A Life Worth Working – Finding Purpose & Overcoming Setbacks

Dr. Michelle Weise & Rev. Dana Allen Walsh - Personal Development & Resilience Specialists
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A Life Worth Working — Finding Purpose & Overcoming Setbacks is a podcast hosted by Dr. Michelle Weise and the Rev. Dana Allen Walsh, personal development & resilience specialists. Our guests illuminate the scraps, screw-ups, and detours of our work lives as living proof that nothing is ever wasted in these spaghetti pathways of our careers. The hardest moments we endure, from epic failures to employment gaps and crushing disappointments, all become fertile ground for new growth and endless possibilities. As we navigate the winding, messy pathways of life, perhaps the truest calling is simply this: to stay open to wonder, courageous in release, faithful in response—and to trust that, step by step, we are shaping a life worth working. michelleweise.substack.com

  1. 3D AGO

    He Signed a Multi-Million Dollar NFL Contract — Then Got Cut after 3 Months

    A Life Worth Working | Guest: Andrew East | Former NFL Long Snapper, YouTube Creator & Family Media Entrepreneur What You’ll Learn in This Episode * How getting released from the Kansas City Chiefs after 3 months — while his wife Shawn Johnson was selling out arenas — became the most transformative moment of his life * Why Andrew turned a humiliating rock bottom into what he now calls an “unshakable confidence” * What his father’s day-long rites of passage ceremonies taught him about raising boys — and what modern fatherhood is missing * What it means to redefine success when you’re married to an Olympic gold medalist About Andrew East Andrew East is a former NFL long snapper who played for the Kansas City Chiefs and several other teams over a five-year professional career. He studied civil engineering at Vanderbilt University, where he was a two-time captain of the football team. He is married to Olympic gold medal gymnast Shawn Johnson East, with whom he has built Family Made — a wholesome, intentional family media network reaching over 10 million followers across platforms. He is also nearly finished with his PhD in psychology and co-hosts the podcast Couple Things with Shawn. The Kid Who Wanted His Name in Lights Andrew East grew up with a simple dream: play professional football and be the hero of the team. He was “footloose, fancy-free, rolling with the punches.” At Vanderbilt, he showed up as the worst player on the team by a mile. He almost transferred. Instead, he stayed — and eventually became a two-time captain. He wasn’t going to be the quarterback. He wasn’t going to be the star. He was going to be the person who made the star’s job possible. He found his niche in one of the most specialized, invisible positions in all of sports: long snapper. The guy who snaps the ball through his legs on field goals and punts. The guy nobody knows until he messes up. That lesson — finding and maximizing your specific niche even if it’s not the glamorous one — turned out to be a blueprint for the rest of his life. The Humiliation that Changed Everything Andrew signed a multi-year contract with the Kansas City Chiefs as a rookie. He remembers the moment vividly: he thought he had done it. Mission complete. He was in the NFL. Three months later, he was cut. Ten thousand dollars in his pocket instead of millions. Meanwhile, his now-wife Shawn Johnson — whom he had just started dating — was on a nationwide gymnastics tour, performing in sold-out arenas for tens of thousands of fans every night. Standing ovations. Screaming crowds. Andrew was home alone on the couch. Unemployed. Nobody quite knowing what to say to him at family events. “I felt useless and desperate. For about three months, I was just like a sad guy on a couch.” But on the other side of those three months, something shifted. With the help of people who stuck with him and spoke encouragement into him, he started to slowly rebuild a confidence that felt, this time, like it was truly his own. “Once I made it through that and realized I can contribute more to the world than just football — or just the one thing — I unlocked a new door. I shifted from self-doubt and pity to eager curiosity. Wait, there’s so much more to life. I just have to go look.” Andrew East’s story is about what happens after the dream doesn’t go the way you planned — and what you find on the other side of that failure if you’re willing to sit in it long enough to learn from it. It’s also a rare public conversation about intentional fatherhood, the crisis of male direction and belonging, and what it looks like to build a family media enterprise not as a brand exercise but as a genuine act of service. 🎧 Listen Now on A Life Worth Working Get full access to Skilling Me Softly | A Life Worth Working at michelleweise.substack.com/subscribe

