Courtney Smith — Enneagram expert, coach to Fortune 500 companies and high-profile individuals (including Brené Brown), and co-author of Choosing Wholeness Over Goodness — joins Dr. Dan for a deeply grounded conversation about how we become who we are and how to reclaim the parts of ourselves we've buried to be "good." From her journey out of law and consulting into purpose-driven work, to the practical tools that help us separate fact from story and move from fear to freedom, Courtney offers a roadmap for living with more internal resonance and less external approval.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN
The difference between your zone of greatness and your zone of genius — and why internal resonance matters more than external approval
How to distinguish facts from the stories you've made up about those facts — and why those stories shape your entire identity
Why the stories that keep us stuck are always riding on the back of a fear we're not willing to face
How the Enneagram helps us see our patterns and change our relationship with our personality type
The power of naming your "parts" (like mean mommy) to create awareness, choice, and even playfulness
What it means to live above the line (guided by love and trust) vs. below the line (driven by fear)
LEARN MORE
Get new episodes every Thursday
November 20, 2025
Courtney Smith
Facing Fear, Finding Purpose: Empowerment, Authenticity, and Wholeness
“Above the line isn’t about not being scared — it’s choosing not to let fear be what guides you.”
TIMESTAMPS
02:43 – From math and law to purpose: the journey from zone of greatness to zone of genius
08:26 – Internal resonance vs. external approval: learning to listen to yourself for the first time
15:17 – The cost of growth: why stepping into the unknown is profoundly uncomfortable
19:25 – Facts vs. stories: the exercise that reveals how we construct identity from assumptions
34:08 – Why outdated stories stick around: the fear we're not willing to face
39:03 – The Enneagram and the "ick" moment: when you realize your gifts have a shadow side
46:44 – Naming your parts: why persona work brings safety, play, and choice into growth work
52:27 – Above the line, below the line: how to tell when fear is in the driver's seat
SHOW NOTES
Dr. Dan interviews coach, Enneagram teacher, and author Courtney Smith to explore how we grow, evolve, and reclaim our most authentic selves. Courtney shares the transformational journey that took her from a high-achieving, analytical career to helping leaders and individuals uncover the stories, fears, and inner patterns that shape their lives. Together, they dive into themes of self-awareness, purpose, empowerment, courage, compassion, and authentic leadership, revealing how we can all step out of our “zone of greatness” and into our true zone of genius.
Drawing from Courtney’s work with the Enneagram, Conscious Leadership tools, and her new workbook Choosing Wholeness Over Goodness: A Process for Reclaiming Your Full Self By Elise Loehnen and Courtney Smith, this episode breaks down how old stories and inherited beliefs keep us stuck — and how understanding fear, rewriting narratives, and naming our “parts” can create profound personal growth.
This episode is an invitation to slow down, tune inward, and step courageously into a more authentic and connected version of yourself. It’s for leaders, caregivers, creators, and anyone committed to personal evolution and meaningful impact.
LINKS & RESOURCES
Courtney Smith
Website — CourtneySmithConsulting.com (upcoming events and workshops)
Courtney's Substack Newsletter: What We're Really Up To — Courtney's writing and explorations on growth, identity, and living with purpose
Note: Courtney is not on social media (intentionally)
Books
Choosing Wholeness Over Goodness: A Process for Reclaiming Your Full Self — Elise Lunen & Courtney Smith (available on Amazon and in local bookstores)
On Our Best Behavior — Elise Lunen (referenced throughout; explores gender performance through the seven deadly sins)
Influences & Frameworks Referenced
The Enneagram — personality typing system; Courtney specializes in this work
Katie Hendricks — pioneer in persona/parts work; referenced for the concept "play the parts or the parts will play you"
Richard Schwartz — founder of Internal Family Systems (IFS); validates and expands on parts work
Gay Hendricks — The Big Leap; concepts of zone of greatness vs. zone of genius
Conscious Leadership Group — tools for conscious leadership and above/below the line framework
Brené Brown — high-profile client who has spoken publicly about Courtney's impact; Atlas of the Heart references Courtney's above/below the line framework
Concepts & Tools Discussed
Above the Line vs. Below the Line — framework for recognizing when fear is in the driver's seat (below) vs. when you're operating from love, trust, values (above)
Facts vs. Stories Exercise — foundational tool from the workbook to distinguish objective reality from the narratives we've constructed
Parts Work / Personas — naming different aspects of yourself (e.g., "mean mommy") to create awareness and choice
GUEST BIO
Courtney Smith is a coach, group facilitator, and renowned Enneagram practitioner who works with Fortune 500 companies and high-profile individuals to achieve personal and organizational transformation. A graduate of Yale Law School and former consultant at McKinsey & Company, Courtney brings analytical rigor and deep skepticism to her integrated approach to personality development. She is the co-author (with Elise Lunen) of Choosing Wholeness Over Goodness: A Process for Reclaiming Your Full Self.
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