May 27, 2025 • 37 mins
The intersection of health challenges and entrepreneurship creates a unique battleground for women business owners. While we excel at multitasking and presenting a polished exterior, many of us suffer silently under the weight of competing demands on our time, energy, and resources. This candid conversation explores how health issues—from chronic conditions to mental health struggles—directly impact our ability to build and sustain successful businesses.
When perfectionism meets health limitations, we often delay launching or scaling our ventures, waiting for ideal conditions that rarely materialize. Financial constraints force impossible choices between healthcare access and business investment, with many women remaining in traditional employment solely for insurance benefits. Meanwhile, encounters with healthcare systems that dismiss or misdiagnose our concerns create additional obstacles that drain precious resources.
Beyond physical health, the entrepreneurial journey significantly impacts our mental wellbeing. Depression and anxiety don't just affect personal happiness—they influence critical business decisions, creative thinking, and relationship-building abilities essential for success. For women entrepreneurs juggling health challenges, boundary-setting becomes not just a personal skill but a business imperative.
Throughout this powerful discussion, we uncover practical strategies for navigating these complex challenges. From carefully selecting supportive communities to prioritizing self-care and spiritual foundations, we explore how women entrepreneurs can build businesses that enhance rather than deplete wellbeing. The message becomes clear: sustainable entrepreneurship requires acknowledging that your business cannot thrive if you don't survive.
Ready to transform how you approach health and business? Join this essential conversation about what it truly takes to build a successful venture while honoring your wellbeing as a woman entrepreneur.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
Thank you very much.
Good day, everyone, and thankyou once again for joining in
and speaking with Sandra L.
As always, I have a dynamicsenior subject matter expert and
she's going to come to us andshe's going to tell us all about
herself.
(00:47):
But before she tells us allabout herself, what I do want to
say is I'm not sure if you'reaware of this, but May is
Women's Health Month, so we, aswomen, we need to actually take
some time.
It's the 27th.
If we haven't already did aself-care day during this month,
(01:07):
we need to take some time anddo a self-care day, because,
after all, this month is for us.
This is Women's Health Month,and it's a month in which we
need to recognize how strong weare and what power do we bring
to the table.
What, what is our role in allof this?
Not, you know, not in ourcommunity's lives or not in our
(01:29):
family's lives, but in our ownlives.
Are we showing up for us?
Are we showing up for each andevery one of us?
And sometimes, unfortunately,that answer is no.
That answer is no.
(01:50):
So today, our beloved speaker isgoing to tell us all about why
we as women, especially womenentrepreneurs we live a you know
, a life that sometimes stressesus out and causes things is
anxiety, and actually, on theother side of stressing us out
and anxiety comes that depressedpart, and we become depressed
because we, as women, areextremely hard on ourselves when
(02:14):
we shouldn't be so at whatpoint in time are we going to
take the time to step back anddo a woosah so that we can
understand exactly what our roleis individually in all of this,
so that we can move forwardwith a better understanding of
ourselves?
So I am now going to introduceour loving speaker and our
(02:40):
panelists for today and saythank you, thank you, thank you
for taking time today to speakwith us and share some
information that you have.
Soraya, am I saying thatcorrect?
Speaker 2 (02:53):
Yes, you are.
Speaker 1 (02:54):
Soraya Christine Woods.
Thank you so much again.
I am going to go ahead andstart with my first question,
which is how do you thinkproblems related to women's
health affect women who want tostart their own business?
Speaker 2 (03:10):
So first let me say thank you for having me.
It's such a pleasure to be here.
And also, I want to say reallyquick before I answer your
question, in addition to Women'sHealth Month, it's also mental
health awareness month, so thosetwo things always go hand in
hand for me, especially because,as women, we tend to carry so
(03:31):
much right, and so that'sactually a part of my first
answer.
Like, we carry so much, youknow, and that proves to be a
problem sometimes, because wecarry it well right, we look
good, we smell good, our hairsare nailed, everything is good,
(03:53):
the eyelashes, everything islooking fabulous right, but on
the inside we're sufferingbecause we're carrying so much,
and oftentimes we're carrying itin silence.
So we're trying to build thesebusinesses while we're still
trying to carry the weight ofthe world on our shoulders.
So that's one of the problems.
I think another problem for usis the perfectionism in that
(04:14):
right, because we're women andwe're so good at multitasking
and we're so good and we wanteverything to be excellent and
we want everything to be perfect.
Every I dotted, every T crossedbe excellent, and we want
everything to be perfect, everyI dotted, every T crossed.
And on top of that we'redealing with health issues, and
so I think that that plays a bigpart in why we one especially
(04:35):
slow start or lack starting ourbusinesses, because we want
everything to be perfect insteadof just starting.
But some of the other mainissues to me are financial
challenges.
Right, because if we're dealingwith health issues especially,
you know we have that that'staken a lot of time and a lot of
money and a lot of energy a lotof times, and then we need
(04:56):
money to start our businesses orto grow our businesses, and so
oftentimes there is a disparitythat happens between what we
need to do, you know, to takecare of ourselves in our homes,
versus the business that we maywant to start, you know.
And then you add to that timeand energy.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
Time and energy you know, you know, like me, like if
I could just take myself andsplit like my front from my back
and my side and sent each to adifferent place, I still there,
still wouldn't be enough time inthe day.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
It's not, it's not because you still gotta sleep,
you still gotta eat.
A lot of us have kids we gottatake care of.
Some of us are trying to beentrepreneurs and work a regular
job, and you know, and it wives, and it goes on and on and it's
like good.
Some of us are in school on topof that, you know, and it's
just, it wives.
And it goes on and on and it'slike good, some of us are in
school on top of that, you know,and it's just, it's a lot.
So it's very difficult to putthe time and energy and don't
(05:51):
add to that having a healthissue Right.
Speaker 3 (05:53):
Right, exactly.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
Not.
You know that takes a lot outof us, depending on what the
health issue is, and it doesn'teven have to be anything, you
know, major.
It doesn't have to be.
You know, a lot of women sufferfrom autoimmune disorders and
diseases, for instance, and youknow, I know that takes a lot.
I've seen people suffer, youknow, with those.
But even something I don't wantto say as simple as, but even
(06:17):
something like, you know,migraines, that's something I
suffer from, you know, and Idon't have a migraine
necessarily every day, but whenone does sweep through, it
knocks me on my butt, you know.
And so, and it's just like what, what am I going to do, you
know, that day?
What am I truly going to getaccomplished?
And then, lastly, especiallyfor women dealing with health
(06:41):
issues, women already sufferdifferent biases.
To begin with, because we'rewomen.
Don't add to that being a womanof color.
But if you then add to that,having health issues, there are
a lot of conscious andunconscious biases that we have
to deal with.
You know just that come tolimit resources and finances and
(07:02):
different things from thepeople that we may need those
things from.
So that would be my answer toyour question.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
Thank you so much for that, and what I do want to say
is this we, as women, inaddition to doing all of that
that we're doing crossing theT's, dotting the I's we tend to
pick up everybody else's luggagewhen they drop it at our door.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
Oh Lord.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
We have our family issues.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
We have our own issues, especially when it comes
to health.
And here comes Susie and Jodiand Johnny, and sometimes all
three of them.
And because we're women andbecause I'm thinking, because
that's in our nature, instead oftelling all three of them to
look them your problems, youknow what.
I'm here to listen or whatever,but I'm not taking the
(07:56):
responsibility of your problemson.
I have my own problems.
So we're helping everyone.
But then we got to sit backsometimes and ask ourselves, as
women we're helping everyone,but who's helping us?