    26 min

  2. MAR 31

    She Had Never Seen a Pilot Who Looked Like Her — Then She Became One

    Episode: A Life Worth Working | Guest: Refilwe Ledwaba | Girls Fly Africa 🎧 Watch/Listen Now What does it take to become the first? In this episode of A Life Worth Working, Refilwe Ledwaba shares her journey of becoming South Africa’s first Black African female helicopter pilot — a milestone shaped by resilience, exposure, and the courage to imagine beyond what she could see. Growing up in a township during apartheid, aviation wasn’t visible or accessible. The skies felt distant — not because of ability, but because of exposure. It wasn’t until she encountered a female pilot that something shifted. That moment cracked open possibility. But the path wasn’t easy. Refilwe faced financial barriers, cultural resistance, and systemic exclusion in the aviation industry. Listen to this episode if you want to hear more about: * Overcoming systemic barriers in aviation * Career pivots and professional resilience * Representation in STEM fields * The power of exposure in shaping career paths * Leadership forged through adversity Refilwe’s story isn’t just about aviation. It’s about what happens when young people aren’t exposed to the full range of what’s possible for them — and what we lose as a society when aptitude goes unseen because opportunity never arrived. In an age of rapid technological change, exposure isn’t a luxury. It’s a prerequisite for navigating an uncertain future. Studies show that kids with natural aptitude for STEM fields often don’t pursue them — not because they can’t, but because they never knew those paths existed. Refilwe knew that firsthand. And she’s spending her life making sure the next generation doesn’t have to find out the hard way. About Refilwe Ledwaba Refilwe is South Africa's first Black female helicopter pilot, a fixed-wing commercial pilot, and the founder of Girls Fly Africa — a nonprofit that has reached over 100,000 young women across Botswana, Cameroon, and South Africa, introducing them to aviation, aerospace, coding, and robotics through STEM education. About the Podcast: A Life Worth Working A Life Worth Working is hosted by Michelle Weise, a writer on the future of learning and work, and Dana Allen Walsh, an executive coach and pastor. Each week, they talk with guests who open up about the messiness, transformation, and wonder of their work lives — what they call the soul of work. 🔔 Subscribe so you never miss an episode. ⭐ Leave a review — it helps more people find the show. 📩 Email us: alifeworthworking@gmail.com Get full access to Skilling Me Softly | A Life Worth Working at michelleweise.substack.com/subscribe

    33 min

  3. MAR 24

    When the Doctor Becomes the Patient:

    A Life Worth Working — Sh*t Pile Series | Guest: Dr. Todd Kim | Orthopedic Surgeon About This Episode This is part of our Sh*t Pile series, where we ask guests to share one raw, unfiltered moment of failure, stuckness, or devastation that ended up fertilizing something remarkable. Rather than the shiny milestones, we dig into the messy truth behind real transformation. “It reminded me that my job is not the most important thing. For me or anyone else.” Dr. Todd Kim is an orthopedic surgeon who shares three moments with us that reshaped how he practices medicine: the humbling intern feedback that confirmed he was in the wrong field, the patient who coded after a routine surgery, and the rare heart condition that landed him in the ICU, where he finally understood, from the other side of the bed, what compassion actually means to a patient. Listen to the Full Episode For the complete story — including Todd’s journey from aspiring minister to orthopedic surgeon, his time volunteering at Mother Teresa’s home in Calcutta, and how he’s now teaching surgeons in low- and middle-income countries — catch Todd’s full episode on A Life Worth Working. 🔔 Subscribe so you never miss an episode. ⭐ Leave a review — it helps more people find the show. 📩 Email us: alifeworthworking@gmail.com 🎧 Listen Now Subscribe to Skilling Me Softly | A Life Worth Working to make sure you don’t miss the latest posts and podcast episodes. Get full access to Skilling Me Softly | A Life Worth Working at michelleweise.substack.com/subscribe

    8 min

  4. MAR 17

    The "Wrong" Path that Made Him a Better Doctor

    What if the path you’re meant to follow isn’t the most efficient one? Why the Long Way around Matters… In this episode of A Life Worth Working, orthopedic surgeon Dr. Todd Kim shares a deeply personal and nonlinear career journey shaped by faith, global service, doubt, and courage. From witnessing missionary doctors in rural India, to volunteering with Mother Teresa’s Home for the Destitute and Dying, to switching medical specialties mid-residency, Todd’s story challenges the myth that meaningful careers follow a straight line. This episode explores why changing course isn’t failure—but discernment in action. What You’ll Learn in This Episode * Why Todd switched residencies mid-training — leaving internal medicine to start over in surgery — and how that “inefficient” detour made him a better surgeon * What he witnessed volunteering at Mother Teresa’s Home for Dying Destitutes in Calcutta — and what it taught him about joy in impossible circumstances * The moment he got feedback that his clinical notes “read like a surgeon’s” — while he was supposed to be an internist * Why a rare heart condition that landed him in the ICU completely reframed his relationship to his work and his patients * How traumatic injuries from road accidents kill more people globally than all infectious diseases combined — and why that changes what global health needs from surgeons * What it felt like to shake Mother Teresa’s hand (spoiler: surprisingly firm grip) * Why being enthusiastic about everything can look like indecision — and why it might actually be your greatest strength 🎧 Listen to the full episode episode with Dr. Todd Kim on A Life Worth Working, and rediscover what it means to build a career rooted in service, compassion, and purpose. Skilling Me Softly | A Life Worth Working is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Skilling Me Softly | A Life Worth Working at michelleweise.substack.com/subscribe

