The Underlayer: Fear, Clarity & Personal Growth for Mid-Life Professionals

The Power of Pressure: How One Coach's Ultimatum Created Incredible Urgency.A slamming locker room door. A coach's warning. Thirty-six words that turned a .500 team into a wrecking crew.This isn't a story about inspiration; it's about consequences. When a high school basketball coach threatened to cancel Christmas break and institute 6 a.m. practices unless his team showed up against their county rival, everything changed. The result? Listen to find out.In this episode, we break down:Why clarity and near-term stakes outperform motivational speechesHow immediate consequences sharpen focus and elevate effortWhat leaders can learn from a full-court press and a blowout victoryA personal radio interview that revealed performance under a different kind of pressureWhether you're leading a team, running a business, or trying to ship your next project, this story offers a field-tested truth: deadlines bite harder than inspiration. Learn how to build productive pressure without burning people out.If this resonates, share it with someone who needs to hear it. Then tell us: What's your most powerful motivation trigger? The Underlayer YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/@the_under_layer The Underlayer Podcast Website: https://www.theunderlayerpodcast.com/ David's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-young-mba-indy/

In this episode of The Underlayer, David Young sits down with business & leadership mentor Jodi Wilding to unpack the quiet ways high achievers play small: staying in safe roles, pleasing identities, and waiting for certainty that never comes.We explore a powerful question:What if the safest life is actually the riskiest?Jodi shares the turning points that pushed her toward alignment: loss, motherhood, and realizing her bold, adventurous self had gone quiet. Together, we talk about guilt, worthiness, fear of rejection, and why belief has to come before evidence.This episode is a reminder that confidence doesn’t come from thinking more.It comes from doing.Topics We CoverWhy capable people shrink themselvesReframing rejection as neutral dataBelief before proofTiny, repeated actions that build momentumSharing your real story, not just your resumeOne Question to Sit WithWhat bold move have you been postponing because you’re waiting to feel ready?Take one aligned action this week.If this episode helped, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review so more people can find The Underlayer.Jodi's website: https://www.jodiwilding.com/Jodi's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodi-wilding/ The Underlayer YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/@the_under_layer The Underlayer Podcast Website: https://www.theunderlayerpodcast.com/ David's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-young-mba-indy/

Why do so many high achievers burn out? And even set goals they don't even want?In this episode of The Underlayer, David Young and Katarina Kiseli break down the psychology of high achievers, burnout, and goal-setting mistakes that lead to exhaustion rather than fulfillment.If you’ve ever felt:- Driven but drained- Successful but unsatisfied- Productive but misaligned- This conversation will help you understand why.We unpack how social media comparison, the all-or-nothing mindset, and external validation quietly shape your goals, often without you realizing it.And more importantly, we discuss how to reset.What You’ll Learn in This Episode:✔ Why high achievers often set goals based on external validation✔ The psychology behind burnout and overachievement✔ How social media impacts self-worth and ambition✔ The dangers of the all-or-nothing mindset✔ How to build self-awareness through the Wheel of Life✔ What a consumption audit is (and why it matters)✔ How to set sustainable goals that prevent burnout✔ Why self-trust is essential for long-term successWho This Episode Is For:- High performers experiencing burnout- Entrepreneurs and executives questioning their goals- Professionals struggling with comparison on social media- Anyone interested in personal growth and self-awareness- Ambitious individuals seeking sustainable successAbout Katarina:A former FBI analyst, a psychologist, and a coach who works closely with high-performing professionals navigating burnout, self-doubt, and identity shifts in midlife.If you’re serious about personal growth, sustainable goal setting, and breaking the burnout cycle, subscribe to the channel and turn on notifications.Katarina's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katarinakiseli/Katarina's Website: https://projectmetherapynj.com/ The Underlayer YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/@the_under_layer The Underlayer Podcast Website: https://www.theunderlayerpodcast.com/ David's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-young-mba-indy/