Yeah, we want to grow abusiness, we want to be an
entrepreneur, we want this towork, but who is helping us?
(08:18):
And unfortunately, sometimes wehave blinders on right and we
see what we, but then we want toact like we don't see right.
It's the brightness on the wall, but we're not getting the
right there.
Speaker 3 (08:31):
So yeah.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
I think that boils down to the fact that we're such
nurturers by nature, right,right, and that makes it
difficult for us to create andthen stand on boundaries.
And that's what that boils downto.
We have to learn how to createand then stand on the boundaries
that we create, and it's verydifficult for us, as women, to
(08:55):
do that, especially when you'rean empath or you're a nurturer,
and some of us.
I want to say thank God, butsome of us are not quite as
nurturing as others so it's alittle easier for us to create
boundaries you know what andthat and that.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
Look, that is so true , because I tell people all the
time, you create thoseboundaries and then you
especially if you're a woman andyou're trying to do an
entrepreneur you're trying to doa business of your own.
It's extremely important notonly that you create those
boundaries and that then, afteryou create them, you set them,
(09:36):
but then you also respect thoseboundaries yourself that you
have created and set, because ifyou don't create and set those
boundaries and then respect yourown boundaries, what do you
think johnny, jody and sue gonnado when they need some help?
Absolutely, and so yourbusiness is gonna and I've seen
(09:58):
it happen too often yourbusiness is gonna go on a back
burner and you're going toforever be trying to reach that
entrepreneurial I've long sincebeen doing good or really
sustainable it.
Speaker 3 (10:12):
You're going to forever reach that, you know.
You mentioned something andI've thought about it because
it's so true working full term,which is what I did for the past
15 years years and they'retrying to build a business.
It's extremely hard, likepeople will say.
(10:32):
It didn't happen on health care.
So I said how are you, how areyou able to do that and you be
doing everything.
How do you think people, aswomen, as business owners, as
people that celebrate health,they don't realize it?
Speaker 1 (10:56):
And so we continue to struggle and I'm going to
actually apologize for theaudience because I'm being
actually told that my audio isgoing in and out and I'm really
not sure why.
But we're going to keep goingand hopefully people will be
actually able to hear as much asI say.
But, once again, me being awoman, me working full time, me
(11:18):
have my own health challenges onIn addition to building this
business, is extremely,extremely hard.
So for those of you that arelike me, who are like well,
(11:39):
right now I don't, because Iretired from corporate life at
the end of March to focus onbuilding my business full time
but for those of you who arelike me, who are, who were like
me, who are working full timeand actually, you know, trying
to build a business, what I haveto say to you is this Watch
your circle.
Be very, very careful about whoyou have in your circle, because
all that you're going through,if the people in your circle
(12:00):
ain't on the same level as youare, it's not going to work.
You're going to be more drainedthan anything else.
So just watch your circle asyou're trying to build and
you're trying to be a business,entrepreneur and whatever else
you got going on in your life.
Just please watch your circle.
Would you say that watchingyour circle and surrounding
(12:20):
yourself with positive people isa must for, I'm sorry, is a
must for those who are women whoare trying to build their
business.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
Oh, it's a non-negotiable.
It's a non-negotiable you haveto have the right people around
you and sometimes it's going totake you getting hurt once or
twice, right, because sometimesyou're going to think that
somebody is who you need aroundyou, or you think that they're
your friend, or you think youknow that they're a good
business partner and reallythey're a snake, they're a wolf
(12:49):
in sheep's clothing, and so youmay not know that right out the
gate, until you've been taken,until you know you've been hurt
in some way, and so you may haveto go through those bumps and
bruises.
But you know, I would just say,you know, tap into your
discernment and prayer, ifthat's your thing, because you
know that those things willreveal.
Typically, you know people whodon't really have your best
(13:11):
interest at heart, and you watchpeople because people drop
little clues.
They drop little clues aboutwho they are and little things
that they say, little thingsthat they do.
Don't be, you know, like a lotof us typically are.
Like you said earlier, we seethe writing on the wall, but we
don't really see the writing onthe wall.
You know, know, so don't bethat person.
You know, when it comes tocreating the circle that you
(13:34):
want?
Yeah, and they will.
Ms Jacqueline Cox put there,take your money and rob you in
Jesus name, and they will.
You know, I've seen it happenand so you just got to be really
mindful and I would evenventure to say you know, keep
your circle kind of small.
You don't have to go crazy.
You know you don't have to have52 people in your camp.
You know you don't have to.
(13:55):
You don't have to operate likethat.
I've gone through cycles ofpeople you know myself, and I
don't feel any kind of way aboutit.
But once you realize you knowwhat a person's away about it.
But once you realize you knowwhat what a person's intentions
truly are, whether they admit itor not, once you realize what
(14:18):
their intentions are, it's up toyou to create that, that
boundary, and and step away ormove differently.
Speaker 1 (14:23):
Thank you so much for that, and that actually
answered our question, which wasnumber two.
What special challenges dowomen have in this area?
Is that we you know?
Can you answer that just alittle bit more on what special
challenges women have in thisarea?
Speaker 2 (14:39):
yeah, I think, um, special challenges, um, like
even going back to, like thehealth concerns that we have, um
, since that's kind of whatwe're talking about, some of
them that I noted particularlyare like gaps in insurance,
right, especially for those thatare entrepreneurs.
So, like me, for instance, Iwould say that I'm a full time
entrepreneur but I still work atpart time job as well, but I
(15:02):
don't get benefits from my parttime job because I'm part time
and I technically I'm not evenpart time on what they call per
diem, which means on call, right, so I go when I'm needed, even
part-time.
I'm what they call per diem,which means on call right, so I
go when I'm needed, so I don'tget any benefits.
So, as an entrepreneur, if Idon't secure my own healthcare,
I don't have healthcare, and forsomebody who does have health
challenges, that's a problem,right.
(15:23):
So I think that is a uniqueproblem that we face.
I would say also for women,specifically workplace.
I would say also for womenspecifically trying to build a
business, while also in thebackground, dealing with things
like misdiagnoses and delayeddiagnoses and being dismissed
and discarded altogether,because a lot of times when we
(15:44):
go to our healthcare providersand we go and present these
symptoms and they're like oh,you're fine, you know, take this
, take this, literally.
I'm gonna give you a quickexample.
I was sick a couple of weeks agoand I knew what I needed.
Because I know my body, I knewthat I needed an antibiotic.
The lady would not give me anantibiotic for nothing in the
world.
You know what she did force meto get, though, some cough
(16:05):
medicine.
I said, lady, I don't have acough, oh, but you probably will
, so take this cough medicine.
And I'm like she literally islike not hearing me at all.
And I'm like, I'm looking ather just like that, like where
is the disconnect?
Because I'm telling you what mysymptoms are and I'm telling
(16:25):
you what I need, and I'm tellingyou that I've dealt with this
over and over again.
So I know myself, I know I'm 50years old, I've been with this
body for a long time, I knowwhat my body needs.
You just met me two seconds ago.
You don't know me, and I didn'tleave there with my antibiotic,
which made me angry.
But it's like they don't listento us, especially when they
(16:48):
don't look like us, and it's sadto say, but it's true, and so
you know, I think those areunique challenges that we have
to face, but also, um, ourmental health ends up suffering,
right, we end up sufferingbecause now we're in our own
heads like what in the world?
So we have to deal with thedepression and the anxiety and
the things that come up, um,from dealing with these other
(17:09):
issues.
