You’re Successful. So Why Are You So Stressed?

Written By Amal Grammas

Someone recently asked me why I started The Happy Achiever Podcast.

The truth is simple:
I know what it feels like to achieve financial success, and still not enjoy it.

I sold medical devices for years. From the outside, it looked like I had it all.
A great career, and more money than I ever imagined.

But on the inside, I felt stressed and anxious most of the time.

Tony Robbins says, “Success without fulfillment is the ultimate failure.”

I learned firsthand how true that is.

What I didn’t realize at the time was why I felt that way.

I was over functioning. I was putting myself last and telling myself that stress was just part of the process.

Over the past eight years, I’ve coached more than 600 leaders and high achievers. And what surprised me most was this:

I wasn’t the only one.

High achievers are hard on themselves. We push through even when it doesn’t feel good, and we take on more than most. Many of us fall into people-pleasing without realizing it.

And that’s what Joe Moran and I had in common.

Joe is one of the most generous people I know. He genuinely loves helping others. But like so many high achievers, that generosity started to come at a cost.

He found himself constantly saying yes, and internalizing stress no one else could see. (not even himself) Doing more than his share and hoping people would appreciate it.

Instead of feeling fulfilled, he felt frustrated. It started to affect his relationships, his energy, and the way he felt about himself.

Sound familiar?

Let Go of People Pleasing

In this episode of The Happy Achiever Podcast, Joe gets honest about what it looks like to step out of people-pleasing and start leading himself differently, with more awareness, confidence, and peace.

We talk about:

  • The emotional toll of people-pleasing

  • How stress and resentment build when you ignore your own needs

  • Why slowing down and setting boundaries isn’t selfish, it’s necessary

  • How a silent retreat gave him the space to reconnect with what really mattered

  • And what he’s doing now to lead from a place of clarity instead of pressure

 

This conversation isn’t about doing less or caring less. It’s about caring in a way that doesn’t cost you your peace.

🎧 Episode: Let Go of People Pleasing to Feel Happier & More Confident with Joe Moran

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Amal Grammas