Ep. 405 - How to Overcome Fear & Show Up Authentically in Any Space with Courtney Johnson

Summary

EXPANDED Podcast Ep. 405: "How to Overcome Fear & Show Up Authentically in Any Space" with Courtney Johnson

Release Date: May 1, 2026
Host: Jessica Gill (To Be Magnetic™ Chief Content Officer)
Guest: Courtney Johnson (Author, Speaker, Personal Brand Coach)

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Episode Overview

This in-studio episode brings back Courtney Johnson, personal brand expert and author of "Career True Codes." The conversation explores why visibility matters in any career, practical strategies to overcome fear around self-expression, how to create and sustain an authentic personal brand, and actionable steps for self-worth and leadership. With a blend of grounded TBM (To Be Magnetic™) manifestation philosophy and no-nonsense career advice, the episode is packed with real stories, memorable moments, and frameworks listeners can immediately apply.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Nature and Importance of Personal Branding

• Personal Branding is Unavoidable:
  "You kind of already have a personal brand, whether you want to or not. It's just if you're going to take the reins or not."
  – Courtney Johnson [08:44]

• Redefining Visibility:
  Visibility isn’t just for influencers:
  "Opportunities go to the most visible person... it's not about me, me, me. It's about who you're impacting. It's about who you're serving."
  – Courtney Johnson [09:16]

• Internal vs. External Branding:
  Personal brand is as important inside a company as it is outside. Adapt your LinkedIn, Slack, Google signature, etc., to reflect your accomplishments and values.
  – [11:01]

2. Shifting from Fear and Modesty to Confident Self-Ownership

• Downplaying Achievements:
  Many undervalue their contributions out of fear of being "braggy." A simple exercise: describe yourself as a friend would (in the third person) to break limiting self-perceptions.
  – [12:46 – 13:34]

• Wins Folder Practice:
  Collect positive feedback, compliments, and evidence of impact in a digital folder or Slack channel for self-affirmation during tough times.
  – [14:41]

• Receiving Compliments as a Worthiness Practice:
  "If you can't receive compliments, you'll never be able to receive money."
  – Courtney Johnson quoting a mentor [15:55]

3. Authenticity vs. Vulnerability Online

• Integration, Not Oversharing:
  "Being authentic is not about being overly vulnerable... True authenticity is knowing there are things that are going to be in my private life and I don't need to share them."
  – [30:54]

• Boundary vs. Fear:
  Ask: Is your privacy line truly a boundary, or is it fear? Distinguish between the two to guide what you choose to share.
  – [30:54 – 32:15]

4. Thought Leadership on Any Level

• Accessible to All:
  "Anybody can do this. You can be a leader in your industry. Thought leadership really means that you have your authentic opinions and values and you want to bring those values to other people."
  – Courtney Johnson [18:45]

• Start Where You Are:
  Share expertise internally (e.g., an HR presentation), on LinkedIn, or via small scale content. Posting once a week on LinkedIn puts you in the top 2% of creators.
  – [20:13]

5. Building the "Category of One": Safe Visibility & Unique Pathways

• Top 1% vs. Top 10% Rule:
  "Instead of trying to be the top 1% at one thing, try to be the top 10% at three or four different things. In that way, you’re creating a category of one."
  – Courtney Johnson [26:24]

• Integrate All Parts of Yourself:
  "Once you integrate every part of you, there is no competition. You are number one at being you."
  – Courtney Johnson [29:04]

6. Pushing Through the Fear: “Cringe Mountain” & Consistency

• Summiting "Cringe Mountain":
  "Can you walk through that portal of extreme discomfort of people ignoring you and not caring what you have to say? If you can summit the ‘cringe mountain,’ you have it. It’s not about being perfect."
  – Courtney Johnson [34:44]

• Consistency Over Perfection:
  "To rank in the top 4% of podcasts... post six episodes. To be top 2% on LinkedIn, post once per week... it is just a game of continuing to show up every day."
  – Courtney Johnson [36:41]

7. Sustainable Success & Delegation

• Receiving Support as a Growth Edge:
  Making a "dream business partner" list led to finding a key team member, highlighting the manifestation principle applied to business support.
  – [41:17]

• Micro Delegation:
  Decouple perfectionism from delegation. "Let it go. They're going to be able to do 85% as good as you and 10x the output."
  – [43:56]

8. The Content Creation Process

• Masculine (Structure) & Feminine (Inspiration) Approaches:
  "The masculine energy is, 'I'm going to post every single day.' The feminine... is when inspiration strikes and you act impulsively."
  – Courtney Johnson [45:04]

• Better Than Nothing Method:
  Commit to showing up, even if your post is just a quick dog video or one-line tweet—consistency trumps perfection.
  – [46:49]

9. Redefining “Success” Online

• Impact over Vanity Metrics:
  Store stories of individual impact, rather than chase follower count.
  – [51:14]

• Social Comparison Trap:
  Vanity metrics don’t equate to true impact or fulfillment. Integrity and intent matter more than playing the “attention game.”
  – [51:14–52:53]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “When you integrate every part of you, there is no competition. You are number one at being you.”
  — Courtney Johnson [00:00; repeated emphasis at 29:04]

• “If you can summit the ‘cringe mountain’ and get over the cringe mountain, you did it right.”
  — Courtney Johnson [34:44]

• On content: "What's obvious to you is probably mind blowing to somebody else."
  — Courtney Johnson [22:42]

• “If you can’t receive compliments, you’ll never be able to receive more money.”
  — Courtney Johnson [15:55]

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Actionable Tips & Practices (With Timestamps)

• Third-Person Brag Exercise:
  Frame your skills as if describing a friend to gain perspective on your value.
  [12:46]

• Wins Folder:
  Screenshot or save all compliments and positive feedback for self-encouragement.
  [14:41]

• Micro Delegation:
  Practice small acts of asking for help to build the muscle for bigger business delegation.
  [42:54–43:42]

• Content Creation Routine:
  Balance structure with creativity. Record ideas on the go (feminine); commit to scheduled posting (masculine).
  [45:04]

• Cringe Tolerance:
  Acknowledge discomfort as necessary; get used to sharing before you have an audience.
  [34:44]

• Impact over Numbers:
  Measure your effect through connection and individual transformation over raw follower stats.
  [51:14]

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Segment Timestamps for Reference

