When Growth Feels Like Grief

Stop Planning Your Life From Fear (Slow Down Instead)

When we’re building our life from “I’m not okay yet”… we accidentally recreate the same prison. This episode is a walking heart-practice reflection from Hampstead Heath about slowing down, telling the truth about what’s here, and learning to live from the heart instead of the hustle. It begins with big plans for a “connection day”… and turns into the simplest medicine: eye contact, honesty, and a nap. Big thank you to Ivey my partner in rhyme. https://www.instagram.com/itsmeivey 💡 In This Episode, We Explore • The “Future Fix” Trap — How planning a better future can be a subtle way of avoiding what’s true right now, and why building from “not okay” tends to extend “not okay.” • Heart Practices & Nervous System Shifts — A simple relational practice that interrupts the rush, brings you back into your body, and shifts you from fight-or-flight into rest-and-digest. • Truth as the Doorway to Presence — Why asking “What’s true right now?” dissolves performance and creates real connection with yourself and others. • Comfort with Discomfort — How the need for certainty keeps pain chasing you, and how becoming “1% more okay” with fear changes everything. • Bottom-Up Mission vs Top-Down Life Plan — Why your mission might not be something you decide, but something that emerges when you live your truth daily. 🕰️ Timestamps 00:00 Building a future from “I’m not okay” 00:27 Big plans… noticing disconnection 02:12 Heart practice: “be all of me with you” 03:36 The nap that changed the whole day 06:25 The magic you miss when you rush 07:05 Freestyle rap with a busker (because why not) 16:17 “Truth is the doorway to presence” 17:03 Core insight: build from ease, not fear 18:02 Certainty vs allowing discomfort 20:03 Today-truth vs multi-stage life plans 21:06 “My being is love” (not my doing) 22:19 The “safe” path vs the unknown path 24:22 Liminal space + capacity = new life emerging 27:36 Becoming comfortable not knowing ✍️ Quotes from the Episode • “When we build our lives from a place of feeling trapped… we keep creating lives that feel the same way.” • “We were planning connection… while not connecting.” • “All it took was a heart practice and a nap.” • “You miss life when you’re aiming for a destination.” • “The doorway to being present is truth.” • “If you can allow discomfort now, your life doesn’t have to be built around avoiding it.” • “What if the mission is to live my truth every day?” • “Bottom up, not top down — let your mission be shown through you being you.” 👤 About Dmitro Khroma I’m an engineer, founder, facilitator, and creative exploring how to build a resilient, whole life. After scaling a hardware company to ~£15M in revenue and burning out, I now support hardware founders as a fractional CTO, help founders lead sustainably through Build Without Burnout, and facilitate men’s work, coaching, and creative expression through freestyle rap and embodied practices. This podcast shares my real-time journey of building a life and leadership rooted in truth, creativity, and emotional intelligence. Because the real startup is you. Connect here: https://linktr.ee/khromazone [https://linktr.ee/khromazone] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/khromazone [https://www.instagram.com/khromazone] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dkhroma/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dkhroma/] 🪞 If You Resonated With This Episode Have you been living from “future-fix” energy — trying to plan your way into safety? Drop a comment with the line that landed most. 🎧 Support the Show Subscribe, share, and let the channel grow naturally. Every episode is a mirror — for my process and yours. #DimiDivesDeep #SelfLeadership #NervousSystem #Presence #Authenticity #InnerWork #Embodiment #CreatorJourney

