I have made a lot of content over the years. Hundreds of videos and podcasts. I’ve had big wins with it and even more failures.

If I could go back and tell myself one thing, though, before I started making all this stuff, it would be this…

Start with your Message first, and make sure you are fully bought in.

When you have fire in your bones and are fully bought into your MESSAGE, people will feel it, and THAT’S what they are drawn to.

THEN: Use the tools of strategy and platforms to amplify the fire that is there.

The “To-Do List” Devil is not God

If you peek inside my journal (don’t do that, that’s rude), you would see a lot of pages where I trail off from deep self-reflection and start making a running to-do list of everything I need to do for the day, with timestamps and lines. It’s like I am playing a game of productivity Tetris to see how much I can pack in the day.

(P.S. I NEVER get it all in)

This morning, I woke up, and the first thing I heard was,

The Thing We Think Is “The Thing” (Is Not the Thing) ^IP

Ever wondered why someone KILLS it on Instagram while someone else doesn’t post and makes tons of money through events? One person makes a million dollars a year on their blog, while the other makes the same with no website but has a podcast?

The people watching try to figure “it” out.

What platform should I be on?
What content should I be posting?
What’s the fastest way to have what they have?

It’s not their fault they ask these questions. They are taught to. The digital world is DESIGNED to keep you spinning and “sold” on the idea that their path is the answer.

The thing we think is the thing…it is NOT the thing.

Thinking “Formula First” Gets Us Off the Hook

Seth Godin talks about being on “the hook” as leaders: taking responsibility and showing up.

I have a small spin on this idea. I shared it this weekend at the Empowered Podcasting Conference. As creators + communicators, being on the “hook” is being “Tapped In, Tuned In, and (sometimes) Disliked”.

It’s less about where and how we say something (video on IG vs. writing here on Substack), and it has EVERYTHING to do with WHAT YOU ARE SAYING and the RESONANCE YOU SAY IT WITH.

The Potency of Your Message

Hear me, strategy can be FUN and is super helpful when it’s put in its proper place. But instead of approaching strategies as TOOLS to amplify your message, they become the foundation of our message.

Previous guest Reward Sibanda said something to me over a year ago in this clip, and I have never let it go.

Imagine if, as leaders, communicators, and creators, we became more obsessed with having depth, conviction, and value in our messages than with the tools through which that message was delivered.

But again, that puts us on the hook. We can no longer blame the tools, and we have to look at the potency of what we are saying.

You Cannot Fix What You Don’t See

Ralph Estep (The Content Creators Accountant) gave a talk on finances recently, and he was saying that a lot of people don’t look at their numbers because there is a lot of fear and shame about getting honest with where you are financially. But then he said,

Taking an intentional look at how we have been “showing up” is scary. We have to get honest about the dissonance between who we are called to be and where we are hiding.

Bringing things into awareness isn’t to condemn where you are, but to give you an opportunity to overcome it.

Before Making a Strategy, Get Clear on This

What am I being called to say? Am I saying it?

Am I bought IN to this message? In my bones?

Am I willing to really “be seen”?

None of this is about doing the above perfectly; it’s about being aware of it, committed to it, and keeping the main thing the main thing.

In your corner,

Heather.

P.S. If short-form video is one of the ways you feel called to share your work, I’m putting something together.

Join Waitlist for Info

60 Seconds to Impact will help you turn big ideas into short-form videos without losing the depth, meaning, or soul of what you want to say.

It’ll be $47 and includes the full training + a live group coaching and feedback call.

If you’re a paid member of this Substack community, you’ll get it for free. Either way, join the waitlist below so I know you’re interested and can let you know when it’s ready.

One of the most common pieces of advice when it comes to creating short-form videos is to “start with a great hook”.

Okay, sure, but it’s only half the equation.

A great hook will get someone to stop scrolling, but it doesn’t mean that they will stay.

That’s where open and closed loops come in.

Last week we talked about having something worth saying before you ever worry about how to say it (Ideation takes time yall). That still comes first. Open and closed loops won’t rescue a weak idea.

However, when you have that idea, they become an effective way to keep your audience engaged while you share it.

What Are Open Loops in Storytelling?

An open loop is simply a question you invite your audience to ask without answering it immediately. It creates tension.

Example: Imagine you’re walking through a grocery store when a woman wearing a super weird hat locks eyes with you. She walks over, opens her mouth, like she’s about to tell you something important...

...and before she can speak, she walks off.

You walk away to grab some bread, and five minutes later she finds you again and finally tells you what she wanted to say.

Congratulations. You just experienced an open and closed loop.

For those five minutes, your brain wanted to know what she was going to say. Until that conversation was resolved, a small part of your attention was attached to it.

Why Open Loops Hold Attention

Donald Miller (Storytelling/Marketing expert) in this interview talks about opening and closing loops. He explains it as continually creating questions your audience wants answered, then rewarding them by answering those questions.

(Around the 21:30 mark is where he talks about this)

This works for two reasons:

• Open loops = engagement: Our brains need completion.

• Closed loops = satisfaction: stories shouldnt just create tension...they resolve it.

ps. Dopamine is tied to anticipation, not just reward. Part of what keeps us engaged is the expectation that something is about to happen.

Open & Closed Loops in Short-Form Content

This isn’t just for storybooks. It works in short-form content too. In one of my recent reels, I opened with:

“Conan O’Brien’s dad said something to him that was incredibly rude...”

That’s an open loop.

Naturally, you want to know what his dad said, so I answer that question almost immediately (closing the loop). Then I introduce another idea that the clip itself resolves. I’m intentionally creating moments of curiosity followed by moments of resolution.

The Goal Isn’t Attention. It’s Trust.

