Today’s guest is Cynthia Crockett, Licensed Professional Counselor, Certified Coach, and founder of Cynthia Empowers. Cynthia chats with Rosetta about her mission of helping Christians improve their relationships with God, themselves, and others. Her goal is to give women the opportunity to be honest with themselves and with God. Cynthia found her mission through her own life experiences and because she saw a need in the community for this type of service. She’s passionate about helping people understand the importance of healthy relationships and how they can truly make or break our own potential happiness. This conversation with Rosetta is enlightening and offers tips we all can use to improve our own lives.

Why do we need healthy relationships?

All too often, we overlook the value of healthy relationships in our lives and the impact they can make. Cynthia shares how healthy relationships improve our quality of life and how easy it is to get derailed by unhealthy ones. She delves into her belief that in order to have a better life, you have to have better relationships. Cynthia goes on to share some action steps that can easily be implemented to make a real impact in your own life. She explains why it’s our relationship with ourselves that is the foundation for all other relationships. Without self-love, it’s impossible to build a healthy relationship with anyone else.

Healthy boundaries are the foundation of self-love.

Cynthia shares a challenge Christian women face when trying to build healthy relationships: setting boundaries. There is the belief, says Cynthia, that saying “no” isn’t the “Christian thing to do”. According to Cynthia, this couldn’t be more wrong. She discusses the value of setting boundaries and why it’s important to your own well-being and your ability to practice self-love. It’s okay to say no, even though it may take some time to get used to it. Cynthia goes on to share some insight into the strategies she uses day-to-day to keep focused and on track.

Helping women who desire marriage.

Cynthia’s main focus is to work with Christian women who desire marriage. She shares some tips to help you get started and the value of having support in your journey. Cynthia explains why you need to have support from people who want you to get married and some other strategies that can set the stage for success. Whether you choose a coach, a therapist, or a mentor couple, it’s essential to have people you can go to for support as you seek to find a partner. Cynthia goes on to share what makes her a Happy Black Woman and how she stays focused on self-love in her busy life.

Why improving your relationships must be a priority.

Cynthia’s dedication and passion for helping others is evident in this chat with Rosetta. She found her calling and is pursuing it with unwavering compassion for others. As her chat with Rosetta comes to a close, Cynthia shares some favorite authors who have inspired her on her journey, along with her favorite quotes. Her final piece of advice for women who are ready to start a business: Find someone who is doing what you want to do and see if they will mentor you. This episode of Happy Black Woman is filled with outstanding tips and advice on how to maintain healthy relationships with yourself, God, and others.

Outline of this great episode

• [0:37] Rosetta’s introduction of her guest, Cynthia Crockett
• [1:43] Cynthia’s mission and the work that she does.
• [2:13] What inspired Cynthia to pursue this as a business.
• [3:23] Why we need healthy relationships.
• [4:35] Some specific action steps that can help us build healthy relationships.
• [5:25] The importance of self-love.
• [8:10] Some specific action steps for women that desire marriage.
• [11:43] Some strategies that help Cynthia stay focused and on track.
• [16:43] What makes Cynthia a Happy Black Woman?
• [17:42] A favorite book that has inspired Cynthia over the years.
• [18:44] Cynthia’s personal mantra.
• [20:31] Cynthia’s #1 tip for a woman who is in the early stages of starting a business.
• [23:05] How to connect with Cynthia.

Resources & Links mentioned in this episode

AUTHOR: John Townsend

AUTHOR: Henry Cloud

QUOTE: “Greatest happiness found in good relationships, greatest pain found in bad relationships.” ~ Gary Chapman

BIBLE VERSE: Jeremiah 29:11: For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Cynthia Crockett’s website: www.CynthiaEmpowers.com – get 6 free tips to immediately improve your relationships.

About Cynthia Crockett

Miss Cynthia Crockett is a native Washingtonian. She has never been married and has no children. She understands the blessings and frustrations of being a Saved Single. She is interested in Saved Singles starting and maintaining healthy Godly relationships.

Miss Crockett is a Licensed Professional Counsel. She counsels, coaches, and conducts workshops and growth groups for Christians including Christian Singles to encourage them to achieve their God given purpose to specifically help Christians develop and maintain healthy relationship patterns.

Some of her workshop titles include Healing is a Choice; Healthy Ways to Deal with Grief; What Forgiveness is and what forgiveness is not; Avoiding Mr. Wrong and Finding Mr. Right; Boundaries in Dating; and Sexual Integrity in Ministry, to name a few.

She has presented at the Greater Washington Christian Education Association, Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church, Mt. Calvary Baptist Church, Mt. Jezreel Baptist Church and various other churches in the Washington Metropolitan area.

She writes a blog for Christians who desire to develop their relationship with God, themselves and others.

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Today’s guest is Richelle Shaw. Richelle is the founder of multi-million dollar businesses and author of the books “Million Dollar Equation”. Richelle is on a mission to help black women change the world by teaching them to build million dollar businesses. She believes that mentoring black women will have a ripple effect and can eventually change the world. Richelle has seen much success on her journey – building several million-dollar businesses of her own. Today, she focuses on inspiring others to overcome fear and take risks as entrepreneurs. In this chat with Rosetta, Richelle shares tips and strategies you can implement to take your business to the next level. If you’re ready to build your million-dollar business, this is an episode you don’t want to miss.

Building a million-dollar business in 4 steps.

Richelle has seen success and setbacks on her journey. Because of her own experience, she is able to convey straightforward tips you can put into place in order to set the stage for success. Richelle shares the “4 S’s” of building a million dollar business. As simple as it may sound, Richelle is clear that it takes a great deal of hard work and persistence to truly see results. In her own journey, Richelle saw early success with a long distance telephone business. She lost her business after 9/11, but Richelle decided to press on and build a new business. Her goal was to have the freedom to raise her daughter and spend quality time with her. After 2 family tragedies, Richelle was inspired to dedicate herself to creating the life she dreamed of with her daughter.

Figuring out what problem you solve and building your business around that.

As Richelle explains, step 1 of building a million dollar business is figuring out what problem you solve. In her own businesses, she quickly realized her niche was helping others build successful businesses. It became even clearer when she helped a doctor who approached Richelle in search of help building his practice. After seeing the practice grow 3-fold in less than a year, Richelle found her calling. This laid the foundation for her book, “Million Dollar Equation” and allowed her to connect with a broader audience than ever before. Richelle was seeing the possibilities of her mission and dedicated herself to working with entrepreneurs who were ready to take it to the next level.

Working hard and creating freedom in your life.

When Richelle started the journey of building businesses, her main goal was to create a life of freedom with her daughter. She wanted to be able to take her to school and spend quality time with her. Richelle shares what her typical day looks like and dives into some useful tips to apply to your own life. She explains how she is able to run such a successful business in just 6 hours a day and gives us her million dollar tip. Rosetta goes on to discuss her “Green List” and how she prioritizes her day and stays focused.

