Podcast Summary: Slay The Gatekeeper

Episode: Why Visibility Matters More Than Talent for Women at Work
Host: Courtney Johnson
Guest: Lauren Douglas
Date: January 20, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into why visibility often matters more than pure talent for women advancing in the workplace. Host Courtney Johnson and marketing/PR agency founder Lauren Douglas unpack a series of "cheat codes" for navigating career growth, personal branding, and mindset. With an emphasis on actionable insights, vulnerability, and the power of intentional connection, Lauren and Courtney share hard-won wisdom to help listeners slay internal and external "gatekeepers," build their own opportunities, and thrive authentically at work.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Purpose is Not Static

• Purpose evolves: Both Courtney and Lauren share that your life purpose is allowed to change. Don’t confine yourself to a single lifelong mission (01:28).

  • Lauren: “The thing about purpose is you don’t ha—it doesn’t have to stay static your entire life... What you’re doing five years ago can be different than what you’re doing today and can be different from what you’re going to do in another five years.” (01:56)

• Primary vs. Secondary Purpose: Lauren frames primary purpose as core values, and secondary purpose as the outward ways these are lived or expressed (02:51).

• Through-Line of Values: Courtney observes that most people’s “through line” is a value such as impact (hers) or adventure (her partner’s).

2. Courage as a Core Value

• Lauren’s through-line: Courage has been her guiding value.

  • Lauren: "Everything that you do, you have to have some level of courage... Sometimes to start something new, sometimes... to shut down a business... For me, a lot of times I’m like, banging on my chest and like, you got this.” (04:19)

• Facing fear: Lauren reframes fear through self-talk and emotional intelligence, considering the emotional experience of others, especially during hard conversations (05:43).

3. Reframing Inner Talk with “Rescripting” (Cheat Code)

• Rewriting the inner narrative: Lauren recommends scripting difficult conversations in writing or as voice memos to prepare and ground yourself (06:54).
  • Lauren: “When you’re speaking out loud or you’re writing, then you can kind of get things out... you can go into a conversation... more prepped, your feet are planted more solidly.” (07:01)

4. Quitting as a Power Move (Cheat Code)

• Quitting as strategy: Discusses why one in three women are considering quitting, citing lack of systemic support, child care costs, post-pandemic reassessment, and schedules incompatible with women’s lives (08:27).

  • Lauren: “A lot of women in particular were like, I want to spend more time with my family... I want to start a business... I am passionate about coaching or teaching...” (09:36)

• Testing and transition: Start your side passion, build confidence and infrastructure, and plan your exit rather than jumping without preparation.

  • “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” (10:53)

• The “Power Pause”: Some women are opting for intentional sabbaticals to reevaluate paths.

5. Building Personal Brand and Visibility

• Visibility > Talent: Women especially need to be visible, not just talented.

  • Lauren: "[M]en are promoted based on potential and women are promoted based on proof. And if you are not talking about yourself... nobody knows what you’ve done." (11:51)
  • Courtney: “As Austin Kleon says, if your work is not online, it doesn't exist.” (12:43)

• Outcomes from a strong brand: New clients, opportunities, speaking gigs, and even relationships—most arrived “out of the blue” months or years after online content was posted (13:07, 17:06).

  • Lauren: “Posting online creates brain space in people’s brains. And... you occupy the brain space... Most people aren’t in market today for your service. They’re going to be in market in six months, a year, or even two years.” (17:06)

• Overcoming fear: Courage and “permission” are crucial for women afraid of being seen. By posting and sharing, even uncomfortably, doors open organically (13:55).

6. Becoming Top of Mind / “Owning Shares of Consciousness”

• Memorability through repetition:
  • Courtney: “We can also own shares of other people’s consciousness... The goal... is to own a piece of your audience’s consciousness filed under whatever your expertise is.” (17:45, 18:10)

7. Play Like a Kid: The Creativity Cheat Code

• No great ideas from cubicles: The best creativity comes from playfulness.

  • Lauren: “There’s no creative idea that has ever come from sitting in a cubicle. And there’s no creative idea that has ever come from being scared... If you can tap into that childlike place... you’re gonna be able to create the best art.” (18:51)

• Actionable tips for play: Improv classes, art, music, “inner child” days; Courtney suggests a “middle school dance playlist” on Spotify (20:01, 21:10).

8. Share Failures Publicly

• Vulnerability is powerful: Sharing tough moments builds trust and authenticity.

  • Lauren: “It connects you most with people... That’s the stories we all love to hear. No good story has ever come from, like, she just succeeded.” (22:02)

• Normalize failure: It's a daily part of entrepreneurship—expect and embrace it.

  • Courtney: “Failure is part of the game. Like, it literally happens every single day. And I don’t know that everybody knows that.” (23:33)

• Perspective: Even serious challenges can be reframed as rites of professional passage (25:07).