Like any storytelling technique, open loops can be overused. In fact, audiences are getting much better at recognizing when they’re being manipulated. We’ve all watched the Youtube video that promises an incredible payoff, only to leave us feeling like we wasted our time.

Creators who rely entirely on hooks eventually train their audience not to trust them.

Every promise you make creates a small contract with your viewer, and it’s your job to honor it. Open loops should always lead somewhere worth going. Otherwise, you’re not building trust. You’re simply borrowing attention.

In Your Corner,

Heather

P.S. In this week's behind-the-scenes video, I share my screen and write a reel script live using these concepts.

Read more

My friend Cyndi Zaweski and I just finished writing Episode One of a project we’ve been developing for months.

From the outside, it might seem like we’ve been moving painfully slow. But that’s not what has been happening.

We’ve spent countless hours researching, asking questions, challenging each other’s assumptions, throwing away ideas, and trying to identify the central thesis of the project. We were not avoiding the work. We were doing the work.

Before we worried about writing the script, we wanted to make sure we actually had something worth saying.

As a consumer, this can be frustrating.

Just before sitting down to write this, I saw a post about Pluribus announcing that Season Two “won’t be returning anytime soon” because they’re taking extra time to develop it before filming begins.

My first reaction?

“Nooooo...”

But after my baby pout, I caught myself. That’s exactly what I hope all creators are disciplined enough to do.

Fast food is convenient, but the meals we remember usually take a little longer to prepare. Creative work is no different. If we’re asking artists to create something meaningful, we have to give them the time to wrestle with the idea before they ever put it in front of us.

Our culture has become so obsessed with speed that we’ve started confusing thoughtful development with avoidance.

Sometimes the slowest part of the creative process is the most important.

Developing Better Ideas Before You Create

A few weeks ago, I was on a 13-hour road trip and for the first time listened to Chase Hughes’ YouTube channel. By the time I got home, I’d spent hours listening to him.

I never saw any of his videos while I was driving. All I had was his ideas.

Later, when I finally pulled up one of his YouTube videos, I was surprised. His editing team does a phenomenal job, but Chase himself isn't doing anything flashy. Most of the time, he's simply reading from his notes.

And yet I’d been completely captivated for hours. Not because of his delivery or production, but because he had something worth communicating.

Every idea was researched, had depth, every story felt like it had been wrestled with before he ever turned a camera on.

As creators, we’ve become obsessed with cameras, editing, hooks, algorithms, and retention. Those things matter, but they’re not the foundation.

When Ideation Becomes Procrastination

There is a tension here. Some creators skip ideation altogether (and others never leave it). Eventually, thinking stops producing new insight. That’s when it’s time to move.

Novelist Ian McEwan said, “I have to write it to know what it is.”

Creativity Requires Surrender

Maybe we aren’t meant to carry the creative process on our own. Maybe we’re meant to bring everything we have (our minds, hearts, discipline…) and then, when we’ve finally come to the end of ourselves, Surrender the rest.

That’s where maybe God meets us…at the end.

-Heather

PS. If you got something our of this article, please send to one person who you think would benefit from it

PPS. In this week’s behind-the-scenes video, I’m taking you through my actual ideation process. I’ll show you how a tiny spark for a reel becomes a fully developed idea, from the first note in my phone to the point where it’s finally ready to write. If you’re curious about the messy, BTS side of creating, I think you’ll enjoy this one.

Key Takeaways

• Ideas begin with what moves you. Don’t start with what’s “trending”

• Capture everything. Build a system for saving quotes, clips, conversations, and observations.

• Don’t just reshare, elevate. How can I offer a new perspective or deepen what’s already being said?

• Thought leadership comes from synthesis. The strongest ideas often emerge by connecting multiple sources, not relying on a single quote or clip.

• Search your own thinking first. Before searching the internet for more content, search your own notes.

A friend and I were talking this week about what happens when we get stuck on a creative problem. Most of us assume the answer is to think harder, work longer, and keep wrestling with the issue until we force a breakthrough.

But what if the opposite is true?

Last weekend, the girls and I went to visit my husband while he was out of town. I brought work with me. I had every intention of getting a few things done.

None of it happened.

At first, I was frustrated. I had projects I wanted to move forward. Problems I wanted to solve. Things I needed to figure out.

But after a few days, I realized something: not working can also be part of the work.

(I hear the collective groan of the bro-preneurs... oh wait, they unsubscribed a long time ago. Let’s carry on.)

When You’re Stuck, Stop Wrestling

In The Creative Act, Rick Rubin talks about the importance of completely disengaging from a project.

Not partially disengaging.
Not “pretending” to take a break while secretly thinking about it the entire time.

Completely letting it go.

He argues that if you’re still ruminating on the problem, you’re not really creating space for anything new to emerge. He works intensely while he’s in a project and becomes fully immersed in it. But when it’s time to stop, or when he gets stuck, he says he does everything in his power not to think about the work at all.

At all people!

Then, when he returns, he’s more productive, more creative, and sees the project differently than before.

I’ve found the same thing to be true.

When I finally stop wrestling with a problem, something else seems to take over. Solutions appear that I couldn’t access when I was forcing them.

Recently, Ana Urban shared on the podcast that she took several months off from posting because she was trying to get clarity around her brand and what she wanted to create next. Everyone told her it was a terrible idea. They warned her she’d lose momentum and followers.

(She talks about this around the 57:50 mark)

Instead, she came back with so much clarity that she gained between 10,000 and 15,000 followers after returning.

I’ve seen similar patterns with other guests, including Cindy Zaweski. After stepping back, reassessing, and making strategic changes, she experienced a 176% increase in sales over six months.

Maybe the answer isn’t always pushing harder.

Maybe sometimes the answer is stepping away long enough to see clearly.

