How to Grow More Confident in Your Business with Michelle McDowell, Keosha Jones, Jessica Santand...

Welcome to the She's Crafted to Thrive podcast. I am absolutely in profound gratitude for reaching my 100th episode. And funny, funny story, y'all, this is technically my 101 episode, but like when I first started, the first episode I called 00 because I didn't feel like it was really like the first episode. So what I know now is that that was technically like a trailer, so it doesn't really count as a full episode. But I share that just to say that if you're listening to this show and you're starting something new, or you're in the middle of doing this something new more consistently, something I have learned in this journey that when I first started not knowing a single thing about podcasting to Now being able to edit, launch, even support others in their podcast in some way, shape, or form, whether that is managing or editing and producing it, I am so thankful that I was consistent with my persistence. You know, so many people don't get to the 10th episode for whatever reason. And for me, I've just enjoyed the journey. Along not knowing what the heck I'm doing to finding and connecting with more women and getting their stories told and shared to my audience and vice versa. And I hope this inspires you. If you've been a long-time subscriber, a ride or die, I like to call you all, then I would love to hear your thoughts. Please leave a review on our website or on iTunes. We love to hear— I love to hear what you think about every episode that you listen to. And if you're new here, go check out the other 99 episodes. This is a special one because we are having 4 amazing women at the same time recording at the same time, the first time I've ever done something like this. And I am going to allow you to listen to their introductions as they share more about them and how they have learned that they are crafted to thrive. So stay tuned. You're listening to the She's Crafted to Thrive podcast, and this is your host, Nikita Williams. On this show, we're talking about what it's like to start, grow, and scale a business while living with chronic illness. You will hear from other creatives and CEOs as they share their stories and the lessons that led them to learn to lean more into what works for them. You'll discover that success does not mean perfection, and fear, negative thoughts, and challenges are all a part of the journey. But there's always an abundance of wins. So stay tuned and you'll find the inspiration and tools you need to craft a life and business that thrives.

Oh my goodness, I am so, so excited about this episode, y'all. Like, so excited to have some of my favorite people here. And it's a first for the show of having a whole bunch of us, like, in a room on a call, like, in a Zoom virtual world. We're all different places, but I'm super excited to be doing this with some of the most beautiful inside and out women that I know. And I want to introduce you to them. You've met them all on the show before, but I want you to kind of hear more about them. We have Michelle on the show, Kyosha, Gina, and Jessica. Thank you, ladies, for being here. I just want to say that again if I didn't already say it earlier. Thank you so much for being here. And I'm going to start with Michelle. Please tell us what you do, where you are, and why you love what you do.

Oh wow. Well, first of all, I want to thank you for having me. I'm really honored that you, you know, reached out to me and want to bring me back on your 100th episode. This is like a very major milestone for you. So thank you so much. My name is Michelle, and my business is Michelle Davina Photography. I am a branding and wedding photographer here in Atlanta, and I help realtors and wedding professionals really make a presence on the online platforms, as well as, you know, elevating their brand. Basically, it's all about upleveling and speaking to the audience that you're really desiring, and just showing up and showing out, so to speak, but in a professional way. You know, uh, to stand out in your industry. So that is, um, that's my spiel. I think that's it, right?

Yes, that's it. Michelle, why do you love what you do?

Oh yes, so I started out weddings, um, and added branding onto a service, an additional service. But I just love— I love photography, and I love to really capture people in their essence, in you know, just the moments that happen. Um, weddings was my first love, and then it branched out into branding photography because I noticed that there was in the industry— I didn't know exactly what they called it initially. I called it lifestyle, but it did have a name, and it's personal branding photography. So I noticed that that was, um, kind of short in the, um, photography industry, and that was an area I thought that I could go into. And now that I'm in that space, I really do love it because I'm working with so many different business women and creators that are just awesome. I mean, just to have that camaraderie and, uh, the relationship, making the impact on a person's business when they're— to me, I get great joy when I see a client and they're looking at their images and they're like, whoa, blown away. And I— that just makes it— it makes me feel like I'm having an impact in their life, their business, and just I'm there to cheer them on and to really, um, be their, you know, supporter in whatever it is that they do. So that's one of the reasons why I love photography.

And she's so good at it, y'all. If you aren't following her on Instagram, definitely check her out. I'll have everyone's information in our show notes, but Michelle is absolutely amazing at what she does. So So thank you again for being on today. Uh, Kyosha, my love, my friend, like she my sister friend, y'all, at this point. I mean, we have some— she got a middle name, we got— we just together like that.

