When Success Is the Wrong Fuel | Molly Moore Smith

What happens when the fuel running your entire career is a lack of self-worth, and you don’t realize it until the validation spigot turns off?Molly Moore Smith spent over 25 years in the tech industry, rising from entry-level to VP while her entire identity ran on external validation. In this episode, Molly names the survival patterns that drove her leadership for two decades — perfectionism, people pleasing, control, and numbing — and shares the moment she uttered the scariest words of her adult life to her boss on a Zoom call.Chapters:00:00 Cold Open — “If success in this role means I have to spend 50% of my time doing these things, then I’m not the right person for the role”01:02 Introduction: Molly Moore Smith04:50 Where the Drive Began: Scarcity, Divorce, and the First Job That Rewarded Effort06:27 External Validation as the Only Fuel08:50 The Validation Spigot Turns Off11:30 The Cost at Home: Mommy Guilt and the 80/20 Marriage14:35 Naming the Survival Patterns: Perfectionism, People Pleasing, Control, Numbing17:55 The 2019 Health Pivot20:10 The Biggest Funk: Misalignment, Stopping Drinking, and the Zoom Call23:00 The Scariest Sentence She Ever Said to Her Boss26:40 What Healing Freed Up: Writing a Book, Spiritual Awakening, Energy Healing30:20 The Emotion Code: How Trapped Emotions Drive Leadership Behavior36:52 What Would You Say to Her?39:42 You, Too, Can HealConnect with Molly Moore Smith:http://nextbeststep.colinkedin.com/in/molly-smith-cecp-24345712http://youtube.com//@mollypositivepantsThrough The HEAL Framework™, Beth helps leaders recognize, examine, and change these patterns.Connect with Beth:[email protected]://empoweredsurvivors.comSubstack: @‌bethjoneshealingmentorSubscribe wherever you get your podcast.