9. Intuition vs. Fear: Navigating Decisions

• Distinction: Intuition comes from the gut, fear from the head (26:42, 27:35).

  • Lauren: “Fear’s more in the brain and it’s more of a brain activity than a gut activity... sometimes they can be competing instincts.” (26:42)

• Three Centers Decision Method: Lauren balances head, heart, and gut for important choices (28:09).

• Alignment, Rituals, and “Category of One”

  • Integrate all of yourself into your work (31:01).
  • Avoid splitting your brand presence; bring all parts of you together for uniqueness (32:00).

10. Momentum, Action, and Avoiding Analysis Paralysis

• Momentum comes after action: Don’t wait for the perfect plan; iterate and evolve (33:41).

  • Lauren: "Momentum doesn’t start first. First comes the action. First comes the doing and the making of something..." (33:49)

• Planning as procrastination: Don't let the illusion of productivity substitute for real progress (33:09).

11. Rituals for Leadership & Gatherings

• Creating meaningful gatherings: Be directive, intentional, and build rituals into events for deeper connection (35:35, 36:06).

  • Book Recs: The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker

• Always ask Why: Focus on the outcome, not just the format, of gatherings (37:40).

12. Feminine and Masculine Energy in Sales & Marketing

• Balance is key: While masculine (metrics-driven) systems dominate, it’s vital to incorporate feminine approaches centered on relationship and organic unfolding of results.
  • Lauren: “You have to... bring that feminine side where you’re bringing people together... But then I figured out how to tag them... so that we could attribute some of that revenue back...” (40:36)

13. Celebrate Small Wins and Habit-Building

• Habit of noticing wins: Recognizing minor victories builds positivity and momentum (41:57, 43:01).

  • Lauren: “As humans, we’re programmed to like look at the negative and I think every time that you can just, just refocus yourself to look on the positive, it’s better for you.” (43:16)

• Content Club as a “Cheat Code” for regular visibility posting.

  • Lauren: “Content club is a real cheat code. It really is.... The growth has been crazy.” (43:49)

• Daily habits: Lauren’s non-negotiables—for example, coffee, meditation with a red light mask, and morning workouts (44:00).

14. Avoid “Hyperbolic Discounting” (Cheat Code)

• Act for your current self, not your imaginary future self:

  • Lauren: "You’re always going to assume that your future self is going to be more together... The idea is actually think of who you are today and act according to who you are today." (44:52)

• Be present in the moment, resist over-planning: (45:55)

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• “You have to have some sort of visibility engine to get yourself seen.”
  — Lauren Douglas (00:04; 12:43; 17:06)
• “If your work is not online, it doesn’t exist.”
  — Austin Kleon, quoted by Courtney Johnson (00:10, 12:43)
• “Men are promoted based on potential and women are promoted based on proof...”
  — Lauren Douglas (11:51)
• “No great ideas come from cubicles.”
  — Courtney Johnson (19:42)
• “First comes the action... then you optimize it. You gotta throw spaghetti at the wall first.”
  — Lauren Douglas (33:49)
• “Failure is part of the game. Like, it literally happens every single day.”
  — Courtney Johnson (23:33)
• “Momentum doesn’t start first. First comes the action.”
  — Lauren Douglas (33:49)
• “Own a piece of your audience’s consciousness.”
  — Courtney Johnson (17:53)
• “Hosting a meeting... anything over two people is a gathering.”
  — Lauren Douglas citing Priya Parker (37:01)
• “Content club is a real cheat code.”
  — Lauren Douglas (43:49)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• Evolving Purpose & Values: 01:28–05:10
• Courage & Emotional Intelligence: 04:13–06:54
• Rescripting Inner Talk: 06:15–07:56
• Quitting as Cheat Code & Power Pause: 08:27–10:53
• Building Personal Brand & Visibility: 11:51–17:53
• Top-of-Mind Awareness/“Shares of Consciousness”: 17:45–18:32
• Play Like a Kid Principle: 18:51–21:47
• Public Failure & Normalizing It: 22:02–26:00
• Intuition vs. Fear, Head/Heart/Gut: 26:42–30:07
• Authenticity in Personal Brand: 31:01–32:00
• Momentum and Avoiding Planning Trap: 33:41–34:28
• Leadership Rituals and Events: 35:36–38:54
• Feminine & Masculine Energy in Business: 39:52–41:32
• Habit-Building & Content Club: 43:26–44:49
• Hyperbolic Discounting: 44:52–45:55

For Listeners

This episode is a blueprint for women (and all professionals) seeking to own their worth, become visible, and build opportunities—without waiting for traditional gatekeepers. Whether you’re contemplating a career shift, building a side hustle, or leaning into your voice online, this episode is packed with hard-won tips, practical "cheat codes," and empowering frameworks you can put into action today.