The Unfinished Human®

Lyndsay

The Unfinished Human® is a creative experiment in being and un-becoming in a world that rarely lets us. This space is for the wrecked, the wild, and the endlessly unraveling. For those breaking open, waking up, and reaching for magic through the madness. I’m Lyndsay—writer, seeker, neurodivergent human, lifelong overthinker, and recovering overachiever. You’ll hear raw stories, sacred mess, short stories, and real talk about what it means to un-become. Unfiltered, unpolished, and yes—there will be swearing. This isn’t self-help. It’s soul witness. Welcome to the experiment.

  1. 22h ago

    EP38: Getting Back to Fitness: Movement, Pain & the Ego That Won't Quit (Part 4 of 4)

    Ben bought a bike. Lyndsay overdid it. Again. And neither of them have figured out how to stop before the body makes them. Part Four of The Sibling Files wraps up this recording session with a deep dive into getting back into movement after years of surgeries, burnout, and bodies that have different opinions about what they can handle now versus their younger bodies. Ben's back at Kettlebell Club (and immediately overdid it), just bought a gravel bike on an impulse test ride through South Minneapolis, and is doing wall sits to naturally bring down his blood pressure — with results that genuinely surprised him. Lyndsay's been going hard on Pilates with weights, chasing the endorphin high, and learning the hard way that 'it's only 10-pound dumbbells' adds up when you're doing it back to back to back. The inflammation and pain episodes are the body's way of hitting the brakes — she just hasn't figured out how to rest before the body forces the issue. They also get into the ego vs. the body, building back up without blowing yourself up, and a teaser for nexttime about a new personality type that might be more accurate for many introverts (like Ben and Lyndsay). Plus Lyndsay shares a couple of YouTube resources she actually uses and loves — not sponsored, just genuinely good. What We Get Into •  Ben's impulse gravel bike purchase through South Minneapolis — and why it was the right call • Wall sits for blood pressure: the results that surprised him and the knee that stopped hurting • Back at Kettlebell Club after years away — and immediately overdoing it •  The dopamine trap: why getting back into movement makesyou do too much, too fast • Pilates, inflammation, and the pain that tells you it'salready past the tipping point • Listening to the body vs. the ego — and how to actuallytell the difference • Building community through movement: bike groups,kettlebell clubs, saying yes to strangers • Preview: introvert, extrovert, or something elseentirely? Next episode. Quotable Moments:  • "Be intentional about stopping yourself before thepain stops you." •  "I still feel that internal drive to move — even when I'm exhausted. They're both physical sensations and they're bothreal." •  "I told the coach I wasn't coming — out loud — so I couldn't talk myself into going anyway." •  "It's okay to have a lazy day, dude. Just hang out with your dog." •  "Listen to what the body is saying, not the ego. Follow the things that light you up — but hear it when it says time out."   Resources Mentioned Not sponsored — just things Lyndsay uses and loves: 🏋️ Pilates + Kettlebells: JoinBace.com 🧘 Move with Nicole (YouTube): youtube.com/@MoveWithNicole 💪 Senior Shape Fitness with Lauren (YouTube): youtube.com/@SeniorShapeFitness Listen if You're Into Movement, chronic pain, aging without losing your mind about it, kettlebells, Pilates, bikes, community, and two siblings figuring out what their bodies actually need now — not five years ago. Stay Unfinished Listen to the body. Ignore the ego. And for the love of god, take a rest day. Follow The Unfinished Human® wherever you listen, and stay wrecked, wild, and full of wonder. Connect with Lyndsay / The Unfinished Human® 🌐 Website: TheUnfinishedHuman.com 📸 Instagram: @theunfinishedhuman 🕯️ Free Ritual Journey: The Descent Begins Here 🌀 Ritual Journey: Voice Reclamation Ritual Journey 🎧 Insight Timer Meditations: insighttimer.com/lyndsaytoensing

    EP38: Getting Back to Fitness: Movement, Pain & the Ego That Won't Quit (Part 4 of 4)
  2. Jul 7

    EP37: Retirement & Expat Dreams (Part 3 of 4)

