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- 🇦🇺AU · Entrepreneurship#1965K to 30K
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2.5K to 15K🎙 ~2x weekly·89 episodes·Last published yesterday - Monthly Reach
Unique listeners across all episodes (30 days)
5K to 30K🇦🇺100% - Active Followers
Loyal subscribers who consistently listen
2K to 12K
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On the show
Recent episodes
How Social Media Makes You Money
May 19, 2026
Unknown duration
Her Personal Brand Made Her a Sports Illustrated Model, with Gigi Robinson
May 12, 2026
Unknown duration
Brian Luebben: Full Playbook on How He Quit His $252K Job and Made $100K in 48 Hours
May 5, 2026
Unknown duration
How Dan Martell Built a $100M Personal Brand: Sam Gaudet Exposes the Full Strategy
Apr 28, 2026
Unknown duration
How Hala Taha Turned a Free Podcast into a Multi-Million Dollar Business
Apr 21, 2026
Unknown duration
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| Date | Episode | Description | Length | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5/19/26 | How Social Media Makes You Money | In this week’s episode, I’m answering your questions and digging into something that comes up over and over again in my work: why social media feels so uncomfortable for so many people, and why that discomfort is often the very thing that leads to growth, opportunity, and money.At its core, this episode is about visibility. But not in the “post more” or “just be confident” way it’s usually framed. We talk about visibility as a lived experience, the fear of being misunderstood, the pressure of being seen, the cringe that shows up right before momentum, and the internal resistance that makes people want to stop posting right when things are about to work.One of my favorite parts of this episode is talking about how action creates clarity, not the other way around, and why most people stay stuck waiting for certainty instead of moving while things still feel messy. We also touch on creativity, procrastination, and the role your environment and community play in how safe it feels to show up.02:45 Why visibility feels uncomfortable before it feels rewarding06:18 Being misunderstood as a sign of growth09:33 Why attention leads to opportunity (and money)14:37 Speed, momentum, and moving before you feel ready18:55 Fear, cringe, and staying in the game23:40 Why most people stop right before things work29:10 Consistency, identity, and long-term expansionStay connected with me📧 Contact: courtney@smoothmedia.co👍 Instagram: @slaythegatekeeper👍 Instagram: @courtlynnjohnson 💼 LinkedIn: Courtney Johnson🎶 TikTok: @courtney..johnson | — | ||||||
| 5/12/26 | Her Personal Brand Made Her a Sports Illustrated Model, with Gigi Robinson | She became a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model and a Penguin Random House author, and neither of those things came from a talent agent, a manager, or a plan. They came from a LinkedIn post and a cold DM.Gigi Robinson has been building her personal brand since she was 12 years old with a Squarespace portfolio and a competitive swimming injury. Now she's a speaker, a creator, a published author, and the founder of Hosts of Influence, and she's done all of it without a manager, without niching down, and without “waiting until she was ready” 😑!!In this episode, Gigi explains why niching down is destroying your brand, why you ARE the niche, why a talent manager might be costing you more than they're making you, and the exact way she pitches journalists to get featured in Forbes, DigiDay, and AdWeek. She also gets into why LinkedIn is the most untapped platform right now (if you are here is because you already heard this!!!), how she hit 100 million impressions in 2025 just by responding to trending news, and the LinkedIn banner strategy that makes people decide whether to trust you in under 3 SECONDS.Oh, and she also just casually tells us how she ended up shooting with the photographer who shoots Vogue covers, the same photographer she used as inspiration when she was a kid.📌 Get Gigi's children's book A Kid's Book About Chronic Illness on Amazon, Target, Barnes & Noble, or wherever you get your books → gigirobinson.com📌 Want to learn more about Hosts of Influence, Gigi's platform for creators and professionals building real careers? → gigirobinson.com📘 Career Cheat Codes - IT'S OUT!!!My new book Career Cheat Codes is now available to order. It’s a practical guide to building career leverage, growing your visibility, and turning your expertise into real opportunities.Order yours → penguinrandomhouse.com/books/807588/career-cheat-codes-by-courtney-johnson/11:32 Why having a talent manager is probably not the business move you think it is 14:55 Why niching down is a trap, and what to do instead 17:44 You don't have a niche. You ARE the niche. 22:09 How she became a Penguin Random House author overnight, without a traditional book deal 27:33 She literally became a Sports Illustrated model from a LinkedIn post28:20 Why she posted herself in a bikini on LinkedIn and didn't think twice about it 13:11 Less than 2% of LinkedIn's 1.1 billion users post weekly. That's your opening. 16:49 How to get press: the exact stalking strategy she uses to get into Forbes and AdWeek 23:46 The LinkedIn news hack that got her 100 million impressions in 2025About Gigi RobinsonGigi Robinson is a speaker, creator, author, and founder of Hosts of Influence, a platform helping creators and professionals build personal brands that actually turn into careers. She's partnered with 100+ global brands, including Adobe, Spotify, Unilever, and LinkedIn, spoken on 100+ stages, and wrote A Kid's Book About Chronic Illness, a bestselling children's book published by Penguin Random House. She's been featured in Forbes, DigiDay, AdWeek, Business Insider, and the New York Post, and hit 100 million impressions on LinkedIn alone in 2025.Connect with Gigi👍 Instagram: @itsgigirobinson🎶 TikTok: @itsgigirobinson💼 LinkedIn: Gigi Robinson🌐 Website: gigirobinson.comStay connected with me📧 Contact: courtney@smoothmedia.co👍 Instagram: @builtinpublicpod👍 Instagram: @courtlynnjohnson💼 LinkedIn: Courtney Johnson🎶 TikTok: @courtney..johnson | — | ||||||
| 5/5/26 | Brian Luebben: Full Playbook on How He Quit His $252K Job and Made $100K in 48 Hours | Nobody quits a $252K job when they're the #8 sales rep out of 5,079. Brian Luebben did, driving through rural Georgia with a backseat full of Carhartt pants, realizing that a quarter million dollars a year still wasn't enough to make him stay.Four years later, he runs Action Academy, a mastermind community that went from $0 to $5 million with zero ads, built entirely on a $279 podcast mic and a $600 iPhone. This year, he's going for $12 million.In this episode, Brian gives us the EXACT playbook (not theory or how to do this sh*t but the actual steps) He saved $60K in cash before quitting, bought rental properties while still employed, and built a side hustle podcast interviewing millionaires at Atlanta real estate meetups before he ever left his job. Then he moved to Brazil, did 100 free 15-minute coaching calls on the beach, found out what people needed, and sent a Venmo link for a course that didn't exist yet, and made $100K in 48 hours.He also gets into the Minivan Theory and why your closest friends will be the last ones to support you, why a $200K employee can return $2 million while a $40K employee returns $40K, and why the only reason entrepreneurship beats employment is leverage.If you've been waiting for the right time to leave your job, this episode is the sign you've been looking for.📌 Want to join Action Academy? Head to actionacademy.com📘 Career Cheat Codes - IT'S OUT!!!My new book Career Cheat Codes is now available to order. It’s a practical guide to building career leverage, growing your visibility, and turning your expertise into real opportunities.Order yours → penguinrandomhouse.com/books/807588/career-cheat-codes-by-courtney-johnson/00:00 Brian opens reading Career Cheat Codes - no, really 03:25 Entrepreneurs aren't born, they're unlocked 05:03 The "selling pants" moment driving to Cedartown, Georgia 06:16 The 3 pillars Brian had before quitting: cash, assets, and a validated side hustle 13:08 Stop trying to be the most interesting. Be the most interested. 20:44 Why your friends and family aren't trying to derail you, they're scared for you 21:24 The Minivan Theory: front row, middle row, and back row friends27:17 The step-by-step from $0 to your first $100K 31:44 $100K in 48 hours with a Cash App link and a course that didn't exist yet 41:01 Why leverage is the only reason entrepreneurship beats a jobAbout Brian LuebbenBrian Luebben is the founder of Action Academy, a mastermind community that helps people leave corporate America to buy businesses and real estate. He left a $252K corporate sales job in March 2022, traveled the world for a year documenting the journey, and built a $5M/year business from scratch with zero ads. He hosts The Action Academy Podcast, one of the top entrepreneurship shows in the country with over 1 million downloads.Connect with Brian👍 Instagram: @brianluebben🎙️ Podcast: @actionacademypodcast 💼 LinkedIn: Brian Luebben🌐 Website: brianluebben.comStay connected with me📧 Contact: courtney@smoothmedia.co👍 Instagram: @builtinpublicpod👍 Instagram: @courtlynnjohnson💼 LinkedIn: Courtney Johnson🎶 TikTok: @courtney..johnson | — | ||||||
