Are You Paying the Success Tax?
What if the very thing that made you successful is quietly keeping you from your next level?
Lisa and Cindy unpack the hidden "success tax" high performers pay when being reliable turns into carrying everyone's workload. They share honest stories, from demanding customers to everyday life, that reveal why saying yes too often can cost you focus, growth, and peace of mind.
You'll walk away with four powerful questions to help you protect your energy, make smarter decisions, and create a bigger impact without sacrificing the success you've already built.
Must-Hear Insights and Key Moments
The Success Tax Explained β Success comes with hidden costs. The more capable you become, the more responsibilities naturally find their way to you.
When Being the Go-To Person Becomes a Liability β Reliability is a strength until it becomes everyone's default solution, leaving you carrying work that doesn't always belong to you.
The "I'll Just Do It Myself" Trap β Doing everything yourself may feel faster, but it creates long-term dependency and increases stress.
The Three Biggest Costs β The success tax steals your focus, limits your growth, and weakens the strategic thinking needed for your next breakthrough.
Why Delegation Is Leadership β Letting others step up creates stronger teams while protecting your own capacity to perform at your highest level.
Choose Impact Over Busyness β Instead of proving you can do everything, evaluate where your involvement creates the greatest long-term impact.
The Four-Question Success Audit β Before saying yes, ask whether the task requires your expertise, moves the business, develops someone else, or simply adds unnecessary weight.
Growth Requires Selectivity β The habits that create early success eventually need to evolve if you want to reach the next level.
Words of Wisdom: Standout Quotes from This Episode
"Your initial success can absolutely get in the way of your next success." β Anneliese Rhodes
"Sometimes you have to let somebody else be accountable instead of trying to do it all." β Anneliese Rhodes
"The success tax can cost you your focus before you even realize it's happening." β Anneliese Rhodes
"Instead of proving you can do everything, ask where your involvement creates the biggest impact." β Anneliese Rhodes
"You can't do everything at 100%. Something eventually gives." β Anneliese Rhodes
"The better you get at your job, the more people need you." β Cynthia Ficara
"What if what's standing between you and your next level is your current success?" β Cynthia Ficara
"Success isn't just about taking on more, it's about becoming more selective." β Cynthia Ficara
"Ask yourself: Does this move the business, or does it just move me to do more?" β Cynthia Ficara
"You may not have a time management problem, you may have a success problem." β Cynthia Ficara
Follow The Girls of Grit:
We'd Love to Hear Your Stories!
Have you ever realized that being the person who always says "yes" was actually slowing your growth? Think about a moment when you chose to protect your time, delegate, or become more selective with your energy. What changed? We'd love to hear the decision that helped you stop paying the success tax and start creating a bigger impact.
Blog Transcript:
Note: We use AI transcription so there may be some inaccuracies
What If Your Current Success Is Blocking Your Next Level?
Cynthia Ficara: What if the very thing that made you successful is the very thing quietly keeping you from your next level?
Anneliese Rhodes: There is a hidden price high performers pay, and most don't even realize that they're paying it. The question is, are you paying it? Welcome everyone to another episode of Secrets in Medical Device Sales, brought to you by Anneliese Rhodes and Cynthia Ficara. We are bringing you guys another top episode today. I love our title. I love what we're talking about. I do too. Yay. And Cindy, this was your idea, and I think this is a fan-freaking-tastic idea.
Cynthia Ficara: Well, you know, it came up about, like, I hate paying taxes. I hate doing taxes. That's my life. Like, it just kills me.
Anneliese Rhodes: Death and taxes, baby.
Cynthia Ficara: I know, right? That's what they say. I mean, it's not even tax season, but I don't even know what came up about it and I'm like, you know, it's funny in work how sometimes it feels like ev- even our work has...
when you have to pay taxes, right? there's a part of that, and that's- kind of how this- really came about. Yeah ... and I just think it's really fun. So Lisa and I, really did laugh about this, and our title is really, which clearly you read because you see that on there, but that's what we're gonna ask you today.
Are you paying the success tax? So-
Anneliese Rhodes: Yes ...
Cynthia Ficara: let's just dive right in and talk about this, 'cause I'm really really excited about when you just stop and look at things differently.
Anneliese Rhodes: Yeah. Well, you know, everybody wants to be successful, right? Mm-hmm. Like, why are we doing this podcast? Why do people listen? Why do people constantly wanna look to up their game?
Because they wanna be successful. But there are hidden, and it's almost like the hidden tax, right- Oh, yes ... of being successful, are the things that you don't think about, but absolutely are true about your level of success. So I love that we're talking about this today. So, what exactly do we mean by the success tax, right?
