You ever work hard for something, get it… and still feel off?

David Yeghiaian spent years chasing success only to realize he didn’t like who he was becoming. We talk about self-doubt, changing priorities, and what happens when the things you chased stop feeling like the things that matter.

He realized what success meant at his grandfather’sfuneral—and it changed everything.

In this episode of Relatable, Thom Cody shares the moment that reshaped how he defines success, why so many people spend their lives chasing someone else’s version of success, and the tension of trying to stay true to yourself in aworld constantly trying to redefine it for you.

From grief and leadership to purpose, pressure, and the struggle to slow down long enough to ask harder questions, this conversation is a reminder that success isn’t always what it looks like from the outside.

You can spend years doing everything “right”… and still feel like something is off.

Russell St. John built a career the way most people are told to: Take opportunities. Stay consistent. Be responsible.

And it worked.

But at some point, success stopped feeling clear.

This conversation is about that moment—when you realize you’ve been moving forward for a long time… but you’re not sure if it’s where you actually want to go.

What You'll Relate To

Moving forward without a clear direction You’re progressing—but you couldn’t clearly explain toward what.

Playing it safe longer than you planned to What felt smart at first slowly turns into avoiding risk.

Needing someone else to see it before you do Opportunities show up because someone else believes in you—not because you asked for them.

Looking successful but questioning it privately Everything checks out on paper. It just doesn’t fully feel right.

Staying busy instead of doing meaningful work You’re productive all day… but it doesn’t feel like progress.

Saying yes before you feel ready You step into things you’re not fully prepared for and figure it out in real time.

Avoiding decisions you already understand You know what needs to happen—you just haven’t acted on it yet.

Realizing you don’t have it figured out And that’s not a failure—it’s part of it.

Trying to stay relevant as things evolve What used to work doesn’t feel like enough anymore.

The Thread Through It

This isn’t about having a plan.

It’s about what happens when:

• You follow the path that makes sense

• You build something that works

• And then start questioning if it’s actually yours

Closing Thought

There’s nothing wrong with taking the safe path.

But eventually, you have to ask:

Am I choosing this… or just continuing it?

What You’ll Relate ToThe Thread Through ItClosing Thought

In this episode of Re-lat-a-ble I talk with Josh Driver to learn about his journey to becoming the Executive Director of The Hospitality Center, a job he never thought he wanted. Here is what really stood out to me in this episode.

1. The belief into surrendering to something greater than yourself in a world where we are told to put ourselves first.

2. The idea that chasing your passion is not always the best move for you to make.

3. The power of taking off time to reflect on where you are in life and where you want to go.

4. How to step into a role that you did not think you were ready for

5. Letting go of the “influence” you think you need as a leader.

To learn more about Josh and the Hospitality Center

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Have you ever had someone tell you that they see you as successful but you don’t believe it yourself? Caroline Holden feels the same way. Here are some more reasons you will enjoy this episode.

Caroline talks about how she feels like she was not a part of the group and did not fit in during her high school years, especially when she was at odds with the rest of her fellow classmates for circumstances beyond their control.

Feel like you are not really sure what to do with your life, Caroline shares her story from being a comedian, to working at a Venture Capital firm, to launching her startup and how it led her to where she is today.

Struggling to take big swings and see your full potential. Learn how Caroline uses her life circumstances to propel her to take those big swings even if it means not getting a home run.

Connect with Caroline

Website

LinkedIn

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Substack

Why you may like this episode.

1. Christian talks about his struggle to let go of an organization he built for 12 years. How even though he knew it was the right thing for him and the organization he still struggled with letting go and not feeling like he was giving up.
2. How Christian's passion and emotional attachment to what he was doing was not always a good thing.
3. Success is not just for driven people, it is for everyone.
4. It is okay to fail and you don't need to disguise it as a "learning experience"