Yeah, you got two Nikitas sitting over here today. Yeah, so my name is Kyosha Williams and I'm the owner of Pink Productivity Coaching. I am a holistic productivity coach for individuals who have ADHD or identify with it. I'm actually moving into incorporating men into my business because I see that they kind of get left off in this particular area. And what I do is I help them to learn how their brain works and why it works that way. Because a lot of times individuals with ADHD have a hard time accepting who they are because they live in a world that is not made for them. And so when they see that they have been successful their entire lives because they learned how to adapt, they can accept themselves, increase their confidence, and then start becoming the person that they want to become because now they have the tools to use their brain for them and not against them in creating habits. So the reason why I love it is watching them change their mindset about themselves, those aha moments of, huh, I never really thought about it that way, or huh, I like that, I'm going to use it. And to just— and I've always been a people person anyway, so just watching their lives transform. But the one thing I was telling Nikita Williams Williams just yesterday, that I didn't realize that it was also going to affect other people's lives who were in their world. And that to me is another thing that I love because it's far-reaching beyond just the one person.

Yeah, it's pretty amazing what all of us, everyone in this room and on this call, has the capacity to do to help people.

Yeah, so it's been, it's been a great, great journey, and I want to say thank you so much for having me here on such a special episode.

Thank you for so much for being on here. So I have to say something real quick for everyone who's listening. There's a saga that's happening in my life right now where I don't have internet at home that's consistent, and I'm at a co-working spot that I straight up just drove up to today. And so there's people talking and I'm in a room, so we gonna keep it real because that's what we do on this show. I just want you to know, so we hear that background people chattering, that's, that's what's happening on the 100th episode. But thank you so much, Kyosha, and I can't wait to hear more about, you know, have everyone hear more about where you're going in your business too. Jessica. Welcome. Please introduce yourself and tell us where you are, what you do, love.

Yes. Well, as always, Nikita, you are just such an inspiring gem in my journey, and I'm so honored to commemorate, celebrate this incredible milestone. I've been a fan since I came across your podcast, so bravo to you and all the ladies who've been sharing their stories. And so a little bit about me. I— my name is Jessica Santander, and I am the founder and designer of my handmade jewelry brand under my own name, Jessica Santander. And our designs, they infuse a dainty, demifying aesthetic where our stories behind the jewelry pieces are all about inspiring our imagination as a modern-day woman today, here and now, to reimagine what is joy, what does it look like, how does it feel, and let that be your touchpoint to move forward. And I simply love being able to apply my creativity and my passion because I'm able to connect with my customers. For me, it's always been more than just creating a statement piece, but really it's connecting with my customers, our community, and ways of art, and art being a way of life. And I just love having that special touchpoint where we are inspiring one another, we are uplifting one another, and it's just really that supportive flow and claiming our light together that I absolutely love.

And it, it is like, I love, I love how you've grown in that. Oh my gosh, hearing you speak about it, like, I just got goosebumps. Like, like, oh my goodness. Um, I am— yes, everything she says is true, especially when it comes to her creating her beautiful— her pieces is just so much more than just jewelry. I'm wearing one of hers right now, my little pumpkin spice bracelet today. It feels like fall in the air here in Atlanta. So I am always thinking of you, Miss Jessica. I love you.

Love you more.

All right. So I'm really excited to introduce to you who's actually going to moderate these questions for us in this conversation, and it's Gina DeFord. And I've known Gina since I was like before I moved back to Atlanta in Florida. And she has always been a super powerhouse woman when it comes to like facilitating those facilitating conversations and connection between women. And I thought, who better to ask than Gina to be a part of this huge milestone for me? I think I actually talked to you about this like when I was in my first like 10 episodes when I had just first started. We had just connected. So Gina literally has been with me this whole whole, like, genre of me having this show. And I am just really honored for her to be here. So please, Gina, introduce yourself. Tell us who you are, what you do, where you're from, and take us on.

Yes, thank you so much for having me. It is so wonderful to be in such good company today, both with the ladies that are part of the panel, with you, the fabulous Nikita, who is celebrating 100 podcast episodes, and all of the fabulous listeners. Um, so my name is Gina DeFord. I'm the founder of Babe Crafted. So we are celebrating our— we're about to celebrate our 5th year in Business. Right now we have 156 amazing members from all different industries, backgrounds all over the country. We started in the Tampa Bay area, which is where I met you, Nikita Williams, right before you moved back to Atlanta. I'm so glad we were able to connect then because, you know, ever since, I mean, we've collaborated many times, like we've, we've worked together. I've been a guest on your podcast. It has been such a joy seeing your business and your podcast evolve. And it's just so wonderful to see the way that you transform the lives of your clients, you know, helping them with mindset and beyond. You know, one of the biggest things that I help my members with is helping them to feel less alone in their journeys as business owners. Being an entrepreneur can be very lonely at times. You know, oftentimes you feel like you're on an island by yourself, but that is not the case. And I love to remind women of that, that we are in this together. We can celebrate our wins. We can help each other through our challenges. We can uplevel and add more tools to our toolkit, uh, try new things. Um, it's just a really wonderful place to be where we can help each other move forward and celebrate how far we've come.

