December 10, 2025 • 60 mins
Join me on this episode of Finding Your Niche with Neish as I chat with Chiquita Russaw, a retired professional at a crossroads, redefining her identity and exploring new horizons. We discuss how she's navigating the intersection of business and non-profit work, using strategies that have landed her amazing clients. Chiquita shares her experience as a "ghost executive," offering a unique behind-the-scenes look at how to show up in the business world through non-profit avenues. It's a dynamic, insightful conversation about reinvention, purpose, and finding new ways to make an impact.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
So it is a code and gloomy, chilly day here
in the city of Atlanta. For this particular taping, I
have a ray of sunshine sitting in front of me,
amiss this day, the one and only Shaki Russa. How
are you feeling today?
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Good?
Speaker 1 (00:18):
Yeah? Yeah, I'm excited to sit down with you because
I have gotten a chance to know you a little
bit over the last couple of weeks and kind of,
like I just said, you aren't a ray of sunshine,
like your energy is vibrant, your personality is magnetic and
just who you are, You're just a really fun person
(00:39):
to be around.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
Yeah, you're you're funny. Would you describe yourself with somebody
who's funny? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (00:45):
I am? Or a little bit goofy too, Okay.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
So where did you get that from it? Were you
always goofy as a kid or was it more so like,
were you class clown in high school?
Speaker 2 (00:57):
I was class before high school?
Speaker 1 (00:59):
Okay before?
Speaker 2 (01:00):
Yeah, I've always had.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
To do what Shakita wanted to do, okay, Or when
I was younger, I was Keita.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
Okay, So whatever Keita wanted, Qita did.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
It, okay, So talk to me about that. Transition from
going from Keita to Shakita. Like, what's the biggest difference
between the two of those people.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
Shakita is a little grown.
Speaker 3 (01:23):
Okay, it was overly sport it was a little wild it.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
You know. Yeah, I did it.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
Okay, I said it, and what you're gonna do about it?
So now shaqayus who you still?
Speaker 2 (01:37):
I am?
Speaker 3 (01:38):
I am she comes out you know, Okay, but I'm
a little bit more refine, Okay. I kind of sort
of watch what I say. I don't say everything I'm thinking.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
Okay, cause a lot to learn that I'm a leo
and I would just like not even think, I would
think after saying it, and I'm just like, I'm just
gonna sing it. And then people were just like Nisha,
wo relax.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
So that was ay.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
I had to learn that, I l yeah, and that
come with age. Yeah, that's one thing that I've learned.
You know, I'm kind of freak people out when I
say I'm forty five. Yeah, but it comes with time
to physically Okay. Yeah, if you say that, they might
just kick you out right or they may not invite
you with you you wanna stay in the room.
Speaker 4 (02:25):
Uh huh?
Speaker 1 (02:26):
Y you just turned forty five this year. What is okay?
So what does forty five feel like?
Speaker 2 (02:32):
Forty five is now?
Speaker 3 (02:35):
It's a mouthstone because I went ahead and took the
leap and retired.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
You know I was struggling. I wanted to retire at
forty but I cried like a baby when they told
me I couldn't wow, cause I kept telling him I
didn't have time.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
So thankfully, you know, Trump allowed us to.
Speaker 3 (02:52):
Once you had twenty five years in retire, resign, I
get put out. MM, so you only have to tell
me one time if you don't like me, it's okay.
I know how to leave, so I left.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
So that's what forty five to meet is new? It
is refreshed.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
What about you like and not? It not even just
in cor in terms of your career at forty five,
but Shaquida as a woman at forty five, what does
that feel like?
Speaker 2 (03:20):
Really getting into what I want?
Speaker 3 (03:21):
Like, I've always had to hold back because I had
to focus on Okay, somebody gonna tell your mama.
Speaker 5 (03:27):
You did ABC or you know your son.
Speaker 3 (03:31):
Got to be You know, my son's in the baseball
and making sure I not in his reputation off you
cutting up right, and I still cut.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
Up a little bit.
Speaker 3 (03:42):
Yeah, I'm a typical now on the baseball field, I'm
a whole another mama. Yeah yeah, you know, but just
really just trying to figure out what the next few
years is gonna look like. But it's refreshing to kind
of like, oh, okay, yeah I said that, I did
it alright, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
You know, it is what it is.
Speaker 1 (04:01):
The number of forty five. Does it feel like I
feel like that that number is a really interesting number
in terms of like because I feel like, in your thirties, yeah,
you're officially grown, but then when you cross into like
your fifties, it's just like one forties.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
Forties, you still kind of I'm gonna still kind of
keep it.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
Uh huh.
Speaker 3 (04:24):
Forty five is like oh okay, you ain't like me, Wow, okay,
thank you, Wow. Fifthy you really don't care mm hmm.
But forty five you're getting into that girl I've been
hot on fifth year.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
I ain't gonna change.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
As Wow.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
You just go out the lico, uh huh, or you
just go out the likel So when you look at
yourself in the mirror today at forty five, like you
just said, like I am whoever I am, Like, are
you happy with the person that you have become?
Speaker 2 (05:02):
I am? I hope. Now.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
What I don't like is I hold back Sometimes I
hold back too much sometimes.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
Well back in like in what way?
Speaker 2 (05:14):
It's things that I know I need to do? But
oh are you ready?
Speaker 3 (05:21):
Mm hmm, now for though you think you're ready, I
know I'm ready.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
You know it, you just have to do it. It's
just like you.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
Okay, Then I don't put the other brick over there,
and it's like I'm baby stepping instead of just jumping
into the person or the thing that I know I
need to do. I'm still struggling, like, oh, you're a mama,
but I've been at for three years.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
Because that's what you're saying, I'm gonna lose this food,
but I gotta lose this baby. Wait, and then my
daughter's too years old? Yeah, liked, No, she's teen.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
I'm a whole.
Speaker 3 (06:10):
Empty nester, like Masa has his own apartment, Like he's
not on the campuses, all apartment.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
At school, all car But I feel like is that
a safety mechanism? Like is that are you doing that
to protect yourself from I guess embracing yourself forty five
empty nester now three years.
Speaker 3 (06:34):
I don't know who I'm protecting myself from or you
know what, I know, I'm a lot, I do I am.
I'm a lot. I'm a lot to take in.
Speaker 1 (06:44):
Okay, So sometimes.
Speaker 3 (06:46):
When people meet me, it's just like, you know, you
never know who you're gonna get. You're gonna get that
choiet girl in the corner, or are you gonna get that?
Speaker 2 (06:53):
Are we not doing that? Now? I don't like that,
or you know, so you just don't know.
Speaker 1 (06:59):
You just don't know.
Speaker 3 (07:00):
And so when that comes out, I try to protect people.
Speaker 1 (07:05):
Mm hmm from yourself.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
Yeah, because everybody can't take I was me.
Speaker 1 (07:11):
Yeah, But where are you getting that from?
Speaker 4 (07:14):
Like?
Speaker 1 (07:15):
Is that someone telling you that it's pure? People telling
you you're too much? Like, who's where you getting that idea?
Speaker 3 (07:20):
I mean, I've heard that I'm extra, and I love
the word that I'm an extras.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
I'm just gonna wear more glitter. I'm gonna wear more blame, blame.
I know I'm gonna do more.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
I might gonna buy a bigger truck just because you
told me I was the extra.
Speaker 5 (07:33):
That's me And now.
Speaker 3 (07:36):
I want to learn how to thrive off of who
I am and what I do with my success. But
I noticed I thrive more off of you telling me
what I can't do.
Speaker 2 (07:46):
So I like the rebel part of it.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, So tell me what I can't do.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
Oh I can't go do that.
Speaker 3 (07:53):
Oh I can't go get a five hundred thousand dollars house. Oka,
I'm gonna sell you anybody here, tell me be there.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (07:57):
So just trying to just I wanna thrive without have
to prove that I can do it.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
Yeah, just for yourself, Yeah, thrive for yourself. Wow. And
we talked about that too a little bit like off
camera about you like really learning or d I essentially
unlearning how to just show up for yourself and how
that you know has been challenging. And I think that's
(08:28):
not even like that's a universal challenge for a lot
of people. I feel like it's hard for them to
really step into doing something and showing up for themselves
in a way that would change them. What do you
think in the terms of like if I were to
say the time is now or like it, it feels
(08:48):
like this is the moment for you to really step
into that idea of showing up for yourself.
Speaker 3 (08:56):
I guess that I'm ready that I am. I'm doing
more things without and this is not me. I'm doing
more things without planning it out sometimes m where I
am a overplanner. Okay, So I need to know a
(09:17):
if it's gonna work, be if it's gonna get me
some money, see if it's gonna get me in trouble,
or is it going to a limit of things of
what I want to do in the future.
Speaker 1 (09:27):
So is this fonaiti or is it more of a
r relinquishing control.
Speaker 3 (09:40):
It's more of relinquishing control, okay, cause I can do
the spontaneous thing I you may call me in I
may be in Tennessee somewhere, and it's because it's.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
Want of a break.
Speaker 1 (09:50):
Yeah, But.
Speaker 3 (09:53):
The control of if I don't do this, I can't
pay that. If I don't do this, my son isn't
gonna have it.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
Okay. My nephew wants to go to Disney. So if
I blow.
Speaker 3 (10:04):
This money or run through this, we can't go to Disney,
but can't do all the things we want to do
when we get to Disney. Yeah, yeah, okay, So everybody
mm elseen to my equation opposed to myself.
Speaker 1 (10:23):
And when did that start?
Speaker 3 (10:25):
Oh, that's been forever and ever, amen, Like since I
was like twelve. Oh my gosh, I bought no my
sister and brothers when they went to college.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
Oh, since made sure they had a care package.
Speaker 3 (10:40):
They Yeah, I'm like, oh this, you know, I made
sure every last one of my brothers and sisters.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
I've been on college visits.
Speaker 3 (10:51):
You know, I made sure I'm at senior nights, I'm
at graduations.
Speaker 1 (10:55):
Yeah. I'm curious to know what you like establishing that
of responsibility at such an early age. Has it ever
felt like this is too much? Or now would you
not even be able to recognize the weight because it
is like the norm? Or are you able to like
have those indicators of like, Okay, it's too much, it's
(11:16):
too much, it's too much, like I am about to
crash out, but still do but you still do it?
Do other people recognize if it's too much?
Speaker 5 (11:30):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (11:30):
And they still they still ask.
Speaker 3 (11:38):
Now, my friend, my friend need is real big god,
I was just waiting to see when you were gone,
take a break.
Speaker 2 (11:47):
She will tell me, yeah.
Speaker 3 (11:49):
Look, or she'll say shakuita, yeah, I know when I
get with this Shakita yeah, I went too far, or
you're or go sit down.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
But most times no, A lot of people in my life.
Speaker 3 (12:04):
Is I need, I need, I need I need, and
it's okay, let me just going to do this. Yeah,
I'm gonna get this so I can go back to
what I need to do. And what ends up happening
is I either rush on what I really need to
focus on or rush on what I need to do
(12:25):
opposed to just really I don't know how to enjoy
the present. Yeah, getting a massage, Oh god, I love
getting my massages. Yeah, but in my mind, I'm like, Okay,
what I need to do when I leave here?
Speaker 2 (12:38):
Yeah? Do I need to go to the grocery store?
Did I pay the Georgia power bill? Wait? Did I
leave the fireplace?
Speaker 3 (12:45):
So I can't even enjoy the motion and the moment
of where I'm supposed to be relaxing. Then I say, okay,
just close your eyes, go to sleep. No, I don't
want to go to so all of this is gone.
Speaker 1 (13:02):
This is happening every day. Is it something that's like
regular it's like.
Speaker 2 (13:06):
A way of life now for you pretty much?
Speaker 3 (13:09):
Or it happens shut up, you know when it mainly
happens when when I need to do something for myself
m or when I have something to do for my business,
or when it's something that I gotta really hone in
and focus on shakda, that's when the phone ring.
Speaker 2 (13:32):
Oh, a disaster, it's a fire over here. I need
you to put out the fire.
Speaker 5 (13:36):
Can you do this? You know?
Speaker 3 (13:38):
And I tend to rush to do that and then
get back to myself opposed to being in myself right
and being one with myself and enjoying wherever I am,
whatever I'm finna do.
Speaker 2 (13:52):
M h.
Speaker 1 (13:54):
Wow. And now everything feel like work. Everything feels like working.
It feels like you come secondary to everything else.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:02):
With you having this extra time now being retired, what
have you been thinking or contemplating as the thing that
you need to be feeling that you're scheduled with. Is
it different now that you have more time or does
it feel like you have less time because now you
have like exchanged that time that you would have for
(14:23):
yourself befofitted essentially, and now are still like pouring back
into everybody else.
Speaker 3 (14:30):
I haven't poured a lot into everybody else. I've actually
been a butt okay, and I've.
Speaker 2 (14:36):
Been mean a lot. I know I have, but that's
because it's stuff.
Speaker 3 (14:41):
I wanna do, and you're hindering what I'm trying to do.
And then I'm thinking, no, I'm hindering myself. And then
so me and myself goes through this conversation and I'd.
Speaker 2 (14:52):
Be like, ah, you just not gonna step in, Like
you're just.
Speaker 3 (14:55):
Not gonna tell my own self, you know, at least intervene. Yeah, Andy, be.
Speaker 5 (15:03):
Like I told you what to do the first time,
you still liked. But okay, So it's just.
Speaker 2 (15:08):
Like trying to make certain I hone in on Shakita, okay,
cause Shakita.
Speaker 3 (15:13):
Has not been focused on whatsoever in this life and
that's as early as childhood. So just trying to make
sure my what's next? Yeah, I win ex like I
have no ch this has I have to win. Mm
(15:34):
I gotta win for myself.
Speaker 1 (15:35):
Yeah, what are you most excited about right now? Like
what actually fills you with just pure joy of like
the idea of being able to become that person or
work on this thing. What what are you most excited
about in life right now?
