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Ep. 0023 | The Gap Between Knowing and Doing
28 Plays11 days ago
NOTE: This episode contains a strategic "f-bomb" or two...hence the "explicit language" tag. Forgive me in advance and ENJOY! — ZC
How many brilliant ideas are sitting in drafts right now?
In this installment of The Gr8tness Router, host Zena C. sits down with Shirley Sampson, Founder of Fathom & Flourish, Business Strategist, and Accountability Coach…for an honest conversation about entrepreneurship, purpose, faith, and the courage required to act on what you already know you're meant to do.
From growing up around generations of entrepreneurial women to navigating corporate leadership, caregiving, grief, and business ownership, Shirley shares the experiences that shaped her belief that most people don't need more information…they need accountability, reflection, and the confidence to trust themselves.
Together, they explore joy versus safety, the power of community, overcoming perfectionism, and why greatness often emerges when someone is willing to hold up a mirror and remind us who we are. At its core, this conversation is about choosing purpose over fear and refusing to let your gifts remain hidden.
— — —
Connect with Shirley on LinkedIn, Instagram and Threads or by visiting her website fathomandflourish.com. If you’re interested in learning more about F*uck That. The Unfiltered Summit click here.
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Transcript
Introduction and Purpose
00:00:08
Speaker
This is the Greatness Router, where we connect purpose to process one conversation at a time.
00:00:23
Speaker
What's poppin' beautiful people? It's me, Zena C. And we are here with another episode of The Greatness Router. Today's guest is my homie, my homegirl, my accountability partner.
Meet Shirley Sampson
00:00:35
Speaker
The sole reason that laid off lemonade is even a physical manifestation right now, um Shirley Sampson. All right. So I'm going to give you a little tidbit about her. i am so grateful that she took the time out of her beautiful day and week and month to come in and grace us with her presence so that we can hear her her journey towards greatness and and her words of enlightenment. So... Without further ado, let me hop into this bio. Shirley Sampson is the founder of Fathom and Flourish, a business strategist, accountability coach, and entrepreneur who helps founders bridge the gap between knowing and doing.
Shirley's Professional Journey
00:01:19
Speaker
After nearly 20 years leading operations, implementations, and cross-functional initiatives in corporate America, and more than 15 years as an entrepreneur, business owner, and consultant, she now helps ambitious professionals and business owners build the structure, strategy, and support needed for sustainable growth.
00:01:39
Speaker
She is the creator of Fuck That, the Unfiltered Summit, a three-day live business development experience challenging women and founders to reject perfectional perfectionism.
00:01:52
Speaker
oh my gosh, do y'all, you hear me? Hustle culture and outdated expectations in favor of building businesses that reflect their true capabilities, values, and vision. Without further ado, I would love, love, love, love love to bring forth Ms.
The Power of Accountability
00:02:09
Speaker
Shirley Sampson. How are you, sunshine?
00:02:11
Speaker
I'm wonderful. That was phenomenal. um I feel like I need to go back out somewhere and like run in and be like... Absolutely. Absolutely. Do we need to run it back? Do we need to run it back?
00:02:23
Speaker
Hit the Vogue. Hit the Vogue. There we go. It was sufficient. It was sufficient. That's what that was. That was absolutely amazing. No, you are amazing, though.
00:02:34
Speaker
Thank you. Thank you. You are amazing. Look, I'm jumping the gun. I appreciate that. Y'all, this would not. Let me let y'all hear it. Do you hear that? That's my hard copy. Do you see that? So Laid Off Lemonade would not be a thing if Shirley had not pushed me to get it off of my hard drive. Because that's where it was sitting. It was sitting there smooth... in the draft.
00:03:00
Speaker
I don't know. I felt like it had been there at least six months. And she was just like, girl, let me look at it. like, nah, you can't look at this. She was like, let me look at it. Let's see what we're dealing with. And she she took a look at it and powered through and it was like, no, this that we we have to get this together. So it's always so helpful to have a you for you. So I'm truly grateful. It is. that Shirley is here to really talk us through her process, her thought process, her journey, so that y'all can see how we can we can implement and move forward and truly step into our greatness. So Shirley, thank you so much for joining us today.
00:03:37
Speaker
Thank you for having me. Hey, hi, hello. How y'all doing? i am really excited to be here. And I have my copy. I have my copy. Oh my gosh. I mention it all the time. The fact that it was sitting in the drafts for so long, oh my god something that everyone needs. It doesn't matter what stage of life you're in. And the fact that it's a movement, right? yeah it's Yeah. It's something that just helps people through those transitional phases. And it was sitting in the drafts. That and has always been one of the things that I chuckle at because Xena didn't even say anything about it until we'd been working together for, i want to say close to six months. Yeah, I did. And then it was an aside. It was like, oh yeah, I have a book.
00:04:27
Speaker
And then just kept on going. Yeah. just kept on going. I have a book. I've been, you know, working on it. And by the way, and we moved on to something else. was like, wait, what? let Let's go back a couple line items. It was not about me. It was not about me. at Y'all in, in all, in, in all transparency,
00:04:47
Speaker
Shirley and I were working through other topics and other situations. So the book was not even a spec on that spectrum that we were actually focused on. So there was no need for me to bring it up. But that does not negate the fact that that book would not exist if it was not for her. So...
00:05:06
Speaker
Again, stop trying to deflect and throw this conversation back on me. not trying to throw it oh and that But with that being said, what do you got to say? No, it's important. The book is important. Let me pause. I'm going to pause and tell you why the book is important and why it goes with my message. The book is important and and will continue to be because it was about your joy.
00:05:29
Speaker
You
Rejecting Hustle Culture
00:05:30
Speaker
literally were joyful about that book. Even now, every time you speak about it, there's a light that goes on. How can you have something that brings you that much joy just sitting on the wayside? And everybody has that passion project. Everybody has that joyful thing that they hold on to because they're afraid of what the world will do with it once it's out there. And you wanted this book.
00:05:57
Speaker
So it's all about joy. That's what the message is, right? Fair. Yes, we work hard. Yes, we have our businesses. Yes, we're doing all of the things. But if it's not bringing joy to our life, then fuck it, right?
00:06:09
Speaker
Fair. the message. Fair. Right? We gotta have joy. so the unfiltered summit is going to be amazing. i'm just Let me go ahead and plug that back in. Okay. Since, since we're talking, um, let's hop into my, my icebreakers. Okay. So thank you because i would be remiss if I didn't say thank you. Thank you. i appreciate you. i'm grateful, but we talking about you today. So icebreaker.
Influential Conversations
00:06:36
Speaker
If you could have a candid, unfiltered conversation with any prominent figure, who would it be and why? Ooh. Ooh. That's a tough one. Yeah.
00:06:49
Speaker
Prominent figure. Normally I would ask historical, but I feel as though historical may be, I don't know, you're a reader. So you might, you might enjoy that angle too, but I have, i pivoted and said, and said, uh, prominent. So what are you thinking?
00:07:06
Speaker
Okay, so there is a massive amount of people out there who would critique my initial thought. We're not worried about him.
00:07:18
Speaker
But I would love to sit down with Jay-Z. Oh, really? Yes. Really? He's put so much already in his music. So what more would you unearth from sitting with him?
00:07:31
Speaker
Because he has put a ton in his music. But when he sits down to interview, he drops gems. Okay. And so I think that there are so many things that have not been said.
00:07:45
Speaker
Right? And his journey for me is a remarkable one. Okay. It's one of those journeys where,
00:07:54
Speaker
in my mind, you can't keep a shining light down. It's just going to continue to shine. OK. Right. And he has said countless times that there were people in his life, in his family, that did not see the brilliance.
00:08:10
Speaker
They wanted him to go search for something, run of the mill, something that would give him steady income, something that was safe. Right. And that's the thing. So many of our family members, so many of our the people in our circle, they don't see the vision. They don't see your brilliance because they've been living with it forever. Right. They're like, I don't see the brilliance. You're just Shirley. You're just Xena.