Yes, yes. Uh, Gina's group is amazing. I cannot— I mean, Gina is just cool. Like, she, she's kind of like attracts these women to like to her space and her community, and, and she lifts them up. When I say she— I mean, the membership is for us, but she does so much to lift up our voices inside of the community. She's always producing content opportunities for us to speak and be seen and be heard, and that's really hard to find sometimes in this world we call entrepreneurship. Um, so I'm just so very thankful for what you do, Gina, um, and being a part of your community and being able to kind of be along this journey as well. So thank you so much for being here, and, um, you can take it when you're ready.

Okay, and thank you so much for your kind words. Uh, let's go ahead and dive into our discussion today. So the first question I have for you fabulous ladies is, how have you grown more confident in embracing and believing that you were crafted to thrive? And feel free, whoever feels called to answer first, that sounds great. We'll do our best to not talk over each other. I see Kyosha over here raising her hand in the Zoom room. Take it away, Kyosha.

Well, my first thought takes me back to one of my very first meetings with Nikita Williams, and please, I've got— I'm dog sitting, so there might be some barking in the background. Just gonna throw that out there. Um, I remember telling her that I never thought I was a creative person. And that, like embracing that thought of being a creative person and working with it gave me the confidence to do what I do now and how I do it. I'm showing up in a way that's extremely different than what I expected. Um, I would watch other people do it and be like, I can never do that. But now I am stepping into showing parts of my life that I probably would have hidden before and using that as a part of creativity. I'm designing programs, graphics, things that I just never ever thought that I would have been successful, successful with. And I have the confidence to show up and do it whatever way I choose. And if it doesn't work, that's okay. Um, but I at least had a good time doing it and knowing that I tried something outside of my comfort zone.

So phenomenal. Thank you so much for sharing, Kiyosha. Whoever would feel comfortable sharing next, please go for it. Uh, I won't do this every time, but I just want to set up the dynamic that we can just go ahead and We've got this wonderful gal that shared, and now we have another gal that's going to share.

I definitely, you know, follow through the steps with what Kiyoshi is saying, you know, having that reflection moment in time when you're having a conversation with a person who has an entirely, you know, third-party perspective, like conversations with Nikita that I've had when working with her through the pandemic. And much of our conversations were going back towards imposter syndrome and really getting to the details and the deep dives of the question is, am I enough? Am I worthy enough? And it's been through those conversations and truly practicing out that self-love muscle that has been pushing me more to step more confidently in owning my business and owning my footsteps and my presence. And I feel even more so when, you know, the simplest things that can happen that really remind me just how passionate I am. And through passion alone, that is enough for me that in my story, that's enough to know that I am confidently moving forward. So for example, watching America's Got Talent, these competition shows of these incredible individuals who have, yes, extraordinary talents, and hearing their stories, seeing them come to tears. I literally, I ball up on the couch. I literally am crying. I'm like, you go, girl.

My gosh, you're incredible.

And it's just, you know, one story, no matter who you are, we all can inspire another person. And that's what I believe through our jewelry, through my brand story, my open door that I wanna be sharing with my corner of the world, that through this, that's enough for me to keep going. And what I truly believe can help any human being to know that they are worthy enough. And through that worthiness, that is your muscle, that is your crown in your space.

Wow. That's very, um, powerful, Jessica. I appreciate that. And you know what, I'm just gonna echo Somewhat similarly to what Kiyosha and Jessica said, I think for me, Nikita, when I first met her, it was through a consultation. And I'll be honest, I wasn't quite sure if the personalities would be a mesh, you know? But I went ahead and took a chance. And so one of the things that I really appreciate about Nikita is that And Lord knows, you know, I didn't like it all the time, but that's— I know how I am. I may fuss and, you know, kick my feet like a little kid, like I don't want to do it, but on the inside I really do appreciate it because you challenged me to think in a different way. Um, for me, you, you would ask me questions that I hadn't really thought about, and I think one of the things that was very like an aha moment for me is when we had a meeting and you started talking about my business and what all is entailed in the business and the equipment that I spend and the classes that I take, you know, the conferences that I go to, um, all those things, you know, when we started adding it up, I was like, whoa, you know, and then I think just to reiterate what the ladies here are saying, you know, knowing your worth, knowing your value. I look at my business differently now because of Nikita Williams. I feel that even when I'm talking to other people about, you know, what things cost or just people, you know, we can't determine what a person's value is. They have to determine that. And, you know, you have to get to that point where you know your worth, you know what you can do. You know what you bring to the table. And I really appreciate Nikita for making me see things through that type of lens, if you will. It was painful at times. But it was good. It was pain in a good way because you grow.