| 4/28/26 | How Dan Martell Built a $100M Personal Brand: Sam Gaudet Exposes the Full Strategy | You're overthinking your content. Meanwhile, a 16-year-old was editing videos under his desk in math class and accidentally stumbled into building one of the biggest personal brands in business.Sam Gaudet started working with Dan Martell's videographer at 16, joined Dan's team full-time at 18, and has spent the last eight years as the brain behind a content machine that now generates over 3 billion views and 200 million views per month across platforms. He watched Dan go from 500 views per video to the fastest-growing business influencer in the space. And he built the frameworks that made it happen.Now Sam is stepping out from behind the camera to build his own brand, using nothing but his iPhone, a 90-day challenge, and the same system he used to scale Dan's. In this episode, he breaks down the HEIT framework (Hook, Explain, Illustrate, Teach) that drives every piece of content they create, why picking the right topic matters more than your camera or your lighting, and why the biggest creators in the world talk about the fewest things.If you've been stalling because your setup isn't right, your hook isn't perfect, or you don't feel ready, Sam built a 3 billion view brand while getting caught editing videos in class. Your excuses don't stand a chance!!!Mentioned in this episode:🤖 Sam's Custom GPT for Content IdeasWant Sam's custom GPT that spits out 25 validated content topics using the HEIT framework? DM him the word "TOPIC Courtney" on Instagram and he'll send you the link for FREE! → Instagram: @sam.gaudet📘 Career Cheat Codes (IT'S OUT!!!) My new book Career Cheat Codes is now available to order. It’s a practical guide to building career leverage, growing your visibility, and turning your expertise into real opportunities.Order yours → penguinrandomhouse.com/books/807588/career-cheat-codes-by-courtney-johnson/02:06 Getting caught editing videos in math class (multiple times)05:04 The mindset shift that changed everything: if you can picture it, it's possible07:00 Why Sam started building his own brand now09:08 The HEIT framework: the system behind 3 billion views17:55 Why the biggest creators in the world talk about the fewest things24:38 CCN fit: how to make every video appeal to your core, casual, and new audience35:57 Trust is more important than views right now.40:37 People aren't paying for information. They're paying for time acceleration.45:49 F*ck the norm. Go try something. About Sam Gaudet Sam Gaudet is a content strategist, media company builder, and the creative force behind Dan Martell's personal brand. He joined Dan's world at 16 as a videographer, went full-time at 18, and has spent the last eight years developing the content systems that have generated over 3 billion views and 200 million views per month. His frameworks, including the HEIT method and CCN fit, are used across Dan's entire content operation and a team of 15. He's now building his own personal brand from scratch using only his iPhone, documenting the journey from zero to 100K followers.Connect with Sam👍 Instagram: @sam.gaudet💼 LinkedIn: Sam GaudetStay connected with me📧 Contact: courtney@smoothmedia.co👍 Instagram: @builtinpublicpod👍 Instagram: @courtlynnjohnson💼 LinkedIn: Courtney Johnson🎶 TikTok: @courtney..johnson | — | ||||||
| 4/21/26 | How Hala Taha Turned a Free Podcast into a Multi-Million Dollar Business | Her first client paid her $700. Her second paid her $30,000. She didn't even have a website.Hala Taha, aka 'The Podcast Princess', started her career as Angie Martinez's assistant at Hot 97, spent years trying to make it online before anyone used the word "influencer," and finally found her breakthrough on LinkedIn when everyone told her it wasn't the place for that kind of content. She launched Young and Profiting as a free podcast with a volunteer team of 10 in a Slack channel. Today she runs a 60-person company, the #1 self-improvement podcast network, and makes $1.5M a year in podcast sponsorships alone.In this episode, Hala breaks down exactly how she built it all. We get into why she turns podcast guests into paying clients, how she hired her first video editor by poaching them from the company that fired her, why trades and engagement pods were her secret growth weapons when she had zero budget, and why the last thing you should ever outsource is your original thinking.If you've been waiting until you have a website, a logo, a team, or a plan before you start… Hala had none of that. And she's making MILLIONS.📘 Career Cheat Codes (IT'S OUT!!!) My new book Career Cheat Codes is now available to order. It’s a practical guide to building career leverage, growing your visibility, and turning your expertise into real opportunities.Order yours → penguinrandomhouse.com/books/807588/career-cheat-codes-by-courtney-johnson/02:32 Hala's origin story: Hot 97, Angie Martinez, and trying to make it online since 1805:28 Why she never tried to do it alone and how she recruited her first volunteer team07:07 The spicy case for free internships and why her earliest interns are now business partners09:48 How trades and audience swaps grew her brand with zero budget11:50 Posting on LinkedIn when everyone said not to, and why that was her biggest break16:28 The first hire every creator should make and the last thing you should ever outsource20:51 You cannot scale to elite level without a team. Period.32:43 Your brand enables you to charge more: the power of social proof35:39 The best decision she ever made and why she's thankful she showed up every day brick by brick43:59 Why AI is coming for entry-level jobs and how personal brand is the way to future-proof yourselfAbout Hala TahaHala Taha, known as “The Podcast Princess,” is the host of Young and Profiting (YAP) Podcast, a #1 Entrepreneurship podcast with over 30 million downloads. A Top 100 podcast globally, YAP features star-studded guests like Matthew McConaughey, Gary Vee, Alex Hormozi, Deepak Chopra, Daymond John, Mel Robbins, and countless others. The show was recognized as a 2022 Webby Honoree, and Hala graced the cover of Podcast Magazine in January 2021.Hala is also the Founder and CEO of YAP Media, an award-winning, premier white-glove social media and podcast production agency for CEOs, celebrities, and top podcasters. With nearly 60 employees and a dozen high-profile clients, YAP Media was named the #1 LinkedIn Marketing Agency and voted Best Podcast Agency of 2022.In 2022, Hala launched the YAP Media Network, a podcast network that helps top podcasts land sponsorship deals with major brands like LinkedIn, Airbnb, and Shopify. YAP Media is pacing to hit 8-figures in 2025, and represents some of the most popular business podcasters in the world including Jenna Kutcher, Amy Porterfield, Tori Dunlap and John Lee Dumas. Connect with Hala👍 Instagram: @yapwithhala💼 LinkedIn: Hala Taha🎙️ Podcast: Young And Profiting🌐 youngandprofiting.com/Stay connected with me📧 Contact: courtney@smoothmedia.co👍 Instagram: @builtinpublicpod👍 Instagram: @courtlynnjohnson💼 LinkedIn: Courtney Johnson🎶 TikTok: @courtney..johnson | — | ||||||