Why you need to see the possibilities in order to succeed.

Before you can build a million-dollar business, you have to see the possibilities. Richelle explains the value of knowing what it costs to get a customer so you are able to scale and why it’s okay to get help with things that don’t make you money (like housework). Her conversation with Rosetta is frank and straightforward, which provides much inspiration for entrepreneurs on the cusp of breaking through to the next level. As they close out their chat, Richelle shares some books that have inspired her along her journey and a few final tips to help you get started. Taking things to the next level certainly takes a lot of work, but Richelle makes it clear that anything is possible if you’re willing to do whatever it takes.

Outline of this great episode

 

• [0:44] Rosetta’s introduction of her guest, Richelle Shaw.
• [1:33] Richelle and Rosetta discuss how they first met.
• [3:12] Richelle explains what she does and her mission.
• [4:54] The details of what Richelle does.
• [9:00] Michelle breaks down the steps to building a million-dollar business.
• [12:55] The basis for Richelle’s million-dollar business.
• [20:52] How Richelle organizes her day to stay focused and productive.
• [25:04] Focusing on what’s really important.
• [28:21] A book that has inspired Richelle along her journey.
• [31:54] Seeing the possibilities.
• [36:10] How to connect with Richelle.

Resources & Links mentioned in this episode

BOOK: “Million Dollar Equation”

BOOK: “Why Should White Guys Have All the Fun?”

Richelle Shaw’s website: www.RichelleShaw.com

About Richelle Shaw

Richelle Shaw is the leading expert and authority in building successful million dollar businesses. Richelle’s experience comes from building her first business from $300,000 to $36 million, generating more than $100 million in sales in less than 3 years, then losing it all after the 9/11 World Trade Center Tragedies.

Richelle successfully rebuilt her million dollar company in approximately 5 months as reported in USA Today, Smart Money, Entrepreneur Magazine, Black Enterprise and many others.

As the only female African American public utility owner in the nation, Richelle has won local and national awards including
• Top Woman Entrepreneur of the Year 2010
• Woman Marketer of the Year 2010 from Glazer-Kennedy Insider’s Circle of 20,000 members
• Unstoppable Woman from the Women’s Leadership Counsel
• Top 25 People to Follow on Twitter from Become Your Own Boss Network
• Top 10 African Americans to Follow on Twitter 2011 from Black Enterprise Magazine.
• Nominated for the GreenLeaf Award
• Top 40 Under 40 when she was 27

Best Selling Author

Richelle documented her $36 million dollar utility company success by writing the book, How to Build A Million Dollar Business in Las Vegas- Without the Casinos which became a best seller and catapulted her to an in-demand consultant. Richelle’s latest book, The Million Dollar Equation for Doctors breaks down her 4 money-making core principles of building any medical practice.

Business Consultant

Richelle’s first consulting client, was an OB/GYN. When approached to help this physician grow his practice, Richelle resisted by saying, who wakes up and says, I can’t wait to go to the gynecologist? BUT, as an outsider Richelle was able to see things others didn’t. She created over 38 systems in his business to increase revenue from $384k to $1.2 million in 9 months.
There’s no industry that Richelle can’t walk into and see money just laying there ready to take to the bank. Businesses like Sport Court in Las Vegas. Their belief limitation had them stuck at sales of $80,000 per year. But after being coached by Richelle they grew to $1.2 million in 3 years with the owners being able to take more time off with the family.
Since 2007, Richelle has successfully mentored over 12,140 men and women in her international coaching program designed to help take business ideas and make them a business reality.
Her keen understanding of business and systems is the magic behind her coaching and implementation success. She is a sought after marketing consultant for medical practices – working with them to find untapped gold in their practices to take them from insurance-pay to cash-pay and increase their profits by multiple six figures.

Guest Content Writer

Richelle is also an expert content contributor on multiple banking, and authority internet sites such as Citibank Small Business, Wells Fargo Online and featured in over 30 publications including Inc, Entrepreneur, Black Enterprise, Smart Money, plus the covers of Collection Advisor, Mom’s In Business and MOMEO Magazines.

TV Personality in Las Vegas

From June, 2012 – October 2013, Richelle served as the President of the National Association for Moms In Business representing 15 million Moms in Business and is now the featured Money expert – aka The Money Honey for the #1 Morning TV Show Fox local affiliate MORE Show. The Celebrity Finance Expert for Yahoo.com and AOL.com

High Demand Speaker

Booked often to speak to audiences of business owners as large as 3,000. There’ never a dull moment when Richelle takes the stage. Her unique sense of humor has them laughing and writing as fast as possible to take back easy-to-implement money-making ideas in their own businesses. It doesn’t matter the business or industry – Richelle always delivers.

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Today’s guest is Kim Davis. Kim’s mission is helping women walk in their God given purpose. She works with women first to find their purpose and then to live it out. She believes confidence, joy, and fulfillment all increase when women walk in their purpose. For a long time, Kim did not know her purpose. She wandered aimlessly through life, running after anything that might fulfill her. What Kim found was the only way to walk in purpose is through God and developing a relationship with Him. She now supports women in developing and strengthening that relationship. On Kim’s journey, she recognized that often women think they have to be a pastor or an important religious leader to have a powerful relationship with God.  She says you might be called to be a business owner, or perhaps a waitress, but you have a unique calling from God-He made you for a purpose. Kim’s own transformation led to her calling to help women transform their lives. Listen in to this episode as Kim shares how she embraced her purpose and owned her own calling.

Taking yourself seriously leads to clients taking you seriously.

Kim Davis says the biggest hindrance in her life was herself. She discovered her God-given purpose was to be a teacher, but for a long time she did not want the responsibility or the title. Even though Kim resisted the title, she was always the go-to person for teaching things. People would say, “Oh, you’re such a great teacher.” Kim would brush it off as just loving to share things. It was not until she started to own the title that she saw a transformation start. Kim began to embrace that she was the only Kim Davis and stopped comparing herself to others. She ultimately decided to make a business out of her purpose of teaching other women how find their own purposes. She was already doing that for free, without the label. Most of the people she was pouring into were “takers.”  They did not value her time and effort. She decided she wanted to help the people that actually wanted to use the resources she could offer. As soon as Kim put a price to her product, women that were actually ready for help remained. It was a lesson in valuing her own gift. Be sure to listen in for guidance if you are ready for transformation.

Focus on what you were put on Earth to do.

Kim Davis spent many years trying to fill a void in her life. She nursed if with temporary fixes, but without a purpose, she lacked. Her health suffered, her marriage suffered. She was unhappy and unfulfilled. Kim looked good to the outside world: she had the husband, the house, the job, etc. Inside, she was missing something. Kim was lost without answers to her lack. She is a solution-oriented person, so not having the answer was her biggest fear. Kim got to the point of choosing suicide or giving her life to God. Kim Davis for the One was shaped and structured from that personal journey of finding and walking in her own purpose. She got quiet and got with God. It was a process of Him growing her from flaws and insecurities to a beautiful masterpiece. Things that were broken were restored, and she felt alive again. Kim had to share these experiences. She thought if she could help people understand this invest in it for themselves, it would be a win-win. Kim is here today to help you focus on what you were put on this earth to do.