    Ben's plotting his exit. And…same. Part 3 of this The Sibling Files session takes a hard turn into early retirement math, expat life, and the very Gen X question of: what if we just... didn't do this anymore? Ben's been running numbers, talking to friends who've already retiredat sixty, and researching what it would cost to live well somewhere else. Philippines, Malaysia, Portugal, Spain — he's looking. Lyndsay brings the bigger picture — the generational shift where people are done dying at their desks, and the growing wave of Gen X, elder millennials, trans folks seeking safety, and digital nomads quietly asking: where can I actually live? Ben also tells the story of a friend who asked for an airport ride with two hours' notice — destination: Iceland, one-way ticket, no plan. A week later: Thailand. Three days after that: Bali. As far as anyone knows, he's still there. Plus golden visas, what the US dollar actually gets you inthe Philippines vs. Malaysia, the Norway dinner that reframed why people left for America in the first place — and whether that cycle is just starting to reverse. No experts. No financial advice. Just two siblings saying the quiet parts out loud. What We Get Into Early retirement math — and why retiring at sixty can actually mean more money long-termThe Gen X shift: quality of life over years logged at a deskIceland → Thailand → Bali: the friend who left on a one-way ticket with no planPhilippines, Malaysia, Portugal, Spain — where Ben's looking and whyGolden visas and what happens when wealthy people buy citizenship but don't show upThe trans community and expat life: safety, affordability, and digital nomad visasWhy Ben's astro cartography said Spain and Portugal — and Lyndsay clocked itThe Norway family dinner and the cyclical history of people leaving one country for anotherAllergies, a three-week bike hiatus, and a mystery new baby at Ben's place Quotable Moments You can make more money, but you can't make more time.""I don't want to die at the desk.""Peace out, bitches." — Lyndsay's retirement plan in three words"I hope I have a massive heart attack so I don't have to worry about it." — Ben's old retirement plan (he was joking. Sorta.)"It's not just your everyday expat living there and investing in the community — it's people buying citizenship and not even showing up.""I wonder how many people are now like: it's an American nightmare, run away.""You can be there for six months, pop out for seven days, come back — and you're still okay. And safe.""We are unfinished humans living an imperfect life — giving ourselves permission to be unfinished is part of the resistance, bitches." Listen If You're Into Early retirement, expat life, digital nomad reality, Gen Xfinancial reckoning, the American dream (and its cracks), astrology, travel, and two siblings having the conversations a lot of us are having in our heads but not yet out loud. Stay Unfinished Run the numbers. Check your astro cartography. And maybe search flights to Bali — just to see.   Follow The Unfinished Human® wherever you listen, and staywrecked, wild, and full of wonder. Connect with Lyndsay / The Unfinished Human® 🌐 Website: TheUnfinishedHuman.com 📸 Instagram: @theunfinishedhuman 🕯️ Free Ritual Journey: The Descent Begins Here 🌀 Ritual Journey: Voice Reclamation Ritual Journey 🎧 Insight Timer Meditations: insighttimer.com/lyndsaytoensing

    EP37: Retirement & Expat Dreams (Part 3 of 4)
  3. Jun 30

    EP36: Trust Your Gut: Trademark Wars, Astrological Receipts & Surprise Refunds (Part 2 of 4)

