Why You Feel Stuck (And The Power You’re Missing)
In this powerful episode of the BeThe CEO Podcast, Tom and Adam explore the real reason many founders and leaders feel stuck, despite knowing what decisions they should make. The conversation uncovers a critical distinction between certainty and agency, revealing that while people often gain clarity about why they should act, they frequently lack the internal permission, confidence, or power to execute.
Through reflections on identity, vulnerability, control, and personal evolution, they explain how true progress requires more than strategy. It demands the courage to step into a new version of yourself, release the illusion of controlling outcomes, and focus instead on what is genuinely within your power.
This episode reframes personal development as a journey toward agency, fulfillment, and intentional action, challenging listeners to confront the beliefs and fears that quietly hold them back from becoming who they know they could be.
🎧 In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
- Why certainty in results is impossible, but certainty in decisions is essential
- The true meaning of agency and why many people never activate it
- How identity evolution creates fear, hesitation, and resistance to action
- Why vulnerability is not weakness but a pathway to clarity and certainty
- The importance of focusing only on what you can control
- How commitment, effort, and obsession shape meaningful success
⏱️ Timestamps
00:00 – Revelations about certainty and agency
01:20 – Why results can never be guaranteed
02:30 – The difference between knowing and executing
04:00 – Identity change and the fear of stepping forward
07:30 – Personal development as transformation
10:30 – Growth, fulfillment, and challenging beliefs
13:30 – Feeling stuck, amateur versus professional thinking
15:00 – Control, responsibility, and personal power
18:30 – Vulnerability as the path to certainty
21:00 – Commitment, effort, and obsession (CEO mindset)
🔥 Power Quotes
You can’t get certainty in results, but you can get certainty in why you act.
Agency is the freedom and power to actually take the action you know you should take.
Vulnerability isn’t losing control, it’s how you find truth and certainty.
If you focus on what you can control, progress becomes possible.
📝 Topics Covered
- Certainty versus agency
- Identity evolution and personal growth
- Control, responsibility, and execution
- Vulnerability and emotional safety
- Fulfillment beyond money
- Commitment, effort, and obsession
🧭 Key Takeaway
Feeling stuck rarely comes from a lack of knowledge or strategy. More often, it comes from missing agency, the internal permission and power to act. When you shift your focus toward what you can control, embrace vulnerability, and commit fully to growth, forward motion becomes inevitable and fulfillment becomes possible.
💬 Connect with Us
👉 Visit bethe.ceo
👉 Follow Tom Marino & Adam Hurd on LinkedIn & Instagram
