148. What OCD Teaches About Uncertainty: A Journey to Resilience

Episode 148

What does it mean to succeed while living with OCD? In this episode, Kristina Orlova sits down with Scott Stirret, founder and CEO of Venture for Canada and author of The Uncertainty Advantage, to explore how OCD and uncertainty intersect with ambition, business, and personal growth.

Scott opens up about his diagnosis during the pandemic, how OCD shaped his thoughts and rituals long before he had a name for it, and why getting evidence-based treatment through ERP was life-changing. He also shares candidly about setbacks, recovery, and what it means to manage OCD as a lifelong condition.

Together, Kristina and Scott unpack the sneaky ways OCD shows up, the power of mindfulness and self-compassion, and how embracing uncertainty can actually become a strength rather than a fear. Whether you’re navigating OCD yourself or supporting someone who is, this conversation offers hope, practical strategies, and a powerful reminder that success and OCD are not mutually exclusive.

The 3 things you’ll learn in today’s episode:

Why healing from OCD is a gradual process and not about “making thoughts go away.”
How mindfulness and self-compassion can help untangle mental compulsions.
Practical tools Scott uses like exercise, rest, and relationships—to manage OCD while leading a successful career.

In This Episode

[00:01] Kristina’s welcome and introduction
[00:36] Meet today’s guest, Scott
[01:32] Scott’s OCD diagnosis and journey
[04:08] Learning that OCD management is long-term
[06:39] Writing The Uncertainty Advantage and the fear of uncertainty
[08:26] Navigating OCD while building a business
[09:58] How OCD manifests for Scott
[11:21] Untangling mental rituals and compulsive thinking
[13:22] Labeling compulsions with gentleness
[14:20] Daily practices for ongoing management
[16:01] Finding meaning in OCD and writing the book
[18:47] Sitting with difficult feelings instead of running from them
[20:44] Developing empathy through lived experience
[21:13] Where to find Scott and his new book

Our Guest

Scott Stirret is the founder and CEO of Venture for Canada, a national charity that helps young people build entrepreneurial skills and careers. Over the past decade, the organization has raised over $80M and supported more than 10,000 youth across Canada. Scott is also the author of The Uncertainty Advantage, a book that guides early career professionals to build resilience by embracing uncertainty.

Resources & Links

Kristina Orlova, LMFT

Scott Stirrett

LinkedIn
The Uncertainty Advantage on Amazon
Substack

Published on 1 month, 1 week ago

Podcast Episode Details

148. What OCD Teaches About Uncertainty: A Journey to Resilience