Your Story is Your Superpower with Corey Andrew Powell

Your personal brand is being built right now, whether you're intentional about it or not. 

In this episode, media host and brand strategist Corey Andrew Powell joins me to explore how clarity, consistency, and connection shape the way the world sees you.

Corey shares why your seemingly ordinary story holds more power than you think, and how to stop shrinking yourself to make others comfortable. You'll hear about the soggy grilled cheese that tanked a brand for 30 years, the privacy setting error that ended a teaching career, and the hot chocolate stand story that transformed a business leader's entire approach to competition. Plus, we tackle how to balance authenticity with professionalism across all platforms.

This conversation is for anyone juggling multiple passions, navigating career pivots, or ready to stop playing small and start owning their unique voice unapologetically.

Check out the detailed show notes (https://tarakermiet.com/podcast/) and leave your thoughts or questions about today's topic.

To connect with Corey:

• Website (https://www.coreyandrew.com/)
• LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreyandrewpowell/)
• Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/coreyandrew/)
• TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@conversationswithcorey)

Need a little more balance and a lot more badass in your life? Check out my 1:1 coaching sessions designed to help you tackle your biggest challenges, manage stress, and create a personalized plan for success. Your first 30-minute session is free! Visit tarakermiet.com to get started. 

Want to turn your dreams into reality? Check out my 7 Days to Crushing Your Goals mini-course! This course is packed with practical lessons and hands-on activities designed to help you define your “why,” leverage your strengths, and take decisive action. By the end, you'll have a clear plan and the tools you need to crush your goals. Visit tarakermiet.com/crushyourgoals to join the course and start making things happen! 

Transcript

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Ep. 45 - Your Story is Your Superpower with Corey Andrew Powell (audio only)

[00:00:00] Welcome to the balance badass podcast, the show for multitaskers determined to stay balanced and badass without losing their minds. Every week we help you manage your overflowing calendar and household. Making sure you still have time to breathe, laugh, and savor that much needed glass of wine at the end of the day.

Think of this podcast as your weekly dose of practical advice, humor, and tough love. Just like catching up with a friend who really gets it. I'm Tara Kermit, your personal growth coach, helping you handle how was your day without a meltdown. Now let's get into today's episode.

Y'all. I am so pumped for today's episode because I'm being joined by one of my favorite humans, Corey Andrew Powell. He's a media host, brand strategist, cultural commentator, [00:01:00] and storyteller whose career has spanned advertising, music, and leadership development. He's also a verified Spotify artist and a Grammy voting member, so yeah.

We're not playing small today, folks. We are talking about personal branding and authenticity. So welcome to the Balanced Badass Podcast, Corey. Hello. Thank you for having me. I'm really excited to be here, Tyra, and talk to you. So yeah, let's get it popping. Yeah, let's get started. So Corey, I always start every episode that I have a guest on with my favorite icebreaker question, and that is, what is something that you're loving in your life right now?

Oh, gosh. Well, so many things. I'm very, uh, thrilled that after two years of a lot of scary health concerns with my mom, she's getting through that and recovering, and she's not, you know, she's not as fast and speedy as she was maybe before, but she's independent, able to drive herself to local errands and garden and just things that she couldn't do two [00:02:00] years ago.

So I'm, I'm blessed and happy on that. And then my partner and I have a second home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. And so becoming more immersed in that community, uh, it actually, I realized how much I love it, and it sparked a business venture that I can't talk about too much right now, but it's a business venture based on the love that I have for coastal Delaware that I've just realized over the past, you know, three years of living here.

So things all kind of work and connect together, and I'm living with intentionality with all those things in my, my, my, my focus, and hopefully they'll be prosperous. Yes. Well, first off, definitely happy to hear about your mom. I know probably one of the last times we met you were taking care of her and, and doing all that, so I totally, I get that.

My mom had hip surgery. We actually moved her down closer to me a couple years ago, and she had hi, total hip replacement last year. So watching her kind of recover from that, it was a reality point too for me as a growing adult. [00:03:00] This is where we're heading in the future of having to take care of her parents.

Yes. Yes. That's a great point because, you know, uh, we all, yeah, I mean, we have to realize as our parents get older, so are we, although we don't want to face that. My mom too had had hips, uh, hip surgery replacement, so I totally get it. And, um. All we can do is just return the love and support they gave us.

Mm-hmm. You know, tenfold. And that in itself, for me was so rewarding to be the person now that she relies on after she was my, my strength and my everything for so long. So we do come full circle and that's a positive part of it. Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. Well, let's get into it. Mm-hmm. So, I, I wanna touch on, because obviously your work has spanned.