Speaker 3 (15:52):
I hate to say that I'm incited if I work,
but I'm excited. I'm gonna just about two things. One
one I am excited about. You know, I am rebranded myself.
You know, I'm moving from your DREAMAILLLC, which was just
something where I was writing grass doing.
Speaker 1 (16:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (16:11):
Literally, initially it was just extra money.
Speaker 3 (16:14):
To help my son, get them in private school, get
them tutoring, get them trying to do all those things.
So now I actually get to work my business for myself.
Speaker 2 (16:25):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (16:26):
And now it's gonna be Vision Impact Solution. So I'm excited.
That's one of my main excitement cause it's my new
baby now.
Speaker 1 (16:34):
Yeah, so you.
Speaker 3 (16:41):
That new baby, And then I'm excited about finding what
the new me looks like.
Speaker 2 (16:46):
M mm hmm.
Speaker 1 (16:49):
Tell me about Vision Impact Solutions. Tell me about the
kind of inception of that and why it was born
and what's the goal.
Speaker 3 (17:00):
Initially from the old business, I was just right pretty
much writing grants, some programming so people can obtain because
a lot of folks didn't know how to get money
for their business or how to obtain money for the
non profit, so they were missing development piece. But in
the process of that focusing on their vision and showing
them forecasting, I don't know how to see what's in
(17:23):
front of me. Okay, So if you're talking to me
about your business, and especially if I you know some
people business just you got to kind of tweak them
and turn them.
Speaker 2 (17:32):
A little bit.
Speaker 1 (17:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (17:33):
But things that I know that's gonna work, I can
see four or five years down online.
Speaker 2 (17:38):
So that's the vision part of it.
Speaker 3 (17:40):
Okay, I'm very I believe in impact. So for me,
impact is everything I have to be able. When I
walk out the door, they gonna be like they're gir
can work.
Speaker 1 (17:52):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (17:52):
Yeah, yeah, you know, my friend I always say, get
you Akita, And so that's how my domain came about.
Speaker 2 (18:00):
We work with Shakida.
Speaker 3 (18:01):
So and that's been my personal brand of really yeah,
when you work with me, nine times out of ten,
whatever you want is gonna get done.
Speaker 1 (18:10):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (18:10):
And that's where the solution came in.
Speaker 3 (18:12):
Just anything you want if there is a solution for it,
but you gotta have some strategy to it, you gotta
have a plan to it, and you gotta want to
do it, and you gotta have the right people around you, Yeah,
because the wrong people can kind of slowgate that process.
Speaker 2 (18:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (18:28):
And with your story, I think it's interesting too, because
you have to have the right people around you. But
how good have you been at allowing the people around
you to do the work and you're not doing for them?
Speaker 3 (18:44):
I mean good at allowing people to do it. I'm
bad at giving direction zone like leadership wise, I can
tell week most of my pictures, you're gonna send me pointingshu.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
So I can do all those things.
Speaker 3 (18:59):
But for myself, for my own business, to telegraphic designer,
what I want, yeah, like, okay, you got my color scheme,
make some pritty so no, what.
Speaker 2 (19:14):
You mean what you wanted to look like?
Speaker 3 (19:17):
But then for my client, I'm like, no, move that here,
move that there, this, do that. But for myself right now,
she waited on me, she's we gotta. I got a
class coming up, so she's focusing on building.
Speaker 2 (19:33):
Out my plantation.
Speaker 3 (19:34):
Yes, she's given me my homework at least two three times.
Speaker 2 (19:38):
I'm an awesome teacher, but a horrible student. M And
yeah I'm still I finished it.
Speaker 3 (19:47):
Yeah, but I have like all the gist, I have
all the things that I want, But what I wanted
to look like? I think I'm so hard on myself,
so I want the presentation to look this way. Yeah,
but I can't explain what I want to look that
way like I want it pretty yeah, but I don't
(20:10):
want it to be where nobody's gonna take me serious, yeah.
Speaker 1 (20:14):
Not too kiddy, where it's just like, what is is
this a yeah?
Speaker 2 (20:18):
Teeny bump?
Speaker 1 (20:19):
Like what is this?
Speaker 2 (20:21):
Uh?
Speaker 1 (20:21):
Okay?
Speaker 3 (20:22):
Like I wanna be I wanna still have my bowly personality.
But when Shakita turns on, yeah and it's business, Oh
what happens is a lot of people like this version
of me, but when business had come on, a lot
of people can't take that version okay, and they like
(20:42):
she crazy? No, no, no, no.
Speaker 2 (20:44):
We played enough, baby, and we we got to get.
Speaker 3 (20:46):
Some stuff done. I need a b CD. I had
already told you, friend again, and this is what's gonna do.
And so now I've learned I have to give people
a disclaimer. Ooh, hey, she finna turn on?
Speaker 1 (20:59):
Mm.
Speaker 3 (21:01):
So when she turned on, it's a whole nother demeanor,
you know, And it's nothing personal because when we work,
we work, and I guarantee you after we finish working
and everything gets settled.
Speaker 2 (21:12):
Down, I go it, hey out.
Speaker 1 (21:16):
Crazy but yeah, and where do you like? Okay, so
are you getting serious? Because now this is serious, Like
we gotta get your stuff in order, and yeah, it's
important for you to recognize how important that is. Or
is it more of just like you kind of like
turning into this person like at a certain point when
(21:39):
they do business with you, or is it kind of
like people are not really seeing how to fluctuate in
terms of like like you said, like okay, it's turn
to settle down, like yeah, yeah, we need to.
Speaker 3 (21:50):
Some people don't, and especially us, I hate to say
it that way. We don't know how to turn off
the emotional things like even if I raise my voice,
that does not mean I'm in my feeling.
Speaker 2 (22:00):
No, we gotta get some stuff done, chop.
Speaker 5 (22:02):
Top, let's go when we're doing and we have.
Speaker 2 (22:06):
A time frame to get on it. Yeah, so.
Speaker 3 (22:10):
Yeah, it may be a push, but it's more so
serious to me. Now's I always been serious?
Speaker 2 (22:18):
M hmm.
Speaker 3 (22:20):
If I don't make what I'm doing when, I'm not
gonna like myself because I make everybody and everything I have.
Jacquelin Carr her song everything Attached to Me When that
is written in my bathroom, my bedroom, going out the door,
on my work computer, cause I would my clients know
(22:43):
once you turn it over to me, are we winning
I don't. I don't take less than, you know. So,
because I don't take less than, that's when it's hey,
we need to do ABC. That's when our whole another
shakida come out, you know so. So I have no
choice but to make what I'm doing, like visa Impact
(23:03):
solution has to.
Speaker 2 (23:04):
Win, what I'm doing has to win.
Speaker 3 (23:06):
I I have no choice, like if I can make
everybody else win and I don't make myself right, we got.
Speaker 1 (23:13):
A problem in terms of like businesses, when you're working
with different people like clients, nonprofit or for a profit,
what are you seeing is like the common denominator as
like from the work that you've done that it seems
like this keeps happening. This keeps continues to be something
that businesses struggle with that they're not exactly implementing.
Speaker 2 (23:36):
They education and their feelings. What do you mean?
Speaker 3 (23:40):
They want the right now mm And you can get
the right now, but you gotta take the steps in
between MM.
Speaker 2 (23:48):
A lot of people don't know how.
Speaker 3 (23:49):
To you know, budget of They don't know how to
budget their own budget. People don't understand a zero dollar
budget doesn't mean that you spend all your money.
Speaker 5 (23:58):
It just no w you know where every dollar go.
Speaker 4 (24:01):
You know.
Speaker 3 (24:02):
But again when I get oh, you be and me, No,
I need to know where every dollar went, because we
can't determine how much money you need to go to marketing.
We can't determine how much money you can spend on
merch We can't determine if you can pay yourself this month,
cause ideally.
Speaker 2 (24:18):
You work to pay yourself.
Speaker 3 (24:20):
Yeah, is this gonna be a hustle? Is it gonna
be your lifestyle? Is it a hobby?
Speaker 2 (24:27):
Like you gotta make up your mind.
Speaker 3 (24:29):
Yeah, And so getting that education determines which one is
gonna be your life.
Speaker 2 (24:34):
Typically you get in business, where to be a lifestyle?
Speaker 1 (24:36):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (24:37):
You want your business to take care of yourself.
Speaker 1 (24:40):
And that's what I was gonna ask your saf What
is the difference between all of those?
Speaker 3 (24:43):
So a hobby and we're gonna pull out irs terms.
M hm. A hobby is where you've had a loss
two three years in a row. You have not made
a profit based on your saxes. That's just expenses. It's
a hobby.
Speaker 2 (24:56):
It's just something you're doing, you know, hustle. You may
you work a nine.
Speaker 3 (25:00):
To five, you may not, But your business you're just
doing it right. You don't have no plans, you don't
have a goal, you don't know how much you want
to make.
Speaker 2 (25:11):
You don't even know.
Speaker 3 (25:12):
How much you may last year, did you really catch
a profit?
Speaker 1 (25:15):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (25:16):
Am I gonna write everything off? How am I gonna
buy a house? So all those different things. That's when
it's a hustle. But your lifestyle, you know where every
dollar is going. You know how much money you need.
You know how much money you need to get an
office space, you know how much money you need for home.
Speaker 2 (25:33):
All those things.
Speaker 3 (25:34):
Are set in place and you actually have business processes
and operations that's gonna fund your life.
Speaker 1 (25:41):
And that's the goal, right, It's for it to become
a lifestyle.
Speaker 2 (25:45):
Yeah, that is the goal.
Speaker 3 (25:47):
Ultimately, it should be a goal. I mean unless you
just trying to make extra money like I've been in.
Speaker 2 (25:54):
All three aspects. Wow, But you just have to really
determine what you want.
Speaker 1 (26:00):
What has been the reception when you're working with somebody
and they have to hear you say to them, oh,
this is a hobby, Like you're in a hobby face,
like we gotta fix this cause you're not making any money. Like,
how has the reception been for you. I guess put
it on that hat, turning into that person and and
getting people to really see that. Okay, if you want
(26:20):
this to be a lifestyle, this has to change.
Speaker 2 (26:23):
It just determines. It depends on a person, okay.
Speaker 3 (26:28):
And it depends on their personality. Okay, cause i'm'a be
a heart. But regardless, like you may not lie in
just in life general. Yeah, it can be a general conversation.
I'm like, oh, and you really did that and you
thought that was okay, Like what did.
Speaker 2 (26:42):
You think was gonna happen when you did that?
Speaker 3 (26:44):
Uh huh? So I'm that kind of person, flat line regardless, okay,
like anyway, straightforward.
Speaker 1 (26:49):
Yeah, I can.
Speaker 3 (26:52):
Give it to you nice, but I can only give
it to you nice so much. And I'm gonna this
is my favorite disclaiming you ready. That's what you be saying,
is that they are when I say you ready ready,
And you may not like what I'm about to say,
but i'm'a tell it to you anyway.
Speaker 1 (27:13):
Oh good.
Speaker 3 (27:13):
But you have to be careful with the person's personality,
cause that's even with me being a mentor, you can
halt someone's growth mm by giving it to 'em.
Speaker 2 (27:27):
Too straight, or you can halt some A lot of
people say just give it to 'em.
Speaker 3 (27:33):
Yeah, depending on that person's personality and where they at,
you may send 'em over the edge.
Speaker 1 (27:37):
Mm.
Speaker 3 (27:38):
So it's a way that you have to tailor your
personality for them to.
Speaker 2 (27:43):
Hey, I I ain't serious. I'm like what we doing?
Speaker 1 (27:46):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (27:48):
So either A, that's good, you come back to me
when you're ready and when you come back, I need.
Speaker 2 (27:53):
This, this, this, and this yup.
Speaker 3 (27:57):
Or you can pay me hourly and I can play
therapist for you. But I'm gonna tell you I'm not
a doctor.
Speaker 2 (28:03):
I'm just gonna tell you what I think you need
to do.
Speaker 3 (28:08):
Or we can't really get to the nitty gritty and
really focus on it. So you just have to really
see I fire your clients. I say, yes, ma'am, Yes, ma'am.
Speaker 1 (28:18):
What's the window of like is it like a three
strike you're out kind of thing or is it like, yeah,
like is it immediate like when you recogn No, it's not.
Speaker 2 (28:27):
Immediately, okay, because that's just like your mama. Yeah, I
can't whoop your butt if.
Speaker 3 (28:33):
I told you to clean your room, but I never
taught you how to clean your room. Yeah, so I
gotta teach you how to do it first, Gotta hold
your hand a little man maybe coming in doing get
your hands on now the next time it should.
Speaker 2 (28:45):
Be spotless to write your capability.
Speaker 3 (28:50):
But if you ain't doing all of that, and I
got to keep saying the same thing, and I gotta
keep holding your hand, I'm not doing for you now.
Speaker 2 (28:56):
I will hold your hand.
Speaker 3 (28:58):
Yeah, but it's gonna get aggravating and you may not
like the the person I will come.
Speaker 1 (29:02):
So how does that conversation go?
Speaker 5 (29:05):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (29:05):
Okay, so we needed to do ABC uh huh. We
stuck at a.
Speaker 1 (29:12):
As best we part ways.
Speaker 2 (29:16):
So either we're gonna have to figure out we're betther.
Speaker 3 (29:19):
Get to see uh huh, or when you're ready, seriously
come back and seemen.
Speaker 1 (29:24):
And I think that's actually commendable to your character because
it's not easy to turn down people because essentially at
the same time, for some cases that also means losing
money money. But I feel like that's interesting that you're
saying that, and and and why it's commendable, it's because
you're choosing to still honor the passion behind doing what
(29:48):
opposed to the the dollar behind y'all.
Speaker 2 (29:51):
Gotta have a piece on. I know what we doing.
Speaker 3 (29:53):
So if I'm steady, yeah, you ain't gonna never get
it done. You ain't gonna make no money. You just
get giving away money. Yeah, and I'll take your money
if you want to give it away.
Speaker 1 (30:04):
Right.
