September 4, 2025 • 32 mins
Welcome to Spark & Ignite Your Marketing, the podcast where real conversations meet real strategies. I'm your host, Beverly Cornell, founder and fairy godmother of brand clarity at Wickedly Branded. With over 25 years of experience, I’ve helped hundreds of entrepreneurs awaken their brand magic, attract the right people, and build businesses that light them up.
In part two of my conversation with Leila Lahbabi, founder of Mindful Academy and author of The Billion Dollar Purpose, we discuss the courage needed to scale a purpose-driven business without burnout. Leila shares her journey from a high-pressure corporate career to entrepreneurship, emphasizing the importance of releasing control, avoiding perfectionism, and trusting the unfolding path. We also talk about how freeing yourself from expectations fosters personal and professional growth. Leila highlights key lessons on embracing vulnerability and making intentional business decisions. If you're feeling overwhelmed, this episode offers valuable tools and mindset shifts to help you move forward with confidence.
Three Key Marketing Topics Discussed:
- The Power of Yielding in Business: Leila reflects on how releasing control and embracing uncertainty allowed her business to flourish. She explains why letting go of rigid expectations can actually lead to faster and more meaningful success. Need support in mastering your Brand Authority? Check out this blog!
- Building Financial Security Before Taking the Leap: A key strategy for sustainable entrepreneurship: Leila emphasizes the importance of building financial security first, so you can create a business that thrives without relying on immediate income.
- The Mindset Shift from Chasing Perfection to Leading with Soul: Learn why the pursuit of perfection can be paralyzing, and how embracing imperfection and trusting your journey leads to more aligned, joyful, and authentic marketing.
Follow Leila:
Leila Lahbabi | LinkedIn
Leila Lahbabi | Instagram
Mindful Academy | Website
P.S. Take the first step (will only take you 3 minutes) to awaken your brand magic with our personalized Brand Clarity Quiz
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Hello.
(00:00):
Before we dive into part two ofthis episode, I gotta ask, did
you catch part one?
If not, hit pause real quick.
You'll wanna start from thebeginning to get the full
effect.
The link to part one is rightdown in the description below.
Go ahead, catch up, and we'll beright here waiting for you.
Ready to dive into part two whenyou're all set.
It's worth it, I promise.
Beverly (00:19):
I love this.
Layla.
So what part of your journey hasrequired the most bravery and
courage?
Leila (00:25):
Losing my kids was the first one.
And leaving my job and jumpinginto the unknown was the second
one.
Because actually when you arriveat a certain point in your
career, you have security andyou have built something.
And when you have your familyand the responsibility, then the
security is important.
Beverly (00:44):
Is it real security though?
Is it real security?
Layla?
Leila (00:47):
It's a perception of security.
It's a perception of securityand we all have kind of
perception of security in thevision of what it is.
Yeah.
My perception of security washaving a job that I'm paid each
month.
And when I jumped intoentrepreneurship, I could wait
six months at the beginning tostart being paid at some point.
But then your first pay ispaying you more than you would
(01:10):
have had in your nine to fivejob.
Like the patience to get throughit and also the trust.
The trust that it will arrive atsome point.
Because if you don't trust thatit'll arrive, you will not do
all the actions.
Yeah.
And trust is not just sittinghere and saying, oh, I trust
that it'll arrive.
No, it is just working your waythrough it and saying there's no
reason why I will not succeed.
(01:30):
There's no reason.
Beverly (01:31):
Yeah.
Leila (01:31):
And to arrive some point and not putting the pressure on
when it'll arrive.
And this is a big mistake that Idid at the beginning of my
journey.
Beverly (01:38):
Yeah.
Leila (01:38):
It's putting the pressure saying if I don't succeed in six
months, then I going back or I'mdoing this.
But then, when I started failingis I wish the six months and
didn't reach my results.
Then I dropped this, and when Idropped the expectation, then I
started really moving and mybusiness started really moving.
It's dropping the expectationand as I say, I don't know, and
(02:01):
it's okay.
And it could be amazing and itcould drop at any time.
And releasing this pressure, Istarted removing with my heart.
I started removing with my soul.
I started doing my best.
Is doing my best.
Doing my best was the mostamazing thing I learned on my
journey, and it took me movingfrom control to, what do we call
it?
Surrender, right?
(02:23):
And surrender into the journeyand the new definition of
surrender.
Because at the beginning I washearing, oh, you need to
surrender.
Surrender.
I was like, oh, surrender.
And then who's going to run?
No, this is not the surrender.
Surrender is not doing,surrender is not being attached
to the results.
Beverly (02:39):
We all want that positive result, right?
Leila (02:42):
And this is what creates this frustration.
Having expectation, not reachingthe expectation, but we don't
have the expectation.
Keep going.
Beverly (02:49):
It doesn't affect you.
It doesn't stress you out.
But there is some reality checkhere.
Like for me, my husband has avery good job and allows me to
grow a business without a wholelot of expectation of monetary.
Whatever I bring in is great, ithelps pay for house improvements
and vacations and a new carmaybe, or something like that.
(03:11):
It's not required to pay ourprimary bills.
So that has given me freedom tonot be so focused on the
results, because I have thisamazing support of my husband's
financial contributions.
Not everyone who's listening hasthat.
So how do you not attach theresult to your livelihood and to
(03:31):
let that human need to besecure?
How do you do that?
Leila (03:35):
I love this question because I don't feel that with
only the salary of my husband,we will have the lifestyle that
we have today.
So, I don't come from asituation and say, oh,
everything that I'm bringing isjust cherry on top of the cake.
No, that was not the case.
And leaving in Paris to come toMorocco, I needed to have the
revenues that enables me to comehere.
(03:55):
I left, I was 18 years old.
I don't have a network here.
Okay.
I don't use to have, now I dohave, but when I just came,
nobody knew who I was.
And something that I alwaysadvise my friend to do, and my
clients to do is build yourfinancial security first.
Ah.
So when I started theentrepreneur journey, I didn't
(04:16):
say, oh, let's go start theentrepreneur journey.
Let's just quit and move on.
It took me time and the time ittook me is okay, now I have a
nine to five job that pays formy bills let me build Yeah.
The financial security so thatwhen I unplug from that as it
can I don't use thisentrepreneurship to get the
money.
Because it's an energetic field,it's really energetic.
(04:38):
When you really attach tosomething, it doesn't really
come and there are differentlevels of wealth.
There is the security level andthe provider level.
Okay?
And then when you have thisprovider level is the security.
If you don't have it yourmindset will always be on the
provider.
So it's important to unlock thisprovider.
Would that be with your partner?
Would that be with Heritage?
(05:00):
Would that be with you buildingyour own security?
And this is what I've done forme.
I've built my own financialsecurity before leaving and then
you open doors to possibilities.
Beverly (05:11):
Yeah.
I didn't really have thatopportunity though.
I was a VP of marketing makingvery good money and I married my
active duty Army husband who isjust starting out as a private
first class in the Army.
And I don't know if anybodyknows, but they don't make a lot
of money and I had to make mycareer as mobile as his.
And I didn't have a network.
When we moved to North Carolina,I was from Michigan and we move
(05:34):
every three years.
So we have to make networkswherever we go.
Like it's not like I have thisroots that are very strong.
We've talked about that.
So I had to learn to connect andcreate and become part of my
community every single time.
Like I had to really integrateinto that.
It was a whole different mindsetshift for me.
But I was an accidentalentrepreneur.
But circumstances required somebravery and courage.