• [00:00] – Courtney on brand authenticity and uniqueness
• [05:00–07:13] – Episode set-up and Courtney’s background
• [08:16–12:09] – Visibility, personal branding inside & outside your organization
• [12:46–14:41] – Cultivating self-worth; exercise; wins folder
• [15:55–18:20] – Receiving as a skill (compliments → money, gifts, birthdays, etc.)
• [18:45–20:13] – Thought leadership and how to start
• [22:42–24:07] – Content creation, why what’s obvious to you isn’t to someone else
• [26:24–30:06] – Building a “category of one” through integrating varied interests
• [30:54–33:00] – Authenticity, privacy boundaries vs. fear
• [34:44–37:13] – Cringe Mountain, consistency, and metrics for showing up
• [41:17–43:56] – Delegation, micro-delegation, and building a supportive team
• [45:04–47:33] – Balancing creative flow and structure in content production
• [48:21–49:02] – Limiting beliefs around sustainability and growth
• [50:08–51:14] – Impact vs. metrics; collecting stories as impact measurement

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Closing Encouragement

• “There is no right answer. Everything is a suggestion, not a prescription. What's right and true for me is not right and true for you. Come back to your authenticity.”
  — Courtney Johnson [33:00]

• “If you can get into that state where, like, you're like, this is just me and I'm expressing, you feel amazing, and everybody else is like, wow, that was amazing. Like, you can feel the resonance when that thing happens.”
  — Host [54:00]

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Where to Connect & Further Resources

• Courtney Johnson:
  • Book: Career Cheat Codes (available wherever books are sold)
  • Content Club: Daily morning content creation sessions; described at [47:38]
  • Social: “If you Google Courtney Johnson, I will come up.”
• To Be Magnetic (TBM):
  • Pathway Membership (discount code mentioned at [38:22])

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This episode is recommended for anyone seeking more confidence, visibility, and authenticity at work or online, with practical frameworks for creative leadership and self-advocacy.

Transcript

[Courtney Johnson]

It does not matter topically what you're talking about when you create your personal brand because once you integrate every part of you, there is no competition. You are number one at being you. Then imagine like if more good hearted people step into a position of leadership and impacting others like what our world would look like.

[Podcast Host]

How is your fear of putting yourself out there, of speaking your needs, of asking for what you really want holding you back? Today we have back on Courtney Johnson, author of Career True Codes, Unspoken and Unconventional, Unfiltered Rules of Career Success, her debut book. She is also a public speaker, a podcast host and she is coaching and guiding and educating people to create their cringe free personal brands. Courtney really believes that everyone has a personal brand, whether that's on social media or whether that's just who you're known as in your work environment around your friends. And the more that we can be really intentional in what we're showing and how we're expressing and how to really stand in our power in those spaces, the more aligned opportunities can come through for us. So today we have a very exciting episode because we are actually recording this one in studio. Expanded is a fully remote podcast, but we just got the ping. We wanted to test a couple of episodes in person, just see if that made the energy of the conversation better, more authentic, more aligned and to get some really good footage for you guys. So check out this one on Spotify and on YouTube. You can see the video version and let us know. Did this make an impact having it in person? Do you guys want to see more video podcast in person? We are open to any thoughts you have there, but today's episode is really so much of the nitty gritty, the brass tacks. I can't even recommend her book enough. We talk about it in this episode but she really gives the layman's terms. The really easy digestible tips that you wouldn't necessarily think of that make a massive difference in how you are able to stand in your power and in your worth in any environment that you're in. So let's get into it and stick around for the very end. I'll give you some TBM tool suggestions if you are navigating, stepping in to feeling confident, speaking your gifts and your value in different environments. And now a word from our partners. One incredible healing tool that has been game changer for my nervous system is the Bond Charge Pull PEMF mat. There is a very specific state your body needs to be in for that deep healing and real subconscious relaxation. And one of the most effective ways I found to help my body actually let go is the Bon Charge PEMF Met. It combines pulse electromagnetic field therapy with red near infrared and far infrared heat. In simple terms, it deeply calms your nervous system, relaxes your body, improves circulation, and brings you to a much more receptive, grounded state. They have settings to help you drop into your sleep, to get into that delta wavelength to sleep deeper. They have settings to help you drop into your meditative state so you can go deeper with your deep imaginings. And they have settings to help bring a little bit of awareness, awakeness and activation in your body in a gentle way to help wake up your cells. It also helps your body recover faster because you're significantly lowering your stress load. I love setting it on a high heat, putting on 8 hertz, which is as close to Schumann' resonance, which is the earth's natural frequency. So I can just kind of calm down, get in homeostasis. And I'm telling you, the depth and relaxation to which I can get into my deep imaginings with this is next level. The only thing I can kind of equate it to is maybe when you're in a really deeply relaxing massage, but this is something you can do right in your home. In fact, I keep mine in my office. So after stressful periods or busy work calls or when I'm feeling scattered, I take a quick break on the penth mat and it brings me back down to regulation. I have the infrared pen mat max, but they also have a demi, a little bit smaller version, a mini and a waistband version, especially for people who get bad cramps or back pain. Hugely beneficial. And for our expanded podcast listeners, we have a special code magnetic all caps magnetic for 15% off your order. That's code magnetic all caps for 15% off your order. And you can check out the link in show notes or go to boncharge.com to learn more. And now onto the episode.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

Courtney Johnson.

[Courtney Johnson]

I'm so happy to be here.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

Expanded.

[Podcast Host]

I'm so excited.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

This has. This is our first studio recording.

[Courtney Johnson]

I'm honored. We.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

We had two amazing women coming today from both Austin, you and Karen Eldette.

[Courtney Johnson]

Really?

[Podcast Host]

Yes.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

And our podcast producer and I were talking, we're like, I really want the clips look good. Like, I love these women. I feel like, you know, why don't

[Podcast Host]

we try a studio and see, like,

[Co-host or Interviewer]

how that feels, how that works, especially with people coming from out of town. So thank you for being our first studio.

[Courtney Johnson]

That's such a cool thing that you guys are doing. I think just bringing more people in person and having that connection is going to have a deeper layer with the audience. So I'm super excited. And if you're listening, comment that you love being in person so you guys can get feedback on it. And yeah, I mean, we recorded probably like a year ago and I still have people in my DMs being like, I just listened to this episode and that's how I found you. And it's been such a big source for connection, that episode. So to be back here is so special and so incredible. And I mean, the relationships that I made just from that episode was crazy. It was my first time in LA too, when I recorded that. Wow. Yeah.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

I feel like you're such a breath of fresh air and truth where when you're talking about career ambition, personal branding, going after what you want, it's said with. Not prescription, but it said with, I've done it, I've been it. It's not that scary, you know, and that's what I felt reading your book. And I was telling you this before we started recording, but like, it is such a bible for people who are not just in corporate, but anyone that works with a team, for a company who even is like an entrepreneur in themselves, someone running a team. Like all of that. There's so many intricacies that I feel like we're not taught, especially around like how to actually grow, how to get the raise you want, how to be seen how you're not doing yourself or how you're doing yourself a disservice by just grinding for grinding sake, without those bigger picture things in mind. So thank you for putting this out into the world.