You grow.

And that's what I think that working with Nikita has helped me to do, to grow in that respect of seeing what I'm worth. Now when I'm looking at something or I'm thinking about something, it's like, mm-mm, no. I'm not going to do that because I know my time is very valuable. And even with the pandemic, that has really opened a lot of people's eyes. When you look at life and you see at the blink things can change, it does also add to the layer of perception of what you have of how you want to move through life. So I really appreciate our time together. It was, it was good.

It was good.

So that's all I have to say.

I think I, when I listen to all of you, um, I have those moments like you guys probably have with your own journeys of like, what?

Like, really?

Like, I think what I feel for all of you about like the question of like embracing your own belief of how you are able to create what you want to create it is truly in your power of how you believe about yourself and what you know to be capable. And sometimes we do need— I, I mean, even I need that, you know, a coach to come talk to me and say, look at how other people see you, you know, look at how your work affects other people. And so when you can start to grow in the mindset about embracing that, what you have been working on from the inside affects someone else in their life in such a larger way, you start to accept that, yeah, I'm totally, as you guys know, crafted to thrive. Like, I have the things I need to be and to do the thing that I want to bring about. So I love hearing all of your responses.

I think Lady Gaga said it best, baby, you were born this way. You know, we are all meant, you know, put on this earth for a reason. And it's so wonderful to have someone like Nikita that can help us bring it out of ourselves, maybe when we're experiencing some self-doubt. You know, we all need that that person to hold up that mirror for us. Um, and what Michelle was saying about, you know, challenges really leads us really well into our next question because we all approach challenges differently, we react to challenges differently. So what has been your greatest challenge, you know, in your, your journey so far as entrepreneurs? Um, you know, what has that challenge taught you?

Well, I was just trying to think about that because I think for me Uh, the, the greatest challenge and lesson in growing my business would probably have to do with being consistent in the mindset that, you know, I've developed or am kind of, you know, reshifting the focus on, um, because it's easy to fall into that you know, self-doubt, if you will, or just that comfortable space that you're so used to. And looking outside myself and just being able to be brave, have the courage to follow through. For me, it's— yeah. And I'm very big on wanting to follow through, but at the same time, I have that internal struggle. So— It's like we would talk about, well, who says you can't do this? Or why not? So I think for me, yeah, it's that courage of really living the mindset and embracing it. I think that I've come a long way because I see now, looking back and just you know, listening to the comments and just reflecting as we're doing this podcast, it's like, wow, Michelle, you know, in the beginning you were like, you know, I want to charge this amount. I was, I was scared that, oh, nobody's gonna—

mm-mm.

Why not? Nikita says, who are you to say? You don't know what's in their pockets. So, you know, just those kinds of questions, um, and just, yeah, living, living the mindset, having the courage to live in the mindset of, um, this new journey, this new road that I'm creating for myself. I'm done speaking.

Oh, if you guys could have a picture of this, uh, the faces we're making while we're recording this, it's just so funny. Oh, okay, I'm gonna shut up now.

And I, I think for me, one of my greatest challenges is patience. It always has been. And, um, you know, just falling in love with the journey of watching things grow and enjoying how I touch other people's lives, even if it doesn't bring a dollar in my pocket like that. That's one of the things that I had to work on with, with Nikita Williams is realizing that what I make in my business is not synonymous with the value that I bring or that I have as a person or what I do in my business. And so I've realized that even at those times when there are lulls, those lulls are for a reason. They allow you to actually grow in that space, in your mindset around the stillness. And it has proved to be something very important for me to understand. And, and throughout that process, it's, it's given me the ability to be where I am right now and to be able to say, hey, as I continue to make improvements on what I do and how I do it, it's going to take time, but it's going to be worth it because what I'm going to bring from myself to my clients is going to be better than it was the last time I made an improvement. So that's probably been my biggest challenge is patience and learning how to just love, love it through it all.

Yes. And Kyosha just literally echoed my exact response. I mean, even Nikita definitely knows that I am a very impatient person and that has been a challenge since day one, wanting to just skyrocket. The entrepreneurial journey, take big leaps of faith. And I, I think I attribute that to just how I am being really a stubborn optimist saying, well, it could just be an incredible experience and the outcome will have a certain expectation. And yes, we've had these conversations like going into year 3, early year 3 in my business where I just surprised Nikita saying, hey, I'm gonna be doing the trade show in Atlanta. And she's like, you what? Like, yeah, I'm just gonna go for it. I think we're— I think, you know, it would be an incredible experience. But with my expectations, my impatience, that was more so reflecting of having a certain outcome of dollars of value, like Kyosha had just shared. So I am learning to embody the concept of, I just have to learn day by day what it is I need to be learning, even though it may feel like it's, you know, a turtle pace. But that is what I need to do to become a better entrepreneur, a better leader, a better light in this universe, and just take it step by step. And even though, you know, certain outcomes completely had an different expectation. It's, you know, really that beautiful learning lesson to unfold and open up the new door. So it's definitely not easy, but it's a challenge that I feel really strengthens us in so many different ways and can unveil different opportunities for growth as well.