00:08:36
Speaker
And if we count on our circle to raise this up, it's almost never going to happen. So when he says, I saw it, I pursued it, i kept on going because I knew they were clouded by the safety of things.
00:08:52
Speaker
It resonates with me. Okay. And I would add one more. Okay. Okay. Okay. I have to say that Mr. Denzel always drops three gems. Washington?
00:09:04
Speaker
Denzel? Yes. Yes. And yes, he keeps correcting people and saying Denzel. um But if you listen to this man speak, right?
00:09:15
Speaker
and And for me, that's the thing. It's about they both have these... these When they're interviewing, their voices are always so low and so steady and so soft and so smooth. But if you pay attention, they're slapping you across your head with what they're dropping.
00:09:38
Speaker
okay right Okay. Fair. you know and um And everyone's like, okay, but who's a woman that you would go speak to and and all of that? But those are the two that came to mind right away.
00:09:50
Speaker
Okay. I'm not concerned about these. I, did you say women? i mean, you are a woman. i know, but everybody's always like, okay, but who's a woman that you look up to? oh and So I did a um i did a movie. i did a a fee I don't know if it's a feature length film, but I did a documentary um back in like 2016 or 2017. Between twenty in like 2017, right? Me and my homeboy Jerome, we did um Greatness Spoken Truth. So it's based off of his own his his aunt's his Aunt Kate's ah premise, like off of her framework. But what we did was we did ah poetry, like it was it was poetry in my greatness brand at the time.
00:10:36
Speaker
And everyone had a greatness shirt on, him but everybody had was was delivering a spoken word, an original spoken word piece. But it also accompanied a a um a a conversation with that particular guest or that particular ah artist, if that makes sense. So I was one of the people, I had no intentions on being front of the camera, but Jerome wouldn't let me be great without, you know, participating. I just wanted to stay behind the scenes like I always like to be, but for some reason y'all don't like me to be behind the scenes, but it is what it is. Right, because that's not where you're supposed to be Yeah, okay.
00:11:11
Speaker
Um, so receive, but okay, that's not what I want to do, but that's a whole nother conversation itself. Okay. So back to this in one of the questions he asked me who like my most influential, um, person was. And I was just like, I i said the same thing you did. i was like, I feel like everyone would expect me as a woman to uplift another woman and and bring that to the forefront. And I don't deny that.
00:11:34
Speaker
However, I was raised by my daddy. OK. And so I was raised by my daddy toting behind my daddy. I'm a through and through daddy's girl. So I'm the one who's like, daddy, I'm coming with you. He was like the air. There's no air conditioning truck. I don't care. I'm coming. Well, I'm going to the I don't care. I'm coming. I knew my place to to be seen and not heard. So I would sit there, open my ears and listen. to the conversations that were going on. So all that being said, I think I said my dad and like Malcolm X, and then there may have been one other. And I was just like, I'm sorry, it's no woman, but this is who has influenced my, my, my wavelength. Like this is who I i like closer to who I'm thinking along the lines of, because that's who in essence has raised me. So, you know, I'm not upset with you for not specifically saying a woman, you'll never hear that from me, but I do want to make sure that we are uplifting across the board. So no, sis, you, you're good in my book.
00:12:32
Speaker
I will say this and, and I'm going to have to be careful not to like break out in tears. My mom has dementia.
00:12:43
Speaker
Okay. Right. And ah she had a stroke in 2021. And it went from the rep repeating stage where it was like a 20 minute reset to the stroke, making it so that she just didn't remember who we were. Wow.
00:13:02
Speaker
But most recently, um about two months ago, my sister sent a text message about one of my mom's friends who had passed away. And in looking for her obituary, I found the obituary of two other friends of hers who had passed away within the same month.
00:13:23
Speaker
Mm-hmm. And I sat down and boo-hoo cried because these women were the first entrepreneurs in my life. My mom showed me how to run a successful business, right?
00:13:36
Speaker
My mom showed me how to run a successful business. She had a food service business. It was quintessentially a food truck on the islands, but on the islands, it's not quite a pretty food truck, but that's what she was doing. And her friends, a large majority of her friends were also entrepreneurs. You know, they own boutiques, there were seamstresses, they were nutritionists. That's all you saw.
00:14:02
Speaker
Exactly. And I would sit and watch these women go about their life, just bringing it every single day, making it work. And those were the conversations that we had. And while my dad was there, he wasn't the the person that was at the forefront, I spent most of my time with my mom. and I don't know how she didn't drive me drown me because I was a horrible teenager. When I say a horrible teenager, but I spent most of my time with her and her friends and they did not mince words. They showed me everything from accounting to just how to run a successful business. She would drop me off and I would have to like help out at their shops and do things like that. And so for me, The world was always going to be whatever I wanted it to be. Because that's what these women told me. They were like, whatever it is that you want to do, whatever it is that you want to be, the only person that can stop you is you. i love that. possibilities are endless as long as you want to do it. So, you know, when we talk about strong female figures, it will always be my mom. I love that. You know? i love that.
00:15:12
Speaker
I love that. was lucky that way. See, I feel like that was so deep rooted. It wasn't. I feel as though if it wasn't you talking to me, then the other would still stand. But because it's you talking to me, that's a more personal, deep rooted connection. Does that make sense?
Coaching Philosophy and Discovery
00:15:30
Speaker
Like, so I and also understand why Jay-Z and Denzel would come up as like on the service level, but it's like, but y'all, let me, let me, let me really tell you my mama and her friends.
00:15:44
Speaker
They were so badass. So completely badass. That is so like your, it's low key like DNA or your imprint. So that wouldn't even be the first thing that you would say in a common conversation. Like, hey, who inspires you? Oh, my mom and her friends for sure.
00:16:02
Speaker
Nobody knows your mom your friends per se, per se. Like, i'm I'm sure that they were big bodies and they people people knew who they were and know who they are. But, you know, saying Jay Z and Denzel, that makes like that. there They get it. Like, I know who that is. That makes sense. I can go look them up.
00:16:20
Speaker
Can we go look up um up the shop that was in the Caribbean? Not not per se, not necessarily. But that doesn't mean that that imprint isn't still on you. So thank you for clarifying that. um I still stand on what I said, but I understand why you said what you said. And I understand why you provided a footnote too. So i'm I respect.
00:16:45
Speaker
Thank you. so Thank you. I feel like we're warmed up, but i really want and we are I really want to know the answer to this next question though. So, okay. and And I feel like it was me, but i don't I don't know. So what's the nicest way you've ever told someone, girl, stop overthinking and just do it?
00:17:08
Speaker
o Just do the thing. what is that What is the nicest way? I feel like that's pretty nice. I don't... That's... a above So if we're going to be completely honest. We have to be honest.
00:17:24
Speaker
I don't know that I'm ever going to be described as nice. Ever. I don't think you're not nice.
00:17:33
Speaker
i think that you do a very good job of seeing beyond the abrasive nature of who I am. oh my gosh. But I don't help people...
00:17:46
Speaker
achieve greatness by being nice. That's just never going to be who I am. i might have nice qualities and I'm from the island. So we have that, you know, island hospitality year thing going on. Right. But nice.
00:18:04
Speaker
um No. Oh, you can get spicy, but I feel like, I feel like people don't understand nice. Like, I don't think you process nice. ah Not you, not you specifically. I don't think humans, most humans don't understand like, Ooh, she's nice. I'm going to listen to what she says. Nah, that's, I don't feel as though moon that's the default. I wish it were.
00:18:27
Speaker
i do. i totally wish it were, but I don't think that that is the the default. I think sometimes you have to put a little base in your voice. Sometimes I think you have to get a little spicy. Sometimes you have to, you know, pull out a claw or two to get somebody to recognize like, no, no, no. no no I need you to focus.