[Podcast Host]

It's so needed.

[Courtney Johnson]

Yeah, well, thank you and everybody listening because this, the book was actually created from posting on TikTok. Like I was actually using TBM to also use TBM. But at the time was when I first started using TBM and it was to start really expanding in my authenticity and content creation. And through that I created the TikTok series problematic career Cheat Codes. And I saw this video that said if you post a hundred times on TikTok and. Or if you post every day for a year on Tik Tok, you'll never have to worry about money again. And I was like, that's dramatic. Like I'm going to try it, you know, and it's definitely true. Not like you're going to have billions of dollars in your bank account, but it's true. Meaning you'll always have an opportunity if you consistently put Yourself out online. So I saw that video was using TVM to, you know, really step into my authenticity on TikTok, maybe post number 120 got picked up into a book. So it's really crazy what can happen just by showing up and sharing authentically. So it's kind of ironic too, because the methods that I share in the book are the reasons why the book is published in the first place.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

Yeah, I think it's really important for people to have a book like this now, especially with the job market being so insane with AI with all of that. I want to talk first about this concept of visibility. I think people see visibility being seen and think, I don't want to be an influencer. I don't want to be a content creator. Like, I just want to. Like, I have this passion in my job. I just want to focus on that. Do I have to have a personal brand?

[Podcast Host]

Do I have to have X, Y, Z?

[Co-host or Interviewer]

What do you say to that? What are your thoughts on that?

[Courtney Johnson]

Well, you don't have to have a personal brand. Like, you get to make that choice, right? If you're going. Actually, you kind of already have a personal brand, whether you want to or not. It's just if you're going to take the reins or not. But do you have to be an influencer? Do you have to post a ton of content? No, you don't have to do that at all. Like, not everybody feels called to put themselves out there. Not everybody feels called to speak. Not everybody feels called to post on social media. It truly is not for everybody, and that is okay. However, if you do feel called to it, I really, really want to encourage people that it is something that is totally possible. Anybody can do it. And the reason why it's important is because opportunities do not go to the most qualified person. And I know that sucks. But, like, you think, I put my head down, I work hard, I'm going to get the opportunities. But opportunities go to the most visible person. Opportunities go to the person who is putting themselves out there. But I understand it can be. It can feel really icky. It can feel really scary. Especially like, I don't want it to be all about me, me, me. But the thing is, it's not about you, you, you. It's about who you're impacting. It's about who you're serving. It's about getting your message out to the world. Like, that is truly the point of creating content. It's. It's not about me, me, me.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

I think it's so important for People. And you talk about this too in the book, but like being honest with what you really want, you know, like be unfiltered, dream big. Like, have that full vision on there. Because I think sometimes people have. And you know, this with the TPM work, but like that shadow on it, it's like, oh, well, I learned if I do that then this bad thing will happen. Or what does it say about me if I even want for that thing? Or I think this. People get stuck with this a lot with TBM where they're like, is that my ego? You know, does my ego just want to be seen? Am I, you know, trying to heal a wound? And I think especially the market that we're in now with career and how everything is moving, your visibility, the fact that you can stand on what you're

[Podcast Host]

doing, what your values are, what your

[Co-host or Interviewer]

skills are, is going to be so important. I think there's also another lens and we'll get into personal brand too, because

[Podcast Host]

I know a lot of people are

[Co-host or Interviewer]

going to be like, wait, wait, give us the tea on that. But visibility, even within your company about what you're doing.

[Courtney Johnson]

Absolutely.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Courtney Johnson]

It's just not like personal brand does not just have to be posting on social media. This could be making your Google signature reflect a confident, beautiful photo and reflect the project you're working on. It could be your Slack profile. This could be, you know, going to a conference and sharing your learnings with your team. This could be sharing with your clients or your boss, like, the impact that you're creating. So yes, there is this external personal brand that you can create, but there's also a whole world of internal personal brand inside your organization that the public doesn't have to see but is still really, really important. And a lot of that comes down to being able to own your work. You might be thinking like, I don't want to brag. Yes, I finished this project, but I don't want to brag. And it's not bragging. It's helpful. Right? It's helpful if this other department sees the results that you got. It's helpful if your boss can see the impact that you've made and they're not going to go through your Google Drive and try to find out how amazing you are. Right. You got to show up and remind them, remind them, remind them.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

I think that's something you talk a lot about in the book and just doing it in your own way, but without shame. This isn't about like, I'm trying to prove myself by like constantly shoving it in their face. It's like, own what you actually have done. And I think so many times people downplay their contribution. They downplay their gifts, they downplay their skill sets. They can't see that. What are some ways that people can start to honor that? I know you have a lot of exercise in the book, but, like, what's one that someone listening could start to do right now with, like, I don't even know what my, like, number one contribution is. Like, how do I frame that?

[Courtney Johnson]

Imagine you were talking about a friend or a coworker who's completely killing it. They're amazing. They're doing so great. How would you talk about that person? Oh, my gosh. Jessica is so amazing. So Jessica has, you know, really taken the reins on this podcast and has created this big community. And Jessica is so awesome. Jessica just is able to stand up in front of a crowd with no fear. Like, she's amazing, right? Like, that's how you would talk about a friend. How would a friend talk about you? Like, you get to share that with yourself. You get to brag on yourself. And so often we diminish or make excuses for our wins. Well, that only happened because of this. Well, that person quit the job. So I had to step in. Like, no, you get to own it. It's almost like learning to market ourselves to ourselves.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

I did that exercise in my notes app and I, like, pretended to to be talking about myself from the third person. And I was like, jessica, blah, blah, blah. And I was like, oh, this is fun. Like, it takes a second because you have to, like, break that dissonance. But then afterwards, it's like, what a great thing to look back on. Or just pop open your phone and that day that you're like, second guessing yourself or your contribution, I feel like every time I've had major career growth, it's because I've gone through what I've delivered, what the impact of it, who it's reached, like, what that launch meant for the company, what that exercise meant, what that di meant. Well, whatever. Like, really looking at it, just even for myself and say, like, whoa, okay, yeah, that did. You know you're so busy onto the next, onto the next, but actually taking time to be like, wow, if I look at all of it, there is a lot here. Do you have any practice personally, where you're constantly going back and checking, is it your, like, wins folder screenshots? Like, what do you do if you need that pick me up? Or you want to just own your

[Podcast Host]

next level of growth?

