Are you secretly afraid of success? In this solo episode, I dive into why fear of success is so common, even when you deeply want to achieve success. You'll also learn an exercise to help you navigate fear of success.

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SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER:

Subscribe to the Creator Alchemy Newsletter for exclusive content and unlock the Psychology of Success Masterclass for free.

Go to https://www.creatoralchemy.com/

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JOIN THE COMMUNITY:

The Creator Alchemy Lab is a community for ambitious creators taking bold action to transform their businesses, their lives, and themselves.

Go to https://www.creatoralchemy.com/lab now to join.

—

SOCIAL LINKS:

Website: https://coreywilkspsyd.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@coreywilkspsyd

Substack: https://substack.com/@coreywilkspsyd

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreywilkspsyd/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coreywilkspsyd/

Disclaimers: The content provided is for educational, informational, and entertainment purposes only. Nothing here constitutes personal or professional consultation, treatment, diagnosis, or creates a professional-client relationship.

Lawrence Yeo is the founder of More to That and author of The Inner Compass. He's legitimately one of my favorite modern writers and has been instrumental in helping me improve my ability to think clearer, tell better stories, and live more meaningfully. In today's episode, I sit down with Lawrence to dive deep into the psychological barriers that keep creators from doing their best work. We explore how to transform imposter syndrome into creative fuel, why authenticity beats algorithmic optimization, and how philosophical frameworks provide more practical guidance than traditional self-help for navigating creative uncertainty, building sustainable businesses, and developing unshakeable conviction in your ideas.

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CONNECT WITH LAWRENCE YEO:

Website: https://moretothat.com/

Lawrence's book, The Inner Compass: https://compass.moretothat.com/

—

SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER:

Subscribe to the Creator Alchemy Newsletter for exclusive content and unlock the Psychology of Success Masterclass for free.

Go to https://www.creatoralchemy.com/

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JOIN THE COMMUNITY:

The Creator Alchemy Lab is a community for ambitious creators taking bold action to transform their businesses, their lives, and themselves.

Go to https://www.creatoralchemy.com/lab now to join.

—

TOPICS DISCUSSED:

• Imposter syndrome signals you're entering new territory and growing, rather than being a character flaw to eliminate.
• Original ideas don't exist - your unique value comes from filtering universal concepts through your personal experience and worldview.
• Tactical vulnerability means sharing personal struggles specifically to serve your audience, not just to process your own emotions.
• Writing like you naturally speak creates more authentic connection than trying to hit artificial reading level targets.
• Perfectionism paralyzes creators because achieving it would make creating the next piece even more daunting.
• Stories move people more than statistics - personal anecdotes create lasting impact where data fails.
• Mastery (refining intuition) creates more sustainable success than status-chasing (collecting attention).
• The people you attract reflect the ideas you share - shallow content brings shallow thinkers.
• External validation becomes addictive when you're in periods of self-doubt, but focusing on craft builds genuine confidence and conviction.
• Monetizing creativity requires attracting people whose values align with yours, not just anyone willing to pay.
• Trusting yourself is learnable through repeatedly doing work for its own sake without external pressure.

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TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 The Genesis of More to That

05:16 How Lawrence Deals with Imposter Syndrome

09:46 The Art of Remixing Ideas

14:42 The Power of Authenticity and Vulnerability in The Creative Act

25:38 Common Writing Advice to Avoid

33:15 Why Perfection is Overrated

40:39 Knowledge vs Wisdom in the Age of AI

48:25 Krishnamurti, Philosophy, and Navigating Existence

1:17:08 Why We Wait for Permission to Hit Publish

1:25:52 The Pursuit of Mastery and Craftsmanship

1:32:25 Staying True to Yourself and Resisting Misaligned Incentives

1:49:49 The Inner Compass

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SOCIAL LINKS:

Website:

What is marketing, actually? And how can you improve your marketing to grow your audience, revenue, and resonance in an authentic way? In today's episode, I sit down with my friend Amanda Natividad, head of marketing at SparkToro, to explore the psychology behind effective marketing. We discuss zero-click content, parasocial relationships, and why the best marketing doesn't feel like marketing at all, and Amanda shares actionable strategies for creators who want to build authentic connections that convert.