Maira has spent two decades translating complex ideas into clear frameworks for senior leaders and experts, but her real gift isn’t just strategy. It’s helping high achievers identify the red thread running through their lives and turn it into a premium, sustainable offer.In this episode, we go beneath the surface of the “zone of genius.” The real Z.O.G.We unpack why so many smart, capable professionals build businesses around competence instead of calling, and why that almost always leads to burnout. We talk energy audits, intuition vs. data, childhood clues, pruning misaligned services, and how to architect a single signature offer that actually fits who you are.If you’ve ever felt impressive on paper but misaligned in your day-to-day, this conversation will hit.Highlights:The difference between what you’re good at and what truly energizes youWhy burnout is often a signal, not a weaknessHow to identify the “red thread” across your career and seasons of lifeThe hidden cost of low-ticket offers and scattered product suitesHow to design a signature offer around your one-of-one strengthsUsing intuition alongside data to make cleaner business decisionsWhy pruning services can increase margins, clarity, and momentumThis episode is for founders, coaches, and high performers who are ready to stop building around obligation and start building around alignment.If it resonates, follow the show, share it with someone who needs it, and leave a quick review to help more curious minds find The Underlayer.Maira's website: https://humairaakhter.com/Maira's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/humairaakhter/ The Underlayer YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/@the_under_layer The Underlayer Podcast Website: https://www.theunderlayerpodcast.com/ David's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-young-mba-indy/

In this episode of The Underlayer, host David Young sits down with LinkedIn strategist and writer Allison Ditmer to explore the quiet pull for something more, and what happens when successful careers stop matching who we’re becoming.Allison shares her journey from behind-the-scenes corporate marketer to visible creator and business owner, unpacking the emotional signals that pushed her toward reinvention. Together, David and Allison examine how identity shifts, fear, and misalignment often surface long before people make a career change, and why so many high performers ignore those signals for years.This episode explores: What to do about that persistent whisper for “more.” If you’re a mid-career professional or solopreneur navigating uncertainty, visibility, or the discomfort of putting yourself out there, this conversation will help you rethink branding, content, and career growth, not as tactics, but as expressions of alignment.Topics covered:• The emotional signs it’s time for a career shift • Leaving corporate and the identity shock that follows • Building a clear, credible personal brand on LinkedIn • Why emotional connection matters more than clever content • Writing in public as a path to authority and trust • Newsletters as a long-term relationship-building tool • The realities of solopreneurship: decision fatigue, sales discomfort, and resilience • Why many service professionals eventually move toward scalable creator modelsThis episode is an invitation to listen more closely to what your discomfort is telling you, and to build a career, brand, and body of work that actually fits the season you’re in.Allison's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonditmer/Allison's Website: allisonditmer.com The Underlayer YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/@the_under_layer The Underlayer Podcast Website: https://www.theunderlayerpodcast.com/ David's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-young-mba-indy/

Ever feel anger rise up and wonder, “Where did that come from?”Explore why anger isn’t the problem, and what it’s been trying to protect all along. In this episode of The Underlayer, host David Young is joined by Carolyn Warsham for a deep, honest conversation about anger, emotional health, and personal growth, especially in midlife.Together, they unpack why anger is one of the most misunderstood emotions, how cultural and corporate conditioning teaches us to suppress it, and what happens when unexpressed feelings quietly accumulate beneath the surface.Carolyn shares personal stories and professional insight to reframe anger not as something to fix or avoid, but as a signal, often pointing to crossed boundaries, unmet needs, or unprocessed experiences.The conversation also explores:Why anger often resurfaces more intensely in midlifeHow corporate culture and social norms discourage emotional expressionThe “pressure cooker” effect of suppressed emotionsThe difference between healthy anger and toxic outburstsHow therapy, coaching, and curiosity can help us process emotions safelyIf you’ve ever felt surprised by your own anger or wondered why it shows up when life looks “fine” on the outside, then this episode will help you understand what’s really going on beneath the surface.Carolyn's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolyn-alburger-warsham/Meet with Carolyn, https://calendly.com/carolyn-warsham-coaching/intro-with-caro?month=2025-12Subscribe to her Substack, Awake at Work The Underlayer YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/@the_under_layer The Underlayer Podcast Website: https://www.theunderlayerpodcast.com/ David's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-young-mba-indy/

In this solo episode of The Underlayer, host David Young explores how childhood fear, especially around visibility and public speaking, quietly shapes our lives well into midlife.David shares personal stories from growing up as the quiet kid in the back of the classroom, including a painful public speaking experience at age 14 that influenced how he used (or avoided) his voice for decades.Through reflection and storytelling, this episode explores a powerful realization:The thing that terrified you as a kid may be what you’re meant to heal as an adult.If you’re a mid-life professional who looks successful on the outside but struggles with fear, anxiety, or self-expression on the inside, this conversation will help you see fear differently, not as something to eliminate, but as information pointing you forward.Topics covered:Childhood fear and adult behaviorPublic speaking anxiety and fear of visibilityPersonal growth and finding your voiceWhy fear evolves instead of disappearingHow storytelling helps us heal and move forwardThis episode is the foundation of David’s keynote, The Fear That Formed Me, and an invitation to stop letting fear quietly run the show. The Underlayer YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/@the_under_layer The Underlayer Podcast Website: https://www.theunderlayerpodcast.com/ David's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-young-mba-indy/

