Congrats, You're a Creator—Also, a Leader

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This week we switched gears from chaos to clarity — talking about leadership, creators, and why not everyone with a platform should lead. Christi breaks down the difference between having influence and having integrity, reminding us that leadership means responsibility, not just reach.

We’re asking the real question: What’s your line in the sand? Christi shares hers — freedom of speech, body autonomy, humanity, respect, equality, due process, separation of church and state, and truth.

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Episode Transcript

SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
Today's gonna feel a little different.
I'm not breaking down headlinesor court cases this time.
This one's about leadership andwhat it means to be a creator,
an influencer, or just a humantrying to lead from a place of
integrity.
I just got back from aleadership conference and I'm
only a third of the way through.
And I go back in December andagain in February.

(00:22):
But even after that first week,I walked away with a new kind of
awareness about myself, aboutothers, and about how leadership
shows up everywhere.
From your job to your communityto the creators you follow
online.
Because whether we want to admitit or not, creators are leaders

(00:43):
now.
And I don't mean politicians orCEOs.
I mean the people you listen toevery day on your feed or on a
podcast.
The ones who make you laugh,cry, rage, or reflect.
They're shaping how you feel,how we see each other, and how
we respond to the world.

(01:04):
That's power.
And power without reflection,that's how movements get lost.
I'm Christy Chanel, and this isSassy Politics.
A good leader isn't the loudestperson in the room.

(01:27):
It's the one who listens whileeveryone else is shouting.
Leadership is presence, it'sinfluence, it's the
responsibility that comes withbeing seen and heard.
And here's the truth.
The more people follow you, themore your words matter.
You don't have to be perfect,but you do have to be

(01:49):
conscientious.
Because every post, everycomment, every hot take ripples
through someone else's emotionsand beliefs.
That doesn't mean you silenceyourself.
It just means you speak withintention.
Now, I'm not an unbiased person.
I don't even pretend to be.

(02:10):
I speak from experience, fromemotion, and from the world I
want to see.
If that version aligns withyours, then we're probably
walking the same road.
Everything I do, every piece ofcontent, every conversation, it
all comes from one root.

(02:30):
Humanity.
From caring about people,fairness, and freedom.
But lately I've been thinkingabout the crisis we don't talk
enough about.
The trust crisis.
No one trusts anyone anymore.
Not the media, not thegovernment, not even each other.
And I get it, I've felt thatsame hesitation, that wait and

(02:53):
see before you believesomebody's intentions.
But if we don't trust anyone,how are we ever supposed to
build freedom for everyone?
Sometimes leadership meanschoosing to trust again.
Carefully, conscientiously, butcourageously.
It means holding out your handand saying, okay, let's see if

(03:17):
we can walk through thistogether.
And before we do, we have toknow what we stand for.
What's our line in the sand?
For me, it's this freedom ofspeech, bodily autonomy,
humanity, respect, equality, dueprocess, the separation of

(03:39):
church and state.
And finally, truth.
Those are non-negotiable.
Those are the principles Imeasure everything against, the
lens I see the world through.
And when I see those lines beingcrossed, I can't stay quiet.
Because what we're livingthrough right now isn't just

(04:02):
political.
It's moral.
It's spiritual.
It's about how we treat eachother.
And I've realized thatleadership doesn't start at the
top, it starts inside.
In your kitchen tableconversations, in your TikToks
and your tweets, and how youtalk to your coworkers, your

(04:22):
kids, and even the people youdisagree with.
That's leadership.
It's not about being right, it'sabout being real.
When I was at the conference,one of the biggest takeaways was
that great leadership createssafety.
Not comfort, safety.

(04:43):
A space where people can behonest even when it's messy.
And that's what I want to do andcreate here.
Because look around.
Fear is doing the leading rightnow.
Fear is what divides us.
It's what keeps people fromspeaking up.
And that's why I believecreators, all of us, have a role

(05:07):
to play in shifting that energy.
We're not just storytellers.
We're mirrors.
We show people who they are andsometimes who they could be.
And that brings me to wherewe're headed next.
Because next time we're divinginto something heavier: Ice.

(05:28):
We're going to talk about how ICoperates inside U.S.
cities like Chicago, LA, and DC,how raids are happening in
places you would never expect.
Businesses, schools, parkinglots, and how entire families
are being torn apart.
We're going to go deep into howthese systems were built, who

(05:48):
profits from them, and how fearkeeps them alive.
And yes, we'll talk about thehuman cost, the psychological
toll, and the question everyAmerican should be asking.
But before we get there, Iwanted this moment to reset, to

(06:09):
ask myself and you what kind ofleaders we're becoming.
Because leadership withoutempathy is just authority.
And authority withoutaccountability becomes
oppression.
So maybe the work starts here,with awareness, with remembering

(06:30):
that your influence, howeversmall, matters.
Maybe it's how you respond tohate online.
Maybe it's how you comfort acoworker.
Maybe it's just how you show upwhen nobody's watching.
That's leadership too.
I don't have all the answers,and I'm not trying to be
anyone's guru.

(06:51):
I'm just trying to stay human,to learn, to listen, to lead in
a way that leaves more lightthan darkness.
So if you're here and you'restill watching, thank you.
Thank you for trusting me enoughto think this through together.
And before I sign off, I'llleave you with this.

(07:13):
Leadership isn't about beingfollowed, it's about being felt.
It's about the energy you leavebehind, the words that echo
after you log off, and thechoices you make when nobody's
clapping.
So yeah, I'm steadfast in thegoal, not necessarily the path.

(07:36):
I'm open to different roads,different voices, and different
ways of getting there.
But the destination that neverchanges.
Freedom, dignity, and truth forall of us.
I'll see you in the nextMindfuck Monday, where we'll dig
into ICE, immigration, and thesystems that define what freedom

(07:59):
really means.
Until then, take care of yourenergy, stay aware, and don't
forget, your voice isleadership.