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Bridging the gap between ministry and marketplace - Conversation with Dr. Witt
114 Plays1 year ago
"God is within you , you will not fail"
Dr. La Shawn Denise Witt joins me on this episode to share her entrepreneurial journey . She is an educational consultant, academic coach, author and a wedding & event planner . She worked in the field of education for over 18 years and currently owns Divine Diva Events, a wedding and special events business.
Enjoy this conversation with Dr. Witt.
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Transcript
Trusting Divine Plans
00:00:00
Speaker
God is within you, you will not fail. No matter what it is that you fail at in life or you feel like you're failing at life, you're only failing because God has a better plan. Got your rejection, that no is going to turn into a yes, it's going to turn into an acceptance. It's going to turn into a congratulations. You've been approved.
00:00:20
Speaker
and just know that God definitely has your back. No matter who says no, no matter who doesn't believe in you, no matter who doesn't support you, just know that your faith in God changes everything. You will be celebrating something major soon. And one last thing that I would do is allow people to be who they are.
00:00:43
Speaker
Do not force any connections nor take on their confusion or their uncertainty when it comes to you because God is showing you something. God is moving you into your next season. You just find your poor people, your sisterhood, your network, your soul people, and you hold them close. Because remember what's for you will flow like the rivers and the waters that God has created. In Jesus' name I pray.
00:01:09
Speaker
Amen, again, because I just felt led that I needed to say that for those of you who may be listening.
Introducing Dr. Denise Witt
00:01:16
Speaker
Welcome to the Entrepreneur Speaks podcast, where I sit down with successful entrepreneurs and hear their stories from their biggest failures to their greatest successes. You get a behind the scenes look at what it really takes to make it as an entrepreneur. So come along for the ride and let's explore the entrepreneurial journey together.
00:01:39
Speaker
My guest is an educational consultant, academic coach, author, and a wedding and event planner. She worked in the field of education for over 18 years and currently owns Divine Diva Events, a wedding and special events business.
00:01:58
Speaker
My guest is Dr. Denise Wits. Welcome to my show, Dr. Wits. Thank you. Thank you for having me on this afternoon. How are you? I'm doing very well, and good to have you on my show. Let's start off by you telling us a bit more about yourself.
Journey into Education and Entrepreneurship
00:02:13
Speaker
Thank you.
00:02:14
Speaker
Well, let's see. I am Ben Coyne, the name the Global Strategist. That is because myself, Dr. LaShawn, I have my hands in so many different things. As you mentioned, I am an educator by day and I have multiple businesses in which I have founded over the years.
00:02:32
Speaker
But I guess my most exciting opportunity that I've been given recently is being able to just go on different talk shows, meet different people, and speak about how God has blessed me to do work in the ministry. I've been in education now almost 19 years and just kind of
00:02:55
Speaker
you know, stepping into sort of, if you will, a new entrepreneurial life. Even though I've been doing these side businesses, it just really hasn't opened up the doors for me to publicly greet people and encourage and motivate and talk to people. So I'm just so excited.
00:03:12
Speaker
Every opportunity I have to speak to people who will listen and just share about my love for being an entrepreneur. Okay, so later on we'll get to talk about your life as an entrepreneur. But before we get to that part of your life, how did you get started pursuing a career in education? And what really motivated you to pursue that career path?
00:03:34
Speaker
You know, I started my career in education when I was 22. I dropped out of med school because I thought that I wanted to be a doctor. I had all these goals. I wanted to be a doctor. I wanted to be a lawyer. I wanted to be a therapist. I had all of these different things that I wanted to do. And I was just like, everything just wasn't
00:03:52
Speaker
It just wasn't doing it for me. And so finally, I had a friend who told me, hey, come become a teacher. And I'm like, uh, no. And then when I finally decided, because I was a young mom, and so she encouraged me to come be a teacher because the schedule worked great, you know, being a single mom, having the summers off. And I was like, I don't know if I want to work with kids. When I got into education, it was just my passion.
