Success, Rewritten

Emily LoMenzo Washcovick
  • 4.4 (7)
  • Mental Health

Success, Rewritten explores the moments that change how ambitious people think about achievement, work, and the lives they are building. Hosted by Emily Washcovick, former Yelp Small Business Expert and host of Behind the Review, this show features candid conversations with founders, executives, and leaders who have faced pivotal moments that forced them to rethink what success actually means. Some left high-powered careers. Some rebuilt after burnout, illness, or loss. Others discovered that the version of success they were chasing was not sustainable. In each episode, guests share the turning points that reshaped their priorities and how redefining ambition helped them build businesses and lives that work together. This is a podcast for thoughtful builders, entrepreneurs, and leaders who are not stepping away from success. They are redefining it. If you are asking bigger questions about ambition, balance, and what it really means to build a meaningful life, you are in the right place.

  1. 1d ago

    20: Jay Laurie & Charlotte Maya: Surviving a Suicide Loss, and Learning to Live Again

    Content note: this episode is an honest conversation about suicide loss. If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, free and available 24/7. Jay Laughrey and Charlotte Maya met at a yoga studio. He complimented her ring, she told him the story behind it, and within minutes they had found the one thing nobody wants to have in common: they had each lost someone to suicide. Charlotte lost her husband Sam. Jay lost his brother Jeff. This week, Emily brings them together for a group conversation about the loss that so many people carry and so few people talk about. It is an imperfect conversation on purpose. Charlotte, a former attorney and the author of Sushi Tuesdays, and Jay, a business owner who became an advocate after his brother's death, talk through the language that heals and the language that hurts, why "died by suicide" matters, and why 988 belongs in everyone's phone. They get into what actually helps a grieving family, from the lasagna on the porch to the idea that everybody has a light and the job is to bring it, and the things people say with good intentions that land all wrong. They also sit with the harder stuff: comforting everyone else while you are the one who lost the most, the questions you will never get answered, and how you learn to hold grief and joy at the same time. As Charlotte puts it, suicide is a disease that takes our loved ones, it just looks uglier from the outside. And as both of them keep proving, the way you honor the people you lost is by living, out loud, with their names still in the room. For their individual stories, listen to Charlotte's and Jay's one-on-one episodes. Charlotte's solo episode Jay's solo episode IN THIS EPISODE How Jay and Charlotte met, and why that connection was instantWhy the words we use around suicide matterWhat actually supports a grieving family, and what to stop sayingSuicide literacy: how to ask someone directly, and why it does not plant the ideaWhy 988 belongs in your phone right nowHonoring the people we lost by living with joy RESOURCES 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: call or text 988Sushi Tuesdays: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Family Resilience by Charlotte Maya New episodes of Success, Rewritten every Tuesday. Subscribe, rate, and follow wherever you listen.

  2. 6d ago

    19: Solo Ep. 2: Suicide Literacy: What to Say, What to Ask, and Why Language Matters

    Most of us have been touched by suicide in some way, either directly or through someone we know. But when someone we love is struggling, most of us don’t actually know what to do. Not because we don’t care. Because nobody taught us. That gap has a name: suicide literacy. Emily talks about what suicide literacy means, why it matters, and how having the right language can help us respond with more care, clarity, and confidence when someone may be in crisis. This episode follows Emily’s conversations with Jay Laughrey and Charlotte Maya, both of whom lost someone they love to suicide. Those interviews made Emily aware of the gaps in her own understanding, and this solo episode is her way of helping listeners prepare before they ever find themselves in that moment. Suicide literacy is not clinical training. It is not about having all the answers. It is about knowing enough to recognize warning signs, ask direct questions, use careful language, and know where to turn for support. If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. In this episode: Suicide Literacy and Why It MattersWhy Language Is the First StepWhy “Died by Suicide” MattersSuicide Is Not a Lack of LoveWarning Signs Can Look Different for EveryoneThe Guilt Trap Around Warning SignsThe Direct Question That Can Save a LifeSelf-Harm and Suicide Are Not the Same QuestionWhat to Ask Next If Someone Says YesKnow 988 Before You Need ItFor Survivors, There May Never Be a Clear AnswerGrief as a Heavy SandbagJay and Charlotte’s Upcoming ConversationKeep Talking, Even When It’s Hard Find me: Success, Rewritten | Website | Instagram Emily LoMenzo Washcovick | LinkedIn | Instagram Bipolar Brought Balance | Instagram To go deeper on my experience with bipolar disorder, visit bipolarbroughtbalance.com