Speaker 3 (30:04):
But at the same time, for me, it's wasting time
cause I could be doing or helping. I don't want
to say the next person. Yeah, but ideally, yeah, we
got stuff to do, like short and you just may
not be ready for this process.
Speaker 1 (30:25):
Right.
Speaker 3 (30:25):
But I don't want you to think of, oh, I'm
the person that stops you from running your business cause
I said suck or yeah we don't do abc mm mm.
Speaker 1 (30:35):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (30:35):
I'll never tell you that, but I am gonna give
you a plan. Get this together.
Speaker 1 (30:41):
Yeah, and when you get this together, come back, come
back and see me. Wow, that's good. I think another
something interesting that you do, cause that's already I'm learning
so much from you as a business strategist. But something
else that you do that's very interesting that takes a
lot of for me. I'm a leo, so it's I've
been character energy. I have look at me, see me energy.
(31:04):
But you also do work as a ghost executive.
Speaker 2 (31:09):
That's my favorite. Right, I don't have the man a camera.
Speaker 3 (31:12):
I don't do anything well, I do most in all
the work, but I like being a ghost executive.
Speaker 1 (31:17):
So it described for people who may have never heard
that term, what does that actually mean?
Speaker 2 (31:22):
So it's like a ghostwriter.
Speaker 3 (31:23):
Right, So they put out this fabulous book or this
fabulous city or album or whatever they are streaming because
you don't know what they call songs now, but they
do all the things, but it's not them, it's somebody
behind them.
Speaker 2 (31:38):
Okay, that's feeding them.
Speaker 3 (31:40):
Like secret service through the air. And so that's who
I am. So we may all be in the same room,
but you may never know.
Speaker 5 (31:48):
I may be their ghost executive.
Speaker 3 (31:50):
And I'm feeding them through the room. So before i'm
nonprofits or even some business owners, before they go to meetings. Yeah,
we actually do impromptu meetings. If they say this, you
do this. No you're not gonna look like this, No
you're not gonna wear that.
Speaker 2 (32:08):
I will brand you to de wow.
Speaker 3 (32:11):
I need you to look like this. I need you
to say that, I need you to see this way.
No I need your haircut, no, I need your hair twist.
So doing all the things to get you ready for
whoever that ideal person is. That's where my ghost executive
came in because at one point I was being a
ghost executive at the baseball field and I was on
(32:32):
a high school game literally texting they said.
Speaker 1 (32:36):
This, like that was by accident. That wasn't like a
how did you become that? Like, it wasn't something that
just kind of happened naturally and you realized you were
doing it. And then before yeah, a couple people started
to approaching you like, hey, can you do that for me?
Can you?
Speaker 3 (32:52):
It became something naturally down to I gotta go to
a parent teacher conference.
Speaker 2 (32:59):
Oh haney when they say this, so just getting.
Speaker 5 (33:04):
I'm always in that mold.
Speaker 3 (33:07):
Yeah, and it's always solution based. So for me, I
have to have a solution based conversation. If one solution,
I don't want to talk about it.
Speaker 2 (33:15):
Yeah, because it's always to breakfast time, right. You know,
my ostrogen is very important.
Speaker 3 (33:20):
You know you gotta tread it lightly to mine is great.
So just I kind of fell into it where no,
the meaning not going as well because look at you,
did you going in with your shirt like that? So
just typically guiding people on what other people.
Speaker 1 (33:41):
Want, Yeah, and where do you see your strong where
do you see your strong suit in terms of like
ghost executive, like being a ghost executive, like what are
the things that are the clients that are coming back
to you and saying like dang kita, because you did this,
I feel like I am now on top of the world,
(34:01):
or I feel like I can accomplish anything, or that
helped us secure these funds. Like what would you say
is your superpower as a ghost executive for.
Speaker 2 (34:11):
The people that admit it? Ooh, So a lot of
people want the skills and want me to be their
ghost executive, but they forget the pen on the back.
And I'm good, I don't need the pen on the back.
Speaker 3 (34:25):
But you know, they gotta You're gonna fool yourself that
you just.
Speaker 5 (34:29):
Did this yourself.
Speaker 3 (34:32):
You know, you do all this yourself, right, so you
know who you're talking to.
Speaker 1 (34:36):
You know, I'm the one that really have to do
it right.
Speaker 5 (34:38):
But okay, so we're gonna move on. So with those
kinds of people, you just have.
Speaker 3 (34:43):
To okay, yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm gonna limit that. But
then you have the ones that are, hey man, I
was scared, I ain'tything ever gonna work it work?
Speaker 1 (34:54):
Wow?
Speaker 3 (34:55):
Okay, So how do I get from building this out
to doing this? Cause a lot of people don't understand
whether it's a business or a nonprofit. Yeah, you need
a plan and a program or it's made for the business.
It may not be a program. It may be a
lane of work. Yeah, it may be a deliverable, it
may be a task, but they're all typically the same.
(35:18):
So figuring out what the solution is yeah, and me
feeding you the information, even teaching people terminology.
Speaker 2 (35:24):
Yeah, like some people ROI what is it?
Speaker 1 (35:28):
Wow?
Speaker 2 (35:29):
No, baby, you might either need to go take a
business class or you know.
Speaker 5 (35:36):
Yeah, let me give you the rundown real quick, cause when.
Speaker 1 (35:39):
They say this, you need to be ready for that, right,
so you're not looking crazy, correct cause manipulated and so
you don't walk away leaving m M money on the
table that could have been right. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (35:51):
My main cakeback is anytime you're in a meeting and
that we've prepared for, Hey, can you give me twenty
four twenty four to four day hour to respond? Yeah,
because they give us time to kind of ne do
my research thing. You do everything even down to networking.
I go with my clients and networking events. Yeah, I've
already researched who's.
Speaker 2 (36:12):
In a room.
Speaker 3 (36:13):
Okay, this is money, this is money. He gonna play
with you, just stay away from you could talk to him,
you know, he got some influence and take a.
Speaker 2 (36:20):
Picture with him.
Speaker 5 (36:21):
You know.
Speaker 3 (36:21):
So I literally go with my clients, especially my non
profit clients, and teach them how to work the wrong.
I physically tea and I sit in the corner. I'm
always a girl with my laptop.
Speaker 2 (36:35):
Like I'm not paid.
Speaker 1 (36:37):
And now that you say that, I've been to like
maybe two or three events where you're at And now
that I think about it, you always be in the
corner with your laptop.
Speaker 2 (36:44):
Gets me running the show and you never know it.
Speaker 1 (36:48):
And you never know it.
Speaker 2 (36:50):
I've run.
Speaker 3 (36:51):
I've run so many different events, down to fundraising fits events,
children events.
Speaker 2 (37:00):
I mean even like I had events where.
Speaker 3 (37:04):
Vendors, community resource leaders coming out and the kids are
doing their bachelorette things and they're doing dance competitions. But
I'm always the person. Yeah, so nobody ever know knows
who I am. And so I think that's when my I.
Speaker 1 (37:24):
This toiling of.
Speaker 2 (37:25):
Now I gotta get in front of the camera.
Speaker 1 (37:28):
Now that now people have to know who I am.
Speaker 3 (37:32):
Interesting and I never it for my ghost clients, yeah,
they'll tell you nobody will ever know who they are.
Speaker 1 (37:39):
I wonder though, like which it was it the retirement
that made you have this shift of like I want
to be seen now, like I want to be in
the forefront. I'm up, I'm up at bat now, Like
what was there something that happened that just like that
light bulb clicked and you were all of a sudden,
like you know what I want to be in I
want to be in the front.
Speaker 2 (38:00):
I'm trying to move from word of mouth.
Speaker 3 (38:01):
Okay, I love word of mouth, Like word of mouth
has taken care of me, my son, my family, Crystal,
all the things.
Speaker 2 (38:09):
So word of mouth.
Speaker 3 (38:11):
I thank everybody for word of mouth because, you know,
just them saying get you a kido has gotten me
a lot of clients. But now, in order for me
to move into the mainstream of yeah, this is who
I am and this is what I do.
Speaker 2 (38:26):
I gotta get visible.
Speaker 1 (38:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (38:29):
I like staying behind the scenes, I and I do,
ye know, and I like being at events and all
theys like who is she? Yeah, cause I'm always the
part all my Instagram photos with my clients.
Speaker 5 (38:44):
All you see me doing is this, I need this, this.
Speaker 1 (38:49):
Delegate, and then I guess.
Speaker 2 (38:55):
And that's how I do. We talk.
Speaker 3 (38:57):
We have us a good meeting before the event, they
give me the points of contact or we create those
points of contact, and I physically at events, you will
see me going to each point of contact and all
you see is me going and making sure this is
a mm hm mm. But they don't know basically some
(39:18):
of them. Yeah, rent the whole show.
Speaker 1 (39:21):
Just from my whole show, from the point of your finger,
from the tip of your finger.
Speaker 2 (39:28):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (39:29):
So yeah, I that's that's I love that, like I
love being the ghost secutive but no, seriously, from I
love word of mouth. I do, cause they have really
you know, it's built and it's grown.
Speaker 1 (39:44):
But to get visible now you gotta start really showing
up and putting yourself out there to go to that
next caliber of success that you want to see. Until
now you're in the forefront.
Speaker 4 (39:56):
Yeah, but I'm trying embrace it, you know.
Speaker 1 (40:02):
Yeah, what is like the reaction from other people who
know you to be someone who is so behind the
scenes for you to be telling them.
Speaker 4 (40:10):
Y'all, it's now my men teens are like, yes, yes,
what do you wait out?
Speaker 5 (40:21):
You don't you do dumb stuff? So about everybody even see.
Speaker 1 (40:24):
You doing And I'm like, yeah, yeah, I like to
just be.
Speaker 3 (40:30):
Them because intellectual property, right, that's you know, that's where
the money is. Just like if you're a singer, rapper,
all the things. Yeah, the person who wrote your music
is mainly the wealthiest person. So I like writing out programs.
I like creating the intellectual property portion of it. It's beneficial, yeah,
(40:54):
But then I like to see it come to life.
I like to see them what I wrote out in
black and white, or even if we did a pilot,
cause sometimes some things you have to just do them.
Speaker 2 (41:04):
And and write them out.
Speaker 1 (41:07):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (41:07):
I'm kind of no that they don't need to do that.
Speaker 3 (41:11):
Yeah, move them over here and switch swading.
Speaker 1 (41:16):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (41:17):
So I like to sit back a lot of people
want me to come in and just take charge.
Speaker 2 (41:20):
Yeah, I'm not a come in I do have a
takeover spirit, right, but only take.
Speaker 3 (41:25):
Over when it's like, hey, y'all do this all wrong, right,
But it's I'm gonna sit back. Hm, you're gonna see
me with pen and paper. Yeah, I'm gonna geek out
on a computer.
Speaker 1 (41:35):
And does that excite you?
Speaker 4 (41:36):
Like?
Speaker 1 (41:36):
Which part are you geeking out? Are you geeking out on?
Like the actual structure of an event, the actual partnerships,
the ideas, the strategy, Like what part of what you
do is most exciting or rewarding?
Speaker 3 (41:50):
The most rewarding part is the impact. Okay, the testimonials
and the things that are happening and I feel like.
Speaker 2 (42:01):
I did it.
Speaker 1 (42:01):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (42:02):
But the for me to sit back, I love to
see when it falls into place, like I love that. Okay, yeah,
we had a problem. I like chaos. Yeah, I hate
to say that, but I like chaos because I like
to organize it. Once it's chaotic and we get in there. Uh,
(42:24):
I physically like to build it.
Speaker 1 (42:26):
Yeah. Interesting, what out of the other programs and events
and things that you've done, is there one that stands
out to be like, Okay, this is a very I'm
a path myself. I might not be getting that pat
on the back from the client, but I'm a papoself
on the back for that.
Speaker 2 (42:44):
I don't know my purpose and my passion. It's my baby's.
Speaker 3 (42:51):
So whether it's men seeing I l like, I don't know.
I problem should have had maybe a household.
Speaker 2 (42:59):
Full of No. Lord, look I'm done.
Speaker 3 (43:01):
I'm good with my one. I'm just saying who we
know on one and done?
Speaker 2 (43:06):
Yes, ma'am, I'm done. But okay, all right, So but
I love to I don't know.
Speaker 3 (43:16):
I felt like as when I was younger, I needed
more support and so the things that I really wanted
to do was not.
Speaker 2 (43:22):
Support it like they should have been. So I overly
support babies like I. They get mad at me because
I call them babies.
Speaker 3 (43:30):
Yeah, stop calling them babies, but they are Ye at
twenty three year old, I'm still gonna say, hey, my
little baby.
Speaker 1 (43:36):
You know.
Speaker 3 (43:37):
It's just I like to pour into people. Yeah, and
I like to see when I pour in what comes out.
Speaker 1 (43:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (43:44):
Because just support for a business owner, a child, a baby, adult,
you know, adults, nonprofits. Yeah, just that support piece takes
people a long way.
Speaker 2 (43:58):
And that's where an impact come from.
Speaker 1 (44:00):
When when you say support piece, like when they feel supported?
Is that what you?
Speaker 2 (44:04):
Yeah? OK, to show up.
Speaker 3 (44:07):
And everybody in my schedule is super busy. But to
show up to somebody's game mm and to think they
didn't think you know, they told you about it, mm,
but they didn't think you are a you were gonna
be able to show up or to say hey, I'm
getting the award and to see me walk through the
dough you m.
Speaker 2 (44:26):
You told me it was getting a war. You ain't
want me to come and support you.
Speaker 1 (44:30):
Wow?
Speaker 2 (44:30):
You know. So I'm that person that I'm gonna make sure. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (44:34):
Sometimes I may be a little late because I have
fifty many things on my calendar.
Speaker 2 (44:39):
Yeah, but you oh yeah, And I.
Speaker 1 (44:42):
Feel like that is actually really powerful and it's not
something that's talked about a lot for like support is
very underrated. Yeah, and people don't realize that it's little s,
little stuff can be so impactful, so meaningful, so memorable
in a person's life. Like literally, I'm gonna come alongside
(45:04):
you and be an agreeance to whatever this thing is
that you got, whatever my.
