Notes from the Edge

What happens when everything you’ve worked so hard to achieve starts costing you your health, happiness, and sense of self? Dave Rossi built a multimillion-dollar business, had the homes, the money, and every outward sign of success. Behind it all, he was burned out, physically unwell, and deeply unhappy. What happens when everything you’ve worked for becomes the very thing destroying you? Lisa Lacy and Dave Rossi explore the hidden costs of traditional masculinity, the pressure to perform, and why strength doesn’t have to mean sacrificing your health or happiness. From the alpha male mindset to Dave’s Omega Man philosophy, this conversation challenges what we’ve been taught about success, vulnerability, identity, and conscious leadership. In This Episode: 02:18 – When having everything still feels like failure: Dave’s personal breaking point 06:29 – How ambition, discipline, and constant achievement become a recipe for burnout 19:54 – Alpha vs. Omega: redefining masculinity, strength, and the masks men wear 34:03 – Building the awareness muscle, breaking old patterns, and finding the power to choose differently 44:24 – Performing to be loved, letting go of approval, and why vulnerability is real strength Connect with Dave Rossi Website: https://www.daverossiglobal.com Explore his books, Alphas Die Early and The Imperative Habit. Connect with Lisa Lacy Inside the Edge: https://www.lisalacy.com/inside-the-edge Inside the Edge is a private membership featuring exclusive weekly solo episodes, monthly live virtual experiences, and practical resources for deeper conversations about identity, healing, personal growth, and the human experience. What did you perform in order to survive? Welcome to the Edge. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What if healing from trauma didn’t have to take years? What if the patterns keeping you stuck weren’t just in your thoughts, but in your body? Biochemist, immunologist, and author Dr. Judith Swack joins Lisa Lacy to challenge how we think about trauma, emotional healing, and the unconscious patterns driving our behavior. Dr. Judith introduces her Healing from the Body Level Up (HBLU) methodology, exploring energy psychology, the mind-body connection, and her approach to identifying and releasing emotional patterns. From betrayal and boundary violations to the relationship between trauma and physical health, this conversation asks whether healing could look very different from what we’ve been taught. In This Episode: 03:30 – Why unconscious patterns keep us repeating the same behaviors and relationships. 11:20 – Energy psychology, tapping, and Dr. Judith’s approach to emotional healing. 19:50 – Loss trauma versus violence trauma and how both affect the nervous system. 23:35 – Fight, flight, freeze, bullying, and the impact of violated boundaries. 31:30 – Trauma, the immune system, chronic stress, and the mind-body connection. Connect with Dr. Judith Swack Learn more about her work, Healing from the Body Level Up (HBLU), and her book Clear Trauma Now. https://www.hblu.org/ Connect with Lisa | Inside the Edge Join Inside the Edge for exclusive weekly episodes, private monthly live experiences, deeper conversations, and resources for self-discovery and personal growth. https://www.lisalacy.com/inside-the-edge What did you perform in order to survive? Welcome to the Edge. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What happens when you look healthier than ever but feel worse than ever? Former competitive bodybuilder and men’s health coach Kevin Gomes knows that contradiction firsthand. After years of extreme training, restrictive dieting, and performance-enhancing drugs, he realized that looking strong and actually being healthy are two very different things. Kevin joins Lisa Lacy for a thought-provoking conversation about men’s physical and emotional health, identity, perfectionism, and the patterns that keep us stuck. From our relationship with food to the pressure to prove ourselves, we explore why sustainable fitness requires more than discipline, and how real health begins when we stop chasing appearances and start paying attention to how we’re actually living. In This Episode: 03:00 | When looking your best leaves you feeling your worst: Kevin’s bodybuilding wake-up call. 07:00 | Looking under the hood: bloodwork, hormones, energy, and the health markers we overlook. 12:00 | How identity, shame, perfectionism, and our relationship with food keep unhealthy patterns alive. 16:00 | Breaking autopilot: recognizing emotional triggers, stress eating, and building intentional habits. 31:00 | Dropping the mask of physical perfection, walking away from steroids, and redefining strength, health, and fatherhood. Connect with Kevin Gomes Founder, Pinnacle Coaching Website: https://pinnacleprogram.co.uk Instagram: @kevgomes_coach Connect with Lisa Lacy Inside the Edge: https://www.lisalacy.com/inside-the-edge Go beyond the public podcast with exclusive weekly episodes, private monthly live experiences with Lisa, and practical resources for deeper self-discovery and meaningful human connection. What did you perform in order to survive? Welcome to the Edge. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What if your voice is still carrying the pain you never had permission to express? International recording artist, opera singer, and creator of Vibrational Voice Healing, Heather Schmid joins me to explore the connection between sound, trauma, emotional expression, and authenticity. Heather shares how an unexpected experience while filming her documentary Voice of the Earth transformed her understanding of her voice and herself. We explore how childhood conditioning, perfectionism, and the need for approval can silence our authentic expression. From sound frequencies and nervous system regulation to spiritual awakening and releasing old identities, this conversation goes far beyond singing. In this episode, we explore: How an emotional experience at a waterfall in the Azores changed Heather’s life and documentary. Why childhood criticism, judgment, and unresolved emotional experiences can silence our voices. The differences between 432 Hz and 440 Hz, cymatics, and Heather’s perspective on sound and vibration. How breathwork, humming, and somatic voice practices may support emotional expression and self-discovery. Breaking free from perfectionism, external validation, and the identities we perform to survive. Connect with Heather Schmid: https://www.heatherschmid.com Explore Vibrational Voice Healing and her documentary Voice of the Earth. Connect with Lisa | Inside the Edge: https://www.lisalacy.com/inside-the-edge Join our private membership for exclusive weekly episodes, monthly live experiences, and resources exploring trauma, identity, recovery, and authentic living. What did you perform in order to survive? Welcome to the Edge. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What happens to your brain when the person you trusted most becomes the source of your greatest pain? Betrayal trauma doesn’t just break your heart. It can fundamentally alter how your brain processes safety, trust, relationships, and even your own reality. After spending more than a decade in a relationship marked by chronic infidelity, gaslighting, financial exploitation, and substance abuse, I walked away questioning everything, including my own judgment and identity. In this deeply personal Edge Note, I explore the neuroscience behind betrayal trauma, how prolonged emotional manipulation impacts the nervous system, and why survivors often experience hypervigilance, anxiety, obsessive questioning, and profound self-doubt. I’ll share what it took to rebuild my identity from the ground up and how neuroplasticity offers genuine hope for recovery. If you’ve ever felt like you were losing your mind after betrayal, this conversation is about understanding what happened to you, reclaiming your sense of self, and learning to trust yourself again. In this Edge Note, we explore: How betrayal trauma affects the brain, nervous system, and body’s threat response. Why gaslighting and chronic deception can destroy self-trust and distort your sense of reality. The connection between betrayal trauma, hypervigilance, emotional dysregulation, and survival behaviors. How prolonged psychological manipulation can erode identity, confidence, and the ability to make decisions. The science of neuroplasticity and how healing can help you rebuild self-trust, establish boundaries, and stop abandoning yourself. Connect with Lisa | INSIDE THE EDGE Go beyond the podcast with exclusive conversations, private episodes, live gatherings, and a community exploring trauma, healing, reinvention, and everything that makes us human. https://lisalacy.com/inside-the-edge What did you perform in order to survive? Welcome to the Edge. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Why is saying “I don’t know” so uncomfortable? Australian osteopath, educator, and Uncomfortably Curious podcast host Aidan Mill joins Lisa Lacy to explore curiosity, cognitive bias, and why questioning what we believe might be one of the most powerful things we can do. From the stories we tell ourselves to the labels we allow to define us, this conversation challenges certainty, explores how our experiences shape our perceptions, and examines what happens when we choose understanding over being right. Sometimes the most courageous thing we can do is admit we might not have all the answers. In this episode: Why we’re uncomfortable admitting we don’t know something How personal experiences and assumptions shape our perception of truth When diagnoses and labels become part of our identity The difference between confidence, competence, and certainty How curiosity, emotional openness, and better questions create opportunities for growth Connect with Aidan Mill Website: https://www.forwardosteo.com.au Podcast, Uncomfortably Curious: https://rss.com/podcasts/uncomfortably-curious/ Connect with Lisa | INSIDE THE EDGE https://www.lisalacy.com/inside-the-edge What did you perform in order to survive? Welcome to the Edge. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What if the anxiety, fear, or emotional patterns you’ve accepted as your personality are actually survival strategies from the past? Lisa Lacy sits down with Cedric Bertelli, founder of the Emotional Health Institute and co-developer of Emotional Resolution® (EmRes®), to explore why managing emotions and resolving recurring emotional patterns may be two very different things. From Cedric’s experience masking anxiety while leading hundreds of employees to the ways our brains predict danger based on past experiences, this conversation explores trauma, emotional avoidance, and the body’s role in emotional processing. Lisa and Cedric discuss interoception, the emerging research behind EmRes, reconnecting with physical sensations, and why sustainable contentment may matter more than chasing constant happiness. In this episode: How anxiety, high performance, and emotional masking can become survival identities. The difference between emotional regulation and Emotional Resolution® (EmRes®). How past trauma, outdated brain predictions, and physical sensations influence recurring emotional responses. Why avoiding uncomfortable emotions can reinforce patterns of fear, anger, and anxiety. Reconnecting with the body, practicing Self-EmRes, and developing greater emotional awareness and contentment. Connect with Cedric Bertelli: https://www.cedricbertelli.com Emotional Health Institute: https://www.emotionalhealthinstitute.org Connect with Lisa | INSIDE THE EDGE: https://www.lisalacy.com/inside-the-edge What did you perform in order to survive? Welcome to the Edge. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What if the version of you that once kept you safe is now keeping you stuck? Lisa Lacy sits down with Carlene Marie, Master Mindpower Coach and author of Enough Already, to explore how self-doubt, perfectionism, people-pleasing, and overachievement become survival identities, even for people who appear confident and successful. From childhood beliefs about not being enough to major life transitions that challenge our identity, this thought-provoking conversation explores self-worth, burnout, emotional resilience, and rebuilding self-trust. Carlene shares practical strategies for setting healthy boundaries, recognizing unconscious patterns, rediscovering personal purpose, and learning to live authentically without constantly proving our worth. In This Episode: How childhood conditioning and unconscious beliefs create lifelong patterns of self-doubt and people-pleasing. Why perfectionism, overachievement, and constantly proving your worth can lead to burnout and self-abandonment. Rediscovering identity, purpose, and personal values through life’s major transitions. Building self-trust through small daily wins, self-awareness, transformational coaching, and asking for help. Setting healthy boundaries, communicating your needs without apology, and breaking free from survival identities. Connect with Carlene Marie: https://carlenemarie.com Connect with Lisa | INSIDE THE EDGE: https://lisalacy.com/inside-the-edge What did you perform in order to survive? Welcome to the Edge. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What if the very intelligence that helped you succeed is now keeping you stuck? Lisa Lacy sits down with Brent Lupia, Performance and Clarity Coach and creator of Externalized Sensemaking™, to explore why intelligent, high-performing people struggle with overthinking, decision paralysis, and mental clarity. Drawing from 18 years in high-stakes security and intelligence operations, Brent shares what happens when a brain trained for urgency and immediate feedback encounters uncertainty, and why thinking harder isn’t always the answer. From recognizing hidden patterns and challenging assumptions to accountability, neurodivergence, and breaking cycles of self-sacrifice, this conversation goes far beyond productivity. Brent opens up about the role he performed to survive childhood, the cost of constantly stabilizing everyone around him, and how learning to understand his own mind helped him rediscover himself. Together, we explore how curiosity, self-awareness, and personal responsibility can help us move forward without losing ourselves in the process. In this episode, we explore: Overthinking and Decision Paralysis: Why intelligent people get trapped in mental loops and how a brain accustomed to high-pressure decisions struggles with uncertainty. Externalized Sensemaking™: How putting thoughts on paper makes hidden patterns, conflicting beliefs, and assumptions visible so we can approach problems differently. Clarity, Accountability, and Personal Growth: Why understanding a problem isn’t the same as changing a behavior, and how repetition, responsibility, and self-compassion support meaningful change. Neurodivergence, Masking, and Self-Discovery: Brent’s experience of recognizing his neurodivergence later in life, becoming the person who kept everyone else stable, and learning what it means to prioritize himself. Breaking Patterns Through Curiosity and Connection: Why asking better questions, challenging our perceptions, and recognizing our shared humanity can transform relationships and the way we navigate life. Connect with Brent | Brent Lupia Coaching https://brentlupia.com Connect with Lisa | INSIDE THE EDGE https://lisalacy.com/inside-the-edge What did you perform in order to survive? Welcome to the Edge. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What happens when you achieve everything you thought you wanted, only to discover it isn’t the life you were meant to live? Lisa Lacy sits down with Steve Farrell, Silicon Valley entrepreneur, bestselling author, and co-founder of Humanity’s Team, to explore the journey from extraordinary financial success to spiritual awakening, conscious living, and discovering what truly makes life meaningful. From releasing fear and quieting the constant noise of achievement to recognizing our interconnectedness, Steve shares the personal experiences that transformed his understanding of success. Through a powerful live exercise, reflections on his book The Inner Way, and a heartbreaking story about his sister, this conversation explores what happens when we stop performing for the life we were handed and begin living the one that feels authentically ours. In this episode, we explore: Success Without Fulfillment: Why Steve’s multimillion-dollar Silicon Valley success felt like a temporary sugar high and led him toward a different definition of purpose. Conscious Living and Connection: A guided breathing and awareness exercise exploring how the beliefs “I am alone” and “I belong to something larger” can feel different in the body. Moving Beyond Fear: Why creating stillness, listening to your inner voice, and questioning the path others chose for you can open new possibilities. The Ripple Effect of Authenticity: How presence, compassion, conscious leadership, and everyday interactions can influence our relationships and communities. The Roles We Perform to Survive: Steve’s emotional story about losing his sister, the wake-up call that changed his priorities, and his invitation to live as your authentic self. Connect with Steve | Steve Farrell https://stevefarrell.org Connect with Lisa | INSIDE THE EDGE https://lisalacy.com/inside-the-edge What did you perform in order to survive? Welcome to the Edge. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What if being seen isn’t the same as being known? In a world obsessed with personal branding, social media visibility, artificial intelligence, and polished public images, authenticity may be our greatest competitive advantage. Lisa Lacy sits down with Drew Gerber, CEO and co-founder of Wasabi Publicity, to explore why meaningful visibility begins with knowing who you are, not performing who you think the world wants you to be. From finding your purpose and building authentic relationships to breaking cycles of shame, control, and never feeling good enough, this conversation goes far beyond traditional public relations. Drew shares how self-awareness, accountability, mentorship, and human connection can transform the way we approach business, personal branding, and our relationships with ourselves. In this episode, we explore: Being Seen vs. Being Known: Why authentic personal branding and meaningful visibility begin with self-awareness. Purpose-Driven Public Relations: How understanding your why creates more aligned marketing strategies, stronger trust, and meaningful impact. AI and Human Connection: Why artificial intelligence, social media, and digital perfection are challenging us to rediscover what makes us human. Breaking the Shame and Control Cycles: How releasing perfectionism, embracing accountability, and trusting yourself create room for authenticity. Mentorship, Self-Worth, and Enoughness: Why the right support matters and how asking “What is enough?” can redefine success, happiness, and fulfillment. Connect with Drew | Wasabi Publicity https://wasabipublicity.com Connect with Lisa | INSIDE THE EDGE https://lisalacy.com/inside-the-edge What did you perform in order to survive? Welcome to the Edge. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What happens when you voluntarily seek help for addiction, trauma, and mental health challenges, only to be told your anger is beyond a rehabilitation center’s ability to handle? In this brutally honest and sometimes hilarious solo episode of Notes From the Edge, Lisa Lacy shares the story of getting kicked out of outpatient rehab at 40 years old after taking a therapeutic exercise called “The Bullshit Game” a little too seriously. Through personal storytelling, humor, and hard-earned perspective, Lisa explores the importance of trauma-informed care, emotional safety, accountability, and finding recovery resources that meet your individual needs. From outdated rehabilitation practices to the complicated relationship between anger and unresolved trauma, this conversation challenges the idea that recovery should look the same for everyone. In this episode, we explore: The infamous “Bullshit Game” and how a novelty button got Lisa kicked out of rehab. Why traditional addiction treatment and mental health programs don’t work for everyone. Understanding anger as a possible response to trauma, betrayal, and years of survival. The difference between genuine accountability, public humiliation, and trauma-informed recovery. How to find mental health resources, addiction treatment, and recovery support that fit your individual needs. Connect with Lisa | INSIDE THE EDGE https://lisalacy.com/inside-the-edge What did you perform in order to survive? Welcome to the Edge. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