00:18:46
Speaker
Listen, I will push, pull, drag, And scream if necessary. Whatever it takes to get whoever I'm working with to where they need to be. But nice?
00:19:00
Speaker
You've been dithering all this time and I'm going to come and hold your hand nicely and try to get you gathered up. Oh, let's do this. You know, hugs and kisses. no Fair. No. Fair. I don't think anyone would describe me as nice. Like I told y'all. But that's sweet that you asked me that. I'm sorry.
00:19:21
Speaker
Oh. Let's go ahead and set the tone so that y'all know. yeah so So that you know. Okay. I mean, that's fair. And again, i don't think I would ever label you as not nice. I think that you do what is necessary to get the the conversation, to get the attention, to get the focus where it needs to be. And once again, and this may be just the mom in me these days, um nice doesn't doesn't get the attention.
00:19:53
Speaker
The first time. It doesn't. it But you know, i think beyond being nice, for me, it's about being a reflector. oh Right?
00:20:07
Speaker
Okay. Because i i may not be nice, but I'm going to tell you about you. I'm going to say that you're brilliant because you are. I'm going to say that you are downplaying who you are and all of the qualities and all of the capabilities that you have. I'm going to say that you are depriving the world of your greatness by not coming out with the book, by not having the launching the podcast. Are you coming for Listen, i am going to say all of those things because I have to reflect those things because all too often we don't reflect.
00:20:45
Speaker
We don't say, Hey, have you met you? Do you know how awesome you are? That's fair. If you don't know, I'm going to tell you. And that's beyond being nice. It's just being honest. But at the same time, I'm going to say, hey, you have all of this greatness, but you have 21 ideas and we need to figure out which one's going to be priority because you're too scattered. Right. So real conversation. Yeah.
00:21:11
Speaker
So we're not going to focus on being nice. We're going to focus on the reality, right? You are oh and individual who is a ton to offer, but you don't know how to offer it.
00:21:26
Speaker
Let's just deal with reality. And then let's figure out how to get you to the point where you know how to do that. That's better than being nice, right? No, that's fair. I agree. i You...
00:21:38
Speaker
want to leave a situation better than you found it. And I respect that. I totally respect that. I'm actually more tickled at the fact that your yous are hopping between the general you of people and me. And I'm just sitting here like, is she attacking me on these airways?
00:21:55
Speaker
Like I said, I'm not nice, right? So I could say something and it can apply to the general audience, but you know one when I'm landing a lick. Oh my gosh. All right. Let's talk about these router moments, okay? Let's get into let's get into the nitty gritty of the conversation at hand. um These router moments are like collecting connecting the dots. And this is where we talk about the purpose behind your work, the why behind what you what you have going on. So if you could pinpoint The moment you knew what you're doing right now was your calling, what would it be?
00:22:32
Speaker
oh my goodness. Yeah. Yeah. When did you know that, you know, accountability from idea to, to fruition? Like, when did you recognize that, you know what, these are, this is what I'm going to stand 10 toes down on. It's, it's so funny. Okay. That you're saying that because.
00:22:57
Speaker
For a long time, I ran from this. People were like, oh, this is what you should be doing. You should be working with people, helping them. you know It sounds like you should be a coach. You should consult. You should do all of this.
00:23:09
Speaker
But I was running from that because that's not what I wanted. i wanted to be C-suite something in corporate America because that's what I thought I wanted. Mm-hmm.
00:23:21
Speaker
But I remember I had a a a very good friend and we were in classes together, a fitness class together. And she was a stylist oh who wasn't happy at the shop that she was at.
00:23:38
Speaker
She wanted to open her own. She kept coming up with reasons why this would not be a thing, right? There were so many reasons why she couldn't.
00:23:49
Speaker
And she was a talented person who had a a book of of clients who didn't realize that her clients would go wherever she wanted. ah And I remember sitting with her one day and I was like, what are you doing? Like, what's the worst that could happen if you get your own place and it doesn't work out?
00:24:13
Speaker
What's the worst that can happen? Right. And so we sat down and we wrote out a long list of what's the worst that could happen. And and so I said to her, OK, well, do any of these things look like something you can recover from?
00:24:32
Speaker
I mean, because she was talking about, oh, the cost of getting ah a place, if she was going to rent a place or buy her own building, um the, you know, kitting it out and and, you know, setting it up and whether or not she wanted to just have her own little suite or she wanted to, yeah you know, and we rent went through that list. And at the end of the day,
00:24:54
Speaker
We spoke about how much money we throw out there every year, year after year, that we never think of again, right? And whether or not she could make this investment and live with it if she failed. Okay. Okay.
00:25:13
Speaker
Okay. And I probably called her. I know she wanted to send me to voicemail so much, but I knew where she lived and that was not going to happen. so So I would call her and I'd be like, would you decide? Would you decide? Would you decide? And she got her own place and she started out with just her. And then she got several other women working in there and she made it something successful. And in that moment, she...
00:25:44
Speaker
We went to lunch one day and it was right before her wedding. We went to lunch one day and she said, Shirley, I wouldn't do that have done this without you. And I was like, what are you talking about? This is all you, right?
00:25:55
Speaker
That's my book. And that's the thing. And she went through and she said, she said, let's make a list. And I was like, ooh. Not her flipping the script.
00:26:05
Speaker
i was like, have her. And I'll tell you what she did for me that was one better than that. Mm-hmm. The class that we were going to, we had Sunday classes. And at the time, i was creating clothing for the class for myself. Got it. Because I wanted to hide my stomach, right? And I walked in one Sunday and they had a circle.
00:26:35
Speaker
And they sat me down and instead of class that day, they asked me about st starting my business.
00:26:43
Speaker
Exactly. And that was the very first... Exactly. But 15 years ago, that was the very first business I started. And what I learned was, one, she paid it back.
00:26:58
Speaker
All right. Two... That someone keeping you accountable and having that community that sits there and says, hey, we know you can do that. You're already doing it, matter of fact. Let's just do it on a bigger scale.
00:27:13
Speaker
That mattered. And I thought, I want to do this for more people. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
00:27:21
Speaker
And so that's kind of what got me here. I love all of that. I think you have... We've just broken this wide open. I i love that. And it suits you very, very well. Like...
00:27:34
Speaker
the The whole process, because we didn't just work on the book, y'all. The book is just a physical manifestation. it just one. like We worked on my children's line. we've been She still has a list of mine that I'm sure that is it's in the notebook beside her that you know she's going to be asking me questions about soon. But it's just the whole process has been pleasurable. Even...
00:28:02
Speaker
Just you believing and being like, you know what? We can do this. This is this is doable. i mean, like, but is it? Yeah, just do it. Just move. Just create something. We can always edit it. Create something and let's move forward. So you you do this effortlessly. And i need I need the world. I need the masses to recognize that...
00:28:22
Speaker
whatever you were doing in corporate and whatever you were doing for them is now being poured into this endeavor tenfold and with intention and love. And it's just going to be worth it to invest in yourself so that you can recognize like, oh,
00:28:42
Speaker
i can I can take my idea. It's not just it's just not an idea anymore. and Now i can I can really have someone who rides my ass until I get it done. So you just to let y'all know, this is probably going to be one of my most explicit episodes.
00:28:56
Speaker
um And even that it's not going be that explicit, but it's just who who rides me until it's like, is it done? Where are we? How's it going? And yeah. You need that. You just you need the pester. What did you call yourself earlier? A nag. When we first met, you use the term nag. And I was like, you will not use that term publicly. Oh, you hate it. That's what I do. i don't mind, though.