Speaker 2 (45:08):
Role needs to be. Hm, I'm so good with playing
the back. Yeah, I'll I don't. I don't really have
to be in a friend Yeah, just to see what
we talked about.
Speaker 1 (45:21):
It Yeah, oh wait you did it?
Speaker 3 (45:23):
Did you made that thing work and it came to
fluition for you.
Speaker 1 (45:29):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (45:30):
And if I just had a little to do with it,
I'm okay with it. M h.
Speaker 1 (45:35):
You know I think that's powerful too, especially because we
live in a day and age where you I think
it's powerful in the sense that you have a real
heart for like community, for impact, which is kind of
sadly to say, but kind of rare to have, like
a real, true, honest love.
Speaker 2 (46:00):
Yeah for people.
Speaker 1 (46:01):
Yeah, for people, for community, especially in this day and
age where their everybody's like having this certain level of
bravado cloud influence social media. Me me, me, But for
you to still have that heart to where you gotta
have that attitude to still want to reach back, you know,
still want to reach back and help and create space,
(46:22):
create opportunities, create resources for other young people, less fortunate,
underserved people to be able to thrive and live. It's
so rare to come by, and I think a lot
of it is attributed to you being that child yourself, yeah,
and living in that space and knowing what it feels
(46:44):
like to feel left out essentially in your upbringing. Is
is is that where that comes from? That inate ability
to try to, like you said, overcompensate, like I don't
I remember what that felt like. I remember, yeah.
Speaker 3 (46:59):
Cause I was only child for a minute, which is funny,
but I was the only child four minute. So, and
then I became the eldest. And so for me becoming
the oldest, I mean from being the only child and
now the eldest. Yeah, it's like those responsibilities had to shift.
Speaker 1 (47:20):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (47:21):
And so in the shift, I was, you.
Speaker 3 (47:24):
Know, initially thinking, Okay, I'm the big sister, and I
take my.
Speaker 2 (47:29):
Big sister role very nisis I.
Speaker 3 (47:33):
Take my auntie ro I'm the world greadest aunt and
I'm the super mom. So I take a law Yeah,
so all my titles, I take them.
Speaker 5 (47:44):
Sorry, and I'm gonna make sure, yeah, they know.
Speaker 3 (47:47):
My son's like, Mom, yes, we know you love us
like I'm old really And it's just mainly because I
think at that time, the stuff I know I needed,
you know, my adopt if dad I when I was
a heap h. So it's like again that was another responsibility.
Now he's gone, so my mama need help?
Speaker 2 (48:07):
MM?
Speaker 3 (48:08):
So is me not doing the things that I really
wanted to do? Yeah when I was younger, I've still
stopped doing the things I really want to do and
make sure people or people around me are able to
do those things.
Speaker 1 (48:23):
Mmm.
Speaker 3 (48:25):
And so that's what now, that's what forty five look
like for me, Okay, trying to figure out what is
it that I really want to do?
Speaker 2 (48:32):
Yeah, and go do that? Mm cause I've never had
to think about what I really wanted to do.
Speaker 1 (48:38):
Yeah, cause you've been working in autopilot. Yeah, and now
the like you're in the driver's seat, it's not auto pilot.
Speaker 2 (48:45):
It's manual now like okay, yeah, and.
Speaker 5 (48:47):
Sometimes it's like, okay, so.
Speaker 2 (48:49):
What I'm doing?
Speaker 1 (48:52):
Well, yeah, wow.
Speaker 2 (48:55):
Did I need to make some calls that? Like?
Speaker 1 (48:57):
Right?
Speaker 2 (48:58):
So now it's really honing in. Know what Shaquiita looks like?
What our new next level looks like?
Speaker 1 (49:04):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (49:05):
What do I really want?
Speaker 1 (49:07):
Mm?
Speaker 2 (49:08):
Cause I can't even really.
Speaker 3 (49:11):
And I want my business to work right now, that
business hand down, But what does that even look like?
Speaker 1 (49:20):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (49:20):
Like I wanna. I I love my clients. I ain't
love my clients. I do. I love my new clients.
Speaker 3 (49:26):
I love my clients that is coming, uh forthcoming, Yeah,
all the things. But I know that if I don't
focus on building out what I need for my business,
I'm not gonna be able to support them the way
that I need to. Cause I don't like saying help.
I like saying support. Yeah, help is free. We don't
do free.
Speaker 2 (49:45):
So help is free.
Speaker 1 (49:47):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (49:47):
Support is where your act.
Speaker 3 (49:49):
That's where your impact come from. Yeah, somebody just helping
you just gave you a little pet on the pack. Gone,
now y I gave it is gone about your life? Right,
But if you really pour into people and give them
the support that they need, that's when the light bulb
come home. That's when it's they start flourishing. Hm, that's
when the business really happen.
Speaker 1 (50:08):
Yeah. And I think to your credit, one of the
other things that you've essentially been mastered for is that
strategic partnerships, right, having those people come alongside you, yeah, sponsors, networking,
building those relationships, to have those people say I support you.
Kind of like what you're saying you do for the youth.
How important of a role is out cause I really
(50:31):
want people to understand that in terms of whether they
have a nonprofit for profit business partnerships, relationships and being
strategic about cultivating those and then not being always so transactional.
Like what advice would you give to really having and
securing strong partnerships with like big companies, big names, things
(50:55):
like that for people who are looking for that.
Speaker 2 (50:57):
One relationship is everything.
Speaker 5 (51:00):
Mm.
Speaker 2 (51:01):
You got here from a relationship.
Speaker 3 (51:02):
Yeah, whether it was good, bad, or different, you got
here from some kind of relations So building out who
you are, your persona, your business, and you a nonprofit.
You have to have some kind of relationship. To obtain funding.
You need to have some kind of relationship with a banker, M.
You know, you need to have some kind of relationship
with the public. You need to relationship. Ye, period is
(51:24):
number one too, learning how to appropriately network. Yeah, we
can go to all the things, but when you go
to all those things, did you plan out heavy research
for coming, not sometimes sending. They're gonna send a list,
they're gonna show some lights, they're gonna show all the
things of even just looking at.
Speaker 2 (51:45):
Some of the old participants, and yes.
Speaker 3 (51:48):
See what kind of people are in the room. If
those aren't your kind of people, don't go to that room.
Speaker 1 (51:56):
No.
Speaker 3 (51:57):
A lot of people go for picture opportunity. But after
the picture is.
Speaker 2 (52:04):
Over, what have you got out of it? You you
haven't gained anything.
Speaker 3 (52:08):
Yeah, you need to be looking at networking opportunities of
places where you can bear relationships, where you can get
some kind of partnership.
Speaker 2 (52:19):
Just men in a room is not enough enough. Yeah,
and so then just creating that plan.
Speaker 3 (52:26):
Yeah, okay, you know you're a new business, you may
need to go to an urban lead.
Speaker 2 (52:33):
You may need to go to an operation hope. You
may need to.
Speaker 3 (52:36):
Uh sign up for what I think it's called Clayton
Southern Women Cressit Women Business Group, so you can get
into those rooms so you can be educated, so they
can teach you how to network. So education is hands
down the key to all of it. Yeah, but you
can't even plan if you don't know what you're planning for.
So that's why the education is key. But you need
(52:59):
to be able.
Speaker 2 (52:59):
To plan out if I'm gonna have a.
Speaker 3 (53:02):
Business, Oh, I may need to go get into this
league so I can get to my new especially here
in Atlanta.
Speaker 1 (53:08):
Yeah, Atlanta, you know you got to be in the know.
Speaker 3 (53:15):
It got to be almost in the right room, yea,
or even have a connection to someone because Atlanta it's
just we big, but we small.
Speaker 2 (53:25):
If I don't know you, m, I don't know you.
Speaker 3 (53:29):
So you have to be in those right rooms so
those connections and the business could actually happen.
Speaker 1 (53:35):
Yeah, that's good.
Speaker 2 (53:37):
Yeah, you got to it's that's good.
Speaker 1 (53:40):
As we clause, I wanna ask you, what are you
most excited about with this journey turned forty five of
building the relationship with yourself. If we were to do
this podcast, let's say a year from now, what be
your answer to the question of who is Shaquita?
Speaker 2 (54:03):
Mm? Who's Shaquita?
Speaker 3 (54:09):
See my mind? Keep thinking of who I am to
everybody else?
Speaker 2 (54:12):
Mm one.
Speaker 3 (54:20):
I don't wanna say I'm gonna be self self resourceful, mkay,
but I wanna be more for self. I'm gonna wake
up and say what you gotta do to that girl?
Not okay, we don't need need to do something or
what phone call I have to make. I really wanna
(54:41):
wake up and be intentional focusing on myself, whether that's
I I call.
Speaker 2 (54:48):
'em my walk with Jesus, yeah, you know.
Speaker 3 (54:50):
And I gonna take my walks, you know, whether that's
me making sure I'm intentional on taking.
Speaker 2 (54:54):
Those walks every day, h opposed to I need to
take this comfort call at nine.
Speaker 1 (54:59):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (55:00):
No, not taking a comfort carle or not. I'm'a have
my walks because I know I need my walks because.
Speaker 2 (55:05):
They keep me grounded. Just me trying to be intentional
about what I like.
Speaker 3 (55:12):
I can't tell you sometimes what I like Wow. So
I find myself finding and trying things, whether it's clothes,
whether it's shoes, whether it's food, Just tryna figure out
what I like. Vacation wise, where do I wanna go?
Speaker 2 (55:27):
Yeah, and not being so.
Speaker 3 (55:30):
Okay, I wanna go somewhere family base, and I really don't.
I really wanna go to all of those inclosve So
go do that opposed to okay, inst the holidays, where
we going?
Speaker 2 (55:46):
You know, just really honing in on me and what
I want cause I have been did that in forever
and ever.
Speaker 1 (55:57):
Amen, time is now?
Speaker 2 (56:01):
Yeah, it's time is now? What that next level look like?
M h, it's just doing it, just doing it.
Speaker 3 (56:12):
I know we need a plan, but right now I've
always had a plan.
Speaker 5 (56:19):
My life has been.
Speaker 1 (56:21):
And not have an exact plan right now for you?
Speaker 3 (56:23):
Yeah, and I wanna buck the system and not have
a plan. Yeah, And it's not because I know plans work.
Speaker 2 (56:35):
I wanna try something.
Speaker 3 (56:36):
Different, like business, are we gonna put a plan a place?
Speaker 2 (56:39):
Right?
Speaker 3 (56:39):
I gotta have a big plan. Gotta have a bitch plan,
gott a marketing plan. You gotta have fun to plan.
You gotta have a plan. But personally for myself, I
don't want to plan anything outside of running my business
and make it sure I have a lifestyle to live, right,
But I don't wanna play nothing.
Speaker 2 (56:58):
I just wanna.
Speaker 1 (57:00):
Mm hmm.
Speaker 2 (57:01):
I've never been the I don't know. I can't take
up with the flow. Yeah, but I wanna just like
m m hmm. I want to be in a lot
of land.
Speaker 1 (57:13):
For a second, right, see where life takes you.
Speaker 2 (57:15):
Yeah, that's good. I've always been so put together. Everything
got to.
Speaker 1 (57:22):
Be right and being okay with the answer being I
don't know.
Speaker 2 (57:30):
Oh, now, that scares me.
Speaker 5 (57:33):
I don't want to say I know everything.
Speaker 1 (57:35):
I know a person.
Speaker 3 (57:37):
Oh yeah, get to a point.
Speaker 1 (57:40):
Where you gotta be okay. I'm okay with not knowing.
I don't know.
Speaker 5 (57:47):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (57:48):
See that's that, and I haven't a plan.
Speaker 1 (57:50):
So yeah, all right, this was good. In a year
from now, we got to revisit this conversation, okay, okay,
and see and see what transpired. But I am very
proud of you. You are extremely successful, extremely valuable, knowledgeable, wise, funny, beautiful,
(58:15):
all of the things, and you should be very proud
of what you've been able to accomplish and the vision
that you've been able to create for yourself the impact
that you've been able to make in other people's lives
and the solutions that you keep on bringing to the
table to create lasting change.
Speaker 2 (58:32):
Yeah I did that. Oh my god. See that's not
like you want me to create content. What am I
supposed to say? What am I supposed to do?
Speaker 1 (58:43):
Oh? All right, that is good?
Speaker 2 (58:45):
Thank you?
Speaker 1 (58:46):
Thank you?
Speaker 2 (58:47):
Could you push me? You know I don't have people
push me. I'm normally to push her. Those have been changed.
Speaker 5 (59:00):
And I know sometimes I'm a bad student.
Speaker 1 (59:02):
Now I would not call you a bad student.
Speaker 2 (59:05):
I know I was a bestar because I couldn't remember nothing.
Speaker 1 (59:09):
But it's so funny. It takes time. Incrementals to small
incremental steps are still benchmarks for success. Like I put
on your paper, So like you had small wins. You
may not be able to press record right now and
do it in one take, but you've had some other
intangible things that you've been able to like really address
and look at that will help you get to that
(59:30):
point where you can press your record and do one take.
So you should be very very proud of yourself.
Speaker 3 (59:36):
And I'm a post. I'm hosting today post. I don't
know what I'm posting.
Speaker 2 (59:40):
Figure that out.
Speaker 3 (59:42):
And look, it's not taking me an hour anymore to
post it, take me like twenty thirty minutes.
Speaker 1 (59:47):
Okay, okay, small wins, we'll take it. We will take it.
As long as you hit posts, you're good with me.
Speaker 3 (59:56):
I'm posting. Yes, I gotta get my stuff on my
babies for Chrystmas.
Speaker 1 (01:00:00):
That's right, that's right, alright, y'all. Hope y'all enjoyed this episode,
and we're signing out.
