Self-Improvement and that Pesky Inner Critic as an Enneagram 1 with Colton Simmons

Written By Stephanie Barron Hall

In this episode of Enneagram in Real Life, Stephanie Barron Hall interviews Colton Simmons, the creator of the YouTube channel You’ve Got a Type. Colton shares his journey from a strict Evangelical upbringing and military scholarship to exploring theology, acting, and eventually the Enneagram. A Type One with a self-preservation dominant instinct, Colton talks about anxiety, spiritual reconstruction, and how the Enneagram has become a deep tool for self-awareness rather than a surface-level label. He reflects on how he uses the Enneagram in his marriage with a Type Three partner, his creative process in making long-form video content, and the ongoing work of balancing his inner critic with a desire to offer meaningful, grace-filled insights. Throughout, Colton and Stephanie explore the tension between being helpful and being performative, as well as the power of curiosity and compassion in personal and spiritual growth.

Colton Simmons is the creator and host of You've Got a Type, a podcast dedicated to self-awareness, personal growth, and all things enneagram. 

Colton has a B.A. & M.A. in Theology, and it was during his time in seminary when he first learned of the enneagram as a tool for spiritual discernment. Since then, Colton has had a long and winding road through many different career paths, but has always reserved time in his life to create meaningful content that *hopefully* improves the lives of others. 

​After launching You've Got a Type just over four years ago, Colton has been wonderfully surprised to see his burgeoning channel receive more than 2.2M views, hundreds of thousands of hours of watch time, and over 37k subscribers as of April 2025.


🔗 Connect with Colton Simmons!

📷Colton’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/youvegotatype/

💻Colton’s Website: https://www.youtube.com/youvegotatype

🎥Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/youvegotatype

🔗 Connect with Stephanie!

💻 Stephanie’s Website: https://ninetypes.co/

📷 Stephanie’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ninetypesco

🎥 Stephanie’s Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@stephbarronhall

Here are the key takeaways:

  • Colton shares his background and how he discovered the Enneagram, quickly resonating with Type One

  • Colton shares why he started his YouTube channel

  • The role of anxiety as a Self-Preservation One and how it shapes daily life

  • Colton reflects on his spiritual journey, moving from rigid beliefs to contemplative mysticism

  • Using the Enneagram in marriage — Colton talks about navigating the One & Three dynamics

  • How perfectionism shapes the creative process (over-editing & self-criticism)

  • Colton and Steph discuss managing the inner critic, especially while creating content online and facing unsolicited feedback

  • The Enneagram as a tool to dismantle ego, not just another identity system

  • He encourages Type Ones to give more compliments, recognizing the power and impact of their words

  • The Enneagram reveals core struggles, and growth comes from grace and self-awareness

  • How to connect with Colton

 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

This Week’s Guest Pick:

As an Amazon affiliate, I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases. Affiliate links are a simple (and free to you!) way to support my work 😊


Enneagram Resources for you!

  • Want to keep learning about the Enneagram? Grab Steph’s new book, Enneagram in Real Life! Find the book, ebook, or audiobook wherever books are sold.

  • Want to keep the conversation going? Join me on Instagram @ninetypesco to keep learning and chatting about how our types show up in REAL LIFE! Connect with me here: https://www.instagram.com/ninetypesco/?hl=en

  • Learn more about subtypes! Download my free subtypes guide here.

  • Want to stay up to date with all things Nine Types Co? Join my email-list and receive Enneagram reflections, thoughts about growth and personal development. Plus, you’ll get priority access to new offers and courses! Sign up here.

  • Not sure about your type? Get my free self-typing guide and a series of six emails to walk you through the whole process. Sign up here: https://ninetypes.co/selftyping-guide

Listen to the Episode

Stephanie Barron Hall

Next

Becoming Whole Through Slowing Down as an Enneagram 3 with Rev. Nhien Vuong