You Crushed Year 1—So Why Is Year 2 So Hard?
Same person. Same work ethic. But suddenly, what made you shine before wasn't working the same.
Hey it's Andrew! There are four things I'm excited about this week:
Diana Stepner shares 3 career-changing lessons on her journey from Product Manager to Leadership Coach
My 4-step process to help marketers transition into product growth
I'm thinking about starting a private community (and I'd love your input)
We're hosting Thanksgiving for my entire extended family - wish us luck!
Presented by Navattic
After being sales-led for 3 years, Navattic just launched their free plan (which allows SaaS businesses to publish and share interactive demos).
Their head of growth Natalie came on the show to share the background, tough decisions, and details that made it possible.
Watch the entire convo on YouTube, Spotify or any of the major pod platforms.
My latest guest, Diana Stepner (a former Product Leader turned Leadership Coach) shared the same frustrating situation I hear from my coaching clients all the time:
“I’ve always excelled in my first year on a new job. I’m a self-starter who likes getting shit done. People appreciated that. But that second year, things took an unexpected turn."
Same person. Same work ethic. Same results. But suddenly, what made her shine before was seen as a problem.
In this episode, Diana opens up about how frustrating it is to feel like you’re doing everything right—only to hit resistance after an early win. She shares:
Why year two often brings tougher challenges, even when you’re succeeding - and how to adjust your leadership style as expectations evolve.
How to adapt when the spotlight shifts, and why calling out your manager’s role in your success can change everything.
The importance of navigating expectations—and the critical shift from focusing on individual wins to team-wide impact.
We also talked about:
Tough feedback that shakes your confidence.
Navigating introversion in high-pressure leadership roles.
How to slow down and build trust when everything feels urgent.
If you’ve ever felt frustrated by shifting dynamics at work—or struggled to sustain your momentum after an early win—this episode will resonate with you.
📺 Watch on YouTube
🎧 or listen on Spotify
And before ya go
I'm starting to publish weekly long-form video content on YouTube about Growth Team Strategy and Leadership! Over the past 3 weeks, I've published:
What Makes a High-Impact Head of Growth
How to Design Your 90 Day Plan
How to Transition from Marketing to Product Growth
If you haven't already, I hope ya subscribe to my channel!