Speaker 2 (01:00:06):
Thank you. Peace,
So it is a code and gloomy, chilly day here
in the city of Atlanta. For this particular taping, I
have a ray of sunshine sitting in front of me,
amiss this day, the one and only Shaki Russa. How
are you feeling today?
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Good?
Speaker 1 (00:18):
Yeah? Yeah, I'm excited to sit down with you because
I have gotten a chance to know you a little
bit over the last couple of weeks and kind of,
like I just said, you aren't a ray of sunshine,
like your energy is vibrant, your personality is magnetic and
just who you are, You're just a really fun person
(00:39):
to be around.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
Yeah, you're you're funny. Would you describe yourself with somebody
who's funny? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (00:45):
I am? Or a little bit goofy too, Okay.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
So where did you get that from it? Were you
always goofy as a kid or was it more so like,
were you class clown in high school?
Speaker 2 (00:57):
I was class before high school?
Speaker 1 (00:59):
Okay before?
Speaker 2 (01:00):
Yeah, I've always had.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
To do what Shakita wanted to do, okay, Or when
I was younger, I was Keita.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
Okay, So whatever Keita wanted, Qita did.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
It, okay, So talk to me about that. Transition from
going from Keita to Shakita. Like, what's the biggest difference
between the two of those people.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
Shakita is a little grown.
Speaker 3 (01:23):
Okay, it was overly sport it was a little wild it.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
You know. Yeah, I did it.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
Okay, I said it, and what you're gonna do about it?
So now shaqayus who you still?
Speaker 2 (01:37):
I am?
Speaker 3 (01:38):
I am she comes out you know, Okay, but I'm
a little bit more refine, Okay. I kind of sort
of watch what I say. I don't say everything I'm thinking.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
Okay, cause a lot to learn that I'm a leo
and I would just like not even think, I would
think after saying it, and I'm just like, I'm just
gonna sing it. And then people were just like Nisha,
wo relax.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
So that was ay.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
I had to learn that, I l yeah, and that
come with age. Yeah, that's one thing that I've learned.
You know, I'm kind of freak people out when I
say I'm forty five. Yeah, but it comes with time
to physically Okay. Yeah, if you say that, they might
just kick you out right or they may not invite
you with you you wanna stay in the room.
Speaker 4 (02:25):
Uh huh?
Speaker 1 (02:26):
Y you just turned forty five this year. What is okay?
So what does forty five feel like?
Speaker 2 (02:32):
Forty five is now?
Speaker 3 (02:35):
It's a mouthstone because I went ahead and took the
leap and retired.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
You know I was struggling. I wanted to retire at
forty but I cried like a baby when they told
me I couldn't wow, cause I kept telling him I
didn't have time.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
So thankfully, you know, Trump allowed us to.
Speaker 3 (02:52):
Once you had twenty five years in retire, resign, I
get put out. MM, so you only have to tell
me one time if you don't like me, it's okay.
I know how to leave, so I left.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
So that's what forty five to meet is new? It
is refreshed.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
What about you like and not? It not even just
in cor in terms of your career at forty five,
but Shaquida as a woman at forty five, what does
that feel like?
Speaker 2 (03:20):
Really getting into what I want?
Speaker 3 (03:21):
Like, I've always had to hold back because I had
to focus on Okay, somebody gonna tell your mama.
Speaker 5 (03:27):
You did ABC or you know your son.
Speaker 3 (03:31):
Got to be You know, my son's in the baseball
and making sure I not in his reputation off you
cutting up right, and I still cut.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
Up a little bit.
Speaker 3 (03:42):
Yeah, I'm a typical now on the baseball field, I'm
a whole another mama. Yeah yeah, you know, but just
really just trying to figure out what the next few
years is gonna look like. But it's refreshing to kind
of like, oh, okay, yeah I said that, I did
it alright, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
You know, it is what it is.
Speaker 1 (04:01):
The number of forty five. Does it feel like I
feel like that that number is a really interesting number
in terms of like because I feel like, in your thirties, yeah,
you're officially grown, but then when you cross into like
your fifties, it's just like one forties.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
Forties, you still kind of I'm gonna still kind of
keep it.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
Uh huh.
Speaker 3 (04:24):
Forty five is like oh okay, you ain't like me, Wow, okay,
thank you, Wow. Fifthy you really don't care mm hmm.
But forty five you're getting into that girl I've been
hot on fifth year.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
I ain't gonna change.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
As Wow.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
You just go out the lico, uh huh, or you
just go out the likel So when you look at
yourself in the mirror today at forty five, like you
just said, like I am whoever I am, Like, are
you happy with the person that you have become?
Speaker 2 (05:02):
I am? I hope. Now.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
What I don't like is I hold back Sometimes I
hold back too much sometimes.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
Well back in like in what way?
Speaker 2 (05:14):
It's things that I know I need to do? But
oh are you ready?
Speaker 3 (05:21):
Mm hmm, now for though you think you're ready, I
know I'm ready.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
You know it, you just have to do it. It's
just like you.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
Okay, Then I don't put the other brick over there,
and it's like I'm baby stepping instead of just jumping
into the person or the thing that I know I
need to do. I'm still struggling, like, oh, you're a mama,
but I've been at for three years.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
Because that's what you're saying, I'm gonna lose this food,
but I gotta lose this baby. Wait, and then my
daughter's too years old? Yeah, liked, No, she's teen.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
I'm a whole.
Speaker 3 (06:10):
Empty nester, like Masa has his own apartment, Like he's
not on the campuses, all apartment.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
At school, all car But I feel like is that
a safety mechanism? Like is that are you doing that
to protect yourself from I guess embracing yourself forty five
empty nester now three years.
Speaker 3 (06:34):
I don't know who I'm protecting myself from or you
know what, I know, I'm a lot, I do I am.
I'm a lot. I'm a lot to take in.
Speaker 1 (06:44):
Okay, So sometimes.
Speaker 3 (06:46):
When people meet me, it's just like, you know, you
never know who you're gonna get. You're gonna get that
choiet girl in the corner, or are you gonna get that?
Speaker 2 (06:53):
Are we not doing that? Now? I don't like that,
or you know, so you just don't know.
Speaker 1 (06:59):
You just don't know.
Speaker 3 (07:00):
And so when that comes out, I try to protect people.
Speaker 1 (07:05):
Mm hmm from yourself.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
Yeah, because everybody can't take I was me.
Speaker 1 (07:11):
Yeah, But where are you getting that from?
Speaker 4 (07:14):
Like?
Speaker 1 (07:15):
Is that someone telling you that it's pure? People telling
you you're too much? Like, who's where you getting that idea?
Speaker 3 (07:20):
I mean, I've heard that I'm extra, and I love
the word that I'm an extras.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
I'm just gonna wear more glitter. I'm gonna wear more blame, blame.
I know I'm gonna do more.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
I might gonna buy a bigger truck just because you
told me I was the extra.
Speaker 5 (07:33):
That's me And now.
Speaker 3 (07:36):
I want to learn how to thrive off of who
I am and what I do with my success. But
I noticed I thrive more off of you telling me
what I can't do.
Speaker 2 (07:46):
So I like the rebel part of it.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, So tell me what I can't do.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
Oh I can't go do that.
Speaker 3 (07:53):
Oh I can't go get a five hundred thousand dollars house. Oka,
I'm gonna sell you anybody here, tell me be there.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (07:57):
So just trying to just I wanna thrive without have
to prove that I can do it.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
Yeah, just for yourself, Yeah, thrive for yourself. Wow. And
we talked about that too a little bit like off
camera about you like really learning or d I essentially
unlearning how to just show up for yourself and how
that you know has been challenging. And I think that's
(08:28):
not even like that's a universal challenge for a lot
of people. I feel like it's hard for them to
really step into doing something and showing up for themselves
in a way that would change them. What do you
think in the terms of like if I were to
say the time is now or like it, it feels
(08:48):
like this is the moment for you to really step
into that idea of showing up for yourself.
Speaker 3 (08:56):
I guess that I'm ready that I am. I'm doing
more things without and this is not me. I'm doing
more things without planning it out sometimes m where I
am a overplanner. Okay, So I need to know a
(09:17):
if it's gonna work, be if it's gonna get me
some money, see if it's gonna get me in trouble,
or is it going to a limit of things of
what I want to do in the future.
Speaker 1 (09:27):
So is this fonaiti or is it more of a
r relinquishing control.
Speaker 3 (09:40):
It's more of relinquishing control, okay, cause I can do
the spontaneous thing I you may call me in I
may be in Tennessee somewhere, and it's because it's.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
Want of a break.
Speaker 1 (09:50):
Yeah, But.
Speaker 3 (09:53):
The control of if I don't do this, I can't
pay that. If I don't do this, my son isn't
gonna have it.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
Okay. My nephew wants to go to Disney. So if
I blow.
Speaker 3 (10:04):
This money or run through this, we can't go to Disney,
but can't do all the things we want to do
when we get to Disney. Yeah, yeah, okay, So everybody
mm elseen to my equation opposed to myself.
Speaker 1 (10:23):
And when did that start?
Speaker 3 (10:25):
Oh, that's been forever and ever, amen, Like since I
was like twelve. Oh my gosh, I bought no my
sister and brothers when they went to college.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
Oh, since made sure they had a care package.
Speaker 3 (10:40):
They Yeah, I'm like, oh this, you know, I made
sure every last one of my brothers and sisters.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
I've been on college visits.
Speaker 3 (10:51):
You know, I made sure I'm at senior nights, I'm
at graduations.
Speaker 1 (10:55):
Yeah. I'm curious to know what you like establishing that
of responsibility at such an early age. Has it ever
felt like this is too much? Or now would you
not even be able to recognize the weight because it
is like the norm? Or are you able to like
have those indicators of like, Okay, it's too much, it's
(11:16):
too much, it's too much, like I am about to
crash out, but still do but you still do it?
Do other people recognize if it's too much?
Speaker 5 (11:30):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (11:30):
And they still they still ask.
Speaker 3 (11:38):
Now, my friend, my friend need is real big god,
I was just waiting to see when you were gone,
take a break.
Speaker 2 (11:47):
She will tell me, yeah.
Speaker 3 (11:49):
Look, or she'll say shakuita, yeah, I know when I
get with this Shakita yeah, I went too far, or
you're or go sit down.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
But most times no, A lot of people in my life.
Speaker 3 (12:04):
Is I need, I need, I need I need, and
it's okay, let me just going to do this. Yeah,
I'm gonna get this so I can go back to
what I need to do. And what ends up happening
is I either rush on what I really need to
focus on or rush on what I need to do
(12:25):
opposed to just really I don't know how to enjoy
the present. Yeah, getting a massage, Oh god, I love
getting my massages. Yeah, but in my mind, I'm like, Okay,
what I need to do when I leave here?
Speaker 2 (12:38):
Yeah? Do I need to go to the grocery store?
Did I pay the Georgia power bill? Wait? Did I
leave the fireplace?
Speaker 3 (12:45):
So I can't even enjoy the motion and the moment
of where I'm supposed to be relaxing. Then I say, okay,
just close your eyes, go to sleep. No, I don't
want to go to so all of this is gone.
Speaker 1 (13:02):
This is happening every day. Is it something that's like
regular it's like.
Speaker 2 (13:06):
A way of life now for you pretty much?
Speaker 3 (13:09):
Or it happens shut up, you know when it mainly
happens when when I need to do something for myself
m or when I have something to do for my business,
or when it's something that I gotta really hone in
and focus on shakda, that's when the phone ring.
Speaker 2 (13:32):
Oh, a disaster, it's a fire over here. I need
you to put out the fire.
Speaker 5 (13:36):
Can you do this? You know?
Speaker 3 (13:38):
And I tend to rush to do that and then
get back to myself opposed to being in myself right
and being one with myself and enjoying wherever I am,
whatever I'm finna do.
Speaker 2 (13:52):
M h.
Speaker 1 (13:54):
Wow. And now everything feel like work. Everything feels like working.
It feels like you come secondary to everything else.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:02):
With you having this extra time now being retired, what
have you been thinking or contemplating as the thing that
you need to be feeling that you're scheduled with. Is
it different now that you have more time or does
it feel like you have less time because now you
have like exchanged that time that you would have for
(14:23):
yourself befofitted essentially, and now are still like pouring back
into everybody else.
Speaker 3 (14:30):
I haven't poured a lot into everybody else. I've actually
been a butt okay, and I've.
Speaker 2 (14:36):
Been mean a lot. I know I have, but that's
because it's stuff.
Speaker 3 (14:41):
I wanna do, and you're hindering what I'm trying to do.
And then I'm thinking, no, I'm hindering myself. And then
so me and myself goes through this conversation and I'd.
Speaker 2 (14:52):
Be like, ah, you just not gonna step in, Like
you're just.
Speaker 3 (14:55):
Not gonna tell my own self, you know, at least intervene. Yeah, Andy, be.
Speaker 5 (15:03):
Like I told you what to do the first time,
you still liked. But okay, So it's just.
Speaker 2 (15:08):
Like trying to make certain I hone in on Shakita, okay,
cause Shakita.
Speaker 3 (15:13):
Has not been focused on whatsoever in this life and
that's as early as childhood. So just trying to make
sure my what's next? Yeah, I win ex like I
have no ch this has I have to win. Mm
(15:34):
I gotta win for myself.
Speaker 1 (15:35):
Yeah, what are you most excited about right now? Like
what actually fills you with just pure joy of like
the idea of being able to become that person or
work on this thing. What what are you most excited
about in life right now?
Speaker 3 (15:52):
I hate to say that I'm incited if I work,
but I'm excited. I'm gonna just about two things. One
one I am excited about. You know, I am rebranded myself.
You know, I'm moving from your DREAMAILLLC, which was just
something where I was writing grass doing.
Speaker 1 (16:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (16:11):
Literally, initially it was just extra money.
Speaker 3 (16:14):
To help my son, get them in private school, get
them tutoring, get them trying to do all those things.
So now I actually get to work my business for myself.
Speaker 2 (16:25):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (16:26):
And now it's gonna be Vision Impact Solution. So I'm excited.