For me, this has become a reminder that I’m not the sole creator of my work. I’m participating in something larger than myself. Whether you call it intuition, creativity, God, or something else entirely, there seems to be a part of the process that requires Surrender.

We work hard to get to the point of stuckness, and in that stuckness, we’re reminded that we were never meant to create alone.

In Your Corner,
Heather

P.S. In this week’s behind-the-scenes video, I’m sharing another lesson about promotion and how storytelling can help people connect with your work. Check it out below.

P.P.S. You can also watch to this week’s latest podcast episode here.

Read more

Last week I wrote about the responsibility that comes with sharing someone else's story. This week, I'm thinking about the responsibility we have to our own.

When we talk about promotion, we usually focus on getting people to notice our work. But there's a step that comes before promotion that a lot of us miss: protecting it. Not only identifying our intellectual property (IP), but taking the intentional step to protect it (and maybe more importantly) learning to see its value in the first place.

I first started learning about protecting IP from my friend Dr. Kary Oberbrunner. At first, when he started talking about protecting intellectual property, I thought that was a few stages down the road from where I was. What I didn’t realize (and what he generously shared with me) is that no one will take my work seriously until I first do.

Taking Your Creative Work Seriously

James Clear said:

“When you want to become better at something, proving your identity to yourself is far more important than getting amazing results.”

Think about this statement. Before we onboard other people to our work, we have to onboard ourselves.

Mike Ganino, who I had on the podcast a while back, recently made a reel talking about how people struggle with visibility because they try to “become known, before they become clear”.

Why would someone buy your art, take your class, or read your book if you weren’t first clear on what you were doing and why it mattered? If you FIRST didn’t take your work seriously?

(And here’s our conversation if you missed it. It’s a goodie...)

Valuing and Protecting Your Work

Part of taking your work seriously is knowing when it needs to be protected.

Dr. Kary Oberbrunner, was sharing with me about IP because he started a company that helps creators protect their intellectual property using blockchain technology. The idea is that creators can instantly protect their work, showing they were the originators of an idea, a book, a piece of art, a phrase, or a framework, etc.

I’ve told Kary this before, so this won’t surprise him, but there has always been a little resistance inside of me when I think about protecting something I’ve created.

Part of that resistance is philosophical. Who really owns ideas?

But when you look at professionals (folks who take their work seriously) they understand the value of protecting their work.

Yes, there is a financial component to that. But I think Kary’s larger point is even more interesting. Protecting your work isn't just about protecting an asset. It's about acknowledging that what you've created has value.

The Thing Beneath the Thing

All the tactics in the world aren’t going to help us if we don’t first value what we’re bringing to the table.

Everybody has their own process for this. Some people need therapy. Some people need community. Some people need healing. (Or all three. Amen. Hallelujah.) 😆

But like I always say, “The thing we think is the thing is not the thing”
(Dang, I should protect that quote lol.)

We think we have a problem coming up with the best marketing plan. We think we need a better content strategy. We think we need a different promotion tactic.

But maybe the issue is underneath all of that.

Maybe we’re watering down our message. Maybe we’re not being clear about what we’re trying to say. Maybe we’re hesitating to put ourselves out there because we ourselves haven’t been onboarded to our work.

We haven’t fully bought into what we’re creating.

Before You Promote Your Work

If you’re new around here, I usually record a behind-the-scenes video that goes along with these Substacks. In this week’s video, I’ll walk through how Kary’s company protects ideas using blockchain technology because it’s genuinely fascinating. (And if you aren’t in the community and want to protect one of your ideas for free to try it out, here is my affiliate link with them.)

For everyone else, I want to leave you with this thought:

Before you promote your work, have you protected your work? Have you thought about intellectual property? Have you validated what you’re creating? Have you considered how to protect your ideas before putting them into the world?

Those are important questions.

But I think there’s another question underneath them.

The way you get the world to take your ideas seriously is to first take yourself seriously. Do you see the value in what you’re creating? Do you believe it has worth?

Because if you don’t, there’s no point in promoting it.

In Your Corner,
Heather

P.S. Video below of me walking through protecting an idea on the blockchain.

P.P.S. For the podcast listeners, here is our latest episode about the tension between our “fantasy selves” and “future selves.”

P.P.S. I did just protect my quote while writing this. lol. Here it is. So don’t steal it suckas!

Read more

I was recently editing a clip that I didn’t know what to do with (not the one pictured here something else).

I was interviewing someone and, based on what they were sharing, they started to cry. They were visibly embarrassed.

As I sat in the editing room watching the footage back, I felt really reluctant. I wanted to honor the story and make it more powerful, but I also wanted to honor the person I was interviewing and make sure I respected the vulnerable moment they had.

This is something I’ve struggled with quite a bit as a content creator.

There have been many times on the Unconventional Leaders Podcast where a guest has said something very vulnerable or controversial that I could easily clip up and post on social media. And if I’m being honest, I know those clips would get a lot of traction.

But from an ethical standpoint, I know that clipping things without context isn’t serving the person I interviewed. It goes against what I stand for.

Because of that, I’m pretty careful about what I share. I try to choose clips that can be understood within context and that honor the larger story being told.

With this particular piece, though, I wasn’t sure what the right decision was.

The interview was specifically being edited for social media, and I found myself wrestling with a question I’d never really spent much time thinking about:

What is the responsibility of the storyteller when someone trusts them with vulnerability?

I’ve spent years thinking about storytelling. I’ve spent years interviewing people. But I had never really looked into the ethics of editing before.

So I started doing some research.

The Responsibility of a Storyteller

I ran across this interview with documentary filmmaker Gordon Quinn. One of the things he talked about in regard to the ethics of sharing someone’s story was understanding the purpose of the content you’re creating. Get very clear.