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ABOUT AMANDA NATIVIDAD:

Amanda Natividad is VP of Marketing for audience research startup, SparkToro. In her spare time, she co-hosts the Meme Team podcast and writes a marketing newsletter called the Menu (with over 16k subscribers). She’s also the creator/teacher for Content Marketing 201, a contributor for Adweek, a Le Cordon Bleu-trained chef, and a former journalist. Amanda previously led marketing for Growth Machine, led marketing for Liftopia, built Fitbit’s B2B content program, and led content and communications for NatureBox.

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CONNECT WITH AMANDA NATIVIDAD:

Website: https://amandanat.com/

Newsletter: https://amandanat.com/subscribe/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandanat/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amandanat/

Twitter: https://x.com/amandanat

Meme Team Podcast: https://www.memeteampodcast.com/

—

SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER:

Subscribe to the Creator Alchemy Newsletter for exclusive content and unlock the Psychology of Success Masterclass for free.

Go to https://www.creatoralchemy.com/

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JOIN THE COMMUNITY:

The Creator Alchemy Lab is a community for ambitious creators taking bold action to transform their businesses, their lives, and themselves.

Go to https://www.creatoralchemy.com/lab now to join.

—

TOPICS DISCUSSED:

• The best marketing doesn't feel like marketing because people naturally resist being sold to but want solutions to their problems.
• Content marketing should serve specific business functions rather than just creating content for content's sake.
• Zero-click content strategy focuses on providing value directly on social platforms instead of driving traffic away from them.
• Parasocial relationships allow creators to scale intimacy and build genuine connections with large audiences.
• Content pillars act as guardrails that protect your mental health while maintaining focus and audience expectations.
• Blog posts and long-form content serve as proof and defense for your expertise, not just standalone pieces.
• People follow creators for who they are, not just their content, which is why personal connection matters more than perfect information.
• Building algorithmic capital through consistent valuable content allows you to occasionally promote without being penalized.
• Making it easy for people to understand what you sell and where to buy it is fundamental but often overlooked.

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TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 - Why the Best Marketing Doesn’t Feel Like Marketing

01:24 - B2B vs B2C Marketing: Key Differences

04:25 - The Truth About Content Marketing

13:10 - Personal Brand vs Reputation: Building Authentic Authority

22:46 - Parasocial Relationships: Scaling Intimacy in Marketing

35:20 - Managing Influence and Setting Professional Boundaries

41:09 - Marketing Psychology in an Algorithm-Driven World

44:15 - Why Zero-Click Content and Algorithmic Capital Are the Future of Marketing

50:08 - People Hate Being Sold to But...

Dr. Josh Williams is a clinical psychologist, natural body builder, father, human performance expert, and a personal friend who inspires me to be a better version of myself every day. In this episode, we dive deep into the psychology of fitness (how to get in shape and stay fit), modern men and masculinity issues (and why so many men feel lost today), emotional intelligence and identity formation, and how sacrifice is a requirement for success in all areas of life.

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CONNECT WITH Dr. Josh Williams:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/strengthritual/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DrJoshWilliams

—

SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER:

Subscribe to the Creator Alchemy Newsletter for exclusive content and unlock the Psychology of Success Masterclass for free.

Go to https://www.creatoralchemy.com/

—

JOIN THE COMMUNITY:

The Creator Alchemy Lab is a community for ambitious creators taking bold action to transform their businesses, their lives, and themselves.

Go to https://www.creatoralchemy.com/lab now to join.