That's one of my main excitement cause it's my new
baby now.
Speaker 1 (16:34):
Yeah, so you.
Speaker 3 (16:41):
That new baby, And then I'm excited about finding what
the new me looks like.
Speaker 2 (16:46):
M mm hmm.
Speaker 1 (16:49):
Tell me about Vision Impact Solutions. Tell me about the
kind of inception of that and why it was born
and what's the goal.
Speaker 3 (17:00):
Initially from the old business, I was just right pretty
much writing grants, some programming so people can obtain because
a lot of folks didn't know how to get money
for their business or how to obtain money for the
non profit, so they were missing development piece. But in
the process of that focusing on their vision and showing
them forecasting, I don't know how to see what's in
(17:23):
front of me. Okay, So if you're talking to me
about your business, and especially if I you know some
people business just you got to kind of tweak them
and turn them.
Speaker 2 (17:32):
A little bit.
Speaker 1 (17:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (17:33):
But things that I know that's gonna work, I can
see four or five years down online.
Speaker 2 (17:38):
So that's the vision part of it.
Speaker 3 (17:40):
Okay, I'm very I believe in impact. So for me,
impact is everything I have to be able. When I
walk out the door, they gonna be like they're gir
can work.
Speaker 1 (17:52):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (17:52):
Yeah, yeah, you know, my friend I always say, get
you Akita, And so that's how my domain came about.
Speaker 2 (18:00):
We work with Shakida.
Speaker 3 (18:01):
So and that's been my personal brand of really yeah,
when you work with me, nine times out of ten,
whatever you want is gonna get done.
Speaker 1 (18:10):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (18:10):
And that's where the solution came in.
Speaker 3 (18:12):
Just anything you want if there is a solution for it,
but you gotta have some strategy to it, you gotta
have a plan to it, and you gotta want to
do it, and you gotta have the right people around you, Yeah,
because the wrong people can kind of slowgate that process.
Speaker 2 (18:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (18:28):
And with your story, I think it's interesting too, because
you have to have the right people around you. But
how good have you been at allowing the people around
you to do the work and you're not doing for them?
Speaker 3 (18:44):
I mean good at allowing people to do it. I'm
bad at giving direction zone like leadership wise, I can
tell week most of my pictures, you're gonna send me pointingshu.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
So I can do all those things.
Speaker 3 (18:59):
But for myself, for my own business, to telegraphic designer,
what I want, yeah, like, okay, you got my color scheme,
make some pritty so no, what.
Speaker 2 (19:14):
You mean what you wanted to look like?
Speaker 3 (19:17):
But then for my client, I'm like, no, move that here,
move that there, this, do that. But for myself right now,
she waited on me, she's we gotta. I got a
class coming up, so she's focusing on building.
Speaker 2 (19:33):
Out my plantation.
Speaker 3 (19:34):
Yes, she's given me my homework at least two three times.
Speaker 2 (19:38):
I'm an awesome teacher, but a horrible student. M And
yeah I'm still I finished it.
Speaker 3 (19:47):
Yeah, but I have like all the gist, I have
all the things that I want, But what I wanted
to look like? I think I'm so hard on myself,
so I want the presentation to look this way. Yeah,
but I can't explain what I want to look that
way like I want it pretty yeah, but I don't
(20:10):
want it to be where nobody's gonna take me serious, yeah.
Speaker 1 (20:14):
Not too kiddy, where it's just like, what is is
this a yeah?
Speaker 2 (20:18):
Teeny bump?
Speaker 1 (20:19):
Like what is this?
Speaker 2 (20:21):
Uh?
Speaker 1 (20:21):
Okay?
Speaker 3 (20:22):
Like I wanna be I wanna still have my bowly personality.
But when Shakita turns on, yeah and it's business, Oh
what happens is a lot of people like this version
of me, but when business had come on, a lot
of people can't take that version okay, and they like
(20:42):
she crazy? No, no, no, no.
Speaker 2 (20:44):
We played enough, baby, and we we got to get.
Speaker 3 (20:46):
Some stuff done. I need a b CD. I had
already told you, friend again, and this is what's gonna do.
And so now I've learned I have to give people
a disclaimer. Ooh, hey, she finna turn on?
Speaker 1 (20:59):
Mm.
Speaker 3 (21:01):
So when she turned on, it's a whole nother demeanor,
you know, And it's nothing personal because when we work,
we work, and I guarantee you after we finish working
and everything gets settled.
Speaker 2 (21:12):
Down, I go it, hey out.
Speaker 1 (21:16):
Crazy but yeah, and where do you like? Okay, so
are you getting serious? Because now this is serious, Like
we gotta get your stuff in order, and yeah, it's
important for you to recognize how important that is. Or
is it more of just like you kind of like
turning into this person like at a certain point when
(21:39):
they do business with you, or is it kind of
like people are not really seeing how to fluctuate in
terms of like like you said, like okay, it's turn
to settle down, like yeah, yeah, we need to.
Speaker 3 (21:50):
Some people don't, and especially us, I hate to say
it that way. We don't know how to turn off
the emotional things like even if I raise my voice,
that does not mean I'm in my feeling.
Speaker 2 (22:00):
No, we gotta get some stuff done, chop.
Speaker 5 (22:02):
Top, let's go when we're doing and we have.
Speaker 2 (22:06):
A time frame to get on it. Yeah, so.
Speaker 3 (22:10):
Yeah, it may be a push, but it's more so
serious to me. Now's I always been serious?
Speaker 2 (22:18):
M hmm.
Speaker 3 (22:20):
If I don't make what I'm doing when, I'm not
gonna like myself because I make everybody and everything I have.
Jacquelin Carr her song everything Attached to Me When that
is written in my bathroom, my bedroom, going out the door,
on my work computer, cause I would my clients know
(22:43):
once you turn it over to me, are we winning
I don't. I don't take less than, you know. So,
because I don't take less than, that's when it's hey,
we need to do ABC. That's when our whole another
shakida come out, you know so. So I have no
choice but to make what I'm doing, like visa Impact
(23:03):
solution has to.
Speaker 2 (23:04):
Win, what I'm doing has to win.
Speaker 3 (23:06):
I I have no choice, like if I can make
everybody else win and I don't make myself right, we got.
Speaker 1 (23:13):
A problem in terms of like businesses, when you're working
with different people like clients, nonprofit or for a profit,
what are you seeing is like the common denominator as
like from the work that you've done that it seems
like this keeps happening. This keeps continues to be something
that businesses struggle with that they're not exactly implementing.
Speaker 2 (23:36):
They education and their feelings. What do you mean?
Speaker 3 (23:40):
They want the right now mm And you can get
the right now, but you gotta take the steps in
between MM.
Speaker 2 (23:48):
A lot of people don't know how.
Speaker 3 (23:49):
To you know, budget of They don't know how to
budget their own budget. People don't understand a zero dollar
budget doesn't mean that you spend all your money.
Speaker 5 (23:58):
It just no w you know where every dollar go.
Speaker 4 (24:01):
You know.
Speaker 3 (24:02):
But again when I get oh, you be and me, No,
I need to know where every dollar went, because we
can't determine how much money you need to go to marketing.
We can't determine how much money you can spend on
merch We can't determine if you can pay yourself this month,
cause ideally.
Speaker 2 (24:18):
You work to pay yourself.
Speaker 3 (24:20):
Yeah, is this gonna be a hustle? Is it gonna
be your lifestyle? Is it a hobby?
Speaker 2 (24:27):
Like you gotta make up your mind.
Speaker 3 (24:29):
Yeah, And so getting that education determines which one is
gonna be your life.
Speaker 2 (24:34):
Typically you get in business, where to be a lifestyle?
Speaker 1 (24:36):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (24:37):
You want your business to take care of yourself.
Speaker 1 (24:40):
And that's what I was gonna ask your saf What
is the difference between all of those?
Speaker 3 (24:43):
So a hobby and we're gonna pull out irs terms.
M hm. A hobby is where you've had a loss
two three years in a row. You have not made
a profit based on your saxes. That's just expenses. It's
a hobby.
Speaker 2 (24:56):
It's just something you're doing, you know, hustle. You may
you work a nine.
Speaker 3 (25:00):
To five, you may not, But your business you're just
doing it right. You don't have no plans, you don't
have a goal, you don't know how much you want
to make.
Speaker 2 (25:11):
You don't even know.
Speaker 3 (25:12):
How much you may last year, did you really catch
a profit?
Speaker 1 (25:15):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (25:16):
Am I gonna write everything off? How am I gonna
buy a house? So all those different things. That's when
it's a hustle. But your lifestyle, you know where every
dollar is going. You know how much money you need.
You know how much money you need to get an
office space, you know how much money you need for home.
Speaker 2 (25:33):
All those things.
Speaker 3 (25:34):
Are set in place and you actually have business processes
and operations that's gonna fund your life.
Speaker 1 (25:41):
And that's the goal, right, It's for it to become
a lifestyle.
Speaker 2 (25:45):
Yeah, that is the goal.
Speaker 3 (25:47):
Ultimately, it should be a goal. I mean unless you
just trying to make extra money like I've been in.
Speaker 2 (25:54):
All three aspects. Wow, But you just have to really
determine what you want.
Speaker 1 (26:00):
What has been the reception when you're working with somebody
and they have to hear you say to them, oh,
this is a hobby, Like you're in a hobby face,
like we gotta fix this cause you're not making any money. Like,
how has the reception been for you. I guess put
it on that hat, turning into that person and and
getting people to really see that. Okay, if you want
(26:20):
this to be a lifestyle, this has to change.
Speaker 2 (26:23):
It just determines. It depends on a person, okay.
Speaker 3 (26:28):
And it depends on their personality. Okay, cause i'm'a be
a heart. But regardless, like you may not lie in
just in life general. Yeah, it can be a general conversation.
I'm like, oh, and you really did that and you
thought that was okay, Like what did.
Speaker 2 (26:42):
You think was gonna happen when you did that?
Speaker 3 (26:44):
Uh huh? So I'm that kind of person, flat line regardless, okay,
like anyway, straightforward.
Speaker 1 (26:49):
Yeah, I can.
Speaker 3 (26:52):
Give it to you nice, but I can only give
it to you nice so much. And I'm gonna this
is my favorite disclaiming you ready. That's what you be saying,
is that they are when I say you ready ready,
And you may not like what I'm about to say,
but i'm'a tell it to you anyway.
Speaker 1 (27:13):
Oh good.
Speaker 3 (27:13):
But you have to be careful with the person's personality,
cause that's even with me being a mentor, you can
halt someone's growth mm by giving it to 'em.
Speaker 2 (27:27):
Too straight, or you can halt some A lot of
people say just give it to 'em.
Speaker 3 (27:33):
Yeah, depending on that person's personality and where they at,
you may send 'em over the edge.
Speaker 1 (27:37):
Mm.
Speaker 3 (27:38):
So it's a way that you have to tailor your
personality for them to.
Speaker 2 (27:43):
Hey, I I ain't serious. I'm like what we doing?
Speaker 1 (27:46):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (27:48):
So either A, that's good, you come back to me
when you're ready and when you come back, I need.
Speaker 2 (27:53):
This, this, this, and this yup.
Speaker 3 (27:57):
Or you can pay me hourly and I can play
therapist for you. But I'm gonna tell you I'm not
a doctor.
Speaker 2 (28:03):
I'm just gonna tell you what I think you need
to do.
Speaker 3 (28:08):
Or we can't really get to the nitty gritty and
really focus on it. So you just have to really
see I fire your clients. I say, yes, ma'am, Yes, ma'am.
Speaker 1 (28:18):
What's the window of like is it like a three
strike you're out kind of thing or is it like, yeah,
like is it immediate like when you recogn No, it's not.
Speaker 2 (28:27):
Immediately, okay, because that's just like your mama. Yeah, I
can't whoop your butt if.
Speaker 3 (28:33):
I told you to clean your room, but I never
taught you how to clean your room. Yeah, so I
gotta teach you how to do it first, Gotta hold
your hand a little man maybe coming in doing get
your hands on now the next time it should.
Speaker 2 (28:45):
Be spotless to write your capability.
Speaker 3 (28:50):
But if you ain't doing all of that, and I
got to keep saying the same thing, and I gotta
keep holding your hand, I'm not doing for you now.
Speaker 2 (28:56):
I will hold your hand.
Speaker 3 (28:58):
Yeah, but it's gonna get aggravating and you may not
like the the person I will come.
Speaker 1 (29:02):
So how does that conversation go?
Speaker 5 (29:05):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (29:05):
Okay, so we needed to do ABC uh huh. We
stuck at a.
Speaker 1 (29:12):
As best we part ways.
Speaker 2 (29:16):
So either we're gonna have to figure out we're betther.
Speaker 3 (29:19):
Get to see uh huh, or when you're ready, seriously
come back and seemen.
Speaker 1 (29:24):
And I think that's actually commendable to your character because
it's not easy to turn down people because essentially at
the same time, for some cases that also means losing
money money. But I feel like that's interesting that you're
saying that, and and and why it's commendable, it's because
you're choosing to still honor the passion behind doing what
(29:48):
opposed to the the dollar behind y'all.
Speaker 2 (29:51):
Gotta have a piece on. I know what we doing.
Speaker 3 (29:53):
So if I'm steady, yeah, you ain't gonna never get
it done. You ain't gonna make no money. You just
get giving away money. Yeah, and I'll take your money
if you want to give it away.
Speaker 1 (30:04):
Right.
Speaker 3 (30:04):
But at the same time, for me, it's wasting time
cause I could be doing or helping. I don't want
to say the next person. Yeah, but ideally, yeah, we
got stuff to do, like short and you just may
not be ready for this process.
Speaker 1 (30:25):
Right.
Speaker 3 (30:25):
But I don't want you to think of, oh, I'm
the person that stops you from running your business cause
I said suck or yeah we don't do abc mm mm.
Speaker 1 (30:35):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (30:35):
I'll never tell you that, but I am gonna give
you a plan. Get this together.
