The dark and real story behind entrepreneur - game-changing moments.

Yes, if you can help that. Share on a friend's timeline. Share on a page. We manage.

And all you do to give us permission to record is go to participants at the bottom of your screen. And for each one of us, you have to give us individual.

Okay, let me just get us.

I'm recording right now, so you might.

I am too.

I wouldn't make. We'll try it.

Okay, well, there you go.

Preparing livestream.

Who else is supposed to be on this? Just so we know who's coming.

Sarah.

Okay, I'll ping her.

All right. I think we are live, so there's.

Nothing like having a community.

Go live.

Jeez.

All right, we are excited. Let me press record. It's funny how I'm seeing it.

You're saying that we've got it pressed. You still have to do your own. Some things we cannot do for each other.

Right.

And record to the cloud. Okay, so congratulations, game changers. Today's launch day. I'm Natalie with Spotlight Publishing, and we've got some of the returned authors and new authors in the Game Changer book, volume number four. So we're gonna have a little discussion today and let each of you really share why you want it to be in the book and what your experience has been. So first, introduce yourself. Let's start with Jackie. Give us a quick introduction and then tell us why you thought it was important to be in this book.

I'm Jacquie Simmons. I'm the founder of Success Journey Academy and the Teen Suicide Prevention Society. This book was the most amazing opportunity for me because I had a game changing moment in August of this year when a 37 year old stood up and delivered a seven minute talk at my three day event. I was supposed to give her feedback. It was all I could do to stay in my chair because she started with the statistic of over 3,000 a day. And that's the number of teenagers who attempt to take their own lives every day. And that's just in the USA and it's just the ones we know about. So a group of us decided to do something about that. We launched a mission, we published a book. And then I was asked, do you want to contribute to the Game Changer? And I'm like, well, my whole world has changed because of the seven minute talk. So yeah, I've got something to write about. Game changing moments happen. The question is, are you doing the things to be ready by the end of her talk when this 37 year old who happens to be my daughter and a multiple suicide Attempt Survivor when she said she wanted to create a program to help teens find joy every day even if they struggle with suicidal thoughts. I was prepared to help. I had my whole business structure, I had everything in place, including a group of people who were over 20 authors came together and created the book make it a great Day. A graphic designer showed up and volunteered her time. We got a beautiful book, we've got a self funding mission. All because I was prepared when my game changing moment showed up. So my chapter is about that moment. But my wish for everyone in the audience, don't wait. Get ready. It's coming.

Yes.

Yeah, you definitely had a game changing moment and what an amazing mission.

How about you, Kimberly?

You're muted.

I'm now I'm not muted.

Nice to be here with everybody. Such amazing human beings that are in this book.

With such passion behind what they have changed in the world and the impact they've made. And I think that the game changer is about like what was the game changer for us, but also that we were then released to be able to make ripple effects in the world and be able to do things out there. So the game changing moment that Jackie described was certainly something that rocked her world, that changed, you know, her direction and brought her passion and something that was very, very important to her to life. But think of all the amazing lives that she's changing and impacting and creating opportunity for people and stepping off something that would be the end of life for teens and being able to really have that ripple effect and all that is going to happen because of that, which is, I mean, that changes the game there too. So yes, I am Kimberly Haubshad. I am actually the creator of Entrepreneurs Rocket Fuel. And my story is about going from the world of corporate into the world of entrepreneurship and how, you know, the idea that, okay, well, we can create our own world and we can manifest our own destiny is such a wonderful dream, American dream, but also world dream. To be able to create a business, but you can't do it alone. And as much as I would love to say, hey, I'm a solopreneur and I launched all of it, you know, it's not, you can only go so far if it's just you. And so realizing that you need a community around you, people who are your support structure, people who you can bounce ideas off of, whether they're mentors or other people that you wrap into your business, building that community and being around other people is really key to being able to be successful and truly grow.

That is so true. It really takes a village, as they.

Say, and a game changing village at that.

That's right. How about you, Dr. Ali?

I'm going to have the ladies go first, Ms. Sarah.

Hey, Sarah.

Hey. Sorry I had some tech issues but thanks so much and that was really clever, Ali.