    So. An Ivy League school slid into my DMs about The Unfinished Human® name. And then things got weird. Part Two of of this installment of The Sibling Files picks up right where we left off — and this episode is a wild mix of trademark battles, a boomer giving unsolicited fatherly advice over email, astrology that was uncomfortably accurate, and a random $250 showing up from the Washington Department of Revenue. Oh, and two anxious dogs trying to survive storm season. Lyndsay breaks down the full story of what happened when an Ivy League school reached out wanting to have a conversation about using The Unfinished Human® name for an AI-based school helping refugees access higher education. Sounds good in theory — until the guy no-showed the Zoom, asked for a phone number she never gave him, and then responded to her 'no' with unsolicited fatherly wisdom. She also goes back to the very beginning — the first time someone tried to come for the name, the cease and desist, the spiritual bypassing, and the fact that this apparently happens every May like clockwork. Then — astrology. Lyndsay pulls up the Full Moon in Sagittarius reading from around that same week as the emails, and it is uncomfortably on the nose. And because Jupiter is doing its thing and Chiron just moved into Taurus — Lyndsay got a letter from the Washington Department of Revenue saying she has unclaimed property. Which, yes, is a thing you can check for in your state. Ben checks Minnesota's unclaimed property site live on the podcast. Finds nothing. But maybe you will. What We Get Into • The Ivy League school that wanted to have a conversation about The Unfinished Human® name — and what happened when Lyndsay said no • Red flags in negotiation: when someone's behavior in the best of times tells you everything you need to know • The first person who tried to take the name, the cease and desist, the spiritual bypassing, and the emails that kept coming • A UK podcast using the same name and how YouTube trademark infringement works • The Full Moon in Sagittarius reading that was almost too literal: higher learning, confrontation, career tension • Chiron in Taurus, Jupiter expanding everything, and unclaimed money appearing out of nowhere • Two storm-anxious dogs: Huckleberry on week two of Prozac and Jax sensing weather before it hits • Ben plotting his work exit strategy — and that's where we ran out of time Quotable Moments • "I've been negotiating contracts long enough to know that if somebody acts this way now, in the best of times, they're gonna be shit later on." • "Based on your picture, I'm old enough to be your father, so let me give you some fatherly advice." ...okay, boomer." • "My dad told me to always trust my gut. And he's a wise man." • "From Gen X to Boomer, hopefully we both learned something." • "Check your state's unclaimed property. You might have a couple bucks coming back to you." • "We are unfinished humans living an imperfect life — and giving ourselves permission to be unfinished is part of the resistance, bitches." Listener Action Item Seriously — go look up your state's unclaimed property. Google '[your state] Department of Revenue unclaimed property' and search your name. You might be surprised. Listen If You're Into Trademark stories, protecting your work, trusting your gut, astrology getting weirdly specific, surprise money, anxious dogs, and two siblings saying the shit out loud with no script. Stay Unfinished Trust your gut. Protect your shit. And go check if somebody owes you money. Follow The Unfinished Human® wherever you listen, and stay wrecked, wild, and full of wonder. Connect with Lyndsay / The Unfinished Human® 🌐 Website: TheUnfinishedHuman.com 📸 Instagram: @theunfinishedhuman 🕯️ Free Ritual Journey: The Descent Begins Here 🌀 Ritual Journey: Voice Reclamation Ritual Journey 🎧 Insight Timer Meditations: insighttimer.com/lyndsaytoensing

    EP36: Trust Your Gut: Trademark Wars, Astrological Receipts & Surprise Refunds (Part 2 of 4)
  4. Jun 23

    EP35: Weather, Ramblings, & AI - Oh My! (Part 1 of 4)