—

TOPICS DISCUSSED:

• Soreness doesn't equal workout quality - consistency and progressive overload matter more than how you feel the next day
• Identity beats goals for creating lasting behavioral change - "I am someone who works out" is more powerful than "I want to work out"
• Environment beats willpower every time - design your surroundings and remove temptations rather than relying on self-control
• Modern men lack clear role scripts while women successfully adapted to new opportunities and expectations
• High achievers often create emotional compression that limits both their highs and lows to maintain performance
• Sacrifice is inevitable in life, so choose what you give up consciously rather than letting it happen by default
• The lineage perspective creates meaning beyond personal achievement by viewing your life as part of a generational chain
• Turn toward difficult emotions instead of avoiding them - this builds resilience and emotional intelligence over time
• Community and accountability accelerate progress in fitness, business, and personal development more than solo effort
• Default systems protect your most important values by creating automatic behaviors that don't require constant decisions

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TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Fitness Myths & How to Optimize for Longevity

13:22 What Holds People Back from Getting in Shape

22:40 The Psychology of Sacrifice and Building Your Ideal Life

32:35 The Power of Constraints to Achieve Your Health Goals

52:36 The Modern Men and Masculinity Crisis

1:16:00 The Lineage Perspective: Living for More Than Yourself

1:25:50 Emotional Intelligence, Expression, and Compression

1:49:06 Striving, Excellence, and Enjoyment

1:56:25 How to Design Your Environment for Excellence

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SOCIAL LINKS:

Website: https://coreywilkspsyd.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@coreywilkspsyd

Substack: https://substack.com/@coreywilkspsyd

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreywilkspsyd/

Instagram:

What happens when your entire business gets destroyed in 3 days? Jay Acunzo, storytelling expert and former head of content at HubSpot, shares the messy reality of reinvention and how he discovered his most defensible advantages. We explore why people follow you for YOU (not your content), the psychology behind authentic storytelling vs. performance, and Jay's frameworks for escaping the "commodity cage"—including why you should focus on being their favorite instead of being the best. Plus: the simple 4-part story structure that actually works and how to "ladder down" your ideas to create deeper connections.

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CONNECT WITH JAY:

https://jayacunzo.com/

https://linkedin.com/in/jayacunzo

https://jayacunzo.com/newsletter

Check out Jay's podcast, "How Stories Happen" wherever you get your podcasts

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SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER:

Subscribe to the Creator Alchemy Newsletter for exclusive content and unlock the Psychology of Success Masterclass for free.

Go to https://www.creatoralchemy.com/

—

JOIN THE COMMUNITY:

The Creator Alchemy Lab is a community for ambitious creators taking bold action to transform their businesses, their lives, and themselves.

Go to https://www.creatoralchemy.com/lab now to join.

—

TOPICS DISCUSSED:

• Getting "punched in the mouth" by unexpected events often forces necessary reinvention that turns five-year plans into 30-day survival plans
• Ask yourself "What am I the best at doing in a room of 100 people?" to find clarity about your unique strengths and defensible advantages
• The messy, unglamorous parts of reinvention are where you actually find your best ideas and truest self
• People don't follow you for your content—they follow you for you, which means your imperfections are often what create the strongest connections
• Use "tactical vulnerability"—share imperfect, human aspects of your story that are relevant for building connection or illustrating a point
• Stories need four building blocks: status quo, tension, turning point, and resolution (remember the itsy bitsy spider)
• Don't just share expertise—escape the "commodity cage" by developing a unique premise or perspective
• "Don't market more, matter more"—focus on resonance (how much people care) over reach (how many people see it)
• "Don't be the best, be their favorite"—people make emotional choices and rationalize them later
• Move from being an expert who shares information to an explorer who asks questions and launches investigations
• "Ladder down" your ideas: start with an easy reframe, then your core premise, then the best-case outcome
• Bringing conviction to your ideas and learning to package them effectively creates a defensible position in a noisy world

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TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Why Jay decided to dedicate this chapter of his life to storytelling and speaking

09:00 How Jay reinvented his business after everything burned to the ground

14:57 The emotional toll of pivoting your business

18:20 How to find your best ideas to share

21:41 The trap of being a meta-creator

23:43 Being an expert vs. an explorer

26:30 Imperfection and building a connection with your audience

33:25 AI and the Milli Vanilli Effect

37:54 Being authentic vs being performative

49:38 The...