00:29:21
Speaker
Listen, I wanted to name my business something like the yes she persistent nag or something like that. and you were like, no, that's just such an ugly word. And I was like, it may be ugly, but that is exactly what I do. I nag you. And then we were like, oh, accountability. So that's what we landed on, right? That I'm an accountability coach and a business strategist and all of that. But really,
00:29:47
Speaker
it's It's more about ah ah accountability, yes, but it's also about reflecting, right? Because the greatness already has to exist like for us to then mold it into something.
00:30:03
Speaker
Right. Fathom and flourish. Can I fathom it? Can I imagine it? Is it possible and flourish? Make it happen so that you can live in abundance. I'm here for it. I love it. I love it for you. i love it for you. I love it for you. All right. So that is the purpose behind your work and is is proven and true. and I don't know how many times I can sit there and just show my book, you know, to people like, know, like, I just need you to understand. It's, it's totally doable. gotta take this herring off. Bear with Um, um,
00:30:35
Speaker
Listen, what you need to folk tell them is that when you decided to move on this book, and this is why you will always be one of the most remarkable people that I know. Are you deflecting again? There's other reasons. I'm not deflecting.
00:30:50
Speaker
But do you realize that you took this book out of drafts and made it a reality in like 14 weeks?
00:31:02
Speaker
You didn't give me a choice. Well, yes, that's true. But that may be true. That may be true. But it was literally just pushing for the greatness to emerge as opposed to it's all it's just what's already there. I needed i needed eyes on it beyond my own. And when you gave it the green light, I knew that it wasn't just mine anymore.
00:31:37
Speaker
And once it's not mine anymore, it has to happen and it has to happen effectively. When it's mine, I can still pretend like it's it doesn't exist or I can still pretend like I'm just going to sweep it under the rug or that it will always be there. But as soon as I told you about it, that was one thing because you kept asking about it. But as soon as I showed it to you and you looked into it and you read it and it just didn't stop. It's just you, you saw the green light and 14 weeks later or less than, or however long it took.
00:32:16
Speaker
You were on me until we got these copies out. And I'm just, look, i'm I'm grateful. Like we were talking like once or twice a week to get this, get that thing together. um So yeah, y'all, her, her she works. she she is the She is the truth. I'm trying to trying to told you on the front end. Okay, let's talk about pivot point.
Leaving Corporate America
00:32:39
Speaker
Was there ever a time when you almost chose a different path?
00:32:47
Speaker
It's a good question. I think that a lot of women especially are going to understand what I'm saying when I say that there are always questions a ton of things coming at us in our heads. Oh, well, I know I could open this.
00:33:07
Speaker
Oh, well, I should do this. Oh, that would be a great business. Oh man, let's do, it's always there, yeah right? They're always just all of these things popping off in our heads. and And it's hard sometimes to say no to those things, especially when you know you have that ability and that capability or that that drive to make things happen.
00:33:34
Speaker
But I realized a long time ago that while I love the business of having a business, I don't love that nearly as much as I love the ability to push others to do what they're supposed to be doing.
00:33:55
Speaker
um And I see them. i see I see myself in others. And so, yes, there was a moment where I thought, I'm just going to continue being a wholesaler because that was one of my businesses. We had conversations like that for sure. Okay. Okay. Got it. Sorry. Sorry. um and No, you're fine. And because it was easy, right? It's almost always the easiest path.
00:34:25
Speaker
that we look at and we're like, oh, I could just keep doing that. And um I could keep things running. i already have things set up. I understand vendors. I understand manufacturers. I understand how things are done. I'm up at, you know, 2 a.m. in the morning talking to people in different countries trying to get things done. This is easy to me. yeah And I could just ride this out.
00:34:50
Speaker
And um i hate to say it, but um my mom's stroke, her battle with dementia, and then um my dad's battle with pancrea pancreatic cancer made me realize, yeah, I could do the easy thing.
00:35:06
Speaker
Yeah. But those weren't the things bringing me joy. Right. Right? Ease and joy don't go hand in hand a lot of times.
00:35:18
Speaker
And funny enough, I thought it would be an upward battle to break into this business, but I've loved every moment of it. Yeah.
00:35:32
Speaker
And it's just, it is the most joyful thing. It is the most rewarding thing when I have someone call me back and say, I'm not scared of that number anymore. Right.
00:35:45
Speaker
Because they were charging,
00:35:50
Speaker
$6,000 for an offer okay or, um, you know, they had their merch set at set price and, uh, they were afraid to bump it up or, or charge what it should be charged. And I get that call and they say, okay, I'm willing and I'm ready to try it out.
00:36:08
Speaker
And then that followup where they're like, why did I wait so long? Right. Right. Right. And, And there's nothing like it. So yeah, I could have kept doing the easy thing.
00:36:21
Speaker
I had to pivot. I had to, i had to do this. Okay. Life's too short not to be joyful. Right, right. Not to mention, you have some some pretty good examples of start to current.
00:36:38
Speaker
I won't even say finish because- I have yet to recognize a product that you have helped co-produce or collaborate on that has a period at the end.
00:36:50
Speaker
Maybe a comma, but I don't know about, I don't know about a period. Cause I mean, you dropped that. This is supposed to be a movement. Y'all see how she slickly put that on, and on the docket, right?
00:37:01
Speaker
Because we know, we know that there, it it is a movement. That's very true. That we're just waiting for you to catch up to that.
00:37:10
Speaker
Oh, I love you so much. Not nice. ah's Not nice. Look, the digs and the shade are real. so You're going to look down and I'm going to be there with the jab. which is Yes. Yes. Yes. You better bob and weave. Okay. Bob and weave. All right. No facts.
00:37:27
Speaker
And I'm glad that you did decide to pivot to this. Because you were doing really well where you were. was. In all facets. Like you you've been doing really well. But even as you are seeing the writings on the wall and the way you are choosing to pivot and who you are choosing to focus on is going to be monumental. It is monumental and it's going to be monumental. So it's exciting. Yeah.
00:37:55
Speaker
It has to be. I mean, here's the other thing. I could have stayed in corporate America. I could have been a C-suite executive, yeah right? And then this year or last year, they would have laid me off because that's what they're doing to everyone right now, right? And I mean, we're just going to have to say that because the reality is that certain people are being laid off in numbers that we have not seen before. And those people have tons of backgrounds, right? That are remarkable.
00:38:24
Speaker
and Yeah, i would I would have gone down that road and ended up here anyway. And it ended up here anyway. right See, that's one thing that I don't think people recognize. like God works in mysterious ways. Let's let's be very let's be very clear. um i am an extremely faithful person. all right so I have told you all this from time and time again. If you're on this episode, then you understand or understand or out understand, whatever. you You get where I'm coming from to an extent, but
00:38:57
Speaker
Even i came across a post on social that said, we are scared to make moves because we don't want to mess anything
Faith, Mistakes, and Motivation
00:39:05
Speaker
up. Like the creator didn't know that we were already going to F it up.
00:39:09
Speaker
So if you already know I'm a F it up, you already know how you're going to fix it. So why am I concerned about making the the quote unquote wrong decision or the wrong step when you've already calculated that in? But you know what? I dig i digress. Going back to my original point.
00:39:27
Speaker
No, I love it. Right. My mom used to always say you can't have half faith. What's the point? Right. Yeah. And so, yeah, you're going to make mistakes. And yes, you're going to have failures. But I can't tell you any failure that I've had that hasn't made me better. There you go Right. There you go. I shrug off that self pity and that whatever it is that comes about, because we're going feel we're yeah we're people. yeah We're going to feel those emotions with the failures. Yeah. But the person that I am after.
00:39:56
Speaker
o Yes. Yes. Unstoppable each and every time. Cosign. That's the perfect segue into the next the next little area where we're talking about resilience and process. So what keeps you in the game when things aren't going smoothly? What keeps you going?
00:40:14
Speaker
Faith. Amen. Truly. um i mean, i could i could say a lot of pretty words, but faith is really the only thing. um I tell people all the time that I know I'm blessed.
