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.