IAM546- Podcast Host Empowers Individuals to Use Their Voice

Catherine Dean is a 29-year-old corporate girl, married with three furbabies and she has a podcast called the Hype Girl Podcast and a brand called the Hype Life. She suffered debilitating anxiety and panic attacks in the past and had to use mindset and fitness to become herself again. She aims to empower individuals to use their voice and be heard through her podcast, and live a HYPE life with her apparel brand!

• CEO Hack: Not touching my phone for the first one hour in the morning
• CEO Nugget: Stop worrying about things that are so small
• CEO Defined: Being a creator of something you love that impacts people

Website: https://www.hypelifecollection.com/

IG – www.instagram.com/hype_girl_cat
IG – www.instagram.com/hypelifecollection
Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hype-girl-podcast/id1451683921?mt=2

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Transcription

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Intro 0:02

Do you want to learn effective ways to build relationships, generate sales, and grow your business from successful entrepreneurs, startups, and CEOs without listening to a long, long, long interview? If so, you've come to the right place, Gresham Harkless values your time and is ready to share with you precisely the information you're in search of. This is the I AM CEO podcast.

Gresham Harkless 0:29

Hello, hello. Hello, this is Gresh from me, I AM CEO podcast and I have a very special guest on the show today. I have Catherine Dean of the hype life brand. Catherine, it's awesome to have you on the show.

Catherine Dean 0:38

Thank you so much for having me. I'm so grateful to be here and have this opportunity to chat.

Gresham Harkless 0:42

Yeah, me too. Super excited to have you on and I'm grateful to have you on. And what I want to do first and foremost is read a little bit more about Catherine, so you can hear about all the awesome things that she's doing.

And Catherine is a 29-year-old corporate girl married with three Furbabies and she has a podcast called The hype girl podcast in a brand called the hype life. She suffered debilitating anxiety and panic attacks in the past and had to use her mindset and fitness to become herself again.

She aims to empower individuals to use their voices and be heard through her podcasts and live a hype life with her apparel brand. Catherine, are you ready to speak to the I AM CEO community?

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Catherine Dean 1:17

Yes, let's do it. Let's do it.

Gresham Harkless 1:20

Absolutely, let's make it happen. So I wanted to kick everything off with what I call your CEO story and hear a little bit more about what led you to get started with the business.

Catherine Dean 1:27

Oh, awesome. That's such a great question. Um, it was really a journey with anxiety, it was learning how in control I was of my thoughts and myself. And when I don't say I conquered anxiety, because I feel like it's still with me. You know, it's definitely an ongoing battle.

But it's something that I really consider it like when you defeat the ultimate-level boss on a video game, right? Like I did defeat the ultimate boss. But I knew when I was defeated that I was like, Man, I can do anything. And it opened my eyes to like mindset and being accountable and just being the best version of myself and trying new things.

And it's crazy to think that anxiety can push us to that kind of transformation. And that's how it happened to me. And I just kind of started trying new things and podcasts came to be, and then the hype life collection came to be.

Gresham Harkless 2:20

Nice, well, I definitely appreciate that. Because I think there are so many times we have certain barriers that are in our lives, that block us from being our best selves. And I love how you talked about, you know, it doesn't disappear completely by you, you know, beating that that ultimate level in the video game, but you start to be able to be aware of it.

And then you also sound like you also understand kind of how to cope with it and kind of see when it comes up and how to battle that when it does come up.

Catherine Dean 2:46

Yeah, absolutely. I think it's just learning your triggers and learning things that are internal and external that can trigger it. And it's just learning how to just control it. And I think once I realized that I was in control, and nobody was going to light the tunnel up for me. I had to light it up, myself.

Gresham Harkless 3:06

Exactly. Yeah, it's great to kind of hear that reminder. Because sometimes we're always looking for external things to kind of show us the way show us the light. But a lot of times we have to be that light to get down that tunnel. And so are our goals and aspirations.

Catherine Dean 3:17

Yeah, absolutely.

Gresham Harkless 3:18

Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. So I know you have your podcast and you have your brand and all the awesome things you're doing. Could you take us through a little bit more about all the things that make up the brand that you have and some of the things and ways we can interact with it?