Is your content journalism? Are you documenting? Are you witnessing? Are you telling a story?

At first, that distinction seemed subtle, but the more I thought about it, the more important it became.

The point isn’t that one is better than the other. The point is that understanding what you’re creating helps determine how you approach the ethical decisions that follow.

Quinn shared a story about a time when they were filming a woman for a documentary. After the interview ended and the cameras were turned off, she began to cry.

Someone suggested turning the cameras back on, but they chose not to.

The reason wasn’t because the emotion wasn’t powerful. It was because they “had what they needed,” and it didn’t add to the story, it just exposed her.

They paused long enough to ask a question: Does the story really need this to get the point across?

They knew the goal of the content, so it was easier to make that decision.

Sometimes you do need the really vulnerable moments because they add context and layers to the story, but other times, we have to be honest: in our social media-crazed world obsessed with dopamine hits, sometimes sharing these moments becomes exploitative.

Why Editing Is More Than a Technical Skill

Another video I watched was called Why Film Editing Is Emotional Work with Viridiana Lieberman

Editing is often treated as a technical process. It’s the thing we outsource. The thing we hand off. The thing that happens after the creative work is done.

But editing isn’t just technical work. It’s where many of the most important storytelling decisions happen (that’s why film directors are involved in the editing process).

Every cut and pause changes meaning. Every decision about what stays and what goes shapes how an audience experiences another human being.

Does this moment deepen understanding, or just give us emotion p*orn?

We live in a time when platforms reward emotional exposure. The more vulnerable, dramatic, shocking, or emotional something is, the more likely it is to get attention.

But just because something is rewarded by the algorithm doesn’t mean it’s the right choice.

When Vulnerability Serves the Story

In the end, I decided to leave the tears in.

But I also cut several moments where the emotion felt more exposing than illuminating. Those moments didn’t add to the story.

My hope was that I preserved the honesty of what happened without turning her vulnerability into the point of the piece.

Did I get it right? I hope so.

This feels like one of those areas where there isn’t a perfect formula. It’s something I’ll probably continue wrestling with as I grow as a storyteller.

But I do think it’s worth thinking about

Because as creators, we’re not only sharing our own stories.

We’re often sharing someone else’s.

And I think that comes with a responsibility that extends far beyond views, clicks, and engagement.

-Heather

PS. I’m not pay walling this week’s video. Just so the rest of yall can see a bit of my editing process. So if you have been curious about my BTS, this is the kind of stuff we go into.

If you’ve been around for a minute, you know we always tackle two sides of creating: the tactical side and the real side. Because as I always say…

So yes, today I’m going to give you a tactical tip for filming yourself (specifically for short-form video). But the “thing” we are really talking about... is expression.

Why Filming Yourself Feels So Uncomfortable

A lot of times, we think we’re being way “more” than what we actually are.

Here’s what I mean by that: We’ll say something and immediately think: That was too much. I was weird. I was extra. I should’ve toned that down.

But honestly? Most of us drastically overestimate how intense we come across.

We have full access to our internal experience. We hear every nervous thought, every insecurity, and every moment of self-consciousness. We understand the entire context of what’s happening underneath the surface.

Other folks don’t.

They aren’t experiencing the whole movie in your head (they’re seeing a trailer).

And somewhere along the way, many of us learned that expression is risky (or even wrong).

Sit down, kid, and be quiet. Don’t be dramatic. Don’t separate yourself from the pack. Don’t draw too much attention to yourself.

By the time we are all grown, the volume on “us” is turned down.

Then we add a camera and social media.

We shrink even more.

Not because we’re trying to be fake. But because being fully seen is vulnerable.

From an evolutionary standpoint, honestly, this makes a lot of sense because staying with the group kept us alive.

The problem is that when we’re trying to communicate something meaningful, especially if we want to use our voice publicly, that instinct starts working against us.

When you feel like you’re being “too much,” there’s a decent chance you’re actually not being seen enough.

Filming Tip: Don’t Change the Channel

Now before everybody goes and starts screaming into their iPhone camera tomorrow morning, let me clarify something.

I am not saying become louder. I’m not saying become extroverted.

Because this is where things get weird. Once people realize they need more energy on camera, they often overcompensate. We see a creator we admire and suddenly start mimicking their personality, rhythm, and quirks.

I’ve definitely done this. The first season of my show, I literally feel like I was yelling at people (I interviewed THE Seth Godin and literally cringe re-watching it. During that season of my life, I thought I needed to be “high energy,” but that wasn’t me.)

Looking back, even though it’s embarrassing and I feel like I need to send an apology card to my previous guests, I can see how behaving this way helped me.

We all have to go through that weird stage of mimicking what we think will work until we settle into our bodies.

Tactical Filming Tip Incoming:

Imagine your personality is a TV channel.

This channel is FULLY you: your humor, your energy, your weirdness (cough I mean your personality).

A lot of times we see that channel and think we need to change it to something more appealing.

NO.

What we actually want to do is stay on that channel and turn up the volume on camera.

P.S. I’m not talking about loudness. Hear me out.

Turn up the volume on:

• If you’re quirky, lean into quirky.

• If you’re thoughtful, go deeper.

• If you’re introverted, be more of that.

Don’t become louder. Become more you.

Because I’m becoming increasingly convinced cameras do more than add ten pounds (I think they subtract personality too).

How to Show Up More Naturally on Camera

So if you’re filming this week, ask yourself:

Where am I muting myself?
Where am I trying to switch channels?
And what would happen if I simply turned up the volume on who I already am?

Heather

P.S. This week in the paid community I’m sharing a BTS practical reel technique I’ve been experimenting with recently.

