Success, Rewritten
Success, Rewritten explores the moments that change how ambitious people think about achievement, work, and the lives they are building. Hosted by Emily Washcovick, former Yelp Small Business Expert and host of Behind the Review, this show features candid conversations with founders, executives, and leaders who have faced pivotal moments that forced them to rethink what success actually means. Some left high-powered careers, some rebuilt after burnout, illness, or loss, and others discovered that the version of success they were chasing was not sustainable. In each episode, guests share the turning points that reshaped their priorities and how redefining ambition helped them build businesses and lives that work together.
Episodes
20: Jay Laurie & Charlotte Maya: Surviving a Suicide Loss, and Learning to Live Again
Content note: this episode is an honest conversation about suicide loss. If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, free and available 24/7.Jay Laughrey and Charlotte Maya met at a yoga studio. He complimented her ring, she told him the story behind it, and within minutes they had found the one thing nobody wants to have in common: they h
19: Solo Ep. 2: Suicide Literacy: What to Say, What to Ask, and Why Language Matters
Most of us have been touched by suicide in some way, either directly or through someone we know. But when someone we love is struggling, most of us don’t actually know what to do.Not because we don’t care.Because nobody taught us.That gap has a name: suicide literacy.Emily talks about what suicide literacy means, why it matters, and how having the right language can help us respond with more care,
18: Charlotte Maya: Surviving Suicide Loss and Learning to Love Again
Charlotte Maya was terrified she'd be ostracized by her community after her husband Sam died by suicide in 2007. Instead, being open about it drew people closer.In this conversation, Charlotte talks about writing her memoir, Sushi Tuesdays, raising two young sons through grief, and the messy, nonlinear reality of loss. She shares why asking someone directly if they're struggling can open a door in
17: Jay Laughrey on Losing His Brother to Suicide, Grief, and Rebuilding After Loss
Jay Laughrey has built Proteus Pools into a thriving pool business, but the road there was rocky and started with losing his brother and mentor, Jeff, to suicide in 2009.In this episode, Jay shares what it was like to watch Jeff's rapid decline into depression at a time when almost nobody talked about mental health, the day he got the call that changed everything, and the words from a police offic
16: Solo Ep. 1: The Habits That Protect My Mental Health as an Entrepreneur
The mental health advice entrepreneurs don't want to hear is that working less can actually make you more effective in your life and business. I can prove it, because it happened to me.In 2018, I had a manic episode that turned into psychosis. I was hospitalized, diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and spent three months on medical leave from a full-time job I loved. When I came back, I rebuilt my wo
15: Gabe Howard: Why Mental Illness Isn't Something You Get Over
Subscribe to the newsletter at Success, Rewritten for more conversations like this one.The language around mental illness is completely wrong.Gabe Howard, a sought-after mental health speaker, author of Mental Illness is an Asshole and Other Observations, and host of the Inside Bipolar podcast, joined me to crack that wide open. We both live with bipolar disorder, but our experiences land in very
14: Mignon François, The Teenage Mother Who Risked Her Last $5 to Build a $10M Empire
Can you turn $5 into $10 million?Mignon bet the last $5 she had for dinner to build a bakery business that has sold over five million cupcakes and crossed $10 million in revenue.She didn't know how to bake initially. She had six kids, a stack of bills, and a customer who promised to pay her the next day. She gambled the $5 on cupcakes instead of groceries, turned it into $60 by morning, and $600 b
13: Amy Morin: The Therapist Who Wrote the List That Helped 50 Million People
For deeper reflections on work, resilience, and redefining the way we live, subscribe to the Success, Rewritten newsletter.Mental health and mental strength are not the same thing.Amy is a psychotherapist, host of the Mentally Stronger podcast, and the author of 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do. Her TEDx Talk has been viewed over 24 million times. But the part of her story most people ski
12: Alex P. Taylor Shares What He Learned About Media & Entrepreneurship
Pre-Order Totally Nachrageous here.If you're sitting on a creative idea waiting for permission, this episode is about the person who stopped waiting.Today’s guest, Alex P. Taylor, sent his cookbook proposal to ten publishers on April 2nd, 2025. Typically, it would have taken 6 months to 2 years to receive a response from publishing companies. He heard back in a week, and by Easter, he had a signed
11: Ramon Ray on Getting Fired, Selling Businesses & The Celebrity CEO Framework