(05:57):
I created a job for myself thatwas remote in 2011, 2012, and
that wasn't a thing back in theday.
And I created a job that couldfollow my husband and his
career.
But where we are now, I can nowbuild my career and stay where I
want and do what I want.
Like I've established it enoughand my business is very much all
over.
So it's not like it can beremote, it can be those things.
(06:19):
But I was not on purpose.
And in those early days Iremember because I used to go on
vacation, I owned my own house,I did all these things.
Those early days, we couldn'tpay our cable bill.
And I remember looking at myhusband going, this will never
happen again.
Yeah.
And it was like something in mymind changed of this isn't just
a job anymore.
This is gonna be a business andit is going to be successful.
(06:41):
And I don't know what that lookslike yet, but it's going to be
something and we're going to beable to pay our cable bill.
I think my energy changedentirely that day.
Yeah.
Of there's no options.
This is it.
This is going to happen.
And it was a mindset shift ofwell, I'm just figuring it out
to No, it's gonna happen and I'mgonna figure it out.
Whatever it is, I'm going tofigure it out.
So there's all these littlemoments in your journey as an
(07:03):
entrepreneur of deciding how toshow up, when to show up, what
you need to get to that nextlevel, whatever that is for you.
For us, it was the cable bill.
And what's so ironic,'cause wedon't even have cable anymore,
we have streaming.
And that was a very eye-openingexperience for me of this is
only 75 bucks and I can't affordto pay it.
It just changed everything forme and how I wanted to pursue my
(07:26):
business.
So energetically, I don't thinkI was like dependent on it
necessarily, but it was alsolike, this is what's gonna
happen.
So luckily his career has goneup.
My career has gone up.
My together, we have risen anddefinitely are fine.
But that did change a lot ofthings for me energetically on
where I was gonna go for my nextstep for my business.
And at the beginning I workedfor a startup before I started
(07:48):
my business.
And when I worked for thestartup, I saw how hard people
worked.
Yeah.
I saw what it took to make amillion dollar business into a
$10 million business.
And when I saw that happen, Iwas like, I don't wanna work
that hard.
I've done my time with thatbusiness and help build it.
I don't know if I wanna be theperson leading all that.
And what happened along the waywas I don't have to lead a
business like that.
(08:09):
That's a different kind ofbusiness.
So I think there's a lot ofthose that happen in an
entrepreneurial journey that youhave to have these like shifts
of mindset and energy to whereyou are.
I every client we have, Layla isat their own starting point.
We meet them where they are.
Absolutely.
And we meet them to like wherethey wanna go next and we help
build something for them, awebsite and messaging with their
(08:32):
vision in mind to even grow intoa little bit because when you
step into your soul strategy, ittakes you a minute to get used
to it'cause you've been livingin a different frame.
And when you're living in yourpure soul strategy, it's real
vulnerable at first, and youhave to sit in it and then grow
with it to that next level.
Because there is an energy shiftthat happens when you are
(08:52):
visible and you're confident andyou are sitting in your soul.
It's a very big energetic shiftas well.
And I'm not gonna make anassumption, but I'm sure with
you, it's so powerfullyaffirming that I'm doing what
I'm supposed to be doing when Iwatch my clients go through that
shift, when I see them literallycome to life, literally bloom.
It's the most beautiful thing towatch and to witness and to be
(09:16):
part of as a business owner.
And if you had told me 10 yearsago, Beverly, you're gonna help
business owners bloom, Iwould've chuckled.
Leila (09:24):
I have a mentor who used to tell me, you will wonder how
to do it until you will wonderhow you did it.
Beverly (09:33):
Yes, exactly.
I love that.
Yes, exactly.
You're like, how did I not thinkof it this way?
Okay.
So is there one belief orpattern that you've had to
release in order to finally ownwho you are and your brand?
Leila (09:46):
Wow, I love this question so much.
No, because usually people ask,did you have something to add?
And now your question is, hassomething to release.
Beverly (09:57):
Yeah.
Leila (09:58):
I'm still working through this.
One is the letting go.
It is the control, because Icome from strategy.
I have a business plan.
It's the control.
And the control of situation oneach control list.
I need to make the situationreally perfect.
Control the outcome.
Control being imperfection andwaiting for the perfection to
(10:18):
launch something.
I found myself that when I putthat I shrink and I spend more
time thinking than doing.
And actually the entrepreneurialmindset is to do more than to
think because you will learnfrom the doing so dropping the
control.
And dropping the judgments.
Dropping the judgment.
(10:38):
Oh my God, I look this way.
Oh my God, I talk this way.
I call it the monkey in my head.
I have too many monkeys in myhead.
Beverly (10:45):
I call them the flying monkeys from like the flying
monkey.
You literally have to bat themaway.
The doubts, the fears, thedistractions, the imposter
syndrome, the perfectionism.
The control.
You have to literally bat theflying monkey away.
Yeah.
Yes.
Again,
Leila (11:00):
And now it just I was judging the monkey and now I'm
sitting with the monkey.
I was like, Hey, monkey, let'sdance.
Hey monkey, what they have totell me today?
Let's dance.
Okay.
You're afraid.
Okay.
It's not perfect.
Let's,
Beverly (11:18):
so just for my listeners, Layla's over here
having her own disco party.
She's dancing, she's having abig old time.
She's dancing with the monkeys.
I love it.
That is a way you're actuallywelcoming them.
Come on in let's dance, let'sfigure this out and move on.
Leila (11:32):
Absolutely.
Beverly (11:33):
That's such a powerful way.
I love this really takes it onestep further.
Let's dance with the monkey.
Yes.
Even in in Wicked, the monkeystarted out as Elphaba's.
And then they started to flywith her.
So it's the same thing let'sjust take the monkeys with us.
Yeah.
Okay, let's like bring themonkeys on.
This is such a great reframe.
(11:53):
I love this so much.
It may end up in my book, justso you know.
Leila (11:56):
We'd love to read it.
Beverly (11:58):
Yes.
I have a draft in play and it'scoming out soon, but yes.
I talk about the Flying Monkeys.
'Cause it's wickedly branded,like I have a whole Wizard of Oz
kind of thing.
That I tell, and I will have tosay, now you have to dance with
the monkeys.
That's a great one.
Leila (12:12):
And I used the Monkeys because my book was out in May.
And I have a forward byElizabeth Mur, which is ex
French Minister of Equality inFrance.
And I use an analogy of themonkeys, which is a bit
different when I say we are notmonkeys.
I don't know if you've heard astory about the monkeys that
were put in a cage.
So they put monkeys in a cagewith bananas in the same cage.
(12:35):
And each time a monkey tried tograb a banana, then they should
put him with water, lots ofwater.
So it's powerful.
So the first monkey went thereand then tried to grab the
banana, and then they were shotwith water.
Okay?
And then the second one.
And then the third one.
But at some point, like monkeyshad to be afraid.
Okay?
And nobody touched the bananasanymore.
(12:56):
So they learned the pattern andthen they were taking other
monkeys that didn't know aboutand they took in the experiment.
This is a real scientificexperiment.
And they took a monkey and theyput them in the cage.
And when this new monkey, he sawthe bananas.
So he wants the bananas.
So he started to reach out tothe bananas.
What happened is, like the othermonkeys stopped him from
(13:18):
reaching the bananas.
Wow.
Because they wanted to protecthim, but he didn't understand
why he did that.
But when he tried the firsttime, the second time, third
time, and then the other monkeysprevented him from reaching the
bananas, then he didn't tryanymore.
And at some point in theexperiment, they removed monkeys
that were in the caged.
