Have you ever realized you were living the life someone else imagined for you?
Andrew Mitch did everything right on paper. He followed the rules, earned the degrees, and chased approval until the weight of it all became too heavy to carry. When he finally walked away from the life others expected, he found the beginning of his own.
What unfolded next was unexpected. A stranger at a restaurant table looked at him through tears and said, “Whatever you have, the world needs to hear it now.” That moment shifted everything. It was the reminder that his voice mattered, and that he no longer needed permission to use it.
This is a story about leaving certainty for something more alive. About learning to be seen, to create honestly, and to trust that your real self is enough.
Take your time with this one. It is tender and real.
What You’ll Hear
The quiet pressure of chasing someone else’s version of success
How leaving a PhD program became an act of self-trust
The beauty of being seen by a stranger who changed everything
The tension between faith, identity, and authenticity
Learning to stop asking for permission to create
What it means to live unapologetically yourself
About Andrew Mitch
From small-town Ohio to Nashville, Andrew Mitch is making waves in country-pop with raw emotion, personal truth, and storytelling. His breakout single "all in my head" went viral, crowdfunded his debut album, and earned features from CMA, CMT, GLAAD, and more. With millions of views, 30K+ followers, and praise from artists like Carly Pearce and Ingrid Andress, Andrew has since released songs like "back home boy" (featured on Nashville's very own WSMV4) and "unapologetic." He continues to prove there's power in being unapologetically yourself.
Listen to Andrew Mitch's music
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/
Instagram: https://instagram.com/
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@
Timestamps
00:00 The stranger who told Andrew his songs mattered
02:21 My own story and why this podcast exists
04:47 Who Andrew is in 2025
10:29 Growing up in a big Catholic family
12:53 Choosing music over a PhD
13:48 Coming out and shifting identity
24:18 Meeting the woman who changed everything
27:16 The viral song and Nashville journey
33:24 Learning to write authentic songs
38:12 Living in the gray and finding faith again
49:09 What Andrew would say to his younger self
52:41 Deciding that life is going to be okay
56:31 Closing thoughts
If you enjoyed this conversation, please like the video, subscribe to the channel, and comment with your biggest takeaway. For more, visit https://www.thelifeshiftpodcast.com
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