You know those moments where your internal dialogue is… kind of a bitch?

Yep. This is one of those stories.

Recently, I found myself doing something I never expected:

✨ I had to do shadow work on Mel Robbins.

Yep. THE Mel Robbins. Motivational queen. Oprah-level success. Millions of podcast downloads. Inspiring as hell.

And still… every time her name came up, I felt this tiny internal twitch.

Not a full-blown spiral.

Not a meltdown.

Just a subtle eye-roll. A quiet ugh. A gnarly little “why her?”

This, my friends, is ego.

And it had something to teach me.

So instead of bypassing it with some love-and-light, “we’re all one” affirmation (bless), I did what I teach my clients to do every damn day:

I got curious.

I got real.

I got in the mud with it.

Step One: Notice the Pattern

I first noticed the Mel Robbins ick when clients in my programs kept mentioning her podcast.

“Oh, Mel said this…”

“I heard on Mel’s podcast…”

And I was like:

“Cool. But are you listening to my podcast tho?”

(Yes. My inner child is 5 years old.)

Then a friend told me she was reading Mel’s book Let Them.

Then Mel was all over Oprah.

Then she was on my feed.

Then I saw her book in my bestie’s handbag.

The universe was screaming:

“PAY ATTENTION, BREANNA.”

Step Two: Own the Judgment

Here’s what my ego was whispering:

“This book? It’s so basic.”
“Let them? Seriously? We’ve been saying that for years.”
“How is this number one on Oprah’s list?”

And then I caught myself.

This wasn’t about Mel.

It was about me.

My judgment wasn’t about her work.

It was about what I hadn’t allowed myself to embody yet.

Step Three: Look in the Mirror (Gently)

When I looked closer, it hit me like a tonne of perfectly-branded podcast episodes:

Mel Robbins is doing exactly what I want to do.

✅ She has a best-selling book.

✅ She’s got one of the top-performing podcasts in the world.

✅ She gets paid to speak, write, share, be herself.

✅ And she does it all while being down-to-earth, unfiltered, and so fkn human.

She’s not trying to be smarter than you.

She’s not over-explaining, over-coaching, or trying to be revolutionary.

She’s making powerful ideas accessible.

And there I was, overcomplicating my own content because I thought things were “too basic” to be shared.

I thought I had to sound clever to be valuable.

I thought nuance = credibility.

I thought simple meant less than.

WRONG.

Step Four: Let the Shadow Teach You

So I did what any self-aware, messy-middle-living, emotionally intelligent woman would do:

I listened to her podcast.

I bought the damn book.

I took notes.

And wow.

She became an expander for me.

She helped me see that the parts of me that crave country life and chickens can coexist with the parts that crave stages and spotlights.

She showed me that you can be a mother and a mogul.

A teacher and a thought leader.

An everyday woman and a household name.

The Magic in Simplicity

You know what else she reminded me?

✨ That basic doesn’t mean boring.

✨ That accessible = powerful.

✨ That if you want to speak to the masses, you better stop overcomplicating your message.

And THAT… was the slap my ego needed.

So now? I’m done pretending I’m “above” simple messaging.

I’m done making things harder than they need to be.

And I’m letting this whole experience soften me, stretch me, and show me what’s actually possible.

Because if your judgments are screaming loudly?

They’re pointing to something you haven’t claimed yet.

Final Thoughts: Where Is Your Ego Blocking Your Expansion?

If there’s someone in your world that gives you the ick,

If their name makes you internally roll your eyes,

If you can’t stop watching even though you say “you’re not interested”…

✨ That’s your shadow talking.

✨ That’s your next level knocking.

✨ That’s your inner work begging to be looked at.

So instead of spiraling or suppressing — get curious.

What are they reflecting back to you?

What do they have that deep down… you’re craving?

What’s the actual trigger underneath the trigger?

And then… go listen to their damn podcast.

Read the book.

Take the notes.

Let yourself be the student again.

Because honestly? That’s where the gold is.