(13:39):
One by one.
And bring new monkeys all new.
And at the end, they had in thecage only the monkeys that has
never witnessed.
But none of them has ever triedto reach the bananas.
Wow.
And none of them was able toexplain
Beverly (13:54):
why.
Leila (13:55):
Yes.
And this is the power of learnedbehaviors that we don't
understand there.
We inherit the behaviors.
Yeah.
And, I had once a client tellme, ha, this is really funny.
And they said, okay, so it meansthat if I want to change the
culture, I need to remove allthe monkeys at the same time.
(14:16):
And then I was shocked.
I was like, no.
Because we are not monkeys.
We're not monkeys.
We're not monkeys.
It means that human ability tounlearn and to learn.
And to grow.
So if you train in new behavior,then you'll be able to change
your culture.
Beverly (14:34):
That's powerful.
I think that's the thoughtprocess, even from the beginning
of what our business should looklike has been programmed in us
from men and women don't have torun businesses the same way men
have run businesses.
Absolutely.
And this one training of what abusiness looks like for us.
Exactly.
Yes.
This is our time to redefinethat.
Totally.
Yes.
I love that example.
It's a great example.
Now let's talk about like whenyour marketing kind of came
(14:56):
alive.
Was there a moment when yourbrand finally looked and sounded
like you and what had to changeto make it feel more like you?
Leila (15:04):
When I started my business, I knew nothing about
marketing.
I knew nothing about sales, andI had to learn everything from
the beginning.
I haven't learned this atschool.
And when I started my business,I thought I was really advanced.
As I said, I was, oh, I'll gointo launch a product and
everyone will buy.
Ha.
So cute.
(15:24):
And then, I started learningfrom people who are more
experienced than me as havingmentors, coaches, going through
courses, trainings.
And then each time it hits me,oh my God, I don't have a brand.
Oh my God, I don't have a clearvoice.
And then some strategiesresonates and they resonated and
others didn't.
And still don't.
(15:44):
So everything that's aroundchasing everything that's around
pushing, pushing, is notsomething that I resonated with.
I was like, oh my God, is thismarketing?
And then what helped me is onementor who asked me, how Layla
do you like to buy?
And when I started learning fromhow my buyer experience, then I
(16:05):
built a buying experience thatis exactly what I love to buy
from I hope that I will get theresults outta the money that I
invested.
So it's an invitational basedalways invite.
And when I learn that I can doit my way, you know what said,
like it's a feminine way.
Yeah.
We invite, we don't chase, weinvite.
Then business came to me moreeffortlessly Yeah.
(16:28):
Than I was trying to chase.
Beverly (16:30):
I always say serve, not sell.
Leila (16:32):
Yeah.
And I had to learn fromAmericans to get that.
This is so American.
Is it really interesting?
Yes it's being conscious aboutit.
When you try to learn and learnfrom everyone around the world,
right?
Then when I see, for example, inmy country, we're very
welcoming.
Very welcoming.
(16:53):
If it comes someday, likeeveryone will be smiling at you.
Yeah.
Everyone wants to serve.
Everyone want to help.
And this is our nature.
We want to help, we want toserve, we want to receive, we
want to welcome.
And people witnessed that in theWorld Cup.
A lot of people didn't knowabout Morocco.
And then we was on the culture.
And then we see like everyone,like just playing with their
(17:14):
heart and try and they best andthey're in front of very big
payers and so on.
And just collaborating andhaving this relationship with
the family, with the culture.
It's rooted in us.
And when I started listening tothat, it just became effortless
Beverly (17:30):
When you start listening to what feels right,
what is who you are at your verycore.
There's a lot of theories onselling, there's a lot of
theories on marketing, but itdoesn't necessarily mean that
theory works for you.
The one thing I would justcaution, is just be sure that
you're not buying out of yourown pocket.
(17:50):
Like you're not selling out ofyour own pocket.
So maybe you think it's tooexpensive, because that's your
money mindset, but doesn't meanit's too expensive for someone
else, or it doesn't mean becareful of not putting your own
values because of how you wereraised on what the buyer might
anticipate or feel.
There's a lot of people who likewon't upsell because they think,
(18:11):
oh, that's too much money orsomething.
Or they won't raise their pricesbecause they have that, I won't
do that thing.
Yeah.
Leila (18:18):
I had to work through it in order to sustain my business
because it was not sustainable.
I just wanted to serve, to helpthe others such, oh my God,
she's not being yet.
That's fine.
Let's work without contract.
That's fine.
And then I was like, but this isnot fair.
And then I was like, who's notbeing fair?
I'm not being fair to me.
So many people like Layla, raiseyour prices.
(18:41):
Layla, raise your prices.
No, I can't.
No, I won't now.
I raise them.
Beverly (18:45):
So that's confidence.
That's confidence.
Lelila
Leila (18:49):
That's experience!.
Beverly (18:51):
That's also
Leila (18:52):
confidence.
Yes.
But my clients, I had my clientstell me I bought this from your
competitor that is 10 times moreexpensive and yours has more
value, so please raise your
Beverly (19:03):
Yes.
And I think sometimes if youhave a lower price, people don't
see the value.
They think it's not worth it.
So they're not going tonecessarily do the thing.
Yeah.
I was listening to Seth Godintalk about speakers.
He was like there's a hump and ahump like in between the hump
and the hump.
So there's, the first hump isthe speaker who charges nothing
and goes and does the speaking.
And then there's the speaker whocharges$50,000.
(19:23):
If you charge little in between,you're not the thing they wanna
go, they're not gonna thinkyou're gonna get the impact from
that because they're like, whois that person was where you are
like$50,000 Or oh, this person'sgonna really create the value.
But you have to have thebranding, you have to have the
messaging, and you have to havethe confidence to be able to do
that.
Leila (19:43):
Yes.
And if you ask me at thebeginning of my journey, if my
price was low, I will still sayno.
Yeah, it wouldn't low.
You know why?
Because I was building myskills.
And I think that sometimes someentrepreneurs, what they do is
okay, let's price very high,because people will see the
value in that, but then theirproduct is not at this level.
(20:06):
So when people come in atspecific price, premium price,
you need to have premiumproducts and premium service,
right?
Yep.
And you don't have premiumproduct and premium service.
People start thinking thatyou're a scam and they're right.
Beverly (20:19):
Yeah.
I mean there's, there is thattoo.
Leila (20:22):
So elevating is okay, price this, but make sure.
That your product and service isreally worth it so that people
keep coming back.
And this what makes you have asustainable business over time.
Beverly (20:34):
So what is something that you've had to let go of or
delegate that made your businessfeel more sustainable?
Leila (20:41):
Saying yes to everyone?
Beverly (20:43):
Oh, I feel that one.
Yep.
Leila (20:44):
Oh, you want me to customize it like this for you?
Yes.
You want to have this part?
Yes.
Beverly (20:48):
There's a lot of power in No.
Leila (20:49):
Yeah.
And the ground, the no.
And it's not superficial.
Beverly (20:53):
No.
Leila (20:53):
The no intentional.
Intentional.
No.
Yes.
I intentionally.
Don't accept it because it needsto be for you, for me, for us.
If I win, you win and both of uswins is a great relationship.
Yeah.
If it's a relationship whereyou're winning and I'm losing,
then we're not going to be ableto sustain it anyway.
If I'm winning and you'relosing, we're not going to be su
(21:16):
sustained anyway.
So we need to have an equationwhere everyone wins and when you
have equation, when everyonewins, then it's sustainable over
time.