A variety of industries. You know, I mean, you've had advertising, music, leadership development, and I'm just curious, like how did your own story shape your personal brand and how has it evolved over time, kind of as you've moved through these [00:04:00] different industries? Mm-hmm. Well, first, you know, it's one of those things where when we're younger we're we are told, you know, pick one thing and stick to it, right?

Mm-hmm. Or get that one job and you know, work for. Five decades there and then retire with a good pension and, and that was great in the world that our parents lived in. My mom, you know, that was like, that was an aspiration, especially coming out of the, the seventies and go as a minority woman as she was.

But life is different today. And I have a different theory, which is if you do more than one thing well. Then why not figure out how to make all those things part of your palate, your, your war chest, if you will, so that you don't have all your eggs in one basket. Mm-hmm. That, that doesn't work out. You're like stuck going back to ground zero.

So I actually just decided that, um. I wanna try and figure out how can all the things that I love kind of all come under umbrella, uh, uh, one under one umbrella, and be part of the offerings that I bring into the creative space. And so that meant, you know, being very honest. You know, I, I, I sing [00:05:00] well. I write songs.

Well, I also am a standup comedian, which then inspired how I wrote in advertising because my spin was more comedic. Um, and then on top of that, then in advertising, that also allowed me to then pick music when I had to do backdrop, backdrop backdrops for musical projects or advertising work. And so I realized all those things.

They are all who I am, and so why would I run from them? And also being a, mm-hmm. A man of color, uh, a man of the L-G-B-T-Q community, L-G-B-T-Q community as well. All that again, informs who I am. And so I can only bring all that forward and share my perspectives from my worldview through that lens. And once you realize that, that your unique story really is your own and no one else can.

Uh, present it like you can, you realize your power is in your authenticity. So that is pretty much how I move forward, just refusing at this point to [00:06:00] play it small. I walk into the room and I say, here I am, and this is it. Whether you like it or not is not gonna change. This is it. Yeah. What I love about that too is really tapping into, you know, the strengths that you have and recognizing that.

Things that may seemingly seem unrelated. Mm-hmm. There are still ways to marry them together. And there's a company out there that, um, I'm not gonna get the name of the company Correct, but they talk about squiggly careers. Mm-hmm. Instead of like the career ladder where the career trajectory. And it's all about kind of looping back into things that are natural to you and that.

Connect with your natural strengths and that feed off of one another. And I think that that's a great way to approach careers, right? Really looking at what, what do you get energy from? What provides you [00:07:00] joy and what are, what do you do well? And then find ways to do more of that in the work that you're currently doing or in new opportunities and new ventures.

Yeah, no, absolutely. As you know, I, I hosted a, a popular leadership podcast for many years, and so in that space I got to talk to people who were leaders who had really excelled in life. And so from that I got great advice over the years, which is really cool 'cause that's what I brought forward to others.

And one of the main things was like, if you are out here trying to figure out what you're good at versus what you know, you need to keep improving upon, those are two different things Many people focus on. Things that they're kind of mediocre at, oh, I'm gonna try and get perfect at this and get good at this.

Well, you know what? Maybe if you're not meant to be that thing, you're not gonna be that thing. But you are a brilliant cook. You are a brilliant mathematician. You know how to sell all these things that you have reduced in your mind as not being important. You are excelling and a lot of things that you [00:08:00] may be able to parlay into some other career opportunity.

You're not thinking of that 'cause you're too focused on the things where, where you might be mediocre. So that's a, a great lesson I learned. You know, focus on the things that you really are good at, you know, and that can be a game changer versus, you know, chasing your tail around something where maybe you're not meant to be that thing.

Yeah. And that's, that's okay. Like, and that's there, there is someone else out there that is for that thing. Mm-hmm. Absolutely. Yeah, well, thinking about personal branding and you know, identifying our strengths and all that, what do you say or do you think are the core ingredients of a strong personal brand?

Hmm. Yes. Yes. That's like a million dollar question, but you know, simple answers though, quite honestly, in my opinion. The first one is clarity, right? Clarity of. Who you are as we just talked about, right? Your strengths, your values, and what you [00:09:00] stand for. Those things are so important because you really can't establish a personal brand if you don't know personally who you are.