00:04:16
Speaker
just it just grew it was so exciting i had an opportunity to just make a difference in kids lives you know work with different kids and and just become mentors to them and that's what the part that was so exciting i was a science teacher.
00:04:29
Speaker
And then people started to identify my talents and kind of coerce me, if you will, to come out of the classroom and grow up, if you will, in administration and become a principal, assistant principal, and all of these different things. And so I enjoyed making a difference in young lives. I enjoyed just mentoring kids, working with kids, and really just helping to make a difference. And when I run into some of my students now who are like 25, they're 30,
00:04:55
Speaker
you know, they're doing so well. And it's always a joy to hear them say, you know, Dr. Whit, you made a difference in my life. So that that's kind of how I got it started. And even though I'm doing these other things, it's like, that's the job I just cannot let go of. OK. All right. So thank you for sharing that part of your life. Now, let's talk about the other part of your life. Your life as an entrepreneur. So you've been an entrepreneur for some time. What really inspired you to start your own business?
Motivations and Challenges
00:05:24
Speaker
You know, I'm gonna be honest, more money. Because everyone knows when you're in education, you don't make a lot of money. And so I was like, what can I do? And I just kind of didn't really feel like I was fulfilled. So when I was in high school, I started, you know, planning events, but didn't really think that that was, quote unquote, a career, if you will. So as I got started, you know, I just really
00:05:52
Speaker
you know, begin marketing myself, getting myself out there, and started doing weddings and events. And there were other small things. I used to do taxes. I used to do resumes. It was all these different things that I would do to just, you know, get extra money from different multiple streams. And so as I began to grow and mature as an adult, and even in my Christian life, it was like additional opportunities opened up for me to, you know, do motivational speaking and, you know, speak at churches and speak at
00:06:20
Speaker
you know, do mistress of ceremonies and just all these different things started to open the doors. But honestly, it was just really like, there's more money out there to be made. And I really wanted to make a difference. I really wanted to do ministry. I wanted to help and serve people. And so that's where my passion was. It was like,
00:06:37
Speaker
I just felt like, yeah, I'm supposed to be a teacher. I'm supposed to be doing all these things. But there was something that I just couldn't put my finger on. And it wasn't until I really started working and making my own money and setting my own hours and taking my own contracts. I'm like, OK, this entrepreneurial thing is really cool. So that's kind of how I got started. And then all of a sudden, as I kept going and realizing what my passions were, it was like, OK, I can make money from this. I can make money from cooking. I can make money from this.
00:07:06
Speaker
That's how I'm able now to earn income from seven or eight different streams. Yeah, so like any other entrepreneur, I'm sure you've also been faced with a number of challenges. What were some of your challenges? Absolutely. Yes, yes, yes, yes. What were some of the challenges in the early stages of your business and how did you overcome these challenges?
00:07:29
Speaker
Well, I don't think challenge is honestly ever in because it's always going to be a challenge. Entrepreneurship requires discipline. It requires commitment. It requires organization. And for me, I think some of the challenges in the beginning, these kind of foster themselves throughout time. But
00:07:48
Speaker
It's the support. You're always looking for support from a certain demographic of people, people that you know, people that are like your friends or what's a college with or your family. But entrepreneurship is not based on your business being supported by people that you know. It's about targeting your consumer, targeting the people that appeal to your brand. And so for me, I had to understand the mindset of
00:08:14
Speaker
everybody's not going to be here to support me. That was like one of my downfalls, one of my challenges, because a lot of times I would feel like giving up because I didn't get the support that I thought that I should have gotten.
00:08:26
Speaker
I think also takes a level of discipline. You've got to put a lot of time into it. You've got to be committed. You've got to understand the importance of setting schedules, setting business practices so that you can do the job, so that you could be committed and you can see the results. Because you're the only person that's your brand. It's you. It's your brand. You own the company. And if you're not putting your all into it, then it's not going to happen.
