What happens when your dream job starts crushing your values instead of honoring them?
In this episode, Steph Pennell—founder of The Event Critic and former marketing leader—opens up about the moments that pushed her to reevaluate everything. From getting a shocking piece of feedback about wearing red lipstick to quitting a high-profile job with no backup plan, Steph shares what it takes to walk away from misalignment and rebuild your career around who you actually are.
We talk about the events industry, the power of self-awareness, and how manifestation, ADHD diagnosis, and human design helped her take back control. Whether you’ve ever felt like you’re “too much” or you’re navigating burnout behind the scenes, this one’s for you.
In this conversation, you'll learn:
- How Steph went from bartending to running high-impact events
- What it feels like when your work and values are out of sync
- How to navigate inappropriate or personal feedback
- What manifestation and human design taught her about leadership
Things to listen for:
(00:00) Intro
(02:29) Foundation-setting experiences
(06:19) Finding the right career path
(07:31) Thank you to our sponsors, Navattic and Appcues
(11:33) Losing love for events and getting it back
(14:21) Coaching, core values, and finding alignment
(22:16) ADHD, rest cycles, and human design
(23:14) Giving feedback without repeating past mistakes
(26:36) Balancing professional and personal boundaries
(42:21) Manifestation and human design insights
(46:43) What’s holding you back?
This episode is presented by:
Navattic: Interactive Product Demo Software - https://navattic.com/value
Appcues: User Engagement for SaaS - https://appcues.com/value
Resources:
Connect with Steph:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theeventcritic/
The Event Critic: https://www.linkedin.com/company/eventcriticofficial/
Connect with Andrew:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewcapland/
Substack: https://media.deliveringvalue.co
Hire Andrew as your coach: https://deliveringvalue.co/coaching
