Built in Public

Courtney Johnson
  • 5.0 (5)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated weekly

Built in Public is a personal brand podcast hosted by Courtney Johnson. Each week, Courtney sits down with founders, creators, and operators to unpack how they turn expertise into authority, visibility into opportunity, and content into long-term leverage. We talk positioning, audience building, thought leadership, and what it actually takes to show up before you feel ready. If you want to build it in public, this show is for you.

  1. 4 days ago

    How To Make Money On Social Media

    hi friends. did i tell you how I turned $8,500 I didn't have into a program that's made me $300,000 in the last year?that's basically what this whole solo episode is: me opening up my bank account and walking you through it.I'm covering my 100 free calls strategy, the exact questions I ask people to build a real offer out of thin air, and then I rank almost every single way I've ever tried to monetize my content, close to 29 of them, from the ones that pay my rent to the ones that were honestly a waste of my time.some of these numbers are going to surprise you, some of them are small, and I'm not gatekeeping any of it.let me know in the comments if you want the actual templates I used to turn my free call transcripts into content and offers!! ⤵️📘 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/01:08 How I make money from my content 02:12 My 100 free calls strategy 14:29 The advice two multi-millionaires both gave me 19:03 Ranking every way I've made money 21:51 Patreon and the "1,000 true fans" math 34:07 The challenge that made me $60,000 in a week 30:05 Why I charge $1,500 an hour for pick my brain calls 37:14 The free script that fixed my worst webinar 39:36 How Maven made me half a million dollars 40:58 My six-figure book deal, and paying it back 44:17 My brand deals: $10,000 to $250,000 a year 49:43 My rule for picking affiliate partnershipsStay connected with me📧 Contact: courtney@smoothmedia.co👍 Instagram: @builtinpublicpod👍 Instagram: @courtlynnjohnson💼 LinkedIn: Courtney Johnson🎶 TikTok: @courtney..johnson

  2. 8 Sept

    This Is How Authors Get Book Deals (and how i got mine)

    I've been wanting to bring this guest on for a while, because she's one of the main reasons I have a book at all.I'm sitting down with the incredible Thea Diklich-Newell, the editor who acquired and shaped Career Cheat Codes, to talk about how my dream happened and how it can happen for you too.a little snippet of what we got into and how it all started: a coworker of hers sent her my TikTok series one day, she saw something in it, and she emailed me asking if I'd ever thought about turning it into a book. that's it. that's the whole "how do I get discovered" story everyone assumes is more complicated than it is.so I brought her on to break down what editors are looking for when they're scrolling your content, what "authority" means to a publisher if you don't have a fancy degree behind your name, the real red flags that make her pass on a pitch, and the one boring, unsexy habit that made her whole team want to work with me before we'd even signed anything.this episode is the roadmap for anyone who has this constant thought "I should write a book about this"📘 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/06:36 Inside the Big Five: what an imprint is and why it matters 08:27 What "authority" means to an editor if you don't have the credentials 12:41 The free "hot tip" hiding in the back of every book you own 15:47 The one habit editors wish more authors had (it's not talent) 21:15 Why "my book is for everyone" is the fastest way to sell zero copies 28:36 Why you have to be okay hearing no 100 times before the one yes30:48 The actual cheat code for landing a book deal, and it costs nothing 34:46 Why self-publishing doesn't close the door to a book deal anymore36:47 The books Thea can't stop talking about this year 39:25 What she's telling authors to write about next, in the age of AI 42:03 Her two-question test for finding your own book ideaAbout Thea Diklich-Newell Thea Diklich-Newell is an editor at Ten Speed Press, part of the Crown Publishing Group within Penguin Random House, where she focuses on prescriptive nonfiction: self-help, career, parenting, and relationship books built on real authority and lived experience rather than just a big following. She joined Ten Speed in 2024 after editorial roles at Little, Brown and the Stuart Krichevsky Literary Agency, where she got her start vetting manuscripts from the agent's side of the business. She's also the editor behind Career Cheat Codes.Stay connected with me📧 Contact: courtney@smoothmedia.co👍 Instagram: @builtinpublicpod👍 Instagram: @courtlynnjohnson💼 LinkedIn: Courtney Johnson🎶 TikTok: @courtney..johnson

