EPISODE · Jul 24, 2026 · 8 MIN
EP. 33 - Things I’ve Changed My Mind About — Success
from Sutterfaction · host Evan Sutter
In this episode:Why external success can hide an unhealthy life.The startup story that completely reframed my thinking about ambition.What building SwiftReporter continues to teach me about stress and presence.The moment my daughter pulled me away from my phone—and why it still stays with me.What paddling the Hunter River taught me about struggle, patience, and control.The simple life lesson my grandfather ("Pop") shared that has become more valuable every year.Why we've confused exhaustion with progress.The difference between hard days and hard lives.A quieter, broader definition of success.Continue Exploring📖 Read the companion Field Note:Things I've Changed My Mind About: Successhttps://www.evansutter.com/fieldnotes/things-ive-changed-my-mind-about-success📘 Download my free book — The 42Forty-two short stories, observations and reflections from forty-two years.https://www.evansutter.com/the-42📊 Explore The Human BaselineA free 20-point diagnostic to help you better understand your current foundations across health, work, relationships and wellbeing.https://www.evansutter.com/the-human-baselineQuestion for reflectionWhat has life quietly changed your mind about?
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What this episode covers
When I was twenty-five, I thought success was something other people could see. A nice car. A bigger salary. A promotion. A title. Now, at forty-two, I'm not so sure. In this episode, I reflect on how life has quietly rewritten my definition of success. From building SwiftReporter and navigating the pressures of startup life, to paddling 470 kilometres down the Hunter River, raising a young family, and remembering the quiet wisdom of my grandfather, this conversation explores what happens when we stop measuring life through a single metric. Because maybe success isn't about what we accumulate. Maybe it's about who we become while we're building it. If you've ever felt caught between ambition and presence, work and family, or achievement and health, I hope this conversation gives you permission to question the stories we've inherited about what it really means to "win." As always, this isn't about having the answers. It's simply another Field Note in an ongoing exploration of what makes a good life.
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EP. 33 - Things I’ve Changed My Mind About — Success
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