Make time for the things that matter.

Some specific action steps to take, if you find yourself on this path, include clarifying your purpose and getting quiet to listen. Kim teaches that it comes down to making time for the things that matter. Kim believes that having a relationship with God matters. She has many helpful hints to simply get started. One is to pray God’s word, seek His word, and obey His word. Kim has spent time finding something that speaks to her, and then learning how to apply it to her life. This is not an episode that teaches you how to go from zero to 100. For lasting change, Kim offers a layer by layer process. Her own story of prioritizing time for God is inspiring. She did not have everything perfect before she started. She simply reached out. You can reach out to Kim through her, Walk with Me, Talk with Me program. Kim will help you find your purpose, but she cannot do it for you. Listen to this episode of Happy Black Woman to hear just how Kim does it and how you can take a similar approach.

In business and in life, get virtuous and get capable.

In her journey of becoming an entrepreneur, Kim Davis relied on some inspiration and mentors. She did not transform overnight, or go it alone. Her mantra these days is, “You can only eat an elephant one bite at a time and I am hungry.” One tip to get you started is to become virtuous and capable in life and in business. God transformed Kim and gave her a spiritual vision for her life. That make it easy to quit her day job and begin doing what she loves. Her point is, get some help and direction. A spiritual mentor can help you work your spiritual vision and gain practical knowledge to integrate your purpose into this world. Kim believes God’s people are destroyed by a lack of vision and a lack of knowledge. If you have both, it will help you walk in your God given purpose, on purpose. You’ll find great encouragement from Kim’s story to find your vision, on this episode of Happy Black Woman.

Outline of this great episode

• [0:29] Rosetta’s introduction of guest, Kim Davis.
• [1:19] Kim Davis’ mission and work.
• [2:16] How Kim helps women recognize their unique calling.
• [5:04] Turning passion and calling into a business.
• [8:17] Kim’s personal experience of finding and walking in purpose.
• [14:04] Specific action steps to get clarity of purpose.  
• [17:08] How Kim made spirituality a non-negotiable in her schedule.
• [19:06] Help from Kim to get started on your journey today.
• [20:27] Kim’s go-to for inspiration.
• [21:56] Wisdom to support the journey.
• [24:39] Steps to turn your God-given purpose into a business.
• [28:09] Don’t miss the take-away!!
• [29:07] Staying connected with Kim.

Resources & Links mentioned in this episode

BOOK: “Joyce Meyers’ Everyday Life Bible Hardcover Amplified Version”

Kim Davis’ website: www.kimdavisfortheone.com – Download your free BabySteps workbook.

About Kim Davis

Kim Davis is a Christian Inspirational Speaker. She is the founder and CEO of KimDavisForTheOne.com. She created this space for Christ centered women who want to find and walk in their God given purpose. Through her website she shares God given insight, inspiration and encouragement. She also shares stories of how Christ took her from being sad, lazy, and insecure and transformed her into being happy, energetic, and confident. She strives to show by examples that others can walk in their own unique purpose and still be loved by God. Her message is raw and sometimes difficult to share. It’s not for everyone. It’s for The One and the one: The One God and that one person who is ready to develop a personal relationship with Him to walk in their God given purpose.

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Today’s guest is Kandice Shelton. Kandice is a certified health and nutrition coach, and fitness instructor. Kandice is also the CEO and founder of Fitspiration10, a health and fitness lifestyle company. Through her company, Kandice helps women reach and maintain their ideal weight through fitness, nutrition, and accountability programs. Her plan includes ten key elements of healthy living to keep women balanced. She also partners with companies to offer similar programs for their employees, members, and stakeholders. This episode is all about Kandice’s victorious weight loss endeavor and how she turned that into a successful business. Listen in to this great conversation between Happy Black Women.

Value your personal experience enough to realize others can benefit from it.

Kandice lost 60 pounds over the course of her weight loss journey. She was in Corporate America, attempting to balance her career with her personal life. Health took a backseat and she gained more and more weight. One day she stepped on the scale, and at 5’3’’ had hit 200 pounds. That was the moment she decided to take initiative to shift her mindset and begin a weight loss journey. Kandice embraced the process and fell in love with how healthy felt. Her passion, combined with a talent to coach, led Kandice to turn her passion into her business. She valued her story and success enough to realize others could benefit from it, too. Kandice’s fitness plan stems from the program she followed, and is available to you now on this episode of Happy Black Woman.

Bring your life into balance.

The focus of Kandice’s journey was not on weight loss. Instead, she focused on the idea of bringing her life back into balance. Weight loss was a goal, and the weight did come off, but she also created a lasting lifestyle change.  Kandice came up with ten key elements that summed up sustainable changes. Some elements are what you would expect with a weight loss program, like exercise, but also included on the list are mindset, sleep, and stress. On her website, Kandice offers a free guide of specific strategies to make a difference on your journey. If your expectation is to make a lasting lifestyle change, start with baby steps. Take your first step today by listening in to today’s episode.

Your mindset is your foundation.

On this episode, Kandice offers action steps to start your journey. One thing she always tells her clients is to set a strong foundation. Yes, you have to exercise and eat right. But you build these things from a healthy foundation, which is your mindset. Learn how to become aware of the thoughts that come to your mind about your body and weight. How you think sets the tone for how you will act. Once you’ve addressed your mindset, put in place a system of accountability. We all need cheerleaders, but we also need that challenging voice to keep us on track. The last step is to prepare. You can easily plan for your own success by scheduling your workouts on your calendar. Kandice challenges you to take it a step further: lay out your workout clothes ahead of time, put your gym bag in the car, plan your meals. That extra step makes all the difference to success stories like Kandice’s.

Creating a storehouse of healthy habits.

Kandice’s business was born out of the process she went through to lose 60 pounds. Her everyday habits led to huge change. So, how does she do it? Kandice makes sure to get centered and grounded at the beginning of her day. She expends a lot of energy coaching fitness classes all day and working with clients. From the onset, her days are structured to make sure she takes care of herself.  Kandice has her own exercise regimen, even after teaching group fitness classes. She knows herself well enough to know she’s an evening workout person.  She’s figured out what works for her.  She also keeps inspiration close by and dives into all kinds of devotionals.  She is a real Happy Black Woman who advises to just start. Learn how to walk into your success by taking that first step today, on this episode of Happy Black Woman.  

