What happens when you do everything right, become everything you were supposed to be, and realize you're absolutely miserable?

You have the career. The title. The apartment. The approval. You've made everyone proud. Everyone except yourself.

In today's episode of Style Your Mind, I'm sitting down with Pink Inkn Press author Summer Lindman to talk about the very expensive price of being a "good girl" — and what happens when you finally decide you're done paying it.

Before thirty, Summer had climbed her way to the top of the corporate ladder, becoming CEO of a tech startup. On paper, she had it all. But behind the scenes she was exhausted, disconnected from herself, and beginning to question the entire life she'd worked so hard to build.

But here's where her story gets really interesting: Before she was a CEO, she was an artist. A singer. A wildly creative little girl who dreamed of performing opera. Somewhere along the way, she traded that girl for a version of herself the world would approve of.

Sound familiar?

Summer's powerful new memoir, I'm Done Being Good, published by my company, Pink Ink Press, is about unraveling the expectations we've inherited, breaking our addiction to outside approval, and finding our way back to the women we were before the world told us who to be.

In this juicy, honest conversation, we're getting into:

• Why achieving everything you thought you wanted can leave you feeling completely empty.

• The connection between good girl conditioning, people-pleasing, perfectionism, and burnout.

• How one professor's criticism changed the trajectory of Summer's creative life.

• Why learning to trust yourself starts with the smallest, seemingly insignificant decisions.

• The terrifying (and liberating) experience of disappointing people who expect you to stay the same.

• Why being a good person and being a good girl are two VERY different things.

• What happens when you stop treating creativity like something that has to be impressive, productive, or profitable.

• How writing her memoir helped Summer reclaim her story — even when it meant having uncomfortable conversations with the people closest to her.

We also talk about our own experiences walking away from impressive careers, the generational pressure to play it safe, and why sometimes the bravest thing you can do is admit that the life you've built isn't the life you actually want.

Because you can be successful, admired, accomplished, and still be abandoning yourself.

And maybe the next chapter of your life isn't about becoming someone new.

Maybe it's about remembering who the hell you were before you learned to be good.

ABOUT SUMMER:

Summer Lindman is the author of I'm Done Being Good, a raw, deeply personal memoir and creative guide about unlearning perfectionism, reclaiming your inner artist, and finding the courage to build a life that actually feels like yours.

Get your copy of I'm Done Being Good, available now from Pink Ink Press.

Connect with Summer:

Instagram: @summerlindmancreates

Substack: Summer Lindman

Website: summerlindman.com

If this episode resonates, share it with a woman who's ready to stop living for everyone else's approval and start living for herself.

Today I'm talking about what it looks like to honor the parts of yourself that make you, YOU, even when life is changing rapidly. Relationships, kids, moves, career changes—they can all shift us so deeply that we can lose ourselves if we aren't careful.

Join me from the living room in my historic Southern home for an intimate and honest conversation about how to honor the woman you've always been and make room for the woman you're becoming.

Remember this: you're allowed to change your mind. You're allowed to want different things than the people you love. You're allowed to have something that's just yours. And you're allowed to keep becoming without leaving yourself behind.

PS - If you're in New York on August 20th, I'm hosting an intimate champagne dinner for six women. Bring me your book idea. Your manuscript. Your Substack. Your author brand. Your publishing questions. The creative business you're trying to build. The thing you can't seem to figure out on your own.

You'll get my eyes on it. We'll talk about what's working, what isn't, what I see for you, and what I think your next move should be. I know some of my biggest shifts have happened that way. Over a fabulous drink at a fabulous table with fabulous women. Sometimes you just need the right environment to help you think bigger. I'd love to create that for you.

Grab your ticket here: https://caraalwill.thrivecart.com/champagne-with-cara-new-york-city/

What if the sentence that changes your life is the one you almost didn't publish?

In this episode, I'm sharing the story of how a single sentence from an old blog post unexpectedly ended up on a billboard in Europe, and why it completely changed the way I think about creativity, publishing, and trusting your work.

If you've been sitting on an essay, a book idea, a Substack post, or even a single paragraph because you're waiting for it to be better, this episode is your reminder that you don't get to decide which piece of your work will resonate with someone else.

Your job isn't to predict the outcome. It's to keep showing up.

By the end of this episode, I hope you'll give yourself permission to stop overthinking, start publishing, and remember that one honest sentence has the power to change everything.

💖 Your homework:

Before you go to bed tonight, write one sentence that feels true for you. Let it be unedited, imperfect. And don't delete it! Sit with it and see where it leads you. You have no idea what it might become.

Want to write with me?

✨ Substack Queen is my five-week mentorship for writers who are ready to publish consistently, find their voice, and build a writing practice they actually love. Join us here.

Or, if you're looking for focused, one-on-one support, I have a limited number of Substack Power Hour sessions available. Grab your spot now.