And that means really embracing everything about yourself. Um, you know, warts and all, as they say, the good, bad, and the ugly. But that requires very serious introspection. It requires a reflective. Um, very deep, reflective thought about who you are, your experiences, where you come from. It doesn't mean you expose all your, you know, secrets to the world, but they are your badge of honor, the things you've been through.

So clarity of self, what you stand for, what you will not tolerate. Those things are really important. Mm-hmm. Consistency is a big one too. Be who you are. If you're, if we're talking about personal branding in the business space, be who you are across all platforms, and that one is tricky. Because, you know, people wanna post some stuff on Instagram that should not be on LinkedIn.

And [00:10:00] then you have to forget people who you need to see you on LinkedIn can always go to your Instagram and see that inappropriate thing and you could have a problem. So you have to really be protective of your persona, the things you say, how you look, what you present across all platforms. And that is really important as well.

And then just, you know, uh, make sure you connect, uh, with people. When you do, you have to make sure you're, you're clear on what you are actually connecting. For example, I tell people every day when you leave the house, the first person you encounter, the stranger on the street, that person is encountering your brand, your personal brand.

How you say hello has already established a brand presence, or how you don't say hello, how you maybe. Ignore them or interact with them in a way that's not really positive because you've had a bad night before. You've just left an impression with your brand. And I align it with any, [00:11:00] any department store you go with, how they make you feel when you walked in.

How did they make you feel when they waited on you? How did they make you feel when you left? Do you feel like you're gonna come back because they welcomed you back? I told you we look forward to seeing you again. Or did you just be like, bye. I don't, so. And that's not a repeat customer, right? So there's an alignment.

There's a correlation between personal branding and really how corporations who are successful govern their business. So yeah, so connection, uh, uh, clarity, connection. And then of course I would just say, you know, consistency across all your touch points, those are really important. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Um, it's funny that you talk about like the, the department stores, 'cause my husband and I, we go out to eat, that's like our hobby.

Mm-hmm. Like we enjoy going out to eat and we very much judge places on obviously the food, but. The service and like if our drinks are filled in a timely manner [00:12:00] and you know, if we're greeted by the host in a nice way or in a very not nice way. And it really does leave an impression. Like there have been plenty of restaurants where the food was okay, but we won't go back because the service was not, and they could have had a bad day.

Mm-hmm. But that one impression left enough of an impression on us that. Like you said, we're not gonna be a repeat customer. Yeah. You know, it's funny you bring that up because I remember maybe like 1994 maybe when I think Applebee's like first started, I think that was like, you know, like early nineties at least they, that's when they first came to where I lived in Jersey.

They may have been around somewhere, so who knows. But it was a big deal. 'cause you know, we had never heard of it before. So we all went to Applebee's and you know, this was like I said, like 1994. And when I tell you. And I hate to use brand names, so Applebee's, I'm sorry. I'm sure you're, you've been around all this time, so clearly you worked it out.

Okay. But for me personally, I've never been back to one since, and I'm talking 2 94. It was [00:13:00] that mediocre, you know, it's just was, and maybe 'cause they were new, they were backed up, who knows what the situation. But it was that much of an impression that I wish them well. I'm glad they're doing great as a business.

It was enough that I have never. Step foot in one again from 1994. Mm. So that is what I want people to think about when it comes to personal branding. Like you might not have another chance to redeem yourself. So we all make mistakes and some people you're not gonna win back, but go through life realizing that, you know, you have to be intentional at least when you are interacting with people because, uh, it could really be irreparable to your, your personal brand.

So just something to keep in mind. Yeah. Yeah. Well, and the fact, not just the fact that you haven't been back, but you remember that. Yeah. From. 1990s. Yeah. That soggy, grilled cheese. I mean, that, that soggy, grilled cheese chases me in my sleeve to this day. You'll never forget it. Like, I'll, and he was like, I was like, are you kidding me, man?

But yeah, but it, you know, and um, like I said, they've done great as a [00:14:00] company since, and I'm glad, uh, but I'm just telling you, you know, it's a great lesson in, in branding and how that can correlate to the personal branding experience. So, yeah. So be aware of that out there, people. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Now you alluded to this a little bit, but I kind of wanna dig into it a little bit more as far as like what your take is on using platforms like LinkedIn or you know, all the other social media out there and, and personal websites to amplify a personal brand.

Are there any dos or don'ts that you've seen over and over again that you really wanna draw attention to for those? That are listening and trying to improve on their personal brand? Yes. Well, as I've mentioned to you, one of the great things about what I do and what you do with the podcast world is we do interview really awesome, uh, well-informed people in certain spaces and one of my favorites and, uh, when this goes live, I'm gonna tag her.