Yeah, I think for me, for as far as challenges, it is definitely— it's always the mindset for me. It's always been that. And that's probably why I talk about it so much with my— with y'all, like, with clients, is because I've seen the power of working on my thoughts and how it has literally changed my results. Like, it literally has done it. And not just for my business, but like for me and how I view myself, how I have relationships, like, like my relationship with my husband, my friends, my family has literally been the thing that has kept me going. Like, I just think even if I had all the money in the world and my mind wasn't right, it wouldn't matter. Like, it just wouldn't matter. So for me, the challenge is always like upping, like, how can I make this mindset better? Like, at this point, I feel like I've come to an understanding that that's what it is. Like, if I'm stuck somewhere or if I'm moving in a certain frantic Nikita Williams way, it's like, well, why? What's going on in your thoughts? What's making this? Be your, you know, your reaction to some things. And that's to me always going to probably be the challenge, right? Because our brains are always trying to protect us from all of the things. But at the same time, our brain is not, you know, it's the boss, but we're the boss of the boss, right? And it's like just learning how to become an— I don't think we'll ever be like an expert in this system of things, but the best of our ability to not allow our brains to take over our ability to create the results we really want. And our bodies, you know, living with chronic illness, that's always been a challenge. But a lot of it, even in my, in my being the healthiest version I consider myself today physically, even with all of the multiple chronic illnesses I have, has literally been because I believe of the mindset work that I've done. Literally. So I, I'm with you all, all of the mindset piece. I think that's, that's, that's the zhuzh of it all.

You're all so incredible. I, I wrote a couple of things down that I just want to echo again for, for each of you and for listeners. Have the courage to follow through from Michelle. That was incredible. And I love that you said stubborn optimist, Jessica. I think we all could benefit from being relentless but positive. I think be a stubborn optimist is something to carry around with ourselves. And, um, this has just all been so wonderful. And Nikita, thank you for sharing what you had to say, especially when it came to mindset, because I would love to dive in a little bit deeper for each of you. So what has— what role has mindset played in your life and business?

Oh my gosh, mindset has been since day one, and that is why I knew in my gut I needed to have one-on-one coaching with Nikita because there was just so many different momentum, different feelings, different energy happening. And this was right into my first year of business. And this was through 2020 where I had a certain perspective of how a business should be, at least online. And my mindset was just actually more of a shield at the time, wanting to protect myself, but also in a way that shield was a little bit more on the side of being fearful of what others would think. And through our conversations, our in-depth chats, Nikita has just been really helping me to just know and accept what has been in my heart since day one of launching my business, and that was to be the face of my brand if I know what my mission was ultimately to inspire others from my own personal journey and make that as a bridge to marry our joy together. And it just made complete sense. I already— she told me, and I knew it, that I already knew in the beginning, but my mindset was just not there. I was just really more scared, fearful, and just telling myself no, but a business should be completely professional, uh, a business cannot showcase its personal life and what would others think about that if I'm showing you what I'm having for dinner or, you know, me without any makeup. But at the end of the day and, you know, fast forward almost into year 4, mindset is just something where you are always going to be practicing out, but it's something that should be at the end of the day beautiful for you and you should not have to worry about what others will think. Because you're ultimately creating your own beautiful space and those who are going to be impacted in a beautiful light are going to accompany along. And so this is just that one train of thought that I always reemphasize with myself and with other fellow women entrepreneurs, that the mindset game is truly one that should make you feel beautiful and you should not worry about that outside noise. Is or what it can be, because that's not for you.

And when I was connected with Nikita Williams Williams, mindset was definitely not really the thing that was on the top of my mind. It was more about the strategy. I am a very action-packed, tell me what, how to do it, get the things done. And coming to realize one thing that she said that's always made an impact on me is that You know, some people say that life and business don't mix, but really they do. And anytime that I've been struggling with something in my life that has made me feel less than, it always affected my business. And so that helped me, like seeing that and working with her helps me to see, well, where am I feeling discounted and why? And when I can go through that, I can figure out this problem that has been going on in my life and how it's habit and how I'm showing up in my business. I know, you know, I was sitting, I think I was sitting on the floor in your office. We were talking about, um, a new program that I was rolling out and she was like, why are you doing it that way? She said, because I had reduced the prices. She was like, why? She said, when Anthropologie rolls out something new, that's a beta. They don't do that. Why are you doing it? And so it made me think back to what was actually happening in my life at that moment. And I was feeling discounted. So for me, it helps me to, to take a look at the full scope of what's going on either in my business or in my life. And see why one area may not be working because they are completely related. And that was one of the biggest mindset things that I think I have taken away since very early on in working with Nikita, and it's been extremely helpful.

