Creator Alchemy

How do you actually build a life of freedom, fulfillment, and success? Ali Abdaal is a NYT bestselling author and creator who’s built a multi-million dollar lifestyle business. In this episode, Ali candidly shares what it actually takes to build a life of freedom, the inner game of entrepreneurship, how even the most successful people still struggle with Imposter Syndrome, how his definition of freedom has changed, and how to make life and business feel like a video game you can win.
—
CONNECT WITH ALI ABDAAL:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@aliabdaal
Newsletter: https://aliabdaal.com/
Lifestyle Business Academy (aff): https://get.lifestylebusiness.com/corey-wilks
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ali-abdaal/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aliabdaal/

—
SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER:
Subscribe to the Creator Alchemy Newsletter for exclusive content and unlock the Psychology of Success Masterclass for free.
Go to https://www.creatoralchemy.com/
—
WORK WITH ME:
https://tally.so/r/mVqOlv
—
JOIN THE COMMUNITY:
The Creator Alchemy Lab is a community for ambitious creators taking bold action to transform their businesses, their lives, and themselves.
Go to https://www.creatoralchemy.com/lab now to join.
—
TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 Intro
00:55 The Guide Who Became a Guru
07:10 How to Resist Audience Capture
13:49 The Price of Fame
20:48 Dealing with Online Hate
24:02 What Holds People Back from Building a Lifestyle Business
28:18 The Truth About Imposter Syndrome
39:35 The Power of Being a Duck
47:13 Waiting for Permission
56:11 Theorycrafting
01:10:05 Bouncing Back from Failure
01:14:25 How to Decide What Is Worth Doing
01:17:35 Learning to Feel Your Feelings
01:28:47 The Post-Productivity Shift Toward Woo
01:32:18 Why We Avoid Ourselves and Our Thoughts
01:39:42 Why Life and Business Are Like Playing a Video Game
01:51:54 Designing Ali Abdaal's Perfect Week Calendar
01:53:56 What is Enough?
01:55:05 Ali's 3-Year Journey of Building a Life of Freedom
01:59:58 How Ali's Definition of Freedom Has Changed
02:02:28 The Highest ROI Life Advice
02:03:56: Final Thoughts
—
SOCIAL LINKS:
Website: https://coreywilkspsyd.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@coreywilkspsyd
Substack: https://substack.com/@coreywilkspsyd
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreywilkspsyd/
Twitter: https://x.com/CoreyWilksPsyD
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coreywilkspsyd/
Disclaimers:...

This is a public coaching session where I help Karolina, an entrepreneur who’s launched the first season of her podcast but still doesn’t know how to grow or leverage it.
—
JOIN THE COMMUNITY:
The Creator Alchemy Lab is a community for ambitious creators taking bold action to transform their businesses, their lives, and themselves.
Go to https://www.creatoralchemy.com/lab now to join.
—
CONNECT WITH KAROLINA:
Her Podcast:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCRCUDTqzXdLZutFIrXkWN5Q
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0Sil8eVYToL3eUwfPwm82Z
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/moment-to-pause/id1846616180

Her Social:
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/karolinaplanica/

—
SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER:
Subscribe to the Creator Alchemy Newsletter for exclusive content and unlock the Psychology of Success Masterclass for free.
Go to https://www.creatoralchemy.com/
—
JOIN THE COMMUNITY:
The Creator Alchemy Lab is a community for ambitious creators taking bold action to transform their businesses, their lives, and themselves.
Go to https://www.creatoralchemy.com/lab now to join.
—
SOCIAL LINKS:
Website: https://coreywilkspsyd.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@coreywilkspsyd
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreywilkspsyd/
Disclaimers: The content provided is for educational, informational, and entertainment purposes only. Nothing here constitutes personal or professional consultation, treatment, diagnosis, or creates a professional-client relationship.

Marianne Vander Dussen is an artist, educator, and YouTuber who creates calm, approachable painting tutorials and teaches thousands of students through her online acrylic courses. Her work focuses on making the creative process feel clear, enjoyable, and accessible for artists at any level. In this episode, we dive deep into her journey and how anyone can unlock their inner artist.
—
CONNECT WITH MARIANNE:
https://www.youtube.com/@mariannevanderdussen
https://mariannevanderdussen.com/
https://courses.mariannevanderdussen.com/
https://www.instagram.com/mariannevanderdussen/
https://www.tiktok.com/@mariannevanderdussen
https://www.facebook.com/artbymariannevanderdussen/