So it's like I hear women sayall the time that I talk to,
that want to be entrepreneursand they want to be full-time
entrepreneurs and they have whatit takes, but they're like I
got to stay at my job because Ineed healthcare.
You know, and it's just itsaddens my heart that that's
where we are as a society.
You know, and it's just itsaddens my heart that that's
(17:30):
where we are as a society.
Speaker 1 (17:32):
You know, and it saddens my heart too, because
what you just said is a it allcenters around politics.
Prior to this year, you couldget.
You could leave your job andget and become an entrepreneur,
if that's really what you wanted.
The push was for you to be ableto do that, because you could
(17:53):
go to the marketplace and youget insurance.
Was it expensive?
Yes, the marketplace isexpensive.
It's not expensive as expensiveas a COBRA coverage is but it
is expensive.
Well, now we got a new big,beautiful bill on the table
that's going to take a lot ofthat back, that push that we had
(18:14):
, that we could do this because,well, we could go anywhere and
get insurance.
Now we don't have that.
Now we actually are facing asituation where, if the bill
passes, we're faced with thesituation that if you're between
the ages of 18 and 64, youain't getting you not getting
(18:37):
medicaid unless you actually arelooking for a job.
So we gotta see how that lookslike.
Okay, I'm, I don't need to lookfor a job because I have a job,
so do I still qualify or whatcan I get?
So some of that stuff that's onthe table right now is going to
be pulled back, which is goingto bring us even further back
(18:59):
than where we was, and it'sunfortunate because that's a
special challenge, because weshould be allowed to do, you
know, to run our own businessesand do the things that we need
to do.
We should be able to do that.
Unfortunately we're not able to.
You know, to run our ownbusinesses and do the things
that we need to do.
We should be able to do that,unfortunately we're not able to.
You know, we're facing asituation where we may not be
able to do it, and so for thoseof you who are listening to
(19:20):
today's video, at whatever pointin time you're listening to and
you have not taken the time togo and look at the healthcare
challenges that are written intothe big, beautiful bill, I
suggest, once you listen to,after you listen to this very
detailed and informative video,you take the time to go to look
(19:45):
at that and see exactly what'sin it and how it can help you or
, for that matter, hurt you.
So thank you for bringing thatup, because that's a real,
that's a special challenge inand of itself.
Is that just this is what we'redealing with, right?
Speaker 2 (20:01):
yeah, and I think um honestly at play here.
I think that, um, with thecurrent administration, there is
a push to create more criminals, because all of them eat off of
(20:28):
the criminal empire.
All of them eat off of thecriminal empire.
All of them eat off of, well,the justice system, let's say
that.
So they all eat off of puttingpeople behind bars.
That's a private industry wherea lot of people make a lot of
money, and so, if they start tocut all of these resources to
the people that are on, you know, this side of the bar versus
(20:50):
this side of the bar, theyalready know what that's going
to look like.
People on this side of the barare going to resort to things
potentially not all of us butit's going to create more people
that are seeking other ways toget what it is that they need,
and that's going to create morecrime, which is going to create
more people going into thesesystems where they make more
(21:11):
money.
So I think that there is, youknow, a lot of deeper meaning
behind these things that they'retrying to do, and so we have to
just be, you know, mindful ofwhat's really going on, um, and
look at things for what theyreally are and see past all the
fluff that they try to presentand and make the necessary
(21:32):
adjustments.
Speaker 1 (21:34):
You know to that right and you know what and and
many people are listening maysay, well, okay, well, what does
that?
Aren't they going off topic?
What does that have to do withspecial challenges and women
building businesses?
It has everything to do withbuilding businesses, because if
you're building a business, I'mhoping you ain't gonna jump into
(21:54):
it and trying to start abusiness.
I'm hoping that you're actuallytaking a look back, reflecting
okay, well, it's the idea likewhere am I going to be at with
this idea in a year, in twoyears?
Like how am I going to be ableto spend what I'm working on so
that my business is not justsuccessful but sustainable?
Right, and so we as womenbecause we've done so, we've
(22:18):
have taken everybody's luggageand piled it onto what we are
already doing we as women, wedon't get it.
We don't look at everythingthat we should be looking at.
So it's a special challenge inthat you have to.
It's a requirement of you andyou should make it a requirement
(22:39):
of you that this is yourbusiness.
You're putting everything youhave into your business.
So to be able to be successfuland be able to move forward, you
gotta look at what.
What happened in.
Like I tell patients all thetime you need to proactive,
active or reactive.
Yeah, you are a business woman.
(23:01):
Are you trying to become abusiness woman, right?
What I need you to do is I needyou to take some time today,
not tomorrow, and today iswhenever you're watching this.
I need you to do is I need youto take some time today, not
tomorrow, and today is wheneveryou're watching this.
I need you to take some timetoday and go back and I told
somebody this before and Iactually had to do it Create a
(23:21):
SWOT analysis, and don't justcreate it and put it on your
shelf and say, well, it's done,right.
Don't just do that like createa swat analysis every month.
Take a look at that swatanalysis to see where you are.
That's right I thank you so muchfor bringing that up as being a
(23:42):
special challenge what I dowant to actually ask you next is
can you share an experience andyou, just you actually, well,
actually, can you share anexperience and you just, well,
actually, can you share anexperience for you or for
someone else that they had andthey told you about, which
actually directly impacted ahealth experience they had which
actually directly impactedtheir business?
Speaker 2 (24:05):
Yeah, so I can talk about myself.
I don't need to share anybodyelse's stories.
I can talk about my own storybecause I have my own health
challenges, and so I havesuffered from depression and
anxiety for a very long time.
I also have diabetes and Isuffer from migraines, and so
all of those things impact me inone way or another.
(24:25):
I used to get really severeanxiety attacks, and so that put
me in the hospital because Ithought I was dying, right, and
so you know, those are thingsthat I've had to deal with.
Right now I'm dealing with anissue that impacts my business.
I go really hard in mybusinesses right now, but I'm
also dealing with a healthchallenge with, like, my rib
(24:47):
cage.
That hurts all the time and wecan't figure out why, and I've
been dealing with this for acouple of years and no doctor
can tell me what's wrong with me.
I've had I found other issuesin the process of trying to
figure out what it is, um, butsometimes I can't sleep, so I
have issues with running mybusiness the next day Cause I
haven't been to sleep the nightbefore, so I have to move my
(25:09):
schedule around sometimesbecause of it.
Sometimes, like I said earlier,the migraine will come and
knock me on my behind and Ican't do anything.
And I take my medication, butit only softens it a little bit,
you know, and I've learned howto function with them.
But sometimes I'll get one thatwon't even allow me to function
, you know, and the prescriptionmedications don't work.
(25:32):
I have to take Excedrin andIbuprofen for it together, like
I haven't had that works.
So there are things that I haveto deal with.
Let's not talk about thedepression.
One of my businesses wasstarted in the midst of
depression and that's all gloryto God, because I was ready to
check out.
Honestly, you know, and so youknow, there's a lot of things
(25:55):
that I've had to overcome to beable to even be at the level
that I'm at now.
You know, and I don't know whatchallenges are going to come
for me to reach the next level,but I've had to endure some
significant health health andphysical and mental health
challenges just to get where I'mat today.
So it you know, I understand.
You know as a woman, as a blackwoman and as a woman who
(26:19):
suffers health challenges,exactly the difficulty that it
takes to, you know, be anentrepreneur.
Speaker 1 (26:40):
And you know and this is you know a little bit about
what I write in my latest book,your Voice, your Tool is that,
as a patient advocate and you assomeone that's in health care,
right, we go through challengesas a patient.