When Growth Feels Like Grief

Leaving London felt like a mistake. Everything here was working. My routines. My friends. My park. My home. So why would I leave a life that already feels good… for one that doesn’t exist yet? This episode is a raw reflection from my final week in London before moving to Canada with my partner, ivey — and what it means to step away from certainty, identity, and comfort… into a life that hasn’t fully taken shape. 💡 In This Episode, I Explore Comfort, Routine & Local Maxima How building a life that “works” can quietly become a trap; why routine makes change harder; and how outgrowing your current environment can feel like grief, not excitement. Fear, Control & Packing Everything Why anxiety often disguises itself as productivity; how planning and organising become safety strategies; and what it looks like to loosen control when your future is unclear. Leaving a Goal-Oriented Identity The disorientation of stepping away from a lifetime of targets and direction; why sitting in uncertainty is harder than chasing the next milestone; and how fear-based certainty can quietly shape your career choices. Influence, Alignment & Partnership The tension between following your own path… and being shaped by the people you love; questioning whether coaching and facilitation are truly my calling — or a reflection of ivey’s. Burning the Boats Why renting out my London home was more than a logistical decision; the role of commitment in real change; and how removing the “easy way back” forces deeper investment in the next chapter. Grief & Switching Costs The emotional and energetic cost of changing locations; what it takes to rebuild routines, friendships, and momentum from scratch; and why growth often requires a temporary step backwards. Two Homes, One Life The dream of building a life across London and Canada; the reality that everything moves slower when you live between worlds; and the challenge of fully committing to where you are. Diving In Fully Why the most tempting path is to stay half-invested; how resistance can sabotage new beginnings; and what success might look like one year from now. 🕰️ Timestamps 00:00 A sign for ivey: “Your heart is home” 01:00 Leaving London for Canada 02:00 Packing as anxiety management 03:00 Living without career clarity 04:00 Coaching & facilitation as next steps 05:30 Am I following my own path? 06:30 Grieving routines & community 07:30 Burning the boats 08:30 Local maxima & growth 09:30 The switching cost of change 10:30 Building two home bases 11:30 The temptation to stay half-invested 12:30 Diving in head first ✍️ Quotes from the Episode “I don’t know what to expect — when I’m scared, it’s the worst thing in the world.” “I’ve spent a whole life orienting around goals and direction.” “In the absence of planning… everything might still be okay.” “My heart doesn’t understand why we’re leaving.” “Everything here is everything you want — why change it?” “Sometimes growth requires taking things away first.” “Burning the boats is the only way I know how to commit.” “The best outcome is diving in fully.” 👤 About Dmitro Khroma I’m an engineer, entrepreneur, and facilitator. I co-founded and scaled an e-bike company to ~£15M in annual revenue — and burned out in the process. Now, through Dimi Dives Deep, I’m exploring how to build a life and career rooted in creativity, community, and emotional resilience… without losing myself in the process. Because I believe the real startup is you. Connect here: https://linktr.ee/khromazone [https://linktr.ee/khromazone] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/khromazone [https://www.instagram.com/khromazone] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dkhroma/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dkhroma/] 🪞 If You Resonated With This Episode Have you ever left a life that “worked”… for one that might fit you better? Drop a comment and tell me what landed most. 🎧 Support the Show Subscribe, share, and let this channel grow naturally. Every episode is a mirror — for my process and yours.

