Creator by Design

• Connect with Katie ➡️ https://linktr.ee/sunnysidekt• Join the Creator by Design email newsletter ➡️ https://halleesmith.substack.com• Connect with Hallee ➡️ https://halleesmith.info/Katie and I have been close friends for almost three years — but until this conversation, we'd never actually sat down and talked about her voice journey. This is the kind of conversation we'd naturally have as friends, we just happened to hit record this time.Katie's a regenerative and functional medicine PA, an NLP master practitioner, and someone who's spent years untangling the difference between performing and actually being seen. We start where it began for her — singing Somewhere Over the Rainbow in the backseat of her parents' car — and trace the moment that innate, joyful expression turned into something she had to prove. Auditions. Judgment. The slow realization that she'd started shaping herself to fit what other people wanted.We talk about wanting to be Hannah Montana — and what that actually meant underneath the surface. We get into the subconscious mind, the beliefs planted by a single significant emotional event, and why willpower alone can't fix a behavior rooted in an unhealed belief. Katie walks through her own release work, the four steps of real change, and why loving your shadow — not fixing it — is the actual doorway to confidence.And then there's the moment neither of us planned for: Katie singing the same song she performed 10 years ago, back to back with a version of herself today. You can hear everything we just talked about in the difference.This interview is part of an ongoing series where I sit down with people to talk about what it actually means to find your voice. Not the personal brand version. The real one."Who am I supposed to be?" — that question is where this whole conversation lives.Timestamps:0:00 – True confidence and the fear of not being enough0:55 – What "finding your voice" really means3:06 – Katie's voice journey from childhood6:56 – When performance replaced joy9:50 – Wanting to be Hannah Montana17:46 – Entrepreneurship as self-discovery20:11 – Content creation as a mirror40:18 – Subconscious beliefs and release work54:44 – Loving your shadow, not fixing it1:08:34 – Singing the same song, 10 years apart#FindingYourVoice #ShadowWork #SubconsciousMind #SelfDiscoveryJourney #ContentCreatorLife

*Disclaimer: This episode includes discussion of sensitive topics such as suicide and depression. Viewer discretion advised.*Mental health resource for anyone who might be struggling: https://www.thetrevorproject.org/get-help/____________________________________________________________I had the honor of interviewing Scott Alan in the first episode of my series “On Finding Your Voice”. Scott wrote one of his most famous songs, "Anything Worth Holding On To", during one of the darkest periods of his life. He didn't know it would become the song strangers would write to him about, saying: "I was at my lowest. This is the reason I kept going."That's the kind of songwriter Scott is. His songs have been performed by artists like Cynthia Erivo, Billy Porter, and Shoshana Bean — the same Shoshana Bean who, the first time she heard one of his songs, took off her sunglasses in tears, and said, "I have all day." That moment set off a career that took him everywhere he thought he wanted to go — touring the world, writing for some of the biggest voices on Broadway. And then he walked away from it all and reformed his identity around what mattered most.In this interview, Scott traces that whole journey: writing his first "real" song at 18, the career fame built, and why he ultimately left it behind. We talk about what it actually takes to access your real voice, why most people learn to express themselves from a place of fear or habit, why the things that have hurt you are also the things that make you interesting, and what it means to finally stop sounding like an imitation of yourself._________________________________________🎶 For more of Scott's music, search him on any streaming platform or check out his YouTube channel @scottalannet🎥 Posting Content For You or Your Business? Check Out My Visibility Coaching + Content Strategy Programs & Resources ➡️ https://halleesmith.info/Your Voice Is Your Strategy Webinar Waitlist: Learn why everything you've been taught about content is backwards ➡️ https://artofcc.hallee.shop/artofccwaitlist📰 Join my email newsletter for weekly email newsletter ➡️ https://halleesmith.substack.com/__________________________________________