—
SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER:
Subscribe to the Creator Alchemy Newsletter for exclusive content and unlock the Psychology of Success Masterclass for free.
Go to https://www.creatoralchemy.com/
—
JOIN THE COMMUNITY:
The Creator Alchemy Lab is a community for ambitious creators taking bold action to transform their businesses, their lives, and themselves.
Go to https://www.creatoralchemy.com/lab now to join.
—
TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 The Problem with Motivation and Creativity
16:45 Balancing Creative Time and Business Building
21:25 Marianne’s Creator Journey
27:38 Imposter Syndrome and Creativity
49:05 Navigating Vulnerability as an Artist
01:03:02 The Psychology Behind Why We’re Afraid to Be Judged
01:11:00 Embracing Authenticity
01:26:44 The Power of Resilience and Adaptability
01:32:48 AI and the Future of Art
01:54:08 When is Your Art Finished?
—
SOCIAL LINKS:
Website: https://coreywilkspsyd.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@coreywilkspsyd
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreywilkspsyd/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coreywilkspsyd/
Disclaimers: The content provided is for educational, informational, and entertainment purposes only. Nothing here constitutes personal or professional consultation, treatment, diagnosis, or creates a professional-client relationship.

Paul Millerd is the author of The Pathless Path, a book he self-published that's sold over 70,000 copies worldwide over the last four years. His work has helped countless people all over the world leave the "Default Path" and blaze their own trail to build the life they want and do work they love. Paul has been an inspiration to me for years--as a writer, entrepreneur, and all-around incredible and generous human being--so I'm excited to share our conversation with you today where we dive into what it really means to pursue your own path. Enjoy.
—
CONNECT WITH PAUL MILLERD:
https://pmillerd.com/
https://pathlesspath.com/

—
SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER:
Subscribe to the Creator Alchemy Newsletter for exclusive content and unlock the Psychology of Success Masterclass for free.
Go to https://www.creatoralchemy.com/
—
JOIN THE COMMUNITY:
The Creator Alchemy Lab is a community for ambitious creators taking bold action to transform their businesses, their lives, and themselves.
Go to https://www.creatoralchemy.com/lab now to join.
—
TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 The Power of Self-Publishing
07:13 Navigating the Identity of Being A Writer
17:38 Embracing Authenticity
21:09 Optimizing for Uncertainty
40:20 Embracing the Pathless Path
46:50 Chasing Success and Rejecting Status
55:42 Finding a Niche vs a Mode
58:35 The Intrinsic Value of Writing Books
01:05:28 The Insane Realities of the Book Publishing Industry
01:20:07 The Future of Books
01:28:27 The Psychology of Taking Risks
01:35:05 Guerilla Marketing and Gifting Books
01:47:18 The Lasting Impact of the Pathless Path
—
SOCIAL LINKS:
Website: https://coreywilkspsyd.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@coreywilkspsyd
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreywilkspsyd/
Disclaimers: The content provided is for educational, informational, and entertainment purposes only. Nothing here constitutes personal or professional consultation, treatment, diagnosis, or creates a professional-client relationship.

If you're ambitious but stuck in the gap between knowing and doing, this episode is for you. I break down the nine psychological barriers that keep capable people from taking action—from waiting for permission that will never come to letting impostor syndrome run your life. These aren't tactical problems, they're deeply rooted patterns that affect everyone. Here's what you need to understand about what's actually holding you back.
—
SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER:
Subscribe to the Creator Alchemy Newsletter for exclusive content and unlock the Psychology of Success Masterclass for free.
Go to https://www.creatoralchemy.com/
—
JOIN THE COMMUNITY:
The Creator Alchemy Lab is a community for ambitious creators taking bold action to transform their businesses, their lives, and themselves.
Go to https://www.creatoralchemy.com/lab now to join.
—
TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 Intro
00:37 You're Waiting for Permission
02:21 You Have Imposter Syndrome
05:06 You're Focusing On What "They" Think
07:32 You've Lost Perspective
11:11 You're Waiting Until You Feel Ready
13:19 You Keep Getting In Your Own Way
16:31 You Allow Toxic Personal Narratives to Persist
21:08 You Avoid Yourself
23:45 You're Trying to Be a Lone Wolf
—
SOCIAL LINKS:
Website: https://coreywilkspsyd.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@coreywilkspsyd
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreywilkspsyd/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coreywilkspsyd/
Disclaimers: The content provided is for educational, informational, and entertainment purposes only. Nothing here constitutes personal or professional consultation, treatment, diagnosis, or creates a professional-client relationship.