Everything I’m Unlearning to Become a Better Man

I thought being a “good man” meant being kind, agreeable, and easy to love. But what if being nice is actually just lying to keep the peace? This episode is a raw reflection from the Unmasked Man retreat on people-pleasing, emotional safety, and what it takes to stop abandoning yourself in the name of connection. 💡 IN THIS EPISODE, I EXPLORE Nice Guy Patterns & Self-Abandonment — How tiny everyday untruths slowly disconnect us from who we are; why prioritising other people’s emotional safety can cost us our own; and how people-pleasing becomes a survival strategy. Fear-Based Living & Emotional Safety — Why feeling unsafe doesn’t always reflect reality; how acting from fear perpetuates disconnection; and what changes when you begin to relate from love instead of control. The Magician Mind — How my strongest strength — the analytical, creative mind that built businesses — can also become my greatest saboteur; why control can shut down connection; and how safety strategies become prisons. Boundaries, Truth & Loving Delivery — The difference between brutal honesty and loving truth; why speaking truth without care can harm; and how timing, sensitivity, and intention transform honesty into connection. Integration Over Elimination — Why trying to “banish” parts of yourself creates more shadow; how learning to thank and integrate protective parts builds inner safety; and what it means to take back responsibility for your own wellbeing. Holding Space for Others — The shift from expressing myself through poetry, dance, and rap… to facilitating expression in others; why supporting someone else to find their voice feels deeply meaningful; and how this points toward coaching, fatherhood, and leadership. 🕰️ TIMESTAMPS 00:00 From Nice Guy to Honest King 01:10 Why I came to the Unmasked Man retreat 02:40 People-pleasing & tiny untruths 05:00 Self-abandonment in relationships 07:00 Leaving my business & entering a new chapter 09:00 Emotional progress since last year 11:20 Meeting my Magician Mind 13:30 Acting from fear vs acting from love 15:00 The cost of not setting boundaries 16:40 Speaking truth for the first time 18:00 Integration vs banishing parts 20:00 Taking back responsibility for safety 22:30 Considering facilitator training 24:00 Vision of fatherhood & holding space 26:30 From knowing… to integrating 28:00 Grieving disconnection in love 29:30 Supporting others to express themselves ✍️ QUOTES FROM THE EPISODE “Nice guys don’t speak truth — they trade it for safety.” “Tiny lies add up to a life that isn’t yours.” “My greatest strength is also my greatest enemy.” “Fear-based living perpetuates itself.” “You can’t banish a part of you without creating a shadow.” “I don’t need my fear to run the show anymore.” “If I can’t love myself, I can’t love someone else.” “The journey is from lies… to truth… to loving truth.” “Holding space for others might be my next chapter.” 👤 ABOUT DMITRO KHROMA I’m an engineer, entrepreneur, and poet. I co-founded and scaled a hardware e-commerce company to ~£15M in annual revenue — and burned out in the process. Now, through Dimi Dives Deep, I explore what it means to build a life, career, and creative practice rooted in emotional intelligence, creativity, and self-leadership. Because I believe the real startup is you. Connect here: https://linktr.ee/khromazone [https://linktr.ee/khromazone] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/khromazone [https://www.instagram.com/khromazone] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dkhroma/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dkhroma/] 🪞 IF YOU RESONATED WITH THIS EPISODE This one’s for the men who learned to be liked before they learned to be honest. Drop a comment and tell me what landed most. 🎧 SUPPORT THE SHOW Subscribe, share, and let this channel grow naturally. Every episode is a mirror — for my process and yours. #DimiDivesDeep #MensWork #SelfLeadership #EmotionalGrowth #Boundaries #Authenticity #InnerWork #FounderJourney #PersonalDevelopment #ShadowWork

10 Years of Goal Setting in 23 Minutes

I spent the last 10 years obsessively setting goals. SMART goals. Life plans. Weekly targets. Five-year visions. Spreadsheets, systems, and control — all in the name of progress. But what I’ve learned isn’t really about goal setting at all. It’s about identity, control, burnout — and what happens when you stop treating your life like a project plan. This episode is a deep dive into how my goals evolved as I evolved — and what I now believe actually matters. Let’s dive in. — CONNECT WITH ME 🌐 https://linktr.ee/khromazone [https://linktr.ee/khromazone] 📸 https://instagram.com/khromazone [https://instagram.com/khromazone] 💼 https://linkedin.com/in/dkhroma [https://linkedin.com/in/dkhroma] — 💡 IN THIS EPISODE, I EXPLORE • From SMART Goals to Values Why most of my early goals failed — but still mattered. How direction outlasts checklists. Why values scale better than targets. • Control, Safety & Burnout How optimization gave me security and slowly became a cage. Why burnout is data, not failure. What happens when control replaces listening. • Identity-Based Change Why “I am” works better than “one day I will.” How becoming the person first removes friction. Why discipline alone never stuck. • Direction Over Destination Why life can’t be predicted — only met. How leaving space for the unimaginable made my life more surprising. Why openness increases the surface area of opportunity. • Trust, Uncertainty & Living Fully Why fear doesn’t stop bad things from happening — it stops you from living. How uncertainty can be terrifying or liberating. Why that part is a choice. — 🕰️ Timestamps 00:00 Starting with a blank slate (again) 01:10 Who I am & why this reflection matters 02:30 The early years: SMART goals & skill chasing 05:30 The meditation goal that took 9 years 07:40 Start-ups, ambition & control 10:30 The illusion of control 12:40 Alternative lives I still want to live 14:40 When goals became intense — and exhausting 16:40 Burnout as feedback 18:30 From goals to values 20:00 Identity-based change 21:30 Leaving space for the unimaginable 23:00 Direction over destination — ✍️ Quotes from the Episode “I didn’t fail my goals — I just wasn’t ready to live them yet.” “Control gave me security, but it also trapped me.” “Burnout wasn’t the problem. It was the message.” “I got tired of treating my life like a project plan.” “My mind isn’t scared of the unknown — it’s scared of the stories it puts there.” “Goals are less about where you arrive and more about the direction you travel.” “The less I tried to control my future, the more beautiful it became.” “Fear doesn’t stop you from dying. Fear stops you from living.” — 👤 About Dmitro Khroma I’m an engineer, entrepreneur, and poet. I co-founded and scaled a hardware e-commerce company to ~£15M in annual revenue — and burned out in the process. Now, through Dimi Dives Deep, I explore what it means to build a life, career, and creative practice from authenticity, emotional intelligence, and values — not just achievement. Because I believe the real startup is you. — 🪞 If You Resonated With This Episode This one’s for founders, makers, and creatives who are tired of optimizing their lives and ready to start living them. Drop a comment and tell me what landed most. — 🎧 Support the Show Subscribe, share, and let this channel grow naturally. Every episode is a mirror — for my process and yours. #DimiDivesDeep #GoalSetting #BurnoutRecovery #FounderJourney #Authenticity #Identity #Values #PersonalGrowth #CreativeProcess #Alignment

