We recently connected with Courtney Young and have shared our conversation below.
Courtney, so great to have you sharing your thoughts and wisdom with our readers and so let’s jump right into one of our favorite topics – empathy. We think a lack of empathy is at the heart of so many issues the world is struggling with and so our hope is to contribute to an environment that fosters the development of empathy. Along those lines, we’d love to hear your thoughts around where your empathy comes from?
A lot of my empathy was formed in spaces where I learned to pay attention in order to belong. I became deeply aware of people’s emotions, unspoken dynamics, and energy because I had to be. That kind of awareness teaches you empathy quickly.
For a long time, I thought that meant something was wrong with me. I was told I was too much, too sensitive, too intense. Practicing radical honesty with myself changed that. I stopped trying to fix or shrink those parts and started asking what they were actually protecting.
That’s where my idea of “spiraling with purpose” comes in. I don’t believe growth is linear. I think empathy deepens when you’re willing to revisit your own story, sit with discomfort, and tell the truth about what shaped you instead of rushing to move past it.
When I learned I’m AuDHD, it reframed everything. I realized my empathy wasn’t accidental. It came from pattern recognition, emotional attunement, and years of listening before speaking. Once I stopped treating that as something to heal and started owning it, it became a grounded strength instead of a burden.
Now, empathy for me is big-sister energy. It’s not about rescuing or fixing people. It’s about saying: your story makes sense, you’re allowed to take up space, and you get to define yourself. That’s what I try to model through my work and my podcast.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I host the Spritz Girl Mindset Podcast and run coaching experiences centered around friendship, identity, and radical honesty. At the heart of everything I do is helping people feel less alone in their big feelings and more confident owning who they actually are, not who they were taught to be.
What feels most special about my work is that it’s not about fixing or optimizing people. I’m not interested in “healing” what was never broken. I create spaces where people can spiral with purpose, tell the truth about their lives, and realize their story makes sense. A lot of my community has spent years being labeled too much, too sensitive, or too confusing. My work is about reframing that as depth, awareness, and power.
The brand itself is very big-sister energy. It’s thoughtful but not precious, structured but human. I blend personal storytelling with tools like the Enneagram, values work, and guided reflection, all grounded in the belief that connection changes everything. You don’t need a perfect narrative or a polished life to belong here.
As for what’s new, I’m continuing to expand the podcast and developing new coaching resources that help people deepen their relationships with themselves and others. I’m also working toward more in-person experiences and products that bring the community together in tangible ways. Everything I build is rooted in the same message: you’re not too much, you’re not behind, and you get to take ownership of your story.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
1. Radical self-honesty The biggest shift for me was getting honest about who I actually am instead of who I thought I needed to be. That meant naming my patterns, my needs, and my limits without turning them into a character flaw.
Advice: Start telling yourself the truth gently but consistently. Journal without editing. Notice what drains you and what lights you up. Growth doesn’t start with becoming someone new. It starts with seeing yourself clearly.
2. Emotional attunement and pattern recognition
I’ve always been good at reading people and situations, but learning to trust that insight changed everything. Once I understood that my sensitivity and pattern recognition were strengths, not liabilities, I could use them intentionally instead of defensively.
Advice: Pay attention to what you notice. If you’re highly observant or emotionally aware, don’t rush to numb or override it. Learn how to ground yourself so your awareness becomes a tool, not a burden.
3. Owning my story instead of polishing it
For a long time, I tried to package my experiences into something more palatable. Letting myself tell the real story, the messy, nonlinear version, is what created connection and momentum.
Advice: You don’t need a clean arc or a finished lesson to be allowed to speak. Share where you actually are, not just where you’ve landed. The right people connect to honesty, not perfection.
If I could sum it up for anyone early in their journey: spiral with purpose. Growth isn’t linear, and you’re not behind. Build self-trust, stay curious, and let your story be enough as it is.
Alright, so before we go we want to ask you to take a moment to reflect and share what you think you would do if you somehow knew you only had a decade of life left?
I’d spend it prioritizing connection over productivity. Less proving, more presence. I’d invest deeply in my friendships, my marriage, and the communities that feel like home instead of chasing the next milestone just to say I did.
I’d keep creating, but from a more honest place. Telling stories, hosting conversations, building experiences that bring people together in real life, not just online. I’d want my work to feel relational and embodied, not performative.
I’d travel slowly, revisit places that have shaped me, and say yes to joy without over-explaining it. I’d also let myself rest more, trust my instincts faster, and stop negotiating my needs.
Most of all, I’d spend that decade reminding people, and myself, that belonging isn’t something you earn. It’s something you practice. That feels like a life well spent.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thespritzgirlmindset.com
- Instagram: spritzgirlmindset