'cause I know she's gonna be like, well, I mentioned it, my name, but, uh. I just really think she's awesome. Mandy McEwen is her name and she was a guest on one of the [00:15:00] leadership podcasts that I, um, had done and she's a LinkedIn expert, really strong and, you know, advisement on how to thrive in LinkedIn and she shared a lot of knowledge with that podcast and myself that day that I move forward with and I share with people as well.

One of them is more people need to be on it. More people don't realize how vital it can be to your career. They look at it as just another social media platform. It's not Facebook, it's not Instagram, it's not, you know, uh, TikTok. It really is a place that can propel your career forward, but you do have to be conscious of how you are using it.

And again, intentionality is a big part of that. But yeah, I do think it's important to be on LinkedIn. I do think it's important, again, to be very conscious and cautious of what you are posting on LinkedIn versus your other social pages, which is where it seems some people don't know how to make that distinction.

That's where that line gets [00:16:00] blurred and that becomes a problem. 'cause it is a professional platform. I've noticed recently as well. It's become a lot more political. A lot more political. Mm-hmm. But that's the world we live in. And so even then when you engage in political conversations, you've gotta be very cautious of that as well, because again, what you're posting is there to stay unless you delete it.

And it can be seen by potential employers or hiring managers, et cetera. So yeah, I think LinkedIn's very important. Gotta be mindful and remember what the purpose of the platform is for, even if. It's seemingly gotten away from that. Your representation in that platform is what you're able to control, not the overall narrative.

Your narrative only. So just stay focused on that. Mm-hmm. Yeah. You bring up a good point about the changing nature of all the social media platforms. 'cause if you think about it, they've all [00:17:00] evolved in different ways. And even with LinkedIn, you know, post wise, I remember it was. Really more heavily text-based and now it's leaning more video and photos and you're starting to see even more personal photos mm-hmm.

Of people's lives. Like people posting, you know, they're families or their dogs or what have you. And I think it's, it can be hard to see that blurred line of, yeah. Which platform do you use for what? Mm-hmm. And how do you still maintain your authenticity to who you are while honoring the intent of the platform?

And I don't know if you have any advice for folks on kind of walking that fine line where you're not being performative, but. You are being cautious mm-hmm. About what you're putting out there. Yeah. Well, again, to reference my [00:18:00] guru, Ms. Mandy, um, that question came up. I posed that very similar question to her and great advice.

It's really simple. Um, first, don't post anything. On, you know, any platform really that you didn't want family or your mama to see, you know, like be conscious. Mm-hmm. Be conscious and mindful of that, but make sure, like when you post something on LinkedIn, make sure that it's something that you would not be embarrassed for a boss or potential, uh, potential employer to see.

And you have to kind of put your own filter on and engage what that is for you. It's not gonna be the same for everyone, but what's really important to remember is that on LinkedIn. It's an opportunity because we are in an era where brands are more interested in who we are as people. Because there is that mm-hmm.

Intersectionality of our lives and our business lives being sort of intertwined. Now we're working remotely in many cases, and so you may be on a Zoom call and [00:19:00] the husband walks by and there's a baby on your knee. And so you know, you're, the fact that you have a life outside of the office is inescapable, but meanwhile, you know, years before remote working, you could sort of have that compartmentalization, but those lines are really blurred and so.

I think your, I think brands want to see that you have a personality outside of life and how you navigate outside, uh, I mean outside of the office and how you navigate life outside of it. Um, it sort of gives them an idea of who you are, how you handle things, how you interact with the public, your sensibilities.

All those things are positives if you are presenting them in a way that's, uh, that's positive so to speak, versus it being something that's, uh, maybe. Overly provocative, maybe a little bit too scandalous, maybe a little bit confrontational. You just gotta be very conscious of that. So yeah, it's important to do it.

Show that side of your personal life, um, but in a way that is very respectful and [00:20:00] non-threatening, I think, to a work environment on LinkedIn. Mm-hmm. The way I used to describe it when I was working with students was kind of thinking about, you know, when you're in in the office, you're still yourself, like your personality shows up, but you are the professional version of you and in the office, and I don't know if it's.

The fact that you're behind a phone or a computer when it's on social media, but you get a little braver, it feels like it's a little bit more anonymous, but it, if you act like you are in person in the office in the same way, like would you come walking into the office and announce the, that you just put on LinkedIn or Instagram?