Outline of this great episode

• [0:29] Rosetta’s Introduction of Kandice Shelton
• [1:24] The mission behind and work of Fitspiration10.
• [2:15] A snapshot of Kandice’s plan and role as a coach.
• [3:37] Turning a passion into a business.
• [5:25] Action steps to get started on your own journey.
• [8:09] Specific strategies to get back on the wagon.
• [9:39] Typical schedule and day-in-the-life of Kandice.
• [11:16] How Kandice fits in her own exercise time.  
• [12:24] Inspiration: books & personal mantras.
• [14:59] What makes Candace a Happy Black Woman?
• [16:42] Pieces of advice and lessons learned along the way.
• [18:17] How to stay in touch with Kandice.

Resources & Links mentioned in this episode

BOOK: “100 Days of Prayer for Women”

Kandice’s website: www.fitnesswellnessinspiration.com: Download your Fit Map, a free gift from Kandice.

About Kandice Shelton

Kandice Shelton is a Certified Health Coach and Fitness Instructor who not only helps others to reach their ideal weight, but also lost 60 pounds herself. After reaching 200+ pounds on the scale, Kandice felt compelled to make a huge change – a lifestyle change. She shifted her mindset, her environment and her way of living – she lost the weight and kept it off. During this weight loss journey she fell (head over heels) in love with healthy living, fitness and wellness and is passionate about demonstrating how the “impossible” can be done. She combined her passion for health and fitness with her natural gifts of coaching, teaching and leadership and the inspiration to create Fitspiration10 quickly emerged.

Fitspiration10 is a health and fitness lifestyle company that helps women (and a few good men) to reach and maintain their ideal weight through fitness, nutrition and accountability programs that focus on the 10 key elements of healthy living. Fitspiration10 also partners with corporations, community organizations and schools to develop and implement custom heath, wellness and fitness programs for their employees, members and stakeholders.

In addition to being a Certified Health Coach, Nutrition Coach and Weight Management Coach, Kandice is also a Certified Corporate Wellness Consultant. While maintaining her group fitness certification, she has also earned several specialty certifications including children’s fitness, senior’s fitness and dance fitness (her favorite). She has also attained various cardio and strength formatted certifications. Additionally, Kandice holds a BA in Communication, MBA in Marketing and MPA in Healthcare Management.

Kandice keeps active teaching 10-15 fitness classes a week and still makes time to enjoy outdoor activities like cycling and hiking. She plans to take on the challenge of running a full marathon in the near future (wish her luck). Kandice’s personal journey drives her genuine desire to motivate and empower women to get fit and stay fit, no matter what!

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Today’s guest is Donna Newman-Robinson, who has been a part of the Happy Black Woman tribe for about a year. Donna is a veteran who found her purpose through her own experience after leaving the military. Her mission is to help women veterans discover their passion and purpose through her website. Donna’s motto is simple: The next mission is you. After retiring from the military, Donna felt lost and confused about what to do next. She found her way and discovered her purpose through her own challenges. Today, she coaches fellow veterans through the transition process and helps them find their way in post-military life. In this chat with Rosetta, Donna shares some useful tips to help female veterans transition and understand the psychology of transition.

The importance of Donna’s mission and serving an underserved market.

Once Donna found her footing after retiring from the military, she was inspired to build a business around helping other women just like her. She serves her market with passion and purpose, knowing that female veterans are certainly an under-served market. Donna takes Rosetta through some action steps that can help women understand the process of transitioning. The most important thing, says Donna, is understanding the psychology of transitioning. Having a support system is also essential to finding your way after the military. Donna discusses the value of remembering what your dreams were before you went into the military. She also shares some challenges most women will face and how to overcome them.

How embracing your niche can help you succeed.

As Donna delves deeper into her mission, it’s clear that she has a well-defined niche. Staying true your niche helps you serve YOUR market, which is exactly what Donna does. From feeling alone to feeling overwhelmed, Donna is there to help female veterans through the entire transition process to ensure they are able to pave the way to a successful and happy future. A shift in mindset, shares Donna, is an integral component of transitioning into post-military life. She shares the challenges that come with taking off the uniform and adjusting to life. Her hope is that she can help women veterans avoid feeling lost and confused, like Donna did after she retired.

The importance of community.

Donna shares the difficulty of adjusting to no longer having the strong sense of community that comes with being in the military. That’s why it’s so important to find a community to join after retiring. For Donna, this is a part of her daily routine after finding the Happy Black Woman community. She shares a bit more about her daily routine, making it clear that staying focused and organized helps her get through the day. Donna also discusses how she recharges and focuses on herself as part of her routine, as well as the importance of this for all of us.

Following your purpose and finding happiness.

As Rosetta closes her chat with Donna, they discuss a book that inspired Donna along her journey, “Power Thoughts” by Joyce Meyer. She also shares some personal mantras that help to keep her grounded and focused in her daily life. As an introvert, Donna finds it essential to find ways to fit in the things that are just for “her”, including reading and dancing. Throughout this conversation with Donna, you’ll find inspiration, passion, and a clear sense of purpose. The work Donna does is important and her passion for it is clear. Her final tip for the HBW community: don’t be afraid to be different.

Outline of this great episode

• [0:38] Rosetta’s introduction of her guest,
• [1:24] Donna’s mission and the work that she does.
• [2:33] How she helps female veterans transition.
• [4:45] The process of coaching female veterans who have just retired.
• [6:47] Donna’s tips to help women mentally adjust to life after the military.
• [8:35] Some steps women need to take as they figure out what’s next for them.
• [10:20] Obstacles women may face as they transition out of the military.
• [13:15] Donna explains her daily routine and how she stays focused.
• [16:19] How Donna recharges.
• [17:42] A book that has inspired Donna along her journey.
• [19:46] Donna shares her personal mantra.
• [22:55] Donna’s #1 tip for women who are ready to pursue their dreams.
• [24:06] How you can connect with Donna.

Resources & Links mentioned in this episode

BOOK: “Power Thoughts”

Donna Newman-Robinson’s website: www.DonnaNewmanRobinson.com

About Donna Newman-Robinson

Donna Newman-Robinson is passionate about living her legacy every day. Now she lives to help other individuals do the same. After retiring from her stellar career of 20 years serving in the US Army, she is now seen as one of the go-to success coaches for women veterans that need assistance transitioning back to civilian life after years of serving in the armed forces.

Her counseling advice of helping people has improved their morale, teamwork, and communication skills. She has also helped people find out what really motivates them and then empower them to take life-changing action to make their dreams a reality.Donna has been able to take her own personal experience transitioning from military service as an US Army Nurse Corp Officer, to leading a successful career as a health care professional and business consultant. Her passion and her mission is to inform, educate and coach women veterans in their transition to civilian life. With her engaging and fun-loving personality, Donna connects with her audiences immediately and delivers resourceful information they can use to be successful in their journey to the next chapter of their lives.