Cynthia Ficara: I was just gonna say, I can ask, our listeners a question.
Anneliese Rhodes: Yeah, yeah.
Cynthia Ficara: You know? Like, one of the thing, that's standing between your next... Like, you right now, and now your next level that you're gonna get to success, what if what's in the way is your current success?
Like, have you ever thought about that, you know? Because- I
Anneliese Rhodes: just did a little emoji mind-blowing thing.
Cynthia Ficara: I know. I did. You saw that. If you could watch Lisa, her hands were like pow. Well, because, the better you get at your job, the more people need you.
Anneliese Rhodes: Oh my gosh.
Cynthia Ficara: It's true, right?
When Success Becomes a Trap
Anneliese Rhodes: Yes. Well, you're develop- I mean, in your company they need you more, and out in your territory they need you more.
Like, hello, KOLs. Anybody that has a KOL, who has developed a KOL or two or three know the time that they take from you. In fact, I think we did an episode on how to handle multiple KOLs at once because girl, let's be honest, these suckers, man, they are like little leeches. They're like, "Ooh, what can I pull more from you?"
And there is nothing I mean, I shouldn't say there's nothing wrong with it, but you gotta be able to first identify it and then manage it. Because if not, what we're gonna talk about today is what it can do to you ultimately, and I love- That question of is your initial success getting in the way of your next success, like, wow, I never even thought about that, but that is 100% the truth.
Because it can weigh you down in ways that you don't necessarily see, understand, or even know about.
Cynthia Ficara: Mm-hmm. Because like we said, the better you get, the more people need you. So customers are gonna call you, even your teammates. when you start to get really successful, your teammates know that, and, there are some- Oh my
who go to you with true questions. There's others that just go to you because you're gonna know the answers, so then you become their problem-solvers, and then more things come to you. And you know that old saying, if you want something done, give it to a busy person? Well, that, kind of works with success too, but at some point- Yeah
We always talk about high performers, top performers. You almost start paying a price that you don't even realize you're paying, and that is what we call the success tax.
Anneliese Rhodes: Well, let me ask you this, Cindy. Just in general, how many times have you... Like being a mom, for example, right? Uh-huh.
Like, how many times are you like- You know, you're a great mom. So you wanna be a great mom to your daughters, and then you see their friends, and you're like, "I can be a great mom to them, too." And then the school calls, and they're like, " Would you like to join PTSA?" " I would." " Would you like to be on this cookie bake board?"
"Absolutely." " Your kid needs help in the science fair project." "Absolutely." oh, just that little bit is a success tax, right, of being a great mom. You start doing all the things. You're the go-to mom for the soccer parties. You're the go-to mom for, like, the volleyball, the swim, the horseback riding.
Hi. all the things. You wanna do 'em, and you take joy in doing them. The same thing happens in work. and let's just dive right in, right? Yeah. Like, when you become successful, you are now known as the reliable person, the responsible person, the responsive person. How many times have you joked, Cyndi, about me being, like, on the spot Johnny, Johnny-on-the-spot- Oh
answering things? Yeah ...
Cynthia Ficara: Lisa is like, ping pong. You ask her something, she's ... Okay, people, don't do this. Don't drive down the highway. But, like, the email or the text message is already sent and responded. Like, she is a getter done, so. I
Anneliese Rhodes: am. But do you know what that does to me, Cyndi?
Yeah. It super stresses me out. like, here I am, I'm like, "Yeah, I'll take on more. Yes, I wanna be mom of the year. Yes, I wanna be rep of the year. Yes, I wanna be whatever of the year." But then I, like, hmm, literally start stressing out about it. And then I'm mad about it, and I'm anxious about it, and then I can become resentful of it.
It's like, okay. And I'm doing all of this to myself. So I have to be honest with you. In the past, like, three or four months, I have literally made myself pull back from being that uber responsible, like, over the top, like, " Oh, I just talked to this doctor. I'm gonna email him right now." I have actually pulled back.
I have actually read text messages and purposely not responded. And then made a reminder to respond later because it's like it's such an involuntary thing on my part of wanting to always do more. But what I've noticed sometimes is that when you're over the top with people, especially customers, or even in your job, sometimes it's a knee-jerk reaction or you're doing more than you should when you really should sit back and, like, let the information soak in.
Let somebody else take the responsibility. Let people become accountable for themselves versus you wanting to do it all. And I feel like that is a success tax.