Catherine Dean 3:30

Yeah, for sure. Um, so the brand itself was started as an extension of my podcast, I got started with the hype girl podcast, and I kind of just developed this hype girl persona, right? Because I wanted to be hyped about life and opportunities.

And I wanted other people to be hyped about it as well. And I just wanted people to really feel good and do what makes their soul feel good. So I decided to start a collection of merchandise. Once I started that, it's just been like a crazy roller coaster journey, but you can enter you can definitely interact with my podcast.

I'm on Spotify, iTunes, SoundCloud, and Stitcher. I have Instagram as well you can follow with the podcast and the merchandise. So it started small but I just have this like faith and I have these big dreams for it, you know, it's gonna get bigger, but you can interact with it on Instagram.

I'm so always pumped when people purchase the merchandise and I can wrap them and I can put them on the Instagram page. And it's really just been about embodying a high life and just doing what your soul feels what what makes your soul feel good.

Gresham Harkless 4:36

Yeah, absolutely. And I truly appreciate that because a lot of times, you know, it's you know, podcasts like yours and stories like yours that can remind us how we can be our best selves, how we can live that high life.

And I think so many times it seems like life kind of kind of push you through the other side where you're not really doing that.

So we kind of need those reminders and appreciate you know creatives like you they're able to create so many things that remind us that we have another level, we can be even better than sometimes we give ourselves credit for.

Catherine Dean 5:03

Yeah, absolutely. And I think it's just really digging in peeling back, like the layers of ourselves. And sometimes I feel like the layers are like the blockages and the barriers and we just have to peel them off to reveal like, you know, the inner boss, you know, that we really are.

Gresham Harkless 5:19

Yeah, absolutely. And our is that a lot of what you cover, you know, within your podcast and on the episode is just getting to talk a little bit more about that. So people can kind of understand, you know, how best they can be, you know, their boss and best selves and like their hyper life.

Catherine Dean 5:32

Yeah, yeah, the podcast is definitely for individuals that are looking for some kind of, you know, that push of inspiration in that mindset, I really dive into personal development and mindset.

And when I do have guests on the show, I always make sure that they have overcome some kind of struggle, be it in their business or their personal life. And a lot of them are entrepreneurs.

And a lot of them are like me, a corporate girl, or a corporate guy working aside, straddle, you know, and they're also working hard on their dreams.

And it's just nice to have those kinds of episodes so that it gives people the push, even if they do one thing that day, that's closer to something that you know, that's their dream, then I've done my job. And so as my guest.

Gresham Harkless 6:13

Yeah, absolutely. And I think sometimes we forget so much about that about the process, about you know, step-by-step process that it takes to get to wherever we want to be, and that many things start with an idea.

And then it starts to manifest itself from there where you have this vision, and then you start to put the work and the time and the energy into it. But it doesn't happen overnight.

Catherine Dean 6:30

No, oh, my goodness, no, I've been podcasting for a year. And I feel like maybe in the past couple of months, it's picked up traction, and I have more clarity, I have more clarity on, especially my audience on who I can serve.

And you know, I have more clarity on the brand and the direction that I want it to go. But you have to take action because action breeds clarity.

Gresham Harkless 6:52

I love that. Yeah. And I was gonna say, you know, something like that, but not nearly as eloquently as you just said it. Because,

Catherine Dean 6:58

Oh my God!

Gresham Harkless 6:59

what I find the more I work at something a lot of times people think you just sit and you just wait for clarity to come to you wait for that vision to come to you.

But I find the same thing myself where a lot of times if I just continue to hack at the tree, it will start to get clearer over time. But it's through that action that it starts to be clear.

Catherine Dean 7:15

Yeah, and sometimes you don't know if you're gonna like it or not like I got into podcasting. And I didn't know, I had no idea. I knew that I wanted my voice to be heard, I knew that I was ready to tackle something new.

But until you try it, you know, you won't know if you like it, you gotta give it a little bit of time to see if you're gonna actually like it or not.

Gresham Harkless 7:31

Yeah, absolutely. It takes definitely more than one episode to find out if you like podcasts or not. So definitely, you know, keep at it. So I appreciate that.

And you might have already touched on this, but I want to ask you for what I call your secret sauce. And it could be for you or your brand. But what do you feel kind of sets you apart and makes you unique?

