#167: Achievement Addiction, Loss, and the Gift of “Embracing Your Own Purgatory”

Geoff Curtis, founder of Marshall Curtis Communications and former EVP of Corporate Affairs and Chief Communications Officer at Horizon Therapeutics, joins The Crux of the Story to discuss his new book Embracing Your Own Purgatory – a candid, research-informed exploration of what happens when achievement becomes identity and how the “in‑between” spaces of life can become catalysts for growth. Drawing on nearly 30 years in healthcare communications and deeply personal experiences – including the loss of his father and the abrupt end of a defining corporate role – Geoff unpacks the traps of achievement addiction, the emotional and strategic challenges of career transitions, and the rituals that help leaders navigate uncertainty with clarity and humility. A powerful conversation for communicators, executives, and anyone confronting change, reinvention, or the uncomfortable work of redefining who they are.