The "I'll Just Do It Myself" Trap
Cynthia Ficara: You know, Lisa, I have been guilty of saying this, and I know you have, too. You and I have been in this, the same situation when... And anybody listening can relate to this.
Have you said to yourself, "It's just easier if I do it myself"?
Anneliese Rhodes: Oh my God, yes.
Cynthia Ficara: Like, how many times- That
Anneliese Rhodes: has been my life mantra. That has been my life mantra ...
Cynthia Ficara: I, it's like, "All right, forget it. I don't have time for this. I'll just do it myself." Well, you know what? Like, that's kind of where we're going with this- Mm-hmm
is that it kind of, when you are that go-to person that everyone knows you're gonna do it, so they dump it on you, well, you know what? It's like even though you know you're successful at this, now it's like a liability, because- Mm-hmm ... now everything is on you, andit shouldn't be. But, you know, sometimes that's a little hidden cost your, or a tax, as we say, you know-
Anneliese Rhodes: Yes, yes
Cynthia Ficara: of being that go-to person.
Anneliese Rhodes: Yes.
Cynthia Ficara: Because every time you prove it, you can keep doing it, and you're jumping in, it's only gonna increase that likelihood that you're gonna be asked to do it again and again and again. And that's what we want you to be aware of and what we want you to see, because when you are a high performer, you just keep going, going, going.
So if you are somebody that, Lisa, you said what? Reliable, responsive, you can problem solve, like- Yeah ... if you're identifying, keep listening.
Anneliese Rhodes: Yeah, exactly. And, you know, before we move on to the, second part of this, I just wanna make sure that people understand we're not telling you don't be successful, obviously.
Oh, God, no. Right? Like, that's what- God, no, no,
Cynthia Ficara: no, no, no ...
Anneliese Rhodes: podcast is all about. And we're not telling you not to take on extra responsibilities. That, too, is part of moving up the ladder, the chain, whatever it is. What we're saying, though, is, just be aware of it, and maybe try and filter out the things that you don't necessarily need to be doing, right?
I mean- Like, maybe- Mm-hmm ... I'll use this easy household example that every fricking wife in the world, mother in the world will get. The dishes. Okay. So, like, I hate doing dishes. I don't wanna get my hands old lady, but they're already old lady anyhow, so who really cares? But, like, I don't wanna have to do the dishes after I cook dinner, but you know what?
I get it done so much more quicker. The whole kitchen is clean when I'm done. There's not, like... I'm trying not to curse here. There's not, like- ... stuff piled up certain where or a pan left on the fricking stove when you're like, "Hello, that needs to be cleaned, too." I would rather just do it myself. But if I didn't do it all the time, and I did allow my husband to actually do it even though he does a really crappy job.
I mean, he does an okay job. If he's listening, he does an okay job. Nobody stocks a dishwasher like me. But the point is, like sometimes you just gotta let that go.
Cynthia Ficara: Yeah.
Anneliese Rhodes: Sometimes you have to walk away and be like, " You know what? I'm gonna let him do it. I don't want him to do it. I know I'm gonna go in there and clean afterwards."
But the level of anxiety is just, like, lessened, and now I can go do something else, like maybe take a bath, you know? And you- Feed my mental abilities ... and
Cynthia Ficara: you know, how to clean a dish, and you know how to stock a dishwasher, and you know how to make your countertops pristine. So let's say the in-laws are coming or you have a big houseguest.
You know what? Use your energy then. But you're right. This focus that you were talking about why we're talking about this, it's really about self-awareness. And on our podcast, we talk about this a lot, that when you are busy and you are successful, you do have to breathe a little bit and take some checkpoints along the way to be self-aware.
Yes. And this is what we're talking about. So-
Anneliese Rhodes: Yes ...
The Three Biggest Costs of the Success Tax
Cynthia Ficara: what exactly is the success tax costing you? So Lisa, that actually... That example is such a good example about dishes when you said, "I could go be taking a bath." What a great way to be like, it's not just time you're spent doing, but what else is it costing you?
Yeah. That if you relax- Yeah ... in a bath, what does that do? your brain cells get to rejuvenate. You get to relax, and that the next thing you go do, you're a better person to do it. When all of your energy and exhaustion goes into a task that is something that drains you that either somebody else can do or you don't need to do the best at- Look at what it opens.
Anneliese Rhodes: Yeah.
Cynthia Ficara: I swear.
Anneliese Rhodes: 100%, you're right. What are you talking about? You're talking about focusing- Yes ... on what's important. And when you give yourself a little bit of time to focus, it's amazing what you can actually get done in your current situation. So I think, one of these taxes that, or one of the things that the success tax can cause you is focus.
