Episode 19

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Published on:

16th Sep 2026

You Can't Just Decide to Stop Code Switching

So you decided. No more shrinking, no more gray blazer version of you. You're going to show up as your full authentic self in business.

Then you get on the call and do it again anyway.

Deciding is not the same as being able to.

My guest this week is Michelle Lynn, a certified clinical hypnotherapist and breath work practitioner who spent 30+ years in the Navy and government service before she went looking for something more and found hypnotherapy.

She's also my client, so I'm particularly close to her story.

She explains why your affirmations aren't landing, why your conscious mind and your subconscious are not on the same page, and what to do in the actual moment when you feel yourself buttoning up on a sales call.

Connect with Michelle:

Website: MichelleLynnHypnosis.com (written and designed by Melly)

Instagram: instagram.com/michellelynnhypnosis

Free hypnotherapy consult: michellelynnhypnosis.com/contact

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Timestamps:

1:15 Meet Michelle Lynn

3:23 Twenty years in the Navy to hypnotherapy

8:09 No, you won't bark like a dog

11:23 Why your affirmations aren't working

13:52 Celebrating the chameleon

15:37 We checked all the boxes and still

16:04 Do you even know who you are?

18:15 A bow or a plate of hot sauce

21:20 Authentic doesn't mean asshole

23:56 Activated is your responsibility

26:16 Most of us aren't breathing

28:32 When you catch yourself on a sales call

31:59 How much time you actually need

36:40 "You like to question people"

40:47 Where to find Michelle

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Ready to stop performing?

Start With SELF is a self-guided identity process. Six modules, one weekend. Go back to who you were before the degrees, before corporate, before you learned how to shrink. Introductory rate: $97 → https://mellynated.com/self

What came up for you listening to this? Come tell it on Substack, where we go deeper on every episode: https://substack.com/@mellynated

Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLp4tHH05phcnjPgkXdhP1uDtcFaydNPbz

Binge the first season: codeswitchrebellion.com

Your identity is the strategy.

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About the Podcast

Codeswitch Rebellion
For the ones who are done performing professionalism
Codeswitch Rebellion is a thought-provoking podcast for Black women who are tired of editing themselves to be seen, heard, or taken seriously.

Hosted by personal branding strategist, Melanie L. Denny, this show explores authenticity, identity, visibility, and personal branding without the pressure to perform professionalism, dilute your voice, or shrink your presence.

Through raw solo reflections and conversations with bold thinkers, creators, and leaders, Codeswitch Rebellion challenges the myths we’ve been taught about credibility, success, and what it means to “sound professional.”

This is a space for reclaiming your voice, honoring your rhythm, and building a brand rooted in who you actually are.

If you’re done code-switching for comfort and ready to show up whole, you’re in the right place.

About your host

Profile picture for Melanie L. Denny

Melanie L. Denny

Melanie L. Denny, also known as Melly D, is a personal branding consultant who helps Black women stop performing professionalism and start showing up with bold authenticity.

Her core belief is simple: your identity is the strategy.

With over a decade of experience guiding professionals and entrepreneurs through visibility, messaging, and positioning, she is known for helping her clients build brands rooted in who they actually are, not who they were conditioned to be.

As the host of Codeswitch Rebellion, Melanie leads truth-telling conversations unpacking identity, authenticity, visibility, and storytelling...and what it means to show up with integrity, authority, and bold authenticity so you can attract better clients and bigger opportunities.