Success is Subjective: Helping parents of college students accept that dropping out is okay

Episode 29 — Getting Past What’s Holding You Back —with Victoria Olson

September 10, 2020 Joanna Lilley, MA, NCC Season 1 Episode 29
Success is Subjective: Helping parents of college students accept that dropping out is okay
Episode 29 — Getting Past What’s Holding You Back —with Victoria Olson
Show Notes

Whether it’s mental health, drugs, alcohol, negative people, a toxic environment...Through perseverance, it is possible to get past what’s holding you back and create the life you desire. Things get better when you choose to persevere through the blockers. 

Victoria Olson, founder of Expand Mentoring, LLC, found herself on the ‘right’ career path in college but lacked the drive buried inside due to many distractions such as drugs and partying. It wasn’t until her husband intervened when she had to make the decision to face what was holding her back in life and make a change. It was then when her life transformed and she found a drive for her career that she didn’t have before.

On this episode of Success is Subjective, Victoria joins Joanna to share her journey going from an alcoholic struggling to get past her addiction, to graduating with a masters and starting her own business in the mental health space. Victoria’s perseverance is proof in the pudding that you can get past whatever is holding you back, no matter what stage of life you’re in. Listen in for Victoria’s insight on how she managed to get past the hurdles in her life holding her back and how life radically changed when she did.

What You Will Learn

  • Growing up with college not even being an option but just what you did
  • How we’re trained to think that going to college is the only option.  Not going to college is an option!
  • Starting out college at home 
  • Having a boyfriend who lived 4 hours away during college causing Victoria to not be invested in college. Dating in college has its challenges! 
  • Transferring colleges without getting treatment can lead to more struggles
  • Getting into an older group of friends in their late 20’s as a 19 year old
  • Dropping out of school as a Junior to primarily party instead
  • Taking a break from college is okay.  Not having a plan is not okay! 
  • Moving from Austin to Atlanta to get away from the drug scene. Moving locations doesn’t always help!
  • One degree from coursework at multiple colleges is more common than we know
  • Working in the mental health industry even while being caught up in self medicating
  • What it looks like to be a high excelling alcoholic
  • How it is never too late to get sober
  • How getting sober really turned around Victoria’s life and gave her a drive for her career
  • Perseverance will get you through whatever life throws at you

Connect with Victoria Olsen

Connect with Joanna Lilley