Mm-hmm. Or would you not? Right. Because there's, that's kinda is a good level of judgment there. Yeah. And even some people, like, again, that's very unique to the individual. Some people would do that. [00:21:00] You know, I follow a few people on, yeah. LinkedIn and I, and I love them. I have a big, big following and they do well.

They're post, I mean, all their posts, you know, 700, 800 likes. It's provocative. You know, there are people who are in a specific. Space in what their voice is and they don't hold back. And they have built a following up with that. And I go, I wouldn't have said that, but that's not for me. That's right. That's their brand.

And that's when we go back to personal branding. They're committed to this, this is their perspective. And the like-minded people who need to find them will find them and they find their tribe, so to speak. You just gotta be very, um, committed to whatever that is on LinkedIn. And stand by it, you know? So yeah, it's all personal choice.

Um, but at the end of the day, it is still a professional platform and so anything you say can and will be used against you when it's time to hire someone. So be careful of that for real. [00:22:00] Yeah. Or even, not even when it's time to hire, but when you're currently in a role. I mean, we know that there are plenty of employers out there that monitor.

Social media engagement and that kind of stuff for their employees. Yes. And so it's, whether that's right or wrong, that's a whole different discussion, but that's something that we need to be aware of. Yep. I agree. Yeah, be careful. And that's, you know, one of those things too, where it's a new frontier for a lot of older people.

The whole social media thing. So that's another demographic as well. I mean, uh, another topic as well about the demographics. You know, there's a lot of older, less tech savvy people who don't really know what the restrictions are that they can put on their own account, let's say. And they may post something they think is going to, to a certain group and they've just post it out to the entire world.

So, you know, older people on, on social media have a whole other set of. Things to be careful of. I saw a great story about that where a woman, not a great story, but it's a great example of a teacher who lost her [00:23:00] job because she posted something really derogatory about students of a certain ethnic demographic on Facebook.

To her, what she thought was her private closed group, not realizing that when she had done that, the people who. The people who are in the group of her friends and their extended Facebook group families all saw the posts because of her settings. And she had done that. And she lost her. She lost her. I mean, she lost everything.

Job pension, like all kinds of stuff. Ugh. And she's suing the school board and they're like, no girl, you checked, you, you, you checked the wrong box on, on your dashboard on Facebook, like you did that. Yeah. So anyway, it's a whole. It's a minefield. Be mindful on social media, not just LinkedIn, but it's all personal responsibility.

That's where it boils down to. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Well, I wanna get into a little bit, 'cause you, you know, you talked about personal branding being about like clarity about who [00:24:00] you are, your values, kind of the story that you bring. And I know you do a lot of work with storytelling. And I, you know, I hear this even from clients when I'm talking with them, when we talk about their strengths and they're like, I don't really have any, or, my story isn't interesting enough.

What do you say to people who feel like they don't bring enough controversy or pizazz or whatever word choice you wanna say to their story to be able to build a, a brand around? What do you say to them to really get them to understand that? That doesn't have to be the case all the time. Yeah, and that is a great question because I am asked that many people, and this there's another component too, that many people are so used to reducing themselves.

They've been programmed to reduce themselves. Right. And especially the more you are in marginalized groups, women, ethnic women. Yeah. Minorities of certain, like [00:25:00] we've been sort of told to be in the back of the room and quiet in general in many aspects. And then you add to it now that they don't think that they've got anything of value to bring that can make them stand out because they've been suppressed.

Uh, for so long, right? So. I first begin with telling them that that's bs. Every story is interesting. We all have our own right. They just need framing. I tell people not to confuse being dramatic with valuable. Those are two different things. You know, your, your, your backstory doesn't have to be your dad was Indiana Jones and took you on archeological digs and like Indonesia to recover the lost arc of the covenant when you were little.

That's great if that is your story. But, um, here's another quote from an amazing guest who I absolutely adore, a woman named Rose Rose Fast. She has a company called Fast Forward and she was one of the leadership podcast guests I had on there. [00:26:00] She have this story that is so transformative that I literally hold onto and just knew that recently in my own moment of self-doubt.

About a, a, a, like a dilemma I was facing. And it's a story she shared about when she was a little girl and she started her hot chocolate stand at like 10 years old on a ski slope when they were living near a ski slope. Many kids, right? Little lemonade stand. Many kids, they sell cookies in the, you know, outside like, so this is a common thing.

Little kids do it on one level. It might not seem like a big story that is. A standout story, but I don't even wanna, I don't wanna give it away 'cause it's such a great story. I want people to read her book that and, and, uh, I mean we can like, you know, share that with people later. But the idea is that this incident had such a specific outcome that it literally transformed how she looked at competitive business as a 10-year-old.