00:40:31
Speaker
Yeah. I know that what is for me will be mine without question. I know that I might have low moments and I write might have moments that are rough, but those are all those learning periods. Yeah.
00:40:47
Speaker
Right. Yeah. And I take those moments to make myself better. It does. I mean, we know what joy is because we know what the opposite emotion is.
00:40:58
Speaker
Okay. There's a balance. I just believe that, and I have the faith that I'm going to see it through. i will always see it through. Okay.
00:41:10
Speaker
Hashtag laid off lemonade. yeah Exactly that. I am so tickled. the hashtaghtag Go get the book. Okay. Listen, please do. If you guys haven't get the book, it's, it's remarkable.
00:41:27
Speaker
Um, Let's talk about, thank you for that. Let's talk about application and what we can take away, what we can take away from your L's, how we can turn your L's into the lessons, which is another L, but hey, what is one mindset shift or practice that has helped you to succeed? Yeah.
00:41:52
Speaker
oh Yeah. That's funny because we had a conversation about that very recently. ah Yeah. Yeah. But this question has been written for for over a year. So Hoda, is this podcast your fault too?
00:42:04
Speaker
This podcast is your fault too. Oh my gosh. I'm like in debt. i don't like that. Oh, gosh. Do you remember the conversation? You were like, oh, I had this Instagram live thing and we would ask these questions and I would say, okay, did you enjoy enjoy doing it? And you were like, I loved it. i was like, why'd you stop?
00:42:30
Speaker
I don't remember why I said I stopped, but I did stop. But you are definitely you definitely had more certainty in this podcast than I you had more certainty and vision for this podcast than I had at the time when you were pushing me to move forward. can Because when we originally started, we were starting with the the the doctor's journey. And I was just like, I don't think anybody's going to want to get on camera. I don't think anybody's, I think it's going to take forever to schedule people. I think it's going be really difficult. And you were just like, nope. And I was just like, are you sure? I just feel like people are going to drag their feet. Y'all, I was so wrong. And she was so right.
00:43:09
Speaker
I was so wrong. Yep. And she was Just ask. Incredibly right. just Just ask. Just present the opportunity and allow people to to filter themselves out. And it worked beautifully. So, you yeah is that three projects for me alone?
00:43:31
Speaker
Man. but But once again, these were things that you found joy in. Right. And um what's funny to me is that you thought that anyone would say no.
00:43:47
Speaker
Right. And I chuckled about that so much because and and here's a funny thing. i don't know if you remember this, but do you know the one and only know that I think you've gotten from you?
00:44:01
Speaker
Exactly. And where are we now? That is hilarious. And I'm still nervous to ask people. that That's the crazy, crazy part about all of it. i don't know if that's going to change, but that's wild. Yes, y'all. She told me no.
00:44:16
Speaker
Flat out. No. yeah But she is here now. And I'm so excited because you have something coming down the pipeline that we're going to get to in a minute that is just going to crack this wide open, like wide open, like TARDIS wide open. I'm so excited. i don't even know if y'all know what the TARDIS is, but TARDIS wide open. And I'm so, I'm so excited. All right.
00:44:44
Speaker
Did, did I, did I let you answer the question about what keeps you in the game? Or did I interrupt? Does it matter? um Does it matter? I think we flowed through that. And then I brought us right back to it. I brought us right back to it. Listen, what keeps me in the game?
00:45:01
Speaker
um I keep meeting wonderful people. Aw. Right? I think that, I mean, think about how we met. Yeah. Right. um I keep meeting wonderful people and I keep seeing what they can bring to the world. Right. And it almost seems a shame to see that vision and to walk away from it.
00:45:26
Speaker
Right. um Because if I could help bring something necessary out to the world, yeah then I'm going to do it.
00:45:38
Speaker
And, you know, it it's so funny when you started the podcast and the whole um doctor series, people need to see that representation. True.
00:45:49
Speaker
Right. They need to hear those stories. True. They're remarkable. And they
00:45:58
Speaker
It empowers people. When we think about who empowered us, those quiet voices, right? It's so funny. I said, what made me listen to those two individuals was the quietness of their voices. Those voices are necessary and we need more of them.
00:46:17
Speaker
We need to shine a light. So that's what keeps me going. Fair. Fair. Okay. All right. I see i see what you did there. i i see i see what you did there. All right. that's That's fine. That's fine. So lessons for others that we we did with that. Okay.
00:46:33
Speaker
All right. So with that being said, let's talk about your process and how has your thinking evolved as you've
Overcoming Corporate Trauma
00:46:41
Speaker
advanced? Because were corporate. You... were incorporat you you've gone through the corporate degree of abuse you've gone through like how has your your mind because that requires a lot of healing too because as you being the degree of giver that you are I can only um I didn't know you during your corporate days I think I met you right after maybe a year after if not right after yeah you decided to to to lay down your armor and walk away so So let's talk about it. How has your how has your thinking evolved?
00:47:18
Speaker
Listen, I still do battle with corporate Shirley. still do. um But there is some trauma there that I think we all, anyone who's been in corporate America, any woman who's been in corporate America knows what I mean when I say there's trauma there. And then add to it the trauma that happens when you're a black woman in corporate America. Okay.
00:47:48
Speaker
um I had to always figure out how to make my voice heard in a manner that was somewhat palatable to others. Yeah.
00:48:03
Speaker
And, I am happy to say that I have no interest in being palatable to anyone right now. okay. I don't.
00:48:15
Speaker
And that is the biggest thing, right? we We work under the structure of corporate America for so long. And it's not just corporate America. I have met um clients who were teachers, who were social workers, who, um you know, whatever it is that they did, there's a certain level of trauma and certain level of having to fit into a box that they had to work them their way into. And then we have to workout way out of it. And there is, i tell people all the time, embrace being unhinged.
00:48:51
Speaker
to a certain extent. and no sign right right And I live by that because what's the worst that can happen? I'm not telling you to, to, you know, go run amok. I'm not telling you that. Right. But I'm saying that um if the worst thing that you want to do is get a nose ring, right? Cause this was almost the first thing that I did after I left corporate America, i had waited all of my life to,
00:49:18
Speaker
OK, isn't that weird? OK, all of my life to get the nose ring. And it was like, oh, I don't want to be perceived as a nose ring girly. Right. Braids. I remember the first time I sat down and put colored braids in my hair and, you know, or blonde.
00:49:36
Speaker
that was such a big thing for me. yeah And it sounds small, especially in this day and age, it sounds small, but it's like peeling off layers of yeah paint.
00:49:48
Speaker
And then when you see yourself, you're like, holy shit. right How did I let anybody minimize this? facts. Right? And so
00:50:04
Speaker
There is so much corporate trauma that happens. But when I look back at going through going in with the migraines, right, that were happening because of them.
00:50:16
Speaker
um When I look back at losing my hair, when I look back at the fact that the last corporation I worked for um had not one, but two on-site therapists. Mm-hmm. When I look back on the fact that um i often went all day without eating because I was trying to do these things. My gosh. Right?
00:50:38
Speaker
And also when I look back at the fact that I had to schedule little moments of time for my child, right? Because we would come home. It would be the moment you would fight traffic sometimes, and especially I'm in Conyers right outside of Atlanta. right So it would be two hours later. I'm coming home to carve out that little bit of time. And it's bath time before you know it. bedtime and you're just seeing a sleeping child and then you see them off in the morning and you don't have any time.
00:51:12
Speaker
That's not the life that i I, when I look back on that life, Ooh, one, the pivot was easy because of that. Two, peeling off that that layer of all the other bullshit. yeah That was easy.
00:51:29
Speaker
I mean, now, I mean, my kid's in college now, but he's ah home summertime and he is sick of me because I'm in his face all the time. I got to see his um middle school kids.
