What If Your Struggle Actually Makes Sense? with Michael McRay

Showing Up for Yourself: The Next Level of Success

On paper, your life may look successful. You have the career, the title, the responsibilities, the accomplishments—and yet something still feels off. In this solo episode, Bailey explores why so many high-achievers become experts at showing up for everyone else while quietly disappearing from their own lives. Drawing on psychology, neuroscience, and personal experience, she explains why self-abandonment isn't a character flaw—it's often a survival strategy. When our nervous system perceives threat, whether in our careers, relationships, finances, or identity, we instinctively prioritize belonging over authenticity. But there comes a point where surviving is no longer enough. Bailey introduces a new way of thinking about personal growth: showing up for yourself isn't selfish—it's the next level of emotional maturity. In this episode, you'll learn: * Why high-achievers often lose connection with themselves * How survival mode keeps you stuck in self-abandonment * The role your nervous system plays in your decisions * Why reflection is one of the fastest accelerators for growth * Three simple questions that help you reconnect with yourself and raise your standards If you've built a life that looks impressive but feels increasingly disconnected, this conversation is an invitation to stop performing your life—and start participating in it.

How to Get Back Up Again with Jessica Ball

In this deeply honest conversation, Bailey sits down with Jessica Ball to talk about what it really looks like to get back up again — after burnout, postpartum identity shifts, career pivots, fear, failure, and seasons of feeling disconnected from yourself. Jessica shares the story of walking away from a secure Homeland Security career at 21, moving to the Outer Banks with no real plan, becoming an ocean rescuer despite having almost no experience, and eventually finding purpose in EMS, motherhood, and community-building as the founder of Rize Run Club. Together, Bailey and Jessica unpack the tension so many high-achievers live inside of: being successful on paper while quietly feeling stuck, numb, disconnected, or deeply unfulfilled internally. This episode is about discomfort, evolution, courage, identity, and the willingness to take the next right step before you feel ready. It's about learning that growth rarely feels graceful while it's happening — and realizing that sometimes the life that changes you most begins with a terrifying "Here I go."

What If Your Struggle Actually Makes Sense? with Michael McRay

What if the exhaustion you feel isn't coming from how much you're carrying… but from the story you've been carrying about yourself? In this deeply honest conversation, Bailey sits down with storytelling expert, narrative intelligence trainer, and author Michael McRay to explore the hidden narratives shaping our relationships, identity, healing, and sense of worth. Together, they unpack: * Why so many high-achievers secretly feel disconnected from themselves * How childhood wounds quietly become adult operating systems * The "dark forest" season between your old identity and your next chapter * Why self-awareness alone doesn't create transformation * The difference between self-improvement and self-recovery * How storytelling can bypass defensiveness and create real healing * The concept of the "wild twin" — the parts of yourself you abandoned to stay accepted * Why curiosity may be the most overlooked form of self-compassion This episode is for the person who looks successful on paper… but knows something deeper still feels unresolved. You are not broken. But the story you've been living inside might need to change. For more links and show notes, visit www.themindrise.com/mindrise-podcast [https://www.themindrise.com/mindrise-podcast]

The Comparison Trap No One Talks About (Especially High-Achievers)

You've done the work. You've built the life. On paper, it looks solid—maybe even impressive. So why does it still feel like something's… off? In this episode of the Mindrise Podcast with Bailey Frumen, MSW, LCSW, we're unpacking the comparison trap—but not in the way you've heard before. Because this isn't just about scrolling social media and feeling "less than." It's about something deeper—and more subtle. It's about the fact that most of us aren't comparing ourselves to reality. We're comparing ourselves to a story we've created about someone else's life… and then using that story as a measuring stick. And the cost of that? Disconnection. From yourself. From your life. From what actually matters to you. Inside this episode, we explore: * Why comparison pulls you out of your real life—and into a false one * The invisible standards you're trying to live up to (without realizing it) * How high-achievers get stuck chasing alignment instead of actually living it * The moment awareness changes everything * And the question that brings you back to what's actually yours This isn't about "stop comparing yourself." It's about understanding why you do—and what it's quietly costing you. If you've ever felt successful on the outside but disconnected on the inside… this conversation will hit home.

The Pattern That's Draining You (It's Not What You Think)

Bailey Frumen, MSW, LCSW sits down with intuitive coach Gervase Kolmos for a raw, unfiltered conversation about what it actually feels like to be a high-functioning woman in a system that never lets you catch up. From the seemingly small stress of being "7–12 minutes behind" to the deeper pattern of constantly tracking everyone else's emotions, this episode unpacks the invisible mental load so many women carry—and why it's leaving them overwhelmed, disconnected, and exhausted. Together, Bailey and Gervase explore: * The nervous system impact of hypervigilance and over-attunement * Why "helping" others is often a way to regulate ourselves * The subtle ways women abandon themselves to keep the peace * How self-containment becomes the bridge back to authentic connection * And why learning to feel your feelings is both terrifying—and necessary This conversation is equal parts science, lived experience, and truth-telling—offering a powerful reframe for women who are tired of holding everything together while losing themselves in the process. If you've ever felt like you're doing everything "right" but still feel off, behind, or disconnected… this episode will hit home. For more information visit: www.themindrise.com [https://www.themindrise.com] and www.GervaseKolmos.com [https://www.GervaseKolmos.com]