So I, I completely agree with Kimberly. I'm a big believer and you have to have a village, you have to have a tribe. And when I talk about it, that's what I talk about. I don't think that I could have gotten through most of my game changing moments without a strong tribe, without a village to back me, without people who are like, okay, wait, you know, something has to give here. And So I agree 100%. Whether you're talking in personal business, that village is so important and game changing village is so important. You know, you, the people you hang around with and the people you choose to have in your tribe are a reflection of you. And I believe that 100%. I would say that all of my game changing moments have happened internally. Those moments when I felt like I was drowning, which that's what my chapter talks about, it's called undrownable. And you know, I think you go through points in life when no matter what you're doing, you get overwhelmed and you feel like you can't get air. And it's about stepping out of that and saying, I'm choosing not to be here anymore. I'm making this conscious choice to step out of this. And that's a lot about. What I talk about too is separating yourself from the noise in your head and saying, regardless of what I feel, what I think right now, I know that I am amazing. I am capable of amazing things and I am capable of changing the world and making an impact. And it's all not just about positivity because I believe that you can tell your things a million or tell yourself a million positive things. That doesn't actually change your actions. It doesn't always change your mindset by itself. It's about taking a conscious step out of your pain and out of that noise and saying, okay, now what's my next step? The first step is brave, but the second step is always the most profound and always where you find that change. So for me, all of my game changing moments have always been in that place where I made a conscious choice to step out of my pain, step out of where I felt like I couldn't get air and drowning. And then of course relying on my tribe and relying on my village and saying, I need this and communicating that. And that goes either if anyone in my tribe were to ever say, I need this, or, you know, I can't right now, like, I would be the first one there because ultimately, that's what you do, and that's how you support each other in business and personal.

Well, and I think too, as entrepreneurs, you often say, oh, I've got this. I can't let anyone else know that I'm having issues or struggling a little bit. So you tend to try to take it on yourself. And what we've all learned.

Is reach out because we have such power and different connections. And what your power might be can help me in an area that I wouldn't have thought about. We've all introduced each other to.

Whether it's tools, techniques, people that have changed. I mean, look at what Iman has brought into our lives with what he's taught, with his experiences.

It's true. And, you know, I find too, that ultimately, if you communicate and you tell people what you're going through one way or the other, business or otherwise, people are much more understanding. They are much more likely to say, hey, let me help you out. Hey, how can I help? When you keep everything inside, it comes out in your actions, it comes out in your behaviors. And then people wonder what's happening and they feel helpless because they can't help. They don't know what's going on with you. And it creates a scale where there's tension, where there's not trust anymore. But if you are open and honest and you communicate in a way that makes other people feel safe, then they're willing to make you feel safe, too. And it creates a whole new space. And that's so, so, so important.

Absolutely. How about you, Dr. Ali?

Hi, I'm Dr. Ali Lankarani, also known as the parent whisperer and creator of role model maker and founder of amazing parents network. And I want to piggyback on the ladies talking about the tribe, and I'm really, really proud of being part of this group and being in the same book as them because, you know, everybody has their things that they have to go through, the daily routines and the personal objectives and things like that. But the people that are presented in this book are the ones that I have noticed are looking beyond that. They're looking at something a little further than, okay, what do I need to do today? Or what's my goal in the next three to five years? And really looking at how they can make an impact in the world, how they could change the world for the Better. And you can't do that by yourself. And being part of a group like this, having a group that has this kind of focus and mentality really makes a difference in really making an impact in the world. Doing it by yourself is kind of difficult. With what I do, I basically focus on. I'm passionate about creating role models for the future, first with the next generation. But it really starts with the parents themselves and being a good role model. So truly, in my opinion, they're the superheroes in the story. And.

Our goal is to kind of help them along to see if we can make a difference in making them the best role model they can be so that they can go ahead and shape the future for the better. Almost effortless, if possible.

Absolutely. So what kind of. Let's start. We'll kind of go backwards. Men first this time. What kind of impact has writing this chapter had on you? Have you had responses you weren't or were a little surprised from some feedback or how it affected someone?

I've noticed that people have been much more receptive and warm to it. I had my doubts when I was writing it, and it actually took some soul searching to really come up with a story that kind of tied in a lot of things from my past together. And what I found out is that.

Having that sense of purpose, which is what my chapter is about, having that sense of purpose really allows you to connect the dots in your life, the trials, the successes, and not let them be an endpoint to themselves, but also see how they can contribute to a higher meaning, a deeper purpose. So doing that, I noticed that people can connect to that. People can see that, yes, there's a human side of you, and you have trials and tribulations just like they do. And at the same time, they connect with the fact that you can overcome your challenges and succeed and make a point of those successes and make it serve a higher cause, basically. And they get inspired by it. So I was inspired by putting it all together, but I also noticed that it seemed to inspire the people who read it as well to do the same thing.

Yeah, absolutely. We often think that we've got to keep it in and keep it all together. And when you release that you're real and have those times of struggle, it's when you do have that deeper connection with people.

How about you, Sarah?

