793. Turning Joy and Belief into a Business Plan with Jewelry Designer Lia Key

Big thanks to Gusto for supporting my podcast. Running a small business is hard work. Fortunately, Gusto makes payroll easy and Gusto offers flexible benefits, simple onboarding and so much more. Get 3 months free when you run your first payroll@gusto.com Lori and another huge thank you to Issuu all in one platform to create and distribute digital content. Everything is optimized to post on your website and social platforms. Get started with ISSUU today for free. Sign up for a premium account and get 50% off@issuu.com podcast and use promo code LORI. That's issu.com podcast and use promo code Lori.

No matter what darkness comes my way, I'm going to find my way back to my roots.

Welcome to the Earn your happy Podcast. I'm Lori Harder, Founder of Light Pink, best selling author, three time fitness world champion, and I'm a crazy, multi passionate entrepreneur. My journey has taken me everywhere from being a broke waitress, barista, retails associate and personal trainer with massive anxiety and no belief in myself, to later becoming a multimillionaire in love with my life. In 2007, my husband and I lost everything. We found ourselves hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt. At rock bottom. We had no ideas and I had no education to fall back on. This is when I found personal development and learned everything I could about business. Not by choice, but because I realized no one was coming to save me. The conversations on this podcast are going to let you know that you're not.

Alone and that we all feel like we don't know what we're doing.

We're going to give you the tools to help you face your fears, take action, start your business and grow. Those massive dreams are keeping you up at night. It's time to create a life that you can't hide from and put so much on the line that your higher self is forced to come out. You're going to stop waiting for someone to approve of you and you're going to anoint yourself. Because I'm obsessed about building businesses that give women a platform, I want to feature you. So if you text the word podcast to 310-496-8363, you can get your questions answered on our Q and A segment along with a shout out. And if you rate, review and subscribe to this podcast, we're choosing someone every month to get coached and featured on our show. It just might be you. So let's get started. Hey everyone, welcome back to the show. If you have not gone to lightpink.com yet, that is my newest venture and there's going to be some of coolest stuff there. Especially coming up for the holiday season, we have got holiday gift guides that are going to have really, really crazy, amazing, exclusive coupons and even free months to different memberships, different things you maybe have been wanting to join but haven't wanted to spend the money on. And you're going to be able to gift this to everybody in your family. It's going to make your life so much easier. So go to lightpink.com we are doing exclusive gift guides for, for female businesses. You are going to be obsessed. It's all of my favorite things, along with all of my investors favorite things and exclusive coupons that you can only get through the gift guides. So you guys, today on the podcast is someone who is so incredibly beautiful, radiates so much energy, and her enthusiasm is contagious. I was introduced to Leah Valencia Key through Jamie Kern Lima, who, if you.

Don'T know who that is, oh, my.

Gosh, go check her out as well.

She is one of the most incredible.

Human beings and if you have listened to this podcast, you can also listen to her podcast. Um, and that is how I found out about this incredible light, who I got the absolute opportunity to interview today. So she says, never leave the house without wearing your sparkling earrings. They'll serve as a reminder of the light within.

Those are the words that Leah, Valencia's.

Mother, would always say to her.

Leah lost her mother at an early.

Age, but those beautiful words never left Lisa's heart. Lisa's jewelry line launched on qvc, one.

Of the largest television shopping networks in the world.

With the power of believing, Leah went from homelessness to inspiring through jewelry in over 100 million homes. Big dreams continue to come true for Valencia, and she's recently been featured in Oprah Magazine 2020 Favorite Things issue. Jamie Kern Lima, founder of IT Cosmetics, brought Leah to appear on the Mel Robbins show and speak on the stage with Brendan Bouchard, Ed Mylett, Dean Graciosi, Tony Robbins, and more than over 216,000 attendees at Jamie Kern Lima's Becoming Unstoppable Believe it book launch. She reaches back to where she comes from, donating and educating women and homeless shelters. And on the keys to light. How to rise up out of rough environments. Leah is a living example that all things are possible by rooting in the power of choosing joy and radiating light. And you guys, we're going to be talking all about her jewelry line, where it came from, how she created this business, and she also Wants to gift you a super special offer. She's giving you guys 25% off of her jewelry, along with five strategies to.

Handling fear on your joy journey to success.

And that is linked in the show notes. You guys. It's Valencia Key dot com. Lori Harder. And now let's get into the show.

Leah, I'm so excited to have you on the show. Thank you so much for coming on.

I'm so overjoyed to be here. Words can't even express how I'm radiating love.

And she really is. Okay. So I. I literally wrote at the top because you.

Okay.

So I had to. You guys, I had to reschedule her. Unfortunately, a couple times there were things that popped up, and I was like.

No, I don't want to.

I.

Number one, I hate rescheduling. But I have to tell you that your communication through rescheduling, I fell in love with you even more because you're like, no worries.

I can't wait. No worries.

Oh, my God. I was like, I love her. Like, I literally, like, you radiate enthusiasm, and I just want to tell people, like, the people who I am obsessed with being around and working with and that I'm just like, what can I do for you? Because I can't wait to watch you win. Even more in life are people who are like you. It's just, like, enthusiasm. Like, the undeniable enthusiasm radiates and. Okay, so funny. I swear to God, I did not wear yellow on purpose today, and I'm wearing a yellow shirt. Her whole branding, like, if you go there, like, it just radiates sunshine. So she's in yellow. I'm in yellow. I'm wearing one. One of her bracelets. We're going to talk about that in a minute. So welcome to the show.