00:08:51
Speaker
So those for me were some of my initial challenges and it's not perfect now because as you continue to evolve, you got to change your brand and you got to make sure that you're constantly keeping up with what is new, what is trending so that your business can be successful. Okay. Like any other human endeavor,
00:09:12
Speaker
We confront failures as well as also enjoy successes. What role has failure played in your entrepreneurial journey and how have you used setbacks as opportunities for growth?
Learning from Failures
00:09:26
Speaker
I think for me, honestly, I would have to say, I think just what I was saying, I think failures really help you to stay committed. It really helps you to understand what it is that you need to do to stay on top of your business game.
00:09:45
Speaker
See, it's different when you go to work. You get an evaluation. You know what you're supposed to work on. You know what, okay, you got to do this. You got to be this. You work on this. These are goals for the year. But entrepreneurship, it's your business. So you have to look at other businesses. You have to look at other industries and what they're doing to keep on top of your game. And so those failures, like if you didn't do so well in this area or you didn't have that many clients,
00:10:14
Speaker
It's like, okay, you got to sit down at the end of the year and reflect on what can make my business successful, more successful. What can make my business stand out more different than the other? Because some of us, we're all doing the same thing. So at the end of the day, it's so important to be able to reflect on those failures, reflect on the things that you didn't make the best decisions on to help you moving forward. That's very true. You've been on this journey for quite some time,
00:10:41
Speaker
Looking back on your journey so far, what lessons have you learned and can you share some of these lessons with us?
Keys to Success
00:10:49
Speaker
Lessons that I've learned is that you can't do business with everybody. You can't, you know, for me, I just
00:10:58
Speaker
I think for me, the biggest lesson learned is just you have to believe in yourself. You have to believe what it is that you're putting out there. You have to tell yourself, it's okay. I didn't do this. I didn't accomplish this, but what do I have to do next time to do better? I think that's the most important thing for me.
00:11:20
Speaker
Again, as I talked about, everyone is not going to support your brand. Find your tribe of people that are going to support you. Find the tribe of people that are going to stand in the corner. They're going to pray for you. They're going to push you. They're going to champion you so that you can do good job.
00:11:36
Speaker
Also, being a good steward of your money is so important that you are investing in yourself, that you're investing in your brand. Even if you feel like no one else is going to like it, you love it. And when people see the passion behind what you're doing,
00:11:51
Speaker
They're going to move quicker. They're going to say, you know what? I want to buy from her. I want a supporter brand. I want to get a service from her. All of those different things help to really push you to the next level. And entrepreneurship is not successful day one, week one, not even month one.
00:12:07
Speaker
It takes some time to grow. And then even when you become successful, you got to figure out how to sustain that. It doesn't just, oh, you're at the top of your game, you're doing welly well, but that dies down. And you've got to be able to keep up with what's going on, your competitors, what's trending, like I said earlier, to really just keep your business successful.
00:12:29
Speaker
Thank you. Thank you so much. So my guest once again is Dr. LaShawn Denise Witt. Dr. Witt, you are a woman of faith. How do you maintain your faith while being an entrepreneur and also occupying all these roles that you do occupy?
Faith and Entrepreneurship
00:12:46
Speaker
You know, without God, I can't be who I want to be. I mean, it's just that. It's like, you know, for me, God is the answer. God is who I need in order to be successful.
00:13:01
Speaker
I have to sustain my relationship with God because I can't move without him telling me, you know, LaShawn, I need you to do this. Focus here. Connect me with these people. If I don't do that, I'm not going to have what I need. And what we do every day is all for God. We're all here for a purpose. We're all here.
00:13:21
Speaker
to do the work of God. It's ministry, and I need God. I need to sustain my relationship with God. I need to be a woman of faith, a woman in prayer. People are not going to understand my successes and what I've gone through unless I'm able to say, God did this. God did that for me. God showed me this. God gave me a vision. He opened up this door. And so for me, it's staying continual in my word and being a woman and praying in order to sustain what it is that God has called me to do.