Then that ushered her into, as she grew up and [00:27:00] became a businesswoman, how she ushered through life as a successful businesswoman going up the corporate ladder, standing up and still cutting through the clutter of misogyny and sexism That was very prominent in business during the seventies when she was more, you know, moving into her, her, her strengths as a, and how she became a celebrated businesswoman and author today.

But there's this little story about the little girl in the, the hot chocolate stand that is incredible. And so that is what I mean about we have to actually realize that the nuances of our own stories are important. And you don't know how they can inspire others. That's why it's important for you just to tell them.

'cause we can't predict what, uh, will inspire others. Just share. And someone eventually will say, oh my gosh, that's helped me out. Like when I have a, when I had a person pe people on the, uh, on, on the podcast that I did where they, I had a person who had [00:28:00] a certain birth defect or cerebral palsy or anything, disability.

The emails I got back, oh my gosh, I saw the podcast about, mm-hmm. The guy who's the blind football player, or the guy born with the arm deformity, that one arm is shorter than the other. I have that issue with my leg, or the girl who has cerebral palsy. Oh my gosh. I have that, and I'm so thankful for hearing that story.

None of us have an uninteresting story. We have to just not be afraid to scare the one we have, and that is the difference.

I think too, one of the best activities I ever did when I was in, um, my doctorate program before I quit, there's always time to go back. Um, was, uh, we'll see. Um, but one of the best exercises in, in assignments that we did, it was where we took, we picked folks from different phases or seasons of our lives and.[00:29:00] 

Asked them to tell a story about when they saw us being at our best. And what was very interesting, the stories were phenomenal. I didn't remember most of those stories. And I mean, I asked people from like elementary school to college to you know, folks that I was working with. And I think what brought to light for that is that so often.

What we think is mundane to your point, is life changing for us, but also life changing for other people. And sometimes it takes that outside perspective to get a little insight or glimpse into those stories that make you unique. So that's something that I always advise folks when I'm working with them and they're really struggling with.

You know, if they're burned out, they're, they're really struggling with their confidence and I really try to get them to talk to other people and get [00:30:00] those stories. 'cause that helps them build their story a little bit. Oh, yes. More, you know, and add layers to it. Yes. And that's, um, part of a bigger narrative as well, which is, I just posted about this recently and I, and I often tell people this, we are so used to going on about what's next and.

Finding out what that next move is in life, where we're going feeling like we haven't yet accomplished that thing that we're going after. And you feel like, you know, you're so far away from your dreams and your goals, et cetera, that you forget about the accomplishments that you've really established along the way.

The small wins and sometimes not so small wins. We just don't give a moment to ourselves and go, you know, wait a minute. Yeah, I did that. Yes, I did. I just, yeah, I'm gonna pat myself on the back face. I did that. Now I may want more, I may want to accomplish something greater, but I'm gonna take a minute and go, yeah, I did that.

And I usually talk to, when [00:31:00] I talk to people on the lecture circuit at college kids. I share how I went to New York City, wanted to be the next Michael Jackson. You know, I was gonna be a singer and I was gonna be a big star, you know, be big recording artist. And you know, by the time I was like 30 years old, still working at the gap that hadn't worked out for me.

So the dream didn't die. The dream actually continued. I wanted to be a singer and songwriter, so I kept doing that. And then that led to collaborations and that led to actual work and that led to me doing TV work for soundtracks on like the young and restless and movies and commercials and enough work that then I became a voting member of the Grammys, and now I worked for Sony.

I've released music on Universal Music, MCA, they just universal music. They just did a article and featured me during Pride Month, and that's a major label. So the dream doesn't die. You have to just be able to calibrate, recalibrate where you are in your life. Mm-hmm. And realize that you can pivot, not give up the dream [00:32:00] completely.

Just be willing to be pliable and flexible with the dream. And you're still can accomplish a lot. Mm-hmm. So, yeah, that's the thing. Remember those wins, you know, remember the wins along the way and there's always more to do, but stop and accomplishments are to be also rewarded, not just self. Remember for those.

Mm-hmm. Yeah. I have, um, folks have probably heard this, but I have a yay me folder that I keep. So like I'll note things down of small accomplishments, big accomplishments, so that way when I do feel. That either lack of confidence or you know, that tinge that I need more. It's a, it's a nice reminder of what I have done and what I can do.