Thank you. Thank you, thank you. I'm honored.

I'm actually, like, pinch me speechless because you are a wonderful light in this world, and so it is a blessing for our hearts to be connecting today.

Thank you.

Oh, I feel that. And thank you. I mean, thank you so much for that. And I feel like I want to share with them just so many of the synchronicities that we were just chatting about. You have an incredible jewelry line. You have. It's such a touching, moving story that I think is one of the most empowering stories, especially with all that you've created and just how you show up in the world with the energy that you do from what you've all gone through. But I just want to share. So I got in or you came into my world by way of Jamie Kern Lima. She's just changed my life. Like, she's, you know, you know, the ripple effect of Jamie pure life. Oh, my gosh. And so when her book launched, you collaborated on a bracelet, and it's the most beautiful gold bracelet, which I actually have an obsession with, like, very, like, simple gold bracelets. And I wear them to speak no matter what. If you've ever seen any picture of me speaking, I put on a symbol of something, and I make it a ritual of, like, adorning myself before I go speak, whether it's like, jewelry that helps me open up my throat chakra or, like, speak truth or something like that. So I get this bracelet from Leah and Jamie, but it's Leah's piece, and it has, like, her symbols on it, and it says believe it on it. And I am just like, I don't think they even understand if they know what this means to me right now. So I have been wearing this piece of jewelry to. I've been to some speaking engagements. I've been wearing it on, you know, different investor calls, different things like that. I just put it on because it. The believe it on there. I want to tell you guys that when I put it on, like, I literally picture Leah, I picture Jamie, and I picture all the women who have been on their journey with their hands on my back. Just saying, you got this because you radiate. It's absolutely insane. So I would love to know the story of how you created such a. Like, even just this piece that impacted my life in such a profound way.

Yes. Oh, thank you.

Because you are telling me that my prayers are being answered, which I love to say. Thank you. Because every time I pray that when Valencia key. Valencia means brave, and key means to unlock. So when you're wearing Valencia key jewelry, it is this blessing where we are as a community of lights, we're not even individuals. We are a community of lights that are choosing to radiate in this world, and we are inspiring each other as we wear it to radiate to your greatness. And like you said, that visual is so beautiful because that's what I pray for, that when you wear that bracelet, right, it's all of our lights together, saying, okay, you've got this. We're going in the meeting with you.

We're going on the stage with you. You can't bring your coach with you, or you can't bring your favorite mantra.

Script word with you, but you can wear it. And. And that is the power to say I can, because Leah is, Jamie is, Lori is like, it inspires you to this greatness. But what really roots us is that my beginning has been super humble, like the power that. I was raised in the most impoverished neighborhood of Philadelphia. And when I talk about poverty, I'm talking about the neighborhood riddled with trash, abandoned buildings, every other building, violence breaking out in the street, drugs on every corner. Like that's what I was born into. And society. If you look at me as what a stereotype would be, I shouldn't be sitting here with you all today. We even got so bad that my mother broke her leg and four places. So she couldn't even afford the little basement. We were living under someone's basement in this one small room, and she couldn't even afford that. So one day we walked to the door that was our apartment, and it was padlocked.

Oh no.

So we at that moment had destitute, we had nothing, we had no more belongings. All of our belongings were locked in there, whatever that was. And we actually had no home. And that was a moment where I saw my mother's pain riddle. And we were sent to a woman's homeless shelter. And a homeless shelter for women is riddled with, sadly, hopelessness, right? Mothers crying, children crying, there's nowhere to go.

But the beauty is my mother, I.

Self diagnosed, was paralyzed by fear, by.

Society'S limitations, by generational curses. And she couldn't physically break out of that, but she was able to look at her children.

And this is when my lights start to flicker on in the homeless shelter. I remember my mother looking at us, my sister, my brother and I, and saying, your predicament does not determine your destiny.

And that is so powerful. So everyone is listening.

I want to plant that seed to you. Your predicament, wherever you are, is not your destiny. You choose your destiny.

And when I mean your predicament, you.

Could actually be in a great predicament.

What society says is great, but you.

Know there's something more for you, right? We know that calling in our life.

That means it's not your destiny.

So go for your destiny.

And then. But I, as a little child in.

This really negative environment, didn't get it. So I call myself Little Leah. When I think about the past, yes, Little Leah start to be negative. So I start to really like, follow what I saw.

And one day, this is what I say when the light, now when you see me, this light you talk about.

This is when it was clicked on.

I was coming home from school, being wayward that environment had soaked in my spirit and my mother stopped me at.

This we're still in the homeless shelter. She stopped me at the shelter door.

And said, leah, do you want to.

Be a follower or do you want to be a leader?

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Wow.

And to put you in perspective, I was about fifth grade, so I was super young, right? So I was confused.

I didn't understand.

I'm like, what? So she continued. And she said, leah, right now you're following. You're following the environment that you're in. And guess what, Leah, you're gonna become this negative environment.

Oh my gosh.

Right then she said, but Leah, you.

Can choose to lead. You can choose right now to lead your life. You can choose to find the light.

You can choose to define your destiny.

So now, Leah, you choose. And she literally walked away.

No.

But at that moment, I love that she walked away because she let it resonate in me. And that's when the light clicked on. Like, wow, I don't have to follow my predicament. I don't have to see then do I literally can dream beyond what I'm in and choose that. So that moment I went back to school and I started choosing to ask for help in school, choosing to find.

Ways to get out of the environment I was in by after school activities.

