New Year. New You. Or New Courage?

New year, new you!

I’ll bet you’ve been hearing that phrase on repeat the last few days. Every January, people decide this is the year—lose the weight, hit the gym, read the books, stop the bad habits, start the good ones. And hey, sometimes it works… and sometimes it doesn’t.

Why? Because change is hard.

We usually start something new because we feel a nudge—this sense that we’re meant for more. More growth. More purpose. More fulfillment. But let’s be honest… doing new things is scary. Stepping outside your comfort zone is exactly that—uncomfortable. So what do we do?

We retreat. Back to what’s familiar. Back to what feels safe.

But here’s the truth: that’s the exact opposite of how growth happens.

Every meaningful change lives outside your comfort zone. Shocking, I know. You have to find the courage to take that first step. I love what John Wayne said:

“Courage is being scared to death and saddling up anyway.”

That one gets me every time.

For years, people have asked me,

“Why don’t you have a podcast?”

“You need a podcast!”

And every time I thought… Are you kidding me? That scared me to death. I had no idea what I was doing. But the desire wouldn’t go away. It just sat there, tapping me on the shoulder.

Then one day, while talking with my amazing friend and colleague, Mallory Herrin of Herrin HR, we realized something powerful—we were both feeling the same pull… and the same fear. So we decided if we’re going to encourage others to do hard things, we better be willing to do one ourselves.

And that’s how Breakthrough with Mallory and Julie was born!

So mark your calendars—January 15, 2026—because that’s when we launch! We’ll be sharing updates, behind-the-scenes moments, and probably a little nervous laughter along the way.

Follow us at @Mallory.Herrin, @JulieBurch, and @BreakthroughWMJ so you don’t miss a thing. Trust me, we are beyond excited (and just a little terrified).

And while we’re at it, I want to encourage you.

Not to start a podcast, but to start your thing. That thing that’s been tugging at your heart. The thing that excites you and scares you at the same time. The thing you keep talking yourself out of.

You can do it. Truly.

First, embrace the hard. Hard doesn’t mean wrong. In fact, it usually means you’re growing. Remember that line from A League of Their Own? “If it were easy, everybody would do it.” But doesn’t it feel so good to stretch? Have you ever been sitting at your desk for so long your body starts to feel tight? So, you stand up and raise your arms over your head—you reach your hands as high up in the air as you can. You stretch your back and your legs and your neck, and it feels amazing! Stretching just feels good! It is the same when you mentally stretch. Reach your mind up and out, challenge yourself to do something new. I promise, it will feel good! Stretching is uncomfortable—but it feels so good afterward. Growth works the same way.

Second, take small steps. This doesn’t have to be all-or-nothing. Real success isn’t flashy—it’s consistent. Anyone can start strong. The magic happens when you keep going on day two… day ten… day thirty.

And finally—do it scared. That’s the secret.

If you want more encouragement (and probably a few laughs), be sure to listen to the first episode of Breakthrough with Mallory and Julie on January 15th. Like it. Follow it. Share it. Because we’re doing this scared… and we’d love for you to do it with us. Please?