Believing You’re Enough: Mark Steiner
“WE ARE POWERFUL BEINGS. WE HAVE ALL THE POWER IN THE WORLD.”
Episode Description
In this episode of Leadership Matters, Mark Steiner, co-founder and CEO of GigSalad, joins host Kaylee Thomsen for a candid conversation on authenticity, self-acceptance, and choosing to live out loud. Mark shares how a late-in-life ADHD diagnosis reframed his understanding of himself, why giving up alcohol opened the door to real self-reflection, and how vulnerability, not polish, has become the foundation of his relationships and leadership. He also reflects on entrepreneurship, the toll of chasing success while raising a family, and the power of choosing to believe you’re enough. If you believe great leadership starts with knowing yourself fully, this one is for you.
Chapters
- 00:00 Intro: Meet Mark Steiner
- 00:34 What His Childhood Self Wanted to Become
- 02:37 The Vulnerability of Naming a Dream
- 04:24 Quitting Alcohol and Finding Clarity
- 05:29 Getting Diagnosed with ADHD in His 50s
- 06:59 Masking, Shape-Shifting, and Seeking Acceptance
- 09:47 Learning to Accept Himself As He Is
- 12:12 Choosing to Believe in His Own Specialness
- 16:30 His Daughter's Diagnosis and Recognizing Himself
- 19:27 Feeling Like He Didn't Look Like a "CEO"
- 21:45 Discovering Emotional Intelligence as His Strength
- 24:09 How the ADHD Diagnosis Changed His Life
- 28:31 How Language Helped Him Move Toward Acceptance
- 29:12 Learning to Block Out the Noise
- 33:22 Buying and Renovating a Building at Launch
- 35:52 Running Two Companies While Raising Young Kids
- 37:52 When His Marriage Started Unraveling
- 39:52 Leaning on Faith, Therapy, and Relationships
- 42:42 Being Radically Honest as a Way of Connecting
- 44:16 Final Reflection: How Did I Do?
More In The Series
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