And what I call it is I start to choose life. I start to choose life. I start to choose joy. Even in the midst of no joy. So right now, I'd encourage everyone that you choose. You choose your light. Every moment I show up, I am choosing.

No matter how hard life has thrown something at me, I choose to show up with light.

And what does light look like?

It's a smile at minimum, right?

When someone emails you, it's a hey, how are you? Yes, right? It's exclamation points. Is it great? It's really putting the energy in that shows people don't know your excitement and your zest for life until you show.

Up with zest for life.

And that becomes infectious. And that has just been my choice.

Just living a life of choosing this destiny. And then you get to meeting all these beautiful lights that. I lost my mother super early. So as I start choosing, she start right before I lost my mother, she saw the light that had become me, and I start to release it. And she gave me these little earrings. So this is where the connection of jewelry happened. Right before she left, she gave me these little earrings, and she said, leah, you are shining now.

You have this beautiful light within you, this greatness. So always wear your earrings. That is the visual representation of the abundance of light inside of you. And I was like, whoa. Like, so even when I'm not sure, even when I internally don't feel it, I can wear these visual representations to click me back into that light that I know that is within. And I start at a young age. I guess I was super. I guess I was in the 1920s, that kind of age.

And I started sketching these jewelry symbols.

When I lost my mother as just this, like, what does life, in the form of wearable motivation, wearable, actionable pieces that click me into where I know.

I'm supposed to be look like. And that's when I just start sketching these designs. It's been a beautiful journey, how you can decide to move through this life.

Oh, my God, so many things there. I'm like, where do I start? So at a really. I'm going to start here. Because you were at a such a young age, you just had these moments where your mother just kind of like, you know, spoke these words of life over you. So her starting with the choice of not letting her predicament define what she is capable of saying and doing first and, like, breathing life over you and the power that we all have to do that to other people. So I want to start there. And then secondly, like, what did it make sense to you? Because I know it was fifth grade, and, like, even the. Even the phrase of don't let your predicament define where your. Is it where your future is going? Is that what she said?

Your predicament doesn't determine your destiny.

Okay. It doesn't determine your destiny. Did that make sense to you, or did you have to sit with that a little bit? Or how did that land for you?

I'm gonna be honest. When she said that first statement at a young age, it did not land. It's almost like a seed. So I love these concepts of seeds because it was a seed that was planted in My heart and spirit that did not connect to me initially at that young age. And what did connect was when she stopped me and broke down. Following life or leading your life.

That's when that resonated with me.

Like, whoa, I don't have to lead others, but I get to lead my life. Then I got to. Because that was like a two, three year stretch, Right. We went in a homeless shelter.

Predicament doesn't determine your destiny.

When we were in the midst of that sorrow, like, just got thrown into it. Now, two, three years later, I'm acting up. She's pausing me again, like, come on, choose it. I see what you're choosing now and you're following now. You can right now choose this life that clicked immediately. And I'm grateful for that because at a young age, that could have went past my spirit. But then I think maybe it was that seed being connected from two years ago when she spoke into me, that my predicament doesn't determine my destiny. And now I'm hearing it again in a different way. And I also was seeing my life, even as a little kid, you know when you're doing wrong.

Yep, totally.

But, you know, right now where we are, we can bring it to us as adults. You know, when you're not in what you know is called. I call it this little inner whisper, this godly whisper, you know, what is for you and what's not for you.

Sometimes we choose to ignore it and kind of dull it down. But.

But when you really listen to it and walk into it, that's choosing your.

Light, that's choosing your life, and that's defining that. My predicament, be it good or bad.

By anybody's standards, still doesn't have to.

Be my destiny, because that whisper is my destiny. Now I get to choose it.

Okay, so tell me about what. So it gets hard choosing light all the time, right? Like, it gets real, real hard. It's like, yes, I know where the light is. I'm going toward it, and we break it down. Yeah. So I want to hear about, you know, what I know. For me, I do a couple things. So I'm so curious for you because I. I don't have a background like yours, but I definitely have something that I'm like, I can go back to real easy to feel into and be like, yep, not gonna k. Not going there again. So here's. We're gonna do this other kind of hard thing that doesn't feel that hard anymore. So tell me about. About that process for you.

Yes. So I love first. Like you said, let's unpack cheese and light, like. Cause we say it, I say it real easy. It is not hard. I almost wanna say that choosing life is harder than succumbing to your environment, right? Because yeah, it's hard in your environment, but that's what you're in.

That's what you're used to.

You kind of get numb to it.

So you could just go through life.

Just riding the waves. So it's even harder when you're like, nope, don't wanna ride this wave. The lazy river. I actually wanna turn to the light. Like, I wanna paddle upstream to the light. It gets hard because obstacles come in your way now. And that's what my second collection that I sketched, I was trying to figure out, what does it look like? What is it? How do you keep radiating? How do you keep showing up? Because there was a moment continuously I keep having these challenging moments in my life, but I keep radiating it through. And I'm like, what, Leah? It's got to be something. I was like at a young age, I had defined what I was rooted in, and the visual of roots came to me. So when you see my second collection is these roots just weaving through the patterns and it defines. Like when you ground yourself and it could be right now and what you define to be.

I defined at a young age that.

Joy was light to me, finding it no matter where I was. Love, meaning love of others, love of myself, giving love and then receiving love. Like, does this feel like love to me? If not got a course correct? Because that's my light.

Peace.

So when I feel unrocky, I feel uneasy. I've got to find a way to.

Get back to a peaceful, settled state, right?

So these words, perseverance, that means I'm going to get back up.

