Episode 9: Mindset, Doing My Best, and Proud of It — with Mark Carolan

What if the story you tell yourself is the single biggest factor shaping your life—not your circumstances, not your achievements, not even your setbacks?

In this episode, I sit down with Mark Carolan, transformational coach and ex-banker, to get real about the stories we weave, the identities we cling to, and why so many of us measure our worth by external validation. Together, we peel back layers around burnout, performance-driven self-worth, and the quiet power of simply being proud of doing your best (even if life feels like controlled chaos).

We dig deep into:

• How childhood and societal expectations shape our internal narratives

• The trap of tying self-worth to performance

• What it really means to come home to yourself, no matter your job or life stage

• Practical coaching tools to rewire limiting beliefs and break the cycle of “never enough”

• Mark’s billboard message for everyone feeling lost: “You’re doing your best. Be proud of yourself.”

Whether you’re feeling stuck, battling imposter syndrome, or simply want to turn the volume down on your inner critic, this episode will leave you with actionable ideas—and a bit more self-compassion.

Coach Me If You Can is not about perfection. It’s about progress in the middle of real, everyday chaos. If I can find growth in the mess, so can you.

This episode is sponsored by Innerbuddies.

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Your best self starts from the inside out.

Would you want to live your life twice?

This is your opportunity to experience real executive coaching with Lucie Lachaux the performance strategist who helps CEOs and top leaders worldwide build a life that truly matters.

In this episode, Peter Weller sits down with Lucie, former CFO and founder of Changing Minds, who’s on a mission to add meaning and intentionality back into success.

Lucie’s story is about more than reinvention. As she shares, “The number one reason why we are unhappy, despite the type of life we are living, is because we lack intentionality in our lives.”

She opens up about how, after reaching the top, “there was nothing meaningful in my life except my job... those feelings are almost unbearable, and I cannot keep living my life like that.”

Peter becomes Lucie’s client taking her scientific mindset assessment and getting his results put “under the bloody microscope.” The assessment reveals his deep drive for connection, a tendency toward overthinking, high self-demands, and the realization that he’s become a big fish in a small pond: “Your next step is going to be a big one... you know you can do more, but you decide to not yet jump into that new environment.”

Lucie introduces her powerful coaching metaphors like using a paintbrush instead of a hammer and challenges Peter to expand his vision and imagine a bigger, more meaningful life.

Together, they unpack the habits and mindset patterns that keep even high achievers stuck, and why sometimes, “having high standards is a blessing but if it’s not managed properly, it becomes a curse.”

Expect honest, practical coaching and rich conversation about self-esteem, leadership, and the courage to change. Lucie’s signature question echoes throughout:

“Is the life you’re leading the one you’d like to live twice?”

Sponsored by Innerbuddies:
Unlock the secrets of your gut health with Innerbuddies—the ultimate at-home microbiome assessment that reveals what’s really happening inside your body. Trusted by experts, Innerbuddies empowers you to make smarter health decisions and feel your best every day.
Head to www.innerbuddies.com and use code WELLERGUTS for a discount at checkout on your very own microbiome assessment.

Poop it scoop it, know it.

PS. Check out E02 Poop it, scoop it, know it with CEO of Innerbuddies

What happens when a childhood joke cuts deeper than anyone expects?

In this episode, host Peter Weller sits down with Tom Hudson, a coach who turned his own pain into purpose. Together, they unpack the messy reality of body image, overcoming self-judgment, and building a life where health is about more than what you see in the mirror.

This episode isn’t your typical “sit-down-and-get-coached” conversation. Was it strictly a coaching session? Absolutely not. This wasn’t me walking through my blood results or putting together a step-by-step fitness or nutrition plan with Tom Hudson live on air. Instead, this was two people sitting down, getting real, and just letting the conversation flow.

Yes, Tom is an expert. Yes, Tom can coach—I have no doubt about it. We just didn’t get to that part this time, because honestly, sometimes the most meaningful thing you can do is simply connect with someone who’s walked a similar path and is as fascinated by health and nutrition as you are.

And that’s the beauty of this podcast: it isn’t always about formal coaching. Sometimes it’s about letting yourself be in the room with someone who gets it—and drawing learnings from their story, their mistakes, and their curiosity. Tom will absolutely be back for a real, in-depth coaching session (stay tuned for that), but for now, consider this episode what it truly is: a conversation between two people who nerded out on a topic they love, lost track of the clock, and just for a moment forgot all about the “format.”

That, to me, is progress.

In This Episode:
• Tom’s raw story of childhood body dysmorphia and the classroom moment that changed everything
• Why being “the person you needed” is both the hardest and most rewarding path
• How shifting from appearance to performance can unlock confidence and real health
• The unseen power of environment: parents, mentors, and what we pass on to our kids
• Nutrition hacks that actually work (from batch cooking to “food is data”)
• The truth behind common health myths in our Fact or Fiction segment
• What it feels like to finally have someone on your side of the table
• Listener Q&A: microbiome, healing after antibiotics, and finding your health “board”
• Tom’s billboard message for anyone stuck in self-criticism and his weekly challenge for listeners

Why Listen?
If you’ve ever felt at war with your own body, struggled to break unhealthy patterns, or wondered if real change is possible, this conversation is for you.