| 4/14/26 | How Jasmine Star Built a 7-Figure Personal Brand Online (And Exactly How to Do It Too) | The personal brand space has sold you this idea that you need a website, a logo, a niche, and a strategy before you start. You don't. And Jasmine Star is proof.Jasmine Star dropped out of law school with no camera, no portfolio, no business cards, and no plan. Instead of waiting until she was ready, she started documenting. She rented gear she couldn't afford, shot 11-hour weddings for only $1,000, and built her brand through storytelling before anyone was calling it that.She went from a $197 digital course to over a million dollars in a year, to building a SaaS company, to launching a holding company with multiple 7-figure revenue streams, all under her own NAME, because she understood something most people still don't: nobody can out-be you.In this episode, Jasmine shares exactly how she thinks about personal brand, trust, and what it takes to build something that lasts. We get into why your brand is not your logo or your gear, it's the feeling people have about you when you leave the room. Why we're in a trust recession right now and what that means for anyone building online in 2026. And why the creators who will win are the ones who stop chasing trends and start owning their lane.If you've been waiting until you have it all together before you start, this is the episode that ends that excuse!Mentioned in this episode:📘 Career Cheat Codes (IT'S OUT!!!) My new book Career Cheat Codes is now available to order. It’s a practical guide to building career leverage, growing your visibility, and turning your expertise into real opportunities.Order yours → penguinrandomhouse.com/books/807588/career-cheat-codes-by-courtney-johnson/05:20 Why Jasmine dropped out of law school and picked up a camera with no experience08:15 The free blog that accidentally became her personal brand engine12:30 How to figure out what your personal brand should actually be about (3 questions)17:10 Personal brand vs. company brand, and why Jasmine always chose her name22:45 The $197 course that made over $1M in one year27:00 Why we're in a trust recession and what to do about it in 202629:30 The Instagram poll strategy that builds your offer before you launch it35:00 How to know when it's time to pivot, and the difference between a pivot and a quit39:15 Jasmine's 3 steps if she had to start from scratch today44:00 The cringe mountain, and why you have to climb it anywayAbout Jasmine StarJasmine Star is a world-class speaker, thought leader, podcast host, CEO, and entrepreneur dedicated to helping business owners grow with unrivaled marketing, powerful lead generation, and strategic sales.After dropping out of UCLA Law School on a full-ride scholarship, she set out to become a photographer without owning a camera. She rented gear, used a free blog to market her business, and built an internationally recognized, award-winning photography career from scratch. That blog attracted tens of thousands of readers daily and became her first path to a 7-figure revenue stream.In 2015, she created her first online course, earning $1M+ in under 10 months. She went on to launch a membership that welcomed 2,444 entrepreneurs in its first five days and has since served 40,000+ business owners. In 2021, she entered the tech world as a SaaS CEO, and by 2023, she and her husband launched a holding company where she now serves as advisor and investor.She believes impossibilities are simply opportunities in disguise.Connect with Jasmine👍 Instagram: @jasminestar💼 LinkedIn: Jasmine Star🎙️ Podcast: The Jasmine Star Show🌐 jasminestar.comStay connected with me📧 Contact: courtney@smoothmedia.co👍 Instagram: @builtinpublicpod👍 Instagram: @courtlynnjohnson💼 LinkedIn: Courtney Johnson🎶 TikTok: @courtney..johnson | — | ||||||
| 4/7/26 | Tiger Sisters: From Stanford MBA & Goldman Sachs to a #1 Business Podcast in 18 Months | Hollywood told them they were "respectfully, nobodies." So they sat down at a kitchen table and built one of the fastest-growing podcasts in the world.Cherie and Jean Luo come from the most traditional path you can imagine: Ivy League degrees, Goldman Sachs, Snapchat, Stanford MBA. Instead of keeping that knowledge locked inside boardrooms, they chose to share it publicly. Tiger Sisters launched as a fully bootstrapped, two-person operation with no outside investment, no team, and no playbook. Within two years, they hit #1 on the podcast charts.In this episode, we get into how they treat their podcast like a tech startup; running experiments, killing their ego, and letting their audience co-produce the show!! We talk about why the fear of looking cringe is the single biggest thing holding people back, why they intentionally delayed monetization for a full year, and why the information you think is obvious is exactly what someone else desperately needs to hear.If you've been sitting on an idea waiting for the perfect time, the perfect credentials, or the perfect setup... this conversation is going to wreck every excuse you have.Mentioned in this episode:📘 Career Cheat Codes (Pre-Order) My new book Career Cheat Codes is now available for pre-order. It’s a practical guide to building career leverage, growing your visibility, and turning your expertise into real opportunities.Pre-order → penguinrandomhouse.com/books/807588/career-cheat-codes-by-courtney-johnson/03:21 Coming from corporate and getting over the fear of looking cringe06:20 Jean's journey from extremely private to co-hosting a #1 podcast09:34 Cherie's first post and the TikTok video that changed everything13:41 How they treat Tiger Sisters like a tech startup15:22 Dropping the ego: why they A/B test everything and take nothing personally21:10 How they ran everything as a two-person team before hiring anyone24:05 The rejected reality TV show that became a #1 podcast27:02 Why more people from elite career paths are building personal brands37:42 Jean wasn't the most qualified on paper and it didn't matter39:10 Why they waited a full year before monetizing45:52 Information is power: the story that proves it48:26 The future of personal brand and the creator-corporation convergenceAbout Tiger Sisters Cherie and Jean Luo are the co-hosts of Tiger Sisters, a top business podcast built in under two years with zero outside funding. Cherie brings six years of content creation experience and a background in tech and product management. Jean left a 15-year corporate career spanning Goldman Sachs, Snapchat, and other major companies to go all in. Together, they're on a mission to empower 1 billion women by un-gatekeeping career, money, and mindset information that's traditionally been locked behind elite institutions. They approach everything with a startup mentality: experimental, ego-free, and community-driven.Connect with Tiger Sisters🎙️ Podcast: Tiger Sisters on Spotify & YouTube👍 Instagram: @tigersisterspodcast 👍 Cherie's Instagram: @cherie.brooke👍 Jean's Instagram: @jeanluo_💼 Cherie's LinkedIn: Cherie Brooke Luo💼 Jean's LinkedIn: Jean LuoStay connected with me📧 Contact: courtney@smoothmedia.co👍 Instagram: @builtinpublicpod👍 Instagram: @courtlynnjohnson💼 LinkedIn: Courtney Johnson🎶 TikTok: @courtney..johnson | — | ||||||
| 3/31/26 | The 4-Part Framework Behind Long-Term Leverage as a Creator, with JT Barnett | The internet has sold you this idea that going viral is the goal. It's not. And it never was.JT Barnett left professional hockey with $0, no degree, and no plan. Instead of following the traditional path, he started posting, started failing in public, and started figuring out what makes people memorable online. He went from filming fitness content to growing a TikTok house from zero to a million followers in 60 days, to consulting for brands like Poppi, to building Core Access, a recruiting firm that places creators inside the brands they already love.In this week’s episode, JT breaks down the 4-part framework he uses to evaluate every creator he works with: Capacity, Identity, Execution, and Conversion. We get into why most people stall before they ever hit "post," why you don't need to be an expert to build an audience, and why the creators who will win in 2026 are the ones who stop chasing algorithms and start building real connections with a narrow, intentional audience. If you've been waiting to feel ready before you start creating, this is the episode that's going to change that!!!Mentioned in this episode:📘 Career Cheat Codes (Pre-Order) My new book Career Cheat Codes is now available for pre-order. It’s a practical guide to building career leverage, growing your visibility, and turning your expertise into real opportunities.Pre-order → penguinrandomhouse.com/books/807588/career-cheat-codes-by-courtney-johnson/05:20 How growing up in hockey and the internet shaped JT's view on personal brand08:20 Why so many people can't articulate who they are publicly10:09 The moment social media clicked as the ultimate leverage tool14:24 You DON’T need to be an expert to start building an audience15:14 The TikTok house that went from zero to a million followers in 60 days24:54 The four stages of personal brand: entry-level, mid-tier, elite, and world-renowned32:16 The 4-part framework: Capacity, Identity, Execution, and Conversion38:19 Reputation beats Virality and where the creator economy is headed41:50 The posts that perform vs. the ones that just get views54:01 How to start hosting micro-community events today with zero budget About JT JT Barnett is a former professional hockey player, organic social strategist, and the founder of Core Access. After retiring from hockey with nothing lined up, he built his career entirely through social media, going from fitness content to organic social consulting for brands like Poppi to building a recruiting firm that places creators inside the brands they love. His 4-part framework, Capacity, Identity, Execution, and Conversion, is the foundation of how he coaches creators at every level. He's now building Core into a full performance center for creators who want to build reputation, not just reach.Connect with JT👍 Instagram: @jtbarnett💼 LinkedIn: jtbarnett🎶 TikTok: @jtbarnettStay connected with me📧 Contact: courtney@smoothmedia.co👍 Instagram: @builtinpublicpod👍 Instagram: @courtlynnjohnson💼 LinkedIn: Courtney Johnson🎶 TikTok: @courtney..johnson | — | ||||||
