Ted Lasso is a Business Story: Visibility ≠ Credibility

Episode 5: “It’s Easy to Buy the Mic”

In this episode, we’re digging into the real question behind visibility:
➡️ Are people paying attention to you because you’re aligned… or just because you’re loud?

We’re using Ted Lasso to unpack performative branding, manufactured backstories, and the pressure to always be “on.” And we’re coming back to what matters: who you are when no one’s watching.

From Trent Crimm’s slow, deliberate study of Ted’s leadership to my own pivots around how I show up (and why I refuse to fake origin stories for likes), this episode is about doing the inner work before grabbing the mic.

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Transcript

0:00

Ted Lasso walks into a locker room full of skeptical men who think he's a joke. He doesn't shout, he doesn't power trip. He brings cookies, he asks questions, he listens and slowly one conversation at a time, he builds trust that lasts longer than any scoreboard win. That's what we are diving into today. Leadership that doesn't look like leadership. But changes everything anyway. Hey, hey, it's Mary Williams and this is the School of Moxie podcast where we use your favorite TV shows to talk about real business, real leadership, and real damn life. This season, it's Ted lasso time, and today we are getting into the unsexy quiet, powerful practice of leading with integrity even when it doesn't look impressive on social media. Don't forget to subscribe for weekly updates at sensiblewoo.com/subscribe. We live in an era of leadership theater where the job title comes before the job skills where people talk about holding space, but never take responsibility. Where being a CEO is more about the photo shoot than the operations doc. But here's the truth. Real leadership doesn't announce itself. It's not loud, it's not flashy, it's not always hashtag-able. Sometimes it looks like Ted lasso. Ted's not the most qualified. He doesn't come with credentials, and for a while people don't take him seriously, but he leads anyway by being present, by being consistent, by showing up for people even when they're messy or mad, or just plain rude. And that's what I've learned in my own business, that leadership is often invisible. It happens in the choices no one sees. In the DMs you never post. In the way you handle refunds and how you treat the people who aren't in the room. I've made decisions in my business that no one clapped for. I've said no to launches that could have made a lot of money because they were not aligned. I've walked away from partnerships that would've raised my profile, but compromised my ethics. And yeah, it hurt in the short term, but in the long run. Hah. I sleep great.

Because here's the deal: 2:25

integrity compounds. Every time you make the right decision instead of the easy one, you build capital that means more than clout. And this is where Ted Lasso shines. He builds a culture. He doesn't gatekeep, he doesn't shame. He just keeps holding the standard even when people disappoint him, even when his own stuff gets messy, he doesn't manipulate to get buy-in. He earns trust by being trustworthy. And so does Sam Obisanya. When Sam protests Dubai Air refusing to promote a company that's harming his home country, he risks everything. It's not a PR stunt, it's not strategy, it's conviction. It's inconvenient, and he does it anyway. He doesn't get a trophy for it, but you know what he gets? Respect. Self-respect. And eventually a team that rallies behind him because they know he means what he says. This is the ROI of integrity. It's not always immediate, but it lasts longer than anything built on hype. Let's talk about Trent Crimm, a character who literally changes sides because his values evolve. He walks away from the publication that shaped his career. Not because it was strategic, but because it was right. That's what we need more of. People who are willing to shift, to admit when something isn't aligned anymore and to keep telling the truth even if it costs them cool points. And this is where we circle back to Ted. When Trent first interviews him, he asks what Ted thinks about winning, about how the team's performing. And Ted says something that every entrepreneur needs to tattoo on their soul."For me, success isn't about the wins and losses. It's about helping these young fellas be the best versions of themselves on and off the pitch." Let that land. Because if your business is just about the numbers, the followers, the sales, the launches, you are missing the point. The real work is about who you're becoming as you build. It's about how your clients walk away changed. It's about what you stand for when the spotlight turns off. Ted's not building a team. He's building men, humans, leaders, people who will carry these values long after they leave Richmond. That's the kind of legacy we get to build in business. Not just deliverables, but development. Not just reach, but resonance. We have enough influencers, we need more integrity players. I know this isn't the glamorous side of business. It doesn't show up in funnel conversions or six figure screenshots, but if you want to build something that actually makes a difference, something you're proud of five years from now, this is the path. Leadership isn't about being the most impressive. It's about being the most consistent. And guess what? That is available to all of us. You don't need more followers to start leading. You just need to mean it. So here's your journal prompt this week. Where are you trying to look like a leader instead of being one? What quiet decision could you make this week that reinforces your values, even if no one sees it but you? That is how trust is built. That is how businesses last, and that's how we start leading on our own terms. This episode is brought to you by my membership newsletter, the Woo Crew. But before you commit to another subscription, did you know that you can get a free reading every Saturday delivered right to your inbox? Yep, it's totally free and it's designed just for entrepreneurs. Head over to sensiblewoo.com/subscribe to sign up. You'll get a weekly tarot reading to help you make aligned business decisions plus a peek at whether I am the right reader for you. No pressure, no sales funnel trap. It's your taste test the ethical way. You'll also receive weekly updates about my online and in-person workshops and events. It's not just a newsletter, it's a weekly media magazine digest for intuitive entrepreneurs who want clarity, strategy and just the right amount of magic. It is easy to buy the mic. It is so much harder to say something worth listening to. Leadership isn't about volume, it's about values. And the most powerful leaders that I know, they're the ones who don't need to be seen all the time. They're the ones whose communities feel safe, whose clients feel seen, whose boundaries feel solid. That's who I am building with. That's who I want in my corner. That's who you are if you are willing to do the real work, the quiet work, the integrity work. Let's stop performing leadership. Let's start embodying it. Thanks for listening to the School of Moxie podcast. I'm Mary Williams. This season is inspired by Ted Lasso, which is available to watch on Apple TV+. This podcast is written, produced, and edited through my media company, Moxie Studios in Vancouver, Washington. Make sure to subscribe to the School of Moxie Podcast on your favorite podcast app and also on YouTube. Leaving a five star review helps other listeners find the show, and it is always deeply appreciated. And hey, if this episode helped you see leadership in a new light, send it to someone who's leading from their gut, their heart, and their values. That's the future of business. Let's build it together. I'll see you next episode.