So saying no to something whenyou see that you're losing or
that your client is losing issaying yes to your business.
Being able to sustain over time.
Beverly (21:34):
Yeah.
And being successful and gettingreferrals and seeing your
clients be successful likethere, that's where you see all
the wins.
So what ripple effect do youhope that your story or your
voice has on the next generationof entrepreneurs?
Leila (21:51):
There are different things.
The first one is very personal.
I am a little girl from Africa,north Africa in Morocco.
And I have a global business.
And if any little girl thatthinks that she's from nowhere,
I want her to listen and tobelieve that she can do anything
she wants.
She believes enough.
If I can be an example of thatthis is the legacy I want to
(22:15):
bring and this.
From a personal level for my ownkids.
So it doesn't matter where youcome from, it doesn't matter
where you have been raised.
It doesn't matter who yourfather or your mother is.
It doesn't matter if you havebeen adopted or if you have
been, your first kid, the lastkid you'd get to define.
You get to choose.
Beverly (22:34):
Yeah.
Leila (22:35):
And with this internet and connection, see where you
are right now, where I am.
And we can connect, we candiscuss, and we can, at a soul
level, connect emotionally andnot just speak.
This is beautiful.
This is really beautiful.
And to not put ourselves intoboxes.
And let ourself dream and dreambig and follow our hearts with
(22:55):
purpose.
And give it everything.
Beverly (22:57):
I feel like even when we get done with a 90 minute
brand spark experience, when theclients see that what is
possible, like it's real whenthey have all these ideas and
dream, but we've taken it out ofthe box and made it real for
them.
When they see what's possible,it's like changes something
inside of them.
Leila (23:14):
Absolutely.
Beverly (23:15):
And when we activate the brand, when we build the
messaging and the website andthe logo and all the things for
them that feel true to theirsoul, they say it's like having
a baby.
Leila (23:26):
Yeah.
I love this.
Oh my god, I love this.
I love this.
And this is, oh my God, I havechills because when I lunch my
book in May, Beverly.
I felt I gave birth.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I felt I gave birth.
Yeah.
And each time I launch a newproduct, each time I launch a
new service, I feel that I'mgiving birth.
(23:47):
Yeah.
Beverly (23:48):
It brings it to life.
Talk about energetic, right?
You're bringing somethingliterally to life.
And sometimes it's hard, likelabor is not easy.
No.
There'll be moments where youhave a little bit of peace and
calm, and then there'll be alittle hard, and then moments of
peace and calm.
There's like this ebb and flowof working through it to make a
baby is not necessarily all funand games.
There's some parts that are fun,there's some parts that are not
(24:11):
so fun.
But at the end when you havethis thing that is alive and
you've birthed it, you've builtit it is simply magical.
It is.
So when we activate a brand andwe give it life, I say in my
intro, I boldly bring it to lifefor them.
It really is something soextraordinarily special to see
(24:33):
something come to life with someother human.
You co-created it.
One of our core values is fusionbecause they're brilliant
entrepreneurs that we work with,these amazing women who are
purpose driven and big heartedand want to magnify their impact
and do all kinds of good thingsin the world.
They're usually overwhelmedoverachievers who wanna do all
(24:53):
the things, and they'rebrilliant.
And then you bring in somereally good marketing to go
along with it.
It creates an action, it createsa reaction.
So powerful.
That it activates and bringssomething to life that wasn't
there before.
That was simply not therebefore.
For me, that ripple is sopowerful in bringing things to
(25:14):
life and seeing the power ofwhat is possible for my clients.
It resonates so strongly with mewhat you say, Layla, because I
think that is what gives mepurpose.
That is where I know I need tohelp people.
So I have this really fun magichat.
It's purple and sparkly.
And inside of here are somequestions.
(25:35):
These are more rapid firequestions.
This is like a lightning round,but it's my magic hat round.
What is the worst advice you'veever received?
Leila (25:42):
Keep going.
Beverly (25:43):
Keep going?
Leila (25:43):
Yeah.
Beverly (25:43):
Why is it the worst?
Leila (25:45):
Because when you go in on the wall, then you need to turn
not to keep going.
Beverly (25:51):
Ah, yeah.
Don't hurt yourself goingthrough the wall.
Leila (25:56):
Yeah.
Work harder.
Yeah.
Work harder, I would say ratherthan keep work harder.
Yeah.
It's not work.
Work harder.
Beverly (26:02):
Yeah.
What's one thing that peopleovercomplicate about business or
marketing?
That's actually really simple.
Leila (26:09):
The first move.
Sometimes we plan for the threefive years and we get in our
head, but the first move can besimple.
Beverly (26:17):
Yeah.
First step, just take the step.
Yeah.
Yep.
What's one thing you believedabout branding or marketing that
turned out to be complete bs?
Leila (26:26):
That it needs to be polished.
Beverly (26:28):
Oh, yes.
Progress, not perfection.
People progress, not perfection.
If you're your business had avoice, what emotion or word
would it embody?
Soul.
What is one thing that you wishmore people understood about
your business or industry?
Leila (26:44):
Liberation.
Beverly (26:45):
How has running your business changed you as a
person?
Leila (26:48):
Feeling alive.
Beverly (26:50):
That is the end of my magic hat round.
These were so good.
I loved it.
So I do have a magic wand aswell, because what fairy
godmother doesn't have one andyou have to have one, right?
So I'm gonna wave the wand andI'm going to go back to Layla
before she went into corporateAmerica, and I would love for
you to give her a piece ofadvice that you wish you'd had
(27:10):
before.
What advice would you give her?
Leila (27:12):
Take it easy.
Beverly (27:14):
In what way?
Leila (27:15):
Take it easy on yourself.
Beating yourself up.
Beverly (27:17):
What would she think of you now?
If that young girl could talk toyou and see you now, what would
she think of you now?
What would she say to you?
Leila (27:25):
That I'm crazy In what?
Because I achieved somethingthat she would have never
thought possible.
Beverly (27:33):
Never thought possible.
Leila (27:35):
Yeah.
Possible for the others, but notfor her.
Oh, interesting.
Beverly (27:38):
Interesting.
I'm gonna wave my wand and we'regonna go into the future.
What do you hope that people sayabout your brand 10 years from
now?
Leila (27:46):
Unconventional and unconventionally.
Liberating it's anunconventional way of doing
business that works and thatactually brings the results.
Beverly (27:54):
Do you think in 10 years it will still be
unconventional?
Leila (27:56):
I think it'll be obvious.
Beverly (27:59):
I hope it is.
Leila (28:00):
And maybe people would think, how were you able to make
business out of that?
This is obvious that allbusinesses should operate this
way.
At least I hope that it'll bethe case.
Yeah.
Beverly (28:10):
Like, why did we do that before?
Leila (28:12):
I want it to be like brushing your teeth, like duh.
Yeah.
Beverly (28:14):
Yes.
So good.
So good.
Layla, where can our listenersconnect with you and your work
and learn more about your books,and your work?
Leila (28:22):
Yeah.
I have a LinkedIn profile.
With my name Leila Lahbabi.
I have a YouTube channel that Ijust started where I recorded
the serial videos to explaineverything that I'm explaining
in the book.
So everything is there.
I have a podcast that is calledBillion Dollar Purpose as well,
that is based on the book.
(28:43):
The book is called BillionDollar Purpose.
There is the book that is onAmazon, so if you type my name,
billion Dollar Purpose, you'llfind the book, you'll find the
podcast, you will find theLinkedIn.
You'll find the Instagram,Leila, LHP, and wherever your
heart feels you want to connect,then it's fine.
