy Gallo
26 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 con...
The Gift of Introverted Leadership with Jennifer Kahnweiler
24 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
For years, leadership has been associated with charisma, confidence, and speaking the loudest in the room. But what if some of the most powerful leade...
How To Negotiate When Negotiating Makes You Nervous with Chris Voss & Moshe Cohen
19 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 em...
Inside the Role of Chief Wellbeing Officer with Jen Fisher
17 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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, t...
Why Do We Micromanage People? With Prof. Julia Milner
12 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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, ...
The Best Leadership Advice You'll Ever Get with Margaret Andrews
10 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Self-understanding is the foundation of great leadership. In this episode, I sit down with Margaret Andrews, leadership educator, former executive dir...
Should You Be Yourself At Work? With Dr. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic
05 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 w...
David Lancefield Has A Better Way To Talk About Mental Health At Work
03 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 e...
Eating Disorders, Body Image, Anxiety with Melissa Gerson
29 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 G...
Jane Chen On Collapse, Extreme Self-Help, and Healing Yourself
27 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 abo...
ADHD Ahas from a Combat Pilot, a $250 Million Founder, and a Professor
22 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 conver...
Fitting In Is the Enemy of Excellence (with Anne Morriss & Frances Frei)
20 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 reno...
Breathwork For A Better Workday with Zsombor Szabo
15 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 si...
Train Your Brain To Focus with Dr. Michael Gervais
13 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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-perf...
Maladaptive Perfectionism Explained with Jordana Confino
08 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Perfectionism often looks like ambition, discipline, and excellence until it quietly turns into anxiety, burnout, and relentless self-criticism. In th...
Get What You Need At Work (Without Making It "About You") with Stew Friedman
06 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 Tot...
Is It Toxic? Your Questions Answered with Benish Shah
01 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Is Taylor Swift An Anxious Achiever? With Kevin Evers
30 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Is Taylor Swift an anxious achiever? In this episode, I sit down with Kevin Evers, editor at Harvard Business Review Press and author, to talk about T...
Millennials, Gen Z, and the Loss of The American Dream with Annie Lowrey
23 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Netflix Former Chief Talent Officer On Why We Can't Seem To Fix Burnout with Jessica Neal
18 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 Offic...
Uncertainty Can Be Awesome With Maggie Jackson
16 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Uncertainty isn’t something to fix, but something that actually makes you sharper, more resilient, and more innovative. In this episode, I sit down ...
Patrick Lencioni: Stop Feeling Guilt About What's Hard For You
11 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 Founde...
The Secret To Becoming A Mindful Leader with Dr. Ravi Kudesia
09 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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...
You Can Unshame Yourself with David Bedrick
04 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 dow...
Exploring AI Anxiety With A Leader In Charge Of AI Transformation with Lee Gonzales
02 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 cre...
America’s Nervous System Is Dysregulated with Kate Woodsome
25 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 Wood...
How To Heal After A Layoff with Yowei Shaw
20 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Layoffs do more than drain your bank account, they shake your sense of worth, belonging, and identity. In this episode, Yowei Shaw, an emotional inves...
AI, ADHD, And Humanness with Dr. Tracy Dennis Tiwary
18 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Brad Feld on OCD, Depression, and the Courage to Be Honest
13 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 abo...
The “Losing-My-Sh**” Playlist And Other Tools For High Strivers With Dr. Diana Hill
11 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Feeling overworked, overwhelmed, and still unsatisfied? In this episode, psychologist and author Dr. Diana Hill is back to share how to transform anxi...
Leading For Human Agency With SAP's V.R. Ferose
06 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 le...
What Neurodistinct Professionals Really Think About Their Careers with Dr. Diane Biray Gregorio
04 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 ne...
Self Compassion For Overachievers with Attorney Mark Goldstein & Dr. Kristin Neff
30 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today we’re exploring the skill that ambitious, anxious brains often resist: self-compassion. You’ll hear attorney Mark Goldstein’s candid story...
Muriel M Wilkins: Get Unblocked, Lead With More Ease
28 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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, aut...
Gabrielle Union on PTSD, Social Anxiety, and Navigating Fame
23 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 abou...
He Built Coach Into a $5 Billion Company, But Feared Failure Every Day | Lew Frankfort
21 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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? I...
Why "the Worst Advice Ever" Taught Entrepreneur Robert Glazer To Play To His Strengths
16 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when the adrenaline fades and achievement alone stops feeling fulfilling? Robert Glazer is back to talk about what it really means to liv...