00:51:43
Speaker
um years and his high school years and be here. I got to make him lunch, things like that, which I know sounds a little bit trad, but I loved it. You know, not upset with you.
00:51:54
Speaker
i you i mean, i homeschool my children, so I'm definitely not upset with you. So I get it. I i get it. I love it. And I know that not everyone can do it, but I do believe that more people can do it than actually do. yeah The thing is, a lot of times they don't know how ah and they don't believe that they can. Even more, they don't have the ability for some reason to stick to it the way that they should. And that's where I come in, right? Because I'm going to keep them, I'm going to give them a strategy that works. yeah And then a point by point way to get to where they want to go with something that's obtainable, something that could check off and be like, shit, I did that. Yes. And then they're just going step by step. and And then, of course, the best thing happens. I stop being necessary. They start having a joyful life doing the things that they really want to do. And then I'm just, you know, their homegirl. I love it. That's where I come in. And I get to see somebody else going on vacation with their kids, moving to other countries and saying, hey, we're out picking mangoes. Oh, my gosh. Things like that. Those are.
00:53:12
Speaker
It makes everything worth it. Fair. I strayed so far off topic. It did, but it didn't. um we We do keep taking things full circle. um And it actually landed us right where we were headed anyway.
00:53:28
Speaker
um But i I just I love that. And I love that you have such living proof of your work. Like such living living, breathing proof of your work. um and And that's such a beautiful thing. But now we're at the time, we're at the time we've all been waiting for. um Because i did something that I've never done on this podcast
Empowering Women Summit
00:53:56
Speaker
before. And that was have a potty mouth that I, y'all, in all transparency, I actually have quite it what historically,
00:54:04
Speaker
I've had a po a potty mouth now that I'm a mom. You know, I've cleaned it up just a smidge. But ask about me and you might just be surprised. But I love y'all. And, you know, code switching is my jam. That being said, Shirley is the creator of Fuck That.
00:54:22
Speaker
the unfiltered summit. And I really want her to have a chance to explain what that means. And that being said, what is next for you? And, and how can we support this journey? Like, tell us about this summit. Like, what are, what are we, what are we in for and who needs to be there and why do they need to be in the room? Let's, let's go, let's get into it.
00:54:49
Speaker
F that. I'm filtered. Oh, God. Yeah, I'm filtered. sorry Listen, I had to give myself permission to say f that, to say fuck it, right? Yeah. um Because i am a potty mouth.
00:55:04
Speaker
Yeah.
00:55:07
Speaker
and And of course, you can't do that in corporate America until you get really comfortable. Because it's always funny that the rooms that you think that you have to work hard to get into, once you get into those rooms, it's like everybody speaks with a potty mouth anyway. so Wild. corporate's Right? Wild. It's funny that way. I think I'm even more of a potty mouth because of those rooms. But that being said... Absolutely.
00:55:31
Speaker
My room, the one that I created because... It needed to be created. The Unfiltered Summit. Three days, absolutely free. The objective is to teach women, women, I'm sorry, guys, women, how to set a foundation for a sturdy business, right?
00:55:52
Speaker
Yes, there's a little bit of mindset stuff, but really it's very minimal. The mindset stuff is really about making women acknowledge their greatness, right? The thing about it is the the women that I'm trying to reach, they already know they're good at what they do. They already know that they have all of the tools necessary. ok They already know that they have been killing it. However, their businesses either don't align aren't bringing them joy or they're stagnant because they're so busy trying to perfect it that they're not progressing anywhere. They're just kind of spinning their wheels. Okay. or they have a really great idea and they're just pausing because they just need a little bit of a check mark from someone else to, to like make it a reality. The shade. And um the shade. She can't hold up my book.
00:56:47
Speaker
Listen, And and then there are the creatives, the creatives that are out there doing it and don't know how to monetize their their following, right? Those are all businesswomen who don't want to call themselves entrepreneurs or founders or businesswomen because those words sound threatening.
00:57:06
Speaker
Right. So you come to the Unfiltered Summit. We spend the first day just kind of chopping it up, talking about what a business looks like. OK. Right. OK. um Some of the legal stuff, some of the financial stuff, the things along those lines.
00:57:24
Speaker
Day two, we go a little bit deeper. i have you go away on the first day with some homework. You submit it. Day two, we go through it. We get through everybody in the room and we really talk about why the pause is happening. Okay. Right? And the pause is a big thing. The pause is, yeah it's a great idea, but, or, so this sister I've been doing this and,
00:57:52
Speaker
It's not. Or I want to charge this much, but I don't know. Hashtag F that. Who's going to. Right? Oh, you know, I have this thing that I've been thinking about, but ah it's not the business that I started and I'm afraid.
00:58:10
Speaker
Or like a client that I had most recently, she said, I had to shut down my business and now I have something that really brings me joy and I know it's good, but I'm afraid that the people who were watching me before are going to look at me now and say, why does she think she can do it this time, right?
00:58:33
Speaker
These are the conversations we're going to have Right. So foundations, because all of this, ah why is it feasible stuff doesn't matter if it's not a strong foundation. OK. Business wise. um And then, ah you know, I bring out some people, some experts who talk about these things. OK. Right. um Someone who talks about systems and tools. Another person who talks about Taxes, which I know is mundane, but we all got to do it, unfortunately. um You know, things along those lines. It's three days packed with what you need to know to have a strong foundation and also why you should stop pausing and just fucking do it. Yeah.
00:59:23
Speaker
Right? So really, every time you say, i don't know. Because I say, fuck that. You know.
00:59:36
Speaker
You know why. You absolutely know why. Or i don't know if they'll pay that much for it. Fuck that. What if they do?
00:59:47
Speaker
What if they pay more? Right. um What if they look at me shady because I closed an old business? Fuck that. They're not your ideal client.
00:59:59
Speaker
We're going to find your ideal client and you're going to thrive. We're not looking backwards. Right. and so, you know, It's so funny. um Someone pushed back at the whole fuck that thing. And they were like, are you just trying to be sensationalist? I said, no, we literally live in a society that tells us, especially women.
01:00:27
Speaker
Oh, be calmer, be sweeter, be nicer, be gentle. F that. modelddle Right? F Right.
01:00:38
Speaker
ah We are supposed to be in business what what they want us to be in everything else. And we tend to come out of these corporate structures or these institutional structures that say, oh, this is a box. This is a box that you fit in. Right. And I'm saying, fuck all of that. Yeah.
01:00:56
Speaker
Yeah. We're going to create the structures that work for us. And at the end of the day, because I don't believe in hustle, I don't believe in grinding. Those are bad words to me. We're we're using ah you know what is a taboo word. For me, hustle and grind are the words that I'm like, oh, no, we're not speaking those words. Don't don't bring it into my area. Okay. Because that's not the life we're living. Fair. Yeah.
01:01:19
Speaker
The life we're living is one that is based in doing something that brings you joy, but also gives you the ability to live your life. We're not waiting until a certain age so that we can retire and then do all of these things when our bodies are so drained and dry that we can't even do it. Listen, I still want to be cute.
01:01:40
Speaker
There you go. There you go. And able to do all of the things. There you go. At the same time. that I am putting in the labor. Yeah.
01:01:51
Speaker
Right. And, and that's what that's about. It's about balance and foundations. I love that. I i love that She just gave y'all a hybrid version of the um of the summit. And I love that this three-day summit is really like steps. They're baby steps to accepting the fact that you you do deserve to take your idea from from seed to plant. you You deserve that. And I love that you also will be offering the ability to to assist people with that after the summit. you know But it's going to take the summit to get people to even break through those barriers barrier yeah um that exist. Because we're we're not denying that those barriers exist. We we all go through... whatever we're going to go through. Like even with ah with me working with Shirley in in the past or historically or or on these projects that you keep hearing me bring up or hearing us bring up, you know, we had some roadblocks that we had to hammer through on both sides. um So we recognize that that exists. So when we're saying F that, that it's real. Like we want you to choose you.
