This Episode Is About Quitting. Stay With Us.

We've all heard it: "Keep calm and carry on." But what if pushing through isn’t always the brave choice?

In this episode of Go Coach Yourself!, Ryan and Vic explore the cultural obsession with grit—and why staying isn’t always strength. They unpack the psychology of sunk cost fallacy, the fear of regret, and the identity crisis that quitting can spark. Then, they share personal stories of walking away from big dreams and how those decisions led to the lives they actually wanted.

You’ll hear about:

• Why we romanticize perseverance—and why that can hurt us
• The difference between quitting and choosing again
• Real-life examples of bold pivots that paid off
• Coaching tools to help you decide when it’s time to let go

Reflection prompts + journal questions included.

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References:

• Psychology Today: Recognizing the sunk cost fallacy may help you cut your losses
• HBR: How Susceptible Are You to the Sunk Cost Fallacy?

This links to the following episodes:

• Go Coach Yourself: Why is "What Do You Want?" Such a Tough Question?

Hosts:

Ryan Reichert-Estes, StackRise Coaching | LinkedIn | Insta: @stackrisecoaching

Vic Smith, WhistleSmith.co | LinkedIn | Insta: @vic_bk

In this episode of 'Go Coach Yourself,' hosts Vic and Ryan discuss the power of believing that No is a complete sentence. Through personal stories and anecdotes, they delve into the reasons why we find it hard to say no without guilt or justification. The episode includes a discussion on the societal inclination to people-please, and gives practical tips on prioritizing yourself. At the end it concludes with a challenge to practice saying 'no' for seven days to foster self-care and intentional living.

Podcast Episodes Mentioned

Values

Why is 'What do you want?' so Hard to Answer?

Let's Talk About Our Boundaries

Hosts:

Ryan Reichert-Estes, StackRise Coaching | LinkedIn | Insta: @stackrisecoaching

Vic Smith, WhistleSmith.co | LinkedIn | Insta: @vic_bk

In this episode of Go Coach Yourself!, we do something a little different—and a lot more personal.

We each brought surprise questions the other hadn’t seen. No prep. No polish. Just curiosity. What unfolded? A conversation that deepened our connection, revealed things we hadn’t shared before, and reminded us how powerful it is to ask better questions.

Along the way, we explore:

• How a cinnamon chocolate chip cake led to a revelation about assumptions in long-term relationships
• The surprising science behind why we stop asking deep questions to those we know best
• A power outage, a peaceful plaza, and the small moment Ryan won’t forget
• The early influence of Motown, and why Whitney Houston still gets Vic dancing
• What it means to let go of a belief about success—and what opens up when we do
• Two podcast recs you’ll want to add to your queue (spoiler: they're both excellent)

We also share three practical tips for using questions to deepen your relationships—and a downloadable list of conversation starters to help you get going.

This one’s equal parts thoughtful and joyful. We hope it inspires you to pause, ask, and truly listen.

🔁 Try This: Ask one person in your life a question you’ve never asked them before. Start small. Be present. And just listen.

Tools:

• Our Question Collection – Curiosity-driven prompts to use with people in your life

References:

• Unprocessed by Lia Avellino – The raw and real podcast Vic loves
• Good Hang with Amy Poehler – Ryan’s latest podcast obsession
• It Doesn’t Hurt to Ask: Question-Asking Increases Liking | Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
• When familiarity not novelty motivates information-seeking behaviour | Scientific Reports

This links to the following episodes:

• Go Coach Yourself! Mastering the Art of Asking Questions - Meaningful Conversations Series – For a deeper dive into the mechanics of powerful questions

Hosts:

Ryan Reichert-Estes, StackRise Coaching | LinkedIn | Insta: @stackrisecoaching

Vic Smith, WhistleSmith.co | LinkedIn | Insta: @vic_bk