[Courtney Johnson]

Yeah, Well, I recommend everybody create a WINS folder. So anytime you get a nice message from a client or a co worker says something, or maybe somebody sends you a nice message of how you were helpful to them, take a screenshot and put it in a folder. Right now, my WINS folder is not technically a folder. It is a slack channel with myself. And every time I get a nice DM or somebody in my program, you know, shares a win, I'll put it in that WINS folder. And if I get discouraged, I go back and read years and years of positivity because, you know, it's so easy to get stuck in that one mistake we make or that one person that's being negative. So to go back and see all of this evidence and reaffirm this evidence, wow, I'm impactful. I'm incredible. Like, I really can do this is just so powerful.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

And I think the argument on the other side, like, well, I don't want to get too, you know, in my head or blah, blah, blah, it actually has the opposite effect. You can own your value without needing to feel braggadocious or, like, have all this pride over someone. Talk about the advice or the quote you got from. I think it was a boss at the time who said, like, if you can't receive compliments, you're not going to

[Podcast Host]

be able to receive money.

[Courtney Johnson]

Oh, yeah, that is powerful. So I was having coffee with a mentor and I was telling her that I felt stuck in my career income. I was afraid to ask for more money. I was afraid to ask for a raise. And she said, it's because you're bad at getting compliments. You'll never be able to receive more money. Because when we walked into this coffee, she said, oh, you look really beautiful. I love your outfit. And I'm like, oh, no, no, no. Like, I got this from TJ Maxx. And like, I totally have a pimple right now and I'm breaking out. And like, you look beautiful, though. Like, you look not me, you. Like, I was really deflect. And the compliment she was giving me and she said, that's the number one indicator that you are not able to receive money. If you can't receive compliments. Like, practice receiving, receiving, receiving. It truly is a practice and something you got to get comfortable with in your body. And once I started accepting compliments, I was more confident to be able to negotiate to receive other things like money or a bonus or something else.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

It's hard. I feel like I was definitely you in the beginning phase, even just becoming more public through tbm we got a compliment. I immediately downplay it, or I'd minimize it or I deflect it to the other person. And then I was like, okay, let me try to not minimize it. Let me accept it. But then I would still be like, and you are so great too. Like, I always had to, like, add that in. And now it's like working with that nervous system regulation of like, thank you, silence. No more after. Do not, do not justify it. And then your body's like, oh, okay, I'm allowed to do that. That wasn't bad or mean or ungrateful. You can actually let it land.

[Courtney Johnson]

Another sign is birthdays. So people that say, I hate birthdays because people are giving me gifts and all the attention is on me. I hate it. Right. That's another really, really great practice. Maybe you could have a birthday party and all your friends bring you a gift and you say thank you to everyone. Right? Even a practice as simple as that. Because I used to be that person too. I'm like, do not get me a gift on my birthday because I feel so uncomfortable that you're giving me something. And I feel like I owe you back. Right? So notice as you're receiving, I mean, receiving compliments, receiving gifts, receiving blessings in your life, are you deflecting when something really positive happens? And just like you're saying it's the nervous system regulation of being able to receive.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

Talk about being a thought leader. Because I think people think thought leader. You're on stage, you're giving a TED Talk. But thought leadership happens on so many different levels and actually makes you more skilled at your job because you're thinking about the global, bigger problems at hand.

[Podcast Host]

You're thinking about your industry at hand.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

You're not just thinking about this one task. How does thought leadership play into the workforce and personal brands?

[Courtney Johnson]

Yeah, thought leadership is basically instead of just observing your industry, you're actively involved in it. You're shaping it, you're creating it. And a lot of people don't realize that anybody can do this. You can be a leader in your industry. And it really like, thought leadership to me really means that you have your authentic opinions and values and you want to bring those values to other people in your industry. So that might be. You know, I'm in marketing, and I really, really believe that we get to be more creative in marketing. And the marketing industry needs more artists. It's more creative. So not only am I wishing that, oh, I'm wishing that there should be more artists in the marketing industry, I'm Actively talking about it. I'm involving other people. I'm creating in order to make that happen. I'm manifesting this change in my industry that comes by having influence. And how do we have influence? We have attention, we have people's eyes on us. We have leadership. And so, yeah, thought leadership is such a powerful way to not only impact your industry, but actively shape it, which is just so freaking cool.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

What do you find are some maybe sneaky ways that people can start stepping into what that looks like? Like, what are the arenas that people can do this on? Because I think, you know, again, people think about it as like shouting on a stage somewhere, but there's so many other ways that you can share that impact and that knowledge that maybe people don't know about.

[Courtney Johnson]

One of my favorite ways is to share your knowledge internally in your organization. This is something that's a lot less scary, a lot lower lift. Let's say you're really, really good at understanding your company benefits and you work in the HR team. Ask if you can give a presentation to the rest of the company and educate. Right. This is going to put you in a perceived leadership position where people are going to look up to you and want to ask you for advice, want to ask you for, maybe even policy change. Obviously, LinkedIn is a great place to publicly share thought leadership. LinkedIn is crazy because less than 2% of the 1.1 billion users on LinkedIn post once a week. So if you're just posting once per. And that's a. It's a lot lower actually, for a lot of industries. But if you're just posting once per week, you're already in the top 2% of all of LinkedIn and you are impacting 98% of other people's decision making in your industry. So LinkedIn. So we have internal, we have LinkedIn, you know, a lot of other platforms. Instagram Substack is really popular right now, obviously, TikTok is fine. Social media platforms is great. Speaking is also really great too. You can be on stage if that's something that you desire. But there's so many avenues and a lot of people wonder, well, what place should I start? Should I speak? Should I go on a podcast? Should I post on social media? And it's really, what are you most lit up by? Like, there is unlimited ways to contribute your knowledge and expertise and values with the world, with your industry, with your company. What. What lights you up the most and what are you going to be able to commit to and be consistent with?

[Co-host or Interviewer]

Yeah, that was Even an unlock for me where, you know, and I'm, I'm still in the process of my developing my own personal brand because I feel like I've just put so much into TBN that now I'm finding like, wait, I also have other thoughts or anchors or interests outside of just this. There's like so much more going on too that I've just gotten the ping to share and realizing like, oh, wait, I watched this podcast interview. I had thoughts about it, a perspective on it. I can share that. Like, that's enough. You know what I mean? And I think those little things where it's like, you don't have to like take up a new skill or learn a new thing. It's like all the stuff you're already doing, the conversations you're probably already having with your friends, with your peers, with your coworkers, it's just being able to share that with a broader audience who doesn't find it common knowledge or isn't seeing the pattern that you're seeing.