ADHD, Anxiety, and the Challenge of Doing What You Know You Need to Do with J Russell Ramsay
14 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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, ...
Morra x Fixable: How to feel less awkward, stay strong during a job search, and build your team's confidence
09 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 A...
Beekman 1802's Josh Kilmer-Purcell: Anxiety Is My Superpower
07 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Great Leaders Have Anxiety– And They Know How To Manage It
02 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 Id...
Leading for Inclusive Excellence with Dr. Keivan Stassun
30 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 do...
Conflict Is Necessary At Work... Really with Amy Gallo
25 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
"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
23 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Why You Should Stop Labeling Emotions Good or Bad with Dr. Susan David
18 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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...
The Gifts of Neurodivergent Leadership with Dr. Michael Freeman
16 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 D...
Why Anxiety Can Be Your Superpower with Shopify’s Harley Finkelstein
11 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 shap...
How Childhood Adverse Experiences (ACES) Impact Your Working Life with Dr. Melissa Merrick
09 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Did you know your childhood story can shape your health, work, and relationships? In this episode, Dr. Melissa Merrick, President and CEO of Prevent C...
Turning Anxiety Into Your Growth Edge with Whitney Johnson
04 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 Whi...
Understanding Bipolar Disorder With The Scientists Driving Innovation
13 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Over 40 million Americans have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and many more go undiagnosed. This episode takes a deep dive into what we know (a...
“Energy Is All There Is”: Understand Your Energy Body, Feel Better
30 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Managing your energy is key to regulating anxiety, stress, and overwhelm. In this episode, Morra sits down with energy healing practitioner Ellen Dona...
How Growing Up in Foster Care Shaped Chéla Gage’s Leadership
23 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How does growing up in foster care shape you as a leader? Chéla Gage is the former Vice President Global Chief Inclusion & Diversity Officer, workfor...
Using AI for ADHD With Lindsay Scola
16 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when a late ADHD diagnosis meets the powerful potential of AI? Writer, strategist, and sleep coach Lindsay Scola joins Morra to share how...
Crossover Special: Everyday Better with Leah Smart
25 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Everyday Better with Leah Smart is a show that helps listeners level up - in their careers and their lives. In this episode, Leah speaks with Anxious ...
Who’s In Your Mental Health Squad?
18 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It might not be that easy to talk to your boss about mental health. But having close friends at work - on your team or elsewhere - where you can have ...
Unpacking Your Money Trauma
11 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We all have hang ups when it comes to money - but do you know where yours come from? In a time when many people feel economically insecure, Morra spea...
Defining Your Values with Suzy Welch
04 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Do you really live by your core values - or do you even need help defining what they are? Many of us might have a vague notion of what is important to...
The Roots of Perfectionism and How We Can Change
28 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Perfectionism can help us succeed, but it can also be a detriment to our mental health and our lives. Understanding it is the first step to better man...
The Power of Spaciousness and the Gift of Being Seen
21 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Do you feel like a rubber band about to snap- low on capacity, time, and space to think? Are you constantly stuck in a mode of “doing” - trapped b...
Flexing Your Emotional Intelligence Muscles
14 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What does it really mean to be emotionally strong—and why is emotional intelligence the leadership skill of the future? Emily Anhalt, author of the ...
Finding Your “Why” and Rooting Leadership in Healing
07 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Five years ago, Dr. Maggie Chery tragically lost both of her parents to the Covid 19 pandemic, just weeks apart. It was a trauma that still affects he...
Masculinity, Disability, and Reframing Leadership
30 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What assumptions do you hold about leadership, ability, and power? In the wake of recent comments from Mark Zuckerberg about the need for more “masc...
OCD and the Art of Noticing Everything
23 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder isn’t just a cluster of symptoms to manage. Like other mental health challenges, it can come with hidden advantages li...
Hypervigilance: When Everything Feels Like a Threat
16 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Hypervigilance is a state of being where you constantly are on the lookout for perceived threats. It’s often the result of trauma - but it shows its...
The Practice of Mindfulness and Meditation, From Industry Leader Sharon Salzberg
09 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Practice makes perfect - except perhaps when it comes to meditation and mindfulness. In this episode we revisit a conversation with mindfulness expert...
The Real Cost of Masking at Work: Neurodiversity Expert Ludmila Praslova
02 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It’s absolutely crucial in today’s work for leaders and the organizations they run to understand the unique strengths and challenges of neurodiver...