  3. Jul 15

    18: Charlotte Maya: Surviving Suicide Loss and Learning to Love Again

    Charlotte Maya was terrified she'd be ostracized by her community after her husband Sam died by suicide in 2007. Instead, being open about it drew people closer. In this conversation, Charlotte talks about writing her memoir, Sushi Tuesdays, raising two young sons through grief, and the messy, nonlinear reality of loss. She shares why asking someone directly if they're struggling can open a door instead of planting an idea that wasn't already there, and how she eventually found love again with her husband, Tim, building a blended family out of two families shaped by loss. Charlotte Maya is an author, attorney, and suicide loss survivor. Learn more about her and her book, Sushi Tuesdays, at charlotte-maya.com. If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

  4. Jul 7

    17: Jay Laughrey on Losing His Brother to Suicide, Grief, and Rebuilding After Loss

    Jay Laughrey has built Proteus Pools into a thriving pool business, but the road there was rocky and started with losing his brother and mentor, Jeff, to suicide in 2009. In this episode, Jay shares what it was like to watch Jeff's rapid decline into depression at a time when almost nobody talked about mental health, the day he got the call that changed everything, and the words from a police officer that he credits with saving his own life. He talks about rebuilding his brother's business, learning to reframe grief instead of anger, and why sharing his story, including with total strangers, has become part of his own healing. This is a conversation about loss, men's mental health, and what it really takes to rebuild. If you're struggling, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.  New episodes of Success, Rewritten every Tuesday.

  5. Jun 30

    16: Solo Ep. 1: The Habits That Protect My Mental Health as an Entrepreneur

    The mental health advice entrepreneurs don't want to hear is that working less can actually make you more effective in your life and business. I can prove it, because it happened to me. In 2018, I had a manic episode that turned into psychosis. I was hospitalized, diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and spent three months on medical leave from a full-time job I loved. When I came back, I rebuilt my work life around three things: sleep, structure, and workload limits. I thought it would break my career. It made me sharper. Then in fall 2025, I got laid off and became an entrepreneur. Every habit I'd fought to protect came under pressure again. This episode is about what those habits actually look like, why they work, and what it costs when life breaks the routine. If you've ever worn "busy" as a badge of honor, this one is going to challenge that directly. In this episode: Why sleeping more and working less made me better at my jobMy eight-hour sleep minimum and the rules that protect itHow a weekly to-do list beats a daily one for sustainable outputWhat it cost me when I stopped saying yes to everythingThe mindset shift my therapist forced me into around work hoursWhy habits never stay linear, and how I do a hard reset back to zero Find me: Success, Rewritten | Website | Instagram Emily LoMenzo Washcovick | LinkedIn | Instagram Bipolar Brought Balance | Instagram To go deeper on my experience with bipolar disorder, visit bipolarbroughtbalance.com

  6. Jun 23

    15: Gabe Howard: Why Mental Illness Isn't Something You Get Over

    Subscribe to the newsletter at Success, Rewritten for more conversations like this one. The language around mental illness is completely wrong. Gabe Howard, a sought-after mental health speaker, author of Mental Illness is an A*****e and Other Observations, and host of the Inside Bipolar podcast, joined me to crack that wide open. We both live with bipolar disorder, but our experiences land in very different places. That contrast is what made this conversation feel refreshingly candid. Gabe walks through what suicidal thoughts sound like day-to-day, including the "good days" where the thought is still present. He explains why asking someone directly about suicide does not plant the idea, and why softening the language often fails the person you're trying to help. We also get into the parts of mental health advocacy I rarely hear questioned: the person-first language debate, who actually carries the blame when the system breaks, and what daily management of a serious mental illness really looks like. If you love someone living with mental illness, or you're living with one yourself, this conversation will give you something to hold onto. You’ll Learn:  [00:00] Introduction [2:19] Gabe thought constant suicidal ideation was just part of being human [5:56] What suicidality actually feels like on good days, not just bad ones [10:11] Asking "are you thinking about hurting yourself" and "are you thinking about killing yourself" are not the same question [14:31] The importance of taking any suicide threat seriously, even if it’s a frustrated teenager [19:32] Mania, garbage, hypersexuality, psychosis, and the full spectrum most people never talk about [23:56] Why "walking through sludge" is an incomplete description of depression [29:35] The person-first language debate and why telling sick people how to speak backfires [40:42] The mental health system isn't broken, it's working exactly as designed [44:25] Bipolar disorder as a reluctant roommate you negotiate with, not a battle you win [48:21] Why "are you okay" needs to be replaced with words that actually mean something Resources Mentioned: NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) | Website NAMI Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Programs | Website Tune in to Gabe’s shows, Inside Bipolar Podcast and Inside Mental Health Podcast, here. Find more from Gabe: Gabe Howard | Website | LinkedIn | YouTube | Facebook | Instagram Mental Illness is an A*****e and Other Observations by Gabe Howard | Book Find more from Emily: Success, Rewritten | Website | Instagram Emily LoMenzo Washcovick | LinkedIn | Instagram Bipolar Brought Balance | Website | Instagram