Some of us are video, some of usare audio, some of us are more
(29:04):
readers.
Feel free to follow your heart.
Beverly (29:06):
So good.
Layla, this has been a reallygreat conversation.
Gosh, I just, we need to havelike real coffee in Morocco at
some point.
Leila (29:16):
Yeah, you're very welcome.
Beverly (29:17):
I've heard that Moroccan coffee is very good, so
maybe we have to have it there.
I really appreciate your timetoday.
I'm so glad it happened today.
Me too, and I really haveenjoyed it.
And for those of you that arelistening and thinking, wow, I
want this kind of clarity andconfidence in my brand and in my
business, you can reach out toLayla or to myself and book a
(29:37):
brand spark session.
Just have to go to wickedlybranded.com/call.
So I hope you found this episodeof the sparking that your
marketing podcast as inspiringas I did.
Please stay tuned for moreepisodes and until next time,
keep sparking and igniting.
Hello.
(00:00):
Before we dive into part two ofthis episode, I gotta ask, did
you catch part one?
If not, hit pause real quick.
You'll wanna start from thebeginning to get the full
effect.
The link to part one is rightdown in the description below.
Go ahead, catch up, and we'll beright here waiting for you.
Ready to dive into part two whenyou're all set.
It's worth it, I promise.
Beverly (00:19):
I love this.
Layla.
So what part of your journey hasrequired the most bravery and
courage?
Leila (00:25):
Losing my kids was the first one.
And leaving my job and jumpinginto the unknown was the second
one.
Because actually when you arriveat a certain point in your
career, you have security andyou have built something.
And when you have your familyand the responsibility, then the
security is important.
Beverly (00:44):
Is it real security though?
Is it real security?
Layla?
Leila (00:47):
It's a perception of security.
It's a perception of securityand we all have kind of
perception of security in thevision of what it is.
Yeah.
My perception of security washaving a job that I'm paid each
month.
And when I jumped intoentrepreneurship, I could wait
six months at the beginning tostart being paid at some point.
But then your first pay ispaying you more than you would
(01:10):
have had in your nine to fivejob.
Like the patience to get throughit and also the trust.
The trust that it will arrive atsome point.
Because if you don't trust thatit'll arrive, you will not do
all the actions.
Yeah.
And trust is not just sittinghere and saying, oh, I trust
that it'll arrive.
No, it is just working your waythrough it and saying there's no
reason why I will not succeed.
(01:30):
There's no reason.
Beverly (01:31):
Yeah.
Leila (01:31):
And to arrive some point and not putting the pressure on
when it'll arrive.
And this is a big mistake that Idid at the beginning of my
journey.
Beverly (01:38):
Yeah.
Leila (01:38):
It's putting the pressure saying if I don't succeed in six
months, then I going back or I'mdoing this.
But then, when I started failingis I wish the six months and
didn't reach my results.
Then I dropped this, and when Idropped the expectation, then I
started really moving and mybusiness started really moving.
It's dropping the expectationand as I say, I don't know, and
(02:01):
it's okay.
And it could be amazing and itcould drop at any time.
And releasing this pressure, Istarted removing with my heart.
I started removing with my soul.
I started doing my best.
Is doing my best.
Doing my best was the mostamazing thing I learned on my
journey, and it took me movingfrom control to, what do we call
it?
Surrender, right?
(02:23):
And surrender into the journeyand the new definition of
surrender.
Because at the beginning I washearing, oh, you need to
surrender.
Surrender.
I was like, oh, surrender.
And then who's going to run?
No, this is not the surrender.
Surrender is not doing,surrender is not being attached
to the results.
Beverly (02:39):
We all want that positive result, right?
Leila (02:42):
And this is what creates this frustration.
Having expectation, not reachingthe expectation, but we don't
have the expectation.
Keep going.
Beverly (02:49):
It doesn't affect you.
It doesn't stress you out.
But there is some reality checkhere.
Like for me, my husband has avery good job and allows me to
grow a business without a wholelot of expectation of monetary.
Whatever I bring in is great, ithelps pay for house improvements
and vacations and a new carmaybe, or something like that.
(03:11):
It's not required to pay ourprimary bills.
So that has given me freedom tonot be so focused on the
results, because I have thisamazing support of my husband's
financial contributions.
Not everyone who's listening hasthat.
So how do you not attach theresult to your livelihood and to
(03:31):
let that human need to besecure?
How do you do that?
Leila (03:35):
I love this question because I don't feel that with
only the salary of my husband,we will have the lifestyle that
we have today.
So, I don't come from asituation and say, oh,
everything that I'm bringing isjust cherry on top of the cake.
No, that was not the case.
And leaving in Paris to come toMorocco, I needed to have the
revenues that enables me to comehere.
(03:55):
I left, I was 18 years old.
I don't have a network here.
Okay.
I don't use to have, now I dohave, but when I just came,
nobody knew who I was.
And something that I alwaysadvise my friend to do, and my
clients to do is build yourfinancial security first.
Ah.
So when I started theentrepreneur journey, I didn't
(04:16):
say, oh, let's go start theentrepreneur journey.
Let's just quit and move on.
It took me time and the time ittook me is okay, now I have a
nine to five job that pays formy bills let me build Yeah.
The financial security so thatwhen I unplug from that as it
can I don't use thisentrepreneurship to get the
money.
Because it's an energetic field,it's really energetic.
(04:38):
When you really attach tosomething, it doesn't really
come and there are differentlevels of wealth.
There is the security level andthe provider level.
Okay?
And then when you have thisprovider level is the security.
If you don't have it yourmindset will always be on the
provider.
So it's important to unlock thisprovider.
Would that be with your partner?
Would that be with Heritage?
(05:00):
Would that be with you buildingyour own security?
And this is what I've done forme.
I've built my own financialsecurity before leaving and then
you open doors to possibilities.
Beverly (05:11):
Yeah.
I didn't really have thatopportunity though.
I was a VP of marketing makingvery good money and I married my
active duty Army husband who isjust starting out as a private
first class in the Army.
And I don't know if anybodyknows, but they don't make a lot
of money and I had to make mycareer as mobile as his.
And I didn't have a network.
When we moved to North Carolina,I was from Michigan and we move
(05:34):
every three years.
So we have to make networkswherever we go.
Like it's not like I have thisroots that are very strong.
We've talked about that.
So I had to learn to connect andcreate and become part of my
community every single time.
Like I had to really integrateinto that.
It was a whole different mindsetshift for me.
But I was an accidentalentrepreneur.
But circumstances required somebravery and courage.
(05:57):
I created a job for myself thatwas remote in 2011, 2012, and
that wasn't a thing back in theday.
And I created a job that couldfollow my husband and his
career.
But where we are now, I can nowbuild my career and stay where I
want and do what I want.
Like I've established it enoughand my business is very much all
over.
So it's not like it can beremote, it can be those things.
(06:19):
But I was not on purpose.
And in those early days Iremember because I used to go on
vacation, I owned my own house,I did all these things.
Those early days, we couldn'tpay our cable bill.
And I remember looking at myhusband going, this will never
happen again.
Yeah.
And it was like something in mymind changed of this isn't just
a job anymore.
This is gonna be a business andit is going to be successful.
(06:41):
And I don't know what that lookslike yet, but it's going to be
something and we're going to beable to pay our cable bill.
I think my energy changedentirely that day.
Yeah.
Of there's no options.
This is it.
This is going to happen.
And it was a mindset shift ofwell, I'm just figuring it out
to No, it's gonna happen and I'mgonna figure it out.