So for me, um, I was just looking— as I was telling Nikita earlier, I was looking through my journals that I kept when working with her, and I have something highlighted here. That I thought it had to be like an aha moment for me. The mindset, um, I wrote down, if I'm going to speak to these women that I already know the value of what I do, I need to speak from a place that is emotionally connecting. And I highlighted that. So for me, I guess I never put like an emotional connection on it like that. Um, Yes, I want to make— sorry for that, there's a motorcycle or something in the background— but I wanted to— I know I want to deliver beautiful images, and I do want to stir from an emotional place to make that connection. But I think, I don't know, sometimes we, we forget, I think. And then when we have those sayings or something's brought to mind, it's like, oh yes, that is an aha moment for me. So I think the mindset definitely that you have helped me to build— I don't even know how to say it, but I guess to build or to create, develop, discover has really helped me, I think, in not just my business but other aspects of life. Taking it from a place that's not so guarded or feeling like, mm, I don't know, feeling doubtful, I guess. I think mindset is a wonderful thing to do. I like to call it mind shift because I am kind of shifting the mind of how I'm thinking about things. So I like to incorporate that word as well. But I do think that it has played a very big role. It definitely— my business now, what I'm doing now is so much different than what I was doing before. I'm not afraid to put it out there. Like, this is what I bring to the table and why. And as people might say, unapologetically doing so. So I think that for me, that's what the mindset has helped me to do in my business and in my life.

So phenomenal.

Oh my goodness.

I have to also call out something that Kiyosha said. She said that, you know, she's— you've been encouraged by Nikita Williams to ask yourself, where am I feeling discounted and why? You know, it's so important to really recognize how you feel, call it by name, and then you can get to the source and you can handle it and get it off, you know, off of your mind, off of your heart, and then you can be your best self. So thank Thank you for sharing that. So we have some hot seat questions. It was really wonderful that we had some questions for everyone on the panel, but then it's, it's also going to be really exciting to send some of those questions Nikita's way so she can share some insight and tips for us. So, you know, we've got to have a podcast question because we're celebrating our 100th episode. Insert confetti cannons here. So yes, what made you want to start a podcast and how has having this podcast helped you in your business, Nikita?

Well, that's a good question. Um, you all did great on your questions. Thank you so much for sharing. I thought that was beautiful. Thank you again. I mean, honestly, you guys know I'm a people person. So when I actually started this podcast, I literally— like, I started it because I didn't— I wasn't able to be out and connecting with people. And so when I started the podcast, I wanted a way to connect with people. That's my thing. Like, that's my that's one of my strengths is really connecting and letting, you know, just connecting with people. And so I didn't know how to do that. My husband Maurice, like, suggested a podcast, and I was like, okay, I don't know what that is, but I'll try it out. And I started it, and I fell in love with it. And now it literally has helped me. It's like I've said this before on the show, it's been like therapy in some ways of being able to share my journey and also to hear other women's has also been very affirming, to hear other women go through different things and how they continue to persevere. I will probably do this if I never even had a business. Like, I've just really enjoyed this process of connecting with other women. And as far as it helping my business, it has just been a place to help other women be seen and heard and also bring awareness to some of the thoughts that they might be thinking about in their business and thinking they're alone. If they only knew, if, you know, when they listen, they can be like, oh, I just need it like this tweak, or I just need to think about this. Or maybe they never thought about investing in coaching, and it's like, oh, that's what coaching does. I think there's that piece of it too. So So yeah, I mean, I love podcasting. It's fun and it connects with people.

Absolutely.

And cheers to your brilliant husband for recommending.

Yeah, exactly.

For recommending the idea. Hip hip hooray. So what was the moment you realized that it was okay to do things your way?

So it's funny because I was talking to my mom earlier today and she asked me that question and I was like, He was like, that's weird. I was like, wasn't I like born like this? Like, I feel like I've always had like an intuitive thing of just like, why not do it real? Why not do it like me? Do I have times where that is more challenging if I'm like in my head about things? Totally 100%. Um, but I find it takes way more energy to do that. And with with little limited spoons. I ain't got time for that. Uh, as I've gotten older, I've just realized I don't have the time or the energy to try to be something that I'm not. And so that's really been kind of how I would say I've just kept it real and have been me. It's just, I have enough of me to figure out and work on than trying to to put on someone else's mask. So I think that's the best way I would answer that question.