Speaker 1 (30:41):
Yeah, and when you get this together, come back, come
back and see me. Wow, that's good. I think another
something interesting that you do, cause that's already I'm learning
so much from you as a business strategist. But something
else that you do that's very interesting that takes a
lot of for me. I'm a leo, so it's I've
been character energy. I have look at me, see me energy.
(31:04):
But you also do work as a ghost executive.
Speaker 2 (31:09):
That's my favorite. Right, I don't have the man a camera.
Speaker 3 (31:12):
I don't do anything well, I do most in all
the work, but I like being a ghost executive.
Speaker 1 (31:17):
So it described for people who may have never heard
that term, what does that actually mean?
Speaker 2 (31:22):
So it's like a ghostwriter.
Speaker 3 (31:23):
Right, So they put out this fabulous book or this
fabulous city or album or whatever they are streaming because
you don't know what they call songs now, but they
do all the things, but it's not them, it's somebody
behind them.
Speaker 2 (31:38):
Okay, that's feeding them.
Speaker 3 (31:40):
Like secret service through the air. And so that's who
I am. So we may all be in the same room,
but you may never know.
Speaker 5 (31:48):
I may be their ghost executive.
Speaker 3 (31:50):
And I'm feeding them through the room. So before i'm
nonprofits or even some business owners, before they go to meetings. Yeah,
we actually do impromptu meetings. If they say this, you
do this. No you're not gonna look like this, No
you're not gonna wear that.
Speaker 2 (32:08):
I will brand you to de wow.
Speaker 3 (32:11):
I need you to look like this. I need you
to say that, I need you to see this way.
No I need your haircut, no, I need your hair twist.
So doing all the things to get you ready for
whoever that ideal person is. That's where my ghost executive
came in because at one point I was being a
ghost executive at the baseball field and I was on
(32:32):
a high school game literally texting they said.
Speaker 1 (32:36):
This, like that was by accident. That wasn't like a
how did you become that? Like, it wasn't something that
just kind of happened naturally and you realized you were
doing it. And then before yeah, a couple people started
to approaching you like, hey, can you do that for me?
Can you?
Speaker 3 (32:52):
It became something naturally down to I gotta go to
a parent teacher conference.
Speaker 2 (32:59):
Oh haney when they say this, so just getting.
Speaker 5 (33:04):
I'm always in that mold.
Speaker 3 (33:07):
Yeah, and it's always solution based. So for me, I
have to have a solution based conversation. If one solution,
I don't want to talk about it.
Speaker 2 (33:15):
Yeah, because it's always to breakfast time, right. You know,
my ostrogen is very important.
Speaker 3 (33:20):
You know you gotta tread it lightly to mine is great.
So just I kind of fell into it where no,
the meaning not going as well because look at you,
did you going in with your shirt like that? So
just typically guiding people on what other people.
Speaker 1 (33:41):
Want, Yeah, and where do you see your strong where
do you see your strong suit in terms of like
ghost executive, like being a ghost executive, like what are
the things that are the clients that are coming back
to you and saying like dang kita, because you did this,
I feel like I am now on top of the world,
(34:01):
or I feel like I can accomplish anything, or that
helped us secure these funds. Like what would you say
is your superpower as a ghost executive for.
Speaker 2 (34:11):
The people that admit it? Ooh, So a lot of
people want the skills and want me to be their
ghost executive, but they forget the pen on the back.
And I'm good, I don't need the pen on the back.
Speaker 3 (34:25):
But you know, they gotta You're gonna fool yourself that
you just.
Speaker 5 (34:29):
Did this yourself.
Speaker 3 (34:32):
You know, you do all this yourself, right, so you
know who you're talking to.
Speaker 1 (34:36):
You know, I'm the one that really have to do
it right.
Speaker 5 (34:38):
But okay, so we're gonna move on. So with those
kinds of people, you just have.
Speaker 3 (34:43):
To okay, yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm gonna limit that. But
then you have the ones that are, hey man, I
was scared, I ain'tything ever gonna work it work?
Speaker 1 (34:54):
Wow?
Speaker 3 (34:55):
Okay, So how do I get from building this out
to doing this? Cause a lot of people don't understand
whether it's a business or a nonprofit. Yeah, you need
a plan and a program or it's made for the business.
It may not be a program. It may be a
lane of work. Yeah, it may be a deliverable, it
may be a task, but they're all typically the same.
(35:18):
So figuring out what the solution is yeah, and me
feeding you the information, even teaching people terminology.
Speaker 2 (35:24):
Yeah, like some people ROI what is it?
Speaker 1 (35:28):
Wow?
Speaker 2 (35:29):
No, baby, you might either need to go take a
business class or you know.
Speaker 5 (35:36):
Yeah, let me give you the rundown real quick, cause when.
Speaker 1 (35:39):
They say this, you need to be ready for that, right,
so you're not looking crazy, correct cause manipulated and so
you don't walk away leaving m M money on the
table that could have been right. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (35:51):
My main cakeback is anytime you're in a meeting and
that we've prepared for, Hey, can you give me twenty
four twenty four to four day hour to respond? Yeah,
because they give us time to kind of ne do
my research thing. You do everything even down to networking.
I go with my clients and networking events. Yeah, I've
already researched who's.
Speaker 2 (36:12):
In a room.
Speaker 3 (36:13):
Okay, this is money, this is money. He gonna play
with you, just stay away from you could talk to him,
you know, he got some influence and take a.
Speaker 2 (36:20):
Picture with him.
Speaker 5 (36:21):
You know.
Speaker 3 (36:21):
So I literally go with my clients, especially my non
profit clients, and teach them how to work the wrong.
I physically tea and I sit in the corner. I'm
always a girl with my laptop.
Speaker 2 (36:35):
Like I'm not paid.
Speaker 1 (36:37):
And now that you say that, I've been to like
maybe two or three events where you're at And now
that I think about it, you always be in the
corner with your laptop.
Speaker 2 (36:44):
Gets me running the show and you never know it.
Speaker 1 (36:48):
And you never know it.
Speaker 2 (36:50):
I've run.
Speaker 3 (36:51):
I've run so many different events, down to fundraising fits events,
children events.
Speaker 2 (37:00):
I mean even like I had events where.
Speaker 3 (37:04):
Vendors, community resource leaders coming out and the kids are
doing their bachelorette things and they're doing dance competitions. But
I'm always the person. Yeah, so nobody ever know knows
who I am. And so I think that's when my I.
Speaker 1 (37:24):
This toiling of.
Speaker 2 (37:25):
Now I gotta get in front of the camera.
Speaker 1 (37:28):
Now that now people have to know who I am.
Speaker 3 (37:32):
Interesting and I never it for my ghost clients, yeah,
they'll tell you nobody will ever know who they are.
Speaker 1 (37:39):
I wonder though, like which it was it the retirement
that made you have this shift of like I want
to be seen now, like I want to be in
the forefront. I'm up, I'm up at bat now, Like
what was there something that happened that just like that
light bulb clicked and you were all of a sudden,
like you know what I want to be in I
want to be in the front.
Speaker 2 (38:00):
I'm trying to move from word of mouth.
Speaker 3 (38:01):
Okay, I love word of mouth, Like word of mouth
has taken care of me, my son, my family, Crystal,
all the things.
Speaker 2 (38:09):
So word of mouth.
Speaker 3 (38:11):
I thank everybody for word of mouth because, you know,
just them saying get you a kido has gotten me
a lot of clients. But now, in order for me
to move into the mainstream of yeah, this is who
I am and this is what I do.
Speaker 2 (38:26):
I gotta get visible.
Speaker 1 (38:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (38:29):
I like staying behind the scenes, I and I do,
ye know, and I like being at events and all
theys like who is she? Yeah, cause I'm always the
part all my Instagram photos with my clients.
Speaker 5 (38:44):
All you see me doing is this, I need this, this.
Speaker 1 (38:49):
Delegate, and then I guess.
Speaker 2 (38:55):
And that's how I do. We talk.
Speaker 3 (38:57):
We have us a good meeting before the event, they
give me the points of contact or we create those
points of contact, and I physically at events, you will
see me going to each point of contact and all
you see is me going and making sure this is
a mm hm mm. But they don't know basically some
(39:18):
of them. Yeah, rent the whole show.
Speaker 1 (39:21):
Just from my whole show, from the point of your finger,
from the tip of your finger.
Speaker 2 (39:28):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (39:29):
So yeah, I that's that's I love that, like I
love being the ghost secutive but no, seriously, from I
love word of mouth. I do, cause they have really
you know, it's built and it's grown.
Speaker 1 (39:44):
But to get visible now you gotta start really showing
up and putting yourself out there to go to that
next caliber of success that you want to see. Until
now you're in the forefront.
Speaker 4 (39:56):
Yeah, but I'm trying embrace it, you know.
Speaker 1 (40:02):
Yeah, what is like the reaction from other people who
know you to be someone who is so behind the
scenes for you to be telling them.
Speaker 4 (40:10):
Y'all, it's now my men teens are like, yes, yes,
what do you wait out?
Speaker 5 (40:21):
You don't you do dumb stuff? So about everybody even see.
Speaker 1 (40:24):
You doing And I'm like, yeah, yeah, I like to
just be.
Speaker 3 (40:30):
Them because intellectual property, right, that's you know, that's where
the money is. Just like if you're a singer, rapper,
all the things. Yeah, the person who wrote your music
is mainly the wealthiest person. So I like writing out programs.
I like creating the intellectual property portion of it. It's beneficial, yeah,
(40:54):
But then I like to see it come to life.
I like to see them what I wrote out in
black and white, or even if we did a pilot,
cause sometimes some things you have to just do them.
Speaker 2 (41:04):
And and write them out.
Speaker 1 (41:07):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (41:07):
I'm kind of no that they don't need to do that.
Speaker 3 (41:11):
Yeah, move them over here and switch swading.
Speaker 1 (41:16):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (41:17):
So I like to sit back a lot of people
want me to come in and just take charge.
Speaker 2 (41:20):
Yeah, I'm not a come in I do have a
takeover spirit, right, but only take.
Speaker 3 (41:25):
Over when it's like, hey, y'all do this all wrong, right,
But it's I'm gonna sit back. Hm, you're gonna see
me with pen and paper. Yeah, I'm gonna geek out
on a computer.
Speaker 1 (41:35):
And does that excite you?
Speaker 4 (41:36):
Like?
Speaker 1 (41:36):
Which part are you geeking out? Are you geeking out on?
Like the actual structure of an event, the actual partnerships,
the ideas, the strategy, Like what part of what you
do is most exciting or rewarding?
Speaker 3 (41:50):
The most rewarding part is the impact. Okay, the testimonials
and the things that are happening and I feel like.
Speaker 2 (42:01):
I did it.
Speaker 1 (42:01):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (42:02):
But the for me to sit back, I love to
see when it falls into place, like I love that. Okay, yeah,
we had a problem. I like chaos. Yeah, I hate
to say that, but I like chaos because I like
to organize it. Once it's chaotic and we get in there. Uh,
(42:24):
I physically like to build it.
Speaker 1 (42:26):
Yeah. Interesting, what out of the other programs and events
and things that you've done, is there one that stands
out to be like, Okay, this is a very I'm
a path myself. I might not be getting that pat
on the back from the client, but I'm a papoself
on the back for that.
Speaker 2 (42:44):
I don't know my purpose and my passion. It's my baby's.
Speaker 3 (42:51):
So whether it's men seeing I l like, I don't know.
I problem should have had maybe a household.
Speaker 2 (42:59):
Full of No. Lord, look I'm done.
Speaker 3 (43:01):
I'm good with my one. I'm just saying who we
know on one and done?
Speaker 2 (43:06):
Yes, ma'am, I'm done. But okay, all right, So but
I love to I don't know.
Speaker 3 (43:16):
I felt like as when I was younger, I needed
more support and so the things that I really wanted
to do was not.
Speaker 2 (43:22):
Support it like they should have been. So I overly
support babies like I. They get mad at me because
I call them babies.
Speaker 3 (43:30):
Yeah, stop calling them babies, but they are Ye at
twenty three year old, I'm still gonna say, hey, my
little baby.
Speaker 1 (43:36):
You know.
Speaker 3 (43:37):
It's just I like to pour into people. Yeah, and
I like to see when I pour in what comes out.
Speaker 1 (43:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (43:44):
Because just support for a business owner, a child, a baby, adult,
you know, adults, nonprofits. Yeah, just that support piece takes
people a long way.
Speaker 2 (43:58):
And that's where an impact come from.
Speaker 1 (44:00):
When when you say support piece, like when they feel supported?
Is that what you?
Speaker 2 (44:04):
Yeah? OK, to show up.
Speaker 3 (44:07):
And everybody in my schedule is super busy. But to
show up to somebody's game mm and to think they
didn't think you know, they told you about it, mm,
but they didn't think you are a you were gonna
be able to show up or to say hey, I'm
getting the award and to see me walk through the
dough you m.
Speaker 2 (44:26):
You told me it was getting a war. You ain't
want me to come and support you.
Speaker 1 (44:30):
Wow?
Speaker 2 (44:30):
You know. So I'm that person that I'm gonna make sure. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (44:34):
Sometimes I may be a little late because I have
fifty many things on my calendar.
Speaker 2 (44:39):
Yeah, but you oh yeah, And I.
Speaker 1 (44:42):
Feel like that is actually really powerful and it's not
something that's talked about a lot for like support is
very underrated. Yeah, and people don't realize that it's little s,
little stuff can be so impactful, so meaningful, so memorable
in a person's life. Like literally, I'm gonna come alongside
(45:04):
you and be an agreeance to whatever this thing is
that you got, whatever my.
Speaker 2 (45:08):
Role needs to be. Hm, I'm so good with playing
the back. Yeah, I'll I don't. I don't really have
to be in a friend Yeah, just to see what
we talked about.
Speaker 1 (45:21):
It Yeah, oh wait you did it?
Speaker 3 (45:23):
Did you made that thing work and it came to
fluition for you.
Speaker 1 (45:29):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (45:30):
And if I just had a little to do with it,
I'm okay with it. M h.
