Who Do You Need to Become to Reach the Next Level?

If you’ve ever walked into a room and immediately felt behind… this episode is for you.

I recently attended an eight-figure mastermind in Vermont, and although I’ve built multiple businesses, spoken on stages around the world, and created companies from scratch, I found myself feeling completely out of my element.

And honestly? That feeling surprised me.

Because no matter how experienced you are, every new level of growth asks a different question of you. Not “What do you need to do?” but…

“Who do you need to become?”

In this episode, I’m taking you behind the scenes of my experience at the Eight Figure Founder Boardroom hosted by Cole Gordon—from traveling cross-country with JD and Luna, to walking alone into a gala where I didn’t know a single person, to sitting front row in a room full of entrepreneurs who seemed to speak a completely different language than me.

And somewhere between the awkward introductions, the intimidating conversations, and the snow-covered Vermont mornings, I realized something powerful:

Feeling uncomfortable doesn’t mean you’re unqualified.

It usually means you’re growing.

I share what it felt like to stand in a room full of high-level founders while secretly questioning whether I belonged there… and how I reframed those thoughts in real time.

Because here’s what I know for sure: every business owner you admire has experienced moments where they felt behind, confused, intimidated, or unsure. The difference is they didn’t stop there.

They kept becoming.

This episode is a reminder that you do not need to have everything figured out before stepping into the next version of your life or business. You don’t need all the credentials, certainty, or confidence before starting. You just need the willingness to begin before you feel ready.

I also open up about the evolution of my own journey—from dropping out of law school, to becoming a photographer without owning a camera, to starting a tech company without knowing how to code.

Not because I’m special.

But because I decided I was no longer going to let “starting from nothing” define where I finished.

If you’ve been feeling stretched by growth lately… if you’ve been questioning your capacity… if you’ve been wondering whether you truly belong in the room you’re stepping into…

This conversation is your reminder:

You’re not behind.

You’re becoming.

And perhaps the greatest transformation in entrepreneurship isn’t the business you build… but the person you become while building it.

In this episode, we discuss:

  • Why feeling uncomfortable is often proof of expansion
  • The mindset shift that changed how I approach growth
  • What I learned from being in a room full of eight-figure founders
  • Why “who you become” matters more than “what you do”
  • How to navigate moments when you feel intimidated or behind
  • The surprising power of awkward introductions and honest conversations
  • Why every successful entrepreneur starts before they feel ready

Whether you’re building your first business, scaling to your next level, or simply trying to trust yourself through uncertainty, I hope this episode reminds you that growth rarely feels graceful in the beginning.

But that doesn’t mean you’re failing.

It means you’re in the middle of becoming someone new.

And trust me… that’s where the magic starts.

Click >>PLAY<< to hear all of this and:

[00:00] Why the question isn’t “What do I do?” but “Who do I become?”

[03:00] Traveling to Vermont with JD and Luna for an eight-figure mastermind

[05:00] Walking into a gala where I didn’t know a single person

[08:00] The awkward introduction that changed everything

[11:00] What intimidation actually reveals about growth

[14:00] Why successful entrepreneurs still feel behind sometimes

[17:00] Starting businesses before feeling qualified or ready

[21:00] The powerful mindset shift that helps you reach your next level

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