Yes, cheers to, you know, working with what you've got and what feels good to you and not trying to fit in someone else's box. Absolutely. So for previous clients that you're— that you have— that you're no longer working with, what would you say for them to help them stay on track?

Oh, I did an episode that just came out before this one, and it's your commitment, right? Your commitment to yourself. Because business is going to have its ups and downs. Like, it's just going to— like, this idea that we can start a business and there's never going to be ebbs and flows, it's just ridiculous. It's a thought that we've gotten from social media because everything seems to be up and up all the time. Everybody's a millionaire, always, forever. Like, that's not real. Like, it's not real. And I think just realizing that the journey is for you too, right? You might be doing what you're doing for other people and you have other goals and you want to help other people, but it's for you first. And I think just being committed to your yeses, your growth, how you want to be, how you want to, you know, get to where you want to be, to be the better version of yourself for yourself and for everyone else. Is honoring your commitments to yourself.

Such fabulous insight. Lots of head nodding happening right now on this call. So what are some common patterns or threads you see with clients? Is there a typical kind of mindset that you see, or does it vary? Let us know.

That's a great question. I love that question.

Yes, there's several, but there's one that I feel like even in this conversation, hearing what you all had shared, it's a, a thought of knowing what you know, like becoming, coming to an understanding and awareness of what you know, and then leaving it again. It kind of goes back to that other question about commitment. Like, our minds need multiple repetitions of doing something, and sometimes we abandon ship before we've given it time to work. And that is something I find with a lot of my clients clients past, present, is that I'm always reminding them, like, to me, the job of a coach is to be a person that holds the vision, right? Holds the vision, lets you see the vision you say you want. How do you achieve that? And we leave the vision so often to try and be and do all these things, but we don't come back to it enough or give it enough time to work. And so that's the one one thing that is consistent, um, that I, I see with all of my clients, like everybody, and even in my own journey as a coach, being a part of masterminds and things like that of women who are way ahead, if you were to say ahead of where I— like, they are where I want to go. They have to remember the vision, right? They have to remember to consistently work in that same commit to doing something for a period of time in order to embody it fully. So I think that's the thing that I have found for most of my clients is leaving, leaving the work you did to get to the aha or the realization and letting it go because it didn't work the first couple, two times that you did something new or tried something, you know, those kind of things.

Such a helpful reminder. Thank you so much for sharing that. So the final question that we have for our hot seat is, how does mindset play into marketing our brand identity?

Mm, that's a good question. Hmm. Marketing your brand identity, your mindset. I'm gonna think about that for a second. I mean, when I think mindset and when I coach on mindset, I believe your thoughts create your results. You know, it's very— if you work with any coach, most of them, that's the way we have learned, is that our thoughts really create the, the actions, the feelings, and then the results, right? And so if your marketing identity, as far as branding, is coming— is, is around this feeling of— it's kind of like something like Kiyosha said earlier about like, if you're not certain about what is your— what— who you are and what you are and what's going on in your life and how it affects everything else. It's hard to create a brand consistently when you aren't honoring yourself, right? Like, when you are not working on you, when you are not taking the time to take care of you, to go out sometimes to market about what you do or to build a brand around these pillars that you probably have in place for your business, and you in some way are reflected sometimes in those, those, those brand pillars, but you aren't honoring that in your life, in your mind. Like, people just know. I mean, I don't know about you, like, if you ever, like, talk to someone and been, like, in a call and there's just something off, I always feel the something off is the integrity of that person honoring who they are and what they're doing, right? Like, are they— there's something going on. Like, I was just like, I'm like, there's something going on, something might be off here. I don't know what it is, but usually intuitively to me it feels like, well, maybe it's they're working on something that is out of alignment with the branding or with their identity as a business. And I definitely think, you know, to the point of something I said earlier and something Kyosha said, like, business is personal. I say that all the time, but the reason why I say business is personal And this is why it affects your marketing and branding is because we don't realize how our, our personal thoughts in life weaves into our business. It doesn't have to, but until you become really aware of your mind and how you think about yourself, will you be able to start to kind of separate the two in the sense of, oh, I'm feeling this in my personal life, but that actually has nothing to do with my results in my business because they're all the things they're doing what they're supposed to be doing, right? If things aren't going the way they're supposed to, you can almost look and see Maybe I'm not growing in the way I want to grow because I brought some of my personal stuff into my business. And that mindset work of knowing where you are personally and working on that has a huge effect on how you can actually build that, you know, that, that branding. So I hope that answers the question. I don't know who asked that question, but I hope that gave some insight.

Absolutely.

Thank you so much for the fabulous questions, everyone, and thank you for sharing your insight, Nikita Williams. So I know you had, you had one follow-up question for everyone on our panel. I'd love to give you the space to ask it.