01:03:11
Speaker
It's time to choose what you know that you are highly capable of doing. All we're saying is it's time to choose you and allow Shirley to help you get there.
01:03:25
Speaker
That's all. Get to that point and be beyond. like it's This is so dope. the The Unfiltered Summit, which is what the original name was. And then I think I turned around and heard her say something. I was just like, F that.
01:03:37
Speaker
The Unfiltered Summit. We're just going combine it. if we if we are not just If we're not trying to be primped and polished and we're trying to get down to the nitty gritty of what it is,
01:03:49
Speaker
It's the fact that everybody needs to throw up their hand and be like, stop, like F that. Like, no, that we're we're not doing that anymore. We have to make the choice to choose ourselves. And this is the moment for you to do that. And you have the opportunity to learn what you don't know because you do not know what you do not know.
01:04:08
Speaker
Do not know. Exactly. Let's be very clear. Great people. We'll go one step further. It isn't just about what we don't know. It's about the boundaries that we put on ourselves. We are so self-limiting. I have had clients that are like, I had a client that was, she had a mother. She she was a mother. She had two under four.
01:04:29
Speaker
And she was like, I don't have time. And that's a valid thing to say that I don't have time.
01:04:38
Speaker
Valid to a point. There is a certain amount of time. And if we're honest, right, even as if we're single parents, there has to be a moment in time where we pause to gain our sanity. Yeah. Right. So how do we multitask in that moment to make things happen? And it might be slow. That's the other thing. We're working on someone else's timelines. It might be slower for you, but we can still get you there. It's about getting you there because we want you. We want your babies. You want everybody to have that fullness, right? And we don't want you tired. We don't want you hustling. We want to figure out how to do it.
01:05:18
Speaker
in a way that's holistic and individual to you. And and like like you said, the after the summit, there will be opportunities to work with me and the opportunity is going to take time. yeah, yeah, yeah. But it's worth it, right? And and I think that that's the thing. We are self-limiting um and we think that everything has to be done a certain way. There's always a way around it. So- so Please, if you have the time.
01:05:51
Speaker
no Screw that. Make the time so that you can come to the summit. I love that. And it's free. Every moment. And it's free. All it costs is your time and your attention, which can be expensive. Don't get me wrong. But mean, a great deal of people scroll through social and that could be the time that they could using. You know what mean? So just wanted to- I wanted to to bring up that you said 14 weeks and 14 weeks is just over three months, y'all. So ah when it came to my book, Working With Shirley, that three months later, like we I think we talked about it in February, March, April, May. No, it might have been a little longer. I think we talked about it in February.
01:06:38
Speaker
And then you sent it to me. I finally, I think it took me a while to send it to you. I don't think I sent it to you right after having to nudge you. You were, it was like the elusive thing. was, I was mining for gold. She mentioned it. And then I was like, Hey, you haven't sent this to me. And she was like, Oh, I have this going on. And Hey, and we're meeting this whole time. We're meeting about, you know, the clothing line and all of that stuff. And I'm like, Hey, You haven't sent it. And I think what actually happened was one day I was like, before we get off the phone, you were like, oh, it's rough. And was like, I don't care. Yeah. And she didn't. But my point is, like, that was three months later.
01:07:22
Speaker
three roughly three Roughly three, no more than six months later, i had a book from from concept to physical copy and with pre-sales and and a whole launching ah game plan and all of that jazz within the timeframe that Shirley allotted for me. So I just need y'all to understand that sometimes you just need your own personal, bully is the wrong word. Nag will go with that.
01:07:50
Speaker
um You need your own personal, you need your own personal nag to to sit there and be like, you know what? Are you doing it? Are you doing it? Are you not doing it? i think you should do it Right now I'm poking my face, y'all, so that you can see how annoying I am being to myself. But like, are you doing it? Can you come? And it was never annoying because you were helping me reach a goal that I told you I wanted. So- I don't care if it's annoying.
01:08:13
Speaker
and know I know don't. will take annoying you. gosh. I really, at the end of the day, if you're going to be joyful- Fair. I will be the person that you don't like momentarily. Fair. You you know, that's okay. I have never not liked you. That's not true. I need to keep clarifying because you you keep positioning yourself that you are going to be getting on people's nerves. And I think that that's good trouble.
01:08:39
Speaker
yeah i just I just do. know I think that that's a necessary situation. huh ah Trouble is the word. I am so tickled. All right. i So F that. I'm embracing it. F that the unfiltered summit is coming down the pipeline. Make sure you go to FathomandFlourish.com.
01:08:58
Speaker
And, and, and join the mailing list so that you can get on board when those, ah those summits are being offered because they will be on a rolling basis. I believe that's what, what you told me, right?
01:09:12
Speaker
um Correct. But yeah, y'all make sure how, how can people, okay. My, my next question, how can people find you? i know you sent me a list, but gonna let you say some of them and then it'll be down in the, the, the box below. Great people. Can I mention that you will be at the summit? Is that okay? Oh, I will absolutely be at the summit, you guys. Yes, you yes you may. But I will absolutely be at the summit. Thank you.
01:09:40
Speaker
i As a co-host, y'all. Because she is some kind of wonderful. Y'all get to hear me harass, y'all. Yes, that that is that is me. that is That is me. I'm so excited. It's going to be so dope.
01:09:56
Speaker
It really is. I'm so... so I'm looking forward to it in a way that I didn't expect. I thought that there was, and it's so funny because you deal with that, right? You expect fear, you expect reservation, you expect all of the things. And it was such an interesting thing to me that all I felt is excitement. I can't wait.
01:10:21
Speaker
So. It's going to be, it's going to be dope. And I'm excited because I enjoy asking the questions that people don't want to ask. like i I think I take i take joy in asking the questions that others may be too embarrassed to ask or may think is the stupid question or the dumb question. I'm going to ask because, I mean...
01:10:43
Speaker
the The worst somebody can say is no, if I'm asking a question or you're not to make me feel dumb because i mean, I'm asking the question for a reason. Like e that's a you problem. If you're trying to actively make me feel out of pocket and I'm asking a genuine question. um So that's not going to affect me. That's going to show more of how whomever else that would be. So that doesn't bother me. So I'm excited to ask the questions.
01:11:11
Speaker
on behalf of the audience if and when they don't have the, the, you know, the, the option to do so. So I will absolutely be a mouthpiece and, and for, for your, for your audience. I'm excited about that. So thank you for that opportunity. Close mouth doesn't get fed. I love it. Big facts. Okay. Big facts. All right. Where can we find you? Where, where are you?
01:11:30
Speaker
So I am on pretty much every social as the Shirley Sampson, T-H-E-S-H-I-R-L-E-Y-S-A-M-P-S-O-N. Okay. And you can find me at my web website, fathomandflourish.com,
01:11:46
Speaker
that I would even plug that up, but fathomandflourish.com. And pretty much if you see me out in the social streets, Say Send me a like.
01:12:01
Speaker
Follow. what unhinged thing I'm doing. Share. you know Invite your friends. just and Tell your friends about the the summit, you guys. because it's Yes. It's going to be it's it's going to be an entire vibe. um And I'm really I'm really excited about it. um I have one final question. But before I ask that, is there anything that I didn't bring up that you would like to address or you would like to say before I ask my final question?
01:12:30
Speaker
Um, there, just one thing, if you want to work with me prior to the summit, if you need an audit or anything along those lines, there's a link on the website, Fathom and Flourish. Definitely click on it. It's 90 minutes of me literally getting into the nitty gritty of your business and asking you all of the uncomfortable questions and then giving you a strategy to walk away with and dates to have that strategy done. so If you want to do that, definitely fathomandflourish.com. I love it. we're Totally worth the investment.