Experience like that literallyblows our minds and be like what
the age is going on, like right, and so we, when we know that
many people don't know how touse their voices and ask you
know?
Or speak up and say, hey, youknow, that's not what I want to
do, or this is hurting or thisis bothering me.
(27:02):
So we always soften the blow bynot speaking up and not sharing
our experiences.
There are there's someone outthere today that needs to know
that, yes, you may be challengedwith a physical health
challenge.
You may be challenged with amental health challenge.
I actually believe in that.
(27:23):
They're one category, becausephysical and mental are health.
You don't get two separatehealth.
Nothing, you have one health.
They need to actually all beaddressed and you shouldn't be
ashamed of addressing it andsaying, hey, well, you know what
I'm building this business andit's causing me anxiety, or I'm
being depressed by the fact thatI'm not making any money, or I
(27:45):
mean, open up, get yourself asupport group, talk to a
therapist Don't be afraid to, asyou're going through this
business building, to reach outto once again, watching your
circle, who is that in yourcircle?
Because they might be a triggerfor you.
Yep, getting you some therapy.
Talking to a therapist andsaying, hey, you know what?
(28:06):
This is becoming really hard onme because I've reached this
challenge and I just can't seemto get over it.
Get your spirituality, get yourspirituality, get your
spirituality, get yourspirituality together, because
without that spirituality pieceand I don't care what religion
you are, without thatspirituality piece, you're lost.
(28:29):
You're lost Everything thatyou're building.
If you're building it without afirm spiritual foundation and
once again, this has nothing todo with I'm a Catholic, I'm a
Christian, I'm a whatever, I'm aboot it has nothing to do with
it, it has everything to do withspirituality.
Get your spirituality togetherwhen you're building a business,
(28:50):
because if you don't,everything else is only gonna
last for moment.
And so, as Soraya is gettingready to tell us what she's
working on, what I want to makesure that you do as far as
having an outstanding patientexperience while you're building
your business as a woman-ownedbusiness, is to ensure that you
(29:11):
know that you should have yourspirituality piece at the top,
not in the middle, not squishedin between some sound None of
that.
It needs to be at the top ofyour list when it comes down to
you as a woman building abusiness.
Speaking of which, ms Savoria,I'm going to let you go ahead
and explain to us about thewomen's health conferences Well,
(29:32):
not health conferences, but thewomen's conferences that you
host, where you're hosting themat, and how people can get
involved, and whether they wantto, you know, give a donation,
or whether they want to be aspeaker or send in a gift or a
raffle.
How do they do all thatwonderful stuff and tell us?
Speaker 2 (29:51):
Thank you, and you were not far off right.
So the conference is called theWomen in Leadership Conference
Tour, and women is an acronymwhich I don't reveal until I.
So the conference is called theWomen in Leadership Conference
Tour, and women is an acronymwhich I don't reveal until I'm
at the conference, so you got tobe there to know what it means.
But it's all about encouragingand empowering professional
women to prioritize their mentalhealth and self-care.
(30:13):
So it's the totality of being awoman in leadership, and we all
are, regardless of whether ornot we carry a leadership title.
It doesn't even matter.
Even if we're a stay-at-homemom, we're still a leader
because we're in our homes.
It doesn't matter, right?
And so the goal is to pour intothem so that they can take
(30:38):
something away that allows themto be a better, more balanced
leader, and so that's the goal,and we've done this all around
the country since 2023.
They have all been absolutelyincredible, and this year we are
going to Alexandria, virginia.
Next month, as a matter of fact, we will be in Alexandria,
(30:59):
virginia, um, and September 20thwe will be back where I live in
Las Vegas, nevada, um.
I actually bring it home everyyear, so this will be the third
year in Las Vegas and then, um,in October, october 18th, we'll
be in Portland, oregon.
So those are the three that wehave this year.
If you want, if you are in anyof those places and want tickets
(31:21):
, they're on Eventbrite.
All you have to do is search upWomen in Leadership, women in
Leadership Conference, and itshould pull up.
And if you want to support, youcan email me.
It's a very long email so I'llgive it to you, but it's Women
Leadership Conference TourWomenencetour
womenleadershipconferencetour atgmailcom.
(31:42):
Alternatively, just Google me,soraya Christine, I'm very
Google-able, so you can find mepretty much anywhere.
If you want to donate a raffleor money because this does go
through my nonprofit, which iscalled Lilac Women's Ministry
also an acronym.
That one, I can tell you,stands for Ladies Influencing
Life-Altering Change that's whatwe set out to do, and so if you
(32:06):
want to donate monetarily, youcan donate to the nonprofit and
I will give you a tax receipt sothat you can use for tax
purposes for your donation.
If you want to donate, like Isaid, raffle gifts, just reach
out to me and we'll figure outhow to make that happen.
If you want to be a speaker,same thing.
(32:27):
Go ahead and send a message tothis email right now.
For this year, we only havespeaking slots left available
for Portland.
I have a couple of speakingslots left.
The others are full, but we'realso always looking for vendors
as well in all locations.
So right now we have vendorspaces available for Portland.
I think I have two more forAlexandria as well.
(32:48):
So if you're in the NorthernVirginia area, we do still have
a couple more vendor slots leftfor next month.
Um, so just again email me.
Speaker 1 (32:57):
Um, yeah, I mean, I think that's it, but we
definitely could use all thesupport in whatever kind of
fashion it comes and so I reallydo take want to take the time
to say thank you so much and, asyou was mentioning that
information, we do have thatinformation scrolled up at the
bottom of the video, so peoplewill see it.
(33:21):
And this is the thing she justmentioned what she's doing in
2025.
That should not stop you,especially if you're a woman in
business, from actually sayingand you might be, maybe you're
not in one of those three placesinterest you in saying, hey,
let me reach out to her, sinceshe's doing a leadership
conference.
She's not doing one here thisyear, but there's always next
(33:43):
year.
We just got finished tellingyou you gotta look at what's
going on now, what happened inthe past, what's going on now
and what can go on in the future.
Maybe she's not planning onbeing in your state to do a
conference, but that doesn'tstop you from actually
outreaching her and saying, hey,well, could you come and be a
speaker and you two work thatout.
(34:04):
Queens support Queens.
Queens do not, you know, be upQueens when they're trying to do
something.
Queens support Queens.
And that's a way of ussupporting ourselves is by
actually becoming.
That's networking, it'sbusiness networking and we all
need it.
So, once again, even if she'snot in your area in 2025, reach
(34:26):
out to her and say hey, you know, I live here.
Are you going to be here?
Um, how can I get you to comehere?
And then you two work it out Ilove that.
Speaker 2 (34:34):
Thank you so much for saying that.
Absolutely, because we do needto build the 2026 schedule.
Speaker 1 (34:39):
Right, and now's a perfect time.
2027 is, after that Looksupposed to be working on a
five-year plan 2027.
Speaker 2 (34:49):
Keep going and growing, and that's the goal.
That's the goal and ultimately,internationally, that's the
ultimate goal.
Speaker 1 (34:55):
So I appreciate that, and even if you're a tech, a
woman in tech, and you're like I, like that idea that she's
doing I know that she's onlydoing this in person how about I
give her my in-kind donation ofactually helping her host this,
so that she could do this as ahybrid event?
(35:18):
That is something that willpush her and encourage her to
keep going.
And guess what?
The best thing about that isthat patient experience for her
will be so much better, becausea lot of the stuff that she's
carrying she can be like.
I got that all set up already.
We have to help each other.
(35:40):
So before I close out, what I dowant to say is this Remember,
be kind always.