No matter how many times I get dropped down.

These words are rooted in at an early age. And you don't have to be born into that. Someone doesn't. You can choose those words or whatever you feel right now. So when the darkness tries to flush out your light, when the wind and storm think of a tree, right? When your root, when this tree has these really deep roots, the storms can blow the leaves off and break branches off, but the trunk is still standing, meaning the light is still there. And that's how I always get back to it. Because no matter what, darkness comes my way, I'm going to find my way back to my roots. I'm going to find my way back to joy. So maybe that means I Got to turn on some music because joy is my jam. I like to dance a little like, oh, someone's shaking my spirit up. Let me turn on some music. Maybe that means clicking on my joy bracelet or like you having my relief bracelet on and looking at and reminding.

Me to dispel all of that negativity that's around me.

But it's always checking myself back into what I know to be true because even I'm human.

Like, someone will agitate me.

I did this.

This was really funny.

Someone emailed me and it wasn't a pleasant email. And you know, I choose light, right? I'm light loving and this email tried my light real heavily. I've had those as human. I am going in this email with no light. It is all darkness, right? But then I look and I'm texting. I'm texting this on my phone, so my arms are out and I look over at my rooted bracelet and I see these roots and it triggers to me, but Leah, what did you define.

Your life to be rooted in?

And the first word was love. That came to my mind and then it said, I looked at my email and I said, leah, is there any love in that email? Is there any light in that email? Then I looked over my other wrist and I had love check bracelet on and said, well, then check back into love. So I deleted everything in that email and I sent abundance of love. Oh my God, I'm so grateful. True love, not fake love. Finding the truth of what love would look like out of this, being empathetic on probably why they sent that email, right? And so I sent this. Love poured. I sent this email, poured in love. And do you know, immediately it was as if I just sent it. I got a reply back and the person said, oh my goodness, I needed that. I've never had anyone show me this.

Much love and appreciation. I'm sorry if my email felt a little tense.

I've been. I've been burdened. I've been really taken through the wringer this week and this just really brought.

Me back to love.

And so that's how we bring ourselves back. Always checking back in, even when it hurts.

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Back to the episode you Brought me right back to so many moments in my life that were like that, where it's just.

Oh.

Everything in you just thinks it would be the best choice to fire away. And then it's like, what do I want? Because you are. You are. Everything that you are saying is. Is like. I mean, like so on point for what you want. What do you want in your future? We're creating our future and the feelings around us and the people around us and what we're attracting in every moment and every word. And it's like so often just because someone reacted to an emotion that they're experiencing doesn't. We can stop it. We can pretty much end the cycle right there, even for them sometimes. You literally just changed that pattern. Not just for your interaction and your future and your day, but literally that might have changed the pattern for them, whoever it was, their whole day. That's powerful.

It's powerful. We show up. You don't show up for the world. Show up for you first. But you've gotta define and root into what are you showing up as? And I don't. I think it's really important for us to take time with intention. And that word gets thrown around a lot. Right. But it is a beautiful word when you really embrace it. Like, what is my life's intention? Not what career I want to be, not how much money I want to make, not any of that. Like, what is my life intention? And it should be some beautiful things. It should be love. If you're not sure, let me help you. It should be love. It should be showing up in this joyful light. Because that is not only healing for you and everything you do, but it's also healing for everyone else around you, even if they don't know it to be true. And that's just a beautiful place to live. So when you leave a legacy, you know, a lot of people are like, I'm not gonna leave a legacy. No one really knows me. But you are. Everything that you do is a legacy that you're leaving. What do you wanna leave for yourself? You know, what do you want? Not what others say about you. What do you wanna say about yourself? Cause that's what matters the most. And then when we define ourselves, then the world shows up for you exactly the way you want them to show up. And even when they don't, you're so rooted into who you are, they've got to turn around eventually. Or you remove yourself away from them. Either one.

I love the idea of roots and just having those things to fall Back on. So taking that time in your life to define what that is that you want to feel and you want in your life and that you want to lead with and how you want to impact other people. So my husband's father passed away, like, so unexpectedly this last June. And I'm sharing this because I got to experience what it looks like to leave a legacy of just pure love. And we were lucky enough at the time because of the state that it was in that we were able to have a funeral, a distance funeral. But to go and listen to all of these people that went up to the podium and just said, this man was my hero. He would literally do anything for me. He'd walk over to the neighbor's house and just check in, you know, every day to go and see how people were doing and what he could do. And, like, I know that he had that impact on my life. And it was. It was the first time that I was in a room, and I was like, oh, this is what it actually looks like to leave this mark on people. And it was like a real. It wasn't just like a. Oh, this was such a great. It was a true mark that impacted the way that they live their life. And even just by my. My brother had attended, and he was like. Like, just by me being in that room made me want to live in that way. So just this, like, deep, deep impact that you're talking about and you have to have. And I know that he had a definition for his life. So I love that you shared, like, you have this definition of what your roots are, and sometimes you have to sit and get clear on that. So if you guys are on a walk or driving your car, like, to take that time to get clear. Do you do any practices around that? Like, just kind of, like, rooting back into that, you know?

And the funny part, I am bad with consistency of practices. So I must admit, you know, anyone who feels challenged against practices, don't worry about it. I am there, and I'm still in it. My only practice is to define who.

I'm gonna be and show up as.