    What happens when two siblings get on a podcast with no agenda, no script, and no plan — and somehow end up ina deep conversation about AI, surveillance capitalism, and the slow erosion of human autonomy? Welcome to The Sibling Files. It's June. The weather is chaotic. The algorithm is watching. And Lyndsay and Brother Ben are winging it — beautifully. This episode (part 1 of 4) kicks off Season Two of The Unfinished Human® Podcast and true to form, it startswith thunderstorms in Minnesota, a terrified dog named Jax, and a weather report no one asked for. But don't let the casual opener fool you — this conversation goes places. Lyndsay shares what nearly a month off social media has actually felt like: the late-night scroll habit she didn't know she had, the relief of putting the phone down, and the unsettling way algorithms are designed to keep us enraged and dependent. They unpack the creep factor of devices listening in on conversations, ads that follow you across shared IP addresses, and the very real question of whether "turning things off" actually does anything. Then the conversation turns to AI — not just as a tech trend, but as a systemic force reshaping how we think, work, and depend on machines. From the human cost of training AI (and what it's doing to the underpaid workers exposed to the internet's darkest content), to the environmental toll of data centers, to the capitalism-first mentality driving it all forward with no brakes — Lyndsay and Ben aren't here to give youhot takes. They're here to think out loud. This is Season Two. The shit is still unfinished. And they're still saying all of it out loud. What We Explore • Nearly a month off social media: the real experience, minus the performance • How algorithms are engineered for rage, fear, and addiction • The surveillance economy: devices listening, shared IP tracking, and ads that follow you • Why "turning off" your settings may not be doing what you think • AI as the new algorithm — and the question of human dependency • The hidden human cost of AI training: workers exposed to traumatic content • The argument for understanding something manually before automating it • A teaser: something big happened with The Unfinished Human® and an Ivy League school Talking Points / Quotable Moments • "The algorithm sets us up to be in constant rage-fear mode." • "I've been in the world — writing, seeing people, hugging them, grabbing them by the face and saying hello." • "Less screens, more people." • "Your phone is really f*****g creepy." • "Incognito mode is not incognito at all." • "Technology is making us more reliant, more dependent, and stupider." • "F**k AI. I'll learn it on my own." • "Nobody knows how to do it manually anymore — and that's the problem." • "There's a way to do AI human-first, environmental-first. It's just not what we're doing." • "Capitalism, baby. Capitalism." • "We are unfinished humans living an imperfect life — and that's part of the resistance." Listen If You're Into Candid sibling conversations, digital detox real talk, AI ethics, surveillance capitalism, tech dependency, human autonomy, chronic illness, creativity, and the messy beauty of figuring things out without a script. Stay Unfinished Put the phone down. Touch some grass. And remember — giving yourself permission to be unfinished is part of the resistance, bitches. Follow The Unfinished Human® wherever you listen, and stay wrecked, wild, and full of wonder. Connect with Lyndsay / The Unfinished Human® 🌐 Website: TheUnfinishedHuman.com 📸 Instagram: @theunfinishedhuman 🕯️ Free Ritual Journey: The Descent Begins Here 🌀 Ritual Journey: Voice Reclamation Ritual Journey 🎧 Insight Timer Meditations: insighttimer.com/lyndsaytoensing

    EP35: Weather, Ramblings, & AI - Oh My! (Part 1 of 4)
  5. Jun 20

    EP34: Unfinished Musings – Chiron in Taurus: Am I Enough?

    So. Chiron just moved into Taurus. On Juneteenth. And I'm not letting that day pass without saying something. Before we get into the astrology, a quick acknowledgment: it's Juneteenth, the day commemorating when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas finally learned the Civil War had ended and they were “free” — in quotes, because we know how many broken promises came after. I'm calling it out because more and more pieces of our history keep getting erased, including federal recognition of days like this one. Okay. Onto the work. This episode is the deep one. Chiron — the wounded healer — just started a three-month ingress into Taurus, and I'm walking you through what that actually means (not the theoretical, prediction-based astrology stuff, the practical, what-do-I-actually-do-with-this kind). I get into my own corporate-burnout-to-spiritual-awakening origin story, the AuDHD diagnosis that explained everything, and the 8-ton wound around worth and money that I'm still actively unpacking in real time. Then I do something I've never done on this podcast before: a live three-card Oracle reading, first for you individually, then one for the collective. Stagnant waters, clear vision, and a rainbow all show up, and the message is bigger than just me. This is vulnerable, it's a little woo, and it's very, very me. Links I promised: 🃏 Rebecca Campbell Pick-a-Card: Rebeccacampbell.me/pick-a-card 🃏 Colette Baron-Reid Pick-a-Card: colettebaronreid.com/resources/pick-a-card 🔮 The Healing Waters Oracle: rebeccacampbell.me/healingwaters What We Get Into • A Juneteenth acknowledgment and why erasing history matters right now • What Chiron actually represents in astrology (the wounded healer archetype) and why Taurus changes the flavor of this transit • The exact dates: Chiron in Taurus from June 19–September 17, 2026, retrograding into Aries until April 14, 2027, then back to Taurus until 2033 • Who this hits hardest: Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius placements, plus anyone with Chiron in Taurus natally (born May 28, 1976–April 11, 1984) • My corporate-America-to-spiritual-awakening origin story, including the year I lost both grandmothers and a dog in three months • Getting diagnosed with AuDHD after years of burnout, and why I stopped taking medication for it • The “swim up a waterfall” reframe that explains why The Unfinished Human exists • My natal Chiron in Taurus in the 12th house, and the 8-ton wound around worth, money, and being financially supported by a partner • A live three-card Oracle reading for you AND a collective reading using The Healing Waters Oracle • A free mini ritual you can do yourself with any tarot or Oracle deck (or just a book off your shelf) Quotable Moments • “We are never finished. We, especially I, spend so much time and effort trying to get to some destination… but it’s like trying to swim up a waterfall. Pointless.” • “There is a method to its madness and creativity that I don’t want to dim.” • “I learned through disbelief in myself, in my partner, in the universe… that a good partner loves you for you.” • “We’re all unfinished in this journey called the human experience. And that’s a f*****g beautiful thing.” • “Giving yourself permission for joy and pleasure and play just f*****g because.” Listen If You're Into Astrology that's actually practical, wounded-healer archetypes, burnout-to-awakening stories, AuDHD and neurodivergence, live Oracle readings, and reclaiming your worth outside of productivity. Stay Unfinished Get curious about where you're trying to earn your worth. Then go do something about it — in micro steps. Follow The Unfinished Human® wherever you listen, and stay wrecked, wild, and full of wonder. Connect with Lyndsay / The Unfinished Human® 🌐 Website: TheUnfinishedHuman.com 📸 Instagram: @theunfinishedhuman 🕯️ Free Ritual Journey: The Descent Begins Here 🌀 Ritual Journey: VoiceReclamation Ritual Journey 🎧 Insight Timer Meditations: insighttimer.com/lyndsaytoensing

