Episode 40

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Published on:

11th Nov 2024

"If I’m doing so well, why don’t I feel like it?"

In this episode of Coached Podcast, host Keren Eldad delves into the paradox of overachievement—how external success can often mask deeper struggles of dissatisfaction, insecurity, and inner turmoil. Using the tragic story of Brandon Miller as a backdrop, Keren explores how ambition, perfectionism, and materialism can trap individuals in what she calls “gilded cages.” Drawing on personal anecdotes, literature, and pop culture, Keren offers insights on overcoming scarcity mindsets and embracing true joy.

Topics Covered:

  • The tragic story of Brandon and Candice Miller: A moral fable of hidden struggles behind a gilded lifestyle.
  • How the pressures of overachievement create internal conflict and contribute to mental health challenges.
  • Insights from Keren’s book GILDED: Break Free from the Cage of Ambition, Perfectionism, and the Relentless Pursuit of More.
  • The Overachievement Paradox: Why outward success often leads to inner discontent.
  • Shifting from a scarcity mindset to an abundance mindset for greater fulfillment.

Books and References Mentioned:

  • Keren Eldad's Book:
  • GILDED: Break Free from the Cage of Ambition, Perfectionism, and the Relentless Pursuit of More
  • Get your copy at: www.KerenEldad.com or (BreakFreewithGilded.com).
  • Matthew Perry:
  • Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing
  • Perry’s memoir, reflecting on his own struggles with addiction, success, and inner conflict.
  • Truman Capote’s Swans:
  • Inspired by the television series Feud: Capote vs. the Swans.
  • Explores Capote’s relationships with high-society women and the metaphor of the swans—people who appear graceful but struggle underneath.

Themes Discussed:

  • The Overachievement Paradox:
  • How high achievers can feel trapped by their own success, leading to dissatisfaction and strained relationships.
  • Scarcity vs. Abundance Mindsets:
  • How scarcity thinking can fuel overwork and insecurity, and how adopting an abundance mindset opens doors to joy and freedom.
  • Materialism and the Pressure to Appear Perfect:
  • Insights into how outward success—especially on social media—can mask inner struggles.

Tools & Practices Mentioned:

  • Questioning Your Worldview:
  • Ask: Do I see the world as friendly or hostile?
  • Shift from scarcity to abundance by challenging fear-based assumptions.
  • Decision-Making Practice:
  • In moments of stress, ask yourself:
  • “Where am I coming from—fear or excitement?”
  • If the feeling is fear, pause before moving forward.

Episode Highlights:

  • Brandon Miller’s Story
  • A tragic example of hidden struggles behind a glamorous lifestyle.
  • Explores themes of debt, depression, and the toll of maintaining appearances.
  • Personal Story from Keren’s Coaching Journey:
  • A client hesitated to attend an Ivy League reunion due to societal pressures around financial success.
  • The Importance of Self-Awareness and Inner Work:
  • Identifying dissatisfaction and reframing success on your own terms.

Thank you for listening to Coached Podcast!

Stay tuned for the next episode in the Secret Thoughts of Superstars series.

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About the Podcast

COACHED with Coach Keren
Coaching mastery, personal transformation, leadership development, spiritual growth, burnout recovery, and business reinvention start here. Welcome to Season 5 of Coached: The Coaching Masters, where the world’s top teachers, coaches, spiritual guides, and conscious entrepreneurs share the real story behind transformation and leadership. Hosted by master coach Keren Eldad, this season explores the full arc of becoming a teacher and leader. Each episode explores coaching at its core, not as a polished highlight reel, but as a soul-centered journey. We go behind the scenes of coaching businesses, leadership breakthroughs, burnout recovery, and conscious entrepreneurship. You’ll discover how teachers turn personal pain into wisdom, purpose, and coaching mastery.

This season features transformative conversations with master teachers, bestselling authors and podcasters such as Byron Katie, founder of The Work, revealing how to break free from suffering. Dr. Kristin Neff, global authority on self-compassion, shares the truth behind inner kindness. Jessica Zweig opens up on collapse, rebirth, and her platform: The Spiritual Hustler. Danielle LaPorte speaks on softness, strength, and heart-centered leadership. Craig Siegel shares insights on business reinvention, financial success and transformation. Kurtis Lee Thomas dives into breathwork, burnout recovery, and becoming a true vessel for change.

What listeners will walk away with: personal transformation, leadership growth, spiritual insight, business breakthroughs — and all of the above. You’ll gain insight into your own journey through these role models. Reframe coaching leadership as a soulful, grounded path. Receive spiritual wisdom from teachers who embody what they teach. Discover business breakthroughs rooted in alignment, not hustle. And gain permission to evolve, unravel, and rebuild again and again.

In this season of Coached: The Coaching Masters, we explore emotional resilience, energetic alignment, spiritual awakening, business reinvention, leadership development, coaching business growth, and personal transformation. These honest conversations reveal the real work behind building coaching mastery and conscious entrepreneurship with integrity. Whether you're a coach, leader, entrepreneur, or in a season of reinvention, this podcast is your guide. You’ll gain insights from role models who’ve lived it, leadership development rooted in alignment, business reinvention strategies with purpose, spiritual growth grounded in wisdom, and burnout recovery guidance for rebuilding with intention.

Keren Eldad brings mastery, heart, and wisdom to each conversation, helping you evolve personally, spiritually, and professionally. If you are searching for coaching mastery, personal transformation, spiritual growth, leadership development, burnout recovery, business reinvention, coaching business growth, and conscious entrepreneurship, this season will be your essential companion. Join us for earned wisdom, deep transformation, and coaching that changes lives. Subscribe now to Coached: The Coaching Masters and begin your journey of conscious leadership, soulful business reinvention, and personal mastery.

About the Host: Keren Eldad (“Coach Keren”) is a top executive coach helping Founders, Olympic athletes and Fortune 500 leaders reach success. As the bestselling author of GILDED, she empowers individuals to redefine success and unlock their full potential. Recognized as a Top Ten Executive Coach by the ICF, Real Leaders, and Goop, Keren holds advanced degrees from The London School of Economics and the University of Jerusalem. With 500,000+ TEDx views and a global presence, her insights inspire leaders worldwide.


Resources
Website: https://www.kereneldad.com
Email: keren@kereneldad.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/coachkeren
Facebook: www.facebook.com/livewithenthusiasm

About your host

Profile picture for Keren Eldad

Keren Eldad

A thought leader in the coaching world, Keren Eldad (“Coach Keren”) specializes in taking high achievers out of the futility of constant pursuit and into the greatest levels of success and fulfillment. Her coaching clients include Olympic athletes, politicians, Hollywood stars, supermodels, Special Forces operatives and serial entrepreneurs, as well as renowned global organizations such as Estée Lauder, J.P. Morgan, and Nike… She is also the founder of THE CLUB, a community of leaders, entrepreneurs and coaches who encourage and support each other to reach their fullest potential and make their greatest contribution.
Recognized as a Top Ten Executive Coach by the International Coaching Federation (ICF), Real Leaders Magazine, & Goop, Keren maintains gold-standard coaching credentials on top of her advanced academic degrees from The London School of Economics and the University of Jerusalem. She is also a former C-suite executive, who has lived and worked in 17 countries and on four continents, and now coaches leaders all around the globe in four languages: English, Spanish, Hebrew and French. With half a million views on her TEDx talks, and speaking engagements all over the world, Keren’s message seems to transcend borders. She hopes it resonates with you.
Coach Keren resides in Austin, Texas, with her husband, Ryan, and many beloved pets.
For booking and coaching consultations, contact: Lee@KerenEldad.com