285: Stroke Onward with Steve Zuckerman: Navigating Life, Work, and the Unexpected

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Written By Tammy Gooler Loeb

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285: Stroke Onward with Steve Zuckerman: Navigating Life, Work, and the Unexpected

This week on the podcast, I had the joy of reconnecting with my childhood friend, Steve Zuckerman, someone I’ve always admired, and someone whose professional and personal journey offers a powerful blueprint for navigating life’s biggest turning points. Steve’s life story is a reminder that career evolution isn’t linear, nor should it be. Instead, it can be a thoughtful, strategic interplay between our values, our curiosity, and the unexpected events that shape us along the way.

Steve began his career on a classic high-achievement track: Yale, Bain & Company, Stanford Business School, and eventually private equity. Yet even from the start, he was guided by a desire to serve, a value deeply rooted in his upbringing. He told me how he intentionally declined opportunities that didn’t align with who he was or what he wanted for his life. His term for this: being “strategically opportunistic.” Hold a vision lightly, stay open, and trust that opportunities will emerge when you make choices aligned with your values.

One of the most remarkable chapters of Steve’s life came when he and his wife, Deb, decided to take their three children on a year-long sailing journey through the Mediterranean. They named their boat Now or Not, inspired by a phrase once spoken by their young daughter. It’s a philosophy that became a quiet throughline of Steve’s life, the idea that we don’t need to treat every decision as “now or never,” but rather make the best choice for this moment, knowing life will continue to offer possibilities.

Everything changed in 2010 when Deb suffered a severe stroke that left her living with aphasia. Steve shares openly about the complexity of caregiving while maintaining a meaningful career, the tension between wanting to help fully and needing to preserve a piece of his own identity. Rather than abandon the work he loved, he and Deb partnered creatively with others to help her write her book, Identity Theft: Rediscovering Ourselves After Stroke. Their path ultimately led to the founding of Stroke Onward, a non-profit organization dedicated to addressing the emotional recovery that extends far beyond the initial rehabilitation period.

Today, Steve’s work at Stroke Onward is helping thousands of stroke survivors and families navigate identity, meaning, and community during long-term recovery. His story is a powerful reminder that careers evolve, identities shift, and purpose can emerge in unexpected ways. Whether you’re considering a career transition, navigating personal upheaval, or simply seeking your next meaningful step, Steve’s message resonates: Know your non-negotiables. Stay open. And remember, it’s not now or never… it’s now or not.

In this week’s Work From The Inside Out podcast, learn more about:

  • How Steve’s childhood values shaped his lifelong commitment to service and purpose-driven work.

  • Why he turned down traditional career pathways in favor of roles aligned with his values.

  • The philosophy of being “strategically opportunistic” and how it can guide career decisions.

  • The year-long Mediterranean family sailing adventure that changed their  perspective on life.

  • Deb’s stroke, her aphasia, and how Steve supports her identity rebuilding.

  • How the book Identity Theft evolved into a second edition and the founding of Stroke Onward.

  • The systemic gaps in stroke recovery and why emotional healing needs long-term support.

  • Steve’s advice for making career decisions rooted in clarity, compassion, and self-awareness. 

Learn more about Steve:

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Affiliate Links: Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links above are “affiliate links”. This means that if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products and services I use personally and believe will add value to my listeners. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

 

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About Tammy, host of
Work from the inside out

Before launching my coaching practice, I worked in mental health, higher education, public policy, and fundraising. Those experiences showed me how deeply our work shapes our sense of purpose—and now I help clients navigate change and growth so they can feel more fulfilled and aligned in what they do

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284: From Turmoil to Purpose and Service with Ken Corigliano