00:13:47
Speaker
All right, thank you so much for underscoring the importance of God in everything that we do. We all need God and we all need to walk and allow him to guide us in other steps in everything that we do. Now let's talk about your upcoming conference.
Empowering Women: The Wonder Woman Conference
00:14:04
Speaker
Why is the conference known as the Wonder Woman conference?
00:14:08
Speaker
Well, the Wonder Woman, Deuteronomy, in the book of the Bible, Deuteronomy chapter 818 says, but remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth. My heart and my passion is to produce or to inspire women to produce wealth, to be their holistic self. When we think about Wonder Woman, we think back in the day of all the cartoon characters, Spider-Man, Superman, Wonder Woman was my favorite. She was a powerful leader. She was a warrior.
00:14:38
Speaker
So Wonder Woman has, as we know, extraordinary powers. She's a superwoman. But God views us as the same. God views us as women who are strong warriors. We're not afterthoughts. We're not sidekicks. Our emotional vulnerability as women, that's our strength. It's not a weakness. So when we women, when we come together and we stand firm and our God-given identity and our calling
00:15:02
Speaker
We can change the world. And so with that, Wonder Woman Conference is one of the largest events for people of faith in entrepreneurship. This week-long conference, it's been put together to inspire women, to cultivate women, to push women into their next level. I am really big on building women.
00:15:24
Speaker
mentally, emotionally, physically, spiritually, financially. All of those components are what helps us to be successful. So this conference is going to help attendees unlock practical insights and breakthrough strategies through education and networking. And as a real life Wonder Woman, we fight the enemy in the world around us. And so we're a protector. And I feel like I am a protector of women. I'm a champion of others. So I want to be able to support the women that others may ignore, others may not think highly of.
00:15:54
Speaker
I want to be able to inspire them every day to live a better life, to love harder, and of course, to care a little bit deeper about what it is that they've called to do.
00:16:04
Speaker
Okay, so when is this conference happening and how can one get involved? Yes, it's coming up soon, May 10th through the 14th. It's taking place in Houston, Texas. The website is WonderwomanConference.com. They can come to the conference in person. We still have registration open or virtually. We just launched virtual yesterday so they can tune into the four-day experience. The entire conference will be virtually
00:16:31
Speaker
available for anyone in the world who wants to attend. I'm looking forward, we're gonna have day sessions, we're going to have panels, we're going to have night services, and we're even gonna be having a midnight prophetic service. So I'm looking forward just, I'm gonna be tired of worn out, but I'm looking forward to the upcoming conference. I'm so excited about it. And it's less than 10 days. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And you keep referring to women, women, women. Is this conference restricted to only women?
00:17:00
Speaker
Well, it is a woman's conference, but guess what? You've asked a very important question. We have two men speakers who I've brought to the platform because we as women need the wisdom of men. So our afternoon and our evening services are open to men. So if men want to buy a virtual pass or men want to come in person, they are most welcome to attend the conference. So absolutely, it is not restricted to women. Okay, so that's good. Now let's talk.
00:17:30
Speaker
about other things you're involved in and also find your views and thoughts on some issues. Why is it that important to bridge the gap between ministry and the marketplace?
Faith in the Marketplace
00:17:43
Speaker
Why is this so important?
00:17:45
Speaker
You know, I was sharing with someone the other day that, you know, we have been equipped with what we need to be successful in the marketplace. We're successful already in ministry, but we also need to be successful in marketplace. God gives us what we need. There is a purpose for our lives. And some of us operate heavily in ministry, but we lack what we need to operate in the marketplace.