Speaker 1 (45:35):
You know I think that's powerful too, especially because we
live in a day and age where you I think
it's powerful in the sense that you have a real
heart for like community, for impact, which is kind of
sadly to say, but kind of rare to have, like
a real, true, honest love.
Speaker 2 (46:00):
Yeah for people.
Speaker 1 (46:01):
Yeah, for people, for community, especially in this day and
age where their everybody's like having this certain level of
bravado cloud influence social media. Me me, me, But for
you to still have that heart to where you gotta
have that attitude to still want to reach back, you know,
still want to reach back and help and create space,
(46:22):
create opportunities, create resources for other young people, less fortunate,
underserved people to be able to thrive and live. It's
so rare to come by, and I think a lot
of it is attributed to you being that child yourself, yeah,
and living in that space and knowing what it feels
(46:44):
like to feel left out essentially in your upbringing. Is
is is that where that comes from? That inate ability
to try to, like you said, overcompensate, like I don't
I remember what that felt like. I remember, yeah.
Speaker 3 (46:59):
Cause I was only child for a minute, which is funny,
but I was the only child four minute. So, and
then I became the eldest. And so for me becoming
the oldest, I mean from being the only child and
now the eldest. Yeah, it's like those responsibilities had to shift.
Speaker 1 (47:20):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (47:21):
And so in the shift, I was, you.
Speaker 3 (47:24):
Know, initially thinking, Okay, I'm the big sister, and I
take my.
Speaker 2 (47:29):
Big sister role very nisis I.
Speaker 3 (47:33):
Take my auntie ro I'm the world greadest aunt and
I'm the super mom. So I take a law Yeah,
so all my titles, I take them.
Speaker 5 (47:44):
Sorry, and I'm gonna make sure, yeah, they know.
Speaker 3 (47:47):
My son's like, Mom, yes, we know you love us
like I'm old really And it's just mainly because I
think at that time, the stuff I know I needed,
you know, my adopt if dad I when I was
a heap h. So it's like again that was another responsibility.
Now he's gone, so my mama need help?
Speaker 2 (48:07):
MM?
Speaker 3 (48:08):
So is me not doing the things that I really
wanted to do? Yeah when I was younger, I've still
stopped doing the things I really want to do and
make sure people or people around me are able to
do those things.
Speaker 1 (48:23):
Mmm.
Speaker 3 (48:25):
And so that's what now, that's what forty five look
like for me, Okay, trying to figure out what is
it that I really want to do?
Speaker 2 (48:32):
Yeah, and go do that? Mm cause I've never had
to think about what I really wanted to do.
Speaker 1 (48:38):
Yeah, cause you've been working in autopilot. Yeah, and now
the like you're in the driver's seat, it's not auto pilot.
Speaker 2 (48:45):
It's manual now like okay, yeah, and.
Speaker 5 (48:47):
Sometimes it's like, okay, so.
Speaker 2 (48:49):
What I'm doing?
Speaker 1 (48:52):
Well, yeah, wow.
Speaker 2 (48:55):
Did I need to make some calls that? Like?
Speaker 1 (48:57):
Right?
Speaker 2 (48:58):
So now it's really honing in. Know what Shaquiita looks like?
What our new next level looks like?
Speaker 1 (49:04):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (49:05):
What do I really want?
Speaker 1 (49:07):
Mm?
Speaker 2 (49:08):
Cause I can't even really.
Speaker 3 (49:11):
And I want my business to work right now, that
business hand down, But what does that even look like?
Speaker 1 (49:20):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (49:20):
Like I wanna. I I love my clients. I ain't
love my clients. I do. I love my new clients.
Speaker 3 (49:26):
I love my clients that is coming, uh forthcoming, Yeah,
all the things. But I know that if I don't
focus on building out what I need for my business,
I'm not gonna be able to support them the way
that I need to. Cause I don't like saying help.
I like saying support. Yeah, help is free. We don't
do free.
Speaker 2 (49:45):
So help is free.
Speaker 1 (49:47):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (49:47):
Support is where your act.
Speaker 3 (49:49):
That's where your impact come from. Yeah, somebody just helping
you just gave you a little pet on the pack. Gone,
now y I gave it is gone about your life? Right,
But if you really pour into people and give them
the support that they need, that's when the light bulb
come home. That's when it's they start flourishing. Hm, that's
when the business really happen.
Speaker 1 (50:08):
Yeah. And I think to your credit, one of the
other things that you've essentially been mastered for is that
strategic partnerships, right, having those people come alongside you, yeah, sponsors, networking,
building those relationships, to have those people say I support you.
Kind of like what you're saying you do for the youth.
How important of a role is out cause I really
(50:31):
want people to understand that in terms of whether they
have a nonprofit for profit business partnerships, relationships and being
strategic about cultivating those and then not being always so transactional.
Like what advice would you give to really having and
securing strong partnerships with like big companies, big names, things
(50:55):
like that for people who are looking for that.
Speaker 2 (50:57):
One relationship is everything.
Speaker 5 (51:00):
Mm.
Speaker 2 (51:01):
You got here from a relationship.
Speaker 3 (51:02):
Yeah, whether it was good, bad, or different, you got
here from some kind of relations So building out who
you are, your persona, your business, and you a nonprofit.
You have to have some kind of relationship. To obtain funding.
You need to have some kind of relationship with a banker, M.
You know, you need to have some kind of relationship
with the public. You need to relationship. Ye, period is
(51:24):
number one too, learning how to appropriately network. Yeah, we
can go to all the things, but when you go
to all those things, did you plan out heavy research
for coming, not sometimes sending. They're gonna send a list,
they're gonna show some lights, they're gonna show all the
things of even just looking at.
Speaker 2 (51:45):
Some of the old participants, and yes.
Speaker 3 (51:48):
See what kind of people are in the room. If
those aren't your kind of people, don't go to that room.
Speaker 1 (51:56):
No.
Speaker 3 (51:57):
A lot of people go for picture opportunity. But after
the picture is.
Speaker 2 (52:04):
Over, what have you got out of it? You you
haven't gained anything.
Speaker 3 (52:08):
Yeah, you need to be looking at networking opportunities of
places where you can bear relationships, where you can get
some kind of partnership.
Speaker 2 (52:19):
Just men in a room is not enough enough. Yeah,
and so then just creating that plan.
Speaker 3 (52:26):
Yeah, okay, you know you're a new business, you may
need to go to an urban lead.
Speaker 2 (52:33):
You may need to go to an operation hope. You
may need to.
Speaker 3 (52:36):
Uh sign up for what I think it's called Clayton
Southern Women Cressit Women Business Group, so you can get
into those rooms so you can be educated, so they
can teach you how to network. So education is hands
down the key to all of it. Yeah, but you
can't even plan if you don't know what you're planning for.
So that's why the education is key. But you need
(52:59):
to be able.
Speaker 2 (52:59):
To plan out if I'm gonna have a.
Speaker 3 (53:02):
Business, Oh, I may need to go get into this
league so I can get to my new especially here
in Atlanta.
Speaker 1 (53:08):
Yeah, Atlanta, you know you got to be in the know.
Speaker 3 (53:15):
It got to be almost in the right room, yea,
or even have a connection to someone because Atlanta it's
just we big, but we small.
Speaker 2 (53:25):
If I don't know you, m, I don't know you.
Speaker 3 (53:29):
So you have to be in those right rooms so
those connections and the business could actually happen.
Speaker 1 (53:35):
Yeah, that's good.
Speaker 2 (53:37):
Yeah, you got to it's that's good.
Speaker 1 (53:40):
As we clause, I wanna ask you, what are you
most excited about with this journey turned forty five of
building the relationship with yourself. If we were to do
this podcast, let's say a year from now, what be
your answer to the question of who is Shaquita?
Speaker 2 (54:03):
Mm? Who's Shaquita?
Speaker 3 (54:09):
See my mind? Keep thinking of who I am to
everybody else?
Speaker 2 (54:12):
Mm one.
Speaker 3 (54:20):
I don't wanna say I'm gonna be self self resourceful, mkay,
but I wanna be more for self. I'm gonna wake
up and say what you gotta do to that girl?
Not okay, we don't need need to do something or
what phone call I have to make. I really wanna
(54:41):
wake up and be intentional focusing on myself, whether that's
I I call.
Speaker 2 (54:48):
'em my walk with Jesus, yeah, you know.
Speaker 3 (54:50):
And I gonna take my walks, you know, whether that's
me making sure I'm intentional on taking.
Speaker 2 (54:54):
Those walks every day, h opposed to I need to
take this comfort call at nine.
Speaker 1 (54:59):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (55:00):
No, not taking a comfort carle or not. I'm'a have
my walks because I know I need my walks because.
Speaker 2 (55:05):
They keep me grounded. Just me trying to be intentional
about what I like.
Speaker 3 (55:12):
I can't tell you sometimes what I like Wow. So
I find myself finding and trying things, whether it's clothes,
whether it's shoes, whether it's food, Just tryna figure out
what I like. Vacation wise, where do I wanna go?
Speaker 2 (55:27):
Yeah, and not being so.
Speaker 3 (55:30):
Okay, I wanna go somewhere family base, and I really don't.
I really wanna go to all of those inclosve So
go do that opposed to okay, inst the holidays, where
we going?
Speaker 2 (55:46):
You know, just really honing in on me and what
I want cause I have been did that in forever
and ever.
Speaker 1 (55:57):
Amen, time is now?
Speaker 2 (56:01):
Yeah, it's time is now? What that next level look like?
M h, it's just doing it, just doing it.
Speaker 3 (56:12):
I know we need a plan, but right now I've
always had a plan.
Speaker 5 (56:19):
My life has been.
Speaker 1 (56:21):
And not have an exact plan right now for you?
Speaker 3 (56:23):
Yeah, and I wanna buck the system and not have
a plan. Yeah, And it's not because I know plans work.
Speaker 2 (56:35):
I wanna try something.
Speaker 3 (56:36):
Different, like business, are we gonna put a plan a place?
Speaker 2 (56:39):
Right?
Speaker 3 (56:39):
I gotta have a big plan. Gotta have a bitch plan,
gott a marketing plan. You gotta have fun to plan.
You gotta have a plan. But personally for myself, I
don't want to plan anything outside of running my business
and make it sure I have a lifestyle to live, right,
But I don't wanna play nothing.
Speaker 2 (56:58):
I just wanna.
Speaker 1 (57:00):
Mm hmm.
Speaker 2 (57:01):
I've never been the I don't know. I can't take
up with the flow. Yeah, but I wanna just like
m m hmm. I want to be in a lot
of land.
Speaker 1 (57:13):
For a second, right, see where life takes you.
Speaker 2 (57:15):
Yeah, that's good. I've always been so put together. Everything
got to.
Speaker 1 (57:22):
Be right and being okay with the answer being I
don't know.
Speaker 2 (57:30):
Oh, now, that scares me.
Speaker 5 (57:33):
I don't want to say I know everything.
Speaker 1 (57:35):
I know a person.
Speaker 3 (57:37):
Oh yeah, get to a point.
Speaker 1 (57:40):
Where you gotta be okay. I'm okay with not knowing.
I don't know.
Speaker 5 (57:47):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (57:48):
See that's that, and I haven't a plan.
Speaker 1 (57:50):
So yeah, all right, this was good. In a year
from now, we got to revisit this conversation, okay, okay,
and see and see what transpired. But I am very
proud of you. You are extremely successful, extremely valuable, knowledgeable, wise, funny, beautiful,
(58:15):
all of the things, and you should be very proud
of what you've been able to accomplish and the vision
that you've been able to create for yourself the impact
that you've been able to make in other people's lives
and the solutions that you keep on bringing to the
table to create lasting change.
Speaker 2 (58:32):
Yeah I did that. Oh my god. See that's not
like you want me to create content. What am I
supposed to say? What am I supposed to do?
Speaker 1 (58:43):
Oh? All right, that is good?
Speaker 2 (58:45):
Thank you?
Speaker 1 (58:46):
Thank you?
Speaker 2 (58:47):
Could you push me? You know I don't have people
push me. I'm normally to push her. Those have been changed.
Speaker 5 (59:00):
And I know sometimes I'm a bad student.
Speaker 1 (59:02):
Now I would not call you a bad student.
Speaker 2 (59:05):
I know I was a bestar because I couldn't remember nothing.
Speaker 1 (59:09):
But it's so funny. It takes time. Incrementals to small
incremental steps are still benchmarks for success. Like I put
on your paper, So like you had small wins. You
may not be able to press record right now and
do it in one take, but you've had some other
intangible things that you've been able to like really address
and look at that will help you get to that
(59:30):
point where you can press your record and do one take.
So you should be very very proud of yourself.
Speaker 3 (59:36):
And I'm a post. I'm hosting today post. I don't
know what I'm posting.
Speaker 2 (59:40):
Figure that out.
Speaker 3 (59:42):
And look, it's not taking me an hour anymore to
post it, take me like twenty thirty minutes.
Speaker 1 (59:47):
Okay, okay, small wins, we'll take it. We will take it.
As long as you hit posts, you're good with me.
Speaker 3 (59:56):
I'm posting. Yes, I gotta get my stuff on my
babies for Chrystmas.
Speaker 1 (01:00:00):
That's right, that's right, alright, y'all. Hope y'all enjoyed this episode,
and we're signing out.
Speaker 2 (01:00:06):
Thank you. Peace,
Popular Podcasts
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
The Brothers Ortiz
The Brothers Ortiz is the story of two brothers–both successful, but in very different ways. Gabe Ortiz becomes a third-highest ranking officer in all of Texas while his younger brother Larry climbs the ranks in Puro Tango Blast, a notorious Texas Prison gang. Gabe doesn’t know all the details of his brother’s nefarious dealings, and he’s made a point not to ask, to protect their relationship. But when Larry is murdered during a home invasion in a rented beach house, Gabe has no choice but to look into what happened that night. To solve Larry’s murder, Gabe, and the whole Ortiz family, must ask each other tough questions.