01:13:08
Speaker
Totally, totally worth the investment in self and business and lifestyle. It's going to be uncomfortable. he Yes. Yes. Are you making them do the um the personality test?
01:13:21
Speaker
So I actually, I'm going to be launching a quiz out there oh um on all of my socials for people to kind of figure out who they are. Part of my onboarding after the summit, if they choose to work with me, is going to be doing all of the personality tests. It is always amazing because it when you did it, you found out some things that were kind of shocking. I did. I didn't want to do it, you guys, but it was totally helpful. It is helpful. It's also helpful to me because it helps me figure out how to speak to you. Yes. Right? Some people do need that soft tone. Some people need quiet. Other people are not going to be, they're not going to move
Personality Tests in Coaching
01:14:03
Speaker
by quiet. Yeah. And some people are going to need a relentless nag who chips away at them every few moments and um helps them to publish a book. Some people need that person. So-
01:14:16
Speaker
That helps greatly. The personality tests help greatly. But I do love on my people as well. you know One of the things that I have people do is they find out their love languages. And I try to you know buy into that in some way, shape, or form because I love gift giving and all of that other stuff. So it's worth it. I love it. I i love that. And co-sign. um I am so excited for what is coming after All of this. Like, this is just so dope. All right.
01:14:48
Speaker
Final question. You ready? I'm going to try to be. What is one public facing thing that people don't know about you?
Creative Entrepreneurship
01:15:00
Speaker
wow. um My first business. Okay. And it's always funny because I was never the face of my first business, but my first business was pole dance clothing line.
01:15:13
Speaker
called DV8 Couture, Deviate Couture. And right, I start, and say it now, that was a corporate in me, DV8, like ah it's not a deviate, Deviate Couture.
01:15:26
Speaker
And it was tailored completely and totally towards um people who pole dance for fitness because that's what I did. And I still dabble in it because it keeps me nice and fit and my calves are always on point. Okay. OK, um ok um there is no shame in my game. I love it. The community great. um I I enjoyed designing um both athletic wear um for them and then fun things that, you know, street wear that they could go out and kind of say, hey, I'm a pole dancer. um But that was my first business.
01:16:05
Speaker
That was my first business. I love that. And I love that when I found that out, my jaw, like I had to scrape it off the floor. i Like, hold up. What did you just say to me? Because I feel like when I met you, you were still shedding like corporate, surely. And I was just like, I'm sorry. What did you just say? Did did you just put pole dancing and business and everything else all in the same? Hold up.
01:16:28
Speaker
I need more details. and you and And then I think you like, so you like scanned over it. It wasn't even like a real conversation at that point. I was like, no no no, no, no, no. Run this back. I need, I need details. I need, I need the juice. Let me go make a cup of tea. I need, I need all of the the information. Yeah.
01:16:45
Speaker
It was interesting because I told you I was going to a convention or something. i was like, oh I'm going to the pole dance convention. You were like, what? but I was like, yeah, I'm a vendor there. and You're like, what?
01:16:56
Speaker
um So, yeah, I love it. i In fact, they just, pole convention just happened. And I'm i'm so pissed that missed it. That you missed it? I mean, yeah you were busy, you know, nagging people. i know. Yeah. I know, but I miss it. i do Listen, i am i will say this in corporate America, because I've been pole dancing a long time. The one way that you knew that Shirley had a little bit of edge was always my shoes.
01:17:25
Speaker
ah I love me a good heel. My knees don't love me a good heel anymore, but you know. Okay. Okay. I remember my heel days. I'm not there anymore. and Now you can give me ah a good pair of grandpa shoes and I will be happy.
01:17:41
Speaker
Thank you. give me Give me a good pair of walking shoes and I will be happy. Or if or some Pilates socks. One or the other. Thank you.
01:17:51
Speaker
ah Yeah. Comfort all the way around. I think COVID changed that for all of us. life out admit Yes. Okay. We'll go with that. we We will go with that. Yes, ma'am. Yes, ma'am.
01:18:02
Speaker
All
Next Stages for 'Laid Off Lemonade'
01:18:03
Speaker
right. I think that that is that's all I have for the day. Is there anything that we missed? Anything we need to say? um No, um it will be great when we can tell them about the next stage to Late Off Lemonade. It will be. And it will be. yeah But go to LateOffLemonade.com if you are interested in grabbing your your copy of the book. I got kicked off at Amazon, but that's a whole nother conversation for another day.
01:18:29
Speaker
um yeah But we'll be back. i'm I'm going to come out with another edition and and I'll be back on on Amazon. um Completely unfair. Oh, corporate decisions suck sometimes. But you know, it i get it. I get it. But but it's because there was there's an addendum that needs to be added. So everything happens for a reason. You're right. you you're You're right. crazy yeah You see how she did that?
01:18:55
Speaker
You see how she did that? So I'm coming back. I'm coming back and you'll be able to order. um And then you'll be able to come to one of the events and get it signed because you'll order it and you won't be able to get the signed copy from me directly. But that's okay. You can just bring your copy and I would love to sign it. um But yes.
01:19:13
Speaker
Laid off lemonade. And I'm sorry. i hate to say this um and drag this out even more, but I don't know if you guys know this, that there are ingredients i am so and recipes.
01:19:24
Speaker
i I don't know that she has flipped through this book with you guys, but i have when I tell you it is worth it, you're literally going to... It is worth it. Okay. That book took. And it's right time a year for it. It is We are, we are on the front end of hot season and there are upwards of, I believe there are 10, there are at least 10 episodes.
01:19:47
Speaker
lemonade recipes and feel like they're 12 but they're at least 10 lemonade there's more than 10 i think they're 12 um there's also a playlist and there are there is a playlist there are activities that's good the playlist is actually available on title now i don't think i built it out on um on spotify but you can go to title and look up laid off lemonade and it'll come up um for sure need you to put it on spotify say what is it not on spotify I don't have Spotify. that's I don't like any of those answers. i Just put it on Spotify. that's the I don't like the answer that you're giving me. not going listen to it. Put it on Spotify. I can provide, right? It's not good enough. we're gonna It's going to be on Spotify, y'all, because I don't like any of the answers that she's going to give. i was asking, why is it not on Spotify? It will be on Spotify i because it's a good playlist. This podcast is on Spotify.
01:20:39
Speaker
Exactly. So what are you doing? But the playlist is not on Spotify. um But it will be. I will have to find someone else to put that on Spotify for you guys. I don't have Spotify. um They're getting too many times saying this word. i like i can i'm bleeping all this out. Say what?
01:20:58
Speaker
We'll talk. And on that note... Excuses. Okay. On that note... Not nice, y'all. I'm sorry. i i i hope this is like a peekaboo moment so y'all can see what you will be getting into. And it's totally worth it. Let me be very clear. it's It is totally worth it. I am giggling through all of this. She is not wrong, but we are going to talk and we're going to talk it out. And it probably will be on that platform But I won't be the one to put it there. um
01:21:31
Speaker
And on that note,
Closing and Gratitude
01:21:34
Speaker
I am so grateful. Thank you for joining us today. to the to the audience, thank you for hanging out to this point of the show. If you made it this far, you are a true writer. And I'm grateful for you. This has been another router conversation with The Greatness Router. And our guest today was Ms. Shirley Sampson.
01:21:55
Speaker
your new accountability, Bessie. And make sure you look into the description box for how to reach out to her, how to contact her. She is also on LinkedIn. She did not say that, but she is. And um yeah, peace, love, light. Thank you, Shirley, so much for joining us. Thank you to the audience. And I hope you have a beautiful, beautiful day.
01:22:17
Speaker
Peace.
01:22:20
Speaker
And that's a wrap on this episode of The Greatness Router. If you found some value in today's conversation, be sure to subscribe, rate, and definitely share. It helps more people connect to the journey of greatness.
01:22:34
Speaker
Until next time, keep moving with purpose.