Nobody quits a $252K job when they're the #8 sales rep out of 5,079. Brian Luebben did, driving through rural Georgia with a backseat full of Carhartt pants, realizing that a quarter million dollars a year still wasn't enough to make him stay.
Four years later, he runs Action Academy, a mastermind community that went from $0 to $5 million with zero ads, built entirely on a $279 podcast mic and a $600 iPhone. This year, he's going for $12 million.
In this episode, Brian gives us the EXACT playbook (not theory or how to do this sh*t but the actual steps)
He saved $60K in cash before quitting, bought rental properties while still employed, and built a side hustle podcast interviewing millionaires at Atlanta real estate meetups before he ever left his job. Then he moved to Brazil, did 100 free 15-minute coaching calls on the beach, found out what people needed, and sent a Venmo link for a course that didn't exist yet, and made $100K in 48 hours.
He also gets into the Minivan Theory and why your closest friends will be the last ones to support you, why a $200K employee can return $2 million while a $40K employee returns $40K, and why the only reason entrepreneurship beats employment is leverage.
If you've been waiting for the right time to leave your job, this episode is the sign you've been looking for.
📌 Want to join Action Academy? Head to actionacademy.com
📘 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/
00:00 Brian opens reading Career Cheat Codes - no, really
03:25 Entrepreneurs aren't born, they're unlocked
05:03 The "selling pants" moment driving to Cedartown, Georgia
06:16 The 3 pillars Brian had before quitting: cash, assets, and a validated side hustle
13:08 Stop trying to be the most interesting. Be the most interested.
20:44 Why your friends and family aren't trying to derail you, they're scared for you
21:24 The Minivan Theory: front row, middle row, and back row friends
27:17 The step-by-step from $0 to your first $100K
31:44 $100K in 48 hours with a Cash App link and a course that didn't exist yet
41:01 Why leverage is the only reason entrepreneurship beats a job
About Brian Luebben
Brian Luebben is the founder of Action Academy, a mastermind community that helps people leave corporate America to buy businesses and real estate. He left a $252K corporate sales job in March 2022, traveled the world for a year documenting the journey, and built a $5M/year business from scratch with zero ads. He hosts The Action Academy Podcast, one of the top entrepreneurship shows in the country with over 1 million downloads.
Connect with Brian
👍 Instagram: @brianluebben
🎙️ Podcast: @actionacademypodcast
💼 LinkedIn: Brian Luebben
🌐 Website: brianluebben.com
Stay connected with me
📧 Contact: courtney@smoothmedia.co
👍 Instagram: @builtinpublicpod
👍 Instagram: @courtlynnjohnson
💼 LinkedIn: Courtney Johnson
🎶 TikTok: @courtney..johnson

You're overthinking your content. Meanwhile, a 16-year-old was editing videos under his desk in math class and accidentally stumbled into building one of the biggest personal brands in business.
Sam Gaudet started working with Dan Martell's videographer at 16, joined Dan's team full-time at 18, and has spent the last eight years as the brain behind a content machine that now generates over 3 billion views and 200 million views per month across platforms. He watched Dan go from 500 views per video to the fastest-growing business influencer in the space. And he built the frameworks that made it happen.
Now Sam is stepping out from behind the camera to build his own brand, using nothing but his iPhone, a 90-day challenge, and the same system he used to scale Dan's.
In this episode, he breaks down the HEIT framework (Hook, Explain, Illustrate, Teach) that drives every piece of content they create, why picking the right topic matters more than your camera or your lighting, and why the biggest creators in the world talk about the fewest things.
If you've been stalling because your setup isn't right, your hook isn't perfect, or you don't feel ready, Sam built a 3 billion view brand while getting caught editing videos in class. Your excuses don't stand a chance!!!
Mentioned in this episode:
🤖 Sam's Custom GPT for Content Ideas
Want Sam's custom GPT that spits out 25 validated content topics using the HEIT framework? DM him the word "TOPIC Courtney" on Instagram and he'll send you the link for FREE! → Instagram: @sam.gaudet
📘 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/
02:06 Getting caught editing videos in math class (multiple times)
05:04 The mindset shift that changed everything: if you can picture it, it's possible
07:00 Why Sam started building his own brand now
09:08 The HEIT framework: the system behind 3 billion views
17:55 Why the biggest creators in the world talk about the fewest things
24:38 CCN fit: how to make every video appeal to your core, casual, and new audience
35:57 Trust is more important than views right now.
40:37 People aren't paying for information. They're paying for time acceleration.
45:49 F*ck the norm. Go try something.
About Sam Gaudet
Sam Gaudet is a content strategist, media company builder, and the creative force behind Dan Martell's personal brand. He joined Dan's world at 16 as a videographer, went full-time at 18, and has spent the last eight years developing the content systems that have generated over 3 billion views and 200 million views per month. His frameworks, including the HEIT method and CCN fit, are used across Dan's entire content operation and a team of 15. He's now building his own personal brand from scratch using only his iPhone, documenting the journey from zero to 100K followers.
Connect with Sam
👍 Instagram: @sam.gaudet
💼 LinkedIn: Sam Gaudet
Stay connected with me
📧 Contact: courtney@smoothmedia.co
👍 Instagram: @builtinpublicpod
👍 Instagram: @courtlynnjohnson
💼 LinkedIn: Courtney Johnson
🎶 TikTok: @courtney..johnson