Whatever it is, I'm going tofigure it out.
So there's all these littlemoments in your journey as an
(07:03):
entrepreneur of deciding how toshow up, when to show up, what
you need to get to that nextlevel, whatever that is for you.
For us, it was the cable bill.
And what's so ironic,'cause wedon't even have cable anymore,
we have streaming.
And that was a very eye-openingexperience for me of this is
only 75 bucks and I can't affordto pay it.
It just changed everything forme and how I wanted to pursue my
(07:26):
business.
So energetically, I don't thinkI was like dependent on it
necessarily, but it was alsolike, this is what's gonna
happen.
So luckily his career has goneup.
My career has gone up.
My together, we have risen anddefinitely are fine.
But that did change a lot ofthings for me energetically on
where I was gonna go for my nextstep for my business.
And at the beginning I workedfor a startup before I started
(07:48):
my business.
And when I worked for thestartup, I saw how hard people
worked.
Yeah.
I saw what it took to make amillion dollar business into a
$10 million business.
And when I saw that happen, Iwas like, I don't wanna work
that hard.
I've done my time with thatbusiness and help build it.
I don't know if I wanna be theperson leading all that.
And what happened along the waywas I don't have to lead a
business like that.
(08:09):
That's a different kind ofbusiness.
So I think there's a lot ofthose that happen in an
entrepreneurial journey that youhave to have these like shifts
of mindset and energy to whereyou are.
I every client we have, Layla isat their own starting point.
We meet them where they are.
Absolutely.
And we meet them to like wherethey wanna go next and we help
build something for them, awebsite and messaging with their
(08:32):
vision in mind to even grow intoa little bit because when you
step into your soul strategy, ittakes you a minute to get used
to it'cause you've been livingin a different frame.
And when you're living in yourpure soul strategy, it's real
vulnerable at first, and youhave to sit in it and then grow
with it to that next level.
Because there is an energy shiftthat happens when you are
(08:52):
visible and you're confident andyou are sitting in your soul.
It's a very big energetic shiftas well.
And I'm not gonna make anassumption, but I'm sure with
you, it's so powerfullyaffirming that I'm doing what
I'm supposed to be doing when Iwatch my clients go through that
shift, when I see them literallycome to life, literally bloom.
It's the most beautiful thing towatch and to witness and to be
(09:16):
part of as a business owner.
And if you had told me 10 yearsago, Beverly, you're gonna help
business owners bloom, Iwould've chuckled.
Leila (09:24):
I have a mentor who used to tell me, you will wonder how
to do it until you will wonderhow you did it.
Beverly (09:33):
Yes, exactly.
I love that.
Yes, exactly.
You're like, how did I not thinkof it this way?
Okay.
So is there one belief orpattern that you've had to
release in order to finally ownwho you are and your brand?
Leila (09:46):
Wow, I love this question so much.
No, because usually people ask,did you have something to add?
And now your question is, hassomething to release.
Beverly (09:57):
Yeah.
Leila (09:58):
I'm still working through this.
One is the letting go.
It is the control, because Icome from strategy.
I have a business plan.
It's the control.
And the control of situation oneach control list.
I need to make the situationreally perfect.
Control the outcome.
Control being imperfection andwaiting for the perfection to
(10:18):
launch something.
I found myself that when I putthat I shrink and I spend more
time thinking than doing.
And actually the entrepreneurialmindset is to do more than to
think because you will learnfrom the doing so dropping the
control.
And dropping the judgments.
Dropping the judgment.
(10:38):
Oh my God, I look this way.
Oh my God, I talk this way.
I call it the monkey in my head.
I have too many monkeys in myhead.
Beverly (10:45):
I call them the flying monkeys from like the flying
monkey.
You literally have to bat themaway.
The doubts, the fears, thedistractions, the imposter
syndrome, the perfectionism.
The control.
You have to literally bat theflying monkey away.
Yeah.
Yes.
Again,
Leila (11:00):
And now it just I was judging the monkey and now I'm
sitting with the monkey.
I was like, Hey, monkey, let'sdance.
Hey monkey, what they have totell me today?
Let's dance.
Okay.
You're afraid.
Okay.
It's not perfect.
Let's,
Beverly (11:18):
so just for my listeners, Layla's over here
having her own disco party.
She's dancing, she's having abig old time.
She's dancing with the monkeys.
I love it.
That is a way you're actuallywelcoming them.
Come on in let's dance, let'sfigure this out and move on.
Leila (11:32):
Absolutely.
Beverly (11:33):
That's such a powerful way.
I love this really takes it onestep further.
Let's dance with the monkey.
Yes.
Even in in Wicked, the monkeystarted out as Elphaba's.
And then they started to flywith her.
So it's the same thing let'sjust take the monkeys with us.
Yeah.
Okay, let's like bring themonkeys on.
This is such a great reframe.
(11:53):
I love this so much.
It may end up in my book, justso you know.
Leila (11:56):
We'd love to read it.
Beverly (11:58):
Yes.
I have a draft in play and it'scoming out soon, but yes.
I talk about the Flying Monkeys.
'Cause it's wickedly branded,like I have a whole Wizard of Oz
kind of thing.
That I tell, and I will have tosay, now you have to dance with
the monkeys.
That's a great one.
Leila (12:12):
And I used the Monkeys because my book was out in May.
And I have a forward byElizabeth Mur, which is ex
French Minister of Equality inFrance.
And I use an analogy of themonkeys, which is a bit
different when I say we are notmonkeys.
I don't know if you've heard astory about the monkeys that
were put in a cage.
So they put monkeys in a cagewith bananas in the same cage.
(12:35):
And each time a monkey tried tograb a banana, then they should
put him with water, lots ofwater.
So it's powerful.
So the first monkey went thereand then tried to grab the
banana, and then they were shotwith water.
Okay?
And then the second one.
And then the third one.
But at some point, like monkeyshad to be afraid.
Okay?
And nobody touched the bananasanymore.
(12:56):
So they learned the pattern andthen they were taking other
monkeys that didn't know aboutand they took in the experiment.
This is a real scientificexperiment.
And they took a monkey and theyput them in the cage.
And when this new monkey, he sawthe bananas.
So he wants the bananas.
So he started to reach out tothe bananas.
What happened is, like the othermonkeys stopped him from
(13:18):
reaching the bananas.
Wow.
Because they wanted to protecthim, but he didn't understand
why he did that.
But when he tried the firsttime, the second time, third
time, and then the other monkeysprevented him from reaching the
bananas, then he didn't tryanymore.
And at some point in theexperiment, they removed monkeys
that were in the caged.
(13:39):
One by one.
And bring new monkeys all new.
And at the end, they had in thecage only the monkeys that has
never witnessed.
But none of them has ever triedto reach the bananas.
Wow.
And none of them was able toexplain
Beverly (13:54):
why.
Leila (13:55):
Yes.
And this is the power of learnedbehaviors that we don't
understand there.
We inherit the behaviors.
Yeah.
And, I had once a client tellme, ha, this is really funny.
And they said, okay, so it meansthat if I want to change the
culture, I need to remove allthe monkeys at the same time.
(14:16):
And then I was shocked.
I was like, no.
Because we are not monkeys.
We're not monkeys.
We're not monkeys.
It means that human ability tounlearn and to learn.
And to grow.
So if you train in new behavior,then you'll be able to change
your culture.
Beverly (14:34):
That's powerful.
I think that's the thoughtprocess, even from the beginning
of what our business should looklike has been programmed in us
from men and women don't have torun businesses the same way men
have run businesses.