And what does that look like? And also one practice that I check myself, like, I know when light is not boiling out of me. Like, that's when I'm like, ooh, ooh, stank. You're wreaking stank. Yeah, bring the light, Leah. Cause that's what you define it. And then instantly I checked back in to the light. It was funny. I did a keynote speak in Puerto Rico this week with beautiful organization and my best friend. One of my best friends went with me. And in the morning, it was the morning before the speech, and so I'm thinking of all these things, right? And I'm starting to let life feel the pressure. And so she comes in and she's like, good morning. She comes in with light, and I turn around with, hey. Right? And then as soon as I did that, I was like, is that who you want to be with? It doesn't matter what you're thinking about. None of that matters right now. Who are you? That's not you. So then I turned back around, I said, you know what? I'm sorry. Hey, girl.

Hey.

And so I showed up who I said I was gonna be. And that's the practice that I want.

Us to get into.

Just, oh, you're not gonna be perfect. But trying to check it before it spirals out of control is a beautiful way to live our lives, because we're human and we aren't gonna be perfect.

Yeah. Yeah.

Yep.

I gotta bring the light somewhere later today because yesterday I was really overwhelmed, and I feel like I acting quietly like it. So, yeah, that's a really good reminder throughout my house.

And it's good, too. Thank you for saying that. Right. And it's okay. Here's when people really love you, right? When we're so humble that we acknowledge our humanness. Now, we don't always walk in it and make a mistake and then think we're gonna backtrack all the time, but we're human. So then when you go back today and you're like, even in my silence, I wasn't showing up for who I am. So let me acknowledge that. And here's who I am. People just love that, and they're like, oh, my gosh, you know, they'll just appreciate it honestly, even more than the light that you could have shown up as, because you acknowledged what you want to be and who you are as a true person.

I think it's beautiful.

Yeah.

No, this was, like, so power. Such a powerful reminder. Because I'm like, do I really want people to feel that way or know that I'm overwhelmed? Or, like, leave her alone. She's being quite. Do you know what I'm saying? Like, those little moments of just, like, it's so. Sometimes it feels like, oh, it might be better if I'm just silent than to, like, you know, I don't know. You know what I'm talking about?

Yes.

Because I work in a house with a lot of people around at all times, and it's just like that was.

Me when I was like, hey, I was thinking of all these different things. But it's honestly even better to, like you said, pour out the light that you're feeling like, oh, hey girl. Oh my God, I have so many things on my mind, da da da da. Trying to get in this zone. So forgive me if I go into the zone. That's who you want to show up as. And when you get into this practice of always being mindful to check yourself back into that, you just, you change the entire environment around you. You really do.

That is so true. We forget how powerful we are and that we really actually can change sometimes the most powerful environment. Like you walk in a room and you're like, oh, this is kind of heavy. I think I'm just gonna bring it.

Exactly like you can literally, I say that darkness is dissolved by light right now.

You don't wanna keep yourself in darkness.

Around darkness, but you can literally walk.

Into a dark place, meaning, like you.

Said, a heavy place or attention or something of not such good energy. And you're rooted in who you are. You define these motions of energy that you want to emanate from just by you being you. And you walk into that room like me. People like, why yellow and yellow is the most powerful, light driven, joy driven. Before I even open my mouth, I'm adorned with all of these sparkly pieces and I'm dripped in yellow. I have changed the entire atmosphere when I just walked in. And so it's beautiful not to succumb to the atmosphere, but choose to actually change the atmosphere.

So good. And it's true, it's really hard to be like angry with someone in yellow who is sparkling.

It really is.

You're kind of like, okay, well I'm going to lean into this. This clearly is going to be a happy interaction. So with that said, so we have so many people who listen to this who are entrepreneurs, but I fully believe mindset is the first. If you don't have a good mindset around what you're doing and just who you are and rooted, it is real hard to have a business be planted in that because you are the business. You really ultimately the founder and the person and the soul and the spirit and the creator behind it really is the business. So I think with that said, I would love to know, first of all, do you consider yourself just for everybody listening so we can all know that we can do whatever coming from whoever we believe that we are. Do you feel you're more of a creator or do you feel you're more of an integrator?

Oh, I'm a creator.

Yes.

Okay, great.

So creators really say. A lot of creators I know say they really struggle with actually getting it rooted and grounded in strategy and getting it out into the world.

Yes.

I can see the vision. I can feel, I can tell people what to do. I can do all the things. But how does this actually come through? So this will be. So I'm really curious, like how you created your business plan and launched and grew your brand.

Oh, so good. Because I'm such a creator, all of the logistical, real, real business stuff is so challenging for me. So every entrepreneur out there, I really want to encourage you it is okay to not be great at those things. It really is. But what is really important? Again, defining the roots of your business.

Of what it is that you're putting out into the world.

Meaning let's say you're a finance person. I'm going to go far. And you want to create this finance business, but what is that business going to give to the world? Even in finance, you've got to come from a place of giving before you even get into logistics. Because I feel like I am weak on all the logistics part, but I am clear on what I'm going to give you. So when I created Valencia Key Jewelry, I know that these are wearable motivational pieces that when on the body of a human being, it is going to inspire you to unlock your greatness. So I am consistent with that message. So I just stay in consistency on what I'm good at. And then you've got a people. So I say three things that are really powerful.

And it's not real deep, but it's powerful.

Three P's prayer, whoever you pray to. Yep. Perseverance. When I say perseverance, meaning you are not going to be great at everything. Like, I am a small business right now. I am doing everything. I don't even really know finance.

I have a degree in business. I don't know where I was in those classes because I'm lost.