The internet has sold you this idea that going viral is the goal. It's not. And it never was.
JT Barnett left professional hockey with $0, no degree, and no plan. Instead of following the traditional path, he started posting, started failing in public, and started figuring out what makes people memorable online.
He went from filming fitness content to growing a TikTok house from zero to a million followers in 60 days, to consulting for brands like Poppi, to building Core Access, a recruiting firm that places creators inside the brands they already love.
In this week’s episode, JT breaks down the 4-part framework he uses to evaluate every creator he works with: Capacity, Identity, Execution, and Conversion. We get into why most people stall before they ever hit "post," why you don't need to be an expert to build an audience, and why the creators who will win in 2026 are the ones who stop chasing algorithms and start building real connections with a narrow, intentional audience.
If you've been waiting to feel ready before you start creating, this is the episode that's going to change that!!!
Mentioned in this episode:
📘 Career Cheat Codes (Pre-Order)

My new book Career Cheat Codes is now available for pre-order. It’s a practical guide to building career leverage, growing your visibility, and turning your expertise into real opportunities.
Pre-order → penguinrandomhouse.com/books/807588/career-cheat-codes-by-courtney-johnson/
05:20 How growing up in hockey and the internet shaped JT's view on personal brand
08:20 Why so many people can't articulate who they are publicly
10:09 The moment social media clicked as the ultimate leverage tool
14:24 You DON’T need to be an expert to start building an audience
15:14 The TikTok house that went from zero to a million followers in 60 days
24:54 The four stages of personal brand: entry-level, mid-tier, elite, and world-renowned
32:16 The 4-part framework: Capacity, Identity, Execution, and Conversion
38:19 Reputation beats Virality and where the creator economy is headed
41:50 The posts that perform vs. the ones that just get views
54:01 How to start hosting micro-community events today with zero budget
About JT
JT Barnett is a former professional hockey player, organic social strategist, and the founder of Core Access. After retiring from hockey with nothing lined up, he built his career entirely through social media, going from fitness content to organic social consulting for brands like Poppi to building a recruiting firm that places creators inside the brands they love. His 4-part framework, Capacity, Identity, Execution, and Conversion, is the foundation of how he coaches creators at every level. He's now building Core into a full performance center for creators who want to build reputation, not just reach.
Connect with JT
👍 Instagram: @jtbarnett
💼 LinkedIn: jtbarnett
🎶 TikTok: @jtbarnett
Stay connected with me
📧 Contact: courtney@smoothmedia.co
👍 Instagram: @builtinpublicpod
👍 Instagram: @courtlynnjohnson
💼 LinkedIn: Courtney Johnson
🎶 TikTok: @courtney..johnson

Most people treat LinkedIn like a job board. Mischa Collins treats it like the most powerful business development tool on the planet, and she has the receipts to prove it. After being laid off in 2024, Mischa didn't scramble for her next role. She built in public (literally). Within 12 months, she grew her LinkedIn audience to over 50,000 followers, signed clients through inbound DMs alone, and turned a platform most people sleep on into a fully functioning business, one that's now taken her from the UK all the way to LA.
In this episode, we get into the strategy behind that growth. Mischa breaks down why posting without a mission is just noise, how to build authority on LinkedIn even when self-promotion makes you want to crawl out of your skin, and why the content you think is repetitive is actually the content that makes you unforgettable.
If you've been meaning to get serious about LinkedIn, this is the episode that's going to make you open the app before it's even done playing.
Mentioned in this episode:
📘 Career Cheat Codes (Pre-Order)