[Courtney Johnson]

Yeah, what's obvious to you is probably mind blowing to somebody else. And that definitely keeps people from creating content because they think, well, this is obvious. Well, everybody knows that and that's just not true. But I love what you're saying about documenting. So yes, you don't have to sit down and think, what should I post? I need to come up with some great idea that everybody's gonna love. You don't have to do that. You can just share how you're already living your life. And just by being you and showing up visibly being you, doing what you already do, you are going to make an impact on other people. You are going to lead other people. Because again, 98% of the world does not write books, does not speak on stage, does not create content, does not write blogs. 2% of the world does. 2% of the world creates. And the fundamental building block for all of our decision making is, is content. Like, how did you decide what grad school to go to? You read some blogs, you watch those YouTube videos, you followed that creator that inspired you and you made a decision based on content. So if you choose to be a leader and you choose to be in the 2% of the world that is creating content, you are impacting 98% of the world's decision making. Like, it really is such a beautiful, powerful experience. And imagine like if more good hearted people step into a position of leadership and impacting others, like what our world would look like.

[Podcast Host]

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[Co-host or Interviewer]

Talk about developing not just your core skills, your zone of genius, but complementary skills. Because I think this is something when I think about like the A players on our team, I think about people who just like, I have no doubt in their mind whatever they're going to do is going to be huge because they have this ability to not only master their own lane, but have those other diverse complimentary skills.

[Courtney Johnson]

Yeah. Instead of trying to be the top 1% at one thing, try to be the top 10% at three or four different things. In that way, you're creating a category of one. I had a girl that I worked with who was a marketer. She also was really into video games. She loved video games. She had a gaming YouTube channel and she was just really in the YouTube gaming culture. She was really, really afraid to talk about gaming on LinkedIn. She was like, it's irrelevant. I'm going to try to become the number one marketer. Like, that doesn't really have to do with anything. I'm not going to talk about gaming. It's weird, it's not professional. So I really encourage her to be authentic, show up in her authenticity. Because she was really great at video games and really great at marketing. She was not the number one gamer in the world and she was not the one marketer in the world. But when you put those two things together, she became a category of one and ended up getting a marketing lead job at EA Sports in their video game department. So again, there are these things that maybe you think are not related to your career, maybe you think are not as obvious. And they could be topical skills, they could be soft skills, they could be that you studied abroad and really understand a culture. Right? There could be so many different things. But when you realize that it's not about figuring out competition in one niche, you already are the niche, like showing up as your authentic self is when you become A category of 1, is when your career stops becoming this box you should fit into and starts becoming something everyone around you is like, is fitting into for you. Right?

[Co-host or Interviewer]

It is really wild because I even think about, like my personal brand. And I remember sitting down with. Do you remember Heather? She was a TBM coach. I remember sitting down with her and being like, you know, I wanna, I want my personal brand to be these pillars. And she was like, well, what's your authentic code? I'm like, well, home and this and that. She's, that's your personal brand. And I was like, oh, okay.

[Courtney Johnson]

Like, that's it.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

Like that, that simple. And she's like, you love sunsets. That's part of your personal brand. You love, like, cozy moments at home. That's part of your personal brand. I'm like, but how am I giving value with that? And she's like, that's your set and setting. Like you're helping people ground into the moment. Like the fact that you're talking about, you know, TBM or whatever, but then you're in these other environments. Like, that is all part of that world building of you. And I remember like this huge unlock, thinking I had to, like, develop these core things. And then I was like, oh, I just had to be me, but online, you know, I had to invite in the parts of myself that I love and I was resonating with.

[Courtney Johnson]

Yeah, there's nothing you have to develop I get so annoyed when people are like, here's your 12 step personal brand strategy and you need to post these pillars three times a week. And like, it's showing up authentically as you. And when you, when that clicks, you're like, oh, it gets to be easy. Like, it's actually fine. And even if we're talking about the same thing, let's say there's two people and they're both talking about personal training and they're sharing workouts. They might look at each other and say, oh, well, that's my competition, or I need to work harder because this other person is also sharing workouts. Well, maybe person A is a mom and people are going to resonate with her because she's a mom. Maybe person B is a student and people are going to resonate with her because of that. And even though they're sharing the exact same things, people are going to resonate with them for different reasons. And so it does not matter topically what you're talking about when you create your personal brand, because once you integrate every part of you, there is no competition. You are number one at being you. And it sounds so trite, I know, but it is so true.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

I think that's really good permission for people, too, to not overthink it, try to perfect it. It's like, get in the arena. Share you. The other piece that I think people get wrong is they think being authentic is being overly vulnerable, sharing everything, crying on camera, like, just showing every single messy part. And I'm curious from your perspective, like, how do you think about consider what is your private life that this doesn't need to be, you know, publicized? And what feels like this feels true to me and I want to share it. Like, do you have a line where that comes into play? Because I think true authenticity is knowing there are things that are going to be in my private life and I don't need to share them and I can still show up fully authentic, fully integrated.

[Courtney Johnson]

Yeah, it's really understanding the line between your boundary and your fear. So I see a lot of people in fear. They say, oh, well, I'm making a separate Instagram account for my graphic design because it's a boundary. And turns out they're actually just really afraid that their college friends are going to see them talking about, you know, graphic design. Now, some people, it's a boundary. I'm, you know, having a private account and I'm not talking about these certain topics because that's a boundary for me or my family or my partner or Whatever. So you get to tune into yourself and figure out what is a boundary and what is a fear. And am I making this out of fear? But I, you know, I don't really talk about my relationship online. I'm not gonna talk about my kids online. I don't really post when I travel, so I have my boundaries mainly for, like, safety or comfort. But I also gotta clock myself when it's a fear. For example, earlier today I was gonna create some content in my hotel, but I was talking myself out of it, like, oh, this is a boundary. Because I don't wanna post where I'm traveling, even though I can post it in the future. It was actually a fear because I was like, do I really belong here? I'm overthinking this. Like, I'm not my usual setup. So I'm, you know, I'm feeling the adhd, whatever. I can clock myself and be like, that is a fear.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

I think that's so, so good. Knowing, like, okay, is this line from that scarcity place or is this line because. No, I feel good. There's, There's. It just doesn't feel correct for me. That, I think is something that people need to constantly check again and again and again.

[Courtney Johnson]

Yes.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

And the line moves.