Absolutely.
And this one training of what abusiness looks like for us.
Exactly.
Yes.
This is our time to redefinethat.
Totally.
Yes.
I love that example.
It's a great example.
Now let's talk about like whenyour marketing kind of came
(14:56):
alive.
Was there a moment when yourbrand finally looked and sounded
like you and what had to changeto make it feel more like you?
Leila (15:04):
When I started my business, I knew nothing about
marketing.
I knew nothing about sales, andI had to learn everything from
the beginning.
I haven't learned this atschool.
And when I started my business,I thought I was really advanced.
As I said, I was, oh, I'll gointo launch a product and
everyone will buy.
Ha.
So cute.
(15:24):
And then, I started learningfrom people who are more
experienced than me as havingmentors, coaches, going through
courses, trainings.
And then each time it hits me,oh my God, I don't have a brand.
Oh my God, I don't have a clearvoice.
And then some strategiesresonates and they resonated and
others didn't.
And still don't.
(15:44):
So everything that's aroundchasing everything that's around
pushing, pushing, is notsomething that I resonated with.
I was like, oh my God, is thismarketing?
And then what helped me is onementor who asked me, how Layla
do you like to buy?
And when I started learning fromhow my buyer experience, then I
(16:05):
built a buying experience thatis exactly what I love to buy
from I hope that I will get theresults outta the money that I
invested.
So it's an invitational basedalways invite.
And when I learn that I can doit my way, you know what said,
like it's a feminine way.
Yeah.
We invite, we don't chase, weinvite.
Then business came to me moreeffortlessly Yeah.
(16:28):
Than I was trying to chase.
Beverly (16:30):
I always say serve, not sell.
Leila (16:32):
Yeah.
And I had to learn fromAmericans to get that.
This is so American.
Is it really interesting?
Yes it's being conscious aboutit.
When you try to learn and learnfrom everyone around the world,
right?
Then when I see, for example, inmy country, we're very
welcoming.
Very welcoming.
(16:53):
If it comes someday, likeeveryone will be smiling at you.
Yeah.
Everyone wants to serve.
Everyone want to help.
And this is our nature.
We want to help, we want toserve, we want to receive, we
want to welcome.
And people witnessed that in theWorld Cup.
A lot of people didn't knowabout Morocco.
And then we was on the culture.
And then we see like everyone,like just playing with their
(17:14):
heart and try and they best andthey're in front of very big
payers and so on.
And just collaborating andhaving this relationship with
the family, with the culture.
It's rooted in us.
And when I started listening tothat, it just became effortless
Beverly (17:30):
When you start listening to what feels right,
what is who you are at your verycore.
There's a lot of theories onselling, there's a lot of
theories on marketing, but itdoesn't necessarily mean that
theory works for you.
The one thing I would justcaution, is just be sure that
you're not buying out of yourown pocket.
(17:50):
Like you're not selling out ofyour own pocket.
So maybe you think it's tooexpensive, because that's your
money mindset, but doesn't meanit's too expensive for someone
else, or it doesn't mean becareful of not putting your own
values because of how you wereraised on what the buyer might
anticipate or feel.
There's a lot of people who likewon't upsell because they think,
(18:11):
oh, that's too much money orsomething.
Or they won't raise their pricesbecause they have that, I won't
do that thing.
Yeah.
Leila (18:18):
I had to work through it in order to sustain my business
because it was not sustainable.
I just wanted to serve, to helpthe others such, oh my God,
she's not being yet.
That's fine.
Let's work without contract.
That's fine.
And then I was like, but this isnot fair.
And then I was like, who's notbeing fair?
I'm not being fair to me.
So many people like Layla, raiseyour prices.
(18:41):
Layla, raise your prices.
No, I can't.
No, I won't now.
I raise them.
Beverly (18:45):
So that's confidence.
That's confidence.
Lelila
Leila (18:49):
That's experience!.
Beverly (18:51):
That's also
Leila (18:52):
confidence.
Yes.
But my clients, I had my clientstell me I bought this from your
competitor that is 10 times moreexpensive and yours has more
value, so please raise your
Beverly (19:03):
Yes.
And I think sometimes if youhave a lower price, people don't
see the value.
They think it's not worth it.
So they're not going tonecessarily do the thing.
Yeah.
I was listening to Seth Godintalk about speakers.
He was like there's a hump and ahump like in between the hump
and the hump.
So there's, the first hump isthe speaker who charges nothing
and goes and does the speaking.
And then there's the speaker whocharges$50,000.
(19:23):
If you charge little in between,you're not the thing they wanna
go, they're not gonna thinkyou're gonna get the impact from
that because they're like, whois that person was where you are
like$50,000 Or oh, this person'sgonna really create the value.
But you have to have thebranding, you have to have the
messaging, and you have to havethe confidence to be able to do
that.
Leila (19:43):
Yes.
And if you ask me at thebeginning of my journey, if my
price was low, I will still sayno.
Yeah, it wouldn't low.
You know why?
Because I was building myskills.
And I think that sometimes someentrepreneurs, what they do is
okay, let's price very high,because people will see the
value in that, but then theirproduct is not at this level.
(20:06):
So when people come in atspecific price, premium price,
you need to have premiumproducts and premium service,
right?
Yep.
And you don't have premiumproduct and premium service.
People start thinking thatyou're a scam and they're right.
Beverly (20:19):
Yeah.
I mean there's, there is thattoo.
Leila (20:22):
So elevating is okay, price this, but make sure.
That your product and service isreally worth it so that people
keep coming back.
And this what makes you have asustainable business over time.
Beverly (20:34):
So what is something that you've had to let go of or
delegate that made your businessfeel more sustainable?
Leila (20:41):
Saying yes to everyone?
Beverly (20:43):
Oh, I feel that one.
Yep.
Leila (20:44):
Oh, you want me to customize it like this for you?
Yes.
You want to have this part?
Yes.
Beverly (20:48):
There's a lot of power in No.
Leila (20:49):
Yeah.
And the ground, the no.
And it's not superficial.
Beverly (20:53):
No.
Leila (20:53):
The no intentional.
Intentional.
No.
Yes.
I intentionally.
Don't accept it because it needsto be for you, for me, for us.
If I win, you win and both of uswins is a great relationship.
Yeah.
If it's a relationship whereyou're winning and I'm losing,
then we're not going to be ableto sustain it anyway.
If I'm winning and you'relosing, we're not going to be su
(21:16):
sustained anyway.
So we need to have an equationwhere everyone wins and when you
have equation, when everyonewins, then it's sustainable over
time.
So saying no to something whenyou see that you're losing or
that your client is losing issaying yes to your business.
Being able to sustain over time.
Beverly (21:34):
Yeah.
And being successful and gettingreferrals and seeing your
clients be successful likethere, that's where you see all
the wins.
So what ripple effect do youhope that your story or your
voice has on the next generationof entrepreneurs?
Leila (21:51):
There are different things.
The first one is very personal.
I am a little girl from Africa,north Africa in Morocco.
And I have a global business.
And if any little girl thatthinks that she's from nowhere,
I want her to listen and tobelieve that she can do anything
she wants.
She believes enough.
If I can be an example of thatthis is the legacy I want to
(22:15):
bring and this.
From a personal level for my ownkids.
So it doesn't matter where youcome from, it doesn't matter
where you have been raised.
It doesn't matter who yourfather or your mother is.
It doesn't matter if you havebeen adopted or if you have
been, your first kid, the lastkid you'd get to define.
You get to choose.
