Built in Public

Courtney Johnson
  • 5.0 (24)
  • 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. 1d ago

    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

  2. Aug 11

    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

  3. Aug 4

    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

  4. Jul 28

    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

  5. Jul 21

    The Man Behind Hormozi and Simon Squibb's Growth on How to Make Money With Your Personal Brand

    Tobias Allen was knocking on doors at 16 with no job, no connections, and no plan, and by 25 he was Director of Marketing at Acquisition.com working directly with Alex and Leila Hormozi.And in this episode he gives away everything.We get into how he went from door-to-door sales as a teenager to working with two of the fastest-growing personal brands on the planet, Hormozi and Simon Squibb. He shares the backdoor job application hack that gets you in front of decision makers, why being the best student in the room is the most underrated career cheat code, and the pizza box stunt that landed someone a job at a major company. Yes, really.We also get into money. Brands are quietly paying creators between $15K and $50K a month for consistent content. HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS OF DOLLARS are moving out of traditional media and into the creator economy right now. And the creators who understand how to position themselves for that are going to win big. Tobias explains exactly how.Oh, and I asked him what both Hormozi and Simon Squibb do that almost nobody else does. His answer is 2 words. And it's probably the thing you've been putting off.📘 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/04:01 The MAN formula: how to find clients who already have a budget07:22 The backdoor job application hack that gets you in front of decision makers09:39 The pizza box stunt that landed a sales job12:01 How much he invested in himself, and why it was worth it16:39 What putting your life on hold actually looks like19:11 The three-act storytelling framework behind Simon Squibb's brand25:14 How to find your content format by looking internally26:06 The outlier method, double down on what's already workingAbout TobiasTobias Allen is a growth strategist and content expert who served as Director of Marketing at Acquisition.com under Alex and Layla Hormozi and now works with Simon Squibb, one of the fastest-growing personal brands in the world. Starting with door-to-door sales at 16 and investing over $100K in his own education, Tobias built his expertise from the ground up and has since helped scale some of the biggest creator brands on the planet.Connect with Tobias💼 LinkedIn: Tobias AllenStay connected with me📧 Contact: courtney@smoothmedia.co👍 Instagram: @builtinpublicpod👍 Instagram: @courtlynnjohnson💼 LinkedIn: Courtney Johnson🎶 TikTok: @courtney..johnson

  6. Jul 14

    Simon Alexander Ong: The Personal Brand Playbook That Got Him 4 Million Views

    Simon Alexander Ong was let go from Lehman Brothers the day it collapsed in 2008. He had no plan. No backup. Just a decision to finally figure out what he really wanted in life.That decision led to a Penguin book deal, a YouTube video with 4.1 million views, and a global personal brand built entirely from scratch. And in this episode, he gives away EVERYTHING.The 90-rejections-in-90-days challenge that made failure feel like a game, the second Instagram and YouTube account hack that trains the algorithm to hand you viral content on a silver platter, the hotel lobby move he pulled at the One Billion Followers Summit in Dubai that put him in the same room as Mr. Beast, Will Smith, and Simon Squibb... on purpose ‼️Oh, and if you've ever said "I don't have time to post"... Simon has something to say about that. Pull up your screen time first.This one is packed. You're going to want to take notes.📘 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/01:24 From Lehman Brothers to building a global personal brand04:14 Why you have to grieve your old self before stepping into the new one08:19 Not all risk takers win, but all winners take risks12:25 Seeking failure, the Sarah Blakely story that changed everything17:38 "I don't have time" is code for "this isn't a priority"18:09 The 90 rejections in 90 days challenge21:33 How to reverse engineer the mechanics behind viral content23:48 The text post format that's outperforming every reel on his page27:07 The second account algorithm hack nobody is talking about33:20 The life you want is built in the margins of the life you have35:29 How to manufacture your own luckAbout SimonSimon Alexander Ong is a performance coach, keynote speaker, and the author of Energize, published by Penguin. Malaysian-Chinese by background, Simon left a career in financial services after the 2008 crash and built a personal brand from the ground up, coaching high performers in leadership and entrepreneurship, speaking on stages around the world, and growing a YouTube channel with over 4 million views on a single video. His mission is to help people live a better story.Connect with Simon👍 Instagram: @simonalexandero💼 LinkedIn: Simon Alexander Ong🎙️ YouTube: @simonalexanderoStay connected with me📧 Contact: courtney@smoothmedia.co👍 Instagram: @builtinpublicpod👍 Instagram: @courtlynnjohnson💼 LinkedIn: Courtney Johnson🎶 TikTok: @courtney..johnson

  7. Jul 7

    The Diary of a CEO Director of Trailers on How to Stop the Scroll and Grow Faster on Social Media