  3. 1 Sept

    I Answered Every Question K*lling Your Personal Brand (Q&A)

    okay so I recorded this one about to burst, and my baby is already here. wild!!!!!so this whole episode is a Q&A, straight from what you all sent me. the spiciest, most unhinged personal brand questions in my inbox, answered. in this one: why "I'm multi-passionate" isn't a real problem, why you'd never let a friend treat you the way your boss does, and the exact system that kept me posting daily even at nine months pregnant.heads up, "fuck your niche" gets said more than once. I stand by it.let's get into the questions.📘 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/👉 Want your question featured on a future episode? Subscribe to my newsletter, that's where I send these out and where I answer some of them directly, for free → artisanal-originator-6888.kit.com/0e038bf26a📱 Joel Monteleone, for help getting events and community sponsorships → @joel_monteleone 🛠️01:14 Why "how do I make an extra $5,000 this month" is the wrong question to ask 05:23 fuck your niche07:42 my daily co-working system that ended my procrastination for good 11:06 The corporate LinkedIn fear question i keep getting21:44 The client who proved "I'm multi-passionate" was never really the problem29:57 Stop posting "AISLOP" if you want LinkedIn to actually show your posts36:20 How to build your "video muscle" without spending hours editingStay connected with me📧 Contact: courtney@smoothmedia.co👍 Instagram: @builtinpublicpod👍 Instagram: @courtlynnjohnson💼 LinkedIn: Courtney Johnson🎶 TikTok: @courtney..johnson

  4. 25 Aug

    The Creator Behind A 53 Million View Video On How To Make Money From A Personal Brand, with Cru Mahoney

    Today I'm sitting down with Cru Mahoney, a mindset and personal brand coach who posted every single day for two years to almost nobody, then had one video hit 53 million views and go from 7K to 300K followers in a month, and this episode made me rethink my entire relationship with consistency.I've spent years listening my audience they needed a strategy before they post anything. meanwhile, this guy posted twice a day for two years with 2,000 views a piece, no strategy, no niche, no plan, just a promise he made to himself, and then one post did more numbers than most people's entire careers.he came on to share exactly how he built the brand, the three-level framework, the philosophy on niches, the whole thing he believes about manipulation and leadership that most people are too scared to say out loud. grab a coffee, this one's a lot!! ☕️📘 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/ 06:12 Two years of posting daily to almost nobody, then one video hits 53 million views 14:49 The brainwashing video he has coming out, and the client story behind it22:45 Why he turns down the easy $140K-a-month niche business25:59 Rage is a legitimate reason to start posting 34:46 What happens once ambitious people finally "make it" 46:17 Why he calls follower counts "trash," even with 400K of his own 50:24 His most controversial post yet: turn off the news About Cru MahoneyCru Mahoney didn't set out to build a personal brand. What started as a private promise to himself, running every single morning since June 13, 2018 to work through years of anxiety, turned into two years of posting the process online to almost no one. Then one video, about the things he doesn't do (drink, smoke, party), hit 53 million views and took him from 7,000 followers to 300,000 in a single month.Connect with guest📹 YouTube: @crumahoney👍 Instagram: @crumahoneyWebsite: crumahoney.com/Stay connected with me📧 Contact: courtney@smoothmedia.co👍 Instagram: @builtinpublicpod👍 Instagram: @courtlynnjohnson💼 LinkedIn: Courtney Johnson🎶 TikTok: @courtney..johnson