You know, I really struggled with my chapter. I. First off, I'm writing is not my forte. It's just not. And I go to write, and then I want to tell everyone everything. Everything that's happening in my head, and it doesn't stay on point. And I really struggled with how, you know, I'm a speaker. I've always said I'm a speaker, not a writer. I don't know how to, like, do that. And so I really struggled with it, and I really struggled with finding one story, and I really struggled with putting it together and how. How am I going to go through this process? And, you know, I think the biggest takeaway for me was that it was impactful. And my story is one of several that fall into my messaging about, you know, stepping out of your pain. And I talk a lot about anxiety and depression and all that, but what I definitely found is that as I started talking about it more and as I started talking about the book, in my chapter, I actually had people coming up to me saying, how do you manage? Like, I've literally never talked to anyone about my anxiety. How do you do it? How do you manage what? Tell me what you do? Because they were ashamed to admit they were on medication. They were ashamed to admit that they had noise in their head beyond what other people could understand. And so what I. This chapter actually gave me a really strong pathway that I didn't have before into other messaging and to reaching out to other people, into making an impact that before I tried to do. And I was successful here and there, but the chapter really, literally was a game changer for me. So even though I struggled through it, the result of it has been. Has been amazing. And I've already touched other people who thought that it wasn't possible, that you can't talk about it, that if you're successful, if you're an entrepreneur, you have to show up and pretend all this other stuff isn't happening. And, you know, that's not the case. And I've been able to walk people through that. So that's definitely, I think, the biggest impact from the chapter.

Yeah. Thank you for sharing that, because I would have never guessed, you know, you present yourself so wonderfully, and you're saying you don't think that you're a great writer and reading your chapter, it is so touching. So that's awesome. Thank you, Kimberly.

Oh, that's a tough act to follow. But I couldn't agree more. And I think every person in this book, the people that I've been for, enough to work with in forming their chapters as well as reading their chapters after they're finished.

It was a labor of. I would say a labor of love, but it was a process to go through a lot of Us spend a lot of our time, myself included for sure, with armor on. Like, this is what we're going to show the world. This is how we want to show up. This is how we want to look. And the game changer asks you you to dig deep and find the parts of you that weren't always easy, that were difficult, that were game changing moments that you wouldn't always share. There were people who talked about being in other books, about being on the verge of suicide and planning what was gonna happen after their death. And then they had a game changing moment. And revealing that to people is very hard and vulnerable. And I'm a big fan of Brene Brown. I don't always follow what she suggests, but she says that vulnerability is not our greatest weakness. It's actually our greatest measure of courage. So the people that wrote these stories that dug deep and shared what it was like to not have everything perfect, to have struggle, to have difficulty, to have things not perfect and share that and bear that with the world and then come out the other side and say what they learned from actually is a connector. I think Sarah used that word. It allows you to connect to the audience because if you show up in the world as I've got it all together and I'm perfect, people who are seeing that will be like, well, she can do it or he can do it, but I could never do that because I'm not perfect. And when you reveal that vulnerability, like, I struggle, this is not easy stuff to go through. And you get real with that, people connect with it more. And then as Sarah says, people reach out and go.

How did you do that? Like, I want to know more and suddenly become real and human. And the human nature of this book is incredibly powerful and incredibly courageous. And to have that many authors in Game Changer 4, but also in the other ones, really dig deep and share their personal struggles and how they got through and what came out. The other side is so inspirational and so powerful. So I'm really pleased to be part of it. It wasn't easy to go through. I'm not a fan of vulnerability myself. It's not an easy process. But when you get out the other side, if it's helping other human beings, whether it's stemming the tide of teen suicide or choosing to be an excellent role model in the world, or standing up and saying your truth, whatever it is, you're going to show up differently in the world.

Yeah, absolutely. And often we doubt that our message can make a difference. And sometimes, like Sarah, what you just shared Something that you didn't think was the main factor of your story. People are like, tell me more about that. And that can be the ripple effect that could end up being something that you choose to share more of because you see that impact and then think of how many more people will be affected. So Jackie, did. Did you have.

Yeah.

You didn't share your impact?

I just completed my three day live in person event.

Okay.

Just this weekend. And it's all about being an authentic leader. It's all about finding your authentic voice. And I came into my three day event with a great deal of trepidation because at my last three day event, the young woman who shared her story in front of the room and launched a mission was my daughter. And what I wrote about in the Game Changer was what it was like to have her break the silence of over 20 years on being suicidal. The fact she still struggled with suicidal thoughts, which I had no clue about. And in her seven minute talk, the journey I went on was the, you don't air your dirty laundry in public into. We gotta do something about this. No other parent should have to suffer through the chronic uncertainty. That invisible jail that kept me even in my professional life, that kept me from taking stages and being really visible in my business because I didn't want people to ask me about my kids. Other parents are talking about their kids in sports and going to college. And for my kids, I have two suicidal daughters. For my kids, a day that they're not in the hospital is a good day. Not the conversation we were allowed to have in a polite society. So I got outed at my own event as the mother of suicidal children. And everything that I had stored about that I had days to work through before this mission got launched. I mean, it was a very fast process. I'm walking into my three day. This time it was walking in with this being very public. This is now coming out today in the Game Changer book. My daughters are writing their stories for this. Make it a great day. The Choice is Yours series. Part of my story is in here what it was like walking into my house to dripping blood. These are not the stories that we talk about normally. There's a low level of anxiety that I lived with for decades. I mean, there's such a thing as sleepless nights and then there's sleepless weeks and months and years. And the idea that this could be stopped, that we don't have to suffer in silence. That it is the breaking the silence and starting the conversation, whether it's about anxiety or whether it's about any kind of family history, which is if we break the silence and start the conversation, we reconnect with our humanity and we are all of a sudden relatable. Because if you're a business owner and you're trying to present a perfect image, let me tell you, perfect is the fastest path to poverty.

