Authenticity, Visibility & Trauma
Episode aired: Monday, March 10, 2025
Overview
In this episode, Suze Maclaine and her husband Jakko discuss the deep connection between authenticity, visibility, and trauma. They explore what it means to truly show up as yourself in both business and life, without seeking external validation or what Suze calls “karma cookies.”
Key Topics Covered
Redefining Success
Moving beyond traditional metrics of success like finances or public perceptionMeasuring success by how authentically you express your unique giftsThe freedom that comes when you stop measuring success by external validationUnderstanding Authenticity
Why everything you do is technically “authentic” – even masks are part of youThe difference between strategic authenticity and true sharingHow trauma blocks our ability to show up fully as ourselvesThe “Karma Cookie” Factory
Definition: seeking attention, approval, and validation from othersTwo sides of the same coin: vulnerability-as-performance and ego-driven success storiesFinding freedom by sharing without needing others to respond a certain wayExpanding Your Window of Tolerance
How broadening your emotional capacity creates richer relationshipsNot taking things personally as a pathway to curiosityLoving all parts of yourself so others don’t have to do it for youPresence vs. Strategy
Being fully present with one person vs. scattered across platformsWhy authentic presence attracts the right people naturallyNot adding to the noise of endless marketing and contentMemorable Quotes
“The minute I started to measure success not by anything showing up in my life, but by looking at, ‘am I showing up the way I truly, fully choose and want to without needing any what I call karma cookies to get there’, things really started to change.”“Can you be you without constantly needing the other person to feel a certain way, without it needing to have a certain effect, without it needing to grab attention?”“We need to share ourselves because we love ourselves, and not out of fear that others won’t love us.”“If the sound you’re about to make isn’t more beautiful than silence, then stop making it.”“The daffodils are fighting their way through a layer of shit in order to pop out of the ground… it’s showing all of its colors.”Looking Forward
Suze announced an upcoming live tour throughout the Netherlands, with two-hour workshops in The Hague, Antwerp, Maastricht, and Amsterdam, with plans to expand to Germany and Belgium. Stay tuned for dates!
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