How to Turn Your Dreams Into Reality (MUST WATCH!)

Hi, everybody. Welcome to Ally and you'd the Business Success and lifestyle show. This is Alison Maslin. My friends call me Ally. I am a serial entrepreneur, a business and life mentor, and I help business owners grow their business and create an extraordinary life. Now at Alli and you'd, we feature entrepreneurs, artists, champions that have refused to back down even when the going has got to tough. And for you, what does that mean? It means that you're going to get the winning strategies, the inspiration that you can take and apply to your own life and your business right away. And today we have a phenomenal show. So I want you to stay focused, be with us for the next 30 minutes or so, and you will be so happy you did. Today, my special guest talk about inspiration. This woman is incredible. I have Vivian Glick, who is the founder of Just Like My Child. And Vivian and I have known each other for a while and I've just seen her develop this amazing organization. You're going to hear all about it. Since 2006, she has been on a mission of giving women and children of Uganda a voice in their homes, their schools and their communities. Her leadership has already led to the empowerment of thousands of women and children in that country. And we're going to hear all about this. She's also an accomplished marketing consultant, entrepreneur and author. And some of her clients have included Deepak Chopra, Anthony Robbins, Dean Ornish, John Kabat, Zinn, and wow. I mean, this is amazing. I don't know how she has time to do it all. Native New Yorker, she now lives right here in Southern California with her husband and her son. Her story is one of a personal journey that has inspired nothing less than a global mission to change the lives of girls all over the world. So, Vivian.

Hi.

Wow. This is incredible. And it's so exciting to have you here. And we were just talking before the show started and how much has changed, for sure. And as I said, you've been on this personal mission, and it has been very personal because I think that for you to accomplish as much as you have over a really fairly short period of time, 10 years, it's got to be a mission of the heart. So can you just share the story behind all of that?

Sure. First of all, I'd just like to thank you so much for having me here and for your support and friendship through throughout the years. And I know you've been tracking me and it means a great deal to me that you're having me here today.

Thank you.

Yeah, for sure. So the journey behind, just like my Child foundation is really in the name, just like my child. So in 2002, my son Zach was born, and I had him later in life. And I just fell madly in love with this human being. And I think that the real gift in the maturity was to be to see how valuable one life is and really how much it takes to keep a child alive and what you have to put into them, well, beyond just nutrition and health, but, you know, to really build up who they are and to teach them and to educate them and, you know, to really understand that love and attachment early on is part of education. It's part of brain development. And subsequent to his birth, we tried to have another child. And I had two miscarriages about a year apart, and neither time was I bereft. But it was, of course, a really difficult time. And after the second one, I started to ask myself, okay, God, if it's not having another child. Because I knew I could pursue having a biological child, but something was pulling me in another direction, and I saw how much it was taking to raise one kid. It's a lot of effort, as we all. And I thought, you know what? I really. I want to have 10,000 kids. And I started to hear this information that was going on in Africa at the time. Bono and Angelina Jolie and celebrities were really giving a lot of platform to what malaria was doing to children. Every 30 seconds, a child dies of a mosquito bite, the result of a mosquito bite. Over 20 million people had died of the AIDS virus. 12 million children were orphaned. And I thought, holy cow, why isn't this on the nightly news? And even more so, you know, I grew up in Spanish Harlem. My parents are both Holocaust survivors. And I grew up with this real sense of urgency that you don't just turn your head when things are happening not just in your front yard. And so it was kind of this combination, and I often call it, like, you know, laying, removing the layers of an onion. Because even I wasn't sure what was inspiring me. But because of my background, I thought, well, you know, I just want to maybe give some platform to another organization that's doing this kind of work. And one thing led to the other. And I think God was like, no, no, no, we have another plan. Sorry. And one day I woke up in the middle of the night, and I could actually learn so much that I could actually hear these children crying. And I woke my husband up, and I said, I have to go to Africa. And he said, why Africa? And I said, well, because every 30 seconds, a child is Dying. I need to see this for myself. I need to bear witness. And so one thing led to the other. I went with the Agape Church up in LA to my first country in Africa, to Senegal, but I knew which is in West Africa, and I knew I really wanted to work in. In East Africa or South Africa, where the AIDS issues were so high. And so one thing led to another, miracle after miracle. When I look back now, it was so difficult at the time to just keep convincing myself and other people that this was the right path. And I ended up in this small rural area in East Africa, in Uganda, in the Lewero district. And I connected with this Uganda nun who's a brilliant genius, who was running the small clinic that had no lights, no electricity, no running water, no AIDS treatment, 30% HIV rate in the area. And the first night that I was in Uganda, it was kind of like a Hollywood set. I got there to this little clinic. They had a little place for me to stay. The lights went off, no running water. And throughout the night, we heard this woman screaming. And we didn't know what it was. And in the morning, the sisters brought us this little baby, Baby Christina. And it turned out that the cries that we'd heard throughout the night were the cries of Christina's grandmother as she watched her daughter die in childbirth.