Ali Abdaal's Mastermind - Surprising Lessons Learned

I spent a day with @aliabdaal, his talented team, and a room full of ambitious creators — exploring how to grow online, make money, and build audiences. But what I personally took away wasn’t about algorithms or funnels. It was about safety, identity, and what happens when you stop building from fear and start building from your authentic truth. After years scaling a multimillion-pound startup and burning out in the process, this day reminded me how easy it is for me to lose myself while chasing success — and how powerful it is to start again. Let’s dive in. . . Connect with me: 🌐 https://linktr.ee/khromazone [https://linktr.ee/khromazone] 📸 https://www.instagram.com/khromazone [https://www.instagram.com/khromazone] 💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/dkhroma/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dkhroma/] . . 💡 In This Episode, I Explore Soft Lessons Learned — why my nervous system, not my calendar, decides when I can show up; how the “fuck your feelings” mindset both helped and challenged me; and why healthy discomfort is a form of growth. Purpose and Alignment — how I stopped waiting for the perfect vision and learned to let “good enough for now” guide me; how service to others became my compass; and why multiple missions can coexist. The Offer (Transformation over Vehicle) — how I discovered my real offer: helping founders scale to seven figures without burning out or losing themselves; and why starting one-to-one first creates depth before scale. Magnetic Marketing (YouTube Intros with Ali) — what it felt like to sit across from Ali workshopping my intro, why it was harder than expected, and how I’m learning to speak who I am without shame. Expression Over Optimization — the moment I realized I don’t want to be an algorithmic version of myself, and how I’m choosing authenticity over performance — even if it’s unscalable. . . 🕰️ Timestamps 00:00 Burnout, masks, and the longing to just be me 01:00 Inside Ali Abdaal’s mastermind – the real lessons 03:00 The safety gap: why skills aren’t enough 05:30 “Fuck your feelings” vs. nervous system wisdom 07:00 Good-enough visions and needs before ideals 09:00 Transformation over vehicles – the art of selling outcomes 11:30 Starting with high-touch coaching 13:00 Identity, intros, and the courage to be seen 15:00 YouTube as expression vs. marketing funnel 17:00 Achievement vs. alignment – building from truth . . 👤 About Dmitro Khroma I’m an engineer, entrepreneur, and poet. I co-founded and scaled a hardware e-commerce company to £15M in annual revenue — and then burned out. Now I help founders and creators grow their businesses without losing touch with themselves. Through Dimi Dives Deep, I explore how to build from authenticity, emotional intelligence, and creative truth — because I believe the real startup is you. . . 🪞 If You Resonated With This Episode This one’s for anyone tired of performing their success story — for founders, makers, and creatives learning to build from alignment, not achievement. Drop a comment and tell me what landed most. . . 🎧 Support the Show Subscribe, share, and help this channel grow naturally. Every episode is a mirror for the creative process — yours and mine. . . #DimiDivesDeep #AliAbdaal #Entrepreneurship #CreativeProcess #FounderJourney #BurnoutRecovery #Authenticity #Coaching #Alignment #Purpose #CreatorEconomy