The UNKAGED™ Woman Podcast with Brig Johnson, APN, MSNA. Where high-achieving Black & Brown women reclaim themselves.

How many times have you told yourself you need more information before making a decision? One more course. Another YouTube video. A few more opinions. And somehow, you're still in the same place. In this episode, Brig challenges the idea that procrastination means you're lazy, undisciplined, or not serious about your goals. Instead, she asks whether the real issue is that you're waiting for permission to make a decision and possibly get it wrong. Brig shares her own experience as a self-proclaimed information hoarder and explains how researching, planning, and asking for advice can become ways to avoid making a choice. She also walks through four practical steps to help you recognize what's keeping you stuck, figure out whether you're waiting for something concrete or simply waiting to feel more confident, and start making decisions without needing absolute certainty. What You'll Learn Why procrastination isn't always about laziness or discipline How gathering more information can become another way to avoid deciding The difference between waiting for the right circumstances and waiting to feel ready Why 70% clarity can be enough to make a decision How to give yourself permission to make mistakes and figure things out along the way Why This Matters You can spend months researching, preparing, and asking for advice without ever making the decision you've been putting off. Brig explains why the fear of getting something wrong can keep you stuck and why more information won't necessarily make that fear disappear. Sometimes, the decision you need to make is to stop punishing yourself for the possibility of making a mistake. Take Action Think about one decision you've been putting off. Write down exactly what you need to decide and ask yourself: Am I waiting for something specific to happen, or am I waiting to feel more certain? If you have enough information to move forward, give yourself permission to decide. Say it out loud: "I'm allowed to decide this right now. I'm allowed to be wrong and figure it out." Then take one step within the next 24 hours. One email, one call, one click. More information won't give you permission, Queen. That's your job.   Mentioned Come inside The Return, Brig’s new membership where you’ll work through the full S.T.A.Y. framework with support, coaching, and women who are learning to hear themselves again. To keep listening between episodes, sign up for the Reduce the Noise Memo, Brig’s weekly note for the woman chasing her impossible thing.   STAY CONNECTED — Website | Instagram | Facebook

They call you "too much." Too ambitious. Too independent. Too confident. Too outspoken. Brig has a response: Let them choke, Queen. In this episode, Brig isn't holding back. She's calling out the expectations that tell women to dream big but stay small enough to keep everyone else comfortable. She reflects on the rise of Black women in positions of power, the backlash she's witnessed, and the conflicting messages women receive about ambition, leadership, and knowing their worth. Brig also challenges you to consider how much of your energy goes toward managing other people's reactions instead of pursuing your own goals. If you've ever been told you're too much, this episode asks you to reconsider who decided that and why you've been expected to make yourself smaller. What You'll Learn Why being called "too much" doesn't have to be an insult How women are taught to question their ambition and confidence Why knowing and trusting yourself matters when pursuing your impossible thing What happens when you stop making other people's discomfort your responsibility How to take up space without explaining or apologizing for it Why This Matters Women are often encouraged to be confident and ambitious, but criticized when they actually show up that way. Brig challenges that contradiction and asks what becomes possible when you stop measuring yourself against standards that were never designed with you in mind. You don't have to make yourself smaller to make someone else comfortable. Take Action This week, pay attention to the moments when you feel tempted to tone yourself down, explain your ambitions, or apologize for taking up space. And the next time someone suggests you're "too much," Brig has a response for you: "Yes, I am. Thank you for noticing." Then keep moving. No explanation necessary. Mentioned Come inside The Return, Brig’s new membership where you’ll work through the full S.T.A.Y. framework with support, coaching, and women who are learning to hear themselves again. To keep listening between episodes, sign up for the Reduce the Noise Memo, Brig’s weekly note for the woman chasing her impossible thing. STAY CONNECTED — Website | Instagram | Facebook