It doesn't cost you not one redcent or a red penny to be kind.
If you know someone that's inneed, do what you can to help
them out.
I didn't tell you to take over.
Do what you can to help themout.
I didn't tell you to take overtheir problem.
I said help them out, do whatyou can to assist them.
(36:03):
It's free, it doesn't cost athing.
And guess what?
If it does start costing you,that's when it's time for you to
say let me back out, becausethis ain't my ballgame, and it's
okay, it's really okay outbecause this ain't my ball game,
and it's okay, it's really okay.
So thank you, soraya, so much.
Please enjoy the rest of yourday, and you were wonderful
guests.
Speaker 2 (36:23):
Oh, thank you so much for having me.
It's been my pleasure thank youhave a good day, you too.
Bye, thank you.
Thank you very much.
Good day, everyone, and thankyou once again for joining in
and speaking with Sandra L.
As always, I have a dynamicsenior subject matter expert and
she's going to come to us andshe's going to tell us all about
herself.
(00:47):
But before she tells us allabout herself, what I do want to
say is I'm not sure if you'reaware of this, but May is
Women's Health Month, so we, aswomen, we need to actually take
some time.
It's the 27th.
If we haven't already did aself-care day during this month,
(01:07):
we need to take some time anddo a self-care day, because,
after all, this month is for us.
This is Women's Health Month,and it's a month in which we
need to recognize how strong weare and what power do we bring
to the table.
What, what is our role in allof this?
Not, you know, not in ourcommunity's lives or not in our
(01:29):
family's lives, but in our ownlives.
Are we showing up for us?
Are we showing up for each andevery one of us?
And sometimes, unfortunately,that answer is no.
That answer is no.
(01:50):
So today, our beloved speaker isgoing to tell us all about why
we as women, especially womenentrepreneurs we live a you know
, a life that sometimes stressesus out and causes things is
anxiety, and actually, on theother side of stressing us out
and anxiety comes that depressedpart, and we become depressed
because we, as women, areextremely hard on ourselves when
(02:14):
we shouldn't be so at whatpoint in time are we going to
take the time to step back anddo a woosah so that we can
understand exactly what our roleis individually in all of this,
so that we can move forwardwith a better understanding of
ourselves?
So I am now going to introduceour loving speaker and our
(02:40):
panelists for today and saythank you, thank you, thank you
for taking time today to speakwith us and share some
information that you have.
Soraya, am I saying thatcorrect?
Speaker 2 (02:53):
Yes, you are.
Speaker 1 (02:54):
Soraya Christine Woods.
Thank you so much again.
I am going to go ahead andstart with my first question,
which is how do you thinkproblems related to women's
health affect women who want tostart their own business?
Speaker 2 (03:10):
So first let me say thank you for having me.
It's such a pleasure to be here.
And also, I want to say reallyquick before I answer your
question, in addition to Women'sHealth Month, it's also mental
health awareness month, so thosetwo things always go hand in
hand for me, especially because,as women, we tend to carry so
(03:31):
much right, and so that'sactually a part of my first
answer.
Like, we carry so much, youknow, and that proves to be a
problem sometimes, because wecarry it well right, we look
good, we smell good, our hairsare nailed, everything is good,
(03:53):
the eyelashes, everything islooking fabulous right, but on
the inside we're sufferingbecause we're carrying so much,
and oftentimes we're carrying itin silence.
So we're trying to build thesebusinesses while we're still
trying to carry the weight ofthe world on our shoulders.
So that's one of the problems.
I think another problem for usis the perfectionism in that
(04:14):
right, because we're women andwe're so good at multitasking
and we're so good and we wanteverything to be excellent and
we want everything to be perfect.
Every I dotted, every T crossedbe excellent, and we want
everything to be perfect, everyI dotted, every T crossed.
And on top of that we'redealing with health issues, and
so I think that that plays a bigpart in why we one especially
(04:35):
slow start or lack starting ourbusinesses, because we want
everything to be perfect insteadof just starting.
But some of the other mainissues to me are financial
challenges.
Right, because if we're dealingwith health issues especially,
you know we have that that'staken a lot of time and a lot of
money and a lot of energy a lotof times, and then we need
(04:56):
money to start our businesses orto grow our businesses, and so
oftentimes there is a disparitythat happens between what we
need to do, you know, to takecare of ourselves in our homes,
versus the business that we maywant to start, you know.
And then you add to that timeand energy.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
Time and energy you know, you know, like me, like if
I could just take myself andsplit like my front from my back
and my side and sent each to adifferent place, I still there,
still wouldn't be enough time inthe day.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
It's not, it's not because you still gotta sleep,
you still gotta eat.
A lot of us have kids we gottatake care of.
Some of us are trying to beentrepreneurs and work a regular
job, and you know, and it wives, and it goes on and on and it's
like good.
Some of us are in school on topof that, you know, and it's
just, it wives.
And it goes on and on and it'slike good, some of us are in
school on top of that, you know,and it's just, it's a lot.
So it's very difficult to putthe time and energy and don't
(05:51):
add to that having a healthissue Right.
Speaker 3 (05:53):
Right, exactly.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
Not.
You know that takes a lot outof us, depending on what the
health issue is, and it doesn'teven have to be anything, you
know, major.
It doesn't have to be.
You know, a lot of women sufferfrom autoimmune disorders and
diseases, for instance, and youknow, I know that takes a lot.
I've seen people suffer, youknow, with those.
But even something I don't wantto say as simple as, but even
(06:17):
something like, you know,migraines, that's something I
suffer from, you know, and Idon't have a migraine
necessarily every day, but whenone does sweep through, it
knocks me on my butt, you know.
And so, and it's just like what, what am I going to do, you
know, that day?
What am I truly going to getaccomplished?
And then, lastly, especiallyfor women dealing with health
(06:41):
issues, women already sufferdifferent biases.
To begin with, because we'rewomen.
Don't add to that being a womanof color.
But if you then add to that,having health issues, there are
a lot of conscious andunconscious biases that we have
to deal with.
You know just that come tolimit resources and finances and
(07:02):
different things from thepeople that we may need those
things from.
So that would be my answer toyour question.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
Thank you so much for that, and what I do want to say
is this we, as women, inaddition to doing all of that
that we're doing crossing theT's, dotting the I's we tend to
pick up everybody else's luggagewhen they drop it at our door.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
Oh Lord.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
We have our family issues.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
We have our own issues, especially when it comes
to health.
And here comes Susie and Jodiand Johnny, and sometimes all
three of them.
And because we're women andbecause I'm thinking, because
that's in our nature, instead oftelling all three of them to
look them your problems, youknow what.
I'm here to listen or whatever,but I'm not taking the
(07:56):
responsibility of your problemson.
I have my own problems.
So we're helping everyone.
But then we got to sit backsometimes and ask ourselves, as
women we're helping everyone,but who's helping us?
Yeah, we want to grow abusiness, we want to be an
entrepreneur, we want this towork, but who is helping us?
(08:18):
And unfortunately, sometimes wehave blinders on right and we
see what we, but then we want toact like we don't see right.
It's the brightness on the wall, but we're not getting the
right there.
Speaker 3 (08:31):
So yeah.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
I think that boils down to the fact that we're such
nurturers by nature, right,right, and that makes it
difficult for us to create andthen stand on boundaries.
And that's what that boils downto.
We have to learn how to createand then stand on the boundaries
that we create, and it's verydifficult for us, as women, to
(08:55):
do that, especially when you'rean empath or you're a nurturer,
and some of us.
