I'm revisiting one of my favorite conversations with bestselling author Steven Pressfield, whose wisdom on fear, resistance, and creativity has inspired millions. If you've been sitting on an idea, delaying your next move, or wondering why the work that matters most feels the hardest to begin, this episode will give you the perspective—and the push—you need.

When Steven Pressfield published The Legend of Bagger Vance, many called him an overnight success. What they didn't see were the 30 years of failed novels, unproduced screenplays, and stretches of homelessness that came before it.

Few conversations left an impact on me as this one did. Steven is now in his eighties and still creating, doing what he loves, and showing no signs of stopping. I never thought about fear the same after this podcast, thanks to Steven's words.

Watch the full episode here: https://youtu.be/K3Z8bcnvNlU

"It's like the old story of an overnight success that only takes you 30 years." ~ Steven Pressfield

In This Episode:

- Finding your authentic creative voice

- How to work with the muse

- A simple process for developing great ideas

- Why resistance means you're on the right path

- Self-doubt as a sign of growth

- What a shadow career really is

About Steven Pressfield

Steven Pressfield is the author of The War of Art, which has sold over a million copies worldwide and has become essential reading for writers, artists, and entrepreneurs. His debut novel, The Legend of Bagger Vance, was made into a film starring Matt Damon and Will Smith. His other novel, Gates of Fire, is required reading at West Point. Before his breakthrough at 52, he spent decades failing as a novelist and screenwriter, at times living out of his car. His latest novel, The Arcadian, was released in May 2026.

IG: https://www.instagram.com/steven_pressfield/

X: https://x.com/SPressfield

Website: https://stevenpressfield.com/

Where to find me:

IG: https://www.instagram.com/jen_gottlieb/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jen_gottlieb

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Jenleahgottlieb

Website: https://jengottlieb.com/

My business: https://www.superconnectormedia.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jen_gottlieb

Leanne Lopez Mosley once stood at the bottom of her neighbors' driveways, talking herself out of knocking on their doors to sell $35 event tickets. A toddler at home, a corporate job she was desperate to leave, and zero customers to speak of. Who knew just a few years later she would be making a million per month?

Well, Leanne did. She made $500,000 in her first full year, then had a baby, quit live launching, and crossed a million dollars in the same year. The secret was not working harder. It was getting obsessively specific about who she was talking to and what she was selling them.

Leanne walked me through Freedom Funnels, the system behind her consistent million-dollar months with no sales calls and under 16,000 followers.

If you enjoyed our conversation, you should definitely check out Leanne's Soft Girl Millions Show at https://www.richqueen.com/the-soft-girl-millions-show, and if you want to see her live, grab your spot at Soft Girl Millions LIVE at https://www.richqueen.com/rq25-soft-girl-millions-the-mastermind-live-organic-26.

"It's not courage if you're not taking the action." ~ Leanne Lopez Mosley

In This Episode:

- Quitting corporate and selling tickets door to door

- How free calls built Leanne's first $500,000 year

- Hitting a million dollars while on maternity leave

- The offers that got her to her first million

- Running her own ads and launching She Makes Bank

- Why messaging to one person changes everything

- What Soft Girl Millions actually means

- If you could call your younger and older self

About Leanne Lopez Mosley

Leanne Lopez Mosley is a Forbes-featured business strategist and creator of Freedom Funnels, the methodology behind consistent million-dollar months with under 16,000 followers, no live launching, and no sales calls. Known as the Trailblazer of the online coaching space, she teaches female entrepreneurs how to build evergreen sales ecosystems that sell without them. After 11 years in corporate, Leanne built a multi-million dollar business from scratch and is also the host of the Soft Girl Millions Show.

IG: https://www.instagram.com/theleannelopezmosley/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GROW.withleanne/

Website: https://www.richqueen.com/

Where to find me:

IG: https://www.instagram.com/jen_gottlieb/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jen_gottlieb

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Jenleahgottlieb

Website: https://jengottlieb.com/

My business: https://www.superconnectormedia.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jen_gottlieb

About 1 in 5 businesses fail within their first year. So when you make $63 in year one and $350 in year two, most people would have quit. Maria Wendt didn't.

She now runs an eight-figure business with over 150,000 customers, a million-dollar month, and an average of $2,500 per reel, selling products that cost around $85. She has a team of eight, no company meetings, and launches roughly one new product every single week.

I brought her on to understand how she got there, and why she walked away from making $1M a year in high-ticket coaching to build something completely different.

"I made $63 in my first year and $350 in my second year, and yet I've made over $20 million now." ~ Maria Wendt

In This Episode:

- How Maria started and went from $63 to $20 million

- The million-dollar business she walked away from

- Eight figures, a team of eight, and zero meetings

- How Maria tracks exactly how much each reel makes her

- Saying your biggest goals out loud without apology

- The answer to growth is almost always more volume

- Maria Wendt's advice on the best way to begin your business journey

About Maria Wendt

Maria Wendt is an eight-figure online business educator based in Orange County, California. She started as a freelance graphic designer before pivoting into teaching marketing and eventually building one of the most recognized low-ticket course businesses in the online space. She has over 150,000 customers, a catalog of 300 products, and runs a lean team of eight out of an in-person office. Her mission is to help millions of people make a few extra thousand dollars a month rather than help a few people make millions.

Where to find Maria Wendt:

IG: https://www.instagram.com/maria.wendt/?hl=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Maria-Wendt-Official-100090621002736/

Website: https://www.mariawendt.com/

Where to find me:

IG: https://www.instagram.com/jen_gottlieb/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jen_gottlieb

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Jenleahgottlieb

Website: https://jengottlieb.com/

My business: https://www.superconnectormedia.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jen_gottlieb