Subscribe now

Also, here is our new trailer for Unconventional Leaders. Would love to hear your thoughts! (You can comment on the video in Youtube)

BTS Video Tip Here 🔽

Read more

Subscribe on Youtube

Ciarra Jones, known online as The Gardening Theologian, blends theology, ecology, and storytelling to help people untangle inherited beliefs and cultivate a more liberated, life-giving spirituality. Drawing from her experiences in Pentecostal Christianity, academia, queerness, and gardening, Ciarra explores how systems of power shape the way we understand God, identity, belonging, and collective care. Through the wisdom of plants and natural systems, she invites people to imagine faith beyond rigidity, certainty, and perfectionism.

In this episode, Ciarra shares how gardening became a pathway toward a gentler understanding of God, why ecosystems reveal the limits of individualism, and how uncertainty can become a form of liberation rather than fear. She unpacks the tension between conviction and mystery, the loneliness of leaving harmful systems, and the possibility of rebuilding community, identity, and faith from the ground up.

TOPICS FROM THIS EPISODE:

• Why ecosystems challenge individualism and “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” culture

• What plants teach us about suffering, flourishing, death, and transformation

• Why certainty can become a form of control—and how mystery creates space for growth

• How the earth, plants, and the garden challenge ideas of hierarchy and white supremacy

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

• Lessons from Plants by Beronda L. Montgomery: https://amzn.to/3P87SSV

• Stand Your Ground: Black Bodies and the Justice of God by Kelly Brown Douglas: https://amzn.to/4tK4rjt

• The Four Vision Quests of Jesus by Steven Charleston: https://amzn.to/4nvQi7Q

• Aztlán and Arcadia: Religion, Ethnicity, and the Creation of Place: https://amzn.to/3PsCQ87

• Matters of the Heart by Thema Bryant Ph.D.: https://amzn.to/4drJdk8

• Homecoming by Thema Bryant Ph.D.: https://amzn.to/4dRd7Qc

CONNECT WITH CIARRA JONES:

• Website: https://ciarrajonesconsulting.com/

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thegardeningtheologian

• Substack:

Sacred Dissent

Sacred Dissent is a newsletter for people who are done swallowing tidy answers in unjust systems. Rooted in progressive theology, social justice, and collective wellbeing, Sacred Dissent explores what happens when we question the stories we were told.

By Ciarra Jones, MTS

• The Community Garden Podcast:

I just saw this comment from Martin Short. He was being interviewed and talking about the loss of his daughter and the mental health issues she struggled with.

I’ve never lost someone close to me in this way, but I’m not sure there are many people who can hear this interview and not tear up. Not because they can relate to this exact situation, but because it hits a chord on a soul level for all of us.

It reminded me of a recent comment from Anthony Trucks where he was recounting some advice he was given about sharing your story.

He said something along the lines of...

“It’s not your story. It is your experience, but it is the world’s story.”

When we sit down to write our content, whether it is short-form video scripts, a book, a caption, or whatever, there is often this tension between writing what we think people want to hear versus what is honest.

Sharing your personal experience is incredibly difficult. Sharing how you really feel is insanely vulnerable.

But that’s what makes it impactful.

I’ve been sharing more about my deconstruction journey, frustration with Christian nationalism, etc.

I’m going to be honest with you, the content doesn’t do as well (reach-wise). If I make a short-form video about Taylor Swift, it’s guaranteed to get 10x the reach. (P.S. I love making pop culture videos, so I’ll still do that, but...)

I have come to terms with knowing that if I really want to help people, I need to be more honest.

Granted, I’ve also made A LOT more enemies... (and some pretty wild DMs, as you can imagine). But in the same token, the quality of comments I get back, the depth people are willing to go with me online, is night and day from the shallower posts.

I’m not writing this to tell you that you need to unpack your demons online or share things you aren’t ready to share. But for the one person reading this who has a story they’ve been hesitating to tell, emotions they are scared to share, I hope this encourages you to lean in.

Sometimes we don’t know what to write because we are trying to hide. We are sitting in our head and not sinking into our heart.

A friend of mine recently asked me a beautiful but simple question:

“What do you know right now?”

That’s all she said... what do you know right now?

So let me ask that to you, my friend: What do you know right now? What is true for you right now? What are you feeling, walking through, or wrestling with?

As unconventional leaders, we have the opportunity to sink a level deeper in our communication, even on what seem like shallow platforms.

So when you are sitting down to write this week, ask yourself: What is honest right now?

Maybe by sharing that, like Martin said above, we can help carry the weight someone else might be feeling.

<3, Heather

PS. Here is an episode in the same vein as the above you might enjoy (please remember to subscribe to the channel)

Subscribe on Youtube

Jeremy Steele creates space for folks recovering from religious trauma to rediscover ritual, spirituality, and connection on their own terms. An ordained pastor and creator of the “Not Church” community, Jeremy works with skeptics and spiritual outsiders searching for connection without rigid dogma or fear-based theology.

In this episode, Jeremy and Heather explore the psychology behind ritual, the mental health benefits of sacred practices, and why reclaiming labels like “heretic” can become part of the healing process.

TOPICS FROM THIS EPISODE:

• Why rituals still matter even outside organized religion

• The psychological benefits of sacred practices and meditation

• Reclaiming the “heretic” identity after religious trauma

CONNECT WITH JEREMY STEELE:

• Website: https://jeremy-steele.com/

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skeptic.pastor/

• Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@skeptic.pastor

• Buy ‘Rituals for Heretics’: https://a.co/d/0c4YsDd7

Subscribe on Youtube

Erik Ireland is known online as “your queer mountain grandpa,” where he shares stories and mindfulness practices for folks who want a little more peace and purpose.

I got to sit down with him to talk about his new book, Awaken Your Myth, where he moves beneath surface-level self-improvement into identity, shadow, and the deeper forces shaping what we create.

