If you've ever been told your goals are too high, your credentials aren't strong enough, or you should have a backup plan — this episode is your answer.

Dr. Vicki Johnson, founder of ProFellow and author of Pitch Your Potential, built a 7-part formula for winning competitive opportunities that has helped her community secure over $500 million in merit-based awards. In this conversation, she breaks down the MATCH ME Formula® and shows you how to apply it to jobs, fellowships, promotions, board seats, and any opportunity where you need to make a case for yourself.

This one hits differently right now — we recorded it in the middle of one of the most disruptive job markets in recent memory, with tens of thousands of professionals navigating layoffs and wondering how to stand out when every application looks the same.

In this episode, you'll learn:

- What the MATCH ME Formula® is and why it works better than a stronger résumé

- Why selectors care more about your future than your past — and how to pitch it

- How to show mission alignment so powerfully that credentials become secondary

- What "elegant" means in an application and why it signals emotional intelligence

- Why authentic desire is your biggest competitive edge — even against more qualified candidates

- How to use LinkedIn as a network map, not a feed

- What to do when fear of rejection shows up (hint: it's a signal, not a stop sign)

📌 CHAPTERS

0:00 — Opening Hook

2:00 — Dr. Vicki Johnson's Origin Story

5:00 — What Selectors Actually Want

7:10 — The MATCH ME Formula® Explained

13:00 — Guides vs. Gatekeepers

17:00 — Authentic Desire & Fear of Failure

22:00 — Job Searching in a Layoff Market

26:00 — The Winning Application Story Arc

30:00 — LinkedIn — Still Worth It?

35:00 — ProFellow: Fellowships Demystified

38:00 — Dr. Johnson's Final Advice

👤 ABOUT DR. VICKI JOHNSON

Dr. Vicki Johnson is a speaker, author, and four-time fellowship winner who has spent her career helping ambitious professionals win elite opportunities. She is the founder of ProFellow — the leading U.S. platform for competitive fellowships, graduate programs, and leadership accelerators, with more than nine million readers globally. Through her coaching and the ProFellow platform, she has helped her community secure over $500 million in merit-based funding awards. Her book, Pitch Your Potential: The Formula for Winning Dream Jobs, Awards, and Elite Opportunities, introduces the MATCH ME Formula® — a proven seven-part framework for crafting applications that stand out at every career stage.

🔗 Find Dr. Vicki Johnson:

🌐 ProFellow: https://www.profellow.com

👩‍💼 drvickijohnson.com

🔗 RESOURCES

📘 Free Reset Guide: https://resetguide.giantstepsllc.com/

🌐 Website: https://giantstepsllc.com

📚 Books: https://giantstepsllc.com/books

📬 Work with Leilani: https://giantstepsllc.com/contact

📰 Newsletter: https://giantstepsllc.substack.com

👋 ABOUT GIANT STEPS WITH LEILANI BROWN

Giant Steps with Leilani Brown is a podcast about the pivotal decisions, bold reinventions, and daring choices that shape meaningful work and lives. Leilani Brown is the Founder & CEO of Giant Steps, LLC — a consulting firm supporting leaders and institutions at the intersection of strategy, culture, career, and education. She is a global keynote speaker and the author of three books on career strategy and professional development.

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