Pain, Grief, and Emotional Freedom: The Inner Work of Corey Campbell
In a world that rewards performance, productivity, and composure, we rarely pause to ask what unprocessed pain is doing beneath the surface. In this powerful episode, Evan Leong sits down with Corey Campbell, CEO and Founder of Akamai Training & Consulting, for a raw and deeply human conversation about grief, shame, identity, and the inner work required to experience true emotional freedom.
What unfolds is not a polished leadership talk, but an honest exploration of what it means to feel, to heal, and to lead from a place of authenticity rather than survival.
The Invisible Weight We Carry
Corey shares how early life experiences, family dynamics, and cultural conditioning quietly shape the way we see ourselves and move through the world. Long before we have language for it, many of us learn which emotions are acceptable and which are not. Anger might be suppressed. Sadness minimized. Vulnerability avoided altogether.
Over time, these unexpressed emotions don’t disappear — they settle into the body, shaping our reactions, relationships, and leadership styles. Corey explains how patterns of self-doubt, overachievement, people-pleasing, and emotional shutdown are often rooted not in weakness, but in protection.
This insight reframes pain not as something broken inside us, but as an intelligent response to what we once needed to survive.
Grief as a Portal, Not a Problem
One of the most moving moments in the conversation comes when Corey speaks about the loss of his brother. Rather than rushing to “move on,” he reflects on how grief cracked him open — forcing him to confront emotions he had long kept buried.
Grief, he explains, isn’t something to fix or escape. It is something to move through.
In many cultures, grief is treated as an inconvenience or a private burden. Corey challenges that narrative, suggesting that grief can be a gateway to deeper compassion, presence, and emotional truth — if we allow ourselves to feel it fully.
The Voice in Our Head Isn’t Who We Are
A recurring theme throughout the episode is the inner critic — that relentless voice telling us we’re not enough, not ready, or about to be exposed. Corey describes how this voice is often mistaken for truth when it is actually a conditioned pattern developed early in life.
Through his work in leadership development and personal transformation, Corey helps people recognize that they are not their thoughts. When we learn to observe the voice rather than obey it, space opens up for choice, self-compassion, and freedom.
This distinction alone can be life-changing, especially for high-performing leaders who outwardly appear confident but inwardly struggle with imposter syndrome.
Emotional Work Is Leadership Work
As a leadership consultant, Corey makes it clear: emotional avoidance doesn’t make someone a stronger leader — it limits them. The ability to sit with discomfort, regulate emotions, and remain present under stress is not just personal growth; it’s a leadership skill.
Corey and Evan explore how unresolved trauma and suppressed emotions often show up in the workplace as control, reactivity, disengagement, or burnout. Conversely, leaders who do their inner work create environments rooted in trust, psychological safety, and genuine connection.
Leadership, Corey suggests, isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about having the courage to face yourself.
From Coping to Healing
Many people learn how to cope — through busyness, success, substances, or self-help strategies — without ever truly healing. Corey draws an important distinction between coping mechanisms and transformation.
Healing doesn’t mean the pain never existed. It means it no longer runs the show.
Through somatic awareness, inner-child work, and emotional processing, Corey describes how people can release long-held patterns and experience a deeper sense of peace, presence, and self-trust.
Why This Conversation Matters
This episode of Greater Good Radio isn’t just about Corey Campbell’s story — it’s an invitation. An invitation to slow down, listen inward, and consider what emotions you may still be carrying from the past. It’s a reminder that strength isn’t found in numbing or avoiding pain, but in meeting it with honesty and compassion.
For leaders, parents, healers, and anyone navigating loss or personal growth, this conversation offers reassurance that inner work is not indulgent — it’s essential.
True emotional freedom doesn’t come from fixing ourselves. It comes from understanding ourselves.
And sometimes, the most powerful work we can do is the work no one sees.
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