Okay. Yeah. I don't know what happened, but I make mistakes and I learned from the mistakes. And so impersonance to me, when I think of perseverance, it is being okay with being imperfect and then learning from every mistake you make and allowing it for you to keep going. Like, oops, didn't know I needed to get a business plan. When someone asked me, when you're going to present it, don't beat yourselves up. Don't think that you're not a business. Go find a free workshop that's going to help you create a business plan. There are so many free. There's sba, there's score. There are so many free organizations for entrepreneurs, young budding entrepreneurs that will help you in those the weeds of the.

Challenging stuff, especially as a creative.

So I'd encourage you to reach out to those programs to help you on that end. And then people. So you've got prayer, perseverance and people.

People are lights in your life, but.

You do not want to expect things from people. You literally just surround yourself even with.

A beautiful podcast like this. I feel like this is a form.

Of the people portion where you are listening and you are soaking up the power that it is possible. I am saying to you right now, even if I don't give you a.

Legitimacy, statistical way of doing something, wherever.

Your weaknesses is, that's not going to.

Stop you from doing your business.

It is not going to. Do not let it hold you back.

Because you don't know how to write a business plan.

Do not let it hold you back.

Because you don't even know what marketing is.

I still don't know what marketing is, but I know my message. So whatever my message is, I'm putting it out in the world clearly. I'm sharing what I know, I'm giving.

To the world consistently.

And then people will see that message. You're not asking people for anything. They will see your passion, they will see your light. And I call them earth angels and they just show up when you decide to be consistent, when you put your 1000% all in it, when you pray to whoever your almighty is and as your almighty God. I'm weak in this area. I prayed so many times for help. You don't understand. I'm by myself and I pray like God.

I can't do this alone.

I don't even know what I'm doing. But I know I have a gift.

To give to the world.

And when I pray that every time God sends me an angel and then send someone to help me pack a box when I had an order and I didn't know how I was going to pack it. So I'm asking you to allow your prayers to continuously go up and you continuously go forward. And when no one's listening, keep going. When no one's responding, keep showing up. When you're on social media and no one's liking you, keep pushing it, keep posting it. Because it's not about people, it's about the passion that you're giving. In the world. And at some point when you're so consistent on who you are and what you're giving, people will grab it. Then another person will grab, and then little people, and then these lights will slowly start grabbing it. Then you're going to have a pause and then no one grabs it again. Right. What's going on? Keep showing up. Keep showing up. I asked you to do it, and I promise you it is. It is the logistics on how you actually become what you want to be.

As a business person.

Yeah, I just felt. I'm just like sitting here still, like, still in church feeling it. I'm letting that just, like, soak in for a minute.

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So many people listening are on this journey, so they are Just feeling it right along with you. I. I want to share something with you. Cause my friend shared it with me on my run. We do Tuesday, Thursday runs. We run six miles. We say we work out all the world's problems and we don't even get to the good stuff until we're good and tired. On like mile four and five. We just feel like God starts speaking through us. And she said to me, she's like, you know, if we had all the answers, if you knew the plan and if you had all the people, you're literally cutting God out. Like, you're not letting him do what.

He'S here to do.

It's like you're not letting God be God. So you're supposed to dream a bigger dream. Like, you're not even supposed to know or understand how you could possibly fathom how to get that thing in order to let you know him do what he's supposed to do. And I was like, good, because I know nothing. So I'm leaving so much room right now. But it's true. Because when those things happen, Leah, like what you're talking about, and it will and it does. If you do what Leah just said, like, keep showing up and you stay, you know, when it's dark and people aren't showing up, like, it's literally insane that it is an undeniable miracle. Like, and they happen, they can happen daily. Like, if you believe it, they can literally happen daily. And I am just watching things move that it is virtually impossible for these things to happen in these connections to be being made, because I was not necessarily looking or asking for certain things and it was like, wow, like, miraculous. What do you, what do you do and say and feel around miracles? Like, when they happen? How do you acknowledge them? Like what? Just share a little bit about how those come into your life.

Oh, I love it. Oh my God. Miracles. Woo. My name should be Miracle.

We'll make it a nickname. We'll throw it in there.

That's my nickname. So I instantly, when I see America, I know I'm like, this is through an earth angel, but this is God, right? Like, you've seen that and it shows up time and time again. I have started now. This is one practice that I've started. I have started to immediately get on the floor wherever I'm at, humble myself and fully. I humble myself to fully acknowledge the reason why I get on the floor is because I'm getting in the most, lowest, most humblest form of being that I can be in, right? To really show My exoneration of gratitude and show that I am the smallest form. But you showed up for me. And I throw my hands in the air and I give thanks and I give acknowledgement. And then I pray for everyone that is in my life. Because then I just don't want to give thanks for me, right? Because it's bigger than me. It's about everybody around me. And then I start praying for the people around me. And then I say, God, if you showed up for me, then please show up for Jamie, please show up for Lori, please show up for Jackie, please show up for Toy, please show up for Grace. And I just start showing. I just start speaking out all these people in my life that I know that can be shown up for. And then I ask that God shows up for everyone that receives my Valencia key jewelry. Because if I know these miracles, the message of my jewelry is if I can. You can. Meaning if God can show these miracles in my life. Well, God, every person that puts on.

Valencia key jewelry, show up as a miracle for them and allow them to see it.

I just think it's so beautiful to.

Take a moment to acknowledge the glory.

And the greatness because we can allow life to spin. And you never stop to acknowledge, whoa, this was a miracle that happened. When you can acknowledge it, then you never get bigger than self.

Right?