CHAPTERS00:00 — Intro on Finding Your Voice02:32 — Where Scott's creative voice started (grandfather, musical theater at 6)04:18 — Writing his first real song at 18 — and why06:25 — Moving to LA and landing in a boy band09:08 — NYC, handing out demos at stage doors, Billy Porter11:00 — Writing "Home" for Shoshana Bean — the moment he knew13:26 — How unknown songs broke through in Broadway World15:00 — Writing for himself so others could find themselves in it17:01 — "How does someone actually find their voice?"18:00 — "We're walking piles of hurt" — breaking down the walls21:26 — The story behind "Anything Worth Holding On To"25:34 — The voices that want to quiet you vs. the ones that expand you26:04 — Social media, the algorithm, and who it's turning us into30:46 — Why hitting your follower goal will always feel like nothing34:03 — What he was really chasing (it wasn't fame)35:00 — Reforming his identity around purpose38:41 — Getting lost as part of finding your voice#findingyourvoice #songwriter #creativejourney #mentalhealth #healwithexpression

Below you can find all of my most current resources!

✨ Art of Content Creation Course: https://artofcc.hallee.shop/home

✨ Art of Content Creation Waitlist: https://artofccwaitlist.hallee.shop/artofccw

✨ Content Hub Notion Template: https://notionhub.hallee.shop/

✨ Camera Confidence Guide: https://cameraconfidence.hallee.shop/

The biggest hurdle creators face isn’t gear, strategy, or even consistency; it’s identity. Who are you as a creator? What do you want to say? Why should anyone listen?

In today’s episode, I break down the three core pillars every creator must master to build confidence, stay consistent, and actually turn content creation into a career: YOU, your AUDIENCE, and your BUSINESS.

You’ll learn how to uncover your creative identity, stop letting self-doubt drive your content, understand what your audience truly wants, and finally see how creators turn their skill set into income and freedom. Whether you’re just starting or you’ve been posting for years, this is the clarity you need.

Below you can find all of my most current resources!

✨ Art of Content Creation Course: https://artofcc.hallee.shop/home

✨ Art of Content Creation Waitlist: https://artofccwaitlist.hallee.shop/artofccw

✨ Content Hub Notion Template: https://notionhub.hallee.shop/

✨ Camera Confidence Guide: https://cameraconfidence.hallee.shop/

In this episode, I’m breaking down why I think actors and performers have more opportunity than ever before, even in a time when the industry feels slow, unpredictable, or downright discouraging.I come at this from a unique angle: I’ve been a full-time creator for the past five years, I’ve grown an audience of over 1.8 million, and I’m now stepping deeper into acting. Because of that, I’m seeing the acting world from both the inside and the outside and I think there is a massive opportunity most people are missing.If you’re an actor, performer, or creative who feels stuck, this episode is going to make you see your opportunities in a completely new light.

Below you can find all of my most current resources!

✨ Art of Content Creation Course: https://artofcc.hallee.shop/home

✨ Art of Content Creation Waitlist: https://artofccwaitlist.hallee.shop/artofccw

✨ Content Hub Notion Template: https://notionhub.hallee.shop/

✨ Camera Confidence Guide: https://cameraconfidence.hallee.shop/

Let’s talk about what it really means to create first and market second.If you’ve ever felt stuck between creating and marketing, this episode is for you. I’ve spent five years as a full-time creator and I’ve learned the hard way that most of us try to market something that doesn’t fully exist yet.In this episode, I talk about the in-between and the messy overlap where social media blurs the line between creating and promoting. I’ll share how I got lost in that space, what finally clicked for me, and why clarity in your creation always has to come before growth.

Whether you’re an artist, coach, freelancer, or creative entrepreneur, this is the mindset shift that will help you stop spinning your wheels online and start building something that actually feels aligned.

👉 American Baron from the Example: https://www.instagram.com/americanbaron/

Below you can find all of my most current resources!

✨ Art of Content Creation Course: https://artofcc.hallee.shop/home

✨ Art of Content Creation Waitlist: https://artofccwaitlist.hallee.shop/artofccw

✨ Content Hub Notion Template: https://notionhub.hallee.shop/

✨ Camera Confidence Guide: https://cameraconfidence.hallee.shop/

When you’ve got the skills but still feel stuck, it’s usually not a strategy problem—it’s a self-belief problem. In this episode, I’m sharing the mindset + simple tools that helped me stop chasing external validation and start creating from a steadier place. (Yes, even after 1.8M followers, the inside doesn’t magically fix itself—ask me how I know.)