Mm-hmm. If you start doing multiple things, you do end up losing focus. Like, let's just say, you know, you're a top performing sales rep, you're running on all engines, you've got your KOLs, you've got your cases, you're doing all the things, and then all of a sudden somebody throws in becoming a trainer. Well, of course you're gonna take that, right?
Because that's a promotion, and you wanna help train, and you wanna give back, and potentially you wanna climb that ladder, so you're gonna take that on, and there's nothing wrong with that. But you do need to be aware now of what these additional responsibilities are gonna cost you in terms of your focus in your accounts, right?
So the key way to handle that, a situation like that is, okay, how can I, play that new position into my current position and still have ultimate success? Like, what does that look like? Maybe that looks like allowing your trainees to come spend time with you in your accounts, but you don't change your day.
you don't change your time amount spent with your customers because now you gotta train somebody. Oh, no, you bring them into your accounts, and you let them see you work, because really that's what they're sh- supposed to be doing anyhow. And then, yeah, you're probably gonna have to spend an evening or two with those trainees talking to them about things.
But you gotta figure out how you can balance that, because if not, you end up pulling the focus from your territory, which ultimately gave you that success, and now you're putting it into something new, which is okay, but if you lose the focus in what ultimately made you successful, it's gonna start to fall, right?
So you have to understand- Well
Cynthia Ficara: said ...
Anneliese Rhodes: yeah, you have to understand that that is 100% a success tax that can eat at you.
Cynthia Ficara: And I think another one, where a success tax can really cost you is your growth. and I say that because if you have- Mm ... so much on your plate, there's only so many hours in a day, regardless of what superhumans and we all are out there.
Like, you end up just maintaining what you've built because you're so busy taking on everybody else's problems and everybody else's things that your plate's so full you're just spinning it instead of building what's next. Because this success tax is so much you've taken on, now you can't even grow your business, and that's when it's detrimental.
Anneliese Rhodes: 100%. I think along the same lines of growing that business is, like- What about just, like, strategic thinking? Like, part of that- Mm-hmm ... focus thing, right? Like, are you taking on so many tasks now because you are so good, that it's taking away from your strategic thinking? Like, where are you gonna go next?
who are you gonna talk to next? Who are you gonna, go after next, right? So is it eating away at your strategic thinking and your ability to then go get the next big account or next- Oh my ... big customer? So, that is absolutely part of the success tax that you have to be aware of, and you really should...
And if this is happening to you currently, I want you to think right now, like stop and think, I mean, if you're driving, don't stop. But like- ... think to yourself, "Okay, I have been ultimately successful. I am now taking on this new role, but I can't let it eat away at my current success," right? "And I can't let it eat away at the things that I wanna go for next.
So how do I put it into a way that it's gonna help build versus take away?" And sometimes that even looks like, "Hey, you know what? I took on too much responsibility. I need to maybe back off of something," right? Whatever that is. It could be small. It could be just, like, that extra meeting you added on at the end of the day.
Maybe see if you can reschedule it for the next morning or at a time where you're open, versus, "Oh yeah, no problem, I can do one more meeting until 8:00 at night." If that meeting can wait, figure out a different place to put it so that you have some downtime and it's not affecting the way that you're gonna work the next day, right?
Mm-hmm. And instead, use that time from 7:00 to 8:00 at night or whatever it was to strategically plan out your next day. And- So I think that that's, you know, part of it ...
Cynthia Ficara: oh my gosh, Lisa, you have so hit the nail on the head with this one because, like, I know all of you out there's have moments where your brain hurts, you know?
It's like the end of the day- Yeah ... and somebody asks you something. Yeah. Like, oh my God, I can't think. Like, ugh. I
Anneliese Rhodes: can't.
Cynthia Ficara: Yeah. Wait 'til tomorrow. Uh-huh. And it's just like, why did we get, let ourselves get that way, we've talked, years ago on some of our episodes about, the morning time when you first wake up and you're fresh, and making the most of your morning when you think the best and you plan, and, why is that?
Well, there's no tax in that morning. You haven't jam-packed your day, overdone yourself, overrun yourself, and then be asked to do something big and you can't even think about how to do it. So we wanna prevent you from being prevented to think. So I I love that ... those three things are key, that if you remember that the success tax can actually cost you your focus, your growth, and strategic thinking.
Now think about, look at everything that you did last week and, like, how much of that required you, okay? So just- Yeah ... start thinking about this because, you know- Are you the best person that has to do it all? Or can you actually delegate some of the things and have the same result?