Yeah. So good. Okay, so this. So it's making me think about the importance of people stepping into their purpose, Whether it's getting a product out, getting coaching out, getting a message out. You know, I'm trying to remember what I'm like. You know, when you have a favorite quote or it's actually I believe a scripture, but then you can't remember it and you're like, yeah, how is this my favorite? I quote it all the time, but it's the. Oh, I think it's the gospel according to Thomas. If we don't put out what is within us, what is within us will consume us. Something like that. Like, if we don't pursue what is within us, what is within us will consume us. Essentially, it will eat us alive if we don't, like, do the thing that we are feeling called to. To do. So I don't know if you've had the 2am 4am wake up calls from God knocking like, hey, don't make me give you another lesson before you pursue this thing.

You know, it's been the story of.

So many things in my life, and.

I call it that inner whisper. That inner godly whisper. You know what it is?

Because it keeps Coming back.

Right. There are some things you want to do, and you're like, oh, that's nice. And then it never comes back.

Right, right.

Those inner whispers that keep coming back, that was the inner whisper of Valencia Key jewelry. Right. I've been sketching these pieces, you know, but personally, it was actually personally for me, but there was something about it. But then I was. And two earth angels. I have so many earth angels in my life.

So many. But I'd love to acknowledge Jamie, like, abundantly. And Vicki's side, Jamie at cosmetics. Her book, Believe it so good.

It's one of my favorites.

Oh, gosh. If you don't have it, get it. And Vicki Sy from Tasha Skincare.

These two beautiful women, I met them.

In PVC salon when they were going after their dreams. And they were.

They had this love and this gift to give to the world, and they were giving it with passion and zest.

And I just saw. They saw my light and they brought.

Me along, and they said, come on, Leah, with me. So that's why I want to say.

Too, how are you showing up in the world is real important because your talent doesn't matter, but who you are really does. And Jamie saw my light, and she.

Said, come along with me, like sister.

And she just brought me to the room.

Jamie is a beautiful heart that just.

Brought me in rooms that I didn't even know existed. Like, rooms that I was like, what that person didn't even belong in, if you will. But I was brought in just to have a seat right here with me and travel the world and start to see what was really possible. When you have something beautiful that you can give to people, it can actually become life changing in their hands. And then that whisper inside of me.

Kept saying, these sketches of this jewelry, your life's journey is in these jewelry pieces. It's a gift that you will give.

To the world that will unlock light in people's life. And I saw that that was necessary. And it kept whispering to me. And then finally I said, you know what? I'm gonna just jump. I see it's possible in these beautiful hearts. And that's why I love.

Like you said, when you wear the believe bracelet, it's our hands on your.

Back saying, oh, it's possible. And we're gonna hold you up to let you know that it's possible while.

You'Re in the room.

And when I jumped, I jumped with no understanding of anything of what I was doing. But I knew I had to. I could not leave this earth without trying. I Always say, this is kind of morbid, but real, real true. I said, either I'm gonna do it or I'm gonna die trying. And that's what I really believe when that inner whisper, either you're gonna do it and you're gonna keep trying, or on the way, I may not be here, but I am not gonna leave this world without giving the gift that I have. And I want to encourage anyone who's listening.

You have a gift, whatever it looks like.

And I think we box our gifts out because we think gifts should look a certain way. But gifts look like anything that, you know, you have to put out that the gift, that's the purpose. Now, then find what the intention of that gift is. Right?

So the gift is jewelry, wearable intention, wearable motivation.

But under that is the true reality of the purpose of the blessing of what that gift represents. And so when you are giving that to the world, it has to happen, or you're slighting people of these blessings. So I ask any of you, just try it. And then when you try it, fail, and then try again, and then fail, and then try again and keep going and keep going until you start to see. You start making these little micro. I like to say micro tribes.

Yeah.

Not the big try. The big try is going to consume you. Like, oh, my God, I want my brain to be global. I want millions of people to wear Valencia key consuming.

Yes.

I'm stopping right there, because I don't even know you know. But when I say, okay, God, I'm going to give you the big dream. That's why you need a higher power bigger than you, because you can't do it all. God, I'm going to give you the big dream, and I'm going to speak the big dream in the world. I must. I must tell you, you have to speak your dreams out of your body. You cannot let it resonate in your inner spirit and in your heart and in your mind. You have to speak it into the world. Meaning you got to speak it out when you're in your room, you got to speak it out in your mirror. And then when you're with people with no expectations, looking for help, you have to speak it out just to share.

It to the world.

And then when you share it to the world, I believe that it's giving your dreams wings to fly because you've released it out into the world, so now it can start soaring and start coming back to you in these beautiful ways. And that's what I just keep doing. I just speak it I feel it. I believe it. That's why that word believe is so powerful. Believe it even when it doesn't seem possible. Remember my mother said your predicament does not determine your destiny. So believe it. When your predicament says it's not true. Believe it. When the world said it's impossible. Believe it. When you yourself know you don't know how to do it, still believe it. And what happens with the word believe? That's why I love that word. Believe is an action word. Also love. My aunt always used to tell me love is an action word. I was like, oh, I love you Aunt Nancy. Love is an action word. Show me first, then tell me. So when you believe it so deep in your spirit, action clicks in. Because believe then materializes into a microtry. And a microtry is an action to do something towards your dream. I mean I believe it to be so, so much. I'm a Google how to make my hand sketches into jewelry. That's a microtry. Because you believe it. If you didn't believe it, you wouldn't even try to make that first step. And then you believe it even more and you make another baby step and then you look back and you're like, what happened?