| 3/24/26 | The Exact LinkedIn Strategy That Grew 50K Followers in 12 Months, with Mischa Collins | Most people treat LinkedIn like a job board. Mischa Collins treats it like the most powerful business development tool on the planet, and she has the receipts to prove it. After being laid off in 2024, Mischa didn't scramble for her next role. She built in public (literally). Within 12 months, she grew her LinkedIn audience to over 50,000 followers, signed clients through inbound DMs alone, and turned a platform most people sleep on into a fully functioning business, one that's now taken her from the UK all the way to LA. In this episode, we get into the strategy behind that growth. Mischa breaks down why posting without a mission is just noise, how to build authority on LinkedIn even when self-promotion makes you want to crawl out of your skin, and why the content you think is repetitive is actually the content that makes you unforgettable. If you've been meaning to get serious about LinkedIn, this is the episode that's going to make you open the app before it's even done playing.Mentioned in this episode:📘 Career Cheat Codes (Pre-Order) My new book Career Cheat Codes is now available for pre-order. It’s a practical guide to building career leverage, growing your visibility, and turning your expertise into real opportunities.Pre-order → penguinrandomhouse.com/books/807588/career-cheat-codes-by-courtney-johnson/👩💻 Holly Maglin — Early Career Recruiting StrategyIf you're a founder or startup team hiring Gen Z talent, check out Holly Madeline. She helps companies modernize how they recruit early-career candidates.Connect on LinkedIn → Holly Maglin03:28 Getting laid off and deciding to build instead of job hunt08:18 The moment she went all in12:11 The scheduling trick that kills the fear of posting15:21 Why LinkedIn is genuinely having its moment in 202623:44 Profile optimization and why your network is already full of opportunity27:42 Every opportunity Mischa has landed through inbound LinkedIn DMs35:00 Engagement strategy: why commenting might matter more than posting41:00 How to use AI without sounding like AI51:00 The MAP framework: Mission, Authority, Pillars54:00 Mischa's next chapter: expanding beyond LinkedInAbout Mischa Mischa Collins is a LinkedIn branding expert who helps entrepreneurs, coaches, and professionals establish authority, grow their audience, and monetize their expertise. With a proven track record of transforming LinkedIn profiles into powerful business assets, she shares actionable strategies to build influence and attract high-value opportunities.Connect with Mischa💼 LinkedIn: Mischa CollinsStay connected with me📧 Contact: courtney@smoothmedia.co👍 Instagram: @builtinpublicpod👍 Instagram: @courtlynnjohnson💼 LinkedIn: Courtney Johnson🎶 TikTok: @courtney..johnson | — | ||||||
| 3/17/26 | How to Build the "It Factor": Confidence, Visibility & Personal Brand with Whitney Uland | There's a reason some people walk into a room and everyone notices. It's not luck. It's not looks. And it's not something you either have or you don't.Today I'm sitting down with Whitney Uland, founder of How to Be Famous, to talk about the one thing most people building a personal brand are missing: the it factor. And no, you're not born with it. You build it.Whitney spent over a decade in the entertainment industry, acting, writing, navigating rejection, until someone told her she didn't have what it takes. Instead of accepting that, she became obsessed with understanding what magnetism is, where it comes from, and how anyone can develop it. Now she helps creatives, founders, and entrepreneurs step into what she calls their celebrity energy.In this episode, we get into why your personal brand is 90% subconscious, what's blocking you from showing up online even if you've performed in front of thousands of people, and why following trends will always keep you chasing instead of leading.Mentioned in this episode:📘 Career Cheat Codes (Pre-Order) My new book Career Cheat Codes is now available for pre-order. It’s a practical guide to building career leverage, growing your visibility, and turning your expertise into real opportunities.Pre-order → penguinrandomhouse.com/books/807588/career-cheat-codes-by-courtney-johnson/👩💻 Holly Maglin — Early Career Recruiting StrategyIf you're a founder or startup team hiring Gen Z talent, check out Holly Madeline. She helps companies modernize how they recruit early-career candidates.Connect on LinkedIn → Holly Maglin03:00 What the ‘It Factor’ is 08:02 Why your personal brand is 90% subconscious 09:04 Why "personal brand" feels icky20:27 How to build magnetism from scratch 24:04 Why visibility shuts people down (and how to fix it)27:15 Why performers still struggle on camera38:00 How to stop chasing trends and start creating them 44:00 Fame, ego, and why hiding is the more egoic move 51:00 How boundaries grow as your brand grows About Whitney Whitney Uland is the founder of How to Be Famous, a framework and community built around the idea that magnetism, visibility, and presence are learnable skills — not personality traits you're either born with or not. Before building her personal brand, Whitney spent over a decade in the entertainment industry as an actor and writer. She now works with founders, creatives, and entrepreneurs to help them own their spotlight on their own terms.Connect with Whitney📲 Instagram: @whitneyuland🎶 TikTok: whitneyuland🎙️ Podcast: How to Be FamousStay connected with me📧 Contact: courtney@smoothmedia.co👍 Instagram: @builtinpublicpod👍 Instagram: @courtlynnjohnson💼 LinkedIn: Courtney Johnson🎶 TikTok: @courtney..johnson | — | ||||||
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| 3/10/26 | Why Personal Brands Are the Ultimate Career Leverage, with Danielle Canty | If you’ve ever thought, “I don’t really know what a personal brand is” or “how do I even start a personal brand???”, this episode is for you.Today I’m joined by Danielle Canty, former co-founder of Bossbabe, to break down one of the biggest misconceptions about personal branding:You don’t start a personal brand. You ALREADY have one.Danielle shares how she went from working in the medical field to co-founding BossBabe, one of the most recognizable online business brands of the last decade, and how she now thinks about personal brands as leverage. Not the business itself, but the thing that opens doors, builds trust, and compounds opportunities over time.We also talk about the mindset blocks that stop people from showing up online, why perfect content actually hurts engagement, and how building community matters far more than going viral.Mentioned in this episode:📘 Career Cheat Codes (Pre-Order) My new book Career Cheat Codes is now available for pre-order. It’s a practical guide to building career leverage, growing your visibility, and turning your expertise into real opportunities.Pre-order → penguinrandomhouse.com/books/807588/career-cheat-codes-by-courtney-johnson/👩💻 Holly Maglin — Early Career Recruiting StrategyIf you're a founder or startup team hiring Gen Z talent, check out Holly Madeline. She helps companies modernize how they recruit early-career candidates.Connect on LinkedIn → Holly Maglin02:30 You already have a personal brand09:34 The truth about reputation and online presence13:31 Why personal brands create leverage16:41 The cultural excuses people make about showing up online17:17 “You are what you say you are”19:41 How mindset shapes growth and motivation36:05 Perfect content hurts engagement37:45 The power of imperfection in building trustAbout Danielle Danielle Canty is an entrepreneur and the former co-founder of BossBabe, the online education brand that grew into an eight-figure business supporting hundreds of thousands of women entrepreneurs worldwide.Since exiting the company in 2023, Danielle focuses on helping founders turn ideas into scalable businesses through clear systems, predictable revenue, and strategic simplicity.She has generated $35M+ in online revenue, built multiple seven-figure businesses, and her work has been featured in Forbes, Entrepreneur, Elle, and Success Magazine.Connect with Danielle📲 Instagram: @daniellecanty💼 LinkedIn: Danielle Canty🔗 Website: danielle-canty.com/Stay connected with me📧 Contact: courtney@smoothmedia.co👍 Instagram: @builtinpublicpod👍 Instagram: @courtlynnjohnson💼 LinkedIn: Courtney Johnson🎶 TikTok: @courtney..johnson | — | ||||||