    EP34: Unfinished Musings – Chiron in Taurus: Am I Enough?
  6. May 6

    EP33 | Humanity - A Reflection on the State of Me and The World

    What does it mean to be human when the world feels like it’s burning? In this unscripted anniversary episode, I reflect on one year of The Unfinished Human® and the unexpected path this project has taken — from personal writings to sibling conversations to guest interviews to this moment of raw, unfiltered truth telling. I talk about the creative well running dry, the medicine of getting back on my bike, and the grounding power of being outside, in community, and in motion. I share why visibility as a queer white woman in a conservative town matters, and how small acts of presence can become lifelines for people who don’t feel safe. I briefly speak to the heartbreak of watching the trans community be targeted, the ongoing erosion of rights, the violence of voter suppression, and the global crises unfolding in Gaza, Iran, Sudan, Cuba, and beyond. As a sensitive person, as an artist, it feels impossible to create without acknowledging the suffering happening in real time. This episode is an invitation to remember our shared humanity, to show up where we can, and to honor the truth that art and activism are not separate — they are intertwined. I close with my newest piece, Humanity, a reminder that we were never meant to stand alone. ________________________________________ What We Explore • One year of The Unfinished Human® and the evolution of the project • Creativity, burnout, and the need to refill the well • Cycling, nature, and the grounding power of embodied community • Queer visibility in conservative spaces • The targeting of the trans community and the erosion of rights • Voter suppression, redistricting, and systemic harm • Global crises and the overwhelm of witnessing • Art, activism, sensitivity, and the role of creatives in times of crisis • “Think globally, work locally” as a path back to purpose • The poem Humanity and the reminder that we belong to each other ________________________________________ Talking Points / Quotable Moments • “Participating in humanity, less screens.” • “Think globally, work locally.” • “It feels b******t to show up when people are literally dying.” • “Being human never meant standing alone.” • “Visibility matters — especially where it feels unsafe.” • “Artists are struggling to know how to show up right now.” • “I need to be out with people, not just producing content.” • “We remember our humanity when we stop believing the story they sold us.” ________________________________________ Listen If You’re Into Raw reflections on humanity, activism, queer visibility, creativity, burnout, community care, global grief, and the emotional complexity of being alive in this moment. ________________________________________ Stay Unfinished Show up where you can. Rest where you must. And stay tethered to your humanity — and each other. Follow The Unfinished Human® wherever you listen, and stay wrecked, wild, and full of wonder. ________________________________________ Connect with Lyndsay / The Unfinished Human® 🌐Website: TheUnfinishedHuman.com 📸Instagram: @theunfinishedhuman 🕯️Free Ritual Journey: The Descent Begins Here 🌀 Ritual Journey: Voice Reclamation Ritual Journey 🎧 Insight Timer Meditations: insighttimer.com/lyndsaytoensing