What we get into:

• Why “believe in yourself” isn’t helpful… until you make it practical

• How to stop letting metrics, flops, and “no’s” derail you

• Five tools for steady self-belief (without turning joy into homework)

• The one-line mantra that changed my year—and how to choose yours

If you’re an over-thinker (hi, same), this one’s going to feel like a deep breath.

Below you can find all of my most current resources!

✨ Art of Content Creation Course: https://artofcc.hallee.shop/home

✨ Art of Content Creation Waitlist: https://artofccwaitlist.hallee.shop/artofccw

✨ Content Hub Notion Template: https://notionhub.hallee.shop/

✨ Camera Confidence Guide: https://cameraconfidence.hallee.shop/

We’ve been told that being “authentic” just means showing up as yourself, but what if that version of “authenticity” is actually a lie?

In this episode, I’m unpacking why the word authenticity has lost its meaning and how performative “realness” online has turned something genuine into a trend. From my own journey of going viral and losing touch with who I was, to the deeper question of how do we actually know ourselves, this is a conversation about finding your truth beyond the mask.If you’ve ever felt pressure to “just be yourself” but didn’t even know what that meant, this episode will help you redefine authenticity on your own terms.

The vide I mentioned by Jordan Peterson: “How to Know If You’re Being Authentic or Fake”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ph2Ddo36wC4

Below you can find all of my most current resources!

✨ Art of Content Creation Course: https://artofcc.hallee.shop/home

✨ Art of Content Creation Waitlist: https://artofccwaitlist.hallee.shop/artofccw

✨ Content Hub Notion Template: https://notionhub.hallee.shop/

✨ Camera Confidence Guide: https://cameraconfidence.hallee.shop

When you’re first starting to show up online, it can feel like you’re talking into a void, just staring at a camera, trying to sound natural, but everything feels awkward and forced. I get it. That used to be me too.In this episode, I’m sharing the exact mindset shift that changed everything for me. It’s something I learned in acting class called “personifying the camera” and it completely transformed how I create. I’ll walk you through the same exercise I teach in my workshops so you can finally feel like you’re talking to someone, not at something.

Here’s what we dive into:

✨ Why showing up online feels so uncomfortable at first

✨ The acting exercise that made me fall in love with creating again

✨ How to figure out who you’re actually talking to

✨ Why your ideal audience is probably a past version of youIf you’re an over-thinker (hi, same), this one’s going to hit home.

Below you can find all of my most current resources!

✨ Art of Content Creation Course: https://artofcc.hallee.shop/home

✨ Art of Content Creation Waitlist: https://artofccwaitlist.hallee.shop/artofccw

✨ Content Hub Notion Template: https://notionhub.hallee.shop/

✨ Camera Confidence Guide: https://cameraconfidence.hallee.shop/

Do you cringe when you hear “pick a niche”? Same. It feels like putting yourself in a box, but that’s not what niche actually is.

In this episode, I’ll reframe how you think about niching:

✨ Niche = positioning (how your offer is seen)

✨ POV = identity (your creative lens)

✨ The sweet spot = freedom + money

Your niche isn’t you; your point of view is. When you separate the two, you stop feeling stuck and start creating with clarity.

👉 Action step: define your POV. That’s what makes your work magnetic.

#niche #changeyourmindset #changeyourperspective #creativefreedom #creatormindset #creatorbydesign

Below you can find all of my most current resources!

✨ Art of Content Creation Course: https://artofcc.hallee.shop/home

✨ Art of Content Creation Waitlist: https://artofccwaitlist.hallee.shop/artofccw

✨ Content Hub Notion Template: https://notionhub.hallee.shop/

✨ Camera Confidence Guide: https://cameraconfidence.hallee.shop/

Hi I'm back!! & Welcome to the total re-brand of (what was previously) The Passion Project. I present to you: Creator by Design. A Podcast made to inspire you to stop overthinking and start creating.

I'm kicking it off by asking a big question:

Are you living with intention or just going through the motions? In this episode, I share my journey from internet fame to finding creativity, fulfillment, and purpose, along with a powerful exercise to help you reflect on your own pivotal life moments. If you’re ready to stop living on autopilot and start creating a life that feels like yours, this is the episode for you.