| 3/3/26 | How to Build Your Personal Brand in Public | Welcome to the first official episode of Built In Public!If you’ve ever felt stuck choosing a niche… frustrated with low engagement… or unsure how to turn content into actual conversations and clients, this one’s for you.In this episode, I’m breaking down the philosophy behind building in public (the authentic and awkward version)I break down the biggest engagement mistakes I see creators making, why faces and formatting matter more than most people realize, and how to use your audience’s exact words to sharpen your messaging so they reach out. And we get into the thing nobody wants to hear, but everyone needs to: consistency will always matter more than trying to game the algorithm.00:00 Why I rebranded to Built In Public05:15 How to actually find your niche (without forcing it)10:19 The messaging strategy that makes people reach out to you21:04 Why your content isn’t getting engagement23:12 Formatting mistakes that kill performance29:30 Consistency algorithm hacksIf this episode helped you think differently about your personal brand, leave a review and let me know what hit.We’re just getting started.Stay connected with me! courtney@smoothmedia.coIG @courtlynnjohnson LK @Courtney JohnsonTIKTOK @courtney..johnson | — | ||||||
| 2/3/26 | This Mindset Turned a Personal Brand Into $1M Business, with Andrew Kroeze | In this week’s episode of Slay The Gatekeeper, I sit down with Andrew Kroeze for a conversation about the mindset that shapes everything we build on the outside: our work, our businesses, and our lives.Andrew shares his story with a lot of honesty, starting with the years he spent feeling stuck and disconnected, and the moment he realized that no one was coming to save him. From there, we talk about how a single 90-day commitment changed his relationship with himself, his habits, and eventually the way he approached business.We also get into the business side of things, why ads don’t fix misaligned offers, why organic growth comes first, and how personal brand becomes a form of leverage when it’s built on trust and clarity instead of performance. Andrew walks through how he moved from doing everything himself to building systems and teams that allowed his business to scale past seven figures and eventually become something he could step away from.What stood out to me most in this conversation is how practical it is. There’s no pretending growth is linear or easy. Just a clear look at how internal decisions shape external outcomes, and why action usually comes before confidence, not the other way around.If you’re building something and starting to sense that effort alone isn’t the issue, this episode will give you a different lens to look through.05:50 Identity as the foundation of every result08:40 The moment he reclaimed his sense of agency10:05 Why environment matters more than motivation12:15 How proximity normalizes higher standards14:45 “Pay for your friends” and choosing better rooms16:55 Why ads don’t fix broken offers18:30 Ads as accelerants, not lifelines20:40 Product-market fit before scale25:15 Personal brand as leverage, not ego27:45 Systems, teams, and building something you can step away fromAbout Andrew Andrew Kroeze has built five 7-figure+ online businesses in the coaching and agency space. He now helps other founders do the same by systemizing their operations using tools like Airtable and GoHighLevel, supported by lean teams of A-players.Connect with Andrew📲 Instagram: @kaptainkroeze💼 LinkedIn: Andrew Kroeze🎙️YouTube: Andrew KroezeStay connected with me📧 Contact: courtney@smoothmedia.co👍 Instagram: @slaythegatekeeper👍 Instagram: @courtlynnjohnson 💼 LinkedIn: Courtney Johnson🎶 TikTok: @courtney..johnson | — | ||||||
| 1/20/26 | Why Visibility Matters More Than Talent for Women at Work, with Lauren Douglas | In this week’s episode, I’m joined by Lauren Douglas, founder, strategist, and creative leader, for a conversation that cuts straight through some of the most persistent myths women face in business.At its core, this episode is about visibility. But not in the “be louder” or “be more confident” way we usually hear it framed, but as a real, practical skill women have to learn if we want to move forward in business, leadership, or creative work. We talk about why women are still promoted on proof, why staying quiet about your work has an expensive cost, and how the idea that “good work speaks for itself” keeps so many women stuck.One of my favorite moments is when we talk about creativity coming back online through the body, not the brain, including one of my go-to cheat codes: putting on music from your middle school years and letting yourself move without overthinking. It’s simple, it’s human, and it works!04:12 Why Women Are Promoted on Proof08:35 The Real Cost of Staying Quiet About Your Work12:01 Personal Brand Without Ego17:48 Owning Mindshare and Mental Real Estate18:55 Fear, Creativity, and Original Work21:00 Play, Music, and Reconnecting With Creative Instincts29:10 Purpose, Courage, and Career SeasonsAbout Lauren Lauren is a founder, marketing and PR strategist, and creative thinker focused on helping leaders communicate with clarity and intention. Her work sits at the intersection of visibility, leadership, creativity, and modern career strategy. Through her agency and advisory work, she helps individuals and organizations articulate their voice, build trust, and create long-term impact.Connect with Lauren📲 Instagram: @laurentheseekerStay connected with me📧 Contact: courtney@smoothmedia.co👍 Instagram: @slaythegatekeeper👍 Instagram: @courtlynnjohnson 💼 LinkedIn: Courtney Johnson🎶 TikTok: @courtney..johnson | — | ||||||
| 1/13/26 | The Transformational Psychedelic Medicine Powerful People Are Using Privately, with Whitney Lasseter | In this week's episode, I sit down with Whitney Lasseter, Founder and Visionary of ATMA Church, for one of the most expansive, honest, and nuanced conversations we’ve had on the show.Whitney is a Bufo facilitator, ceremonial leader, and spiritual guide who works at the intersection of sacred medicine, trauma healing, and integration. Together, we ungatekeep a modality that is often misunderstood, quietly used, and rarely spoken about publicly, despite its profound impact on people’s lives.We talk openly about why certain psychedelic and entheogenic medicines remain gatekept, especially among influential and high-profile individuals, and what happens when people step into this work with intention, preparation, and integrity. Whitney shares her personal journey, from a near-death experience and years of heartbreak to a deep spiritual awakening, and how her relationship with God, leadership, and service was completely reshaped along the way.We also explore some of the most sensitive and important questions around this work, sobriety, addiction, legality, public perception, and the future of psychedelic therapy, without sensationalism or shortcuts. This episode is about depth, discernment, and why some of the most powerful tools for healing are still kept quiet.If you’re curious about plant and psychedelic medicine, spiritual awakening beyond religion, or what conscious leadership actually looks like when no one’s watching, this episode is for you.02:32 Why Bufo Is Quietly Used by Influential People03:45 Letting a Journalist Inside Sacred Ceremony06:10 Choosing Integrity Over Safety08:45 The Near-Death Experience That Started Everything09:45 “The Most Profound Experience of My Life”10:31 Redefining God Outside of Religion13:06 Why the Experience Is Fast—but the Work Isn’t16:24 Facilitating Bufo for Her Own Mother17:20 “This Is of God”29:07 How This Medicine Changes Addiction and SobrietyAbout Whitney Whitney Lasseter is the Founder and Visionary of ĀTMA Church: All Tribes Medicine Assembly in Austin Texas, where she facilitates sacred medicine ceremonies and retreats focused on deep healing, spiritual awakening, and integration. With +7 years of experience guiding individuals through trauma, sobriety, and transformation, Whitney is known for her grounded leadership, integrity, and heart-led approach to this work. Connect with Whitney📲 Instagram: @whitneyofatma💼 LinkedIn: Whitney Lasseter🌐 atma.churchStay connected with me📧 Contact: courtney@smoothmedia.co👍 Instagram: @slaythegatekeeper👍 Instagram: @courtlynnjohnson 💼 LinkedIn: Courtney Johnson🎶 TikTok: @courtney..johnson | — | ||||||
