We leave finding yourself to, like a 30 minutes visit to the high school guidance counselor office and be like, who are you?
Okay, that it sound, you know, you took the little test aptitude thing.
This is kind of what you're all about.
And really, it's like decades long finding that thing.
And there's no other better way to spend your time on the earth.
Okay, so imagine going through life with the name Andy J.
Pizza.
Well, that is what my guest today goes by.
But it wasn't his given name, but rather his claimed name.
This is the name he said yes to later in life and more on that when we talk and why.
That, in fact, is the name he goes by.
So Andy was the kid who was kind of perpetually zagging when everyone else zigged.
And at a young age, he saw this same pattern in his mom, and he was so much like her, which in part lit him up.
He loved that.
But it also terrified him because in his mom, these same impulses were married to mental illness that led to a life of struggle.
And he feared that's where he was headed, too.
He wondered if that was sort of the only way that these things could show up in life until a realization dropped that would not only lead him down his own path, but also empower him to embrace life differently and trust that he could make it work.
And indeed, he has in the largest ways.
Andy has since built a beautiful family and incredible life.
A stunning career as an illustrator, author of kids books, animator, contributor to everywhere from the New York Times to Apple, Nickelodeon, and countless other mega brands and experiences.