In this episode, Brig closes out the S.T.A.Y. framework with Yada, the root pillar. She asks a question that may be harder to answer than it first sounds: who actually knows you, Queen? Not the version that serves, performs, achieves, helps, or keeps everything moving. The real you. Brig talks about the gap between being known for what you do and actually being known for who you are. She also shares why knowing yourself is not selfish, why letting people see the whole you matters, and how the daily return can help you start coming back to yourself. What You Will Learn What Yada means and why Brig calls it the root pillar How the Yada gap shows up in over-giving and overachieving Why knowing yourself changes the way you trust yourself How letting people know the whole you can create more freedom How to begin the daily return practice Why This Matters Brig is not talking about another self-improvement project. She is talking about knowing the woman underneath the roles, the performance, the service, and the expectations. Because when you know yourself, you stop being so easy to manage, talk out of your truth, or shrink away from the impossible thing you actually want. Take Action This week, start with one question:  Who is actually here right now? Not who should be here. Not who everyone needs you to be. Who is actually here? Check in. Tell the truth. Reassure yourself. Then take one small action that keeps a promise to you.   Mentioned Come inside The Return, Brig’s new membership where you’ll work through the full S.T.A.Y. framework with support, coaching, and women who are learning to hear themselves again. To keep listening between episodes, sign up for the Reduce the Noise Memo, Brig’s weekly note for the woman chasing her impossible thing.   STAY CONNECTED — Website | Instagram | Facebook

In this episode, Brig asks a question every woman chasing something impossible needs to answer: are you chase ready? Not just mentally. Not just strategically. Physically. Tune in as Brig talks about the body behind the dream, the energy required to keep going, and why the scale may not be the measure that matters most. This is not a fitness episode. It is a conversation about capacity, recovery, and building the engine that can carry what you say you want. What You Will Learn What it really means to be chase ready Why your body needs capacity, not just motivation How stress, sleep, and inflammation affect your energy Why Zone 2 training helps build the engine for your impossible Why the scale is not the measure, capacity is Why This Matters Brig is not talking about shrinking your body. She is talking about building a body that can carry your life, your business, your relationships, and the impossible thing you keep saying you want. Because chase ready does not have a look. It does not have a size. It has capacity. Take Action This week, Brig invites you to start with one thing. Not eight things. Not a whole life overhaul. One thing your body needs most right now, whether that is better sleep, morning sunlight, Zone 2 movement, protein, a post-meal walk, or a simple evening wind-down. Start there. Build the body that can chase your impossible.   Mentioned Come back to yourself inside The Return Six months of live coaching. One hour a week. For the woman who is done calling it a character flaw when she has been carrying drag. Bring the goal, the dream, the conversation, the version of you that keeps getting postponed, and let this be the place you finally practice staying with her. And to stay connected and receive more insights, sign up for the Reduce the Noise Memo, Brig’s weekly newsletter that dives deeper into the topics discussed on the podcast.   STAY CONNECTED — Website | Instagram | Facebook

In this episode, Brig gets into the relationships that either support your next level or quietly keep you tied to an older version of yourself. She introduces the Tend pillar from the S.T.A.Y. framework and invites you to look at your circle with honesty. Who gives you energy? Who drains it? Where are you expecting one person to meet needs they were never meant to carry? This conversation is not about cutting everybody off. It is about learning how to stop forcing old relationships to fit new assignments. Brig talks about building relationships on purpose, allowing people to be who they are, and creating a circle that can actually support the life you say you want. What You Will Learn Why your current season may require a different kind of support How to notice where your relationships feel draining, limited, or out of alignment Why one person cannot be responsible for every part of your emotional, social, and growth needs How to build connections around specific areas of your life, from accountability to adventure to deeper conversations Why adjusting access is not the same as ending a relationship Why This Matters The people around you shape what feels normal, possible, and safe to pursue. If your circle only understands who you used to be, it may be harder to keep becoming who you are called to be. Brig reminds you that support does not always appear by accident. Sometimes you have to name what you need, make the invitation, and build the room you keep wishing existed. Take Action This week, Brig invites you to look at your relationships with fresh eyes. Notice where you feel supported, where you feel drained, and where you may be asking the wrong people to meet the right need. Then take one step toward connection. Send the message. Make the invite. Start the conversation. Let people show you who they are, and decide how close they get from there.   Come back to yourself inside THE RETURN. Six months of live coaching. One hour a week. For the woman who is done calling it a character flaw when she has been carrying drag. Bring the goal, the dream, the conversation, the version of you that keeps getting postponed, and let this be the place you finally practice staying with her. And to stay connected and receive more insights, sign up for the Reduce the Noise Memo, Brig’s weekly newsletter that dives deeper into the topics discussed on the podcast.   STAY CONNECTED — Website | Instagram | Facebook