How Endurance Culture Can Backfire: Lessons from the Perilous Ascent | The Making of Me

What happens when the very strategies that once drove your success—discipline, endurance, and pushing through pain—start working against your body and your life?In this powerful episode, former Silicon Valley CEO, writer, and author Nancy Deyo shares her extraordinary journey from high-performance leadership to a life-altering spinal injury sustained while climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. What followed was over fifteen years of chronic pain, misdiagnosis, and a deep re-evaluation of what strength and resilience truly mean.In this reflective episode of The Making of Me, Nancy Deyo — Silicon Valley executive and author of the forthcoming memoir Perilous Ascent — explores the hidden costs of endurance culture, the reality of living with chronic pain, and the emotional and physical toll of constantly pushing beyond human limits.🎯 In this episode, you'll discover:Why endurance culture can quietly lead to burnout and physical collapseThe hidden costs of “push through” high-performance thinkingHow a Kilimanjaro climb changed the course of a successful careerWhat living with chronic pain reveals about identity and resilienceThe stigma around opioid dependency and long-term pain managementWhy listening to your body can be a powerful form of wisdomIf you’re a high achiever or someone used to pushing through limits, this conversation will challenge your understanding of strength. Sometimes, the bravest thing you can do is stop pushing and start listening.🔗 Website: https://nancydeyo.com/🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancydeyo/📌 Don't forget to:👍 Like this video if you believe strength also means slowing down🔔 Subscribe so you never miss powerful transformation stories💬 Comment below — Have you ever had to stop pushing in order to heal?#TheMakingOfMe #NancyDeyo #PerilousAscent #HighPerformance #Burnout #ChronicPain #Resilience #Leadership #MindsetShift #SelfAwareness #HealingJourney #InvisibleIllness #PersonalGrowth #Wellbeing #SiliconValley