[Courtney Johnson]

Yes.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

You know, like, you could have. I don't have kids yet, but in my mind, I'm like, okay, yeah, I don't want to share my kids. But once I have kids, I don't know, I might feel different. I might be like, okay, well, this is okay. But that's not okay. Like, I'm not in that experience yet. And I'm going to have to adjust that. That filter for me when that time comes. But I think having a practice where if you have these rigid walls up, question them before making that decision.

[Courtney Johnson]

Yeah. I mean, the number one mistake I see people make in their careers and in building their personal brands, stepping into thought leadership, is they're looking for a right answer. They're like, well, should I do X or Y? What is the right platform? Should I implement this tip or that tip? And the truth is, that's where you got to connect with yourself. There is no right answer. Everything is a suggestion, not a prescription. And what's right and true for me is not right and true for you. And so to really be able to come back to your authenticity, come back to your authentic code and understand what is true for you is the path. It can be hard, especially if you have, like, an engineering or mathematical mind. You want the path you want. I need the Next steps laid out for me perfectly in order to make the next move. And. And there is an element of surrender that comes with it.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

In the first episode, we talked about Cringe Mountain there, and I'm thinking about people now. They're like, okay, I'm listening to this episode. I'm starting to think I do feel called to a personal brand. I do feel called to share more online. That's always what comes back for me is like, it's not even like I want this out there. It's like, I just can't shut up about this thing and I want to share it, you know, like, that's the place that I clock in with myself from. And I'm sure people are thinking that. And now the. The conversation in their head is like, well, I don't want to be seen with a hundred followers. I don't want to be seen trying. I don't want to be seen starting from zero. Because in their mind, when they're dreaming about this, they're, you know, level to level with all the people they admire and their expanders. What would you say for someone who's like, breaking through that.

[Podcast Host]

That team, that shadow?

[Courtney Johnson]

Yeah, that's the initiation that's, you know, building a strong personal brand and having leadership. It's not a difficult thing to do technically. Like, it's not a technically hard thing to do. It's not about who has the best edited videos or who can write the best or whatever. It's, can you walk through that portal of extreme discomfort of people ignoring you and not caring what you have to say? If you can, if you can summit the cringe mountain and get over the cringe mountain you have, you have it like you did it right. It's not about being perfect. It's not about the perfect content or the perfect message. Like, truly it is, can you make it through that portal? Like, that is the hardest part. But also, you know, you're climbing Cringe Mountain, people are talking or they're ignoring you, but once you get to the other side of Cringe Mountain, people are going to do nothing but celebrate you. Like, the biggest YouTuber, Instagram or whatever in the world is not going to look at your 300 followers and 10 likes and shit on you. They're going to encourage you and say, that's exactly where I started. Keep going.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

I think also really looking for expanders who are starting there with you, you know, and I think the biggest unlock if someone has that shame is seeing people who are starting there who aren't ashamed of it. Yeah, like, we see, like, if I'm not there yet, that means something's wrong with me or I don't resonate or my stuff's not going viral, whatever. It's like, it's just. It's just a volume game. It's a timing game, you know, like, it will eventually compound over time. And I think there's also different types of creators. Personal brand. Like, some people are, like, viral, and some people are like a steady, slow build. Like, they're building their community over time. I think knowing what your intention is, what your why is it's so important, and then looking to people be like, okay, if I, you know, it's like investing. If I keep investing in this, I'm not really going to see a return right away, but over time, there's going to be a moment where you're like, holy shit, that just happened so fast.

[Courtney Johnson]

Yeah, it can't not work for you. Like, there's never been someone that has posted, I don't know, on YouTube every single week for five years and not seen success. It does. Like, statistically, it can't happen. For example, to rank in the top 4% of podcasts that have ever existed, all you have to do is post six episodes, right? To rank in the top 2% of all LinkedIn users, you just post one time per week. The average substack writer, I think it's like 99% of substack writers don't get past article number 12.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

Wow.

[Courtney Johnson]

So it is not a game of perfection, of being amazing. It's not a game of talent. It is just a game of continuing to show up every day in the same way. Investing. If you're investing, I don't know, $10 a day for 30 years, there's just no statistical way that it doesn't work out for you.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

Jumping around a little bit. You mentioned in the book talking to, you know, other people that you admire about their dreams. What is your dream right now?

[Courtney Johnson]

Oh, great question. My dream is to make the biggest impact possible. Like, when I think about my authentic code, the word that comes up versus impact. I just really desire for people to see their value and their worth in the world and to be able to. To move to their best version of themselves. So I want to have big impact. Also dream is to deliver a lovely, safe baby boy. That's top of mind right now. But I feel like I'm. I'm really living a lot of my dreams, so I just want to help other people live their dreams.

[Podcast Host]

If there was one practice that I could recommend to you that has transformed my life more than anything else. It has been the 2B magnetic work. Obviously I may be biased because I am the Chief Content Officer, I'm the host of the podcast, I develop all the workshops with the brand. But it is also the tool that has helped my life the most most. When I am in a season of doubt, when I'm in a season of fear or tests or triggers, when I am trying to get clarity on my next chapter, when I'm trying to design a life for my future, that I want to be really deeply connected to my soul, to my potential, to my purpose, to my ambition. TBM houses all the tools and workshops that you need to connect deeper to yourself and not let your past patterning, your past programming, your limiting beliefs run the show anymore. Because every time I get tripped up on one of those things, it is always younger versions of myself coming in, taking the driver's seat and running rampant. And until I can connect with them through the TBM work and really learn to process it in a new way and recontextualize the things, that is when my life actually shifts and I reprogram my neural pathways to be in alignment with what I truly want. Which is how you manifest. If you are interested in joining the pathway, we have a special offer for our podcast guests where you can get the first month for $20 and then join our annual membership. You can use this work through our various workshops that we teach you how to manifest. We go through an inner child program. There's a shadow program, one for rut, rock bottom, money, love, you name it. Or you can use it as a daily tool to reprogram in the moment issues as they come up to reset your nervous system, give you high self worth, reconnect with your magnetic self, or talk to your inner child part that may be in the way and running the show and self sabotaging. So if you're getting the ping to join tbm, now's the time. And you can use code expanded all caps E X P A N D e D for $20 off your first month to join the pathway.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

What has been one thing for you and your business in scaling? Because I feel like over the past few years it was like it got so so big and now like I can't talk to anyone about personal brands without them mentioning you at some point. How have you had to support yourself? Delegate hire? Like what was the best decision you've made that were like thank God I frickin did that Cause that saved me so Much along this route.

[Courtney Johnson]

Yeah, it's so funny because there's a TBF exercise somewhere where you make like a dream partner list. I actually did that before, like a business partner.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

Wow, I love this.