Oh God, I love how you break that down because that's literally what I've had to learn and do in order for anything to happen. Because you are so right. The big dream that'll just that you're not going to get out of bed if you think you're going to have to do all that on a Monday, like you talk to me Monday at like 8am and I'm like, give me something little like let's just start this week off with a little win, okay? Little like a workout or a walk. And then an email. Like, okay, challenging email.

Email.

I'm winning.

I have to say that sometimes I'm like, okay, I sent three challenging emails.

Or one challenging email. You know, I asked for one thing.

That I needed today. I'm so proud of myself because I used to be that person, that list person. Oh God. I mean I still am. I just like literally hold on. I have a good list.

Go.

And Leah, you know, oh, I love your list.

I just showed her one of my.

Lists from I buy big notebooks for lists, but I only did that for me to write it down. Then sometimes I close the notebook. But with that said, I put usually at the top of the list like the, the one, two or max, three things that have to be done that day that are most important and Then the rest is a brain dump for me. So it's no longer turned into, like, giant dream, has to be done on, like I said, a Monday. It's kind of like just like you said, like, these little micro things that I talk all day to myself. I'm so proud of you. I'm so proud of you for doing that.

Wow.

Look at where.

Look at how far you've gone or look at where you came from, all of those things. So I just thank you for breaking it down to how it actually looks and especially just the, you know, the creative part and giving us the freedom to know, like, you don't have to know it all. Like, leave room for God to be God and earth angels. To be earth angels and all of the beautiful things. And I am so grateful for you today in this conversation. I so needed it. It's just such a blessing to connect with you. Do you have any last words on your heart before we. Before we complete our time together?

Absolutely.

First, I want to say to you, I love you. And to everyone, I love you. And when I say I love you, it's true. It means I believe in you. And it means that I stand for you. It means that I radiate. I don't radiate for me, just me. I radiate for you. Because when you see me showing up, even through the hardest, I mean, it gets harder than homeless, right? I lost my mother, lost my grandma. I get hard.

I can continue to get harder.

But I show up, and I'm showing up to show you that it's possible. And so the last words that I want to share that yes, it's possible. I'm a living representation that it's possible. And if I can, Laurie can. You all can. And so today, take one thing to a believe in first, believe in yourself. Then believe in your dreams and do one little action towards your dream, whatever that is. And I applaud you for that action that you're going to do. And we together, will show up together and keep shining our lights so that we can all shine together.

So beautiful. Where can we get some of this wearable joy? Because we all want it now.

Yes, yes, please go to valenciake.com v a l e n c I a.

K dash e y dot com and.

What I love about so I am everybody, right? I am still a WAME band. I have one other person that helps me, and my friends will tag in, but I'm packing boxes. I'm the webmaster for anything you please forgive me one because I'm doing it all, but my heart is in that website because, a, I want you to.

Wear a piece of Valencia Key jewelry to unlock all this greatness inside of you. But before that, I want you to go to that site and feel some joy. I want you to go to the.

Site and just smile, read something.

Read one word that encourages your heart.

And at least just put your email in so that we can stay connected. I. I think, like, words and messages. Like you say scriptures come to you. Scriptures or empowering things come to me. And I'm like, oh, that was from me, but that was from my heart too.

And so I'll send out a message that hopefully that you need and that encourage you.

So at least put your email in@valenciakey.com and then Instagram. I'm obsessed with Instagram. I have two. One is my personal Instagram. So if you just want to. Where in the world is Leah? Like, now that I'm vaccinated and I'm trying to get life back, I love to be places or just share messages. And that's Leah Valencia Key on Instagram.

But also follow me on the jewelry Instagram.

What I love, it's Valencia Key Design. What I love about that, so many hearts have told me, Leah, when I just want to smile, when I just need some light to flood into my.

Heart, I go to Valencia Key Design.

And what you'll see is all types.

Of people and women.

Gray hair, red hair, all women that.

Are us as a community, radiating in.

Joy, wearing the pieces. And then there's an inspirational word with that. So you can leave full just by one image. And I'll always keep showing up for.

You in that way. And I love you all so much for connecting with me.

Thank you for this opportunity.

Oh, my God, I love it so much. Okay, so I adore you. I want to do a giveaway. I'm going to purchase three of your pieces to give to my listeners. So which one should they tag? And I'll explain the giveaway in one second. Which Instagram?

Oh, you should tag Valencia Key Design. Okay.

Okay, so here's what we're gonna do, everybody. Just like with some of the book giveaways that we do, you are going to tag Valencia Key Design and myself and let Leah know what your biggest takeaway was from this podcast. In the first three that I see, we're going to send you an epic piece of her jewelry. Maybe I'll do that, like, sliding necklace, you know.

Ooh, the Larry is in the white.

Yes.

I love, love, love, love, love, that necklace, like obsessed. So we're going to be sending three of those necklaces to you guys. So make sure you tag Valencia Key design. Let her know what your biggest takeaway was, what you loved about the podcast. You guys know that that is the biggest gift that you can possibly give to someone who came on and tag myself so that I can see you. Okay, Valencia, do people call you that? Okay.

Yes. And I like both of them. I'm like, yeah.

Thank you so much for this. I'm so excited. I can't wait to. I can't wait to see who shares. So. So thank you. Like I said, absolutely life changing. I know that everybody listening was so impacted and you guys go ahead and enter so that you can potentially wear some of this wearable joy too. And you know you don't have to. You can always go purchase it. You don't have to wait to win. So until next time, earn your happy. Bye, everyone.

Sa.