What If Your Personality Is a Survival Strategy? Trauma Anxiety Resolution with Cedric Bertelli

What if the version of you that once kept you safe is now keeping you stuck? Lisa Lacy sits down with Carlene Marie, Master Mindpower Coach and author of Enough Already, to explore how self-doubt, perfectionism, people-pleasing, and overachievement become survival identities, even for people who appear confident and successful. From childhood beliefs about not being enough to major life transitions that challenge our identity, this thought-provoking conversation explores self-worth, burnout, emotional resilience, and rebuilding self-trust. Carlene shares practical strategies for setting healthy boundaries, recognizing unconscious patterns, rediscovering personal purpose, and learning to live authentically without constantly proving our worth. In This Episode: How childhood conditioning and unconscious beliefs create lifelong patterns of self-doubt and people-pleasing. Why perfectionism, overachievement, and constantly proving your worth can lead to burnout and self-abandonment. Rediscovering identity, purpose, and personal values through life’s major transitions. Building self-trust through small daily wins, self-awareness, transformational coaching, and asking for help. Setting healthy boundaries, communicating your needs without apology, and breaking free from survival identities.

What if the very intelligence that helped you succeed is now keeping you stuck? Lisa Lacy sits down with Brent Lupia, Performance and Clarity Coach and creator of Externalized Sensemaking™, to explore why intelligent, high-performing people struggle with overthinking, decision paralysis, and mental clarity. Drawing from 18 years in high-stakes security and intelligence operations, Brent shares what happens when a brain trained for urgency and immediate feedback encounters uncertainty, and why thinking harder isn’t always the answer. From recognizing hidden patterns and challenging assumptions to accountability, neurodivergence, and breaking cycles of self-sacrifice, this conversation goes far beyond productivity. Brent opens up about the role he performed to survive childhood, the cost of constantly stabilizing everyone around him, and how learning to understand his own mind helped him rediscover himself. Together, we explore how curiosity, self-awareness, and personal responsibility can help us move forward without losing ourselves in the process. In this episode, we explore: Overthinking and Decision Paralysis: Why intelligent people get trapped in mental loops and how a brain accustomed to high-pressure decisions struggles with uncertainty. Externalized Sensemaking™: How putting thoughts on paper makes hidden patterns, conflicting beliefs, and assumptions visible so we can approach problems differently. Clarity, Accountability, and Personal Growth: Why understanding a problem isn’t the same as changing a behavior, and how repetition, responsibility, and self-compassion support meaningful change. Neurodivergence, Masking, and Self-Discovery: Brent’s experience of recognizing his neurodivergence later in life, becoming the person who kept everyone else stable, and learning what it means to prioritize himself. Breaking Patterns Through Curiosity and Connection: Why asking better questions, challenging our perceptions, and recognizing our shared humanity can transform relationships and the way we navigate life.

What happens when you achieve everything you thought you wanted, only to discover it isn’t the life you were meant to live? Lisa Lacy sits down with Steve Farrell, Silicon Valley entrepreneur, bestselling author, and co-founder of Humanity’s Team, to explore the journey from extraordinary financial success to spiritual awakening, conscious living, and discovering what truly makes life meaningful. From releasing fear and quieting the constant noise of achievement to recognizing our interconnectedness, Steve shares the personal experiences that transformed his understanding of success. Through a powerful live exercise, reflections on his book The Inner Way, and a heartbreaking story about his sister, this conversation explores what happens when we stop performing for the life we were handed and begin living the one that feels authentically ours. In this episode, we explore: Success Without Fulfillment: Why Steve’s multimillion-dollar Silicon Valley success felt like a temporary sugar high and led him toward a different definition of purpose. Conscious Living and Connection: A guided breathing and awareness exercise exploring how the beliefs “I am alone” and “I belong to something larger” can feel different in the body. Moving Beyond Fear: Why creating stillness, listening to your inner voice, and questioning the path others chose for you can open new possibilities. The Ripple Effect of Authenticity: How presence, compassion, conscious leadership, and everyday interactions can influence our relationships and communities. The Roles We Perform to Survive: Steve’s emotional story about losing his sister, the wake-up call that changed his priorities, and his invitation to live as your authentic self.

What if being seen isn’t the same as being known? In a world obsessed with personal branding, social media visibility, artificial intelligence, and polished public images, authenticity may be our greatest competitive advantage. Lisa Lacy sits down with Drew Gerber, CEO and co-founder of Wasabi Publicity, to explore why meaningful visibility begins with knowing who you are, not performing who you think the world wants you to be. From finding your purpose and building authentic relationships to breaking cycles of shame, control, and never feeling good enough, this conversation goes far beyond traditional public relations. Drew shares how self-awareness, accountability, mentorship, and human connection can transform the way we approach business, personal branding, and our relationships with ourselves. In this episode, we explore: Being Seen vs. Being Known: Why authentic personal branding and meaningful visibility begin with self-awareness. Purpose-Driven Public Relations: How understanding your why creates more aligned marketing strategies, stronger trust, and meaningful impact. AI and Human Connection: Why artificial intelligence, social media, and digital perfection are challenging us to rediscover what makes us human. Breaking the Shame and Control Cycles: How releasing perfectionism, embracing accountability, and trusting yourself create room for authenticity. Mentorship, Self-Worth, and Enoughness: Why the right support matters and how asking “What is enough?” can redefine success, happiness, and fulfillment.

What happens when you voluntarily seek help for addiction, trauma, and mental health challenges, only to be told your anger is beyond a rehabilitation center’s ability to handle? In this brutally honest and sometimes hilarious solo episode of Notes From the Edge, Lisa Lacy shares the story of getting kicked out of outpatient rehab at 40 years old after taking a therapeutic exercise called “The Bullshit Game” a little too seriously. Through personal storytelling, humor, and hard-earned perspective, Lisa explores the importance of trauma-informed care, emotional safety, accountability, and finding recovery resources that meet your individual needs. From outdated rehabilitation practices to the complicated relationship between anger and unresolved trauma, this conversation challenges the idea that recovery should look the same for everyone. In this episode, we explore: The infamous “Bullshit Game” and how a novelty button got Lisa kicked out of rehab. Why traditional addiction treatment and mental health programs don’t work for everyone. Understanding anger as a possible response to trauma, betrayal, and years of survival. The difference between genuine accountability, public humiliation, and trauma-informed recovery. How to find mental health resources, addiction treatment, and recovery support that fit your individual needs. Connect with Lisa | INSIDE THE EDGE https://lisalacy.com/inside-the-edge What did you perform in order to survive? Welcome to the Edge. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.