Donna is a Certified Professional Coach specializing in transition. After working as a health care professional, Donna actively serves as a Mentor for the Joining Forces for Women Veterans and Military Spouses Mentorship Program as well as Vice President of Women Veterans Interactive-Atlanta Chapter. She also is an active member in several organizations including the Atlanta Business League, Army Nurse Corp Association, U.S. Women Chamber of Commerce, and the DeKalb County Chamber of Commerce.Donna is also a member of Who’s Who of Distinguished Alumni of Professionals and Executives. In 2013, Donna founded Life After Military Alliance (L.A.M.A) Resource Network LLC, a woman-owned, service disabled veteran owned management and consulting company specialized in healthcare management, corporate training and professional development.

Donna loves reading, dancing, traveling and spending time with family and friends.

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Today’s guest is Jennifer Kennedy, founder of Teach Good Stuff. Her mission is simple: to help women make the impact they were born to make. Jennifer spent 8 years as a teacher, but knew she wasn’t fulfilling her true potential. She decided to leave teaching and get her Masters in Education. From there, she spent time working in “corporate America”, but found herself feeling uninspired and unfulfilled. Jennifer never spent time dreaming of becoming an entrepreneur, but knew she wanted to build a life of freedom and independence. Over time and after a bit of experimentation, she found her niche in online education. Her purpose was to teach people, which is exactly what she does at Teach Good Stuff. Jennifer shares some amazing insights into how she built a successful business and how you can too.

How you can get started with your own online business.

According to Jennifer, step one is pretty straightforward: find an idea. It may sound simple, but it certainly isn’t. Jennifer explains the importance of not only finding your idea, but also finding one that is going to work and will make you money. Jennifer shares how many people neglect the first (essential) steps of creating a successful online course, especially the idea. Without it, Jennifer says, you’ll be lost as to what your purpose is and your direction. Jennifer delves into the concept of starting with the end. She explains how this can help you build an idea from start to finish with a grasp on what you want students to gain from the course.

The value of creating a weekly schedule and sticking to it.

Jennifer is no stranger to balancing a busy schedule. The key to succeeding: making a weekly schedule and sticking to it. Jennifer shares her daily routine and how she schedules absolutely everything she plans to do in a day, including priorities like spending time with her boyfriend and walking her dog. Her focus is on being very intentional about guarding her time and energy. She shares a few simple parts of her daily routine that keep her focused, centered, and grounded. Minimizing distractions, Jennifer says, can be the key to succeeding with an online business. She also shares some technology tips that make it easy for anyone to get started with an online course.

Enjoy this moment; this moment is your life.

As Rosetta continues her chat with Jennifer, they discuss the things in life that make Jennifer happy. Jennifer explains how the simply things truly do make a difference and that life is about moments. Finding ways to inject happiness throughout your day is essential and for Jennifer it comes, at least in part, from her ability to create a schedule that helps to protect her time. Fitting in things like time with family, dancing, travelling, and other sources of happiness are key. Jennifer goes on to share her go to book and her personal mantra, which comes from Los Angeles Pastor Touré Roberts. Staying true to her mission, Jennifer focuses on helping women like her find a way to build the happy life they deserve.

The secret to life is to fall 7 times and stand up 8.

As Jennifer and Rosetta’s conversation comes to a close, they discuss in greater detail the impact Jennifer’s personal mantra had on her. Her mantra came from a sermon by Pastor Touré Roberts: It’s time to move. This mantra is what propelled Jennifer into action towards her dreams. She shares her #1 tip for women who are ready to move towards their dreams. Jennifer discusses how focusing on doing things that make her happy has transformed her life. This inspiring conversation is sure to motivate you into taking action to build the life you deserve. Jennifer is here to help you make the impact you were born to make.

Outline of this great episode

• [0:32] Rosetta’s introduction of her guest, Jennifer Kennedy.
• [1:14] Jennifer’s mission and the work that she does.
• [2:45] Understanding how Jennifer makes that impact online.
• [4:10] What inspired Jennifer to start this business?
• [8:29] Some action steps that go into creating an online course.
• [12:53] What kind of technology is required to put an online course together?
• [16:31] Jennifer’s daily routine and how she stays on track.
• [20:36] What inspires Jennifer and what keeps her going?
• [22:49] One book that has inspired Jennifer in her journey.
• [25:02] Jennifer’s personal mantra.
• [26:57] Jennifer’s #1 tip for women who are ready to follow their dreams.
• [29:00] How you can connect with Jennifer.

Resources & Links mentioned in this episode

BOOK: “The Alchemist”

Jennifer Kennedy’s website: www.TeachGoodStuff.com – get your free guides from Jennifer today at www.TeachGoodStuff.com/guides

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About Jennifer Kennedy

Jennifer Kennedy is an educator and coach for women whose purpose is to make an impact on this world. Through her amazingly helpful blog posts, trainings, and workbooks, she’s here to show you how to use your expertise to create and sell digital products. She is the founder of Teach Good Stuff, the creator of Create a Course That Matters (an 8 week program designed to help you create and launch your e-course), and a speaker.

Jennifer is a former elementary school teacher. During her eight years as a teacher, she earned both the Teacher of the Year and Leadership awards. She has spoken for the Blogging While Brown, BlogHer, At the Helm, and Toastmasters International conferences. Her current fans and customers have said that she “is completely committed to her work”, “cares deeply about her customers”, and “helps you see that you have an awesome gift to share”. Most importantly, she is dedicated to helping you create meaningful content and make money online – with ease and joy.

Jennifer lives in Long Beach, California. When she’s not coaching or writing, you can find her hanging out with her greyhound, Majic, traveling the world, and sipping the finest red wines (especially Malbec).

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Today’s guest is Quanisha Smith, founder and chief activator of the Black Women Rise Movement. Her mission is to help black women thrive and live authentically. Her vision is that women would step up to honor the calling on their lives, and fulfil their purpose to be the best leader and CEO they can be. She works with women to strengthen their leadership skills, grow their professional development, and encourage their economic development. Quanisha provides coaching, teaches strategies, and trains women to take charge of their lives and their careers. Her work was birthed out of the lowest point of her life.  After traumas, death of loved ones, divorce, and miscarriages, Quanisha found herself writing a suicide note when she was just 28 years old. She wound up in a psych ward wondering what happened and how she got there. Listen in as Quanisha shares her story of rising up as a Happy Black Woman.

Turn your mess into a movement, your pain into profit.

As Quanisha worked to rise out of her circumstances, she turned to writing.  She wrote a declaration that she was “stronger than this.”  She used this mantra and mindset shift to get back on her feet and into leadership roles. In graduate school, Quanisha became more and more aware of cultural struggles, specifically in leadership roles. She changed her thesis to examine the challenges black women were facing in leadership and organizations.  She found disturbing statistics about qualified black women being overlooked for promotions. Quanisha’s findings and frustrations followed her into the workplace.  She found herself bored, with the entrepreneur bug. She knew she wanted to help women and that it was time to work for herself. She combined her education and personal experience to develop and found the Black Women Rise Movement, rewriting her career and stepping out into a business opportunity.  Listen in to this inspiring and familiar struggle to the Happy Black Women community.

