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

David Young
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  • SELF-IMPROVEMENT

Ever feel like you’re doing “fine” on the outside, but stuck or disconnected on the inside? You’re not broken, you’re just living above the surface. The Underlayer is a podcast for mid-life professionals navigating fear, identity, and personal growth, especially when success no longer feels fulfilling. Hosted by keynote speaker and podcast host David Young, each episode goes beneath surface-level advice to explore the deeper stories shaping how we show up at work, in relationships, and in our own lives. Through honest storytelling, psychology-informed insight, and the occasional uncomfortable truth, we unpack: Fear and anxiety that follow us from childhood into adulthoodWhy clarity and alignment feel harder in mid-lifeHow personal growth actually happens (without self-help clichés)What it means to find your voice and stop avoiding what matters You’ll hear solo reflections and conversations with personal growth experts, coaches, and deep thinkers — all focused on one thing: Understanding what’s really driving your patterns so you can move forward with clarity. 🎧 New episodes every Thursday. Start with: The Fear That Formed Me — the episode that explains why the thing that scared you most might be what you’re meant to heal. https://www.buzzsprout.com/2551407/episodes/18358211

Episodes

  1. DEC 17

    Why Suppressed Anger Shows Up in Midlife (and What It’s Telling You)

    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 safely If 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=2025-12 Subscribe 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/

    1 hr

  2. DEC 15

    Scared to Speak Up? How Childhood Fear Shapes Your Voice in Midlife

    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/

    28 min

  3. DEC 10

    EP 5: Lisa De Nicola on The Hidden Patterns Linking Love, Work, And Self

    Episode — The Real Story Beneath Your Relationships with Lisa De Nicola What 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 alike By 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/

    52 min

  4. DEC 3

    EP4: Sheila B. Robinson talks Stop Cramming, Start Remembering: Your Brain Called And It Wants Practice

    Episode 6: Learning That Actually Sticks — Why Your Brain Loves the Easy Stuff (and Why It Fails You) with Sheila B. Robinson What 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 thinking By 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/

    45 min

  5. NOV 24

    Bonus EP: Everything Is Funny Eventually: Tech Confusion, Teen Drivers & a Rogue Latte

    Bonus Episode — The Comedy Hidden Inside Everyday Life with David Young What 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 blamed By 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/

    33 min

  6. NOV 19

    EP 3: Lauren Ammon on Human Design For High Achievers: Decisions, Energy, And Deconditioning

    Episode 3: Human Design, Frequency, and the Decisions Your Body Already Knows with Lauren Ammon What 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 life By 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/

    55 min

  7. NOV 12

    EP 2: How Authentic Swag Builds Real Relationships And Standout Brands

    Episode 2 —  How Authentic Swag Builds Real Relationships And Standout Brands What 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 fulfillment By 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/

    40 min

  8. NOV 5

    EP 1: The Cost of Chasing Goals You Don’t Want

    Episode 1 – When Your Decisions Don’t Match Your Dreams Ever 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/

    23 min

  9. NOV 3

    Preview of The Underlayer | Where the Real Story Lives.

    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/

    4 min
  • 9 Episodes

About

Ever feel like you’re doing “fine” on the outside, but stuck or disconnected on the inside? You’re not broken, you’re just living above the surface. The Underlayer is a podcast for mid-life professionals navigating fear, identity, and personal growth, especially when success no longer feels fulfilling. Hosted by keynote speaker and podcast host David Young, each episode goes beneath surface-level advice to explore the deeper stories shaping how we show up at work, in relationships, and in our own lives. Through honest storytelling, psychology-informed insight, and the occasional uncomfortable truth, we unpack: Fear and anxiety that follow us from childhood into adulthoodWhy clarity and alignment feel harder in mid-lifeHow personal growth actually happens (without self-help clichés)What it means to find your voice and stop avoiding what matters You’ll hear solo reflections and conversations with personal growth experts, coaches, and deep thinkers — all focused on one thing: Understanding what’s really driving your patterns so you can move forward with clarity. 🎧 New episodes every Thursday. Start with: The Fear That Formed Me — the episode that explains why the thing that scared you most might be what you’re meant to heal. https://www.buzzsprout.com/2551407/episodes/18358211

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