Oh, my gosh.

And it was such an extraordinary situation because the reality was in the moment. So in some ways, this was what I wanted to see. You know, of course, we wouldn't wish it on anyone, but it happens all the time. And then, you know, nine years later, after we've been working on the ground, it's very clear to me that. That what we saw there was three generations of women. It's the grandmother who now has to care, has no resources and has to care for the baby. It's the mother who was too young to have a child and who was put into this situation, incredibly vulnerable. And now here's the baby who. I mean, what are her chances right there at birth? And so.

And the mom who's now lost her child. I mean, gosh, right.

And has this extraordinary burden on top of it. And, you know, when we're talking about people who are living on less than a dollar a day, and maybe that grandmother has two or three now, maybe the girl had. The mother had another child at home. And so it's just the perpetuation of poverty that for some reason, I am a systemic thinker. And so I started, sort of took a step back after a while and was like, how can we really create a change? So since that time in 2006, we took that small clinic, and together with Sister Ernestine, who's one of our primary partners on the ground, we've created that small clinic into what's called a level five teaching hospital, which is like a tertiary care hospital here with surgeons and doctors and malaria treatment, a dental clinic, ambulances, et cetera, where maybe 1 in 10 women were dying in childbirth. They have virtually none of that happening as well. So that's been extraordinary. But then we were thinking, wow, this is really about education, because all of these issues that were coming into the hospital were humanitarian. So so many of them were like, with this girl who came in, so it was sort of like mopping up the floor while the sink was overflowing. So we really started to invest in education. We've built 27 school structures. We've got thousands of kids in 27 school structures. Yeah, it's six total schools. Campus.

Yeah. And so how many children does that?

There are probably about 3,000 children just in our schools. But we're working with a broader community now, and probably we saved well over 5,000 mothers lives through obstetrical interventions and HIV treatment.

That is just extraordinary. Extraordinary. And what would have happened to these children as far as any education before? Did they have an opportunity? You know, there was no classroom. What did they have before?

Well, universal primary education in Uganda is now mandated. But, you know, you can say, send all the kids to school, but if there's no school building and no school structure and not teachers who aren't empowered, it doesn't really matter. So where we built, there were either no schools or the school structures had fallen down. And so children were learning outside. And it was extremely demoralizing to parents and to teachers as well. So we built one private school together with Debbie Ford, who really helped us invest in that community. And the rest of them are public schools. So really, really dangerous situations. We had one situation where the roof literally fell in on the classroom. And so the head teacher at the school was so, you know, just desperate because these kids were all outside and, you know, you can't teach outside. And then, of course, you know, the African rains are crazy and everybody goes home and.

Yeah.

I mean, so disruptive.