    25 min

  5. MAR 10 ·  BONUS

    The Leadership Mistakes that Nearly Broke Him

    Leadership, resilience, and career growth aren’t built in perfect conditions; they’re forged in failure. In this Sh*t Pile episode of A Life Worth Working, Jehron Petty shares what he learned about leadership through the early years of doubt, uncertainty, and lost confidence. If you’re building something, leading a team, or questioning yourself in the process, this conversation will remind you that nothing is wasted. Skilling Me Softly | A Life Worth Working is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Skilling Me Softly | A Life Worth Working at michelleweise.substack.com/subscribe

    12 min

  6. MAR 3

    He Turned Down Google to Build a Movement

    Jehron Petty was on track for Google — until he realized too many talented Black and Latino students were being pushed out of computer science because they lacked community, confidence, and belonging. This episode of A Life Worth Working is the story about career growth through service: how investing in others creates expanding circles of impact, purpose, and resilience. Jehron’s journey reminds us that success is rarely a solo act. It grows in community, in moments of mentorship, and in the courage to build what you once needed yourself. From a high school athlete chasing a basketball dream to a tech leader creating opportunities for thousands, his story is proof that career growth isn’t about climbing alone — it’s about lifting as you rise. And when we invest in belonging, we don’t just change individual futures: We change the system itself. If you’ve ever wondered how to turn a personal passion into a mission-driven career, this episode will leave you inspired. 🎧 Join Dana and Michelle as they chat with Jehron on this latest episode of A Life Worth Working!! And of course, don’t forget to subscribe and share with your friends and loved ones! Get full access to Skilling Me Softly | A Life Worth Working at michelleweise.substack.com/subscribe

    22 min

  7. FEB 24

    When Burnout Is the Beginning

    “So much of street psychiatry is about the longitudinal nature of people’s hopes and dreams — coming to understand them over time.” What if burnout and career overwhelm aren’t signs of failure—but the starting point for deeper purpose and meaningful work? In this Sh*t Pile episode of A Life Worth Working, Dr. Katie Koh, a street psychiatrist, reflects on the early years of her career when meaningful work collided with burnout, role overload, and the pressure to “do it all.” Katie’s story offers a powerful lens on physician burnout, career sustainability, and nonlinear professional growth—especially in mission-driven fields like healthcare and mental health. Katie shares how learning to slow down, rethink productivity, and embrace relationship-based care transformed both her work life and her sense of calling. "I still feel like I'm learning every day. I'm still undoing what I was taught in residency and having to think about it in a different way." Katie’s story is a compelling reminder that sometimes the messiest seasons of work become the compost for a more sustainable, human-centered vocation. 🎧 Don’t miss this Shit Pile episode of A Life Worth Working…. Get full access to Skilling Me Softly | A Life Worth Working at michelleweise.substack.com/subscribe

    7 min

  8. FEB 17

    Why This Psychiatrist Treats Patients on the Sidewalk

    Most doctors practice medicine inside clinics and hospitals, but psychiatrist Dr. Katie Koh practices mental health care on sidewalks, park benches, and city streets. In this episode of A Life Worth Working, Katie shares her powerful career path into street psychiatry, a growing field focused on homelessness and mental health, trauma-informed care, and continuity of care for people living on the margins. As a street psychiatrist, Katie spends months—and sometimes years—building trust with individuals experiencing chronic homelessness, severe mental illness, substance use disorders, and complex trauma. Her work challenges dominant assumptions about career success, work efficiency, and our culture of productivity. 🎧 Listen to this episode of A Life Worth Working with Katie Koh for her inspiring example of how meaningful careers are built—not through optimization, but through presence and persistence. Get full access to Skilling Me Softly | A Life Worth Working at michelleweise.substack.com/subscribe

    19 min
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About

A Life Worth Working — Finding Purpose & Overcoming Setbacks is a podcast hosted by Dr. Michelle Weise and the Rev. Dana Allen Walsh, personal development & resilience specialists. Our guests illuminate the scraps, screw-ups, and detours of our work lives as living proof that nothing is ever wasted in these spaghetti pathways of our careers. The hardest moments we endure, from epic failures to employment gaps and crushing disappointments, all become fertile ground for new growth and endless possibilities. As we navigate the winding, messy pathways of life, perhaps the truest calling is simply this: to stay open to wonder, courageous in release, faithful in response—and to trust that, step by step, we are shaping a life worth working. michelleweise.substack.com

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