Episode — The Real Story Beneath Your Relationshipswith Lisa De NicolaWhat if the relationships you’re struggling with aren’t the problem, but the old patterns running beneath them?In this episode of The Underlayer, leadership and executive coach Lisa De Nicola takes us below the surface to uncover how childhood strategies shape the way we speak up at work, choose partners, maintain friendships, and set boundaries, and how rewriting those strategies starts with small, honest shifts.What begins as a conversation about relationships becomes a blueprint for reclaiming your voice, your energy, and the parts of yourself you’ve hidden to stay safe.You’ll hear:• The moment two mentors reflected a buried childhood wound back to Lisa, and how that realization reshaped every relationship in her life• How trauma-informed therapy and spiritual guidance accelerated her healing and restored emotional expression as a leadership superpower• Why “success” in relationships has nothing to do with years together, and everything to do with authenticity, growth, and energy• How curiosity can resuscitate long-term relationships that have fallen into assumptions and stale stories• Practical tools to navigate conflict in real time: ask for the hour you need to regulate, name your emotions clearly, and stop expecting people to read your mind• How small, honest steps prevent the quiet resentments that erode teams, partnerships, and friendships alikeBy the end, you’ll understand why healing happens both alone and in partnership, why your patterns are not your identity, and how changing tiny relational habits can transform your confidence at work and at home.🎧 The Underlayer — Where the Real Story Lives.If this resonated, subscribe, share it with someone who needs it, and leave a review to help more people start their own underlayer work.Lisa's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisadenicola25/Lisa's Website: https://lisadenicola.com/ The Underlayer YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/@the_under_layer The Underlayer Podcast Website: https://www.theunderlayerpodcast.com/ David's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-young-mba-indy/

Episode 6: Learning That Actually Sticks — Why Your Brain Loves the Easy Stuff (and Why It Fails You) with Sheila B. RobinsonWhat if the way you think you learn is the very thing keeping you from learning at all?In this episode of The Underlayer, I sit down with teaching and learning expert Sheila B. Robinson to unravel one of the biggest lies we tell ourselves: that feeling fluent equals knowing.It doesn’t. That warm glow from rereading and highlighting?It’s a fluency illusion, and it’s costing you mastery.We go beneath the surface of real learning to break down why the strategies that feel hardest are the ones that actually make knowledge stick.You’ll hear:•  Why rereading feels productive but produces almost zero retention • How retrieval practice, spacing, and blank-page testing train your brain to remember • The power of simple language and teaching concepts back to yourself • Why learning styles are a myth, but preferences still shape how you engage • How mnemonics, meaningful imagery, and the Feynman Technique boost memory • The surprising science behind “desirable difficulties” and productive friction • What Sheila learned from writing a book, and why struggle is the secret ingredient • How to use AI for quizzes, prompts, and feedback without outsourcing the thinkingBy the end, you’ll know exactly how to turn information into skill: retrieve it, space it, & apply it until it sticks.🎧 The Underlayer — Where the Real Story Lives. If this episode helps you learn better, subscribe, share it with a friend who’s studying or teaching, and leave a quick review to tell us which strategy you’ll try first.Sheila's LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheilabrobinson/Sheila's Website:https://www.sheilabrobinson.com/ The Underlayer YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/@the_under_layer The Underlayer Podcast Website: https://www.theunderlayerpodcast.com/ David's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-young-mba-indy/

Bonus Episode — The Comedy Hidden Inside Everyday Lifewith David YoungWhat if the funniest set you’ve ever heard was hiding inside ordinary life?In this special bonus episode of The Underlayer, I took on a dare to create 30 minutes of standup from nothing but real stories. TV dinners, botched Jeopardy guesses, stubborn tech, parenting misfires, and a dog whose tail might be issuing warnings instead of wagging.What started as a challenge turned into a map of everyday misunderstandings: the comedy that shows up when confidence outruns context, and how the smallest misfires reveal the most about us.You’ll hear:• A family dinner ritual that migrated to the couch, and why Jeopardy contestants can name obscure rivers but miss rock’s most iconic front man • Kobe the Wheaten Terrier, his new behavioral meds, and a vet-approved revelation: wagging isn’t always joy • Parenting moments featuring C–minus chores, a mysteriously “vanished” recycling bin, and a permit drive that ends with a garage door incident • Contractor contradictions about rollers and springs plus a smart garage system that’s easy until the app demands a router extender • Travel mishaps in Toronto, including a refused drink, a rogue latte lid, and a stranger who parked a personal trash can beside the hidden shop bin • Parents with modern phones who still can’t follow Maps, a detour to the wrong city, and why Bluetooth always gets blamedBy the end, you’ll see why the funniest stories are the true ones, and how everyday chaos becomes comedy when you zoom out just enough to notice it.🎧 The Underlayer — Where the Real Story Lives. The Underlayer YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/@the_under_layer The Underlayer Podcast Website: https://www.theunderlayerpodcast.com/ David's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-young-mba-indy/