In this conversation, you’ll hear about his journey as a content creator sharing his voice publicly, the inner work he has done to really own his story, and why self-compassion is the secret weapon for doing anything brave.

TOPICS FROM THIS EPISODE:

• How shadow work reveals both your wounds and your gifts

• Navigating criticism while sharing your story publicly

• Self-compassion as a creative and leadership practice

CONNECT WITH ERIK IRELAND:

• Buy Awaken Your Myth: https://awakenyourmyth.com/book/

• Follow Erik: https://www.instagram.com/listentosleep/

When we think of ideation, we often think about coming up with new ideas. But what about the ones you’ve ignored? The ones already in there, floating around, about to bail on you?

We were trained out of Listening

Since we were kids, we’ve been taught to behave. Sit down. Be quiet. Raise your hand.

From school to church to the SOPs at our jobs (God bless the SOPs), we’re trained to receive answers and direction from others…not to hear ourselves.

So when life gets hard, when we actually need clarity, we default to what we’ve always done…Tell me what to do. Give me the answer. Show me the steps.

Are you ignoring your BEST Idea?

Maybe your next best idea is waiting to come to you…but maybe you’ve already been given it, and you just didn’t hear it or didn’t trust it.

Ideas are often quiet, subtle, easy to miss, and completely drowned out by everything else. Notifications, scrolling, noise, opinions. So when you sit down to “come up with ideas,” nothing happens. Not because nothing is there, but because you can’t hear it.

Our culture is designed to dull our instincts. To quiet that still, small voice. And like Julia Cameron writes, “it’s our work that creates the market, not the market that creates our work”

Maybe it’s not accidental

Here’s the question I’ve been sitting with:

If you actually get quiet, you might hear something, and it might ask something of you.

Scary stuff like: slow down, leave, speak up, forgive them, start over.

So we stay busy instead. We scroll, we consume, we over-strategize. We tell ourselves we’re stuck creatively, but really, we’re avoiding what we already know.

The step before everything else

In the last few weeks, I’ve written about capturing ideas, choosing ideas, and nurturing ideas…but all of that assumes something: that you can actually hear the idea in the first place.

Because what’s the point of capturing ideas if you’re disconnected from The Source?

So the real ideation practice this week isn’t a tool or a system. It’s this: get quiet long enough to hear yourself.

What is the quiet voice inside you saying right now that you keep drowning out?

We’ve been told that ideas are something we need to go find. But what if they’ve been trying to find you this whole time?

-Heather

PS: Normally I put a wall behind our BTS video for the week.

BUTTTT this week I wanted to feature André Brisson, who followed my original process for capturing ideas but took it a step further. He generously let me record him walking through it…in case it helps you take your ideas more seriously.

Make sure you follow his SubStack here (it’s good): https://substack.com/@theimpulsivethinker

Subscribe on Youtube

In this conversation, Keith Giles and Nish Dubashia explore the emerging idea of quantum theology, where modern physics, ancient mysticism, and religious tradition begin to overlap.

They rethink what Jesus meant, they confront fear-based beliefs about salvation, they ask whether reality itself is interconnected in ways we can barely comprehend, and this episode stretches the boundaries of how we understand God, truth, and existence.

TOPICS FROM THIS EPISODE:

• What quantum theology is and how science and mysticism overlap

• How quantum physics challenges reality (observer effect, entanglement, time)

• Is the world ending? Or are we moving into a new level of human consciousness?

CONNECT WITH OUR GUESTS:

• Buy Quantum Theology: Https://A.Co/D/09r55zrx

• Connect With Keith Giles: Http://Www.Keithgiles.Com

• Connect With Nish Dubashia: Https://Integraldream.Com/

Every week we follow the Cyclical Content Creation cycle. If you have another “C” word you’d like to throw in, let me know;)

The process is pretty simple:

Ideation → Writing → Making → Editing → Sharing → Promoting → Resting

Rest is a critical piece of this puzzle, even though our Western culture has done a really good job discounting it (think about why they would do that… break connection with God? Hmm. Anyway, here goes my conspiracy theory self;)

But there’s something we haven’t said yet about Rest.

Rest requires discipline.

In a recent conversation I had with Craig Ballantyne (whose entire work revolves around helping high achievers get more done), he said something that stuck with me:

Most high achievers don’t have a work ethic problem. They have a thinking problem.

They stay busy so they don’t have to sit still long enough to think. Dang.

[Full Conversation Here]

Insecurity moves without thought. It keeps you posting, tweaking, consuming, reacting. It keeps you in motion so you never have to stop long enough to ask: What am I actually trying to say? [More on that here]

Most of us are “killing it” in the busy work arena. How come? Probably because we are avoiding being with ourselves.

Ever wonder… why?

Addicted to Pain

I’m on my way to run a marathon right now (true story… in the car as I write this). It’s my third one. I’ve run many half-marathons and even a ½ Ironman.

I’ve literally been running for 20 years. But two weeks ago, I learned I’ve been doing it wrong this entire time. I saw this reel, and my heart sank [watch here].

I’ve been dealing with pain in my heel and hip, and it’s been easy to dismiss it as heavy training or just getting older. But the truth is… I was just doing the wrong thing over and over without ever questioning it.

I assumed the pain I was feeling was just part of it.

Are we making things harder than they need to be?

We’ve been taught to associate struggle with growth. And to a degree, that’s true. But there’s a line between intentional pressure and unnecessary pain and I think a lot of us have crossed it without realizing.

There’s an addiction to struggle. A belief that if it doesn’t hurt, it doesn’t count.

But what if the struggle you’re in right now isn’t growth? What if it’s just… outdated?

The version of you that built your life might be the version keeping you stuck.

