Episode 027: Stop Taking Life So Seriously - Coach Goose on Low Trip Lifestyle for Neurodivergent Entrepreneurs
Ever feel like you're just enduring life instead of actually creating the outcomes you want? Like you're being controlled by expectations - whether they're from family, society, or that voice in your head that says you need to be productive every single day to prove your worth?
In this raw and enlightening conversation, I sit down with Coach Goose, a self-leadership coach from Missouri who's helping people stop being controlled by the uncontrollable. What started as a deep dive into his "Low Trip Lifestyle" philosophy turned into an honest exploration of neurodivergence, addiction recovery, perfectionism, and why being happy might actually be simpler than we think - if we let go of how it has to happen.
The Philosophy That Changes Everything
Coach Goose operates from a powerful premise rooted in positive psychology: the absence of symptoms is not the presence of wellness. This isn't just about fixing what's broken - it's about understanding what creates a mentally well person in the first place.
His Low Trip Lifestyle centers on four core tenets that can be applied to any situation:
Unconditional love (including for yourself)
Detachment (from outcomes you can't control)
Authenticity (being real about what you actually feel and need)
Acting when necessary (and recognizing when action isn't actually necessary)
As someone with a bachelor's degree in philosophy and a master's in positive psychology, Coach Goose brings both academic depth and lived experience to his approach. "I'm obsessed with power and control," he shares. "I believe we're all being controlled by something - our habits, media conditioning, parental conditioning, societal expectations. To be unaware of how we're guided is the tragedy of life."
The Neurodivergent Entrepreneur's Dilemma
Our conversation took a fascinating turn when we started unpacking the unique challenges facing neurodivergent entrepreneurs. If you've ever felt like you needed to be "on" all the time, or that your worth was tied to your productivity, this will resonate deeply.
Coach Goose gets it because he's lived it. He describes his past self as an "unfocused creative" and "overworked overachiever" - two populations he now specifically helps because he understands those struggles intimately.
"I loved cocaine because it ensured I could go, I could do this every day," he admits with brutal honesty about his teenage years. "I didn't realize that I needed accommodations, that it wasn't normal to expect that level of performance from myself every day."
This hits different when you understand the neurodivergent experience. We're often taught that our natural rhythms are wrong, that we should be able to maintain consistent energy and output. But what if the problem isn't us - what if it's the expectation itself?
Why "Being Busy" Feels Safe (And Why It's Not)
One of the most powerful moments in our conversation centered around a concept that's been circulating on social media: if being busy has always been your coping mechanism, and performing has always been how you proved your worth, then feeling calm will feel unsafe.
Both Coach Goose and I related hard to this. I shared my own story of living in constant motion - gym at 6am, work until 10pm, drinks until 1am, repeat - and how now I can barely handle Walmart and Target in the same day. That's not weakness or laziness - that's my nervous system finally feeling safe enough to rest.
"I come from that school definitely," Coach Goose agrees. "We have to recognize when we're being controlled by these expectations and come to an understanding - do I want the weather to control how I feel? Do I want my entire day dictated by something I can't even touch?"
The Internalized Ableism We Don't Talk About
Here's where the conversation got real about internalized ableism - especially for those of us with multiple diagnoses. I opened up about my own alphabet soup: ADHD, autism with a PDA profile, CPTSD, PMDD, PCOS, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, dyslexia, dyscalculia.
"When I list all those out, I start gaslighting myself," I shared. "I'm like, 'No, you don't. There's no fucking way you have all of this. You're just exaggerating.' And I'm like, who benefits from me thinking that? No one."
This is the insidious nature of internalized ableism. We've been so conditioned to minimize our needs and push through pain that we question our own lived experiences. Coach Goose's response was perfect: we need to get conscious about these little ties that control us and investigate what's sitting between us and calm.
Small Adjustments, Big Impact
What I love about Coach Goose's approach is that it's not about massive life overhauls. It's about small, conscious adjustments that honor where you actually are.
Take his approach to social activity: "I plan one social activity per weekend and take every other weekend off. I block out time because it's real." After one particularly draining weekend of social obligations, he felt like he'd been "hit by a bus emotionally and physically."
This isn't antisocial behavior - it's self-awareness and accommodation. We talked about practical strategies like:
The 10-30 second cold water hack for extended dopamine release
Understanding that your back processes cold differently than your front
Planning transition time after social activities
Questioning "should" statements with "according to whom?"
The Real Work: Getting Conscious About Control
Throughout our conversation, one theme kept emerging: consciousness. Not in a woo-woo way, but in a practical "let's examine what's actually driving your decisions" way.
Coach Goose shared his philosophy background and how music taught him more than any formal education. "I've always been abnormally, honestly painfully philosophical since I was a kid," he explains. This deep questioning nature is what makes him effective at helping people examine their unconscious patterns.
When he bought $170 sunglasses, he consciously examined whether he bought them for quality or because he wanted them to say something about him. "If I wanted them to say something about me, then I need to do some work because I'm not in a good place."
This level of self-awareness isn't about perfectionism - it's about choice. When we're conscious of what's driving us, we can choose different responses.
Why This Matters for Your Business
As neurodivergent entrepreneurs, understanding these patterns isn't just personal development - it's business strategy. When you stop fighting against your natural rhythms and start working with them, everything changes.
You can build a business that accommodates your need for rest days instead of pushing through. You can make decisions from a place of authentic desire rather than external expectations. You can stop trying to be the entrepreneur who shows up the same way every day and start being the entrepreneur who shows up as you actually are.
If you're ready to dive deeper into topics like this and get support for your neurodivergent entrepreneurial journey, make sure to sign up for my newsletter at mindsetmelanie.com/newsletter. It's where I share the most practical strategies for building a business that actually works with your brain.
Connect with Coach Goose
Ready to explore the Low Trip Lifestyle for yourself? You can find Coach Goose at:
He's most active on his Substack where he shares his podcast, blog, and daily contemplations - perfect for those of us who prefer reading to listening.
The bottom line? Stop enduring your life and start creating outcomes that actually make sense for who you are. Your nervous system, your business, and your future self will thank you.