I want to say thank God, butsome of us are not quite as
nurturing as others so it's alittle easier for us to create
boundaries you know what andthat and that.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
Look, that is so true , because I tell people all the
time, you create thoseboundaries and then you
especially if you're a woman andyou're trying to do an
entrepreneur you're trying to doa business of your own.
It's extremely important notonly that you create those
boundaries and that then, afteryou create them, you set them,
(09:36):
but then you also respect thoseboundaries yourself that you
have created and set, because ifyou don't create and set those
boundaries and then respect yourown boundaries, what do you
think johnny, jody and sue gonnado when they need some help?
Absolutely, and so yourbusiness is gonna and I've seen
(09:58):
it happen too often yourbusiness is gonna go on a back
burner and you're going toforever be trying to reach that
entrepreneurial I've long sincebeen doing good or really
sustainable it.
Speaker 3 (10:12):
You're going to forever reach that, you know.
You mentioned something andI've thought about it because
it's so true working full term,which is what I did for the past
15 years years and they'retrying to build a business.
It's extremely hard, likepeople will say.
(10:32):
It didn't happen on health care.
So I said how are you, how areyou able to do that and you be
doing everything.
How do you think people, aswomen, as business owners, as
people that celebrate health,they don't realize it?
Speaker 1 (10:56):
And so we continue to struggle and I'm going to
actually apologize for theaudience because I'm being
actually told that my audio isgoing in and out and I'm really
not sure why.
But we're going to keep goingand hopefully people will be
actually able to hear as much asI say.
But, once again, me being awoman, me working full time, me
(11:18):
have my own health challenges onIn addition to building this
business, is extremely,extremely hard.
So for those of you that arelike me, who are like well,
(11:39):
right now I don't, because Iretired from corporate life at
the end of March to focus onbuilding my business full time
but for those of you who arelike me, who are, who were like
me, who are working full timeand actually, you know, trying
to build a business, what I haveto say to you is this Watch
your circle.
Be very, very careful about whoyou have in your circle, because
all that you're going through,if the people in your circle
(12:00):
ain't on the same level as youare, it's not going to work.
You're going to be more drainedthan anything else.
So just watch your circle asyou're trying to build and
you're trying to be a business,entrepreneur and whatever else
you got going on in your life.
Just please watch your circle.
Would you say that watchingyour circle and surrounding
(12:20):
yourself with positive people isa must for, I'm sorry, is a
must for those who are women whoare trying to build their
business.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
Oh, it's a non-negotiable.
It's a non-negotiable you haveto have the right people around
you and sometimes it's going totake you getting hurt once or
twice, right, because sometimesyou're going to think that
somebody is who you need aroundyou, or you think that they're
your friend, or you think youknow that they're a good
business partner and reallythey're a snake, they're a wolf
(12:49):
in sheep's clothing, and so youmay not know that right out the
gate, until you've been taken,until you know you've been hurt
in some way, and so you may haveto go through those bumps and
bruises.
But you know, I would just say,you know, tap into your
discernment and prayer, ifthat's your thing, because you
know that those things willreveal.
Typically, you know people whodon't really have your best
(13:11):
interest at heart, and you watchpeople because people drop
little clues.
They drop little clues aboutwho they are and little things
that they say, little thingsthat they do.
Don't be, you know, like a lotof us typically are.
Like you said earlier, we seethe writing on the wall, but we
don't really see the writing onthe wall.
You know, know, so don't bethat person.
You know, when it comes tocreating the circle that you
(13:34):
want?
Yeah, and they will.
Ms Jacqueline Cox put there,take your money and rob you in
Jesus name, and they will.
You know, I've seen it happenand so you just got to be really
mindful and I would evenventure to say you know, keep
your circle kind of small.
You don't have to go crazy.
You know you don't have to have52 people in your camp.
You know you don't have to.
(13:55):
You don't have to operate likethat.
I've gone through cycles ofpeople you know myself, and I
don't feel any kind of way aboutit.
But once you realize you knowwhat a person's away about it.
But once you realize you knowwhat what a person's intentions
truly are, whether they admit itor not, once you realize what
(14:18):
their intentions are, it's up toyou to create that, that
boundary, and and step away ormove differently.
Speaker 1 (14:23):
Thank you so much for that, and that actually
answered our question, which wasnumber two.
What special challenges dowomen have in this area?
Is that we you know?
Can you answer that just alittle bit more on what special
challenges women have in thisarea?
Speaker 2 (14:39):
yeah, I think, um, special challenges, um, like
even going back to, like thehealth concerns that we have, um
, since that's kind of whatwe're talking about, some of
them that I noted particularlyare like gaps in insurance,
right, especially for those thatare entrepreneurs.
So, like me, for instance, Iwould say that I'm a full time
entrepreneur but I still work atpart time job as well, but I
(15:02):
don't get benefits from my parttime job because I'm part time
and I technically I'm not evenpart time on what they call per
diem, which means on call, right, so I go when I'm needed, even
part-time.
I'm what they call per diem,which means on call right, so I
go when I'm needed, so I don'tget any benefits.
So, as an entrepreneur, if Idon't secure my own healthcare,
I don't have healthcare, and forsomebody who does have health
challenges, that's a problem,right.
(15:23):
So I think that is a uniqueproblem that we face.
I would say also for women,specifically workplace.
I would say also for womenspecifically trying to build a
business, while also in thebackground, dealing with things
like misdiagnoses and delayeddiagnoses and being dismissed
and discarded altogether,because a lot of times when we
(15:44):
go to our healthcare providersand we go and present these
symptoms and they're like oh,you're fine, you know, take this
, take this, literally.
I'm gonna give you a quickexample.
I was sick a couple of weeks agoand I knew what I needed.
Because I know my body, I knewthat I needed an antibiotic.
The lady would not give me anantibiotic for nothing in the
world.
You know what she did force meto get, though, some cough
(16:05):
medicine.
I said, lady, I don't have acough, oh, but you probably will
, so take this cough medicine.
And I'm like she literally islike not hearing me at all.
And I'm like, I'm looking ather just like that, like where
is the disconnect?
Because I'm telling you what mysymptoms are and I'm telling
(16:25):
you what I need, and I'm tellingyou that I've dealt with this
over and over again.
So I know myself, I know I'm 50years old, I've been with this
body for a long time, I knowwhat my body needs.
You just met me two seconds ago.
You don't know me, and I didn'tleave there with my antibiotic,
which made me angry.
But it's like they don't listento us, especially when they
(16:48):
don't look like us, and it's sadto say, but it's true, and so
you know, I think those areunique challenges that we have
to face, but also, um, ourmental health ends up suffering,
right, we end up sufferingbecause now we're in our own
heads like what in the world?
So we have to deal with thedepression and the anxiety and
the things that come up, um,from dealing with these other
(17:09):
issues.
So it's like I hear women sayall the time that I talk to,
that want to be entrepreneursand they want to be full-time
entrepreneurs and they have whatit takes, but they're like I
got to stay at my job because Ineed healthcare.
You know, and it's just itsaddens my heart that that's
where we are as a society.
You know, and it's just itsaddens my heart that that's
(17:30):
where we are as a society.
Speaker 1 (17:32):
You know, and it saddens my heart too, because
what you just said is a it allcenters around politics.
Prior to this year, you couldget.
You could leave your job andget and become an entrepreneur,
if that's really what you wanted.
The push was for you to be ableto do that, because you could
(17:53):
go to the marketplace and youget insurance.
Was it expensive?
Yes, the marketplace isexpensive.
It's not expensive as expensiveas a COBRA coverage is but it
is expensive.
