I recorded this episode on the 4th of July, a day that symbolizes freedom — but for many of us, true freedom starts when we stop shrinking to make others comfortable.

Last week, we talked about the invisible ways we try to stay lovable by making ourselves small. This week, I want to speak to the sting of being seen as your old self — even after you’ve done the inner work.

You’ve changed. But what happens when the people closest to you don’t see it...

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• Why it’s painful when your growth isn’t acknowledged

• What “shrink scripts” are and how they’ve shaped you

• The grief of being seen as your past self — and how to name it

• Reframes and mindset shifts to stay rooted in your progress

• Tools to protect your expansion

• Why your nervous system isn’t sabotaging you — it’s trying to protect you

• How to stop outsourcing your validation and declare your evolution

Your next step:

Close your eyes, hand on your chest, and repeat: “I’ve changed. I’m still changing. And I don’t need permission to keep evolving.”

Then ask yourself: What’s one truth I’m ready to stand in — even if no one claps yet?

RESOURCES:

• Join my Newsletter, Unlearn and Unleash
• Join the Next Breakthrough Master Class here
• Register for the Next Melanin Hour here
• Book a Breakthrough Call here
• Share Your Takeaways With Me at brig@brigjohnson.com
• Take the Stress Quiz

Stay Connected

• Instagram → @brigjohnsoncoaching
• Facebook → Brig Johnson Coaching
• Website → www.brigjohnson.com

Hey y’all—Brig here. Today I’m bringing you a topic that might hit close to home: playing small just to stay loved. Whether it’s at work, in relationships, or even around family, too many of us shrink ourselves to make others feel more comfortable. I’ve been there. I know what it’s like to silence your voice, tone yourself down, and wear outdated roles just to keep the peace.

But that strategy? It’s costing you more than you realize.

In this episode, I’m not here to shame you—I’m here to bring awareness. To name the cages. To help you identify the "shrink scripts" you’ve inherited from well-meaning people who didn’t know any better. I’ll show you how to unkage your voice, your body, your mind, and your entire life. Because surviving isn’t the same as living—and queen, it’s time to live unkaged.

What We’ll Dive Into in This Episode:

• Why conditional love is often disguised as safety
• The emotional cost of shrinking yourself in friendships, at work, and at home
• The invisible work no one sees—but that’s changing you daily
• “Shrink scripts” from family, culture, and your own past—and how to rewrite them
• The difference between surviving and thriving
• A powerful voice note exercise to reconnect with your growth

Take Action – Your Uncaging Starts Now

Ask yourself: Where are you still playing small to be loved?

RESOURCES:

• Join my Newsletter, Unlearn and Unleash
• Join the Next Breakthrough Master Class here
• Register for the Next Melanin Hour here
• Book a Breakthrough Call here
• Share Your Takeaways With Me at brig@brigjohnson.com
• Take the Stress Quiz

Stay Connected

• Instagram → @brigjohnsoncoaching
• Facebook → Brig Johnson Coaching
• Website → www.brigjohnson.com

This episode isn’t just about fitness—it’s about redefining what’s possible. HYROX challenged me in ways I never expected. It wasn’t just about the workouts or the competition—it was about pushing through pain, breaking mental barriers, and proving that power doesn’t have an expiration date. I’m joined by my training partner Cynthia and our incredible coach, Coach O, to share the real journey: the highs, the hard days, and everything it took to reclaim strength, confidence, and joy in our bodies after 60.

What This Episode Is About

In this episode, we dive into:

• 🏋🏾‍♀️ What HYROX is and why it became more than a fitness goal for us
• The power of reclaiming your body and identity through strength training
• What training after 60 looks like—mentally, physically, and emotionally
• The unexpected healing, sisterhood, and self-trust built along the way
• The moment we came in last—and why it still felt like a win
• Why building strength is essential, not optional, at this stage of life

You’ll hear real talk about cramps, doubts, breakthroughs, and post-race high fives. It’s honest, inspiring, and proof that “too late” is a myth we’re done believing.

If this episode sparked something in you, share it with a friend who needs to be reminded that her strongest years might still be ahead.

✨ And if you haven’t already, take my free quiz

Train with Coach O: https://www.instagram.com/corinthian.fit

Follow Cynthia: https://www.instagram.com/campy1130

More Episodes: brigjohnson.com/podcast

RESOURCES:

• Join my Newsletter, Unlearn and Unleash
• Join the Next Breakthrough Master Class here
• Register for the Next Melanin Hour here
• Book a Breakthrough Call here
• Share Your Takeaways With Me at brig@brigjohnson.com

What if the moment you thought signaled the end… was really the beginning? In this episode, I share what the "Old Lady Division" taught me about purpose, identity, and the quiet power of coming back to yourself—stronger, clearer, and more grounded than ever.

This isn’t about reinvention. It’s about returning to the version of you that always knew.

