Approval with Chris Witherspoon

We can give approval, we can receive approval and very often we put too much time and energy into seeking approval. As a recovering people pleaser, I know this well.

 

My guest for this episode of Camera Ready & Abel, entertainment journalist, producer, and entrepreneur Chris Witherspoon, gets raw and vulnerable sharing how his quest for approval stalled him from getting to his next level of greatness in his career until he focused on what made him truly happy and listened to two very important women in his life.

 

Sister Harden - one of the church muthas at his congregation growing up in Ohio - told Chris before he left for college, “If you don’t see the example, be the example."

 

Oprah - no last name needed - has a soft spot for Chris as an interviewer and that early in her career she sacrificed her authenticity and integrity in exchange for approval and never made that mistake again.

 

Key takeaway - besides always listen to Sister Harden and Oprah - tune out the noise and tune into your own internal approval matrix:

 

What makes you happy?

What makes you feel alive?

What makes you jump out of bed in the morning?

 

Tapping into this led Chris to become the founder and CEO of Popviewers, the platform that helps you find what to watch next, invites you to react to the TV and movies you’ve watched, and encourages you to share the experience with fellow content-lovers.