Well, that is amazing. And I know that you have had some transition in recent years, too, and you've created this program called Girl Power, which I just think is so beautiful. And that really struck a chord with me. To teach them. Teach these girls to access their power, you know, and not necessarily Just giving them a handout, but helping them become their own power. And so what does that mean to you when you see them and for them, for that matter, when they tap into their inner power?

Yeah, it's a beautiful thing. I mean, look at us. We've tapped into our power and we're able to not only uplift ourselves, but so many other people in our communities. And so that's really the goal. I mean, the Girl Power Project is focused on reaching a million girls to keep them in school, safe from early pregnancy, resisting forced, early marriage, disease, drop out, and to have a vision for their future and also to teach them to become leaders. So we're based on a mentorship model where we are training girls to train girls and that's really how we want to spread the seeds of empowerment. But you know, we have one girl whom we've worked with who is an extraordinary student and you know, really took this under her, under her own wing and went back to her school and created her own girl power club. And we've gone and we've documented these girls whom she's trained who, you know, a year ago wouldn't even be able to really look you in the eye. And I mean, that's a huge issue. There is just this trained disempowerment. And these girls, I mean, we have video of them standing up stating who they are, what they want to become, what they are, you know, what they believe in, you know, their dreams for their future, you know, the kind of men that they want to marry, to really think about it and not just think, oh, you know, which is part of the culture, also just hurry up and get married and start producing babies and, you know, that's your goal in life, but to really hang on to their own value and for them to. And I think for, you know, especially for this girl and her little band, Joan is her name, what she's created is infectious. And I think to see the other girls start going, wow. And they're all mentors now, so we've employed them to go out and start training as we sort of spread out. So it's, it's like that ripple effect.

You know, one affects another affects another, you know? Yeah, yeah, that, that is amazing. And giving them hope, you know, giving them just to even open their minds to the dreams and the possibilities, that's beautiful.

And to plug into the potential, you know, because girls are amazing. You know, girls become women. I mean, look at what we can create and to not lose that potential and to see that fire come on in A girl where she's like, oh, my God, I really am something, you know, and I can uplift myself. That is. That's magic.

Yeah. Wow. It definitely is magic. And so, speaking of creating these villages, I know you've had a very different approach instead of looking at it as a charity, as where you're educating and empowering. So tell me the difference or tell our audience the difference.

Sure. Well, again, I'm an entrepreneur like you, and so for me, it's about an investment. And what's the ROI to me, giving a hand out is. And I learned this. We learned this very quickly. On the ground is a band aid. Right. I can come and I can feed you for a day, and then where does that leave you the next day? And, you know, we've all heard that thing about teaching man to fish instead of giving him a fish. And so that's really been our model, is a hand up and never a handout. And that way you really create solidarity. And like Lynne Twist says, solidarity, not charity. So, you know, there's so much talent on the ground in all of the communities. People really just want to have a good life and raise their children and be happy and have enough, and then they can think about contributing and giving back when they're out of a state of desperation. And we've just found that engaging the resources on the ground through this idea of knowing that we may come in and have a financial investment, but the talent investment is already there. And so it's just weaving them together that creates the uplift and not just going, I know better. I mean, how many times? That's the whole Get Aid movement.

Yeah. And then the, you know, just having a mentor, I know that I wouldn't be where I am without the mentors that I've had. So giving them, you know, the education and the people that they can look up to and learn that wisdom from.

And that somebody cares. You know, you can go out on the street right now and find somebody who needs to know that you care. Yeah, it's hugely uplifting.

Yeah, we all need that. We all need that. So, you know, when you think back to, you know, here, you turn and tell, you wake up, tell your husband, I have to go to Africa. Like, obviously there was something. There was some spiritual calling there. It sounds like that you were being pulled to do this, but, you know, once you really started stepping in and, you know, getting people investing, did you have any idea that it would gain so much momentum? Did you ever see it?