And relatable, authentic, honest, is the fastest path to building a community. And it takes the community, it takes a village. And so that's what the game changer is. And I loved having the opportunity to write for it, because.

This can't stay a secret for me anymore. And having this community, because it was this community that stood up and sponsored the first 500 teams to get books for free. So I can't say enough about having a community, about.

The power in breaking the silence and starting the conversation. No matter what it is that you don't think it's safe to talk about, start talking. The world needs to hear what you have to say.

Absolutely.

And I probably speak for all of us. We're honored to be a part of your ripple effect in any way that we can.

So.

We need to wrap it up pretty quickly here because we've got exciting other interviews coming. But what I want to talk about is if you had one key takeaway that you want your reader to walk away with after reading your chapter, what would that be?

Jackie, why don't you start?

Yeah, I'm still unmuted, so I'll go first.

If I had one key thing beyond what I have already said about get ready, because your game changer is coming, you might as well be prepared for it.

Be willing to tackle something that is so big you cannot do it alone.

That's what I would want them to take away. Just be willing to tackle something so big that you know you can't do it alone.

Don't worry about the how.

That's right. The last thing you need is to start suffering from MAD how disease, more importantly, is look for your who's. It's the same letters. Just rearrange them. Look for who has done it before. Look for who is talking about it. Look for who might be willing to listen. Look for your who's, not your hows. Because trust me, I had no idea how I was going to get a book published in three weeks. But the who's that I needed showed up and we got it done.

Awesome. That's great advice. How about you, Kimberly?

Well, from the book and the chapter, I think it's, you know, community is the only way to survive largely and grow. There's a metaphor in my chapter about avocado trees, which is that avocado trees need multiples in order to survive and thrive in the world. Got to be able to. They don't thrive very well if they're just by themselves. And I think that's a metaphor for entrepreneurs. I think if you have a community around you, other people to support you, that'd be fabulous. But my lesson from actually doing the book would be get out there, be vulnerable, and done is better than perfect. So even though you want to try to make it perfection and like with every button buttoned, sometimes life's messy and it's okay. Get out there. If you haven't done a book yet, get published. Get out there. Get your message heard. What you have to say is really important. We only have so many go rounds on this planet, and you might as well not die with the music inside you.

Absolutely. Nicely said, Sarah.

So I think my biggest takeaway from my chapter is that pain makes you who you are. It makes you stronger, but that doesn't mean you have to live in it. That doesn't mean you have to exist in it. That doesn't mean you have to carry it forever. It just means that you learn from those experiences. And ultimately, we are all a hot mess all the time.

You know, you show up and you do the absolute best, but at the end of the day, what's important is that you've stepped out of your pain, that you show up and you step up and you do what you can. And I couldn't agree more. The two biggest components of that are community, tribe, and then, you know, done is better than perfect. If you keep moving forward, you'll get there. No one expects perfection. At the end of the day, it's just like everyone else has said, it's just not relatable. So when it comes to my chapter and my message, those are the two things. Pain makes you who you are, but you don't have to live there and, you know, just keep moving forward, keep taking those steps, because showing up is the most important thing you can do.

Absolutely. Thank you, Dr. Alley.

My takeaway from my chapter would be that find something that you're passionate about and every day invest a little bit of the most precious gift you've got, which is your time, into that passion. And never underestimate the changes and the things that you do today and how they might affect the lives of millions tomorrow. Because you never know who's listening, who's watching, and what impact your actions might have on the people who are listening and watching. So just be the best person that you can be and work from your passion and be purposeful in your actions. Don't get caught up in the daily grind to the point where you forget about your passions and your purpose in life. It does make a difference. You do make a difference. You're here for a reason and that reason is going to impact many lives down the road. So don't underestimate.

That's beautiful. Awesome. All right, so if you haven't got your copy of Game Changer 4, go on to Amazon, support all these amazing authors and buy your coffee. We've got the ebook for 99 cents as our launch day special and thank you all and we will be having updates coming soon. I know our standings are really amazing right now so we can't wait to be shouting number one in multiple categories in multiple countries. So thank you everyone.

Thank you Natalie.

Thank you very much.

Okay, bye.