Shed and Shine – Episode 97: Shed Your Shit: How to Release Suppressed Emotions and Find Peace

Hosts: Gino Wickman & Rob Dube
Air date: January 14, 2026

Episode Overview

In this candid and insightful episode, Gino Wickman and Rob Dube dive deep into the emotional and psychological barriers that driven entrepreneurs face in their personal and professional lives. Using the acronym “S.H.I.T.” (Suppressed, Hidden, Influential Traumas), coined by healer Gabe Roberts, the hosts break down how these internal blocks keep us from living authentically, achieving lasting peace, and unlocking true entrepreneurial freedom. Through honest storytelling and practical wisdom, Gino and Rob explore how these obstacles are created, how they manifest, and crucially, how to begin shedding them to reveal our True Selves.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Power and Meaning of “S.H.I.T.” (00:26 – 01:39)

• Origin of the Acronym:
  Rob shares inspiration from healer Gabe Roberts, who defines "shit" as Suppressed, Hidden, Influential Traumas.

  “Shit is S for suppressed, H for hidden, I for influential, and T for traumas. So suppressed, hidden, influential traumas is shit.” — Rob Dube (00:49)

• This lens provides structure for understanding and addressing the emotional burdens we all carry.

2. Breaking Down S.H.I.T.: The Four Energetic Blocks

SUPPRESSED (01:39 – 04:18)

• Unaddressed emotions manifest in the body, sometimes as physical pain, referencing Dr. Sarno's work on back pain:

  “The pain, the health issue, whatever it is, is a direct correlation to suppressed stuff.” — Gino Wickman (02:18)

• The ego buries feelings we’d rather not experience, but this ‘protection’ ultimately harms us unless released.

HIDDEN (04:18 – 06:38)

• The ego is convinced it can hide pain and emotions within us, but they continue to influence us subconsciously:

  “The only one that thinks it's hiding is your ego... in your subconscious. So again, it's down there below the surface in the subconscious, hiding. And we just got to shed light on it.” — Gino Wickman (04:35)

• The process of self-inquiry and modalities like meditation can bring these hidden issues to the surface.

• Memorable moment: Rob recounts a session with Gabe where he humorously wonders, “How much more is in here? Where is this stuff? This is getting crazy.” (05:29)

• Suppression can start as early as infancy, or even in utero:

  “There's work that's done showing that that's where your trauma started.” — Gino Wickman (07:48)

INFLUENTIAL (08:01 – 08:53)

• These buried issues aren’t trivial—they have significant (influential) impacts on our lives and behaviors.

  “We've suppressed and we've hidden something really important... now we gotta go find these really important things hidden in us and release them.” — Gino Wickman (08:22)

• The hosts riff on how the term ‘influential’ draws attention to the weight and importance of what’s stored inside.

TRAUMAS (08:53 – 11:38)

• Whether "Big T" or "little t," trauma refers to any emotional event the self did not fully process at the time.

• These experiences are encoded in our nervous system and shape core beliefs, sometimes without our awareness.

  “Something happened somewhere in your life... you made up a story about [it]... you then hid it someplace in your body, you're hanging onto it. That is trauma... whatever you call that thing, it's stuck in your energy field and it is dark energy that's dragging you down and draining you and causing you pain.” — Gino Wickman (10:20)

3. How "Shit" Shows Up for Driven Entrepreneurs (11:38 – 16:19)

• Common manifestations:

  • Chronic busyness and lack of self-awareness (“they rarely have time to pause and notice what's actually happening beneath the surface.” – Rob Dube, 12:15)
  • Strained relationships at work or home
  • Feelings of emptiness or lack of fulfillment despite external success
  • Physical ailments: “That’s unease. Dis-ease. Disease. Dis-ease.” — Rob Dube (13:30)

• Fear-Based Behaviors:
  Gino lists common patterns: fear-based decision making, insecurity, imposter syndrome, repeated defensiveness and triggers, and the metaphorical/unconscious amassing of protective ‘armor’ that ultimately leads to anxiety or burnout.

  “You've got 18 layers of protection so that you don't feel that pain... your nervous system is amped.” — Gino Wickman (15:23)

• Hopeful note:
  These patterns can be interrupted and healed through shedding, bringing inner peace and allowing for more authentic, love-based decisions.

  “You could experience all that with peace... Your nervous system will be calm. As a result, you'll make much better decisions, love-based decisions, intuition-based decisions, inside-out decisions.” — Gino Wickman (15:43)

4. Why Do We Avoid Facing Our "Shit"? (16:19 – 18:42)

• It Hurts:
  Uncovering and processing suppressed traumas can be painful as the original pain resurfaces.

  “Because it hurts. And it comes up with as much pain as it went down. It hurts.” — Gino Wickman (16:53)

• Fear of ‘Death’ of Old Identity:
  Rob likens each emotional release to a micro-death, threatening a familiar identity built around control, drive, or achievement:

  “It's a death. Every time it happens, it's a part of you that dies. And you don't wanna die. You don't want parts of you to die. And so this is your identity that you're dealing with here.” — Rob Dube (17:19)

• The Need for Trust:
  Reassurance that peace and impact can coexist:

  “This is about letting go... This requires trust. It requires belief... You have to believe that you can be driven and have peace.” — Rob Dube (17:48)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Gino on lifelong patterns:

  “You and I are in our late 50s and this shit started at age one... so we're talking like 50 plus years of hiding, you know, and it's hidden everywhere.” (05:50)

• Rob on entrepreneurial consequences:

  “Driven people... tend to leave a black trail behind you. You are the change makers in this world... but you do leave a black trail. And that's how it shows up. It shows up in the way you're treating people.” (12:19)

• Gino on what’s possible:

  “It's possible to feel peace in all of those situations... you'll have much more energy and you will feel inner peace.” (15:45)

• Rob on the outcome of doing the work:

  “This is where you're going to make the greatest impact... you'll be like, ah, I didn't know you could feel this way. This is so nice, actually.” (18:23)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:26 — Setting up the topic and the “S.H.I.T.” acronym
• 01:39 — Start of acronym breakdown: Suppressed
• 04:18 — Hidden: the subconscious at work
• 06:38 — Early origins of trauma (infancy, in utero)
• 08:07 — Influential: why what’s buried matters so much
• 08:53 — Trauma and energetic perspective
• 11:38 — How all this manifests for entrepreneurs/leaders
• 16:19 — Why we resist facing our emotional baggage
• 17:49 — Letting go, trust, and the path to true peace

Tone and Style

The conversation is direct, down-to-earth, compassionate, and sometimes humorously self-aware. Gino and Rob create a safe space for vulnerability, acknowledging both the challenge and the liberation that comes with emotional healing.

Summary

This episode of Shed and Shine offers entrepreneurs and high-achievers a roadmap to understanding and releasing suppressed emotional burdens (“S.H.I.T.”). Through personal reflection, practical examples, and an insistence on the value of inner work, Gino and Rob communicate a powerful message: Peace and fulfillment are available, but only if we have the courage to confront and shed what no longer serves us.