Still operating like that 20-year-old who had to push, prove, survive. Still using the same patterns on entirely different problems.

So we double down. More discipline. More output. More effort.

But at some point, discipline isn’t about doing more. It’s about questioning what you’ve been doing.

Which requires a big ole pause.

Slowing Down to Speed Up

My friend Cyndi Zaweski came on the show this week to share her decision to quit social media (she has a big following and a digital business…).

[Watch full episode here]

She said something powerful, when she stepped away, she could finally hear her own voice again.

Her own thoughts came back, new ideas came in, and she finally felt clear on her next moves. PS… she’s been making more money too.

So back to you…

Are you disciplined enough to stop working?

To pause, think, and BE with yourself? Are you brave enough to hear your own thoughts…and trust your own intuition?

That’s where God is, my friend. No wonder our society tries to shut that down:)

—Heather

ps. No BTS this week. Next one will be from the Marathon;) Till then..rooting for you.

Subscribe on Youtube

Cyndi Zaweski is an award-winning journalist, storytelling marketer, and entrepreneur. A little over six months ago, she made a bold move: she stopped posting on social media (yes, as a digital entrepreneur). What happened next? Her sales jumped 176%.

In this episode, she breaks down how it’s even possible…how leaning into search and her background in SEO drove consistent traffic to her offers. We also explore the mental shift that came with unplugging: from withdrawal and fear to clarity, creativity, and finally hearing your own voice again.

TOPICS FROM THIS EPISODE:

• How her sales went UP 176% after quitting social

• How SEO, email, and search-driven content bring in clients without social

• The shift from constant output to intentional, meaningful creation

CONNECT WITH CYNDI ZAWESKI:

• Website: https://www.cyndizaweski.com/

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cyndizaweski/

Subscribe on Youtube

Joshua Coburn is a marketer, creator, and storyteller…but if you ask him what he does, his answer is simple: he makes people’s lives better.

Joshua shares how years of success, setbacks, and personal battles reshaped his understanding of confidence, purpose, and what actually matters. From learning that confidence is earned through adversity, to navigating the tension between strength and empathy, to choosing connection in a world designed to divide us, this episode is a reminder that impact isn’t about scale…it’s about how you show up, one person at a time.

TOPICS FROM THIS EPISODE:

• Confidence is earned: why adversity is required, not optional

• Strength + empathy: leading without losing your humanity

• The algorithm vs. real life: choosing connection over division

CONNECT WITH JOSHUA COBURN:

• Website: https://repputationmarketing.com/

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshuacoburn/

I want to tackle the idea of “promoting” your work from a different angle. If you’re new around here, we talk about the creation process through this cycle.

This week, we’re back to the promotion phase. I like revisiting each of these pillars regularly because we evolve as creators, and we need to reexamine how we approach each one.

On Promotion:

Promoting sucks. I don’t like it. I’m not the best at it. (I’m trying to be positive here, but honestly… I suck at it.)

But we have to do it, if we want our work to get out there.

However, there’s something we have to keep asking ourselves:
Do I need to promote more… or be better?

You do need to promote. I’m not saying you don’t.

But I think sometimes the focus has to shift back to the work itself.

To the product.
To the craft.
To an obsession with making it better and better.

Disclaimer: Don’t Listen to Me if You’re Just Starting Off

If you’re just starting out, I’d argue what I’m about to say doesn’t apply as much.

People can hide behind perfectionism and self-criticism.

I’m not talking to beginners here.

Beginners need to just publish. Don’t overthink. Don’t rewatch everything. Don’t analyze it to death.

Just get it out.

Gary Vaynerchuk talks about this all the time…just get it out, get it out, get it out.

Because there’s an ego death that has to happen.
But at some point, we can’t operate as beginners anymore.

We have to start operating as professionals.

So… Which Is It?

Do we need to promote ourselves more, or focus on being better?

At some point, we have to look at our work with a critical eye and ask: Is this actually good?

Is this not working because I’m not promoting enough?
Or is it not working because it could be better?

Not from a “woe is me” standpoint.
Just honestly.

There’s a lot of truth in that, especially now. With the amount of content out there… with AI… with everything competing for attention…Things either land or they don’t.

And I would argue that no amount of promotion will make something sustainable if it’s not actually good.

The Restaurant Test:

It’s like a restaurant. You can have the best marketing in the world, but if people go eat the food and it’s bad… it’s not going to last. At some point, the product has to be good.

The Data Doesn’t Lie

There’s a clip from MrBeast where he talks about how obsessed he is with data.

I've obviously studied the algorithm, studied the tens of thousands of YouTube videos. I'm a data nerd. And what's interesting is the data always just shows that the better a video is, the more views it gets. If people watch it and enjoy it, YouTube gives it more views. that's what took us from 100,000 views a video to a million, to 10 million, to 20, to 30, to 40, to 50, to 100. People notice when you put in the effort and go above and beyond, and so they just keep coming back.—Time-Stamp 33:30ish

And his conclusion is simple: The things that work… are the things that are actually really good.

Taking Responsibility

I’ll create videos (and you’ve probably seen this if you follow me) where one gets hundreds of thousands of views, and the one right next to it gets two thousand.

Same creator. Same platform. Same format.
So what is it?

Yeah, there are algorithms.
Yeah, there are external factors.

But going back to Carol Dweck PhD and her work on Mindset… we have to have an internal sense of control.

We can’t blame everything externally.
We have to take agency over our work.

So instead of spiraling, I can look at it and say:

Maybe the hook was better.
Maybe it resonated more.
Maybe the timing was right.

We’re not going to hit a home run every time.
But we can get better.

Earn the Opportunity

I was reading Mud, Sweat and Tears by Bear Grylls.

Before his shows, he had already lived an incredibly adventurous life..military training, climbing Everest in his early 20s. He had something real to talk about.