Catherine Dean 7:47

I think my secret sauce is the hype life mentality. And being a hype girl. I don't see it really often enough, I see really amazing Boss Babes. And, you know, boss CEOs and that word is thrown around a lot. But I feel like everybody in a way needs to remember that they need to be their cheerleader, and they need to be their personal hype girl, you can have all the external, you know, satisfaction and gratitude, you know, gratification elsewhere.

But on the inside, you need to remember to be your hype girl. And that is what I think sets me apart my secret sauce is being my hype girl, and inspiring other people to be their hype girl, or hype man.

Gresham Harkless 8:28

Thank you.

Catherine Dean 8:30

Yes, yes. I'm not gender specific. You know, I like to help my fellow men out as well.

Gresham Harkless 8:38

Okay, we definitely appreciate that. And I think you hit on a very, you know, solid point, because I think so many times that, again, we look at those external factors and wait for somebody to say, Oh, you're great, but sometimes, and often we can be our own worst critics and we can beat ourselves down.

So to change that mindset, as you talked about, and to hype yourself up to be our own cheerleaders. It helps I think to give people permission or allowance to also hype you up as well to start to create that energy that makes us unstoppable.

Catherine Dean 9:07

Yeah, and I'm glad you touched on the word energy because that is one thing that I have heard from other people, they always say like, you bring a lot of energy to the table and your energy is great.

So I think it's just embodying that hype girl mentality, and inspiring others to just shush your inner critic, and I do want to touch that I have named my inner critic.

Gresham Harkless 9:28

Nice.

Catherine Dean 9:28

And I think it's important to name it because once it has a name, you can tell him or her to sit down and shut up!

Gresham Harkless 9:36

Exactly, no, I love it. And I definitely haven't looked in the dictionary in a while but I don't know if hype girl is synonymous with energy, but I feel like it's hard to be a hype girl, hype man without, you know, having that energy and being that person that brings all that, you know, positivity to the world.

Catherine Dean 9:52

Yeah, yeah, for sure. I agree. And I think sometimes I think about my anxiety and I think that has a lot to do with me being able to really give that persona like a life.

So I think that, you know, I have been on a podcast before and she was like, your anxiety is almost like your superpower? And I'm like, yeah, yeah, that's a great way to put it.

Gresham Harkless 10:14

Yeah, no, that's, that's incredibly powerful just because so many times, it's hard to know the dawn without knowing the dark. So it's those contraries that push us towards who we are, and what makes us our best selves.

So sometimes those difficult times or dark moments that we go through, are actually what pull us and push us into being, you know, really, really great and phenomenal at what we do.

Catherine Dean 10:35

Yeah, and I don't know, really many people that I've talked to that have just, you know, are doing the thing and really crashing out their goals.

I don't really know many people that haven't said that they didn't, they didn't stem from a dark place, be it a breakup, or, you know, someone I just talked to, it was like the marriage right before they were gonna get married at the altar, it was like, boom, and she had to pick up the pieces and figure out what she was going to do stuff like that is, it's monumental in our growth.

Gresham Harkless 11:01

Yeah. So at times, when you hit that rock bottom moment, you really have the opportunity to show who you are. And a lot of times, we're a lot better than sometimes we think and give ourselves credit for.

So definitely appreciate that. So I wanted to switch gears a little bit. And I wanted to ask you for what I call a CEO hack. So this could be like an apple book or a habit that you have. But what's something that makes you more effective and efficient?

Catherine Dean 11:20

I would think it's the very first thing I do in the morning. And for an hour, I do not touch my phone. I have had times where I slipped back into the habit because I'm human, you know, but it's something that I find as soon as I get up in the morning if I leave my phone on the charger, and I go in the kitchen and I start journaling or I read, there's something that it doesn't make me as anxious to feel like I have to start diving into actual work.

So giving yourself your time and not picking up your phone is I think it's an underestimated hack.

Gresham Harkless 11:55

Exactly, exactly. So now I wanted to ask you for what I call a CEO nugget. So this could be like a word of wisdom or a piece of advice. Or if you could happen to be a time machine, what would you tell your younger business self?

Catherine Dean 12:07

Oh, I would tell this is the nugget I would tell my younger business. So stop worrying. Stop worrying so much about things that are really just so small in comparison to everything else.

Because I know I worried so much about when I started my podcast, but just little things like the audio or editing for how many people are gonna listen to it, because worry is such a waste of energy.