Well, now we got a new big,beautiful bill on the table
that's going to take a lot ofthat back, that push that we had
(18:14):
, that we could do this because,well, we could go anywhere and
get insurance.
Now we don't have that.
Now we actually are facing asituation where, if the bill
passes, we're faced with thesituation that if you're between
the ages of 18 and 64, youain't getting you not getting
(18:37):
medicaid unless you actually arelooking for a job.
So we gotta see how that lookslike.
Okay, I'm, I don't need to lookfor a job because I have a job,
so do I still qualify or whatcan I get?
So some of that stuff that's onthe table right now is going to
be pulled back, which is goingto bring us even further back
(18:59):
than where we was, and it'sunfortunate because that's a
special challenge, because weshould be allowed to do, you
know, to run our own businessesand do the things that we need
to do.
We should be able to do that.
Unfortunately we're not able to.
You know, to run our ownbusinesses and do the things
that we need to do.
We should be able to do that,unfortunately we're not able to.
You know, we're facing asituation where we may not be
able to do it, and so for thoseof you who are listening to
(19:20):
today's video, at whatever pointin time you're listening to and
you have not taken the time togo and look at the healthcare
challenges that are written intothe big, beautiful bill, I
suggest, once you listen to,after you listen to this very
detailed and informative video,you take the time to go to look
(19:45):
at that and see exactly what'sin it and how it can help you or
, for that matter, hurt you.
So thank you for bringing thatup, because that's a real,
that's a special challenge inand of itself.
Is that just this is what we'redealing with, right?
Speaker 2 (20:01):
yeah, and I think um honestly at play here.
I think that, um, with thecurrent administration, there is
a push to create more criminals, because all of them eat off of
(20:28):
the criminal empire.
All of them eat off of thecriminal empire.
All of them eat off of, well,the justice system, let's say
that.
So they all eat off of puttingpeople behind bars.
That's a private industry wherea lot of people make a lot of
money, and so, if they start tocut all of these resources to
the people that are on, you know, this side of the bar versus
(20:50):
this side of the bar, theyalready know what that's going
to look like.
People on this side of the barare going to resort to things
potentially not all of us butit's going to create more people
that are seeking other ways toget what it is that they need,
and that's going to create morecrime, which is going to create
more people going into thesesystems where they make more
(21:11):
money.
So I think that there is, youknow, a lot of deeper meaning
behind these things that they'retrying to do, and so we have to
just be, you know, mindful ofwhat's really going on, um, and
look at things for what theyreally are and see past all the
fluff that they try to presentand and make the necessary
(21:32):
adjustments.
Speaker 1 (21:34):
You know to that right and you know what and and
many people are listening maysay, well, okay, well, what does
that?
Aren't they going off topic?
What does that have to do withspecial challenges and women
building businesses?
It has everything to do withbuilding businesses, because if
you're building a business, I'mhoping you ain't gonna jump into
(21:54):
it and trying to start abusiness.
I'm hoping that you're actuallytaking a look back, reflecting
okay, well, it's the idea likewhere am I going to be at with
this idea in a year, in twoyears?
Like how am I going to be ableto spend what I'm working on so
that my business is not justsuccessful but sustainable?
Right, and so we as womenbecause we've done so, we've
(22:18):
have taken everybody's luggageand piled it onto what we are
already doing we as women, wedon't get it.
We don't look at everythingthat we should be looking at.
So it's a special challenge inthat you have to.
It's a requirement of you andyou should make it a requirement
(22:39):
of you that this is yourbusiness.
You're putting everything youhave into your business.
So to be able to be successfuland be able to move forward, you
gotta look at what.
What happened in.
Like I tell patients all thetime you need to proactive,
active or reactive.
Yeah, you are a business woman.
(23:01):
Are you trying to become abusiness woman, right?
What I need you to do is I needyou to take some time today,
not tomorrow, and today iswhenever you're watching this.
I need you to do is I need youto take some time today, not
tomorrow, and today is wheneveryou're watching this.
I need you to take some timetoday and go back and I told
somebody this before and Iactually had to do it Create a
(23:21):
SWOT analysis, and don't justcreate it and put it on your
shelf and say, well, it's done,right.
Don't just do that like createa swat analysis every month.
Take a look at that swatanalysis to see where you are.
That's right I thank you so muchfor bringing that up as being a
(23:42):
special challenge what I dowant to actually ask you next is
can you share an experience andyou, just you actually, well,
actually, can you share anexperience and you just, well,
actually, can you share anexperience for you or for
someone else that they had andthey told you about, which
actually directly impacted ahealth experience they had which
actually directly impactedtheir business?
Speaker 2 (24:05):
Yeah, so I can talk about myself.
I don't need to share anybodyelse's stories.
I can talk about my own storybecause I have my own health
challenges, and so I havesuffered from depression and
anxiety for a very long time.
I also have diabetes and Isuffer from migraines, and so
all of those things impact me inone way or another.
(24:25):
I used to get really severeanxiety attacks, and so that put
me in the hospital because Ithought I was dying, right, and
so you know, those are thingsthat I've had to deal with.
Right now I'm dealing with anissue that impacts my business.
I go really hard in mybusinesses right now, but I'm
also dealing with a healthchallenge with, like, my rib
(24:47):
cage.
That hurts all the time and wecan't figure out why, and I've
been dealing with this for acouple of years and no doctor
can tell me what's wrong with me.
I've had I found other issuesin the process of trying to
figure out what it is, um, butsometimes I can't sleep, so I
have issues with running mybusiness the next day Cause I
haven't been to sleep the nightbefore, so I have to move my
(25:09):
schedule around sometimesbecause of it.
Sometimes, like I said earlier,the migraine will come and
knock me on my behind and Ican't do anything.
And I take my medication, butit only softens it a little bit,
you know, and I've learned howto function with them.
But sometimes I'll get one thatwon't even allow me to function
, you know, and the prescriptionmedications don't work.
(25:32):
I have to take Excedrin andIbuprofen for it together, like
I haven't had that works.
So there are things that I haveto deal with.
Let's not talk about thedepression.
One of my businesses wasstarted in the midst of
depression and that's all gloryto God, because I was ready to
check out.
Honestly, you know, and so youknow, there's a lot of things
(25:55):
that I've had to overcome to beable to even be at the level
that I'm at now.
You know, and I don't know whatchallenges are going to come
for me to reach the next level,but I've had to endure some
significant health health andphysical and mental health
challenges just to get where I'mat today.
So it you know, I understand.
You know as a woman, as a blackwoman and as a woman who
(26:19):
suffers health challenges,exactly the difficulty that it
takes to, you know, be anentrepreneur.
Speaker 1 (26:40):
And you know and this is you know a little bit about
what I write in my latest book,your Voice, your Tool is that,
as a patient advocate and you assomeone that's in health care,
right, we go through challengesas a patient.
Experience like that literallyblows our minds and be like what
the age is going on, like right, and so we, when we know that
many people don't know how touse their voices and ask you
know?
Or speak up and say, hey, youknow, that's not what I want to
do, or this is hurting or thisis bothering me.
(27:02):
So we always soften the blow bynot speaking up and not sharing
our experiences.
There are there's someone outthere today that needs to know
that, yes, you may be challengedwith a physical health
challenge.
You may be challenged with amental health challenge.
I actually believe in that.
(27:23):
They're one category, becausephysical and mental are health.
You don't get two separatehealth.
Nothing, you have one health.