If this conversation gave you a clearer way to think about your next move, you’ll find more episodes and insights at Success, Rewritten. It’s all there to help you keep moving forward and build something that actually works for your life.What happens when getting fired forces you to figure it out fast with no backup plan?Getting fired forced Ramon Ray to make things work. Ramon is a serial entrepr
10: The Phone Call That Made Jay Baer Quit His Job The Next Day
Explore SuccessRewrittenShow.com and Jay's top locations: tequilareport.com and jaybaer.comWhen Jay Baer was 30, his best friend called to say he had brain cancer. Jay quit his job the next day.That call, and the list he made afterward of what he was actually afraid of, set off a 28-year career of building, selling, writing, and starting again. Jay is a sixth-generation entrepreneur, a seven-time
09: Marketing Mistakes, Customer Avatars & Hustle Culture | Zanade Mann
If this helped you think more clearly about what you’re building and who it’s for, there’s more waiting for you at Success, Rewritten.The same drive that made her successful is the thing she had to unlearn to protect her health. Zanade Mann is the founder of Zanade Enterprises, a full-service marketing and communications agency she built from a single client into a collaborative team of strategist
08: Why We Need to End the Mental Health Stigma | Dr. Ricardo Anderson
End stigma together, one story at a time, with The WISE Approach.How long can you run away from trauma before it catches up to you?Dr. Ricardo Anderson was a principal making six figures and finishing his doctorate, all while silently struggling with his mental health. At 32, he quit everything and moved to start addressing it for the first time.His story shows what happens when trauma goes unproc
07: Xerxes Nabong on What His Dad's Death Rewrote
If you’re thinking more about what’s really important in life, you can get the newsletter at Success, Rewritten.What if success isn't about retiring someday, but funding the life you actually get to live?This week on Success, Rewritten, I sat down with Xerxes Nabong, a wealth advisor with twenty years in the business and his own firm, Wealth Avenue. Xerxes was nine years into his career when his d
06: Why A Layoff Can Be Your Greatest Opportunity | Jenny Dempsey
If you’re in the middle of your own shift, get the newsletter at Success, Rewritten.What happens when the person who taught you to work hard is the one who makes you question it?Jenny Dempsey, also known as San Diego Furniture Flipper, started by rescuing discarded furniture and found herself rebuilding her own confidence and career path in the process. That idea of restoration, finding potential
05: What to Say to Someone Grieving | Shelby Forsythia
Order Of Course, I’m Here Right Now, your compassionate, practical guide to comforting someone who’s grieving.You don’t need better intentions to support someone who’s grieving; you need better words.Grief isn’t just about death. It shows up in divorce, diagnosis, job loss, and the moments that reshape your life.Shelby Forsythia is a grief coach, author, and founder of Life After Loss Academy, a c
04: How to Face the Challenges of Entrepreneurship | Cate Luzio
What if the hardest part of success is not starting, but continuing?Today’s guest, Cate Luzio, is the Founder and CEO of Luminary, a global professional networking platform designed to support women and allies across every stage of their careers. After two decades in corporate banking leadership, she left to build a self-funded startup with no external capital and no backup plan.Networking opened
03: The Secret to Become a MAGNETIC & UNSHAKABLE Speaker | Lynn Smith
Explore more conversations like this and dive deeper into the work at Success, Rewritten.Why do smart, capable people still struggle to communicate clearly under pressure?Today I’m joined by Lynn Smith, a former news anchor turned communication expert, who now helps leaders confront what she calls the “brain bully.” Her work focuses on how fear, not skill, is often the root of communication strugg
02: The Best Way to Build & Scale a Proftable Franchise | Jami Stigliano
Find a nearby class and get two weeks of unlimited DivaDance classes for $59!What if the thing you started for fun after work turned into a national business?Jami Stigliano, founder of DivaDance, joins me to talk about how a frustrating experience in a competitive New York dance class led her to create something entirely different. She originally started teaching classes because she wanted a space
01: How My Bipolar Diagnosis Reframed Success
If you’re ready to redefine success in a way that supports both achievement and well-being, subscribe to my YouTube channel, follow me on Instagram, and join us at Success, Rewritten.What happens when a manic episode interrupts a high-achieving life that looks successful on paper?Welcome to Success, Rewritten. I’m your host, Emily, and from the outside, my corporate career in tech was accelerating
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