The Unseen Links Between Mental Health, IBS and Your Gut
26 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Among the most important links between our physical and mental health might just lie in our digestive tract. Dr. Will Bulsiewicz is a gastroenterologi...
What We Still Don’t Understand about Adult ADHD
19 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. James Kustow is a London-based expert in adult ADHD. He shares the latest research around the disorder - which he hesitates to even call a disorde...
Shows We Love: We Too Are One
07 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Want to learn more about neurodivergence and navigating career success? Check out Morra’s recent appearance on the We Too Are One podcast, where hos...
What’s the Root of Your Perfectionism?
05 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Author and former Fortune 500 CHRO Susan Schmitt Winchester returns to the show, this time to talk about past toxic bosses, perfectionism, and coming ...
Managing Leadership Anxiety
26 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Leadership comes in many forms, and good leadership can be found at all kinds of organizations, from startups to faith communities. In this episode, M...
Mental Well-Being Can Supercharge Your Organization’s Success - Here’s How
19 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Vlad Gheorghiu is on a mission to make workers happier, healthier, and at the same time, more productive. The ex-McKinsey consultant took his own expe...
What Can Radical Transparency Do For Leadership?
12 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Disclosing your mental health struggles to colleagues or a boss (or even friends and family) can be really hard. In this conversation, host Morra Aaro...
The Toll of Shame on Mind and Body
05 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Many of us carry shame around every day without even realizing it. It can stop us from developing great relationships, chasing our dreams, or even mak...
Bringing Vulnerability to Work: A Non Profit Leader and a Police Officer
29 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We all bring our trauma with us to work every day. But if we build the right culture and relationships, we can also bring vulnerability and healing. I...
Revisiting Accent Bias in a World Pushing Against DEI Initiatives
24 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The bias against accents and the perception of how well someone speaks English has huge impacts for individual contributors, leaders, and the business...
Is Your Leadership Style Inspiring or Infuriating?
21 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever had a boss who just infuriated you? Bosses and leaders often have the ability to make or break our experience at work. In this episode, ...
When The Company You Build Almost Fails
15 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
From afar, Luvvie Ajayi Jones seems to have it all together; to be thriving as an entrepreneur and author, complete with New York Times best-selling...
How to convince others you’re still relevant — Hint: start with yourself (from Fixable)
10 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Experience is not always seen as an asset in a world that equates innovation and youth – particularly in fast-moving industries like tech and art. H...
The Couple Making the Most of ADHD for Their Creative Business
08 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When you are neurodivergent, it can feel like you are always behind, don’t fit in, or even worse - wreak havoc on the lives of those who love you. B...
How to Ride the Wave of Anxiety and Overthinking
01 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In the high stakes world of technology companies, a lot of lip service is paid to well-being and mental health. But Meredith Arthur has been researchi...
When Your Body Dials 911
18 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ongoing stress can affect not just your emotional and mental health, but also your physical health. The connection between mind and body is often over...
Resilience Isn’t Enough: We Need To Be Anti-Fragile
11 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
To succeed in sports and in the corporate world, you might need more than just resilience. Enter the concept of anti-fragility, which focuses on the i...
What if Impostor Syndrome Isn’t All Bad?
04 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It turns out, a lot of our beliefs about how we are performing at work - and how we choose to label that performance - can negatively impact our jobs ...
Connecting Mind, Body, and Work Performance in a Stressful Season
20 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Why do we feel anxious even when threats are only imagined, and why have we evolved to feel anxiety? The connection between mental and physical health...
Say Goodbye to Negative Self-Talk and Hello to Your Superpowers
13 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Sanyin Siang is an advisor, coach, and adjunct professor at Duke University where she leads the Fuqua/Coach K Leadership and Ethics Center or COLE. Sh...
Tim Shriver on Emotional Intelligence, Family Healing, and Difficult Conversations
06 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Tim Shriver is a filmmaker, chairman of the Special Olympics, and host of the podcast Need a Lift. He’s also a member of the Kennedy clan, and has s...
Finding Healing After Layoffs
30 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Yowei Shaw was the host of the NPR podcast Invisibilia before layoffs hit the organization. In the aftermath, she struggled with how her identity and ...
Introducing: Let's Talk Offline
25 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Check out a new show we love: LinkedIn's Let's Talk Offline. Co-hosted by Gianna Prudente, LinkedIn's early career development editor, and Jamé Jacks...
How Envy Impacts Work and Leadership
23 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Envy can drive us - but it can also drive us into a wall. It can motivate us at work, but it can make us - and the teams around us - miserable. And so...