They need to actually all beaddressed and you shouldn't be
ashamed of addressing it andsaying, hey, well, you know what
I'm building this business andit's causing me anxiety, or I'm
being depressed by the fact thatI'm not making any money, or I
(27:45):
mean, open up, get yourself asupport group, talk to a
therapist Don't be afraid to, asyou're going through this
business building, to reach outto once again, watching your
circle, who is that in yourcircle?
Because they might be a triggerfor you.
Yep, getting you some therapy.
Talking to a therapist andsaying, hey, you know what?
(28:06):
This is becoming really hard onme because I've reached this
challenge and I just can't seemto get over it.
Get your spirituality, get yourspirituality, get your
spirituality, get yourspirituality together, because
without that spirituality pieceand I don't care what religion
you are, without thatspirituality piece, you're lost.
(28:29):
You're lost Everything thatyou're building.
If you're building it without afirm spiritual foundation and
once again, this has nothing todo with I'm a Catholic, I'm a
Christian, I'm a whatever, I'm aboot it has nothing to do with
it, it has everything to do withspirituality.
Get your spirituality togetherwhen you're building a business,
(28:50):
because if you don't,everything else is only gonna
last for moment.
And so, as Soraya is gettingready to tell us what she's
working on, what I want to makesure that you do as far as
having an outstanding patientexperience while you're building
your business as a woman-ownedbusiness, is to ensure that you
(29:11):
know that you should have yourspirituality piece at the top,
not in the middle, not squishedin between some sound None of
that.
It needs to be at the top ofyour list when it comes down to
you as a woman building abusiness.
Speaking of which, ms Savoria,I'm going to let you go ahead
and explain to us about thewomen's health conferences Well,
(29:32):
not health conferences, but thewomen's conferences that you
host, where you're hosting themat, and how people can get
involved, and whether they wantto, you know, give a donation,
or whether they want to be aspeaker or send in a gift or a
raffle.
How do they do all thatwonderful stuff and tell us?
Speaker 2 (29:51):
Thank you, and you were not far off right.
So the conference is called theWomen in Leadership Conference
Tour, and women is an acronymwhich I don't reveal until I.
So the conference is called theWomen in Leadership Conference
Tour, and women is an acronymwhich I don't reveal until I'm
at the conference, so you got tobe there to know what it means.
But it's all about encouragingand empowering professional
women to prioritize their mentalhealth and self-care.
(30:13):
So it's the totality of being awoman in leadership, and we all
are, regardless of whether ornot we carry a leadership title.
It doesn't even matter.
Even if we're a stay-at-homemom, we're still a leader
because we're in our homes.
It doesn't matter, right?
And so the goal is to pour intothem so that they can take
(30:38):
something away that allows themto be a better, more balanced
leader, and so that's the goal,and we've done this all around
the country since 2023.
They have all been absolutelyincredible, and this year we are
going to Alexandria, virginia.
Next month, as a matter of fact, we will be in Alexandria,
(30:59):
virginia, um, and September 20thwe will be back where I live in
Las Vegas, nevada, um.
I actually bring it home everyyear, so this will be the third
year in Las Vegas and then, um,in October, october 18th, we'll
be in Portland, oregon.
So those are the three that wehave this year.
If you want, if you are in anyof those places and want tickets
(31:21):
, they're on Eventbrite.
All you have to do is search upWomen in Leadership, women in
Leadership Conference, and itshould pull up.
And if you want to support, youcan email me.
It's a very long email so I'llgive it to you, but it's Women
Leadership Conference TourWomenencetour
womenleadershipconferencetour atgmailcom.
(31:42):
Alternatively, just Google me,soraya Christine, I'm very
Google-able, so you can find mepretty much anywhere.
If you want to donate a raffleor money because this does go
through my nonprofit, which iscalled Lilac Women's Ministry
also an acronym.
That one, I can tell you,stands for Ladies Influencing
Life-Altering Change that's whatwe set out to do, and so if you
(32:06):
want to donate monetarily, youcan donate to the nonprofit and
I will give you a tax receipt sothat you can use for tax
purposes for your donation.
If you want to donate, like Isaid, raffle gifts, just reach
out to me and we'll figure outhow to make that happen.
If you want to be a speaker,same thing.
(32:27):
Go ahead and send a message tothis email right now.
For this year, we only havespeaking slots left available
for Portland.
I have a couple of speakingslots left.
The others are full, but we'realso always looking for vendors
as well in all locations.
So right now we have vendorspaces available for Portland.
I think I have two more forAlexandria as well.
(32:48):
So if you're in the NorthernVirginia area, we do still have
a couple more vendor slots leftfor next month.
Um, so just again email me.
Speaker 1 (32:57):
Um, yeah, I mean, I think that's it, but we
definitely could use all thesupport in whatever kind of
fashion it comes and so I reallydo take want to take the time
to say thank you so much and, asyou was mentioning that
information, we do have thatinformation scrolled up at the
bottom of the video, so peoplewill see it.
(33:21):
And this is the thing she justmentioned what she's doing in
2025.
That should not stop you,especially if you're a woman in
business, from actually sayingand you might be, maybe you're
not in one of those three placesinterest you in saying, hey,
let me reach out to her, sinceshe's doing a leadership
conference.
She's not doing one here thisyear, but there's always next
(33:43):
year.
We just got finished tellingyou you gotta look at what's
going on now, what happened inthe past, what's going on now
and what can go on in the future.
Maybe she's not planning onbeing in your state to do a
conference, but that doesn'tstop you from actually
outreaching her and saying, hey,well, could you come and be a
speaker and you two work thatout.
(34:04):
Queens support Queens.
Queens do not, you know, be upQueens when they're trying to do
something.
Queens support Queens.
And that's a way of ussupporting ourselves is by
actually becoming.
That's networking, it'sbusiness networking and we all
need it.
So, once again, even if she'snot in your area in 2025, reach
(34:26):
out to her and say hey, you know, I live here.
Are you going to be here?
Um, how can I get you to comehere?
And then you two work it out Ilove that.
Speaker 2 (34:34):
Thank you so much for saying that.
Absolutely, because we do needto build the 2026 schedule.
Speaker 1 (34:39):
Right, and now's a perfect time.
2027 is, after that Looksupposed to be working on a
five-year plan 2027.
Speaker 2 (34:49):
Keep going and growing, and that's the goal.
That's the goal and ultimately,internationally, that's the
ultimate goal.
Speaker 1 (34:55):
So I appreciate that, and even if you're a tech, a
woman in tech, and you're like I, like that idea that she's
doing I know that she's onlydoing this in person how about I
give her my in-kind donation ofactually helping her host this,
so that she could do this as ahybrid event?
(35:18):
That is something that willpush her and encourage her to
keep going.
And guess what?
The best thing about that isthat patient experience for her
will be so much better, becausea lot of the stuff that she's
carrying she can be like.
I got that all set up already.
We have to help each other.
(35:40):
So before I close out, what I dowant to say is this Remember,
be kind always.
It doesn't cost you not one redcent or a red penny to be kind.
If you know someone that's inneed, do what you can to help
them out.
I didn't tell you to take over.
Do what you can to help themout.
I didn't tell you to take overtheir problem.
I said help them out, do whatyou can to assist them.
(36:03):
It's free, it doesn't cost athing.
And guess what?
If it does start costing you,that's when it's time for you to
say let me back out, becausethis ain't my ballgame, and it's
okay, it's really okay outbecause this ain't my ball game,
and it's okay, it's really okay.
So thank you, soraya, so much.
Please enjoy the rest of yourday, and you were wonderful
guests.
Speaker 2 (36:23):
Oh, thank you so much for having me.
It's been my pleasure thank youhave a good day, you too.
Bye, thank you.
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