| 1/6/26 | The ONE Thing That Creates Change (It’s Not Trauma Healing), with Kassidy Warren | There’s a moment most people reach where they’re no longer confused, uninformed, or unprepared; they’re just hesitant. This episode lives right in that moment.In this week’s episode, I’m joined by Kassidy Warren, and we go deep into why so many people stay stuck under the idea of “I’m in the process of healing.” We unpack how healing language, self-work, and “doing the inner work” can quietly become a place to stall, especially when real action would require discomfort, risk, or a genuine shift in identity.Kassidy breaks down why accountability tends to disappear in adulthood, why athletes and high performers understand stakes differently, and how your environment can either stretch you forward or keep you small. We explore the difference between playing it safe and turning pro, why proximity matters more than motivation, and how most people are already standing at the edge of the decision they keep postponing.If you’ve been telling yourself you’re “working on it,” but nothing in your life has materially changed, this conversation may help you see what’s really going on.02:30 Why athletes understand accountability differently04:20 What happens when accountability disappears in adulthood07:15 Why real change requires stakes08:45 Investing before results show up10:40 How your environment shapes your standards14:45 Why growth often means outgrowing familiar spaces15:30 The “bucket of crabs” effect and being dragged down19:38 Spending money to accelerate growth22:45 Turning pro vs playing it safe23:40 “What am I pretending not to know?”About KassidyKassidy Warren is a real estate investor and coach who helps people buy properties that reduce their tax burden, build equity, and create long-term freedom. He previously worked in engineering and IT before leaving corporate life due to burnout. After living in a van with his wife and rebuilding their careers through consulting, they built a portfolio of short-term rentals. Kassidy now leads a mastermind called Escape Velocity, where he supports members through real estate education, community, and mindset work.Connect with Kassidy📲 Instagram: @kassidy.warren💼 LinkedIn: Kassidy Warren🌐 kassidywarren.comStay connected with me📧 Contact: courtney@smoothmedia.co👍 Instagram: @slaythegatekeeper👍 Instagram: @courtlynnjohnson 💼 LinkedIn: Courtney Johnson🎶 TikTok: @courtney..johnson | — | ||||||
| 12/30/25 | How to Deal With Trolls, Haters, and Negative Comments | Hi friends! I’m back with a solo episode to close out the year, and I wanted to talk about something almost every creator faces the moment their visibility starts to grow: trolls, haters, and negative comments, and why they’re not something to fear, delete, or avoid (at all).If you’ve ever opened your comments and felt your stomach drop, questioned whether you should post again, or wondered if being more visible is even worth it, this episode is for you. I walk through why trolls are often a signal that your content is actually working, how neutrality will keep you invisible forever, and why trying to be liked by everyone is the fastest way to stall your growth.I also share how I personally deal with trolls, how I reframe negative comments so they don’t derail me emotionally, and why learning to embrace polarity has been one of the biggest drivers of my growth online.If you’re building a personal brand, creating content more consistently, or feeling called to show up more boldly, this episode is a reminder that relevance requires courage, and that being disliked is often a sign you’re on the right path.02:10 My first mindset shift around trolls04:45 Why 50% love and 50% hate is the goal07:30 How algorithms actually interpret engagement10:40 Why controversy drives virality13:15 How I bait trolls in my hooks16:05 How I stop taking negative comments personally18:40 The biggest mistakes creators make with trolls21:30 Why people-pleasing makes you forgettable24:10 Trolls as a rite of passage26:50 Final thoughts on showing up boldly onlineStay connected with me📧 Contact: courtney@smoothmedia.co👍 Instagram: @slaythegatekeeper👍 Instagram: @courtlynnjohnson 💼 LinkedIn: Courtney Johnson🎶 TikTok: @courtney..johnson | — | ||||||
| 12/23/25 | How a Vascular Surgeon Built a Personal Brand (Without Posting), with Lucas M. Ferrer-Cardona, MD | This conversation means a lot to me, and it feels right to share it the day before Christmas 🎄🌟I’m joined by my fiancé, Lucas Ferrer-Cardona, a vascular surgeon, academic, and co-host of the Life of Flow Podcast, for a conversation about leverage, ownership, and why building a personal brand matters no matter what field you’re in.After nearly two decades of medical training, Lucas reached a realization many high performers quietly arrive at: he was trading time for money, with very little control over what he’d built. In this episode, we talk about how discovering Naval Ravikant’s ideas on leverage reshaped the way he thought about work, opportunity, and long-term security, and how that shift led him to build a strong, monetized personal brand without managing his own social media 👀We get into why media creates optionality in a way jobs never will, how delegation and trust make scale possible, and why “keeping your head down and working hard” is no longer enough to protect you. Lucas shares what surprised him most once he started building visibility, how his podcast opened doors he never could have accessed otherwise, and why ownership matters more than titles.If you’ve ever felt resistant to social media, overwhelmed by the idea of putting yourself out there, or uneasy relying solely on your job for stability, this conversation offers a different lens, one grounded in autonomy, leverage, and long-term thinking.05:30 Discovering Naval Ravikant and rethinking work09:15 Media, money, and people as leverage13:40 Why being “the best” isn’t the goal17:05 The Category of One idea21:30 Building visibility without managing social media26:10 Trusting a team and delegating creatively31:45 What institutions really own36:20 Personal brand as long-term optionality41:50 Podcasting as access and relationship capital46:30 Creating momentum and new opportunities51:10 Risk, fear, and intuitionAbout Dr. Lucas Ferrer-CardonaLucas M. Ferrer Cardona, MD is a board-certified vascular surgeon in the Institute for Cardiovascular Health, a clinical partnership between Ascension Seton and UT Health Austin. He specializes in the vascular treatment of both arterial and venous disorders. Additionally, Dr. Ferrer Cardona is an assistant professor in the Dell Medical School Department of Surgery and Perioperative Care at The University of Texas at Austin.Dr. Ferrer Cardona earned his medical degree from the University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He completed both an internship and residency in surgery at Temple University Hospital – Main Campus and a fellowship in vascular surgery at Baylor College of Medicine.Dr. Ferrer Cardona’s clinical interests include preventing diabetic foot amputations and performing limb salvage, particularly using foot vein arterialization for patients who have few options, as well as minimally invasive treatments for carotid disease, dialysis access, and aortic aneurysms.Connect with Lucas: 💼 LinkedIn: Lucas (Lucas Ferrer - Cardona) Ferrer🎙️Podcast: Life of Flow PodcastStay connected with me📧 Contact: courtney@smoothmedia.co👍 Instagram: @slaythegatekeeper👍 Instagram: @courtlynnjohnson 💼 LinkedIn: Courtney Johnson🎶 TikTok: @courtney..johnson | — | ||||||