    EP33 | Humanity - A Reflection on the State of Me and The World
  7. Apr 29

    EP32: When Achievement Stops Working — Stillness, Time, and What We Were Never Taught

    What happens after the identity collapse? After the title isgone, the body has spoken, and the old success story no longer makes sense? In Episode 32 of The Unfinished Human®, I continue the conversation with executive coach, speaker, and author BeccaPearce (You Don’t Have to Achieve to Be Loved), moving deeper into the terrain that follows burnout, illness, and ego death: stillness, grief, money, anger, motherhood, and the slow process of redefining value. We talk about the lies we were sold about success,productivity, money, and power—and how deeply they shape our nervous systems, our bodies, and the way we raise the next generation. Becca shares how watching her daughter choose a different relationship with achievement became a mirror for her own healing, and why time—not titles, money, or prestige—is the only thing that actually matters when everything falls apart. This episode explores what it means to stop performing forlove, to find stillness without forcing silence, to grieve what could have been without letting it define you, and to build a life that is aligned instead of impressive. This is Part 2 of a two‑part conversation. About Becca Becca Pearce (morebeccapearce.com), author of You Don’t Have to Achieve to be Loved, spent much of her career as a corporate warrior, leading teams at CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield and Kaiser Permanente before being appointed CEO of Maryland’s Health Benefit Exchange. After a verypublic separation from the Exchange, Becca was diagnosed with a brain tumor, triggering a life-altering health battle that forced her to redefine success. Today, as an inspirational speaker, growth strategist andpersonal executive coach, she sparks transformation in organizations and empowers professionals to lead with authenticity and purpose.  She shares her journey as living proof that no matter how many times you’ve been “chewedup and spit out” by life, you can rise stronger and live fully.   morebeccapearce.com www.linkedin.com/in/beccapearce www.extendcoach.com What We Explore • Why achievement becomes a nervous system survival strategy • The lie that money, power, and titles equal safety • Redefining stillness for people who cannot sit still • Movement as regulation, trauma release, and mental quiet • Grief, anger, and the unresolved “what if” stories we carry • Parenting without passing down achievement addiction • Breadwinner identity, money shame, and recalculating worth • Coaching without hustle culture, hype, or hierarchies • Why time — not success — becomes the true measure of a life Talking Points / Quotable Moments • “Achievement doesn’t become a habit — it becomes anidentity.” • “Stillness doesn’t have to mean sitting still.” • “Money, power, and titles were never going to make me happy.” • “The only thing that really matters is time.” • “This wasn’t the wrong path — it was the path I was sold.” • “You don’t need ten years of misery to wake up.” • “What would I be willing to lose to believe I’m already enough?” Listen If You’re Into Conversations about high‑achiever burnout, stillness and nervous system healing, grief and anger after illness, redefining success, motherhood and identity, money and worthiness, coaching without hustle culture, and building a life that values time over performance. Stay Unfinished Healing isn’t linear.Stillness isn’t passive.And believing you’re already enough may be the hardest work of all. Follow The Unfinished Human® wherever you listen andstay wrecked, wild, and full of wonder. Connect with Lyndsay / The Unfinished Human® 🌐Website: TheUnfinishedHuman.com 📸Instagram: @theunfinishedhuman 🕯️Free Ritual Journey: The Descent Begins Here 🌀 Ritual Journey: Voice Reclamation Ritual Journey 🎧Insight Timer Meditations: insighttimer.com/lyndsaytoensing

    EP32: When Achievement Stops Working — Stillness, Time, and What We Were Never Taught
  8. Apr 22

    EP31: When Achievement Breaks — Identity, Job Loss & a Brain Tumor Wake-Up (Part 1) | with Guest Becca Pearce