No, not at all. I am still. Still in amazement. I think that, you know, even coming to talk to people like you, it helps me step out and go, wow. Yeah. That is. To sort of get a bird's eye view of what we've done is really so gratifying. No, but I didn't. I did not have a vision. I really was a woman with a lot of marketing skill, whose heart was blown wide open by having a kid and said, what can I do right now? And I think that that's a great tool for people to even look at, because I think if I had started thinking, oh, I'm gonna reach a million girls, I would have completely daunted myself and gone back to bed and pulled the cars out of my head.

Well, just like anyone running a business, you face challenges all the time. You get doors slammed in your face.

Oh, yeah.

You know, you put money towards things that don't work. You have people that are naysayers. So what is that in you? I mean, in you personally, that has gotten you through, and that's kept you forging ahead when you're like, oh, my gosh, this is just. This is big.

Honestly, it's a really good question. But it's outrage. You know, it's just outrage at what happens to children on the planet. And then, of course, how that evolves and ultimately how it comes home to all of us. You know, we're all affected by the fundamentalists on the planet and the hate and sort of what's being spawned out there. But really, it's the outrage of what is happening, going unattended to children. And that really fuels me. I don't care what anybody says.

Yeah, but you know what? That's really an important point, because when I talk to entrepreneurs, I say to them, what is your deeper why? I mean, what pisses you off where you're like, I have to. To do this, like, I'm on a mission. So I do feel like that, you know, there's a difference between an anger that fuels you to make change and one where you just stay and you are a bitter person. That's a different anger altogether.

A bitter person.

You know what I mean? But you've taken that energy and you fueled it into something incredible. You said so you've had this marketing background, which is, you know, and I've had a really strong marketing background that's really helped me in business. So do you feel that having that marketing background has helped you?

Oh, yeah.

In what way?

Well, I mean, it's fundraising, right? So it's, how do you sell? And I Don't have something to put in someone's hands, you know, in return for their investment. So I am constantly thinking about, what is it that a donor receives and how can I meet that need? So, I mean, I've had people who are so moved when they make a donation to just like my child, that I always keep that in the back of my mind, like, that is a need. You know, it's like Lynne Twist says, we're all just dying to give.

Yes.

And so I really fashion our storytelling and what we're able to accomplish and the ROI that people can see where their money is going in that way. And I think, you know, as a marketing consultant, I always kept myself in the customer's vantage point. I always thought about what it was that they need. You know, it's like benefits versus the details of what you're selling. It's like, that's great. You got all those things in your car, but what are the benefits to me? And so that's been a huge help. And of course, just all of the contacts I was able to make beforehand who also needed a place to give and to serve, who really uplifted me to be able to make it happen.

Well, I think that's the ultimate is, I know for myself and many of my clients, you want to get to a place where, you know, it's all about giving back. Right. And so I think to give people an opportunity and to know that they are making impact and change so tremendously in what you're doing is a gift. It's truly a gift. And so I have more to talk about with you, but I do want to tell people that, you know, are watching this today for all of you, any of you that are interested in donating to just like my child, so encourage you. I mean, the organization that Vivian has created is just exemplary. And I've been to some of your events, and, you know, it's just the money goes directly to Uganda, to these girls and to change. Can you talk a little bit about what are some projects that you're working on now? What are some of the goals?

Sure. So our biggest focus right now is the Girl Power project. And that's really what we're working on. And so we're creating a pilot with a group of several thousand girls. And our goal is to. We've revamped a bit where we were really trying to go wide. And what we're doing now is really focusing in so that 50 to 70% of the population of girls where we're working receive this training so that it's sort of like a collective bargaining thing. You really can start changing a culture and shifting if you have the, if you can reach a certain level. So we call it a social vaccine. Right. So, you know, if a certain amount of people are vaccinated, then there's less chance of the disease spreading. And it's the same thing that we're trying to do now. So it's basically between 30 to $100 per girl in order to put them through the training. And we're focused on reaching another 7,000 girls between this year and next.

