What if the American Dream is making us miserable?
It’s time to rethink happiness in America.
You’re not broken. The system is.
What if you’re not stuck, broken or behind, but just burned out from chasing someone else’s dream? The Unhappy American is your invitation to pause, reflect and rebuild—on your terms.
Episodes dropping soon.
No fluff. No filler. Just unfiltered truth and real tools to reclaim your time, energy and happiness. Each episode is a punchy, perspective-shifting deep dive into the lies we’ve been sold and how to design a life that actually fits.
You’re not broken—you’re being sold to. This episode exposes the lie that happiness can be bought, and why real freedom starts when you stop buying sh*t and start living with intention.
You weren’t built for burnout—you were built for the sun. This episode reveals how disconnection from nature is fueling our unhappiness, and how to reset your nervous system by getting outside and getting real.
Gratitude has been domesticated. This episode puts its teeth back in. Forget toxic positivity—this is how you weaponize joy in a culture built on lack.
You’re not supposed to hate this many people. This episode cuts through the outrage and shows you how curiosity rewires your brain, restores your peace, and makes you a better human.
You’re not a one-person startup. Stop acting like one. This is your permission slip to drop the hero act and start building real support.
You don’t have to outshine her. You just have to stop abandoning yourself. Comparison is a scam—and this episode hands you the exit key.
Superiority isn’t strength. It’s fear. This episode dismantles American exceptionalism and asks—what if real pride comes from being honest, not dominant?
You’re not anxious—you’re under attack. This episode unpacks how your inputs shape your peace and why doomscrolling, stress-snacking, and nonstop noise are keeping you stuck.
Most people don’t need more motivation. They need to admit they’re not powerless. This episode dismantles the victim mindset and shows you how to trade passive survival for intentional design. Life is hard either way. You get to choose your version.
Comfort is a trap. In this final episode, we unpack how chasing ease is costing you your aliveness, and why choosing discomfort on purpose is the key to real freedom.
Jessica Lyonford is a truth-teller, leadership coach and cultural disruptor who’s not afraid to call BS on the systems that sell us burnout as success. With a background in positive psychology, sociology and corporate leadership, Jessica has spent the last 7 years helping high-achievers rethink how they lead, live and define happiness.
After years of chasing all the “right” things—career wins, external validation, picture-perfect goals—Jessica started asking better questions. What if the version of happiness we’ve been sold is the very thing making us miserable? What if there’s a different way to succeed—one that doesn’t require sacrificing your well-being?
That inquiry led to The Unhappy American, a short-run podcast that blends science, strategy and soul to challenge the narratives keeping us stuck—and offer a way out. This is a wake-up call. An invitation to take back your agency, stop performing happiness and start living it for real.