    There’s a particular kind of ache that comes with being ahigh achiever: the belief that love, rest, safety, and belonging are things you earn through output. And for many of us, that belief doesn’t loosen its grip until something ruptures—an ending we didn’t choose, a loss we can’t outwork, abody that refuses to keep carrying the load. In this episode, I sit down with Becca Pearce, a formercorporate executive whose life cracked open in rapid succession: a very public job loss, then a brain tumor diagnosis that required urgent surgery and led to a long, humbling season of relearning—how to walk, how to live, how to be in abody with real limitations. And underneath it all: the deeper question so many of us avoid until we can’t—Who am I without the title, the performance, the productivity, the proving? We talk honestly about the “mucked up middle”: grieving thebefore, realizing you may have romanticized what never truly made you happy, and facing the seductive pull of achievement—especially when money, security,and being the “reliable one” have been your armor. This is a conversation about identity collapse, nervous system truth, and the lifelong practice of unlearning the lie that you have to achieve to be loved. About Becca Becca Pearce (morebeccapearce.com), author of You Don’t Have to Achieve to be Loved, spent much of her career as a corporate warrior, leading teams at CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield and Kaiser Permanente before being appointed CEO of Maryland’s Health Benefit Exchange. After a verypublic separation from the Exchange, Becca was diagnosed with a brain tumor, triggering a life-altering health battle that forced her to redefine success. Today, as an inspirational speaker, growth strategist andpersonal executive coach, she sparks transformation in organizations and empowers professionals to lead with authenticity and purpose.  She shares her journey as living proof that no matter how many times you’ve been “chewedup and spit out” by life, you can rise stronger and live fully.   morebeccapearce.com www.linkedin.com/in/beccapearce What We Explore • Achievement as a survival strategy—and the moment it stops working • Identity collapse after public job loss: “If I’m not this… who am I?” • When the body “wins”: illness, limitation, and forced surrender • Grief + the “before/after” split—and why we romanticize the past • Power, prestige, and success myths (and what we thought we wanted) • Breadwinner pressure, money guilt, and worthiness tied to contribution • Boundaries that protect your life—even when they look like “bad business” • The compulsion to be the one everyone relies on—and how it helps us avoid ourselves • Choosing presence over performance: what it means to want a different life Talking Points / Quotable Moments • “The body wins.” • “I thought I had made it—and it became my identity so quickly.” • “I spent years wishing for the before… stuck in the mourning phase.” • “Power and prestige weren’t things I actually wanted—but I thought theywere.” • “I’m a big boundaries person… this is the life I’m choosing.” • “We hold ourselves together to hold everybody else together.” Listen If You’re Into Honest conversations about high-achieving identity,perfectionism, people-pleasing, burnout, job loss, chronic illness, nervous system truth, boundaries, money + worthiness, and rebuilding a life that isn’t fueled by performance. Stay Unfinished Healing isn’t linear. Identity isn’t static. And learning tolive without proving—again and again—isn’t failure. It’s the work. Follow The Unfinished Human® wherever you listen, and stay wrecked, wild, and full of wonder. Connect with Lyndsay / The Unfinished Human® 🌐 Website: TheUnfinishedHuman.com 📸 Instagram: @theunfinishedhuman 🕯️Free Ritual Journey: The Descent Begins Here 🌀 Ritual Journey: Voice Reclamation Ritual Journey 🎧 Insight Timer Meditations: insighttimer.com/lyndsaytoensing

    EP31: When Achievement Breaks — Identity, Job Loss & a Brain Tumor Wake-Up (Part 1) | with Guest Becca Pearce

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

The Unfinished Human® is a creative experiment in being and un-becoming in a world that rarely lets us. This space is for the wrecked, the wild, and the endlessly unraveling. For those breaking open, waking up, and reaching for magic through the madness. I’m Lyndsay—writer, seeker, neurodivergent human, lifelong overthinker, and recovering overachiever. You’ll hear raw stories, sacred mess, short stories, and real talk about what it means to un-become. Unfiltered, unpolished, and yes—there will be swearing. This isn’t self-help. It’s soul witness. Welcome to the experiment.