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 yes
30:48 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 anymore
36:47 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 idea
About 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: [email protected]
👍 Instagram: @builtinpublicpod
👍 Instagram: @courtlynnjohnson
💼 LinkedIn: Courtney Johnson
🎶 TikTok: @courtney..johnson

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 niche
07:42 my daily co-working system that ended my procrastination for good 
11:06 The corporate LinkedIn fear question i keep getting
21:44 The client who proved "I'm multi-passionate" was never really the problem
29:57 Stop posting "AISLOP" if you want LinkedIn to actually show your posts
36:20 How to build your "video muscle" without spending hours editing
Stay connected with me
📧 Contact: [email protected]
👍 Instagram: @builtinpublicpod
👍 Instagram: @courtlynnjohnson
💼 LinkedIn: Courtney Johnson
🎶 TikTok: @courtney..johnson

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 it
22:45 Why he turns down the easy $140K-a-month niche business
25:59 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 Mahoney
Cru 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: [email protected]
👍 Instagram: @builtinpublicpod
👍 Instagram: @courtlynnjohnson
💼 LinkedIn: Courtney Johnson
🎶 TikTok: @courtney..johnson

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 camera
09:41 The neuroscientist quote that ruined "walking into a room" for me forever
20:12 "Authority hacking": steal credibility from anyone, legally
23:50 Credibility k*lls all bad attitudes
30:18 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 yet
33:55 950 women applied for her role. here's how she got picked
44:11 The confidence quote that stuck with me long after we stopped recording
About Rachel
Rachell 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: @rachellhague
Stay connected with me
📧 Contact: [email protected]
👍 Instagram: @builtinpublicpod
👍 Instagram: @courtlynnjohnson
💼 LinkedIn: Courtney Johnson
🎶 TikTok: @courtney..johnson

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 go
06:17 My first virtual assistant, and why I stopped paying $800 a month for one
16:16 The Beyoncé myth about time that nobody wants to admit is a lie
22:07 The $500 cheat code my friend used to poach the best VA candidates out of a course
28:28 Why "I'll delegate once I'm big" has it completely backwards
31:47 The "waste tax": what it actually costs to grow
45:57 What you're really paying for at $10, $20, $30, and $50 an hour
Stay connected with me
📧 Contact: [email protected]
👍 Instagram: @builtinpublicpod
👍 Instagram: @courtlynnjohnson
💼 LinkedIn: Courtney Johnson
🎶 TikTok: @courtney..johnson

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 post
08:06 Why your customer knows what they want but not what they need
10:08 What AI did to the coaching industry
13:29 The funnel: from free content to 4,000 coaching clients
21:00 Why she gives 99% of her content away for free
35:41 Why continuity and consistency are the only content strategy that works
43:35 Five years of posting every single day without missing once
About April
April 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: @aprilvwhitney
Stay connected with me
📧 Contact: [email protected]
👍 Instagram: @builtinpublicpod
👍 Instagram: @courtlynnjohnson
💼 LinkedIn: Courtney Johnson
🎶 TikTok: @courtney..johnson

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 audience
7:56 Why FOMO, anger, or wanting to prove yourself are legitimate reasons to start
9:04 The "Renaissance" framing that gives you permission to take a season off
12:00 Why she wouldn't take brand deals that spent down her audience's trust
12:35 Why she stopped calling herself a "creator" and started calling herself a founder
16:26 "Crack Mode": the season she disappeared from her social life to write her book
23:00 The Formula: Skills x Passion x Energy, to the power of Values
25:40 Why she turned down 200,000 views on a video that was already working
About Adama
Adama 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: @adamalorna
Stay connected with me
📧 Contact: [email protected]
👍 Instagram: @builtinpublicpod
👍 Instagram: @courtlynnjohnson
💼 LinkedIn: Courtney Johnson
🎶 TikTok: @courtney..johnson

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 budget
07:22 The backdoor job application hack that gets you in front of decision makers
09:39 The pizza box stunt that landed a sales job
12:01 How much he invested in himself, and why it was worth it
16:39 What putting your life on hold actually looks like
19:11 The three-act storytelling framework behind Simon Squibb's brand
25:14 How to find your content format by looking internally
26:06 The outlier method, double down on what's already working
About Tobias
Tobias 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 Allen
Stay connected with me
📧 Contact: [email protected]
👍 Instagram: @builtinpublicpod
👍 Instagram: @courtlynnjohnson
💼 LinkedIn: Courtney Johnson
🎶 TikTok: @courtney..johnson

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 brand
04:14 Why you have to grieve your old self before stepping into the new one
08:19 Not all risk takers win, but all winners take risks
12:25 Seeking failure, the Sarah Blakely story that changed everything
17:38 "I don't have time" is code for "this isn't a priority"
18:09 The 90 rejections in 90 days challenge
21:33 How to reverse engineer the mechanics behind viral content
23:48 The text post format that's outperforming every reel on his page
27:07 The second account algorithm hack nobody is talking about
33:20 The life you want is built in the margins of the life you have
35:29 How to manufacture your own luck
About Simon
Simon 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: @simonalexandero
Stay connected with me
📧 Contact: [email protected]
👍 Instagram: @builtinpublicpod
👍 Instagram: @courtlynnjohnson
💼 LinkedIn: Courtney Johnson
🎶 TikTok: @courtney..johnson

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 podcasting
06:34 The one step above method, why your application is getting ignored
19:38 Why information without storytelling will never convert
21:03 Your hook is working against you
24:09 The cliffhanger technique DOAC uses to turn reels into podcast listeners
26:05 Why going viral is the wrong goal
38:54 What I Am Legend taught him about experimentation
18:49 Effort and care beats talent. Every single time.
20:29 The real reason DOAC hit 15 million subscribers
About Anthony
Anthony 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 Smith
Stay connected with me
📧 Contact: [email protected]
👍 Instagram: @builtinpublicpod
👍 Instagram: @courtlynnjohnson
💼 LinkedIn: Courtney Johnson
🎶 TikTok: @courtney..johnson