#401 Helen Hanison: Success Isn’t Always Success — Part One

Helen Hanison was a high-flying PR executive with a passport full of stamps, million-dollar campaigns, and a board-level title. But after 20 years in the industry, she found herself questioning everything. Motherhood collided with her career, success lost its sparkle, and the feeling of being “stuck-but-still-good-at-it” became suffocating.

In Part One of this two-part conversation, Helen shares the moment she realized her success was seducing her into staying in the wrong life. She opens up about the subtle signs of misalignment, the “lost years” between knowing something’s wrong and doing something about it, and how her pivot into psychology laid the groundwork for a new career—one that finally fits. If you’ve ever felt competent but not alive in your work, this one’s your mirror.

Key Highlights of Our Interview:

When High Achievement Turns into Quiet Misery

“I was flying everywhere, leading campaigns—and I still felt hollow.”

Helen unpacks the disconnect between outer success and inner dissatisfaction, especially when you’re too good at a job that no longer excites you.

The Motherhood Collision

“I hadn’t seen it coming, but it hit hard.”

Becoming a mother didn’t just change her home life—it cracked open the illusion that her career and identity were truly aligned.

Good At It, But Dead Inside

“I wasn’t unhappy… just not lit up.”

Helen describes the in-between phase where nothing is obviously wrong, but everything feels subtly off—a quiet crisis that many professionals ignore for too long.

The Clues Were Always There

“I was coaching before I knew what coaching was.”

Helen reflects on how her leadership style—taking colleagues out for coffee, asking them what they wanted—was already pointing toward her next calling.

Seduced by Success, Trapped by Titles

“It’s a long way down when the ladder’s leaned against the wrong wall.”

She reveals why people get stuck in senior roles they don’t love, and how fear of the unknown keeps them climbing in the wrong direction.

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Host: Vince Chan | Guest: Helen Hanison

Helen's website: https://www.helenhanison.com

 

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