You can look successful, productive, and completely put together while quietly falling apart behind the scenes. In this Saturday Edge Note of Notes From the Edge, Lisa Lacy sits down with Dr. Lorea Martínez Pérez, emotional intelligence expert and author of Living with the HEART in Mind, to explore why high achievers often miss the warning signs of burnout until they’ve lost their joy, motivation, and connection to themselves. Together, they examine why pushing harder isn’t always the answer, how emotional intelligence helps us understand what our emotions are trying to tell us, and why boundaries, curiosity, and purpose matter more than temporary self-care fixes. This is a conversation about letting go of the performance of being fine, learning to include yourself in the circle of care, and finding your way beyond survival mode. In This Episode: Why burnout builds quietly and how losing joy can be an early warning sign. How high achievers become disconnected from their emotions while meeting everyone else’s needs. Why emotional intelligence is a learnable skill that transforms relationships, leadership, and well-being. How to establish emotional boundaries without guilt, including the power of saying “maybe later.” Why slowing down, naming your emotions, and embracing curiosity can help you rediscover purpose. Connect with Dr. Lorea Martínez Pérez Website: https://loreamartinez.com Explore her book, Living with the HEART in Mind: A Practical Guide to Healing from Burnout and Cultivating Purpose: https://loreamartinez.com/living-heart-in-mind/ Connect with Lisa Lacy Website: https://www.lisalacy.com Join INSIDE THE EDGE Go beyond the public podcast with exclusive weekly episodes, private monthly conversations, and a community built around meaningful human connection. https://www.lisalacy.com/inside-the-edge What did you perform in order to survive? Welcome to the Edge. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What if the very thing you spent your life trying to hide was actually one of your greatest strengths? Coach Willie Blake, entrepreneur, speaker, podcast host, and high-performance coach, joins Lisa Lacy for an honest conversation about growing up with dyslexia, feeling broken in a world designed for different minds, and discovering that self-acceptance can change everything. From struggling with self-worth to embracing neurodivergence and building confidence through small, intentional actions, Willie shares the lessons that helped him stop merely surviving and start leading with his differences. In this episode: The emotional impact of dyslexia on childhood, relationships, identity, and self-worth Reframing neurodivergence from a perceived limitation into a source of creativity, empathy, and strength Overcoming self-doubt, people-pleasing, and the pressure to fit someone else’s definition of normal Willie’s 2% Rule and GPS Goal Method for creating momentum through manageable, consistent action Letting go of the need to be everyone’s hero, accepting our imperfections, and learning that even the strongest people need support Connect with Coach Willie Blake: https://coachwillieblake.com/ Connect with Lisa Lacy Inside the Edge: https://www.lisalacy.com/inside-the-edge What did you perform in order to survive? Welcome to the Edge. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What happens when you begin grieving someone you love long before they’re gone? In this deeply personal episode of Notes From the Edge, host Lisa Lacy sits down with Suzanne Sherman, author, memoir editor, and writing coach, to explore childhood trauma, schizophrenia, suicide loss, complicated grief, and the healing power of storytelling. Suzanne was just four years old when her mother developed schizophrenia. At eighteen, she lost her mother to suicide. Decades later, she found the courage to tell their story in her memoir, Living in the Long Shadow: Surviving a Legacy of Mental Illness. But this conversation reveals something profound: sometimes we grieve not only the person we’ve lost, but the life mental illness prevented them from living. Through memories of her mother, decades of unanswered questions, and the decision to finally write her story, Suzanne explores how love, grief, and healing can coexist. In This Episode: Growing Up with a Parent with Schizophrenia: How Suzanne’s childhood changed when her mother’s mental illness emerged, and what happens when children are left to make sense of experiences nobody explains. Suicide Loss & Complicated Grief: The emotional complexity of losing her mother at eighteen, including the grief Suzanne experienced long before her mother’s death. Mental Illness, Family Silence & Childhood Survival: How unspoken struggles, family dynamics, and the need to remain observant can shape a child’s understanding of safety and belonging. Memoir Writing & Healing Through Storytelling: Why Suzanne waited decades to write Living in the Long Shadow, how she found the courage to revisit painful memories, and what writing taught her about her own life. Love Beyond Loss & Finding Meaning: An extraordinary personal experience that changed Suzanne’s understanding of her connection with her mother, the importance of honest communication, and the simple words that helped her persevere: “I can do this.” From the lasting effects of parental mental illness to the courage it takes to tell a deeply personal story, this conversation reminds us that grief doesn’t always begin with death, healing doesn’t require forgetting, and some of the most important conversations are the ones families never learned how to have. Connect with Suzanne Sherman Explore Suzanne’s memoir, writing workshops, coaching services, and weekly memoir classes. Website: https://suzannesherman.com Connect with Lisa | INSIDE THE EDGE Join INSIDE THE EDGE, a membership community for deeper human conversations, personal exploration, and meaningful connection beyond the podcast. https://www.lisalacy.com/inside-the-edge What did you perform in order to survive? Welcome to the Edge. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What if artificial intelligence could give us more time to be human? In this episode of Notes From the Edge, host Lisa Lacy sits down with Jon Rossiter, entrepreneur and co-founder of Zoloto, to explore AI employees, business automation, leadership, and the future of work. But the conversation goes beyond technology. Jon opens up about people-pleasing, authenticity, accountability, and why meaningful human connection matters more than ever in an increasingly automated world. What happens when technology gives us back our time, but we still have to decide who we want to be? In This Episode: AI Employees & the Future of Work: How specialized artificial intelligence workers are transforming business operations, automation, and the way entrepreneurs manage their companies. Entrepreneurship, Productivity & Work-Life Balance: Why eliminating repetitive tasks could help business owners reduce stress, reclaim valuable time, and focus on what matters most. Leadership, Accountability & Human Trust: Why taking responsibility, acknowledging mistakes, and building authentic relationships remain essential in an increasingly automated world. People-Pleasing, Identity & Authenticity: Jon’s personal experience of letting go of the need for approval and learning to show up without wearing a mask. Human Connection & the Loneliness Epidemic: Why technology cannot replace emotional honesty, meaningful relationships, asking for help, and supporting one another. From AI-powered business transformation to the deeply human need for connection and belonging, this conversation challenges us to consider whether the future of work should be measured only by productivity or by the quality of the lives we’re creating. Connect with Jon Rossiter Co-Founder, Zoloto LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnrossiterofficial/ Connect with Lisa | INSIDE THE EDGE https://www.lisalacy.com/inside-the-edge What did you perform in order to survive? Welcome to the Edge. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What if your biggest financial obstacle isn’t your money, but the unconscious patterns controlling your decisions? Financial advisor, former monk, and bestselling author Doug Lynam returns to Notes From the Edge for a live Enneagram case study with Lisa Lacy, exploring how personality, trauma, fear, and identity shape our relationship with money. In this episode: Why financial stress activates survival instincts and unconscious emotional patterns. How the nine Enneagram personality types influence spending, saving, control, and financial decisions. A live examination of Lisa’s Type 8 personality, including power, boundaries, anger, and the fear of being controlled. How Type 8 and Type 5 personality patterns affect relationships, communication, and financial behavior. How self-awareness, compassion, and intentional choices can transform destructive money patterns into healthier financial habits. Missed Part 1? The Wealth We Can’t Spend: From Marine to Monk to Money Manager with Douglas Lynam. Find it on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/notes-from-the-edge/id1896943121 Connect with Doug Lynam: https://www.douglynam.com Connect with Lisa Lacy | INSIDE THE EDGE Membership: https://www.lisalacy.com/inside-the-edge What did you perform in order to survive? Welcome to the Edge. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What happens when the life you’ve worked so hard to build no longer feels like the life you’re meant to live? In this episode of Notes From the Edge, host Lisa Lacy sits down with Luke Mickelson, founder of Sleep in Heavenly Peace, to explore purpose-driven leadership, community service, personal identity, vulnerability, and how one small act of kindness can grow into a movement that changes hundreds of thousands of lives. Luke had everything he thought success was supposed to look like. A six-figure career, financial stability, a family, and a comfortable life. But something was missing. Then a simple project to build a bunk bed for children sleeping on the floor changed everything. Luke shares the unforgettable story of Haley, a six-year-old girl who had been sleeping on her school clothes because she didn’t have a bed. When she received her very first bed, she wrapped her arms around it and kissed it. That moment transformed Luke’s understanding of success, service, and what it means to make a difference. What began as a small community project became Sleep in Heavenly Peace, an international nonprofit dedicated to ensuring that no child has to sleep on the floor. But this conversation goes far beyond building beds. Lisa and Luke explore the loneliness that can exist behind professional success, the unexpected fulfillment that comes from helping others, and the personal cost of believing that leadership means always having the answers. Luke also opens up about letting go of pride, ego, and the identity he spent years performing, discovering that vulnerability may be one of the greatest strengths a leader can develop. In this episode: Success vs. Fulfillment: Why achieving everything society calls success can still leave us questioning our purpose. One Bed, Thousands of Lives: How Haley’s story helped ignite a community movement addressing childhood bedlessness. The Five Steps to Finding Purpose: Luke’s approach to meaningful action: see it, feel it, act on it, repeat it, and share it. Community Service and Human Connection: How volunteering creates belonging, shifts our perspective, and reminds us that we’re not meant to navigate life alone. Leadership, Identity, and Vulnerability: Why letting go of the need to be strong, have every answer, and perform for others can be profoundly freeing. This is a conversation about ordinary people doing extraordinary things, not because they have all the resources or answers, but because they decide to act. And perhaps the most powerful reminder is that you don’t have to change the entire world to change someone’s world. Connect with Luke Mickelson Learn about Sleep in Heavenly Peace, find a local chapter, volunteer to build or deliver beds, donate, or start a chapter in your community. https://shpbeds.org/ Connect with Lisa | INSIDE THE EDGE Go beyond the public conversations with exclusive solo episodes, deeper discussions, and monthly live experiences. https://www.lisalacy.com/inside-the-edge What did you perform in order to survive? Welcome to the Edge. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this Edge Note solo episode of Notes From the Edge, Lisa Lacy gets personal about Bipolar I, trauma, uncertainty, and the exhausting need to control outcomes when your nervous system learned early that powerlessness could be dangerous. This is not another “just let it go” conversation. Lisa explores what control actually looks like when you live with mental illness, why uncertainty can feel threatening even when you are clinically supported and properly medicated, and how to separate what requires action from what simply requires us to tolerate not knowing yet. In this episode: Why trauma and mental illness can make uncertainty feel like danger The difference between taking responsible action and trying to control an outcome How hypervigilance can disguise itself as preparation, responsibility, and problem-solving How to separate facts from catastrophic predictions when your mind is activated Practical tools for grounding, shrinking time, regulating your body, and deciding what actually needs your attention right now If you have ever done everything you could and still found yourself obsessing over what happens next, this conversation is for you. The goal is not to stop caring about outcomes. It is to trust yourself enough to know that you can survive the uncertainty between action and outcome. Connect with Lisa Lacy Inside the Edge: https://www.lisalacy.com/inside-the-edge What did you perform in order to survive? Welcome to the Edge. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

You can understand your patterns. You can know where they came from. You can spend years learning the language of trauma and healing, and still find your body reacting as if the danger never ended. In this Edge Note episode of Notes From the Edge, Lisa Lacy sits down with registered somatic movement therapist and educator Katy Slany for a conversation about somatic therapy, nervous system regulation, embodied healing, and why insight alone does not always create lasting change. Katy explains why trauma is a whole-body experience, what people actually mean when they talk about “regulating the nervous system,” and how learning to tolerate and understand our physical sensations can change the way we respond to anxiety, fear, relationships, and the world around us. She also shares her own healing journey and how survival, illness, isolation, and the fear of connection became deeply intertwined. This conversation is ultimately about something bigger than regulation. It is about recovering choice, autonomy, and the ability to listen to the wisdom of your own body. In this episode: • Why understanding trauma intellectually may not change the body’s response • What nervous system regulation actually means and why it is often oversimplified • How somatic work can help us reconnect with sensations we have learned to avoid • Why healing is not a destination, but a changing relationship with our experiences • How inherited beliefs, survival patterns, and conditioning can disconnect us from our autonomy and power Connect with Katy Slany: Katy Slany | Transformative Somatic Education Connect with Lisa Lacy Inside the Edge: https://www.lisalacy.com/inside-the-edge What did you perform in order to survive? Welcome to the Edge. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What happens when you achieve everything you thought you wanted and discover it still doesn’t feel like enough? Dr. Jack Groppel is a pioneering sports scientist and co-founder of the Human Performance Institute whose work reveals a powerful truth: peak performance and a meaningful life are not necessarily the same thing. In this conversation, Jack and Lisa explore how achievement can become addictive, why our need for approval can hide underneath ambition, and what decades of studying elite human performance taught him about energy, recovery, and fulfillment. Jack also shares how adopting his son and climbing Mount Kilimanjaro together ultimately forced him to reconsider his definitions of strength, fatherhood, success, and what matters most. In this episode: Human performance and sports science Achievement addiction and overachievement The need for approval and people pleasing Burnout, energy management, and recovery Fatherhood and adoption Leadership and high performance Purpose, meaning, and fulfillment Mount Kilimanjaro and Mountains Within Redefining success Learn more about Dr. Jack Groppel and Mountains Within: https://jackgroppel.net Explore more from Lisa Lacy Inside the Edge: Inside The Edge — Lisa Lacy What did you perform in order to survive? Welcome to the Edge. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What happens when the thing that made you successful, your ability to push through, perform, achieve, and keep going, becomes the very thing your body can no longer sustain? In this episode of Notes From the Edge, Lisa Lacy sits down with author, transformational coach, and founder of The Rebuild Collective, Kristen Renee Appleby, for a conversation about burnout, autoimmune illness, the mind-body connection, and what it really means to rebuild your life from the foundation up. Kristen spent years searching for answers while navigating autoimmune illness, chronic inflammation, demanding work, financial stress, emotional suppression, and the expectation that she should simply keep functioning. Eventually, she began questioning whether all of those pieces were actually separate. We talk about what happens when achievement becomes intertwined with survival, why changing a protocol without changing the environment may not be enough, and how our relationships with work, money, emotions, purpose, and ourselves can influence the way we experience our lives. This conversation isn’t about abandoning ambition. It’s about asking whether the life you’re building actually has a foundation strong enough to hold it. In this episode: • How burnout and high-achiever survival patterns can hide behind capability and success • Autoimmune illness, chronic inflammation, emotional suppression, and the mind-body connection • Workplace stress, unhealthy environments, and what happens when pushing through stops working • Financial stress, money wounds, limiting beliefs, and the connection between physical and financial wellness • Kristen’s Healthy Foundation approach to rebuilding self-trust, authenticity, purpose, and a life that doesn’t require abandoning ambition Connect with Kristen Renee Appleby: https://www.kristenreneerebuilding.com Connect with Lisa | Inside the Edge: https://www.lisalacy.com/inside-the-edge What did you perform in order to survive? Welcome to the Edge. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What happens when the strength everyone sees is actually survival mode? Jenna Schutt, former cardiac registered nurse and stem cell transplant survivor, joins Lisa Lacy for a deeply human conversation about chronic illness, faith, fear, motherhood, and what happens when being incredibly capable convinces everyone around you that you must be okay. Diagnosed with a rare, incurable disease at 30 while raising two children still in diapers, Jenna endured ten rounds of chemotherapy, serious medical complications, a stem cell transplant, and ongoing graft-versus-host disease. But this conversation goes beyond what happened medically. Jenna and Lisa explore the identity shift from nurse to patient, grieving the life you thought you would have, learning to listen to your body, and recognizing when strength has become a performance. In this episode: Chronic illness and survival mode Performing strength while struggling internally Fear, faith and emotional resilience Motherhood during a medical crisis Grief, identity and uncertainty after diagnosis Stem cell transplant and graft-versus-host disease Why being capable does not mean being okay Learning that rest is medicine The Joy Reflex and retraining your response to fear Connect with Jenna Schutt: https://www.jennaschutt.com/ Connect with Lisa Lacy Inside the Edge: https://www.lisalacy.com/inside-the-edge What did you perform in order to survive? Welcome to the Edge. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What happens when your mind creates a reality so convincing that everyone else can tell you it isn’t real, and you still know what you saw, heard, felt, and lived? In this Special Edition of Notes From the Edge, Lisa Lacy opens up about living with Bipolar I Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder, and Complex PTSD, including what psychosis actually felt like from inside of it. “The Psychotic Trifecta” is Lisa’s personal description of the collision of these conditions, not a clinical term. Bipolar I can include psychosis, while BPD and CPTSD can involve dissociation, hypervigilance, emotional dysregulation, and disturbances in how we experience ourselves and other people. This is not a clinical lecture. This is what it feels like to live it. Lisa also talks candidly about spending much of her life running on mania, why mania can masquerade as extraordinary productivity, and what happened when menopause brought a kind of depression she had never experienced before. In this Special Edition: • What Bipolar I mania and psychosis can actually feel like from the inside • Why Bipolar I and Borderline Personality Disorder are often confused, but are fundamentally different • How CPTSD, hypervigilance, dissociation, and trauma responses can overlap with both • Why being highly functional does not necessarily mean someone is mentally well • What Lisa has learned about reality-checking, treatment, self-awareness, and recognizing when her own mind may not be a reliable narrator Mental illness does not remove intelligence. Psychosis does not make someone stupid. Trauma does not make someone weak. And a diagnosis does not erase the human being living underneath it. Connect with Lisa Inside the Edge: https://www.lisalacy.com/inside-the-edge What did you perform in order to survive? Welcome to the Edge. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What if sustainable success has less to do with talent, motivation, or doing more and more to do with self-worth, self-belief, and consistency? In this episode of Notes From the Edge, Lisa Lacy sits down with Amy Lenius, personal development and success coach, professional speaker, and Director of Group Coaching at Next Level University, for a conversation about redefining success from the inside out. After navigating chronic illness from childhood, Amy began rebuilding not only her physical health but also her identity, beliefs, and relationship with herself. She explains why self-belief is built through action, why self-worth can quietly place a ceiling on achievement, and why sustainable change rarely comes from dramatic overnight transformation. They also explore people-pleasing, burnout, boundaries, perfectionism, nervous-system regulation, and what happens when you stop performing as the person everyone else needs you to be. In this episode: The critical difference between self-belief and self-worth Why messy action and consistency can matter more than talent or motivation How people-pleasing, dimming yourself, and weak boundaries can erode self-worth Why sustainable growth means expanding your comfort zone instead of jumping straight into overwhelm How small, intentional actions can create lasting success without sacrificing your health, relationships, or identity Connect with Amy Lenius Next Level University Group Coaching: nextleveluniverse.com/group-coaching⁠ Instagram: @amylenius Facebook: Amy Lenius Connect with Lisa Lacy Inside the Edge: lisalacy.com/inside-the-edge What did you perform in order to survive? Welcome to the Edge. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What if the pain you feel and the damage seen on an MRI aren’t always the same thing? Lisa Lacy sits down with neurologist Dr. Eric Anderson, MD, PhD, MBA, Chief Medical Officer at Lin Health, to explore chronic back pain, the nervous system, central sensitization, and what patients should understand before making major decisions about back surgery. Dr. Anderson explains how chronic pain can become a highly sensitized alarm system, why imaging findings don’t always correspond with the intensity of someone’s pain, and how whole-person approaches may help some people retrain the nervous system and regain function. In this conversation: Why pain and structural damage are not necessarily the same thing, and what MRI findings can and cannot tell you. How central sensitization can cause the nervous system’s protective alarm system to become overly sensitive. The connection between stress, trauma, hypervigilance, the limbic system, and persistent pain. How approaches including pain reprocessing therapy, CBT, graded exposure, emotional awareness, coaching, and movement can be incorporated into chronic pain recovery. The questions to ask before back surgery, including expected outcomes, alternatives, recovery time, and when structural problems or progressive nerve damage may require surgical intervention. This is not a conversation about telling people their pain isn’t real. It is about understanding pain more completely so patients can advocate for themselves and make informed decisions about their care. Connect with Dr. Eric Anderson Learn more about Dr. Anderson and Lin Health: https://lin.health Connect with Lisa Lacy Learn more about Lisa, Notes From the Edge, and her work: https://www.lisalacy.com What did you perform in order to survive? Welcome to the Edge. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We are told to look for the good, raise our vibration, practice gratitude, forgive, move on, and trust that everything happens for a reason. But what happens when positivity becomes another way to avoid reality? In this Edge Note, Lisa Lacy explores spiritual bypassing, false positivity, trauma, emotional avoidance, and the difference between acceptance and resignation. Facing what is painful does not make you negative. Sometimes it simply means you are willing to tell yourself the truth. Two people can experience what looks like the same event and carry completely different emotional consequences from it. Trauma is not determined only by what happened. Context, meaning, safety, loss, and what happened afterward all matter. Healing does not require pretending everything is beautiful. It requires being willing to see your life as it exists today so you can decide what you want to create tomorrow. In this episode: Why false positivity can keep us from making meaningful change What spiritual bypassing looks like when spiritual ideas are used to avoid painful emotions Why two people can experience the same event and be affected completely differently The difference between acknowledging victimization and remaining trapped in a victim identity Why accepting reality may be one of the most powerful ways to reclaim agency over what happens next Go deeper Inside the Edge https://www.lisalacy.com/inside-the-edge What did you perform in order to survive? Welcome to the Edge. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What if the answers you’ve spent your whole life searching for aren’t somewhere out there, but waiting for you to finally turn inward? In this Edge Note of Notes From the Edge, Lisa Lacy sits down with psychotherapist, spiritual teacher, mentor, and author Rosanne Annoni for a deeply human conversation about spiritual awakening, grief, forgiveness, self-inquiry, and what happens when we stop looking outside ourselves for permission, validation, and truth. After decades as a psychotherapist and years of her own searching, Rosanne shares how therapy, meditation, loss, motherhood, relationships, and the Diamond Approach gradually brought her back to herself. Together, Lisa and Rosanne explore the difference between understanding our patterns and learning not to be ruled by them. In this conversation: Why healing often begins when we stop focusing on everyone else and turn inward How victimhood, blame, and self-blame can keep us trapped in old patterns What forgiveness can look like without excusing what happened Why people-pleasing and doing everything alone can disconnect us from ourselves How curiosity, presence, self-inquiry, and accepting support can change the way we move through life Rosanne’s debut memoir, Unfolding the Heart: One Woman’s Quest for True Nature, explores a lifetime of searching, loss, healing, spirituality, and the courage to keep standing back up. Connect with Rosanne Annoni https://rosanneannoni.com Connect with Lisa Lacy https://www.lisalacy.com What did you perform in order to survive? Welcome to the Edge. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What stories disappear when the people we love are no longer here to tell them? In this episode of Notes From the Edge, Lisa Lacy sits down with entrepreneur, business coach, former United States Marine, and founder of The Story Project, Brad Koch, for a deeply human conversation about family stories, grief, memory, legacy, and the things we often wait too long to ask. Brad shares how the loss of his father-in-law, and the realization that his wife wished she had more recordings of his voice, face, mannerisms, and stories, helped inspire The Story Project. Lisa and Brad explore why knowing someone’s story can completely change the way we understand our family, our childhood, our trauma, and even ourselves. This is a conversation about remembering where we came from while the people who came before us are still here to tell us. In this episode: • Why preserving someone’s voice, mannerisms, memories, and stories can become an irreplaceable part of their legacy • How learning our family’s stories can deepen connection and change the way we understand our own past • Why waiting until time feels limited can leave us scrambling to ask questions we could be asking now • How The Story Project helps families capture and preserve stories across generations • Brad’s experience entering the Marine Corps at seventeen, the role he performed to survive, and why asking for help is not weakness Connect with Brad: https://storyproject.app Connect with Lisa: https://www.lisalacy.com What did you perform in order to survive? Welcome to the Edge. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Why a special edition? Because every once in a while, a conversation happens at the Edge that feels too important to wait its turn on the calendar. This is one of those conversations. At 18 years old, Liam Beville pushed a friend out of the path of a stolen car and took the impact himself. Both of his legs were shattered, his right knee was severely damaged, and he was told he might never walk again. He did more than walk again. Liam became an elite powerlifter, Guinness World Record holder, disability advocate, speaker and author. But underneath the records, the weights and four decades of competition was another story. For years, Liam practiced the way he walked so people would not see his limp. Strength became more than something he demonstrated. It became something he performed. In this special edition of Notes From the Edge, Lisa Lacy and Liam talk about what happens when survival becomes identity, when resilience starts looking like a mask, and what it means to finally acknowledge the parts of ourselves we worked so hard to hide. In this conversation: • Why Liam focused on rebuilding his mind before rebuilding his body after catastrophic injury • The depression, PTSD and loss of dignity that accompanied his recovery • How rehabilitation eventually led him into 40 years of competitive powerlifting • Why Liam spent years hiding his disability, including practicing how he walked so others would not see his limp • What changed when he stopped seeing disability as something that diminished his strength and began allowing it to become part of his story Liam is a Guinness World Record holder, internationally ranked powerlifter, disability advocate and brand ambassador for Active Disability Ireland. His upcoming memoir, Unbroken: The Liam Beville Story, tells the larger story of survival, performance, identity and resilience. Connect with Liam Beville: https://www.liambeville.com Connect with Lisa Lacy: https://www.lisalacy.com Listener’s Note: Resilience is not the absence of pain, disability, fear or limitation. Sometimes the strongest thing we can do is stop performing strength long enough to acknowledge what happened to us. Liam’s story is a reminder that adapting is not surrender, asking for help is not weakness, and accepting the parts of yourself that changed does not erase who you were before. Survival may require a performance for a season. Healing often begins when you realize you no longer have to keep performing it. What did you perform in order to survive? Welcome to the Edge. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What happens when the workplace you once worked so hard to succeed in becomes the place you no longer recognize yourself? In this episode of Notes From the Edge, Lisa Lacy sits down with employment attorney, workplace strategist, author, and former corporate people and culture executive Natalie Holder for a powerful conversation about workplace trauma, exclusion, toxic work culture, self-advocacy, and career reinvention. Natalie explains why workplace trauma does not always look dramatic. Sometimes it is being left out of the room, overlooked for opportunities, quietly bullied, or repeatedly questioning whether what you are experiencing is “bad enough” to speak up about. They explore why high performers may be among the last people to leave unhealthy environments, why having language for what is happening matters, and how unresolved workplace experiences can follow us into the next job if we never stop to understand them. Natalie also challenges the idea that the answer is always to quit immediately. Sometimes the most powerful move is understanding what happened, getting support, planning your exit intentionally, and asking better questions about what you actually want next. In this episode: • How exclusion and workplace trauma can hide in plain sight • Why high performers may stay in unhealthy workplaces longer • Finding the language to advocate for yourself • Knowing when it is time to stay, leave, or strategically pivot • Building a career that supports who you are becoming Connect with Natalie Holder: https://natalieholderspeaks.com Connect with Lisa Lacy: https://www.lisalacy.com What did you perform in order to survive? Welcome to the Edge. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What happens when the roles you learned to play in relationships start costing you yourself? In this episode of Notes From the Edge, Lisa Lacy sits down with relationship and intimacy coaches Natalie Vartanian and Glenn Nielsen for an honest conversation about marriage, somatic healing, nervous system regulation, inherited relationship roles, and what happens when couples stop blaming each other long enough to look beneath the conflict. Natalie and Glenn share how even after years of personal growth and entering their marriage intentionally, old conditioning began showing up. Natalie found herself becoming a muted version of herself, while Glenn wrestled with the enormous pressure of being the provider after the collapse of a business he had built over decades. Together, they explore why sometimes the intensity of our reaction has more to do with what is happening inside us than what our partner actually did, and how couples can begin creating a relationship based on conscious choice rather than inherited expectations. In this episode: • How the “good wife” and “good husband” roles can quietly create resentment and pressure • Why your nervous system may be reacting to something deeper than the argument in front of you • Somatic awareness and learning to recognize activation in the body • Taking responsibility for your own patterns without turning relationship work into blame • How couples can intentionally create agreements, connection, intimacy, and a relationship that allows both people to fully exist Connect with Natalie & Glenn: https://wakeuporbreakup.com Connect with Lisa: https://www.lisalacy.com What did you perform in order to survive? Welcome to the Edge. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What happens when accepting a diagnosis stops feeling like surrender and becomes the beginning of recovery? In this episode of Notes From the Edge, Lisa Lacy sits down with author and podcast host Reza Ghaemi for an honest, funny, and deeply human conversation about living with Bipolar I Disorder, surviving mania and hospitalization, resisting treatment, and eventually learning to work with his diagnosis instead of fighting against it. Reza, author of Bipolar Is My Superpower: How Acceptance Changed My Life and host of The Rez Podcast, shares why acceptance became a turning point in his recovery and why calling bipolar his “superpower” is not about romanticizing mania or psychosis. It is about the self-awareness, resilience, recovery skills, and responsibility he built afterward. Lisa and Reza also dig into stigma, medication, faith, family support, disclosure, relationships, and what changes when you stop hiding your story and start owning it. In this episode: • Bipolar I Disorder, mania, psychosis, and hospitalization • Moving from denial and stigma toward acceptance • Medication, treatment, sleep, and building recovery skills • Mental health disclosure in work, dating, and relationships • Replacing shame and fear with self-awareness and ownership Connect with Reza Ghaemi: The Rez Podcast: https://www.rezpodcast.com Connect with Lisa Lacy: https://www.lisalacy.com What did you perform in order to survive? Welcome to the Edge. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What happens inside your body in the seconds between a trigger, a craving, and a choice? Dr. Deborah Rozman is a behavioral psychologist and President/Co-CEO of HeartMath. In this episode of Notes From the Edge, she joins Lisa Lacy to explore what happens physiologically when stress activates old patterns, why the familiar can feel safer even when it is destructive, and whether we can train the nervous system to create more space between an urge and our response. They unpack heart-brain communication, heart rate variability, coherence, and real-time biofeedback, while Lisa shares how biofeedback became part of her own recovery experience. Dr. Rozman also walks through a simple heart-focused breathing practice that can be used when stress, overwhelm, or cravings begin to rise. In this episode: Addiction recovery, cravings, triggers, and relapse prevention Why the brain can reach for familiar patterns during stress and overwhelm Heart-brain coherence, HRV, and nervous system regulation Using real-time biofeedback to recognize and shift physiological stress patterns Heart-focused breathing and creating space between an urge and a reaction Connect with Dr. Deborah Rozman: HeartMath.com Connect with Lisa Lacy: www.LisaLacy.com What did you perform in order to survive? Welcome to the Edge. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What happens when telling the truth about your mental health could cost you your credibility, your career, or the way people see you forever? In this solo episode of Notes From the Edge, Lisa Lacy talks openly about living with Bipolar I, psychosis, borderline personality disorder, addiction, hospitalization, and recovery while simultaneously building businesses, leading teams, earning six figures, and appearing highly functional to the outside world. This is a conversation about what happens when a psychiatric diagnosis becomes a verdict instead of information. Lisa explores the pressure to hide serious mental illness in professional spaces, the difference between mental health awareness and actual psychological safety, and why people should not have to prove recovery by pretending they were never sick. In this episode: • Bipolar I, psychosis and borderline personality disorder stigma • Mental illness, employment and the fear of professional disclosure • High-functioning mental illness, leadership and hidden struggles • Psychiatric hospitalization, addiction, recovery and rebuilding a life • Why workplaces need real systemic change beyond mental health awareness Connect with Lisa: https://lisalacy.com What did you perform in order to survive? Welcome to the Edge. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Licensed marriage and family therapist and educator Renée Calhoun joins Lisa Lacy to unpack a deceptively simple question: when does “being strong” stop being resilience and start becoming survival mode? In this conversation, Renée and Lisa explore why highly capable people can look successful on the outside while their nervous systems remain stuck on high alert. They talk about guilt-free rest, people pleasing, overfunctioning, emotional safety, family systems, toxic relationship patterns, and the ways trauma adaptations can become so familiar that we mistake them for personality. Renée also explains why intelligence alone can’t logic us out of relationships or behaviors our nervous systems still associate with connection and safety. In this episode: Trauma and nervous system survival responses The difference between resilience and survival mode Why high-functioning people can still be suffering People pleasing, overfunctioning and emotional labor Why rest can feel unsafe or uncomfortable When trauma adaptations get mistaken for personality traits Internal Family Systems and parts work Emotional safety versus emotional discomfort Toxic relationships and repeated relationship patterns How family systems shape our earliest ideas about love and belonging Boundaries, self-worth and learning to say no Moving from autopilot into curiosity and conscious choice Why healing isn’t becoming someone new, but discovering who you are when you no longer have to survive Connect with Renée Calhoun: https://reneecalhounlmft.com Connect with Lisa Lacy: https://lisalacy.com What did you perform in order to survive? Welcome to the Edge. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What happens when being capable becomes the very thing that keeps people from seeing you’re struggling? In this episode of Notes From the Edge, Lisa Lacy sits down with Nigerian-American physician, novelist, and storyteller Dr. Nneka Oluoha for a conversation about high-functioning depression, cultural expectations, motherhood, immigrant identity, and the roles we perform to survive. Dr. Nneka explores why the person who appears strongest may be carrying the most, why “I’m fine” can become a practiced performance, and how competence, strength, and responsibility can eventually become a prison when we never allow ourselves to put them down. She also shares her experience moving from Nigeria to the United States, navigating multiple identities as a physician, mother, wife, immigrant, and writer, and finally reclaiming the part of herself that had always wanted to write. Her novel, Live For Me Nkem, uses fiction to take readers inside depression not only through the person experiencing it, but through the family living beside her. In this episode: • High-functioning depression and performing “fine” • Competence and strength as survival roles • Immigrant identity and navigating two cultures • Motherhood, responsibility, and mom guilt • Why successful people struggle to ask for help • Depression’s impact on the entire family • Listening instead of trying to fix someone • Reclaiming parts of yourself buried beneath responsibility • The power of storytelling to create empathy around mental health Sometimes support is not having the perfect advice. Sometimes it is simply being willing to sit beside someone in the dark. Connect with Dr. Nneka Oluoha: LinkedIn-Nneka Oluoha Connect with Lisa Lacy: https://www.lisalacy.com What did you perform in order to survive? Welcome to the Edge. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What happens when something that happened to you starts defining who you are? In this episode of Notes From the Edge, Lisa Lacy sits down with author and survivor advocate Amy McKiernan for a raw conversation about sexual assault, trauma, identity, addiction, boundaries, consent, and rebuilding a life beyond survival. Amy shares how being raped at fifteen shaped her identity, relationships, coping mechanisms, and sense of self-worth. She and Lisa explore numbing through drugs and alcohol, toxic relationships, motherhood, mental health labels, and the long process of reclaiming agency after choice has been taken away. They also talk about why healing is not linear, how small choices can become acts of recovery, and why trauma can remain part of your story without remaining in control of your life. In this episode: • Sexual assault and trauma identity • Addiction and emotional numbing • Boundaries, self-worth, and toxic relationships • Healing that is messy and nonlinear • Mental health labels and identity • Consent, intoxication, and accountability • Reclaiming agency and choosing yourself Connect with Amy McKiernan: https://amymckiernan.com Connect with Lisa Lacy: https://www.lisalacy.com What did you perform in order to survive? Welcome to the Edge. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What if the person you became to survive is no longer the person you want to be? In this episode of Notes From the Edge, Lisa Lacy sits down with speaker and leadership consultant Jon Symes to explore the unconscious stories we build around identity, masculinity, success, leadership, and survival. Jon calls this work Narrative Liberation: recognizing the roles and beliefs we adopted to navigate life, then deciding which ones still belong to us. They talk about the cost of being “the strong one,” the provider, the good guy, the high performer, or the person who always has it together. Jon also shares how early survival adaptations can begin, including changing the way he walked as a boy to avoid social judgment and carrying that performance for nearly twenty years. Together, Lisa and Jon explore midlife reinvention, masculinity, people-pleasing, leadership, family roles, authenticity, and what happens when the identity that once protected you starts costing you pieces of yourself. In this episode: • Survival performance and identity • Narrative Liberation • Masculinity and provider pressure • Midlife reinvention • The “good guy” mask • People-pleasing and self-abandonment • Leadership and authenticity • Family roles and inherited stories • Reclaiming the parts of yourself you learned to hide Connect with Jon Symes: https://www.wholeandfree.me Connect with Lisa Lacy: https://www.lisalacy.com What did you perform in order to survive? Welcome to the Edge. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What happens when a pastor trades the pulpit for a 24-year career inside the FBI? Eric Robinson spent 12 years in Christian ministry before becoming an FBI Special Agent, eventually serving 15 years as a SWAT operator and working investigations involving counterterrorism, crimes against children, gangs, drugs, financial crime, civil rights violations, political corruption, and national security. But this conversation isn’t really about badges, guns, or cases. It’s about what happens to your understanding of human beings when you’ve spent decades sitting across from victims, informants, criminals, survivors, and people living through some of the darkest circumstances imaginable. In this episode of Notes From the Edge, Lisa Lacy and Eric Robinson talk about: • Going from the pulpit to the FBI • 24 years inside federal law enforcement • What ministry taught Eric about interviewing, trust, and human behavior • Witnessing trauma without losing your humanity • Why context matters when we judge another person’s choices • The relationship between trauma, circumstance, crime, and survival • Why mentorship and nonjudgmental support matter • The psychological weight of believing you have to be perfect • Dropping the mask Eric wore as a pastor • Fear, competence, repetition, and learning to trust yourself • Why making the “wrong” decision doesn’t have to destroy your life • Humanizing people without excusing harmful behavior • Choosing curiosity over judgment • Why Eric believes we need more kindness in difficult conversations • His upcoming book chronicling the unlikely journey from preacher to FBI Special Agent Eric’s story is a reminder that people are almost always more complicated than the headline, the crime, the job title, the mistake, or the label we’ve been given. Sometimes understanding another human being starts with getting curious enough to ask what happened before we decide who they are. Connect with Eric Robinson: https://preachertobreacher.com Connect with Lisa Lacy: https://www.lisalacy.com What did you perform in order to survive? Welcome to the Edge. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What if the behavior we’re trying to stop is actually trying to tell us something? Bryan Post is a child behavior expert and creator of the Fear to Love Method whose work challenges parents to see difficult behavior not as defiance, but as communication from a nervous system experiencing stress, fear or unmet needs. In this conversation, Bryan and Lisa explore what changes when adults stop trying to control behavior and start looking underneath it. They unpack why a stressed parent cannot regulate a stressed child, how consistency creates safety, and why the feelings we learned to suppress in childhood can continue driving our reactions decades later. Bryan also shares his “Reflect, Relate and Regulate” approach and a powerful story illustrating what can happen when a parent gets curious about the fear beneath a child’s behavior instead of immediately trying to correct it. In this episode: Childhood trauma and nervous system regulation Trauma-informed parenting and difficult behavior Adoption, attachment and emotional safety Why punishment and control can intensify stress Parent self-regulation and co-regulation How childhood survival patterns follow us into adulthood Grief, emotional healing and unresolved trauma Reflect, Relate and Regulate Moving from fear-based reactions toward connection Why behavior can be an opportunity rather than a problem Connect with Bryan: www.feartolove.com Connect with Lisa: www.lisalacy.com What did you perform in order to survive? Welcome to the Edge. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Why can peace feel more uncomfortable than the crisis you spent years trying to escape? Lisa Lacy, trauma educator and host of Notes From the Edge, explores one of trauma’s strangest contradictions: the nervous system can mistake what is familiar for what is safe. In this solo episode, Lisa gets personal about becoming extraordinarily good at functioning inside chaos, from building a high-pressure career around competence and crisis management to constantly monitoring the emotional weather around her. She explores what happens when the emergency finally ends, but your body is still waiting for the next one, and why ordinary moments of safety can become part of retraining the nervous system. In this episode: Trauma, hypervigilance and the nervous system Why peace can feel boring, suspicious or unsafe When competence and productivity become survival strategies Overfunctioning, caretaking and monitoring other people’s emotions The difference between connection and intensity Why stable relationships can initially feel unfamiliar Learning to tolerate other people’s disappointment Resting without feeling like you have to earn it Teaching the nervous system that calm is safe How ordinary can eventually begin to feel like freedom Connect with Lisa: www.lisalacy.com What did you perform in order to survive? Welcome to the Edge. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What did we know at five years old that we somehow forgot along the way? Tiffany Dennison is a kindergarten and first-grade educator with 22 years of experience whose work centers on play, belonging and social-emotional development. Her classroom offers a fascinating reminder that children may understand some of the fundamentals of being human long before adults complicate them. In this conversation, Tiffany and I talk about what happens when children are given enough time to actually play, why belonging and emotional safety have to come before learning, and what five-year-olds can teach adults about repairing conflict without dragging yesterday’s resentment into today. We also get into screen time, storytelling, nervous-system regulation and Tiffany’s own journey of recognizing and releasing people-pleasing. In this episode: Play-based learning and why unstructured play matters Social-emotional learning and childhood development Belonging, emotional safety and nervous-system regulation How children repair conflict differently than adults The effects of screens on connection, creativity and attention Storytelling as a tool for learning and human connection What adults model for children without realizing it People-pleasing, identity and learning to listen to your body Why slowing down may be one of the most important things children can teach us Connect with Lisa Lacy https://www.lisalacy.com What did you perform in order to survive? Welcome to the Edge. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Writer and memoirist Daniel Sterling spent much of his life chasing achievement, recognition, and the next version of success until he discovered that some of the hardest work a man can do happens in the few inches between his head and his heart. Daniel and Lisa talk about the childhood hunger to be seen that fueled his drive, from becoming a top U.S. alpine ski racer to television, filmmaking, and screenwriting, and what happened when that identity finally stopped sustaining him. They dig into male emotional isolation, the mentor who helped Daniel rebuild his life through self-study and accountability, and why raising emotionally whole boys requires adults willing to examine their own patterns first. In this episode: Male isolation and why emotional connection can be so difficult for men Achievement, validation, and using success as a substitute for feeling seen Midlife emotional collapse and rebuilding identity beyond performance Personal accountability, self-awareness, and dropping defensiveness Communication and healthier relationships Raising boys into emotionally whole men Why a meaningful apology requires changed behavior Letting go of ego and discovering who you are beyond accomplishments Connect with Daniel Sterling: https://daniel-sterling.com Connect with Lisa Lacy: https://www.lisalacy.com What did you perform in order to survive? Welcome to the Edge. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What happens when everyone in your family knows the truth about your life except you? Al Isaacs, author of Finding Mary Smith and longtime comedian and improv teacher, joins Lisa Lacy to talk about discovering at 52 that he had been adopted and what happens to identity when the foundation of your own story suddenly shifts. Al takes us inside the ordinary phone call from his mother’s oncologist that accidentally exposed a secret his family had kept for more than five decades, and the search that followed through DNA, genealogy, Search Angels and the trail of a folk singer named Mary Smith. The conversation also moves into imposter syndrome, forgiveness, the power of improv’s “yes, and,” and the painful cost of family secrets, including the conversations we may lose when truth is withheld. In this episode: Late-discovery adoption and identity Family secrets, truth and belonging Gray-market adoption in the late 1960s DNA testing, genealogy and Search Angels Searching for a biological mother decades later Imposter syndrome and reclaiming identity Forgiveness without erasing what happened How “yes, and” helped Al keep moving when he wanted to give up The memories and relationships family secrecy can cost us Connect with Al: AlIsaacs.com Finding Mary Smith is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook. Connect with Lisa: LisaLacy.com What did you perform in order to survive? Welcome to the Edge. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.