And I'm all about like maintaining my energy and making sure it's put positively. So worry less. I know, it's easier said than done. But the more you start to just worry less, it does make a difference in your business.

Gresham Harkless 12:46

Yeah, I think definitely a lot of times we have to be aware when we're worrying because a lot of times when we're you know, sometimes not taking the action, and we are you know, saying Oh, what if this happens?

What if that happens? A lot of times that's that worry that pops up. That doesn't allow us to again, you know, be our best selves.

Catherine Dean 12:57

Yeah, cuz if I let worry, stop me, I wouldn't have the podcast and I wouldn't have started clothing, you know, merchandise, clothing brand as well.

Gresham Harkless 13:10

So, yeah, absolutely. So that's more than enough reason why we should definitely you know, not let us let ourselves be controlled and managed by worry and fear. So, now I want to ask you my absolute favorite question, which is a definition of what it means to be a CEO.

And we're hoping to have different, quote-unquote, CEOs on this show. So Catherine, what does being a CEO mean to you?

Catherine Dean 13:30

I think it's just being the creator of your universe, I think it's creating something that you love, that makes an impact on one person, even if it's one person. And I think it's just all like I said, it's being the creator of the universe and making something that impacts people and doing something that you really love.

Gresham Harkless 13:50

Right, Absolutely. And, and kind of like what we talked about, in the very beginning, sometimes we forget that we can be a creator, that we can, you know, make things happen.

And I think that getting that reminder from you, and, you know, hearing, you know, and seeing people, you know, create so many phenomenal things permits us and reminds us that we can do the same as well, too.

And it may not look exactly like yours looks, it may not be the exact same size and shape, and so on and so forth. But we do have a vision that we want to and we have the permission and ability to be able to do that.

Catherine Dean 14:16

Yeah. And I think that the beautiful thing is being a CEO, it looks different for everybody. I mean, you can just be the CEO of you know, it might not even be business EGP I'm the CEO of my life, and I'm like the best mom in the world.

And it's it looks different. So I think the term CEO can be coined in so many different people's lives.

Gresham Harkless 14:35

Yeah, absolutely. That's exactly what I love about it once you have that mentality, it manifests itself in so many different ways. Whether you're running a company or you're on their PTA board or maybe you're walking your dog, you're the CEO of that, you know, whatever it might be, it manifests itself in so many different ways.

So definitely appreciate that definition. Appreciate your time even more. What I wanted to do is fashion the mic so to speak, just to see if there's anything additional you want to let our readers and listeners know and of course how best they can get a hold of you, subscribe to the podcast, and get some awesome hype girl gear.

Catherine Dean 15:04

Yeah, for sure. Just a reminder, to do it, like just whatever it is that's on your heart, just do it. And no one's saying you need to take all the steps in one day. Even if it's one step a day that's getting you closer and closer, it's 1% a day, 1% a day adds up.

And then when you look back in six months or a year, you could be like holy crap. You know, I did 1% a day. And now I'm here. So that's, that is definitely something I would leave. And you can find me on Instagram at hype h y p e, underscore girl, underscore cat c a t.

You can find me at the hype girl podcast and I'm on iTunes, SoundCloud, Spotify in Stitcher, but I appreciate those who are tuning into iTunes because those are the people they're usually drop the stars and leave me a review. So let me know how I'm doing and how I can serve you.

And if there's anybody you know, who is living a hype life, let me know and send them my way. And I will have them on my show.

Gresham Harkless 16:03

Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. Well, thank you so much again, and we will have the links and information in the show notes so that everybody can follow up with you.

But again, appreciate that permission and even the permission to just start where you are and do a little bit every day at a time and start to build up and create that snowball effect is something definitely you know, great to hear as well too.

So thank you so much again, Catherine. I hope you have a great rest of the day.

Outro 16:21

Thank you for listening to the I AM CEO podcast powered by Blue 16 Media. Tune in next time and visit us at iamceo.co I AM CEO is not just a phrase, it's a community. Be sure to follow us on social media and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play and everywhere you listen to podcasts, SUBSCRIBE, And leave us a five-star rating grab CEO gear at www.ceogear.co. This has been the I AM CEO podcast with Gresham Harkless. Thank you for listening.

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