Success starts with a vision aligned with your values.

Quanisha is a pioneer for using personal story as a basis for business.  She started, as many women do, with the notion that there had to be more and she was smart enough to figure it out. Quanisha developed a vision of how to work for herself with no idea how she was going to get there. Maybe it was divine intervention, or maybe it was the act of writing out her vision.  Quanisha made a list of what she wanted in a career, as well as what she wanted for all aspects of her life. She let her heart speak and simply wrote it down. The values that built her vision came out of that list.  She finally felt that she was living and operating a business authentically. As opportunities arose, she went back to her list to see how they aligned with her vision and values. Quanisha took responsibility for her reactions and decisions, and the transformation took off! If this resonates with you, listen in to be encouraged in your journey to become the best leader you can be.

The key to getting unstuck and staying on track.

So, what if you have your vision?  And you are already taking responsibility for your decisions and life?  But you are still not seeing success? Quanisha’s advice is persistence, persistence, persistence.  Her story shows that it does not matter where you are in the stages of growth, you might get stuck. Quanisha offers specific steps to get you moving into action again.  Start with the support of a coach like Quanisha.  Get someone to help you craft a plan and help you aim at a target. Quanisha loves thinking about bullseyes: you aim, take action, and then evaluate if you hit the target or not.  This releases you from being tied to the outcome, and instead, allow you to be a woman of action. Learn how to fix your aim, and work with the various roles you have in your life. Wife? Mother? Sister? Listen in to accept your reality and ready yourself for the next step of your journey.  

Be a proactive contributor to your success

Your success is waiting for you.  Quanisha asks you to invest in yourself through investing in other people. Her  journey has been made easier because she has invested in coaching programs. She has listened to and learned from people she aspires to be like.  Her strategies are all about proactively contributing to your journey.  This starts with taking responsibility. Quanisha structures her day so she can be a good mom, fiance, friend, business owner, and supporter.  She takes care of herself, schedules her tasks, and realizes she is still trying to figure it out. New seasons bring new adjustments. That’s the real deal.  But if you are not putting your mind to your movement, you won’t move. Quanisha knows that she is valuable, and values herself, her time, and her vision. From that foundation she has propelled a movement. Get ready to build a new reality for yourself on this episode of Happy Black Woman.

Outline of this great episode

• [0:29] Introduction of Quanisha Smith, founder of the Black Women Rise Movement.
• [1:24] Mission and work of Quanisha.
• [2:37] The inspiration and motivation behind Quanisha helping black women rise.
• [6:27] How Quanisha turned her mess into a movement and pain into profit.
• [8:40] Specific steps to take towards becoming a better leader.
• [11:30] The key to getting unstuck when you are not seeing results.
• [13:32] Staying on track with your goals – how Quanisha gets it all done.
• [17:20] Addressing the “mommy guilt.”
• [18:08] Quanisha’s favorite book and inspiration from it.
• [19:46] A quote Quanisha has carried with her.
• [21:57] Advice for those early on in their entrepreneurial endeavors.
• [24:03] What makes Quanisha a Happy Black Woman.
• [25:16] How to get more information and in touch with Quanisha.

Resources & Links mentioned in this episode

BOOK: The Success Principles

Quanisha Smith’s website www.blackwomenrise.com – get your free leadership guide and sign up for motivation emails.

About Quanisha Smith

Quanisha Smith is the Founder & Chief Activator of the Black Women Rise Movement. She provides coaching and training for high-achieving Black women who are ready to walk in their power, discover their true self-worth and make their mark in the world so that they can become the Leader or CEO they desire and deserve to be.

Quanisha has counseled over 500 women through life issues such as domestic violence, unhealthy relationships, family crises and low self-esteem. The main reason Quanisha is so effective with women in challenging situations is because she was in one herself. In fact, she was so desperate she almost took her own life. Quanisha’s extraordinary story of transformation–from a suicidal young woman to a thriving “Sista In Charge” is the inspiration behind her work. She leverages the strategies she used to save her life combined with research-based & proven modalities to help women experience their own inner revolution and powerful results.

As an international leadership trainer and consultant, Quanisha earned a Master’s degree in Social Work and certifications in Organizational Behavior & Management and Master & Corporate Life Coaching. Her most exciting role yet, Quanisha works alongside Rosetta Thurman and the Happy Black Woman team as the Program Director. When she’s not writing or teaching, Quanisha enjoys traveling with her fiancé and their son, and watching Shonda Rhimes’ productions (esp. Scandal & Grey’s Anatomy).

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Today’s guest is Karla Hampton. She’s a part of the Happy Black Woman tribe and is an inspiring woman on a mission to empower other women. Karla supports women through sex education and sexual wellness mentoring. Her goal is to help women embrace their sensuality and connect with what she believes is our birthright: pleasure. Karla was an attorney who discovered something was missing in her life. And so, she started a personal development journey that led her to the startling realization that she had been ignoring her own body’s needs for many years. It was time to change that. Through her personal journey she realized her mission was to help others to the same, which she does through her website Sensual Black Woman. Her conversation with Rosetta today is one that will inspire women everywhere to connect with their bodies and embrace their sensuality.

How Karla connected with her mission and started her own journey.

Like most women, Karla was in the habit of going through the motions. She was focused on her career. She was successful. And to outsiders it would seem as though she had it all. In reality, Karla knew something was missing. She started experiencing health issues, sleeplessness, and even weight gain. Karla would eventually be diagnosed with an autoimmune disease called Sjogren’s disease. That’s when she knew it was time to make some changes in her life. Her wake-up call came in the form of a coaching call with famed life coach Iyanla Vanzant. Karla realized it was time to connect with her body, her energy, her sensuality, and her sexuality.

The importance of reclaiming your power as a woman.

As Karla progressed through her journey, she began to heal some old wounds that had a deep impact on her sexuality. She started what she calls a “Yoni Safari”, or a journey to get to know her body and specifically her vagina. This connection, Karla says, is essential to our ability to understand our bodies. For Karla, the journey was ultimately about really knowing and loving her own body. She gained an understanding of the value of self-pleasure and sensual movement practices, which she shares with other women through her Pleasure Practice Mentoring program. Through this, Karla is able to fulfill her mission.

Sensual movement practice and other daily rituals.

Starting a journey like this can be uncomfortable at first. As women, we’re often taught to feel shame about our bodies, especially when it comes to sensuality. Karla explains how sensual movement has helped her embrace and love her own body. Making this a part of her daily routine is something that keeps Karla centered and connected to herself. She shares some other parts of her daily routine, including meditation, prayer, and setting an intention for the day. Building this connection takes time, but according to Karla it’s incredibly rewarding and our birthright as women. She shares some tips that can help you get started on your own pleasure practice.