In this episode, I sit down with PJ Milani (you may know him by Milani Creative), a high school film teacher who's built an inspirational brand sharing visual metaphors that's attracted an audience of over 400,000 people across platforms by embracing quantity over quality and abandoning perfectionism.

We dive deep into his creative philosophy, the psychology behind consistent output, and how he overcame decades of creative paralysis to become one of the most recognized visual metaphor creators online. PJ shares his approach to handling imposter syndrome, the constraints that fuel his creativity, and why "good enough" might be the secret to unlocking your creative potential. This conversation will completely change how you think about creative work and hitting publish.

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CONNECT WITH PJ Milani:

• https://www.milanicreative.com/art
• The visual metaphor we talk about at the end of the episode: https://www.instagram.com/p/DFxaB-Hx2md/

—

SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER:

Subscribe to the Creator Alchemy Newsletter for exclusive content and unlock the Psychology of Success Masterclass for free.

Go to https://www.creatoralchemy.com/

—

JOIN THE COMMUNITY:

The Creator Alchemy Lab is a community for ambitious creators taking bold action to transform their businesses, their lives, and themselves.

Go to https://www.creatoralchemy.com/lab now to join.

—

TOPICS DISCUSSED:

• Perfectionism is often disguised procrastination - Waiting for the "perfect approach" or "right tools" can delay creative output for years, as PJ experienced before finally starting at age 40.
• Creative accents (your imperfections) become your unique signature - In an AI-dominated world, the way you imperfectly create something is what makes your work distinctly human and memorable.
• "Good enough" should be redefined as "as good as I can make it today" - This shifts the question from impossible perfection to achievable daily excellence within your current constraints.
• You are not the best judge of what will resonate with your audience - PJ's most viral content was often work he didn't think was his best, proving creators can't predict what will connect with people.
• Creative practice should align with meaningful work, not just cool achievements - Focusing on work that feels personally fulfilling sustains long-term creative output better than chasing viral moments.
• Imposter syndrome intensifies with success rather than disappearing - The feeling of not belonging in certain rooms persists even at high achievement levels, requiring ongoing psychological management.
• Constraints actually fuel creativity rather than limit it - Having boundaries provides a framework that makes creative decisions easier and prevents paralysis from infinite options.

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TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 - Overcoming Perfectionism Through Consistency

06:16 - From Teaching to Creating: PJ's Background

24:08 - Crossing the Fame Threshold

30:47 - Navigating Imposter Syndrome

43:55 - Balancing Cool vs. Meaningful in Creative Work

50:45 - The Overwhelm of Being Multi-Passionate

56:20 - Metrics of Success: What Actually Matters

1:12:02 - The Art of "Good Enough" and Creative Accents

1:23:04 - Technical Skills vs. True Creativity

1:44:08 - Creative Constraints That Fuel Innovation

1:49:18 - How to Overcome...

Tobi Emonts-Holley is a CEO, father of seven, and high-performance coach for fathers who want to thrive at home and at work without burning out.

In this episode, Tobi shares hard-earned insights about what it takes to be a true leader (and why leadership starts with humility, not ego), how to lead yourself in order to lead others, the power of building systems instead of relying on willpower, how to approach work-life balance and burnout when you can’t clock out, how he manages to stay present as a father and husband raising 7 kids and maintain a happy marriage—and how he manages to do all of this while also staying fit, building a huge social media following, and coaching other high-performers.

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CONNECT WITH Tobi Emonts-Holley:

http://hybrid-dad.com

http://instagram.com/tobi_emonts/

https://www.youtube.com/@tobi_emonts

—

SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER:

Subscribe to the Creator Alchemy Newsletter for exclusive content and unlock the Psychology of Success Masterclass for free.

Go to https://www.creatoralchemy.com/

—

JOIN THE COMMUNITY:

The Creator Alchemy Lab is a community for ambitious creators taking bold action to transform their businesses, their lives, and themselves.

Go to https://www.creatoralchemy.com/lab now to join.