[Courtney Johnson]

And yeah, I found her my operations lead. She. She is so incredible. I literally made a dream partner list the day after. No joke. The next morning she messaged me on LinkedIn being like, Hey, I want to work for you. And that was my first big hire. So incredible. And it was uncomfortable at first because it was the receiving. I was receiving help, I was receiving support. I would have this instinct to step in and be like, no, you don't have to do that. I'll do it, I'll do it for you. No, I'll do this, I'll do this. Right. So yeah, I mean, that was really, really difficult. So big growth for me and anybody listening is getting in the practice of delegating. If you want to have massive, massive impact in this world. Especially if your dream is like, you know, having your own company, you're a musician, you're whatever, you have this big dream where you're making a big impact. You have a team, like for most giant impactful people, that is a non negotiable. So you get to start small by practicing delegating. That could be asking your partner to do the dishes tonight. That could be asking your friend to pick you up. Right? That could be hiring a virtual assistant for $15 for an hour to help you clean up your Google Drive. Right? So the first step was really practicing and getting comfortable in my body and in my nervous system with receiving support.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

So good. I like that you talk about in the book too micro delegation, just micro moments of delegating things and seeing it as a muscle to build. Because I think there were so many lines you had in there that was like, oh, well, I could just do better. If I do it now, I can do it faster. And it's like, maybe in this moment I could do it faster, but how much is this costing me in the long haul? By not like figuring out how to train this person to do this or pass a system along? I think now there's so many AI tools like loom. One thing that I'm trying to implement is like whenever I do projects solo, like deep work, I'm gonna try to record on like a loom. And then that way I can be like, okay, this is why I made this decision, this is why I made this edit, blah, blah, blah, just so people can like already start understanding my thinking on things.

[Podcast Host]

Just Little things like that.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

And then the other thing I've heard with delegating, which I'm not 100% first day, I'm not doing it, I'm not embodying it 100 yet, but I'm working on it, is when you delegate to

[Podcast Host]

actually let it go.

[Courtney Johnson]

Yes, let it go. Yes, let it go. That can be really difficult. Right. We have the instinct to micromanage and make it perfect, but again, it's feeling really regulated in our bodies to be able to let it go. And the truth is, yeah, probably whoever you're delegating this to isn't going to do it your way and isn't going to do it as perfect as you. However, they're going to be able to do it 85% as good as you and 10x the output and the impact of that task. So it's also letting go of perfectionism, letting go of everything needing to be micromanaged and so, so perfect.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

How, when you are thinking about creating content or sharing content, what is your practice with it? Like, I, I feel like now it's just on autopilot, like, you kind of know. But when you were first starting, you're like, okay, I want to post every day for a year or whatever it was. Did you have. Okay, this time of day, I'm gonna sit down, think about these ideas. Did you have like pings in the moment word bank? And then you kind of pulled from that, but you still had a. A container. Like, how did you structure the actual practice of doing it?

[Courtney Johnson]

Yeah, so there's like the masculine and the feminine energies of content creation. So the masculine energy is I'm gonna post every single day no matter what. And I have these templates and these ideas in my notes app that I know work for me. And I can also repurpose content and I can use some frameworks. Right. The feminine energy of content creation is the inspiration strikes and you act impulsively. So you're driving down the road and you literally pull off to the side of the road to record a video, or you're taking a shower and you get out of the shower with shampoo in your hair to write a post right then and there when inspiration strikes. It's so funny because there's a story about this in the War of Art, or maybe it's the creative act that says, when Michael Jackson got an idea for a song, he had to write it down immediately or the universe would give it to Prince. Yes, I love hearing that. Crazy. So, yeah, you get to have a balance of the masculine and feminine energies, obviously, like if, if we could stay in like the feminine space of I'm always getting the best spark of idea in my brain and I'm super open to receiving that creative idea, that would be awesome. That's not super practical for most people with like lives and responsibilities. So make the commitment to yourself. Honor the downloads when they come and act on them impulsively. And when the downloads don't come, that's okay. Have some sort of structure to where you're committed to creating that. And for me that was just keeping a log of my ideas.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

I love the balance of the two because it's not saying you have to

[Podcast Host]

go all in on one direction or the other.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

You can kind of have a balance which is important. It's like let, let that creative flow, let being in flow state hit you. And if it's not practical, at least

[Podcast Host]

have your container to like support.

[Courtney Johnson]

Totally. Yeah. I mean in reality, you're gonna be on vacation and you're gonna wanna throw your phone away for a couple of days. You're going to have a really busy day and have no time to post. And it's also the BTN method. BTN method is the better than nothing method. You're just putting something out is better than nothing. So sometimes my post would literally be like a three second clip of my dog on my Instagram story and I'm like, okay, I did it, I posted. Or I would post one sentence on like my burner Twitter account from like 2013. Be like, I posted, I got in the rep. Yes, that was a shitty post. Nobody's going to see it. But at least I know that I'm staying true to my commitment to myself and I'm getting something out.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

Where can people connect with you? Where can they find the book?

[Courtney Johnson]

So you get my book career cheat codes, anywhere books are sold. It'll take you through really all of this and more. How to be an A player and your career, and lots of uncomfortable and a little bit problematic cheat codes about your career. You can also find me, really anywhere on social media. If you Google Courtney Johnson, I will come up and you can join me in my content club. I meet with a group of people every single day at 8am and I tell you exactly what to create. I give you space to create content, I give you feedback. And we post together.

[Podcast Host]

So good.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

Okay, wait, I want to do a little. Not rapid fire, but kind of ish. What is one limiting belief that you're working through when it comes to business? Career right now yeah.

[Courtney Johnson]

One limiting belief is the sustainability. Like, oh, if I get too big, I won't be able to sustain it. Yeah. Working. Working through that one right now. Have you felt that one?

[Co-host or Interviewer]

A thousand percent.

[Courtney Johnson]

Yeah.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

I feel it a lot with visibility, too.

[Courtney Johnson]

Yeah.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

Like, I feel like, oh, my God, if I'm. If I'm seen by so many people in such a broad level, like, you can't put the cat back in the bag kind of thing. And I'm like, so ridiculous. But, like, my biggest fear is not being able to, like, go on hikes in my neighborhood. And I'm like, what if I, like, get to a point where there's so much attention and I'm like, one freaking step.

[Courtney Johnson]

One step at a time.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

Why are we even worried about. We're not even. We don't even want that.

[Courtney Johnson]

Yeah.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

They're like, we're fine.