  5. 18 Aug

    School of Hard Knocks' Host Reveals the Framework Behind Their 23M Followers

    hi friends!! today I'm sitting down with Rachel Hague, co-host at School of Hard Knocks (yes, THE 23 million-follower media company) and this episode made me want to fire my own excuses.I've spent actual years being too intimidated to walk up to people I found impressive. meanwhile, this woman casually walks up to actual billionaires on the street with a camera and just... asks. no plan, no permission, no invite. gets a yes anyway.oh, and she also beat out 950 other women for her job. so my "I'm not qualified enough" is officially retired.she came on to share exactly how she builds credibility out of thin air, the framework, the mindset, all of it. no "just be yourself" fluff, no vague advice. the real framework.grab a coffee, this one's a lot ☕️📘 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/02:53 Inside the street interviews: 100% unstaged, and here's how she handles getting rejected on camera09:41 The neuroscientist quote that ruined "walking into a room" for me forever20:12 "Authority hacking": steal credibility from anyone, legally23:50 Credibility k*lls all bad attitudes30:18 Why she'd rather own "a piece of the watermelon than the entire grape"31:07 The job every company needs right now and doesn't know it yet33:55 950 women applied for her role. here's how she got picked44:11 The confidence quote that stuck with me long after we stopped recordingAbout RachelRachell got her start filming funny videos with her little sister, who has disabilities, to encourage her through her health journey. That was the accidental beginning of her personal brand. From there, she built a following connecting female entrepreneurs, hosting 100+ in-person and virtual events across Austin and the U.S.She's now a host at School of Hard Knocks, a 23-million-follower media company, where she runs a channel taking viewers behind the scenes of business owners' real day-to-day. Launched about 6 months ago with zero cross-promotion from the main channel, it's already crossed 100,000 followers. In her words: "I'm truly just being a student."Connect with Rachel💼 LinkedIn: Rachel Hague👍 Instagram: @rachellhagueStay connected with me📧 Contact: courtney@smoothmedia.co👍 Instagram: @builtinpublicpod👍 Instagram: @courtlynnjohnson💼 LinkedIn: Courtney Johnson🎶 TikTok: @courtney..johnson

  6. 11 Aug

    The Delegation Playbook That Made Me 7 Figures

    hey friends!! welcome back to another solo episode. it's been way too long and I have so much to say before my mat leave!!🤰🤍okay so. I once paid a woman $100 to clean my house, then spent the entire hour standing outside texting her and watching through the window like a complete stalker.five years later, I run a team of 20+, including a COO, a social media team, sales team, a video editor, and a roster of virtual assistants, and I barely manage any of them directly.and guess what? I’m sharing the exact delegation system I used to get there. the real timeline, the real numbers, and every limiting belief that almost stopped me along the way, including the ones I was still fighting at 9.5 months pregnant when I recorded this.this is 45 minutes of EVERYTHING I know about building a team, delegating without losing your mind, and getting out of your own way. and I made a free doc to go with it so you can implement it.👉 FREE Delegation Guide: grab the exact SOP templates, agency links, and books I mention → docs.google.com/document/d/1VAZ8UI-L3Tx-2qkXIM4VxZk7bCQ_S9V6yd51h0klL5Q/edit?tab=t.0👉 Ready to hire your first VA?? I personally use and trust NexusPoint. Book a free discovery call with their team here → go.nexuspt.io/courtneyjohnson📘 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/03:53 The $100 house cleaner mistake that taught me how to actually let go06:17 My first virtual assistant, and why I stopped paying $800 a month for one16:16 The Beyoncé myth about time that nobody wants to admit is a lie22:07 The $500 cheat code my friend used to poach the best VA candidates out of a course28:28 Why "I'll delegate once I'm big" has it completely backwards31:47 The "waste tax": what it actually costs to grow45:57 What you're really paying for at $10, $20, $30, and $50 an hourStay connected with me📧 Contact: courtney@smoothmedia.co👍 Instagram: @builtinpublicpod👍 Instagram: @courtlynnjohnson💼 LinkedIn: Courtney Johnson🎶 TikTok: @courtney..johnson

  7. 4 Aug

    How April Whitney Went From a $65 Ebook to Building the Petite PWR ® Fitness Empire