    Anthony Smith was about to quit editing forever the night he saw the Diary of a CEO job posting. He'd just told his girlfriend he was done. She said give it one more chance. He stayed up all night building a portfolio site on Wix, tracked down the co-founder's email, and turned a 20-minute job interview into a two-hour conversation.Now he's the Director of Trailers behind the content that took Stephen Bartlett's YouTube from 300K to 15 million subscribers. And in this episode he's giving away everything: the storytelling frameworks, the cliffhanger technique, why your hook is actually killing your retention, and the real reason DOAC grew so fast that has nothing to do with production budget or Stephen's fame.Oh, and he uses I Am Legend to explain why failing publicly is the smartest content strategy you can have. That part alone is worth the 48 minutes 🤯📘 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/04:33 How he turned a Wix site into the most coveted content job in podcasting06:34 The one step above method, why your application is getting ignored19:38 Why information without storytelling will never convert21:03 Your hook is working against you24:09 The cliffhanger technique DOAC uses to turn reels into podcast listeners26:05 Why going viral is the wrong goal38:54 What I Am Legend taught him about experimentation18:49 Effort and care beats talent. Every single time.20:29 The real reason DOAC hit 15 million subscribersAbout AnthonyAnthony Smith is the Director of Trailers at Diary of a CEO. Entirely self-taught, with a background in film, TV, and advertising, he joined DOAC when the channel had 300K subscribers and has been central to its growth to over 15 million. He shares storytelling and content creation tips on LinkedIn and Instagram.Connect with Anthony👍 Instagram: @anthonyr.smith💼 LinkedIn: Anthony SmithStay connected with me📧 Contact: courtney@smoothmedia.co👍 Instagram: @builtinpublicpod👍 Instagram: @courtlynnjohnson💼 LinkedIn: Courtney Johnson🎶 TikTok: @courtney..johnson

  8. Jun 30

    Alexandra Steinacker-Clark: How a Personal Brand Creates Opportunities in Any Traditional Industry

    Alexandra Steinacker-Clark got her foot in the door at Sotheby's through a cold coffee request, built 27K followers on LinkedIn without a strategy, and landed a book deal with a Hachette subsidiary through a LinkedIn DM that sat unread for five months.Alexandra is the host of the 'All About Art' podcast and the author of 'Working in Art: How to Build a Career in the Art World', the book that finally tells you how to break into one of the most closed-off industries in the world 🫳🎤In this episode, we get into how she broke into the art industry with no connections, no insider access, and no roadmap. She shares the EXACT cold outreach move that got her in the door at Sotheby's, why taking a "lowly" job at a big name is one of the smartest career moves you can make, and how she built her entire personal brand by shining the spotlight on other people instead of herself.Also, Alexandra grew 27K followers in LinkedIn without a content strategy, without posting every day, and without ever optimizing a single thing. We also get into the book deal. Twenty cold submissions, five months of silence, and one LinkedIn DM that changed everything. If you've been telling yourself your industry is too traditional, too conservative, or too closed off for a personal brand, this episode is your reality check. YOU DESERVE MORE. 📘 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/📗 Working in Art - Alexandra Steinacker-ClarkAlexandra's book is the ultimate guide to building a career in the arts. Fourteen chapters, fourteen different art careers, and the real stories of the people actually doing the work.Order yours →www.amazon.com/Working-Art-Find-Living-World/dp/184091954X05:34 Why a "lowly" job at a big name is a career cheat code09:20 How she built her brand by shining the spotlight on other people14:30 How the podcast became the foundation of everything18:00 How she put together a book proposal from scratch using YouTube21:00 The LinkedIn DM that landed her a Hachette book deal24:00 Twenty cold submissions and what she learned from every no25:14 Why LinkedIn works even when you're not trying28:06 Done is better than perfect - always30:00 What sustainable personal branding actually looks likeAbout AlexandraAlexandra Steinacker-Clark is a London-based American-Austrian art historian, podcaster, and author of Working In Art: How to Build a Career in the Art World.
 
She obtained her BA in History of Art at University College London and continued her education at Goldsmiths University with an MA in Arts Administration and Cultural Policy. Her specializations are in contemporary art and the contemporary art market along with accessibility, engagement, and the demystification of the professional art sector.
 
Steinacker is the founder and host of the 'All About Art' Podcast, which covers the variety of professional paths that exist in the arts and cultural sector, streamed in over 115 countries worldwide.Connect with Alexandra👍 Instagram: @alexandrasteinacker💼 LinkedIn: Alexandra Steinacker-Clark🌐 Website:  alexandrasteinacker.com/Stay connected with me📧 Contact: courtney@smoothmedia.co👍 Instagram: @builtinpublicpod👍 Instagram: @courtlynnjohnson💼 LinkedIn: Courtney Johnson🎶 TikTok: @courtney..johnson

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5
out of 5
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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
    107
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Courtney Johnson
  • Show Website
    Built in Public

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