You’ll learn:

• Why turning 60 brought unexpected emotional challenges

• How I trained for a global fitness competition after setbacks

• The quiet ways women start to feel invisible — and how to shift it

• Why purpose doesn’t need perfection — it needs action

• What it means to return to yourself instead of reinventing

• How to identify your new non-negotiables

• A practical question to ask yourself today: What have I shelved that I’m ready to reclaim?

Ready to uncover the stress patterns keeping you stuck — and start building a life that fits who you are now? Stress Quiz HERE

RESOURCES:

• Join my Newsletter, Unlearn and Unleash
• Book a Breakthrough Call here
• Share Your Takeaways With Me at brig@brigjohnson.com

This week, I’m pulling back the curtain on why I spell Unkaged with a “K.” Spoiler alert: it’s not just branding—it’s a sacred declaration. We’re diving into what it means to know yourself so fully that no one can gaslight, shrink, or silence you again. This episode is for every Black woman who’s ever felt like she had to perform, conform, or stay quiet to stay safe. That stops here.

You’ll learn: → Why deep knowing is the foundation of recovery → How community creates safety and amplifies growth → What Kinesthetic Wisdom means—and how your body always knows before your brain does → How to start trusting yourself again, without waiting for permission

💫 Then take a moment to breathe before you perform. That’s where the revolution begins.

RESOURCES:

• Join my Newsletter, Unlearn and Unleash
• Book a Breakthrough Call here
• Share Your Takeaways With Me at brig@brigjohnson.com
• Stress Quiz

High-achieving Black women aren’t stuck because we’re doing it wrong—we’re stuck because we’ve been conditioned to survive, not to thrive.

In this episode, I get real about why I burned down all my coaching offers. I share the moment that changed everything, what I discovered underneath all the mindset work, and why I’m no longer coaching around the edges of the wound.

What we often call procrastination, self-sabotage, or burnout? It’s not a personal flaw. It’s your nervous system doing what it was built to do: protect you.

When I finally gave myself permission to stop performing and start feeling safe, I unlocked a deeper capacity—to rest without guilt, to dream without fear, and to stop abandoning myself just to be accepted.

This is what the UNKAGED Revolution is all about: Helping high-performing women like us recalibrate our nervous systems, reclaim our voice, and rise from survival into sovereignty.

If you’re tired of shrinking, proving, or managing stress with hacks that don’t heal—this episode is for you.

You don’t need more discipline. You don’t need to fix yourself. You need safety. You need softness. You need a nervous system that finally feels free.

The revolution begins with you.

RESOURCES

• Join my Newsletter: Unlearn and Unleash

• Save your spot in the Next Breakthrough Master Class

• Register for the Next Melanin Hour

• Book a 1:1 Breakthrough Call

• Stress Quiz

✉️ Want to share your thoughts or breakthroughs? Write me at Website | Instagram | Facebook

We’ve been taught to push through. To hold it all. To never drop the ball. But what if the reason we feel like we’re breaking… is because no one ever taught us to recover?

In this episode, I’m finally unpacking the radical concept that changed my life:

💥 Recovery is not rest. It’s reclamation.

Reclaiming your time. Your energy. Your breath. Your baseline.

We dive deep into why recovery is the missing skill set for high-achieving Black and Brown women—and how without it, we’re stuck in cycles of burnout, overperformance, and silence.

You’re not broken. You’re under-recovered. Let’s change that.

🎧 Tap the link in bio to listen.

💫 Then take a moment to breathe before you perform. That’s where the revolution begins.

STAY CONNECTED

🌐 Website 📸 Instagram 📘 Facebook

A lot of many high-achieving women are stuck in cycles that feel personal—but are actually patterns of survival. Overgiving, overworking, staying quiet, or doing it all alone… these aren’t just habits. They’re adaptations.

In this episode, I finally introduce something I’ve been working on for a while: the Uncaged Stress Impact Assessment—a powerful quiz to help you uncover which stress archetype has been running your life.

I walk you through the 4 KAGE types:

• The Fixer

• The Overachiever

• The Self-Silencer

• The Soloist

These aren’t personality traits. They’re survival patterns rooted in stress. And when we name them, we begin to reclaim ourselves.

I created this because I needed it myself—and I know you do too. Because you’re not broken. You’ve just been adapting. And now it’s time to break the cage.

🔍 What This Episode Covers:

• What the 4 KAGE stress archetypes are and how they form

• Why naming your pattern is the first step toward healing

• How stress hijacks your nervous system and rewires your behavior

• Why rest isn’t a reward—it’s your right

• How to take the quiz and start your recovery journey

• A journaling prompt to notice your cage in motion this week

💥 Ready to Break the Cage?

Take the Take the Uncaged Stress Impact Assessment

• 💌 Join my Newsletter: Unlearn and Unleash

• 🎙 Register for the Next Melanin Hour

• 📅 Book a 1:1 Breakthrough Call

• 💭 Want to share your thoughts or breakthroughs? Email me at Website 📸 Instagram 📘 Facebook