Okay. All right, so let's help Vivian make that happen. Where can people go to donate?

Just Visit our site, justlikemychild.org and you'll get a lot more information there and be able to sort of click through, watch some of our videos, see where the, you know, see where the money is going, see what some of our other projects are, and definitely get to the donation page.

Yeah. So when you do that, and we'll need to track this, but if you donate $100 or more, I'll send you, we will send you a copy of my best selling book, Blast off with the book and the workbook and the audio. So that's just about as much as you would spend purchasing that on your own. And now you're going to be able to make an entire incredible impact on these women. So these young girls. So, you know, let's make the girl power. Let's make the girl power happen. So, you know, what do you feel, Vivian, is the key to making your dreams a reality? I mean, whatever somebody's mission is, you know, for you, it's this movement and transformation of this, you know, whole society. I mean, that's a big dream. And we have some people at all levels.

Right.

Watching this in business. What do you think? What advice can you give them to, you know, with their dreams that sometimes feel like, you know, can this really happen?

Let me think about that for a second. I think that it's just persistence. I really think it's persistence and not giving up. I mean, I think it's pretty easy to, and to not really get fixated on what you think today has to be the outcome that, you know, I have this new saying that struck me is that life is short and it's long. So, you know, obviously time passes quickly. But what is the real lesson that you're learning is not going to be revealed in your mistake tomorrow. And to really have faith that if you stay persistent, that your vision, you don't really have to know the course.

You don't have to know the how.

Right.

And I think it really does come down to persistence. I absolutely agree. I mean, I think that no matter what it is, if your passion is dirt, if your passion is mugs, whatever that is, if you stay focused on that, people are going to pick up on that passion and you stay with it, it's going to be successful.

Yeah. And I think sort of what we hit on earlier in terms of, you know, what are, you know, what is that fire in the belly that drives you and to keep coming back to that where, you know, you can't say no.

Right.

You know, it keeps you going.

So what's next, you know, when you see in the next five, 10 years, is that, you know, is your focus mainly going to be on the Girl Power? Do you have some other things in the works?

You know, it's interesting that you asked that because I, you know, I feel as though we're obviously, we're always evolving, whether it's apparent to us or not, or we're always in some state of transition. And I really feel that in terms of what we've created with the Girl Power project and where we're going and how specific we're being about it, we're, you know, we're sort of at the edge where I believe that we'll be able to generate the kind of funding to really grow the organization into that next level. I'd say we're probably approaching a mid level business. But you know, to really be able to grow out the infrastructure so that we can reach and impact more children in a systemic way, not sort of like a one off.

And so it's almost like changing the culture in a way in how they see themselves and how it's affecting future generations.

Well, sure. I mean, wouldn't we all like to be affecting some of those cultures that we're at odds with now and to help create a more stable planet. I think it's job one. So that doesn't, that's not handing out a loaf of bread. That's a real change in thinking and it's understanding, you know, where people are coming from and not just imposing a belief system or a thought process. But you know, I think for me personally, I do believe that my inner commitment and drive to really protect children is it's going to be there and it may evolve to something bigger or beyond that. But I love, I love being on the ground, I love working there. I mean, that's sort of what fuels me. And then being able to come back and tell a bigger story. So I see more of that.

Yeah, well, it's definitely that think big perspective. And what we all, you know, what I work with my clients on is like thinking beyond what your mind even allows you to have the capacity for. You know what I mean, Is like to break through that ceiling. Because once you can even have a just an inkling of that possibility and you stay persistent with it, it can happen. So. Well, thank you. Thank you for being with me today and sharing your story. And we're gonna put your. The website link up and everything, so if you are move today. I know I am. Oh, my gosh. I just got chills from this story. And just what you can do when you put your heart into it and you put the fuel behind it, you can make tremendous change in the world. So get out there, elevate yourself, and you absolutely deserve it. And we will be back to see you again very, very soon with Allie and you. Bye, everybody.