| 12/16/25 | The Manifestation Formula That Changed Her Entire Career, with Dr. Ruby Patterson | This week, I’m joined by Dr. Ruby Patterson, NASA scientist turned founder, consulting powerhouse, and the mind behind some of the most creative “cheat codes” you’ve ever heard. Ruby blends brilliance and play in a way that makes success feel both strategic and deeply human, and in this episode, she breaks down the mindset and manifestation formula that changed the entire trajectory of her career.We talk about how she used a simple bucket list to unlock rooms she “had no business being in,” why panels became her secret networking Trojan horse, and how scripting, clarity, and talking about your dreams out loud can completely shift your life. Ruby also shares the confidence hacks she used to survive NASA, meet astronauts, build a new business from scratch, and step into her most aligned identity!If you’ve been craving more courage, more clarity, or a smarter way to meet the people who can change your life, this episode is the permission slip and blueprint you’ve been waiting for. Ruby’s story will make you laugh, make you think, and show you exactly how powerful you become when you stop hiding your desires and start gamifying them!!02:10 The confidence gap between who you are and who you want to be06:42 The panel strategy Ruby used to meet anyone she admired11:00 How to get senior leaders to pay attention (without chasing)14:55 Why your dreams need to be spoken out loud18:20 Gamifying your goals: the NASA bucket list story25:40 Networking without pressure, and why audience size doesn’t matter31:15 Scripting in the car: the manifestation technique that works38:22 How Ruby used creative projects as Trojan horses for high-level access44:10 What scientists (and everyone) misunderstand about personal branding51:30 Making your expertise approachable, the “smart eighth grader rule”About Dr. Ruby PattersonDr. Ruby V. Patterson is a planetary geologist, former NASA Mars Geochemist, and the founder of Crisium Group, where she leads groundbreaking work in lunar helium-3 mining and space resource utilization. Named the 2024 Emerging Space Leader by the International Astronautical Federation, Ruby brings a rare mix of scientific rigor, creative thinking, and fearless career strategy to every room she walks into.Ruby earned her Ph.D. in Geology from the University of Houston, after contributing to both lunar and Martian science operations at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. She supported the Curiosity rover science team, designed astronaut tools for lunar surface missions, and helped develop lunar regolith simulants used in Artemis-era exploration. Her published research on Artemis III sample-return strategy has directly shaped NASA’s current geologic planning for the South Pole-Aitken Basin.Beyond NASA, Ruby has advised multiple aerospace startups on lunar surface conditions, authored technical industry reports, and served as U.S. Lead of Research & Development for the Iceland Space Agency. She has championed NASA funding on Capitol Hill, led an all-female research expedition to Iceland’s volcanic zones, and now spearheads helium-3 prospecting efforts at The Extraterrestrial Mining Company, work with implications for clean energy and next-generation computing.Ruby is also a founding board member of the International Lunar Resource Prospecting Consortium and the creator of an all-female mastermind supporting women in the space industry. Today, she blends her scientific expertise with consulting, creative strategy, and public speaking, helping leaders in tech and space think bigger, move smarter, and access the opportunities they’re truly meant for.Connect with Ruby: 📱Instagram: @rubythespacegeologist💼 LinkedIn: Dr. Ruby Patterson🎙️Podcast: Hotter Weirder Smarter PodcastStay connected with me📧 Contact: courtney@smoothmedia.co👍 Instagram: @courtlynnjohnson 💼 LinkedIn: Courtney Johnson🎶 TikTok: @courtney..johnson | — | ||||||
| 12/9/25 | Dating Expert: The Brutal Truth About Why You’re Still Single... (and How to Fix It) | This week on Slay The Gatekeeper, I’m joined by Joel Monteleone, dating coach, speaker, and creator of Hot Takes, Hot Dates, the wildly fun, emotionally intelligent singles experience taking Austin by storm! Joel blends emotional intelligence coaching with edgy, practical, and often hilarious dating strategy. In this episode, he shares the patterns keeping people single, the lies we tell ourselves about “bad dating cities,” and why responsibility, not victimhood, is the real cheat code to love and being loved.We talk about avoiding self-sabotage, building attraction through polarity, rewiring beliefs about rejection, and how vulnerability and alignment are the foundation of every healthy partnership. Joel also shares his most counterintuitive dating hot takes, why connection isn’t supposed to be so serious, and the mindset shifts that turn modern dating from chaos into opportunity.If you’ve been attracting the same partners on repeat, feeling stuck on the apps, or wanting a more empowered approach to love, this episode will challenge your assumptions, make you laugh, and give you tools you can use tonight.01:22 Wanting change vs. acting like it06:10 Problematic dating cheat codes & why we unconsciously repeat patterns11:00 The obsession trap14:55 Don’t be a victim - ownership as the #1 dating cheat code18:45 Where to actually meet high-quality partners (and why “the proper” isn’t it)22:40 “Pay for your friends”26:05 Be hot and make your bag30:50 Why modern self-development culture killed fun (and how Joel brings it back)34:55 Polarity 101: how masculine/feminine energy shapes attraction48:10 tatistics don’t apply to youAbout Joel MonteleoneJoel Monteleone is a dating coach, speaker, and the creator of Hot Takes, Hot Dates, a bold new offline experience helping singles ditch the awkwardness and rediscover connection through comedy, play, and emotional intelligence. With a background in EI coaching, Joel specializes in helping high-achieving men and women break out of victim stories, build authentic confidence, and create relationships rooted in clarity, intentionality, and fun.Connect with Joel: 📱Instagram: @joel_monteleone💼 LinkedIn: Joel Monteleone📱Instagram: @hottakeshotdates🎫 Get your ticket: posh.vip/e/hot-takes-hot-dates-austins-most-fun-singles-eventStay connected with me📧 Contact: courtney@smoothmedia.co👍 Instagram: @courtlynnjohnson 💼 LinkedIn: Courtney Johnson🎶 TikTok: @courtney..johnson | — | ||||||
| 12/2/25 | How Solidcore’s Founder Built and Sold a Nearly $100 Million Fitness Empire | This week on Slay The Gatekeeper, I’m joined by Anne Mahlum, founder of Solidcore, builder of a 100+ studio empire, and the force behind one of the most iconic nine-figure exits in boutique fitness.Before scaling Solidcore into a nationwide powerhouse, Anne founded Back on My Feet, a nonprofit that empowers individuals experiencing homelessness through running, structure, and community. Years later, she took a completely different idea: a Pilates-inspired concept she discovered by accident, and turned it into a category-defining brand she eventually sold for $98.4 million.In this episode, Anne breaks down the cheat codes that shaped her life and career: why having a Plan B is really just planning to fail, how to build a culture people rise to meet, what separates high performers from excuse-makers, and how she built a company that eventually ran without her, giving her the leverage to negotiate the exit on her terms.This conversation is direct, unfiltered, and loaded with founder wisdom. If you’re building something big, leading a team, or trying to level up your resilience, this episode will show you what going all in actually looks like.02:30 Finding purpose in unexpected places05:45 The Pilates class that sparked solidcore08:10 Identifying your unfair advantage11:25 The first-to-market window that changed everything18:40 Building culture through standards, not slogans22:05 Money literacy: why information isn’t the problem27:20 Turning down $75K to stay all-in32:15 Why EQ matters more than experience36:50 Letting go: building a company that outlasts you‼️🔗 Resources Mentioned• Rich Dad Poor Dad – Robert Kiyosaki• How to Win Friends & Influence People – Dale Carnegie• You Are a Badass at Making Money – Jen Sincero• Tony Robbins (Date With Destiny, plus his free content)• The Moneywise Podcast• Content by Sam ParrAbout Anne MahlumAnne Mahlum is an entrepreneur and female motivational speaker who's passionate about empowering people to live life on their own terms. The beginning of Anne’s entrepreneurial journey is nothing short of extraordinary. In 2007, she found herself running by a homeless shelter in Philadelphia, and had the foresight to realize that running and community could be the catalyst to truly change lives. She engaged the shelter to start a running club, which she quickly transformed into a national non-profit called Back on My Feet. The organization, now with an $8M annual budget, uses running as a vehicle to help those experiencing homelessness become empowered to change their lives. Under Anne’s leadership as CEO, she grew the organization to 14 cities. Since its inception, Back on My Feet has helped thousands of individuals achieve employment and more self-sufficient living. But Anne didn’t stop there. She created success again when she founded pilates-inspired [solidcore] in 2013. As its founder and CEO, she grew it into one of the country’s most successful fitness companies in less than a decade by raising more than $200M through private equity to scale it to more than 115 locations across the U.S.The company currently has thousands of employees and hundreds of thousands of clients across 30 states, including former First Lady Michelle Obama Anne successfully exited [solidcore] in April 2023 and shared millions with her employees after the sale.Connect with Anne: 📱 Instagram: @annemahlum💼 LinkedIn: Anne Mahlum🌐 solidcore.coStay connected with me📧 Contact: courtney@smoothmedia.co👍 Instagram: @courtlynnjohnson 💼 LinkedIn: Courtney Johnson🎶 TikTok: @courtney..johnson | — | ||||||