  7. Jun 16

    14: Mignon François, The Teenage Mother Who Risked Her Last $5 to Build a $10M Empire

    Can you turn $5 into $10 million? Mignon bet the last $5 she had for dinner to build a bakery business that has sold over five million cupcakes and crossed $10 million in revenue. She didn't know how to bake initially. She had six kids, a stack of bills, and a customer who promised to pay her the next day. She gambled the $5 on cupcakes instead of groceries, turned it into $60 by morning, and $600 by the end of the week. What followed was two years of baking out of her house in Historic Germantown before there was ever a storefront. The Cupcake Collection now ships nationwide and operates across two states, but Mignon still runs it with the same principle she started with: all you have is all you need. I sat down with Mignon to walk through the early years as a young mother trying to make ends meet, the spiritual practice that shaped how she built the company, the moments she had to fire good employees so they'd stop playing it safe, and what she tells entrepreneurs who think they need money, credentials, or permission before they begin. She also shared with me why she's started bringing her four-month-old grandson into work meetings, and what she wants other mothers to take from that. You’ll Learn: [00:00] Introduction [01:10] The $5 gamble that started Mignon’s multi-million dollar bakery [05:53] What being a teenage mom taught her kids, and what her kids taught her [10:16] The moment she realized favor had been sitting in her house the whole time [19:34] Why Mignon fires people who play it safe [23:28] Why her children's boldness is the real proof the cycle broke [29:04] Mignon’s philosophy: All you have is all you need  [38:44] Speaking what you seek until you see what you said [40:07] How small businesses win by collaborating with bigger ones Resources Mentioned: Made From Scratch by Mignon François | Book or Audiobook Start speaking life with intention, get your copy of Mignon’s new book: Speak Like Every Word Counts. Find more from Mignon: Mignon François | Instagram | LinkedIn The Cupcake Collection | Website | Instagram Find more from Emily: Success, Rewritten | Website | Instagram Emily LoMenzo Washcovick | LinkedIn | Instagram Bipolar Brought Balance | Website | Instagram

  8. Jun 9

    13: Amy Morin: The Therapist Who Wrote the List That Helped 50 Million People

    For deeper reflections on work, resilience, and redefining the way we live, subscribe to the Success, Rewritten newsletter. Mental health and mental strength are not the same thing. Amy is a psychotherapist, host of the Mentally Stronger podcast, and the author of 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do. Her TEDx Talk has been viewed over 24 million times. But the part of her story most people skip is where that list actually came from. She wrote it after losing both her mother and her husband by age 26. The viral article started as a letter to herself on one of her worst days. “I didn’t write this from the top of the mountain,” she told me. “I wrote it from the bottom of the valley”. What struck me most was that she almost let the world believe she had mastered the list. Instead, she decided to tell the truth about struggling with every single thing she wrote. We talked about why mental health and mental strength are not the same thing, why emotions aren’t positive or negative, and how your brain consistently underestimates what you can handle. This episode felt like an honest conversation about what helps when life breaks your heart. You’ll Learn: [00:00] Introduction [05:59] Only three days of bereavement leave, and America wonders why we can't grieve [10:08] What Amy’s coworkers did right when she came back to work as a widow [14:25] The absence of tears is not a sign of strength [17:05] The physical toll of grief that nobody warns you about [21:46] From a $15 internet article to seven books: how the mental strength franchise was built [29:58] Why mindfulness alone isn't enough, and what to do instead [35:15] Name it to tame it, the labels keeping you stuck [37:52] The two-minute gratitude flash that can turn your entire day around [41:46] Most executives can only name five feeling words, and that's a problem [46:09] Mental health and mental strength are not the same thing Check out Amy's books here. Find more from Amy: Amy Morin, LCSW | Website | LinkedIn | Instagram Mentally Stronger Podcast | YouTube Find more from Emily: Success, Rewritten | Website | Instagram Emily LoMenzo Washcovick | LinkedIn | Instagram Bipolar Brought Balance | Website | Instagram

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4.4
out of 5
7 Ratings

About

Success, Rewritten explores the moments that change how ambitious people think about achievement, work, and the lives they are building. Hosted by Emily Washcovick, former Yelp Small Business Expert and host of Behind the Review, this show features candid conversations with founders, executives, and leaders who have faced pivotal moments that forced them to rethink what success actually means. Some left high-powered careers. Some rebuilt after burnout, illness, or loss. Others discovered that the version of success they were chasing was not sustainable. In each episode, guests share the turning points that reshaped their priorities and how redefining ambition helped them build businesses and lives that work together. This is a podcast for thoughtful builders, entrepreneurs, and leaders who are not stepping away from success. They are redefining it. If you are asking bigger questions about ambition, balance, and what it really means to build a meaningful life, you are in the right place.

Information

  • Creator
    Emily LoMenzo Washcovick
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    20
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026
  • Show Website
    Success, Rewritten

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