[Courtney Johnson]

I have. I have. I'm moving through something similar right now, which is like, well, how am I going to write 10 books? And I'm like, what? What do you mean 10 books? Like, I don't know. I don't have another book deal. Like, 10 books. This. I get to focus on this one book I wrote. Right. Like, how am I going to sustain this whole author career? Like, it doesn't exist yet.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

I think it's just. It's just the protector parts, like, going a million steps ahead to find certainty.

[Courtney Johnson]

Totally.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

It's like, okay, well, let's play this all the way to the top. If we get there, what's the worst thing that can happen? Great. Now we're worried about that. Let's not take any. Yeah, okay. Who is one expander that you're looking at right now?

[Podcast Host]

And you're like, fuck, I'm really inspired by this thing they do.

[Courtney Johnson]

I am really inspired. Do you know Kat GPT on Instagram? I'm really inspired by her. We have the same talent agency, and I've just always really looked up to her, and I think her authenticity is so powerful and bold, and she's growing really fast right now. I just really admire everything that she's doing.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

What would you say to people who are, like, feeling discouraged because they're not going viral or their account is not growing or they're not seeing the old school metrics.

[Courtney Johnson]

Yeah.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

Of visibility that they want.

[Courtney Johnson]

Go make a list of every single good thing that has happened, every single friend that has texted you because you posted something that resonates with them. Every single message that you got, Even just somebody saying, hey, I love this. Start to gather that Evidence as early as humanly possible. Because, yes, we can get discouraged that this video totally flopped or nobody saw this thing, but the minute we get a text from a friend saying, hey, your story really inspired me and now I'm taking this action, like, that is all that matters. So make your wins folder very early on.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

I think also knowing what your end goal is, you know, like, you can have a million followers and not an engaged audience.

[Courtney Johnson]

Totally.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

You can have a 10 million followers and not really a big impact, you know, so it's like thinking about what does impact mean to you and is it like a vanity metric or not? Since Impact is one of your authentic codes, how do you measure impact? Like, is there a follower number? Is there a share number? Is there like a metric? Or do you not look at that at all?

[Courtney Johnson]

No, it's collecting stories. Collecting stories of people that have taken my advice and a positive impact has happened in their life. I have a PowerPoint slide that I keep a bunch of stories in. Like, for example, somebody took my LinkedIn class and they got their visa sponsored and was able to move to New York City. And that's been her dream, like forever. And just to hear stories like that, thinking, wow, like, if I can help one person accomplish their dreams, like, how many more people can I help, right? Like, I just think it's so powerful. But yeah, vanity metrics are hard. I was actually last week talking to my manager about this and I was like, I'm not growing followers. And even he was like, why do you care about that? Like, the brands don't care. We don't care. We know deep down you don't care. Like, what is going on to where your impact vision is like clouded by followers. It doesn't. Followers does not equate impact at all. Because, like, also you could go. If we wanted to get as many followers as possible right now, we would just go post something like controversial about like a celebrity or something. Would that be helpful to our visions?

[Co-host or Interviewer]

No, I think it's also when you are building online or in any sort of public sphere, you're also putting your authenticity out and your integrity out. And sometimes part of your integrity is knowing, like, what is the line which is true and authentic to me? And what am I just trying to enter the arena in? Because I know it's an attention game, you know, and I think getting really clear again, is it from fear? Is it from scarcity? Am I trying to master the number one hook? Because I think I should. Because I think I should do this. Because what social media Tells you versus what do you actually freaking want?

[Courtney Johnson]

Yeah. And the irony is, when you go down the path of I'm gonna engineer the perfect hook and the perfect lighting and the perfect everything, that video is probably gonna flop. But the one where you look ugly and you're, like, sweating at the gym, that you record with awful lighting and foggy audio, that's the one that takes off. Right? Like, it happens to everyone. I'm sure you feel the same way of, like, your top performing video is probably like, I made that in two seconds. What the heck?

[Co-host or Interviewer]

It's literally me singing in my kitchen, greasy hair, and my partner eating cereal.

[Courtney Johnson]

Yes. You're like, really? You're like, so long. This other one, like, come on, guys.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Courtney Johnson]

People resonated with it. There's something about that that is super authentic.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

It's an energetic scheme at the end of the day, you know? Like, I think the more that you don't, like, distort your signal, you're not like, oh, see me like this. I want this. You know, the hook, whatever. That's all the distortion. It's like when you can just, like, show up and be you. You feel that on other people. And I think the. The game is to get yourself into that. Because if you can get into that when you're creating and sharing anything and not just social media, but like a presentation, sharing at work, developing your craft, your artistic whatever, if you can get into that state where, like, you're like, this is just me and I'm expressing, you feel amazing, and everybody else is like, wow, that was amazing. Like, you can feel the resonance when that thing happens, but you have to almost, like, quiet the nervous system and the protective parts long enough for that light to shine.

[Courtney Johnson]

Totally. Yeah. That's such good advice.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

Oh, thank you.

[Courtney Johnson]

Courtney.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

This has been amazing. Thank you.

[Courtney Johnson]

It's been so good.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

Congratulations on the book. I'm serious, like, you guys, I don't know if you guys can see this, but, like, I have so many pages earmarked. Whether you're in working for a company, small business, entrepreneur, content creator, anything. Like, there's so many useful tips in here. Very practical, and I love that. It's. It's really just. No BS advice to all of this.

[Courtney Johnson]

Yeah. Keep it real.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

Yes.

[Courtney Johnson]

Well, thank you for having me.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

Yes. Thank you.

[Podcast Host]

I hope you guys enjoy that episode as much as I did. I know I have a lot of still unblocking in certain areas to feel fully safe expressing in that way, especially when it comes to social media and my personal brand, but baby steps at a time. So here are some tools that I'm going to be leaning on in the next couple months just to allow myself to feel safe. Especially as I get more and more comfortable sharing on my YouTube and different

[Co-host or Interviewer]

things online and my sub stack the

[Podcast Host]

Nervous System Reset Tools I am telling you having a quick less than 10 minute deep imagining you can do to to prep your nervous system before you go in to make content like a spark to action deep imagining or or after you've already shared or posted to get rid of that feeling of cringe and oh no, what are people gonna think that release energy Di this also works for if you're speaking up in a meeting, if you are presenting an idea, if you are sharing with your friends a creative passion for the first time ever whenever you have that onboarding to go and do it and then the post amble. I think those are the two most important areas we wanna attune to our nervous system. It can be massive to do that spark to action before and then the release energy after and just teach your body that you're safe by doing it again and again and again through repetition. So much more to say on this and self expression and being seen but those are a great place to start. Okay, we'll see you next week.

[Courtney Johnson]

Sam.