98. 36 Things I've Learned in 36 Years

It's my birthday!!! And today, I'm getting real. Like, really real. Because 35 to 36 wasn't a highlight reel. It was depression, $60K in debt, hyperventilating on the bathroom floor, and wondering if there was a way out. And now? Book deal. Speaking career taking off. Debt paid off. A completely different version of herself standing on the other side of the hardest year she's had. This birthday episode isn't a celebration of perfection. It's a celebration of staying in it. In this episode of What If It All Goes Right?, I'm sharing 36 things I've learned in 36 years — some practical, some messy, some funny, and some I'm still working on. From the mindset shifts that pulled me out of my darkest season, to the business lessons that changed how I lead, to the random life hacks I genuinely cannot believe I only just learned (potatoes don't go in the fridge, people). If you've been having a year — or you're just ready for a little raw, unfiltered truth — this one's for you. What's Discussed: (1:02) A birthday episode with no filter — what the last year actually looked like, and why I almost didn't make it through. (2:13) The depression, the therapy, the antidepressant conversation, and the unexpected advice that changed everything. (5:01) Lesson 1: No one is coming to save you — and why that's not depressing, it's freeing. (5:48) Lesson 2: Everyone is mostly thinking about themselves — and how realizing that takes the pressure off. (6:59) Lesson 3: Don't let people who aren't where you want to be shape your decisions. (8:04) Lesson 4: Leadership means making a decision — even the wrong one — and why indecision is the real failure. (9:00) Lesson 5: You have a voice. Use it. And why you can't hold people to expectations they never knew you had. (10:39) Lessons 7 & 8: Dogs are legitimately medicine. So is emo music. No notes. (12:52) Lesson 9: Talking to yourself out loud is one of the most underrated tools nobody talks about. (13:20) Lesson 10: Things don't take as long as you think — especially the things you keep stalling on. (14:40) Lesson 11: You can break your generational patterns and choose your own path. (16:05) Lessons 12–14: Experiences over everything, hiring by values, and the shift that happens when you stop making business about yourself. (18:41) Lesson 15: Don't get too high or too low — how staying steady is what actually keeps you in the game. (20:04) Lesson 16: Most of life is ordinary, boring, and unsexy — and that's exactly where success lives. (21:03) Lessons 17–19: Travel credit card hacks, being in the game, and why I think everyone should take improv. (22:46) Lesson 20: Not everyone is for you — and when something falls away, it might actually be a clearing. (23:21) Lessons 21–22: Potatoes don't go in the fridge, and a travel blender might change your life on the road. (23:58) Lesson 23: Invest in a trainer and your physical health — no matter what's in your bank account. (25:49) Lessons 24 & 25: Hire A players even when it s