My new book Career Cheat Codes is now available for pre-order. It’s a practical guide to building career leverage, growing your visibility, and turning your expertise into real opportunities.
Pre-order → penguinrandomhouse.com/books/807588/career-cheat-codes-by-courtney-johnson/
👩‍💻 Holly Maglin — Early Career Recruiting Strategy
If you're a founder or startup team hiring Gen Z talent, check out Holly Madeline. She helps companies modernize how they recruit early-career candidates.
Connect on LinkedIn → Holly Maglin
03:28 Getting laid off and deciding to build instead of job hunt
08:18 The moment she went all in
12:11 The scheduling trick that kills the fear of posting
15:21 Why LinkedIn is genuinely having its moment in 2026
23:44 Profile optimization and why your network is already full of opportunity
27:42 Every opportunity Mischa has landed through inbound LinkedIn DMs
35:00 Engagement strategy: why commenting might matter more than posting
41:00 How to use AI without sounding like AI
51:00 The MAP framework: Mission, Authority, Pillars
54:00 Mischa's next chapter: expanding beyond LinkedIn
About Mischa
Mischa Collins is a LinkedIn branding expert who helps entrepreneurs, coaches, and professionals establish authority, grow their audience, and monetize their expertise. With a proven track record of transforming LinkedIn profiles into powerful business assets, she shares actionable strategies to build influence and attract high-value opportunities.
Connect with Mischa
💼 LinkedIn: Mischa Collins
Stay connected with me
📧 Contact: courtney@smoothmedia.co
👍 Instagram: @builtinpublicpod
👍 Instagram: @courtlynnjohnson
💼 LinkedIn: Courtney Johnson
🎶 TikTok: @courtney..johnson

There's a reason some people walk into a room and everyone notices. It's not luck. It's not looks. And it's not something you either have or you don't.
Today I'm sitting down with Whitney Uland, founder of How to Be Famous, to talk about the one thing most people building a personal brand are missing: the it factor. And no, you're not born with it. You build it.
Whitney spent over a decade in the entertainment industry, acting, writing, navigating rejection, until someone told her she didn't have what it takes. Instead of accepting that, she became obsessed with understanding what magnetism is, where it comes from, and how anyone can develop it. Now she helps creatives, founders, and entrepreneurs step into what she calls their celebrity energy.
In this episode, we get into why your personal brand is 90% subconscious, what's blocking you from showing up online even if you've performed in front of thousands of people, and why following trends will always keep you chasing instead of leading.
Mentioned in this episode:
📘 Career Cheat Codes (Pre-Order)

My new book Career Cheat Codes is now available for pre-order. It’s a practical guide to building career leverage, growing your visibility, and turning your expertise into real opportunities.
Pre-order → penguinrandomhouse.com/books/807588/career-cheat-codes-by-courtney-johnson/
👩‍💻 Holly Maglin — Early Career Recruiting Strategy
If you're a founder or startup team hiring Gen Z talent, check out Holly Madeline. She helps companies modernize how they recruit early-career candidates.
Connect on LinkedIn → Holly Maglin
03:00 What the ‘It Factor’ is
08:02 Why your personal brand is 90% subconscious
09:04 Why "personal brand" feels icky
20:27 How to build magnetism from scratch
24:04 Why visibility shuts people down (and how to fix it)
27:15 Why performers still struggle on camera
38:00 How to stop chasing trends and start creating them
44:00 Fame, ego, and why hiding is the more egoic move
51:00 How boundaries grow as your brand grows
About Whitney
Whitney Uland is the founder of How to Be Famous, a framework and community built around the idea that magnetism, visibility, and presence are learnable skills — not personality traits you're either born with or not. Before building her personal brand, Whitney spent over a decade in the entertainment industry as an actor and writer. She now works with founders, creatives, and entrepreneurs to help them own their spotlight on their own terms.
Connect with Whitney
📲 Instagram: @whitneyuland
🎶 TikTok: whitneyuland
🎙️ Podcast: How to Be Famous
Stay connected with me
📧 Contact: courtney@smoothmedia.co
👍 Instagram: @builtinpublicpod
👍 Instagram: @courtlynnjohnson
💼 LinkedIn: Courtney Johnson
🎶 TikTok: @courtney..johnson