Dec. 12, 2025

🌴347. Talk the Walk: Climbing the Mountain feat. Alan Weiss (Weekend Rewind)

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Show Notes

I came back from Nepal and Alan Weiss immediately “welcomed me back to flat earth”, then we got into the real topic: climbing the mountain when it’s not cute anymore.

This episode starts with the funny stuff (Lukla airport and the “dungeon” accommodation, plus a toilet situation that honestly deserves its own spin-off). But quickly it turns into something sharper: what happens when you’re deep in it, tired, doubting yourself, and looking for an exit.

Alan shares a story I didn’t expect: even with his reputation, his dream book got rejected. Multiple times. So he did what he always does when he hits a wall. He got angry, built a “guns blazing” proposal, and sent it back into battle. It sold. That book is now his fifth coming next year.

So this isn’t really about altitude. It’s about what you do when you’re told “no”, when the conditions are awful, when your own brain is trying to negotiate your retreat.

moments worth stealing

The mountain rule: you’re either going up or down. You don’t “stay” on the mountain.
Rejection as jet fuel: the difference between “woe is me” and “watch me”.
Success over perfection: the goal isn’t a flawless climb, it’s forward motion.
Help counts: oxygen, guides, coaches, systems. Use what you need.
Brand reality check: if you’re not getting critiqued, you might not be cutting through.
KPIs vs results: “If you have clients but no KPIs, you’ve got a business. If you have KPIs but no clients, you don’t.”

the line that gave me chills

Morris West on the high place: you don’t always know if the voice you hear is truth, or just the echo of your own “mad shouting”.

what I want you thinking about after this episode

Where are you pretending you’re “on the mountain” but actually stalled because it feels safer?
What would change if you treated rejection as information, not identity?
If you’re serious about visibility, what’s the hill you’ve been circling instead of climbing?

Show notes for every episode at https://podcast.leannehughes.com

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