Creator Alchemy

In a compelling discussion, Ali Abdaal, a New York Times bestselling author and successful YouTuber, explores the nuances of building a life rich in freedom and fulfillment. He candidly addresses the psychological barriers many face in entrepreneurship, highlighting imposter syndrome as a growth signal. Ali also shares his strategies for balancing authenticity with the demands of online fame and navigating audience expectations. His insights on emotional growth, defining personal success, and the importance of adaptability offer a refreshing perspective for creators.

This is a public coaching session where I help Karolina, an entrepreneur who’s launched the first season of her podcast but still doesn’t know how to grow or leverage it.—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.—CONNECT WITH KAROLINA: Her Podcast:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCRCUDTqzXdLZutFIrXkWN5QSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0Sil8eVYToL3eUwfPwm82ZApple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/moment-to-pause/id1846616180Her Social:- https://www.linkedin.com/in/karolinaplanica/—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.—SOCIAL LINKS:Website: https://coreywilkspsyd.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@coreywilkspsydLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/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.

Marianne Vander Dussen is an artist, educator, and YouTuber who creates calm, approachable painting tutorials and teaches thousands of students through her online acrylic courses. Her work focuses on making the creative process feel clear, enjoyable, and accessible for artists at any level. In this episode, we dive deep into her journey and how anyone can unlock their inner artist.—CONNECT WITH MARIANNE: https://www.youtube.com/@mariannevanderdussenhttps://mariannevanderdussen.com/https://courses.mariannevanderdussen.com/https://www.instagram.com/mariannevanderdussen/https://www.tiktok.com/@mariannevanderdussenhttps://www.facebook.com/artbymariannevanderdussen/—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.—TIMESTAMPS:00:00 The Problem with Motivation and Creativity16:45 Balancing Creative Time and Business Building21:25 Marianne’s Creator Journey27:38 Imposter Syndrome and Creativity49:05 Navigating Vulnerability as an Artist01:03:02 The Psychology Behind Why We’re Afraid to Be Judged01:11:00 Embracing Authenticity01:26:44 The Power of Resilience and Adaptability01:32:48 AI and the Future of Art01:54:08 When is Your Art Finished?—SOCIAL LINKS:Website: https://coreywilkspsyd.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@coreywilkspsydLinkedIn: 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.

Paul Millerd is the author of The Pathless Path, a book he self-published that's sold over 70,000 copies worldwide over the last four years. His work has helped countless people all over the world leave the "Default Path" and blaze their own trail to build the life they want and do work they love. Paul has been an inspiration to me for years--as a writer, entrepreneur, and all-around incredible and generous human being--so I'm excited to share our conversation with you today where we dive into what it really means to pursue your own path. Enjoy.—CONNECT WITH PAUL MILLERD: https://pmillerd.com/https://pathlesspath.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/—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.—TIMESTAMPS:00:00 The Power of Self-Publishing07:13 Navigating the Identity of Being A Writer17:38 Embracing Authenticity21:09 Optimizing for Uncertainty40:20 Embracing the Pathless Path46:50 Chasing Success and Rejecting Status55:42 Finding a Niche vs a Mode58:35 The Intrinsic Value of Writing Books01:05:28 The Insane Realities of the Book Publishing Industry01:20:07 The Future of Books01:28:27 The Psychology of Taking Risks01:35:05 Guerilla Marketing and Gifting Books01:47:18 The Lasting Impact of the Pathless Path—SOCIAL LINKS:Website: https://coreywilkspsyd.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@coreywilkspsydLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/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.

Explore the intriguing barriers that hold ambitious individuals back from taking action. Discover how waiting for permission can paralyze progress and learn about the pervasive nature of imposter syndrome. Understand the dangers of worrying about others' opinions and the impact of toxic personal narratives. Gain insights on overcoming self-sabotaging behaviors and the importance of community over isolation for growth. Embrace the idea that you won’t always feel ready—start acting anyway to build momentum!

Tim Stoddart is one of my favorite entrepreneurs and writers. He's built multiple 7 and 8 figure businesses with SEO, content marketing, advertising, and great writing. A few years ago he went full circle and bought Copyblogger, a website and platform that first taught him how to build an online business when he first started. In this episode, we dive into the "inner game" of what it actually takes to build multiple successful companies, the psychological toll it can take that most entrepreneurs never talk about, and Tim shares business advice everyone ignores that could actually be the key to building a successful business. —CONNECT WITH TIM STODDART: https://copyblogger.com/https://www.timstodz.com/https://www.youtube.com/@timstodz—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.—TIMESTAMPS:00:00 Why Creators Are Broke09:29 How Content Attracts Serendipity19:04 Building Business Relationships Through Authenticity29:09 Sobriety, Entrepreneurship, and Obsession47:10 Self-Care, Stillness, and Sustainability54:29 Business Advice Everyone Ignores—SOCIAL LINKS:Website: https://coreywilkspsyd.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@coreywilkspsydSubstack: 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.

In this insightful discussion, Dan Bennett, founder of Hot Sauce Video and a six-figure entrepreneur, dives into the emotional rollercoaster of scaling a business. He shares his struggles with hiring setbacks and the overwhelming feelings of loss they triggered. Together with Corey, they tackle the recurring theme of uncertainty and how it informs decision-making. They explore the complex nature of growth, the importance of resilience versus knowing when to pause, and how embracing uncertainty can actually empower entrepreneurial choice.

In this episode, I sit down with Tintin Smith, former Head of YouTube for Ali Abdaal where he helped Ali's channel generate millions in subscriber count and revenue before launching his own business helping educational YouTubers turn their channels into sustainable six-figure businesses. We explore the psychological journey of entrepreneurship including navigating imposter syndrome, pricing psychology, the insecurity of self-promotion, and other psychological aspects of running a successful online business every creator faces.—CONNECT WITH TINTIN SMITH: 100K YouTuber: https://100kyt.com/100K Roadmap: https://100kroadmap.co/Tintin's Business Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@theyoutubetinTintin's Second Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@tintinsmith—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.—TIMESTAMPS:00:00 From Working with Ali Abdaal to Building His Own Business19:41 Navigating Imposter Syndrome and Charging Premium Prices34:06 Pricing Psychology and Charging Your Worth50:34 Doing Aligned Work and Avoiding Golden Handcuffs01:01:30 Dealing with the Insecurity of Self-Promotion01:19:17 Final Thoughts—SOCIAL LINKS:Website: https://coreywilkspsyd.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@coreywilkspsydSubstack: https://substack.com/@coreywilkspsyd LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/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.

In this discussion, Jessica Lackey, founder of Deeper Foundations and author of 'Leaving the Casino,' shares her no-nonsense approach to building successful online businesses. She emphasizes that many entrepreneurs are risking their careers in a gamble, debunking quick-success myths. Lackey advocates for sustainable business models focusing on recurring revenue and community engagement. She stresses the importance of market validation, lived experience in teaching, and the need for genuine conviction and curiosity in driving long-term success.

Learn why waiting for permission is a barrier to success and how optimizing small time blocks can boost productivity. Discover the difference between a business and a hobby, and why authenticity trumps superficial branding. Explore the importance of building real connections over follower counts and the value of creating a portfolio of assets. Dive into the harsh reality that entrepreneurship is hard work and requires embracing discomfort. Finally, Corey emphasizes focusing on timeless work and deep resonance with your audience.