00:18:12
Speaker
I tell people all the time, we can shout in tongues and we can shout and do all these things in ministry, but we have to be successful in the marketplace. And together in the Bible, God speaks of many people who were successful in both areas. One of my favorite characters in the Bible is Lydia. She was a woman of God. She was a woman of faith. She was a minister. She ministered in her own right, but she was a seller of purple cloth. She had a successful
00:18:38
Speaker
business in the marketplace. And Mary and these two together are for those who are entrepreneurs of faith. How are you successful as an entrepreneur? You have God, but you have the resources and you have the tools that you need.
00:18:52
Speaker
to navigate in marketplace. And so bringing these two together will help us to have better business practices, have better business acumen, have more godly integrity, make more money in a way that is pleasing to God. So all of these things are what God has called us to do. And as I said in the scripture Deuteronomy 8, 18, remember the Lord your God, it is he who gives us the ability to produce wealth.
00:19:19
Speaker
That's true. That's true. Reading about you, I came across the fact that you're also an author.
Inspiring Future Generations
00:19:26
Speaker
Can you tell us about that part of your life? Yes. I authored a book called The Diva Herself. It will be available in the summer. It'll begin shipping.
00:19:38
Speaker
I have taken, it's taken a long time to write this book about myself, but it talks about all of the tragedies and adversities that I've gone through and how I've really settled down and really got before God and it just became more grounded in what God has called me to do. You know, one of the things for me is
00:19:56
Speaker
My story can only be told by me. No one can tell my story. No one can tell the things that I've gone through and the lessons that I've learned. And I want women to say, hey, you may have been a single mom. You may have found bankruptcy. You may be a rape survivor. You may have tried to commit suicide. All of these different things that doesn't define who you were at the time that you were in the darkest periods of your life. Take that, learn from it, and let's go and do what God has called us to do.
00:20:24
Speaker
So I'm excited to share my book with the world and my story so that people can learn and know that tomorrow is promised and a second chance is waiting for you on the other side. Okay. You said a lot about the book, but I want to find out from you what really inspired you to write this book, The Diva Himself.
00:20:41
Speaker
Again, my passion for wanting to help women, my passion for wanting to get women to know that there are women out there that they need to connect themselves with, how important a sisterhood is, how important it is to network. This book is, I mean, it's my story and my story is going to be different from the next person, but I wanted to inspire and motivate women to do better and to really understand that God is their source.
00:21:08
Speaker
that God is what they need in order to be successful and how God has just come in and changed my life and just made me a different person. Because at the end of the day, I was a mess. But now that I've had a chance to experience God's goodness and I've been able to walk in my calling, I just can't think of a better way. That's good. So what would one find in the book that Diva has done? What would one find in the book?
00:21:34
Speaker
Yes, the pre-orders will open right during the conference and it will be available for sale on the globalstrategists.info. I will also have it available on the Wonder Woman conference page as well. And of course, they can buy it in person if they're going to be in the conference. Also, I have an app that can be downloaded to their phone. My sister's keeper DAS TGS, which stands for the Global Strategist. My book will also be for sale there as well.
00:22:02
Speaker
Okay, we're just about wrapping up our conversation. A lot of people are listening. A lot of young ladies are listening and they've been inspired by your journey and your story. What would be your advice to that young lady out there who is on the verge of giving up? Who thinks that all hope is lost? What would be your advice to that young lady?
00:22:24
Speaker
Don't give up is all I can say. Life is so much better when you get through these tragedies, these adversities, these pitfalls. If anyone tells you, I will tell you that I love you and you can do better. You are better. These tragedies are set up for testimonies. Until you get over here, you don't realize that what you're going through is a testimony because you have been called to a community of people who will experience some of the same things that you are experiencing now.
00:22:53
Speaker
But they need your voice. They need who you are and who you will be to them. They need to see that you have overcome. And even though your story is going to be different than the next sister story, your story is needed in order to save the world. You are a wonder woman. You have superpowers.
00:23:13
Speaker
You have been built in call for a time such as this, and you have to hang on. You have to be a strong warrior. You're never, ever, ever, ever going to know that until you have conquered all of this and you have become who God has called you to be. All right. So never give up and stay strong.