Yeah. Moving forward too. So I think that's a great point. And I love what you said too about recalibrating. 'cause I think that, that, I always say like getting back to equilibrium, but like recalibrating and thinking about how do you shift. The dream [00:33:00] so that it stays alive. It just looks a little different than what you had envisioned originally.

Yeah. It's a, it's pivoting like that word, recalibrating. Pivoting, you know, there's a lot of mm-hmm. Ways we can describe it, but, you know, we don't wanna get stuck many of the. Uh, successful people who I have interviewed have the privilege of learning from over the years of doing leadership podcast work.

You know, there are people who made some significant changes in their lives professionally because they made a choice not to get stuck when life was really difficult. 'cause there's your, your options are, I'm gonna get stuck and just wallow in this, right. Get stuck in it. Or I'm gonna just fight through it and figure out, okay, well what do I have to do now to.

Maintain and the flexibility, your willingness to be flexible is, is really key to that. And, um, if you're willing not to get stuck, that's the first part of it, you know, 'cause so many of us can get there. We just, oh, I shouldn't have done that. I wish I hadn't done that. Or, oh, I, I wish I had X, Y, [00:34:00] Z when I was younger.

I wish all that's great. What are you gonna do right now to change what's coming? You can't change what you did. 10 years ago, five minutes ago, done, it's over. But you can change what is coming, you know, that trajectory. You can change that or you can sort of, uh, you can align yourself with a more positive outcome of your coming trajectory if you're conscious of not getting stuck.

So that's what I say, you know, just be willing to be flexible and, uh, recalibrate is a word. I love that one. It's. It's definitely the way to think of it. Just, you know, shift your thinking a little bit. That's all the difference in the world. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Hmm. Well, you alluded to this and I, I wanna touch on this 'cause I think it is so important about how there are a lot of folks out there that have [00:35:00] been told to hold back on who they are and.

I guess I just wanna ask like is there something that you just wish more people understood about the power of owning their story? Especially for those who've either been underestimated or told to tone it down? Like what do you wish more people understood about the power that comes from this kind of personal branding journey?

Well, yeah, it's a part two of understanding that your unique voice and authenticity are, are. Powerful because they are interesting. No one else has your exact story, but at the same time, it goes back to what we were tapping into about the red, the, the, uh, reductive.

Certain circumstances, one may be your power and strength are [00:36:00] intimidating to other people. Or there's someone who's mm-hmm. Competitive in your same, uh, role at a job and they're intimidated by you, by your strengths, by how you are actually really maybe the stronger of the two or three in that particular team.

So now they have animosity because you are the one training. And so you may not, and I'm speaking from experience in one aspect where I'm in a situation like that and I didn't wanna upset the other person who. Was intimidated by me, so I, I toned down my power, you know? Mm-hmm. A company had hired me to be a badass in the marketing space, and I was, I hit the ground running within like six months, you know, record number sales for a project that we had done, that I had written on the copy for, and it made the other writer who had been there for like five years.

It was really. Uh, uncomfortable and, and it became combative and terrible. And so I didn't wanna [00:37:00] ruffle her feather, so I just, I squashed my ability, you know, which was ridiculous. Never dim your light because someone else is not shining as brightly. Oh, yes. You see? And, and we do that often because it's to appease other people.

Your power is your power. If a person can't handle it. They gotta get outta my way. That's how I look at it now. So it's very important that you do not dim your mm-hmm. Your rightness because someone else can't handle or shine. You know, once someone said to me, and I was intimidated by it and insulted, but they said to me, well, you walk into the room and, you know, suck all the air out of the room.

And I was like, I was really, you know, offended by that. And I was sort of like, and, and it made me kinda shrink, maybe wanna go into the room a little less verbose and a little less me. And then I realized, well, maybe it's not me. Maybe you just need stronger lungs, honey. Maybe that's, maybe your lung capacity needs a little bit more power to inhale me [00:38:00] because I'm fine.

Maybe it's you. Yeah. Maybe you have a little last. Right, right. So I had to realize, no, I'm not gonna doubt. I, you know, once you make that decision, then you run and you, um, you own it. Which is the name of a book I'm writing by the way. You own it and um, you know, and that's your power. And your power is your power.

So that's it. That's how I look at that.

Hmm. Love that. Well, I'm looking at time and I, I, I know I wanna be cognizant of time and I still have one more question that I ask of every guest on my podcast. So, as you know, this podcast is all about balanced living with badass results. And so I'm curious, how do you define being a balanced badass in your own life?