| 11/25/25 | Bill Perkins Reveals the Success Pattern He Sees in Every Billionaire | This week on Slay The Gatekeeper, I sit down with Bill Perkins, investor, author of Die With Zero, and one of the most interesting thinkers on risk, courage, and intentional living.Bill has spent decades around millionaires, billionaires, and people who take massive bets in life and business. In this conversation, he shares the success pattern he sees over and over again at the top: agency, speed, and the courage to move.We talk about why ideas fail, how ego keeps people small, and why most adults fear looking foolish more than they fear wasting their entire life. Bill also shares the “minimize regret” framework he uses to make big decisions, the habit ultra-successful people rely on to stay in motion, and why he thinks you should spend money when the memory value is highest, not when your bank account looks the best.If you’ve ever found yourself stuck, overthinking, or dipping your toe instead of going all in, this conversation is a wake-up call to bet on yourself while you still have time left on the clock.02:10 The success pattern Bill sees in every millionaire: agency, speed, and action04:40 Why ideas fail: the people who win are the ones who move08:05 Toe-dippers vs. all-in people — the courage gap10:45 Ego risk: the real reason people stay small14:20 Bill’s “future self” test for making hard decisions17:55 Starting from zero: what Bill would do at 25 with $50024:30 Why people secretly love failure (and how it validates their own fear)33:50 Thinking about death as a tool for intentional living53:05 Memory dividends: spend money when the value is highest59:20 The fear of wasting your life vs. the fear of running out of moneyAbout Bill PerkinsBill Perkins is an investor, entrepreneur, and author best known for his book Die With Zero and his unconventional approach to money, risk, and fulfillment. Nicknamed the “Natural Gas King” and “Cowboy of Wall Street,” Bill built his career trading energy markets and is the founder and managing partner of Skylar Capital.He’s also backed and built companies across tech and media, including SkyFi and SynMax, and has produced several feature films. Beyond business, Bill is heavily involved in philanthropy and lives in Texas with his wife, Lara, and his daughters, Skye and Brisa.Connect with Bill: 📱 Instagram: @billperkins📘 Die With Zero: diewithzerobook.com🌐 SkyFi: skyfi.com/Stay connected with me📧 Contact: courtney@smoothmedia.co👍 Instagram: @courtlynnjohnson 💼 LinkedIn: Courtney Johnson🎶 TikTok: @courtney..johnson | — | ||||||
| 11/18/25 | How to Grow Fast and Convert on LinkedIn in 2026, with Lara Acosta | This week on Slay The Gatekeeper, I’m joined by Lara Acosta, creator, strategist, and one of the most trusted voices on LinkedIn. Lara has built a multi–six-figure business using one platform, one funnel, and a level of consistency most people only talk about.In this conversation, Lara opens up about the posting habits, content styles, and small decisions that helped her grow an audience of hundreds of thousands, without trends, hacks, or cold outreach. She shares how she thinks about visibility, why simple posts outperform complicated ones, and how creators can stand out in a space where most people quit long before the results show up.We go deep into discipline, niche clarity, momentum, and the email-first approach that drives most of her revenue. If you're serious about growing on LinkedIn, making money from your expertise, or building a brand that people remember, this episode will give you the spark and the direction.03:10 The content style dominating LinkedIn right now (and why simple posts outperform polished ones)11:20 How to use your own story when you don’t feel “expert enough”15:50 The funnel that drives most of Lara’s revenue (LinkedIn → email → conversion)23:40 Who benefits from building a personal brand, and who doesn’t33:20 The posting rhythm that grows almost anyone within six months38:05 Authority vs. relatability: why people buy from creators who feel “close,” not perfect41:40 The trap of chasing big ideas and the one thing that actually moves a business forward49:20 Why waiting to feel ready keeps creators stuck for years58:40 Repetition, memory, and becoming known for something real1:15:15 The origin story of Kleo: how a problem they had turned into a fast-scaling productAbout Lara AcostaLara Acosta is a creator and entrepreneur known for her no-nonsense approach to personal branding and business growth. She has built multiple six-figure companies through organic content, a high-retention newsletter, and a simple conversion system that doesn’t rely on cold outreach or heavy sales tactics.She is the co-founder of Kleo, an AI-supported content tool built by top LinkedIn creators to help entrepreneurs write better posts, store ideas, and stay consistent without overthinking.Lara teaches creators, founders, and service providers how to grow with clarity, consistency, and a tone that feels like them, not a template.Connect with Lara: 📱 Instagram: @laraacostar💼 LinkedIn: Lara Acosta🌐 kleo.so🎙️YouTube: Lara AcostaStay connected with me📧 Contact: courtney@smoothmedia.co👍 Instagram: @courtlynnjohnson 💼 LinkedIn: Courtney Johnson🎶 TikTok: @courtney..johnson | — | ||||||
| 11/11/25 | Addiction Recovery, Emotional Intelligence & Healing Tools to Break Old Patterns with Andrew Adams | This week on Slay The Gatekeeper, I’m joined by Andrew Adams, speaker, coach, and self-mastery teacher, whose story of recovery and rebirth will stop you in your tracks.After spending 12 years in addiction, Andrew rebuilt his entire life from the inside out. Today, he helps others do the same, guiding people to break patterns, let go of attachments, and find peace within themselves.In this episode, Andrew shares the 5 cheat codes that helped him move from survival to self-mastery. We talk about how to spot the real source of your pain instead of just treating symptoms, how to shift your relationship with control, and why emotional intelligence is the difference between chaos and calm.This conversation goes way deeper than surface-level healing or “feel good” advice. It’s honest, raw, and full of truth. If you’ve ever caught yourself in the same loop, feeling like change is out of reach, this episode will remind you how much power you actually hold.01:04 The moment that sparked Andrew’s transformation04:20 “The pattern is not the problem”: looking beneath the surface09:10 How awareness shifts more than willpower ever can13:45 Cravings as clues and what they reveal about your inner world18:30 The illusion of control and learning to let go23:05 Redefining emotional intelligence (and why monks might have it easy)28:40 “Pain is sacred”: finding purpose in the hard seasons34:15 Love as a healing frequency39:20 Power × Purpose = Prosperity: the formula for a full lifeAbout Andrew AdamsAndrew Adams is a high-impact speaker and self-mastery coach who helps people reconnect with their power through awareness, healing, and emotional intelligence. After overcoming more than a decade of addiction, he now teaches others how to turn pain into purpose and live from the frequency of love.Connect with Andrew: 📱 Instagram: Andrew Adams💼 LinkedIn: Andrew Adams Stay connected with me📧 Contact: courtney@smoothmedia.co👍 Instagram: @courtlynnjohnson 💼 LinkedIn: Courtney Johnson🎶 TikTok: @courtney..johnson | — | ||||||
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