Yeah, well, I love those questions. Thanks for asking, ladies. I think the last question I really wanted to ask all of you is, what are you really excited about in your business and life right now? Like, you guys have— all of you have been in my life for a very long time, and I am honored by that. And you guys are nowhere near where you were when we first met, and I know you guys are doing some exciting things. So I would love for you to share that with us today.

Well, I'll go, um, for me, wow, I'm excited because, well, I'm going to be doing some branding minis, uh, coming up soon. I actually connected with someone that, uh, you connected us with, Ed, uh, Trollex?

Trollex?

I can't. But anyway, we connected and we talked, so, um, more to come on him and I.

If that's—

I'm probably not grammatically saying that right, but, um, she's like—

so if y'all don't know, I'm— I— because I do a lot of networking and stuff, a lot of people— I like to connect my people with people that serve them in their industry. So Michelle is talking about a connection at Center who focuses on working with agents. So it's exciting to hear that there might be some—

oh yeah, collaboration scheduled for October, so stay tuned. Uh, yeah, so, and then I'm just looking forward to really diving into— this is September, so it's the last month in Q3, and Q4 is upon us, and I'm, I'm looking forward to, um really tackling, um, preparing Q4 and Q1 of 2023 for, um, doing more brandings. I know that we had talked about in the past my wedding and, um, branding, um, businesses or services that I offer. Yeah, so that'll be a sidebar for you and me, but those are just a few things.

Um, okay, cool, cool, cool.

Kiyosha?

So for me, I'm, I'm really excited in, in my business to start looking back. And what I, what I mean by that is finding a way to bring my older clients into the community that I have now. And because I serve my current clients in the community differently than I served them, and I would love for them to have a part in what it is that I have to offer. Um, another thing that I'm looking forward to in life is the fact that I'm actually at a better point of working less in my business. And that is the reason why I started it, is so that I could work less to do more in my, my ministry work and to live more. And it's And that to me is extremely exciting because I've always lived a life of run, run, run. And now I'm to the point where I can run and rest.

I love that.

I love that.

I love that.

So excited to hear that. Jessica, what about you?

Yes. So also getting into fall season, the holidays. It's my absolute favorite time of year. So really excited to tap into more of the power and the difference in partnerships and collaboration. So really trying to do that locally here in Tampa Bay for— with other special events with women-owned businesses and getting into the new year. Really manifest a beautiful way of going big with the business. So just taking new leaps of faith that I know scare me, but just having that open mindset and seeing where that can lead.

That's awesome. I'm so excited to see where you guys go and how you guys fly. Gina, what's coming up for Babe Crafted?

Absolutely. So we are launching a brand new website in the middle of October. So I'm really pumped to reintroduce BabeCrafted both to my members and to our community for, you know, to showcase where we've come, how far we've come and who we are today. So that's something that I'm super pumped for, like having a custom website that represents us where we are now and tells our story is such a treat and such a privilege to be able to make happen. So I'm also really happy to share that I worked with all BabeCrafted members on this brand refresh. So that is something I'm super proud of. And sharing, echoing a little bit of what Kyosha said, You know, something that's been a challenge for me throughout my journey as a business owner is having, having some separation between myself and my business and, you know, working hard, but living hard too, you know, and having an identity outside of my business and spending time with the people that I love and learning new things, trying new things. So continuing to explore being human being outside of being a business owner.

Yes, I love all of that, and I agree with you and Kyosha. Definitely, that's where I've kind of pivoted to in my business a bit more, of like doing— just reshaping, kind of going back to what I initially thought it would look like and actually owning it. So I love what you guys are sharing, and I'm so excited to see everything. And thank you so much for being here. Um, anyone who's listening to this episode, I just want you to remember that your journey is not going to look like anybody else's, and that is okay. That's actually really special, right? It's really special that your journey is going to look very different and that, you know, the small steps of not knowing have led all of us to where we are now, to these new exciting places, to 100th episode. Like, if you would have told me I had a podcast, I would have been like, what are you talking about? Like, what are you talking about? So I just like want to honor all of you and thank you so much for being a part of this journey, a part of my journey.. And I want everyone just to remember that, yes, you have the goods already in you to create the things you want. Just believe them and, and like grow in them and like run with them. Okay? And that's the reason why we call the show She's Crafted to Thrive. So thank you so much, ladies, and we'll see you guys in our 101 episode.

All right, y'all, that's a wrap. Thank you for listening, and I hope this conversation inspired you. Be sure to visit craftedtothrive.com to check out our show notes, connect with our guests, and grab some of those goodies. Join us for the next episode. And in the meantime, remember, yes, yes, yes, you are crafted to thrive.