Anything is possible, but nothing is promised.

In her own personal pleasure practice, Karla discovered her calling in life. Today, she offers women everywhere her services as a Pleasure Practice Mentor with a mission of helping women reconnect with themselves. Karla shares a book that helped to inspire her at the start of her journey along with her personal mantra: “Anything is possible, but nothing is promised.” Karla goes on to discuss the importance of reclaiming your power as a woman and why we all need to truly connect with ourselves. If you’re ready to start your journey, Karla has a tip to help you get started. This chat with Rosetta is enlightening, inspiring, and motivating. If you’re ready to connect with yourself in a whole new way, you don’t want to miss this episode of Happy Black Woman.

Outline of this great episode

• [0:35] Rosetta’s introduction of her guest, Karla Hampton.
• [1:40] Karla’s mission and the work that she does.
• [3:15] What made Karla decide to follow this path?
• [6:24] Karla’s wake-up call in her own journey and how she started.
• [8:27] The results of her first 30-Day Pleasure Practice.
• [11:51] Some action steps women can take today to get started.
• [15:32] Understanding the taboos that may come from getting to know your body.
• [20:32] Growing into self-love.
• [21:58] Reclaiming your power as a woman.
• [25:02] Karla explains her daily routine.
• [29:56] A book that inspired Karla along her journey.
• [31:23] Karla shares her personal mantra.
• [32:19] One tip Karla shares to help other women get started on their journey.
• [33:59] How you can connect with Karla.

Resources & Links mentioned in this episode

BOOK: “WomanCode”

Karla Hampton’s website: www.SensualBlackWoman.com

About Karla Hampton

Karla Hampton is the founder of Sensual Black Woman. She provides sex education training and holistic sexual wellness mentoring for women who want to create a sensual, pleasure-FULL life that they love. As a Pleasure Practice Mentor™, she helps women to have a pleasure-based approach to self care through study and self-exploration, sensual body movement, and intuitive wisdom practices.

Karla is an attorney, small business owner, and health advocate who wants to live in a world where women are empowered to know, accept, and love their own bodies. She has a background in community health education and public health law and policy. And she is in the process of earning a certification from the Artemis School for Women’s Sexual Wellness.

Karla is an avid traveler and has collected coffee mugs from every place she has visited since the age 16. When she’s not writing or teaching, Karla enjoys being in nature, hula hooping and curling up with a good book (yes, an actual hardcover book) and cup of tea.

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Leadership expert Carol Sankar joins us today for this episode of Happy Black Woman. Carol developed The Confidence Factor for Women in Leadership. Today she is a business consultant specializing in working with executives and high growth business models. But her story starts at the beginning of her career. Carol was working in the Real Estate world, lonely and wondering where the other women were. She found herself as the only woman in meetings with men, feeling outnumbered, ignored and underestimated.  When she attempted to rally women to take action on opportunities, she was met with excuses, insecurity and a lack of confidence. It wasn’t a lack of opportunities available for women, they simply lacked the confidence to try. How did Carol come to this conclusion and turn an epidemic into a business? Find out on this episode of Happy Black Woman.

The study of 100 women unveiled the underlying problem

Carol went to work collecting data and studying 100 women for four years. These were women in various positions and seasons of life. Some were operating successful businesses and developing high level concepts. Carol provided them with endless resources, opportunities and personal support, but out of 100 women, only one “made it.” Only one used the resources, followed the steps and seized the opportunity to get out of her job and move into her ideal business pursuit. What Carol found was 99 women with low expectations, willing to remain average. They did not expect to be successful.  They were fearful of money, lived in fear of being judged, did not think they were equipped to compete in business realms, never thought they were ready, were continually getting ready to get ready, never sure enough and delayed making decisions until opportunities disappeared. Carol concluded that women were not positioning themselves for success. They were in the wrong room. Do you recognize your own voice in these excuses? Listen in to hear how you can be the one, and not part of the 99.  

Recognize time as currency

Carol capitalized on the huge hole in confidence she found in her study. She recognized that the issue of confidence had to be addressed before women would move into positions of leadership. In this episode, Carol outlines action steps to recognize your excuses and begin competing in a world filled with opportunities. The first step is to recognize time as a form of currency.  On the exchange rate, everyday you say “Tomorrow,” you are missing out.  Confident women make confident decisions, and they make them fast. Carol began communicating to women that opportunities do not wait for you. People listened as she challenged the fear of failure as an excuse holding women back. She began empowering women to say yes to the moment, take a chance now, and stop waiting to be ready. Listen in as Carol addresses procrastination in all of its forms and exposes what holds you back from saying yes to your moment.

Organizing profitable time before personal time

During this conversation, Carol explains how she lives in her own confidence factor and steps up to opportunities.  Her daily structure stems from all profitable things first, all personal things last. Carol’s morning “Wheaties” are purposeful things and profitable circles. She starts her day early and intentionally. It is not that Carol’s life is distraction-free, she just uses her time wisely and practices discipline. Listen to Carol’s analysis of a typical day to see where your time, and therefore your currency, are going.  She says that at the end of the day, “An unstructured entrepreneur is a broke one.” When the dream is to quit your job and run your business full time, people are tempted to cast out all structure.  But structuring and scheduling your freedom keeps your business profitable.  Carol offers tips on blocking out time for clients, and for yourself, to stay in control of your schedule.  Be sure to listen!

Embracing growth and going big

The thing that makes Carol a Happy Black Woman is growth.  She has seen it in herself and in her clients, and celebrates that the Confidence Factor is changing the business world for women. She knows you have to think big, but then you have to go big.  As you take each step, stretch yourself, your mind, and abilities, you’ll start to get a glimpse of what you are capable of. Carol offers advice to quit your job and embrace the process of transitioning into your dream business. She runs her business and her life at a high level, and surrounds herself with people who have already been there.  If you want to quit your job, it’s time you learn how to start that transition and create the mental space to focus on your business.  If you don’t have a leader or a plan to follow, you will never build your business. Listen to this episode to jumpstart your journey of becoming a confident woman, making confident decisions.

Outline of this great episode

• [0:29] Rosetta’s introduction of guest, Carol Sankar.
• [1:33] Carol’s company and mission of The Confidence Factor for Women.
• [2:43] How Carol moved from Real Estate into starting this company.
• [5:16] The research Carol did to uncover the needs her business is now meeting.
• [8:16] Advice to move yourself into the percentage of successful entrepreneurs.
• [11:31] Learning to see time as currency.
• [14:17] How Carol organizes her day to live out her own confidence.
• [20:00] Structuring and scheduling your freedom as an entrepreneur.
• [24:10] What makes Carol a Happy Black Woman.
• [26:01] Carol’s favorite book, mantra and inspiration.
• [31:36] Number one piece of advice for the woman at the beginning stages of entrepreneurship.
• [34:50] How to contact and learn more from Carol.