Choose Impact Instead of Busyness
Anneliese Rhodes: I love that. I think, the last thing to really think about is, in the beginning we all do the same thing, right?
Like, we take on all these responsibilities because we can, number one, and we wanna prove that we can. At least I know I do. I'm like, "Oh yeah, I can be the super mom. I can be the super worker. I can be the super wife." But you can't do everything all at 100%, something ends up giving. So I think instead of looking to say that you're gonna prove so many things, how about instead, and I wish somebody had told me this years ago- Where does my involvement or the ability to take on something new create the biggest impact?
Like, what am I ultimately going to decide to take on, like being a trainer, and will that create the greatest impact, not just for that person or even you, but also for the company, and also for your future, right? And so I think that's a really important thing to think about because as you are qualifying the new things that you're taking on, you really should think about what ultimately is gonna impact all of this the greatest, and not at such a detrimental cost to where you're gonna lose focus or lose momentum in the process.
And that's, not easy. I mean, I'm sitting here saying that, but I'm thinking to myself, "Boy, that's actually not easy to do." Maybe we do an episode on that, Cindy. Maybe that's
Cynthia Ficara: our
Anneliese Rhodes: next episode. We can.
Cynthia Ficara: I think this is the really value part of this conversation that we are having, so I wanna bring that up again.
Lisa's exactly right. where does my involvement create the biggest impact? So, you know, at the beginning of the episode we talk about all different things. Just to understand early on success does start with proving that you can handle it, you can do it, you can fix things, you can have that great close.
You're a figureoutable person. But, Yeah ... as success goes on and you grow, that does change
The Four-Question Success Audit
Cynthia Ficara: So let's do this. Let me give you guys, and Lisa too, we're gonna just go through just four quick questions to ask yourself the next time you're asked to do multiple things. Here's what I want you to ask before you automatically jump in.
You don't always have to say yes, and you don't always have to say no. So number one: Does this task, question, ask actually require my expertise? I think that's really important to ask yourself. ' Cause if it is your expertise, maybe that is, like Lisa said, where does it create the greatest impact? So number one, does this require my expertise?
Number two: Does this move the business? Think about that one for a minute because how? Don't just be like, "Oh, yeah." Well, how? Are you sure it moves the business, or does it just move you to do more? Number three, does this develop someone else? So, are you helping grow? Are you developing another person?
Are you making a customer better? Are you making it a stronger relationship? Because the fourth question is, if not, why am I carrying it? Why? Why am I carrying on all this responsibility? That's really, really important to prevent yourself from having a success tax and just being successful and moving on.
Anneliese Rhodes: Yeah.
Cynthia Ficara: So Lisa-
Anneliese Rhodes: I love it ...
Cynthia Ficara: we're closing up here and we never said our secret.
Anneliese Rhodes: Oh, gosh. I totally forgot. You say it. All right.
Cynthia Ficara: All right.
Anneliese Rhodes: You said the last one. You were good.
Cynthia Ficara: So the secret, and I think this isn't just one word, this is more of a sentence. Mm-hmm. So the secret is the behaviors that make you successful at one level can become behaviors that keep you from the next, and that's the message we're really trying to drive home because growth isn't necessarily about taking on more and more and more.
It's about being more selective at what you should only be taking on. So I think that's really important, and that's, what we're summing up as the success tax audit, and we really hope you took this in to take a look at your business because, it's not always like time m- I mean, this I guess this is like time management.
You don't always have a time management problem, but you may have a success problem
Anneliese Rhodes: I love it.
Cynthia Ficara: All right, Lisa, do you wanna do a, call to action? A challenge for our listeners?
Anneliese Rhodes: Yes. Okay, so CTA, call to action. All right. For this next week, when something lands on your plate, we want all of you to think about first of all, does this task really require me? Like, does it need my attention? Does it need my focus? Is this something that I really can take on? And potentially, what could it cost me in terms of my success, current situation, state of mind, where you're at in your business, right? So really be thoughtful when something lands on your plate, and this week, the next week, and really think about does it help or harm your business?
Cynthia Ficara: And we don't want you to be somebody who always gets an extension on your taxes. Just pay them- ... and move on.
Anneliese Rhodes: Even though I extend every year.
Cynthia Ficara: Cheers to growth out there, everybody. Have a wonderful week.
What if the very thing that made you successful is the very thing quietly keeping you from your next level?
Anneliese Rhodes: There is a hidden price high performers pay, and most don't even realize that they're paying it. The question is, are you paying it?
