Epiosde #570: From Cringe to Cult Following: What Happens When You Stop Playing Small Artwork

Creatives Rule the World

This show is for creators who are done playing small, the ones who know their ideas aren’t just a passion… they’re a portal

Here, we’re rewriting the rules of entrepreneurship.
Forget cookie-cutter blueprints and burnout culture, I’m here to help you grow a business that feels good, pays well, and the kind of personal freedom that only comes when you’re brave enough to do things your own way.

Through solo episodes and honest conversations with creative entrepreneurs, artists, and founders, I’ll give you the mindset shifts, marketing moves, and business tools you need to grow with clarity, flow, and profitability.

You’ll learn how to build wealth on your terms, show up with confidence, and finally trust that you don’t have to choose between creativity and success, you get to have both.

So if you’re ready to step into your next level, grow your income, and build a business that actually works for your life, you’re in the right place.

All Episodes

Creatives Rule the World

Epiosde #570: From Cringe to Cult Following: What Happens When You Stop Playing Small

January 14, 2026 • Tracy Matthews

0:00 | 39:11

Your fear of being cringe is actually destroying your business. And I know you might not want to hear this, but the truth is: when you play small because you're worried about what people think, you become invisible to the people who actually need your transformation.

In this raw and honest episode, I'm sharing what it really takes to build an iconic, founder-led brand with a cult following. You'll hear about the moment I realized I had to stop people-pleasing and step fully into my vision (even if not everyone came along for the ride). I'm pulling back the curtain on my client's breakthrough when she decided to show up "awkwardly" on social media and the surprising results that followed. And I'm revealing why some of your biggest supporters might not make it to your next chapter, and why that's actually okay.

This episode is for you if you've been watering down your message, hiding your offers, or playing not to lose instead of playing to win. It's time to build something iconic.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

[02:12] The one quality all cult-following brands share (and it's not what you think)
[15:29] Dismantling the myth about being "cringe" and what's really happening in your nervous system
[17:33] What happened when my client decided to show up awkwardly on purpose
[22:41] The hard truth about who won't come along when you step into your bigger vision (and why that's okay)
[31:24] Why I'm documenting my journey to $1M in personal income this year
[34:18] The four pillars of building a cult following around your founder-led brand

Here are the resources mentioned in the show:

Are you enjoying the podcast? We’d be so grateful if you gave us a rating and review! Your 5 star ratings help us reach more businesses like yours and allows us to continue to deliver valuable content every single week.

Click here to review the show on Apple podcast or your favorite platform
Select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review”
Share your favorite insights and inspirations

If you haven’t done so yet, make sure that you subscribe to the show wherever you listen to podcasts and on Apple Podcast for special bonus content you won’t get elsewhere.