—

TOPICS DISCUSSED:

• Being a leader means transitioning from being a hard worker to a hard thinker - As you advance in leadership, your most important job becomes creating space to think strategically rather than executing tasks.
• Leading yourself is a prerequisite for leading others effectively - You can’t inspire or guide others until you've done the inner work to understand and manage your own insecurities and patterns.
• Self-respect is the root issue behind most fitness and time management failures - People who can't stick to exercise routines or boundaries often lack fundamental self-respect, not discipline or knowledge.
• Systems and boundaries allow you to be present with family while maintaining performance - Having structured work processes and protected personal time allows you to be fully present during family moments without sacrificing professional output.
• Different life areas can elevate each other rather than compete - Morning workouts improve emotional stability for parenting, better work boundaries create more family time, and strategic thinking enhances all areas of life.
• Parenting is about raising future adults, not managing current children - The decisions you make about screen time, work ethic, and presence today shape the adults your children will become.
• Stillness and uninterrupted thinking time are competitive advantages for leaders - Taking walks without distractions and creating protected space for deep thought leads to better decision-making across all life domains.

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TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 From Volunteer to CEO

07:30 Setting Healthy Boundaries When You’re Always On

11:38 Productivity Myths and How to Have It All

26:40 The Power of Stillness

34:52 Leadership Myths vs. Reality

45:03 How Leaders Deal with Self-Doubt

48:20 Why You Have to Lead Yourself to Lead Others

55:54 Tobi’s 10-Year Vision and His...

In this episode, I sit down with Jay Yang, a 19-year-old who landed jobs with Noah Kagan and Tyler Denk before graduating high school and is now working with Alex and Leila Hormozi. We explore his "permissionless approach" to creating opportunities, finding your obsession, navigating imposter syndrome, and why most people wait for permission that will never come. If you've ever wondered whether you're too young, too old, too inexperienced, or too whatever to go after what you want, this conversation will shift your perception of what’s possible when you adopt a permissionless approach.

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ABOUT JAY YANG:

Jay Yang proves you don't need permission to create extraordinary opportunities. He built a six-figure business and hundreds of thousands of social media followers before graduating high school, then became Head of Content for Noah Kagan where he led the social media campaign that made Noah's book a NYT bestseller. Now 19 and working with Alex and Leila Hormozi at acquisition.com, Jay shares his permissionless strategies in his new book You Can Just Do Things: The Power of Permissionless Action.

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CONNECT WITH JAY YANG:

• Twitter (X): @jayyanginspires
• Instagram: @jayyanginspires
• LinkedIn: Jay Yang
• Weekly Newsletter: The Spark

Get Jay’s Latest Book: You Can Just Do Things: The Power of Permissionless Action

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SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER:

Subscribe to the Creator Alchemy Newsletter for exclusive content and unlock the Psychology of Success Masterclass for free.

Go to https://www.creatoralchemy.com/

—

JOIN THE COMMUNITY:

The Creator Alchemy Lab is a community for ambitious creators taking bold action to transform their businesses, their lives, and themselves.

Go to https://www.creatoralchemy.com/lab now to join.

—

TOPICS DISCUSSED:

• Do the Work Upfront - Instead of asking "how can I help," create actual value first and show them what you can do.
• The Three Obsession Tests - Find what makes you lose track of time, keeps you up past midnight, and what others find boring but you love.
• Show Evidence, Not Arguments - When family doubts your non-traditional path, prove it works rather than trying to convince them why it should.
• Build Friends, Not Networks - Focus on genuine relationships and being generous without expecting anything in return.
• Reframe Imposter Syndrome - That uncomfortable feeling means you're growing and entering new territory, not that you don't belong.
• The North Star Decision Filter - Evaluate every opportunity by asking if it moves you closer to your ultimate goal.
• Find Your Torture - Success comes from finding the suffering you're willing to embrace because you love the work itself.
• Permission is a Myth - Most doors are unlocked; people just assume they're locked and never try the handle.
• Compress Your Timeline - You can achieve in months what others take years to do by strategically connecting with the right people.
• Choose Long-term Fulfillment - Prioritize what's worthwhile over the long run rather than chasing short-term...