I mentioned. Intentionality earlier. It's everything. You know, when we're younger especially, we tend just to do stuff. Yeah. 'cause you know, you, you know, you just do it [00:39:00] and throw stuff to the wind and if something sticks that's great. But when you're a good older and you got family, kids mortgages, you less time.

You're balancing taking care of mom and you know, you really have to be much more. Intentional with where you focus your energies and the projects you're going to participate in. Because mainly it's just a matter of, uh, of time management. You just don't have that time like you have when you're younger, maybe living at home and someone else taking care of you.

All those things. So the balance for me is being intentional, saying, you know, I, here are my goals. I'm gonna sit down, map out where I wanna be in life. Really break that down to how do I get there, what do I need to do to get those things, those components in place to, to better my chances of reaching those goals.

And all that means you're have, you have a focused, uh, vision with intention and out with intentionality versus just waking up every morning, sort of, [00:40:00] you know, haphazardly and sticking stuff to the wind as they say. And. All of that is tied to your authenticity because until you know who you are and what you want out of life and what you're bringing to the table to accomplish it, those things have to coexist with the goal and the vision.

So you know that what you want to do is have a happy, balanced career where you are working, maintaining your livelihood, but also in a place in a space that makes you happy. So really identify those things, again, goes back to what do you like to do? What are you good at? What are you really good at? What can you talk about off the cuff for hours?

If someone needed to discuss those things with you, without you having to Google them. Like those are your passions that you know about for the most part, and many people aren't connected to those. So find out what those things are. Figure out how to tie that into some sort of, uh, career opportunity or business opportunity or just some part of your life [00:41:00] that keeps you.

Connect it to it while you're working every day so that you can have a balance of happiness and going into the office. You have to really have that understanding of self as the first component. I brought it back to clarity. Remember in the beginning, clarity is really mm-hmm. The first step to balancing being a, well, as you call it, being a balanced badass, which I love.

Hope you hashtag that in, uh, trade market. Oh my gosh. That was perfect. Thank you so much, Corey, for sharing your insight, sharing your time with us today. It really has been such a pleasure having you on the show, and I know for me, and I have a feeling for other listeners that it's definitely gonna be an episode that we'll be thinking about for a while.

So thank you. Oh, well thank you for the opportunity and anytime I get to come on and share what I've learned, especially as the host of a leadership podcast where I had so many [00:42:00] wonderful nuggets of wisdom to share with people from all across different aspects, from Olympic athletes to CEOs to, uh, millennials and Gen Z millionaires, and just a wonderful wide range of people who've shared stories.

So this is a great opportunity for me. To share stories like people, uh, from people like Rose Fast and Mandy McEwen. Uh, so it's an honor and thank you so much for having me, and I appreciate it. I appreciate you. Thanks so much. Thanks. Well, awesome. Well, before we go though, Cory, can you let folks know where they can connect with you, follow your work, and just learn more about what you're up to?

Yes, of course. Well, very simply, my. Website is cory andrew.com. That's C-O-R-E-Y-A-N-D-R-E-W with no s. It's Cory Andrew. Many people put the S on like Julie Andrews, no relation. So cory andrew.com and pretty much across all social media [00:43:00] platforms like Instagram. You can catch me there as well. Corey Andrew on Facebook at Cory Andrew.

I'm pretty much a consistent across all platforms and on LinkedIn. Corey, Andrew Powell. Full name, which I'll be using as an author. And uh, that's pretty much it. And, uh, I think one more spot. I'm starting to work more on TikTok as well, adding some of these conversations, little snippets there on TikTok, which is a new platform for me, but I'm getting into it.

And so there you can find me at conversations with Corey. Love. I hope to see you all there. Awesome. And as folks know, I'll be sure to link everything in the show notes, including references to the other folks that you talked about too, so that way we are connecting everybody to all the resources. That's one thing I always try to do is share as many resources as I can so folks will please.

That'd be great. Thank you so much. Yeah, folks will definitely be able to connect with you and you know, I hope that. For those of you listening that you'll just take a [00:44:00] beat today and just reflect on your own story and what uniqueness you bring to the table. You might be sitting on more power than you realize, as Corey has very graciously shared with us, so take care, friends, and make good choices.

I'll catch you in the next episode.

Thanks for hanging out with me on the Balance Badass podcast. I hope today's episode brought you a little more balance and a lot more badass in your day. If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review. Your support helps more multitaskers like you find the show, and I'd really appreciate it.

Until next time, take care of yourself and make good choices, friend. I'll catch you next week.