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
37: Redefining Success After Burnout and Selling Your Business with Crystal Vilkaitis
What happens when the business you built successfully no longer feels like the life you want?Emily sits down with entrepreneur, speaker, and former Crystal Media founder Crystal Vilkaitis to talk about burnout, selling a business, and redefining success on your own terms. Crystal shares how she built a thriving company, grew a team, launched podcasts, spoke at industry events, and reached many of
36: Beyond the Bipolar Label: Breaking Self Stigma and Shame with Dr. Andrea Vassilev
What happens when the stigma surrounding bipolar becomes part of how you see yourself?Emily sits down with psychotherapist, author, and mental health advocate Dr. Andrea Vassilev to talk about living with bipolar, overcoming self stigma, and building an identity that goes far beyond a diagnosis. Dr. V shares her own journey from being diagnosed with a mood disorder at 14 to experiencing years of s
35: Solo Ep. 7: The Most Expensive Business Mistake I’ve Made
Emily shares the most expensive business mistake she has made during her first ten months as an entrepreneur and what the experience taught her about choosing the right partners.She explains why she initially hired a higher priced podcast production company for Success, Rewritten, hoping for a collaborative relationship that included production, strategy, and organic growth support. Over time, she
34: Paul Gilmartin on Depression, Addiction, and Recovery
Paul Gilmartin spent years making people laugh on television and in comedy, but behind the scenes he was struggling with depression, addiction, shame, and the lasting effects of childhood adversity. Those experiences eventually became part of what inspired him to create The Mental Illness Happy Hour, a podcast built around vulnerability, honest conversations, and helping people feel less alone.In
33: When Success Costs Too Much: Michael Filosi on Selling, Stress, and Starting Over
Michael Filosi built a dental practice nobody wanted into one of the most desirable practices in his market. What started with possums in the walls, no computers, and no website eventually grew into a thriving business that attracted four private equity buyers.In this episode of Success, Rewritten, Michael shares what it took to go from struggling with the technical side of dentistry to becoming a
32: Solo Ep. 6: Say the Words: Breaking the Silence Around Suicide
Emily introduces Say the Words, a new event series beginning with a suicide symposium on September 24, 2026, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.She shares how conversations with people who have experienced suicide loss opened her eyes to how much stigma, uncertainty, and discomfort still surround the topic, even within mental health spaces. Emily explains why bringing together practitioners, loss survivors,
31: Motherhood, Mental Health, and Ambition with Emily Guarnotta
Dr. Emily Guarnotta is a psychologist, mom of two, and cofounder of Phoenix Health who specializes in supporting families through infertility, pregnancy, postpartum, loss, and parenthood.In this episode of Success, Rewritten, Emily opens up about experiencing postpartum depression after becoming a mother, despite being a mental health professional herself. She shares why she struggled to admit she
30: Clear, Real, and Repeatable: Craig Smith on Connection, Career Pivots, and What Really Matters
Craig Smith is a professional speaker and live TV host who has spent more than 15 years learning what makes a message truly connect.In this episode of Success, Rewritten, Craig shares his journey from sports broadcasting to sales, QVC, and professional speaking. He opens up about chasing money, getting caught in the "golden handcuffs," and eventually realizing that enjoying his work mattered more
29: Solo Ep. 5: Redefining Success Before You Reach a Breaking Point
Emily reflects on her experience speaking at the 2026 Pool Nation Women Summit and shares some of the most important lessons from her Success, Rewritten keynote.Emily looks back at the early years of her career when being constantly busy, needed, and productive felt like proof that she was successful. Behind that success, however, she was slowly burning herself out. She shares how a manic episode
28: Recovery Is Worth It: Jordan Kernen on Eating Disorders, Mental Health, and Asking for Help
Jordan Kernen is a teacher and mental health advocate who knows firsthand how difficult it can be to recognize when you need help, and how powerful life can become when you finally accept it.In this episode of Success, Rewritten, Jordan shares her experience with anxiety, depression, OCD, and anorexia, tracing her mental health journey back to college when two traumatic events left her searching f
27: Finding Your People: Christine Burns on Childfree Life and Community
Christine Burns spent more than two decades building a corporate career before a layoff forced her to confront a difficult question: who was she without the job title, salary, and professional identity that had defined so much of her life?In this episode of Success, Rewritten, Christine shares how panic attacks, career pivots, money scarcity, and eventually losing her corporate role pushed her to
26: Betting on Yourself: How Ali Schwartz Left Corporate for Music
Ali Schwartz spent years building a successful corporate career while treating singing, songwriting, and dance as a side passion. Eventually, she realized the creative work she was doing outside her day job was what truly energized her.In this episode of Success, Rewritten, Ali shares how she went from working at Yelp and Fortune Media to pursuing music full time. She discusses treating creativity
25: Solo Ep. 4: Why Better Sleep Makes You More Effective
In this solo episode of Success, Rewritten, Emily shares why sleep has become one of the most important foundations of her mental health, productivity, and long-term success. She reflects on how she once viewed needing less sleep as a strength, and how that mindset changed after experiencing a manic episode and hospitalization in 2018.Emily explains how consistent sleep habits, earlier wind-down t
24: Adapting Without Losing Yourself: Quint Boa on AI, Sobriety, and Success
Quint Boa has spent more than 25 years building a global video and animation production company through constant changes in technology, from VHS tapes and DVDs to social media, animation, and generative AI.In this episode of Success, Rewritten, Quint shares how anxiety often pushed him to stay ahead of industry changes, how his background in psychotherapy shapes the way he approaches storytelling,
23: Building More Than a Flower Shop: Mikel McGee on 414loral, Pricing Your Work, and Redefining Success
Mikel McGee did not set out to become a florist.Before 414loral became a beloved Milwaukee flower shop, before the bouquet bar, weddings, workshops, farmers markets, and the bigger space on Historic King Drive, Mikel was working in nonprofits with survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking. She had a master’s degree in criminal justice. She had student loans. She had a full-time job with
22: Solo Ep. 3: They Built Empires With Bipolar Disorder and ADHD
What do the founder of JetBlue, the co-founder of Kayak, the founder of Bonobos, and Olympic gymnast Simone Biles have in common?They have each spoken publicly about living with ADHD or bipolar disorder while achieving extraordinary success.In this solo episode of Success Rewritten, Emily explores what their experiences reveal about mental health, entrepreneurship, achievement, and the assumptions
21: The CIA Research Behind Headphones That Calm Your Brain | J Johnson Jr, High Frequency Highway
J Johnson Jr borrowed $100 from his mom at 14 to put his first app on the App Store. It hit #7 on paid entertainment apps. That instinct to spot the trend early and just build the thing has followed him ever since.In this episode, Emily talks with J Johnson Jr, founder of High Frequency Highway, about a journey that runs from #1 in the nation for track at age 17, to walking away from D1 athletics
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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