Episode 3: Human Design, Frequency, and the Decisions Your Body Already Knowswith Lauren AmmonWhat if your best decisions aren’t made in your head?In this episode of The Underlayer, I sit down with Human Design coach and practitioner Lauren Ammon to explore a simple, liberating shift: your body already knows the truth, your mind is just louder.We go beneath the surface of Human Design to break down how your energy is meant to move through the world, where friction begins, and why most people spend years overriding the signals that would make life feel easier, lighter, and more aligned.You’ll hear:• The 4 Human Design types—Generators, Manifesting Generators, Projectors, and Manifestors, and what each is built to do • Why authority matters more than mindset, and how your body gives you a clean yes/no • How the 5/1 profile carries projection and pressure to “fix” everything • The truth about conditioning: career paths, marriage expectations, success scripts, and where they drain your energy • How to spot the difference between a true response and a mind-made plan • Practical ways to decondition without blowing up your entire lifeBy the end, you’ll understand how to trust your design, follow your authority, and make decisions that feel aligned, not forced.🎧 The Underlayer — Where the Real Story Lives.Lauren's website: https://www.performancereimagined.com/Lauren's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenammon/ The Underlayer YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/@the_under_layer The Underlayer Podcast Website: https://www.theunderlayerpodcast.com/ David's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-young-mba-indy/

Episode 2 —  How Authentic Swag Builds Real Relationships And Standout BrandsWhat if your branded merch could actually mean something?In this episode of The Underlayer, I sit down with Amanda Hoffman, CEO and co-founder of Go To Market, to uncover how authenticity and choice are reshaping the world of branded merchandise.We go beneath the surface of traditional marketing to explore why cheap giveaways often miss the mark—and how thoughtful, well-designed merch can become a powerful relationship-building tool that reflects your brand’s true identity.You’ll hear:• Why it’s better to do nothing than produce low-quality swag • How choice creates deeper engagement and customer satisfaction • Real examples of brands turning merch into meaningful conversations • The rise of digital storefronts for solopreneurs and small businesses • How nostalgia, loyalty, and design connect at an emotional level • Amanda’s perspective on balancing business growth with personal fulfillmentBy the end, you’ll see that the most impactful branding isn’t about more logos, it’s about more meaning.🎧 The Underlayer — Where the Real Story Lives.https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandagoldfinehofman/https://gotomarket.studio/ The Underlayer YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/@the_under_layer The Underlayer Podcast Website: https://www.theunderlayerpodcast.com/ David's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-young-mba-indy/

Episode 1 – When Your Decisions Don’t Match Your DreamsEver follow the “smart” path and end up miles from what you actually want?In this debut episode of The Underlayer, I unpack the real story behind my zigzag career. From dreaming of broadcasting to majoring in biology, selling pharmaceuticals, and climbing corporate ladders that never felt right.It’s about what happens when your goals look good on paper but don’t fit your life, and how to start making decisions that actually align with who you are.You’ll hear:The blunt career coach who told me to quit sales on the spotHow sunk costs and “shoulds” quietly drive bad decisionsWhy thinking doesn’t create change (action does)A simple method to get unstuckIf you’ve been reading, listening, and planning your way toward change but still feel stalled, this episode will help you test, move, and rebuild momentum, one small experiment at a time.🎧 The Underlayer — Where the Real Story Lives. The Underlayer YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/@the_under_layer The Underlayer Podcast Website: https://www.theunderlayerpodcast.com/ David's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-young-mba-indy/

Join me, your host, David Young, as I outline the vision for this new Podcast, The Underlayer.  The Underlayer YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/@the_under_layer The Underlayer Podcast Website: https://www.theunderlayerpodcast.com/ David's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-young-mba-indy/