Resources & Links mentioned in this episode

BOOK: “The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success”

Carol’s website: www.theconfidencefactorforwomen.com

About Carol Sankar

Carol Sankar is an international high level performance consultant & real estate investment expert who focuses on strategic implementation strategies to assist today’s established business owners and high level executives. Mrs. Sankars’ business and wealth tips have been featured in publications in Finland, Australia, Germany, the United Kingdom and the USVI. Her international client-base are established executives, entrepreneurs and business owners who are seeking new and innovative methods to up-level their businesses.

Carol hosts a variety of training workshops, live and virtual events world-wide on a variety of topics relating to success, revenue and leadership. She has been featured in numerous magazines, radio shows, articles and conferences; including a recent features in Madame Noire, Entrepreneur.com, TEDx, The Steve Harvey Show, CNNMoney.com, Daily Worth and Essence Magazine.

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Today’s guest is Jennifer LaFrance, a Happy Black Woman based out of New Orleans. Jennifer is a life coach and entrepreneur with the mission to encourage, inspire and educate women. Jennifer developed her mission while she journeyed into her best life, and now coaches others on their journeys. The “encourage” aspect of the mission is about offering support to women as they realize their value.  Jennifer “inspires” by being an example herself, and connecting women to others who have traveled similar paths.  The “education” piece teaches women how to tap into their inner strength and increase clarity and focus so they can live their best life.  Sound like a mission you could get onboard with? This conversation paints a picture of how a life coach works with clients to understand the blocks preventing them from seeing their potential. Jennifer uncovers the mental tapes women play over and over in their heads of things they cannot do.  She tackles these thoughts one chunk at a time in line with your goals. Listen in on lessons to change your way of thinking and start creating your ideal life.

Moving from the sidelines of life, into the game.

Jennifer knows that she is the reason she started her business.  She found herself sitting on the sidelines of life, disillusioned and uninvolved in her own life. She had a job, but no fulfillment. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina caused her even more disillusionment.  Jennifer lost all of her material possessions.  She lived through the devastation of her whole world. Jennifer turned inward to thoughts of “Now what?” and “What is the purpose for my life?”  She could not fully embrace herself, because she was so distant from who she truly was.  Jennifer wrestled with these questions until 2011, when her company reorganized and eliminated her position. It was a force she could not control, but turned out to be the perfect time to embrace discovering what she wanted to do with her life.  Jennifer’s business was born out of wanting to help others embrace their life and get off the sidelines-before life forced them to. Have you ever found yourself watching from the sidelines when you should be in the game, doing the things you love? Be sure to tune into this episode of Happy Black Woman

Drop the excuses and start daydreaming.

Do you need to rediscover yourself and get back in the game?  Jennifer says the key is simple: allow yourself to daydream.  Remove the excuses, the details, the logistics and think about what you would if you could achieve whatever it is you are passionate about regardless of things like time and money. As risky and silly as it felt, Jennifer made a list of her dreams.  She was only working part-time, feeling like financial security was more relevant that daydreaming.  Today, Jennifer is able to offer examples of dreams realized that started out on that scribbled list. She worked day by day and sought help from outside her own brain. As someone who has tasted success, she recommends finding a life coach, or at least a friend who understands and supports you. An outside source can help you think through the barriers in your brain and help your dreams manifest.  Having accountability helps Jennifer get unstuck and off the sidelines. Are you ready to make a list and put action to your dreams?  

Embracing your failures is the foundation to moving forward.

Jennifer’s business was born out of her own journey, but how does she stay the course?  She keeps her day fluid, because she took the time to get to know herself, her best self.  She found out that she’s critical and hard on herself when operating on a tight schedule.  She needs to be able to enjoy the process of becoming an entrepreneur.  She used to work straight through the day, but now makes sure to inject creative thoughts into her day. Jennifer is full of inspirational messages, both to keep herself going and to encourage her clients.  She reads, blogs, and writes to stay in line with her mission of encouraging, inspiring, and educating. Her mission dictates her day and her life. But it isn’t all pretty.  If you want to achieve, you must take a risk.  You have to step outside your comfort zone, face your fears and embrace your failures. This episode will have you scribbling notes on how to use your failures as your best teachers. Jennifer looks back on years of asking why she was doing what she was doing instead of actually taking a risk and doing it.

Check your gut and start SOMETHING today.

In her journey of becoming an entrepreneur, Jennifer saw in herself and in her clients that we all look back.  She advises to start today, because ”A year from now, you will wish you had started today.”  So many of her clients and people in general say, “Oh, I’ll get to it.” A year later they have not done a thing.  Jennifer’s “start” was the list of dreams she made.  Sure, she was starting from the comfort of her own home, with relatively low risk, but putting pen to paper was the baby step that led to the realization of her dreams. Daydream. Figure out what makes your eyes light up. Rediscover what it is that makes you come alive and build from there.  Jennifer found out that she thrives through connections. Her passion for connections led her to life coaching, connecting people with themselves again. She invites you to get back in touch with yourself and trust your gut, not just your logic.  Are you ready to find out where your passions will lead you? Like Jennifer, they could lead you to being a Happy Black Woman.

Outline of this great episode:

• [0:31] Rosetta’s introduction of Jennifer LaFrance.
• [1:44] Jennifer’s mission and work as a life coach.
• [3:24] Why Jennifer started her business and how she helps others.
• [5:14] Motivating, empowering, and coaching clients.
• [6:59] Why having a life coach is key for successful entrepreneurs.
• [8:09] Simple steps to start your own journey.
• [9:09] How a successful business woman organizes her day and life
• [12:20] Books, and mantras that inspire Jennifer on her journey.  
• [17:44] Action steps for when you get stuck.
• [18:35] How Jennifer takes time to enjoy the process and success of her lifestyle.
• [20:06] Advice for women who are just beginning to build a business.
• [23:01] How to stay in touch with Jennifer.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• BOOK: “If You Want to Walk on Water, You’ve Got to Get out of the Boat” by John Ortberg
• Jennifer’s website: http://www.jaelynnconsulting.com -get your free gift to live with clarity and make room for creativity: “Three Day Declutter Challenge”

About Jennifer LaFrance

Jennifer is a life coach that assists women who feel stagnant and trapped to change their way of thinking and live with more clarity in their lives.  Her passion for this work is the result of changing her own life from career banker and working toward her purpose.

Hurricane Katrina was the catalyst to Jennifer reevaluating her life choices and realizing that she wanted a deeper connection to her work and not just showing up for a job.

Following the spiritual GPS that has been a constant in her life, Jennifer saw the job layoff in 2012 as her opportunity to become an entrepreneur and utilize her experiences and training skills to help others. Her strength, according to her clients, is guiding them to the answers they have within, but are hesitant to acknowledge due to social beliefs.

Jennifer is a Martha Beck-trained life coach with a M.S. in psychology. She currently resides in New Orleans.

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