00:23:35
Speaker
We just about wrapping up. Before we sign off or before you give your general advice to my listeners, I would like at this stage to ask you to say a prayer for both my listeners and all other people all over the world. So call for a prayer at this stage.
A Prayer for Guidance
00:23:53
Speaker
Father God, I thank you for this opportunity as always to come before your people and share my story, share what it is that you've done in my life. I thank you for this opportunity to connect with my brother all the way in Ghana.
00:24:09
Speaker
I thank you, Father God, that technology has brought believers and those of us together who want to impact the world, who want to make a difference. Father, for every voice of every person that will hear my voice today, tomorrow, whenever this interview will play over and over again, God,
00:24:27
Speaker
I pray that each person is touched by something that I've shared today. Father God, we never know whose voice will change our lives. We never know whose voice will say, aha, this is what I need to do. God, let this be a aha moment for my sister who is listening out there. Father, I thank you that you have shown us, Father God, that our lives
00:24:51
Speaker
are to be lived because we are a testimony. If everything is perfect, God, we would need you and help people to understand that we go through these things because we have to know what it's like to war in the spirit, to be faithful to you, to pray, to praise you, Father God.
00:25:07
Speaker
Father, I bless every household that will listen to this broadcast. I pray that you would fill them mentally, emotionally, physically, spiritually, financially, whatever it is that they're believing in God. I pray that you would meet those needs. Father, I just thank you for what you're doing in the lives of these women that will listen and even the men. I thank you, Father, God, for you have called them for such a time as this. Father, together we are more than one, God. We are making impact in this world.
00:25:35
Speaker
I just thank you, Father and I, for choosing me and helping me to be a vessel that drives people close to you, that drives people to pursue you more, Father. I thank you for making us hunger after you, Lord. I thank you for all that you will continue to do in our lives. And I pray that you would bless each and every listener, Father, and that you would open those doors that we are so desiring for you to open. Father, I bless.
00:26:00
Speaker
those who will come in contact with this broadcast, Father God, and that you would speak to them. Bless the producers, bless those who work behind the scenes to make sure that the systems, the airwaves, and all the things that need to work
00:26:15
Speaker
Father, that all of these things work so that we together can make impact. And I praise you and I thank you and I cover the family of all those that will be listening. In Jesus name I pray. Thank God. Amen. Thank you so much for sharing this prayer with us. But before we sign off, what will be your general advice to my listeners before
Conclusion on Faith and Resilience
00:26:34
Speaker
we sign off?
00:26:34
Speaker
God is within you, you will not fail. No matter what it is that you fail at in life or you feel like you're failing at life, you're only failing because God has a better plan. Got your rejection. That no is going to turn into a yes. It's going to turn into an acceptance. It's going to turn into a congratulations. You've been approved.
00:26:55
Speaker
and just know that God definitely has your back. No matter who says no, no matter who doesn't believe in you, no matter who doesn't support you, just know that your faith in God changes everything. You will be celebrating something major soon. And one last thing that I would do is allow people to be who they are.
00:27:18
Speaker
Do not force any connections nor take on their confusion or their uncertainty when it comes to you, because God is showing you something. God is moving you into your next season. You just find your core people, your sisterhood, your network, your soul people, and you hold them close. Because remember what's for you will flow like the rivers and the waters that God has created.
00:27:42
Speaker
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen again because I just felt led that I needed to say that for those of you who may be listening. Amen. Amen. Amen. So thank you Dr. LaShawn Denise Witt for sharing your rich experience with us. We've had a very lovely conversation and we want to wish you the very best.
00:28:03
Speaker
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you again for having me. So this has been another exciting episode of the Entrepreneur Speaks Podcast. We'll come your way next time with another exciting episode. I remain your host, Kofi Annimedu. As always, do take good care of yourself and let's continue to keep hope alive. Cheers.