Beverly (22:34):
Yeah.
Leila (22:35):
And with this internet and connection, see where you
are right now, where I am.
And we can connect, we candiscuss, and we can, at a soul
level, connect emotionally andnot just speak.
This is beautiful.
This is really beautiful.
And to not put ourselves intoboxes.
And let ourself dream and dreambig and follow our hearts with
(22:55):
purpose.
And give it everything.
Beverly (22:57):
I feel like even when we get done with a 90 minute
brand spark experience, when theclients see that what is
possible, like it's real whenthey have all these ideas and
dream, but we've taken it out ofthe box and made it real for
them.
When they see what's possible,it's like changes something
inside of them.
Leila (23:14):
Absolutely.
Beverly (23:15):
And when we activate the brand, when we build the
messaging and the website andthe logo and all the things for
them that feel true to theirsoul, they say it's like having
a baby.
Leila (23:26):
Yeah.
I love this.
Oh my god, I love this.
I love this.
And this is, oh my God, I havechills because when I lunch my
book in May, Beverly.
I felt I gave birth.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I felt I gave birth.
Yeah.
And each time I launch a newproduct, each time I launch a
new service, I feel that I'mgiving birth.
(23:47):
Yeah.
Beverly (23:48):
It brings it to life.
Talk about energetic, right?
You're bringing somethingliterally to life.
And sometimes it's hard, likelabor is not easy.
No.
There'll be moments where youhave a little bit of peace and
calm, and then there'll be alittle hard, and then moments of
peace and calm.
There's like this ebb and flowof working through it to make a
baby is not necessarily all funand games.
There's some parts that are fun,there's some parts that are not
(24:11):
so fun.
But at the end when you havethis thing that is alive and
you've birthed it, you've builtit it is simply magical.
It is.
So when we activate a brand andwe give it life, I say in my
intro, I boldly bring it to lifefor them.
It really is something soextraordinarily special to see
(24:33):
something come to life with someother human.
You co-created it.
One of our core values is fusionbecause they're brilliant
entrepreneurs that we work with,these amazing women who are
purpose driven and big heartedand want to magnify their impact
and do all kinds of good thingsin the world.
They're usually overwhelmedoverachievers who wanna do all
(24:53):
the things, and they'rebrilliant.
And then you bring in somereally good marketing to go
along with it.
It creates an action, it createsa reaction.
So powerful.
That it activates and bringssomething to life that wasn't
there before.
That was simply not therebefore.
For me, that ripple is sopowerful in bringing things to
(25:14):
life and seeing the power ofwhat is possible for my clients.
It resonates so strongly with mewhat you say, Layla, because I
think that is what gives mepurpose.
That is where I know I need tohelp people.
So I have this really fun magichat.
It's purple and sparkly.
And inside of here are somequestions.
(25:35):
These are more rapid firequestions.
This is like a lightning round,but it's my magic hat round.
What is the worst advice you'veever received?
Leila (25:42):
Keep going.
Beverly (25:43):
Keep going?
Leila (25:43):
Yeah.
Beverly (25:43):
Why is it the worst?
Leila (25:45):
Because when you go in on the wall, then you need to turn
not to keep going.
Beverly (25:51):
Ah, yeah.
Don't hurt yourself goingthrough the wall.
Leila (25:56):
Yeah.
Work harder.
Yeah.
Work harder, I would say ratherthan keep work harder.
Yeah.
It's not work.
Work harder.
Beverly (26:02):
Yeah.
What's one thing that peopleovercomplicate about business or
marketing?
That's actually really simple.
Leila (26:09):
The first move.
Sometimes we plan for the threefive years and we get in our
head, but the first move can besimple.
Beverly (26:17):
Yeah.
First step, just take the step.
Yeah.
Yep.
What's one thing you believedabout branding or marketing that
turned out to be complete bs?
Leila (26:26):
That it needs to be polished.
Beverly (26:28):
Oh, yes.
Progress, not perfection.
People progress, not perfection.
If you're your business had avoice, what emotion or word
would it embody?
Soul.
What is one thing that you wishmore people understood about
your business or industry?
Leila (26:44):
Liberation.
Beverly (26:45):
How has running your business changed you as a
person?
Leila (26:48):
Feeling alive.
Beverly (26:50):
That is the end of my magic hat round.
These were so good.
I loved it.
So I do have a magic wand aswell, because what fairy
godmother doesn't have one andyou have to have one, right?
So I'm gonna wave the wand andI'm going to go back to Layla
before she went into corporateAmerica, and I would love for
you to give her a piece ofadvice that you wish you'd had
(27:10):
before.
What advice would you give her?
Leila (27:12):
Take it easy.
Beverly (27:14):
In what way?
Leila (27:15):
Take it easy on yourself.
Beating yourself up.
Beverly (27:17):
What would she think of you now?
If that young girl could talk toyou and see you now, what would
she think of you now?
What would she say to you?
Leila (27:25):
That I'm crazy In what?
Because I achieved somethingthat she would have never
thought possible.
Beverly (27:33):
Never thought possible.
Leila (27:35):
Yeah.
Possible for the others, but notfor her.
Oh, interesting.
Beverly (27:38):
Interesting.
I'm gonna wave my wand and we'regonna go into the future.
What do you hope that people sayabout your brand 10 years from
now?
Leila (27:46):
Unconventional and unconventionally.
Liberating it's anunconventional way of doing
business that works and thatactually brings the results.
Beverly (27:54):
Do you think in 10 years it will still be
unconventional?
Leila (27:56):
I think it'll be obvious.
Beverly (27:59):
I hope it is.
Leila (28:00):
And maybe people would think, how were you able to make
business out of that?
This is obvious that allbusinesses should operate this
way.
At least I hope that it'll bethe case.
Yeah.
Beverly (28:10):
Like, why did we do that before?
Leila (28:12):
I want it to be like brushing your teeth, like duh.
Yeah.
Beverly (28:14):
Yes.
So good.
So good.
Layla, where can our listenersconnect with you and your work
and learn more about your books,and your work?
Leila (28:22):
Yeah.
I have a LinkedIn profile.
With my name Leila Lahbabi.
I have a YouTube channel that Ijust started where I recorded
the serial videos to explaineverything that I'm explaining
in the book.
So everything is there.
I have a podcast that is calledBillion Dollar Purpose as well,
that is based on the book.
(28:43):
The book is called BillionDollar Purpose.
There is the book that is onAmazon, so if you type my name,
billion Dollar Purpose, you'llfind the book, you'll find the
podcast, you will find theLinkedIn.
You'll find the Instagram,Leila, LHP, and wherever your
heart feels you want to connect,then it's fine.
Some of us are video, some of usare audio, some of us are more
(29:04):
readers.
Feel free to follow your heart.
Beverly (29:06):
So good.
Layla, this has been a reallygreat conversation.
Gosh, I just, we need to havelike real coffee in Morocco at
some point.
Leila (29:16):
Yeah, you're very welcome.
Beverly (29:17):
I've heard that Moroccan coffee is very good, so
maybe we have to have it there.
I really appreciate your timetoday.
I'm so glad it happened today.
Me too, and I really haveenjoyed it.
And for those of you that arelistening and thinking, wow, I
want this kind of clarity andconfidence in my brand and in my
business, you can reach out toLayla or to myself and book a
(29:37):
brand spark session.
Just have to go to wickedlybranded.com/call.
So I hope you found this episodeof the sparking that your
marketing podcast as inspiringas I did.
Please stay tuned for moreepisodes and until next time,
keep sparking and igniting.
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