    April Whitney was eating under 1,200 calories a day, training like an elite athlete, and still couldn't figure out why her body wasn't changing. Then she started working as a copywriter in pharmaceuticals, and the answer was right in front of her the whole time.April is a former competitive fencer, pharmaceutical copywriter, and the founder of Petite PWR, a fitness and nutrition platform built exclusively for women 5'4" and under. In this episode we get into how she went from posting her body transformation on a secret Instagram account to building a business with 4,000 coaching clients, a team of 20, and a 150,000-person email list with a 48% open rate !!!!! Here’s something you probably didn’t know but it’s freaking important and probably relevant to you: April posted every single day for five years STRAIGHT without missing one day, including Christmas. She talks about why continuity and consistency are what build a brand, why getting views and building a brand are two completely different games, and the secret sauuuuce behind her best-performing YouTube videos. 👉 PRESS PLAY. Your niche is about to feel a lot less scary.📘 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/04:09 The secret Instagram account she started because she was too embarrassed to post08:06 Why your customer knows what they want but not what they need10:08 What AI did to the coaching industry13:29 The funnel: from free content to 4,000 coaching clients21:00 Why she gives 99% of her content away for free35:41 Why continuity and consistency are the only content strategy that works43:35 Five years of posting every single day without missing onceAbout AprilApril Victoria Whitney is a former competitive fencer who spent 18 years in the sport with dreams of making the Olympics. After retiring, she worked as a science copywriter in pharmaceuticals, where she worked on early GLP-1 research, before founding Petite PWR, a fitness and nutrition platform dedicated to women 5'4" and shorter. What started as a $65 ebook has grown into a coaching business with 4,000 clients, a team of 20, and a 150,000-person email list. April is not just building a brand, she is building a movement.Connect with April🎙️ Youtube: April Whitney👍 Instagram: @aprilvwhitney🎶 TikTok: @aprilvwhitneyStay connected with me📧 Contact: courtney@smoothmedia.co👍 Instagram: @builtinpublicpod👍 Instagram: @courtlynnjohnson💼 LinkedIn: Courtney Johnson🎶 TikTok: @courtney..johnson

  8. 28 Jul

    How To Build A Profitable Personal Brand Without Quitting Your Job, with Adama Lorna

    Adama posted her first YouTube video to about five views, most of them people she already knew, while working full-time as a site reliability engineer. She never quit that job. She built a 180,000+ subscriber channel and she still hasn't left engineering.And in this episode she gives away the exact system to build, and maintain, 2 full careers exactly like hers.We get into how she built a personal brand as a full-time engineer without ever going all-in, why she started on the platform with the highest barrier to entry instead of the easiest one, and how she turned "I have 20 different passions" from a branding problem into an actual formula.She shares the formula she uses with people who feel too scattered to niche down (skills times passion times energy, to the power of values), why she turned down a fitness video that was already pulling 100,000 to 200,000 views because it wasn't the brand she wanted to build, and the real reason her first in-person event sold out almost entirely from YouTube. Depth beats reach in ways most creators underestimate. 200,000 people on YouTube gets you a sold-out room. 200,000 on TikTok gets you nothing when you need people to show up in real life. Adama explains exactly why watch time built her opportunities in a way follower count never could.Oh, and she names the one book that reframes every "disadvantage" you think you have as your actual unique positioning. It's a two-word title, and it might change how you describe yourself on your resume.📘 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/3:59 The opportunities that came from building trust, not just an audience7:56 Why FOMO, anger, or wanting to prove yourself are legitimate reasons to start9:04 The "Renaissance" framing that gives you permission to take a season off12:00 Why she wouldn't take brand deals that spent down her audience's trust12:35 Why she stopped calling herself a "creator" and started calling herself a founder16:26 "Crack Mode": the season she disappeared from her social life to write her book23:00 The Formula: Skills x Passion x Energy, to the power of Values25:40 Why she turned down 200,000 views on a video that was already workingAbout AdamaAdama is a site reliability engineer and content creator with 180,000+ YouTube subscribers, known for building a personal brand around self-improvement and multiple passions while working full-time as an engineer. Connect with Adama🎙️ Youtube: Adama Lorna👍 Instagram: @adamalorna💼 LinkedIn: Adama Lorna🎶 TikTok: @adamalornaStay connected with me📧 Contact: courtney@smoothmedia.co👍 Instagram: @builtinpublicpod👍 Instagram: @courtlynnjohnson💼 LinkedIn: Courtney Johnson🎶 TikTok: @courtney..johnson

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

Built in Public is a personal brand podcast hosted by Courtney Johnson. Each week, Courtney sits down with founders, creators, and operators to unpack how they turn expertise into authority, visibility into opportunity, and content into long-term leverage. We talk positioning, audience building, thought leadership, and what it actually takes to show up before you feel ready. If you want to build it in public, this show is for you.

Information

  • Creator
    Courtney Johnson
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    111
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Courtney Johnson
  • Show Website
    Built in Public

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