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 differently
04:20 What happens when accountability disappears in adulthood
07:15 Why real change requires stakes
08:45 Investing before results show up
10:40 How your environment shapes your standards
14:45 Why growth often means outgrowing familiar spaces
15:30 The “bucket of crabs” effect and being dragged down
19:38 Spending money to accelerate growth
22:45 Turning pro vs playing it safe
23:40 “What am I pretending not to know?”
About Kassidy
Kassidy 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.com
Stay connected with me
📧 Contact: courtney@smoothmedia.co
👍 Instagram: @slaythegatekeeper
👍 Instagram: @courtlynnjohnson
💼 LinkedIn: Courtney Johnson
🎶 TikTok: @courtney..johnson

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 trolls
04:45 Why 50% love and 50% hate is the goal
07:30 How algorithms actually interpret engagement
10:40 Why controversy drives virality
13:15 How I bait trolls in my hooks
16:05 How I stop taking negative comments personally
18:40 The biggest mistakes creators make with trolls
21:30 Why people-pleasing makes you forgettable
24:10 Trolls as a rite of passage
26:50 Final thoughts on showing up boldly online
Stay connected with me
📧 Contact: courtney@smoothmedia.co
👍 Instagram: @slaythegatekeeper
👍 Instagram: @courtlynnjohnson
💼 LinkedIn: Courtney Johnson
🎶 TikTok: @courtney..johnson

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 work
09:15 Media, money, and people as leverage
13:40 Why being “the best” isn’t the goal
17:05 The Category of One idea
21:30 Building visibility without managing social media
26:10 Trusting a team and delegating creatively
31:45 What institutions really own
36:20 Personal brand as long-term optionality
41:50 Podcasting as access and relationship capital
46:30 Creating momentum and new opportunities
51:10 Risk, fear, and intuition
About Dr. Lucas Ferrer-Cardona
Lucas 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 Podcast
Stay connected with me
📧 Contact: courtney@smoothmedia.co
👍 Instagram: @slaythegatekeeper
👍 Instagram: @courtlynnjohnson
💼 LinkedIn: Courtney Johnson
🎶 TikTok: @courtney..johnson

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 be
06:42 The panel strategy Ruby used to meet anyone she admired
11:00 How to get senior leaders to pay attention (without chasing)
14:55 Why your dreams need to be spoken out loud
18:20 Gamifying your goals: the NASA bucket list story
25:40 Networking without pressure, and why audience size doesn’t matter
31:15 Scripting in the car: the manifestation technique that works
38:22 How Ruby used creative projects as Trojan horses for high-level access
44:10 What scientists (and everyone) misunderstand about personal branding
51:30 Making your expertise approachable, the “smart eighth grader rule”
About Dr. Ruby Patterson
Dr. 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 Podcast
Stay connected with me
📧 Contact: courtney@smoothmedia.co
👍 Instagram: @courtlynnjohnson
💼 LinkedIn: Courtney Johnson
🎶 TikTok: @courtney..johnson

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 it
06:10 Problematic dating cheat codes & why we unconsciously repeat patterns
11:00 The obsession trap
14:55 Don’t be a victim - ownership as the #1 dating cheat code
18:45 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 bag
30:50 Why modern self-development culture killed fun (and how Joel brings it back)
34:55 Polarity 101: how masculine/feminine energy shapes attraction
48:10 tatistics don’t apply to you
About Joel Monteleone
Joel 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-event
Stay connected with me
📧 Contact: courtney@smoothmedia.co
👍 Instagram: @courtlynnjohnson
💼 LinkedIn: Courtney Johnson
🎶 TikTok: @courtney..johnson

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 places
05:45 The Pilates class that sparked solidcore
08:10 Identifying your unfair advantage
11:25 The first-to-market window that changed everything
18:40 Building culture through standards, not slogans
22:05 Money literacy: why information isn’t the problem
27:20 Turning down $75K to stay all-in
32:15 Why EQ matters more than experience
36:50 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 Parr
About Anne Mahlum
Anne 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.co
Stay connected with me
📧 Contact: courtney@smoothmedia.co
👍 Instagram: @courtlynnjohnson
💼 LinkedIn: Courtney Johnson
🎶 TikTok: @courtney..johnson

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 action
04:40 Why ideas fail: the people who win are the ones who move
08:05 Toe-dippers vs. all-in people — the courage gap
10:45 Ego risk: the real reason people stay small
14:20 Bill’s “future self” test for making hard decisions
17:55 Starting from zero: what Bill would do at 25 with $500
24:30 Why people secretly love failure (and how it validates their own fear)
33:50 Thinking about death as a tool for intentional living
53:05 Memory dividends: spend money when the value is highest
59:20 The fear of wasting your life vs. the fear of running out of money
About Bill Perkins
Bill 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

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’t
33:20 The posting rhythm that grows almost anyone within six months
38:05 Authority vs. relatability: why people buy from creators who feel “close,” not perfect
41:40 The trap of chasing big ideas and the one thing that actually moves a business forward
49:20 Why waiting to feel ready keeps creators stuck for years
58:40 Repetition, memory, and becoming known for something real
1:15:15 The origin story of Kleo: how a problem they had turned into a fast-scaling product
About Lara Acosta
Lara 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 Acosta
Stay connected with me
📧 Contact: courtney@smoothmedia.co
👍 Instagram: @courtlynnjohnson
💼 LinkedIn: Courtney Johnson
🎶 TikTok: @courtney..johnson