What if success still leaves you empty? Thatโs the question I explored in my recent conversation with Robert Glazer on the Passion Struck podcast.
Robert, a five-time bestselling author and founder of Acceleration Partners, joined me to discuss his newest book, The Compass Within, which offers a practical guide to uncovering your core values and living a life that feels as good on the inside as it looks on the outside.
In our discussion, we delve into why achievement alone can leave us restless, how to identify the signs of โquiet misalignment,โ and the steps anyone can take to build a life in alignment with their true north.
The Cost of Misalignment
Living out of sync with your values is like driving with a crooked steering wheel, you can still move forward, but youโre always fighting yourself. Robert explains that misalignment is one of the biggest drivers of burnout and quiet quitting, not just in careers but in relationships and health.
When we ignore our core values, we experience internal friction that shows up as stress, resentment, or restlessness. The Compass Within provides a framework to identify what truly matters to you and take action before you hit a breaking point.
Why Core Values Must Be Actionable
In our conversation, Robert shares that most corporate or personal value statements fail because theyโre too vague. Words like โintegrityโ or โteamworkโ are meaningless unless they are defined in your own language and linked to clear behaviors.
Instead, he suggests writing short, memorable phrases โ your own compass points โ and using them to guide tough decisions. For example:
- โChoose Long-Term Over Short-Termโ
- โInclude All Perspectivesโ
- โLeave Things Better Than I Found Themโ
Once you have this clarity, you can filter opportunities, relationships, and habits through your values, aligning your daily actions with your deeper purpose.
Key Takeaways
โ๏ธ Alignment beats achievement: a life that โlooks goodโ isnโt enough if it doesnโt feel good.
โ๏ธ Core values must be written in your words and tested by action.
โ๏ธ Your environment matters: find or create one that supports your compass.
โ๏ธ Fulfillment is built choice by choice, not found all at once.
Why This Matters
This Passion Struck episode is not just about personal growth; itโs about reclaiming your agency. Robert Glazer demonstrates that when you live by your compass, you not only reduce burnout but also become a more effective leader, partner, and individual.
Creating the Right Environment
Robert emphasizes that even if you know your compass, your environment matters. If youโre constantly surrounded by people or systems that pressure you to compromise, youโll eventually drift. The podcast conversation dives into how to create or find communities, at work and in life, that reinforce your values rather than erode them.
Putting The Compass Within Into Practice
The Compass Within is written as a parable, following the character Jamie, who appears successful but feels unfulfilled. Guided by a mentor, Jamie learns to uncover his core values and take courageous action to realign his life.
Our discussion goes deeper into practical steps you can take:
- Take one small step this week to live more aligned with those values.
- Set aside an hour to reflect on moments you felt most alive โ and most frustrated.
- Look for patterns that reveal what matters to you.
- Write down 3โ5 clear, actionable values in your own words.
RESOURCES FROM THE SHOWย WITH ROBERT GLAZER
Please note that some of the links on this page (books, movies, music, etc.) lead to affiliate programs for which The Passion Struck podcast receives compensation. Itโs just one of the ways we keep the lights on around here. Thank you so much for being so supportive!
- Robert Glazer’s Website & Socials
- BUY Robert Glazer’s book ‘The Compass Within’
- *Free companion tools on The Ignited Life (Substack): theignitedlife.net
- *Passion Struck Network: creator-first shows built around mattering, not metricsโpassionstrucknetwork.com
- *Apparel with a message: StartMattering.com โ โYou Matter. Live Like It.โ
About Todayโs Guest, Robert Glazer
Robert Glazer is a bestselling author, keynote speaker, and the founder and chairman of the board of Acceleration Partners, a global leader in partnership marketing. He is also the creator of Friday Forward, a weekly inspirational newsletter that reaches more than two hundred thousand readers in over one hundred countries.
Robert has written seven acclaimed books, including The Compass Within, Elevate, and Friday Forward, with multiple titles landing on the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and international bestseller lists. He hosts the Elevate Podcast, ranked among the top one percent of shows worldwide, where he explores the principles of leadership, performance, and personal growth with thought leaders from across the globe.
Recognized as a Glassdoor Top CEO and a serial entrepreneur, Robert has built award-winning cultures and helped countless individuals and organizations elevate their performance. His insights have been featured in outlets such as Harvard Business Review, The Today Show, Fast Company, Forbes, and Entrepreneur. Beyond his professional work, Robert is passionate about skiing, cycling, traveling, reading, and spending time with his family.
Next Steps
You can listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts, or YouTube. Donโt forget to explore our Passion Struck Starter Packs on Spotify for curated playlists that will help you dive deeper into topics like anxiety relief, resilience, and mental health mastery.
If this conversation with Robert Glazer resonated with you, please share it with a friend, leave a review, or post a screenshot on Instagram and tag me @john_r_miles. Your support helps bring these life-changing conversations to more people who need them.
Stop existing. Start mattering.