In this episode of 10x Growth Strategies, host Preethy Padmanabhan speaks with Vicki Johnson — founder of ProFellow and author of Pitch Your Potential. Vicki shares her proven Match Me formula, a powerful framework for winning competitive jobs, fellowships, awards, and elite opportunities. She opens up about her personal journey, from breaking into top schools to securing globally competitive fellowships, and reveals how anyone can leverage storytelling, clarity of mission, and future-focused narratives to stand out. The conversation covers overcoming mindset challenges, avoiding common mistakes, mastering memorable pitches, and using networks effectively. Vicki also provides insights into her upcoming book, exclusive preorder bonuses, and why pitching your future potential is more powerful than your past accomplishments. This episode is packed with actionable advice for students, professionals, entrepreneurs, and anyone looking to win in highly competitive environments. ⸻
Chapters
00:00 Introduction & Guest Welcome
00:46 Meet Vicki Johnson & ProFellow
01:32 Hidden Opportunities & Human-Centered Strategies
03:13 Early Life & Breaking into Top Schools
04:20 Storytelling to Win Cornell & Fellowships
05:44 Why Future Potential Matters More Than the Past
06:01 The Match Me Formula Explained (7 Elements)
08:35 Matching Mission & Defining Your Goals
09:14 Mindset Challenges: Fear, Comparison & Gatekeepers
13:28 Overcoming Negativity & Finding Supportive Voices
14:20 Defining Goals & Personal Mission for Social Impact
16:07 Midlife Crisis & Reinventing Career Paths
18:03 Common Mistakes in Applications & Researching Missions
20:11 Importance of Future-Focused Applications
21:18 Crafting Memorable Pitches & Elevator Stories
22:30 Networking, Referrals & The Power of LinkedIn
24:22 Storytelling with Anecdotes & Emotional Connection
26:21 Structuring Your Application Story (Past, Future & Selectors)
29:42 Building Confidence Through Future Vision
31:12 Success Story: From Shark Tank to Y Combinator
33:28 Book Release, Preorder Bonuses & ProFellow Platform
35:23 Final Advice: Be a Storyteller of the Future
36:06 Closing Remarks
