Conversation No. 017 w/ Ned Arick | The Pressure To Prove

…And The Power In No Longer Needing To.

I spent years trying to become someone that looked successful on paper—chasing validation, clinging to titles, and convincing myself the grind would make it all worth it. In this conversation with Ned Arick, we go way back—into childhood dynamics, broken belief systems, and the silent motivations that shaped our early ambition.

We talk about the cost of climbing when you don’t know why you’re climbing, the way pain can disguise itself as drive, and the turning points that forced us to confront the difference between performing and becoming. This one’s not just about business. It’s about identity, purpose, and the long road from survival to self-awareness.

Oh—and if you’re tired of business podcasts that talk at you instead of with you, Ned and I just launched The Chairmen—the business podcast for people who don’t like business podcasts. Come sit with us.