No One’s Tombstone Says: ‘Should’ve Worked More’ | Peter Campbell

Every working parent knows the tension: the pull between providing for your family and being present with them.

You tell yourself you’ll slow down later, that you’re doing it for them, but time doesn’t wait. One day, your child grows up and you wonder how many small moments you traded away without even noticing.

Our friend Peter Campbell shares the painful honesty of seeing those trade-offs in hindsight. From his rise to CFO of a global company to walking away from a high-paying role after his son asked, “Dad, do I only get to see you on weekends?”, Peter speaks with rare vulnerability about success, identity, and what really matters when life forces you to choose.

This episode isn’t about guilt. It’s about awareness. It’s about waking up before it’s too late to realize that presence is the greatest gift you’ll ever give your family — and yourself.

🔥 Topics We Explore:

• The quiet pain behind career success and family absence

• How identity gets tied to work without us noticing

• The hidden cost of constantly choosing productivity over presence

• Why regret only disappears when we stop judging ourselves

• The truth about slowing down before life forces you to

• How to see “trade-offs” differently — not as mistakes, but as moments to learn from

• Why compassion for yourself might be the first step to healing

💭 Reflective Prompt:

What story are you telling yourself about why you have to keep working so hard? What would happen if you challenged it — just once — and chose presence instead?

🧠 Quote to Remember:

“They’re not going to put on your tombstone, ‘I should have spent more time at work’” — Al Kenny

🌐 Produced in partnership with:

http://www.podlad.com