Then, while speaking at an event, someone in media saw him. That’s what led to his shows.

That stuck with me.

Because so many of us, myself included, are looking for exposure.
But without something real to offer… something meaningful… something earned…

What are we actually promoting?

The Real Question

What are we adding to the table?

Is our work good?
Are we elevating the conversation?
Are we actually serving people?
Is it something worth promoting?

Yes… we should promote before it’s perfect. Absolutely.

But there’s a point where the best promotion you can do is making better stuff.

-Heather

PS... Plug in with me. I’d love to get to know you better. Here’s how:

Latest Episodes:

This week’s BTS Video:

Most people think storytelling is about what happens externally…but the real power lies in guiding someone through internal transformation. In this BTS video, we break down the hero’s journey and show how understanding both the external steps and emotional shifts can make your message actually move people.

Read more

I’ve been in the personal development space for over 10 years.

One of the first things I learned was simple: “just hit publish.”

Meaning, when it comes to your creative work, don’t overthink it…just go.

That one idea changed my life…

I realized the people doing things I admired weren’t ANY different than me. They were just the ones willing to put something out there… and then do it again. (And again. And again.)

It’s a practice that becomes an ego death.
You have to get over how you look.
You have to get over being perfect.

And something really interesting happens when you CONSISTENTLY put your work into the world… it starts telling you what it wants to be.

As humans, we try to control our work.

But it’s like giving birth, you can try as much as you want to control what comes out, but…

When that kiddo shows up, it has its own personality, its own shape.
And the second you see it, you realize… you were never fully in control.

So I owe a lot to that idea.
Just put it out. Just do the thing. Hit publish.

Because in a weird way… it tricks you into doing good work.

You just have to be willing to make a lot of bad work first.

Running the Tap Water

Ed Sheeran explained this in a video using the analogy of tap water.

(video credits: @iPlayMusicalThings on YouTube)

If you turn on a faucet that hasn’t run in a while, the water comes out dirty at first. But if you let it run, it clears up.

Your work is the same way.

At the beginning, you’re putting out a lot of bad stuff… that’s part of it. But if you keep going, eventually it clears.

That’s what action does.

The Case for Not Publishing

But with alllllllll that said… I want to make a case for not publishing sometimes.

At some point, we grow up in our creative work.
We know how to show up.
We know how to ship.

I was doing a challenge recently with a friend (posting a reel every day)… and I had to stop.

I was in a really dry spot.
I knew I didn’t have much to give.

It made me realize I hadn’t spent real time refueling in a while.
(Rest is apart of the Creative Cycle remember?).

The Creative Treadmill

We will run ourselves into the ground if we never step off the treadmill.
That serves no one. Also…

I’ve been thinking a lot about AI.

AI pulls from existing work and recombines it into something new.
That makes people uneasy.

But if we’re honest… that’s what creatives have always done.

We read books.
We watch videos.
We talk to people.

We gather ideas… then reassemble them and send them back out into the world.

That is creativity.
Mixing ideas. Making something new.

AI just does it faster.

(Granted, it skips the part where we actually sit with something… study it… let it change us)

But think about this with me:

If we’ve always been remixing ideas to create “new ones”… what happens if we pratice going to Source first? Practice hearing THEN creating?

People say there are no new ideas.
That everything’s already been said.

But I don’t believe that.

It feels like something is shifting.

Maybe the constant cycle of hustle, publish, repeat… feels off right now not just because we’re tired…but because we’re being asked for something deeper.

Maybe creativity is evolving.
Maybe instead of constantly pulling from books, the internet, or AI…

we learn how to sit.

In quiet.
In stillness.

And listen for something underneath all of it.

But in order to do that we have to be secure enough to…not hit publish.

—Heather

P.S. If this resonates, come say hi. I’d love to get to know you. (If you are a member you can comment below)

PPS. BTS Video down below, it is specifically for those who feel “behind”

Latest Episode:

• Deep Conversations with Comedian Joe Zimmerman:

Read more

Subscribe on Youtube

Anthony Trucks is a former professional football player turned speaker, author, and transformational coach. Known for his “Dark Work” and “Identity Shift” frameworks, Anthony helps people overcome limiting beliefs, trauma, and past experiences to step into higher levels of performance. After growing up in foster care, navigating abuse, losing his NFL career to injury, and rebuilding his life from rock bottom, he now teaches others how to intentionally reshape who they are and create lasting success.

TOPICS FROM THIS EPISODE:

• Dark work vs. shadow work: doing the real work after awareness

• Identity shift: why you build who you become (not find it)

• Using adversity as fuel without being defined by it

CONNECT WITH ANTHONY TRUCKS:

• Website: https://www.anthonytrucks.com/

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anthonytrucks/

Subscribe on Youtube

Shannan Martin is the bestselling author of Counterweights, Start with Hello, and The Ministry of Ordinary Places, as well as the voice behind the popular Substack…The Soup. A self-described wannabe gardener, news geek, justice-seeker, and thrift store enthusiast, Shannan writes about the intersection of faith, everyday life, and community.

In this conversation, Shannan explores the concept of “counterweights”, the practice of holding the heaviness of life while intentionally noticing small, life-giving moments that keep us grounded. From faith shifts and justice work to navigating apathy, anger, and hope in a complicated world, she shares a deeply honest look at what it means to stay human, present, and connected when everything feels overwhelming.

TOPICS FROM THIS EPISODE:

• Carrying life’s pain while intentionally noticing beauty and hope

• How community reshaped her views on justice and belonging

• Why joy, rest, and small everyday moments are not escapism, but survival

CONNECT WITH SHANNAN MARTIN:

• Website: https://www.shannanmartin.com/

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shannanwrites/