On the 29th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I'm excited to have Cortney McDermott, a bestselling author, keynote speaker, and strategist for Fortune 500 executives and creative entrepreneurs, joining me as a guest.
Cortney takes us on a profound exploration of true freedom and the liberating act of being yourself. She shares her personal journey, which was spurred by a sense of emptiness following her successes as an executive, that led her to discover what truly needed to be explored and expressed in her life.
Throughout the episode, Cortney reveals her personal processes that guided her back into her body and feelings, shifting her focus from external seeking to realising that everything she needed was already within her grasp.
We delve into the immense energy that arises from aligning with one's essence and the importance of expanding our sense of trust in life. While Cortney also emphasises the significance of neither rejecting one's ego nor emotions, or blindly following ready-made prescriptions for life.
If you find yourself grappling with a sense of emptiness despite your achievements and are yearning for more in life, this episode offers a wealth of contemplation. It will open new doors of perspective and fresh curiosity for what may come next, whatever that looks like for you.
If you enjoy this conversation, the digital version of Cortney’s latest best-selling book, Give Yourself Permission, is discounted here (https://amzn.to/3Oe5oxO) for the next week!Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for daily clips and reflections.
Contact me at
mark@whatisagood.life to book a
free 30 minute consultation for
one-on-one coaching programs or to hear about
corporate workshops I am offering around this question.
Running Order:
05:30 Becoming aware of our conditioning
08:45 Connecting with and exploring all of what we are feeling
14:32 Giving yourself permission to be you
17:25 Exploring self-expression
22:05 Everything is within you
25:43 Realising what you are seeking is right here
29:02 The point of letting go
32:25 Using your Ego in alignment
38:32 The astonishing powers of connecting
41:23 Expanding your trust
45:42 Learning to think and paying attention
49:24 Finding your own lane, not following other people’s prescription
54:46 Wild experiences in consciousness
1:05:25 What is a good life for Cortney?
For further content and information check out the following:
- For the podcast's YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/@whatisagoodlife/videos
- My newsletter: https://www.whatisagood.life/
- My LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-mccartney-14b0161b4/
- Cortney's website: https://www.cortneymcdermott.com/
- Cortney's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cortneymcdermott/
- Cortney's Book:
https://amzn.to/3Oe5oxO
What is What is a Good Life??
This isn’t a podcast about fixing you. It’s about living life more fully.
What Is a Good Life? is a long-form conversation project exploring how people actually live, feel, and make meaning of their lives.
Over the past four years, I’ve sat with more than 300 people — artists, parents, executives, wanderers, therapists, and strangers — and invited them into a simple but profound inquiry: What is a good life for you?
These conversations aren’t about advice, formulas, or self-improvement. They explore presence, paradox, uncertainty, and the moments that quietly shape a life — love and loss, trust and fear, clarity and not knowing.
This podcast isn’t here to give you answers.
It’s here to slow you down, to listen deeply, and to invite you into conversation with your own life.
New episodes weekly.