May 9, 2025 • 28 mins
Grace Redman is a charismatic entrepreneur, success coach, and
speaker with a passion for guiding entrepreneurs and high performers
to shatter their self-imposed glass ceilings and elevate their success.
Blending practical and holistic principles, Grace empowers her clients to
harness their talents, unlock their optimal potential, and transform both
their professional and personal lives.
As the best-selling author of "Can I Live?! Dare To Go From F*cked up to
Fabulous" and host of the "Real Talk with Grace Redman" podcast,
Grace's influence extends far beyond one-on-one coaching. With over 25
years as a successful entrepreneur in the competitive San Francisco Bay
Area, she has coached and mentored thousands of professionals
through her staffing firm. Her authenticity and vulnerability foster
genuine connections, establishing her as a trusted leader and go-to
expert in her field.
Grace's resilience is legendary. She not only survived but thrived through
four economic downturns and a global pandemic when many
competitors closed their doors. In 2024, her perseverance paid off when
her firm was named one of the top 5 women-owned businesses in the
area.
While Grace holds a Master's Degree and several coaching certifications,
her most profound teacher has been life itself. Her journey is a
testament to human resilience: building businesses while raising a
family, navigating addiction within the family, caring for parents at the
end of their life, and overcoming a cancer diagnosis that threatened to
derail her. These experiences honed Grace's extraordinary ability to
guide others through their own transformational journeys.
speaker with a passion for guiding entrepreneurs and high performers
to shatter their self-imposed glass ceilings and elevate their success.
Blending practical and holistic principles, Grace empowers her clients to
harness their talents, unlock their optimal potential, and transform both
their professional and personal lives.
As the best-selling author of "Can I Live?! Dare To Go From F*cked up to
Fabulous" and host of the "Real Talk with Grace Redman" podcast,
Grace's influence extends far beyond one-on-one coaching. With over 25
years as a successful entrepreneur in the competitive San Francisco Bay
Area, she has coached and mentored thousands of professionals
through her staffing firm. Her authenticity and vulnerability foster
genuine connections, establishing her as a trusted leader and go-to
expert in her field.
Grace's resilience is legendary. She not only survived but thrived through
four economic downturns and a global pandemic when many
competitors closed their doors. In 2024, her perseverance paid off when
her firm was named one of the top 5 women-owned businesses in the
area.
While Grace holds a Master's Degree and several coaching certifications,
her most profound teacher has been life itself. Her journey is a
testament to human resilience: building businesses while raising a
family, navigating addiction within the family, caring for parents at the
end of their life, and overcoming a cancer diagnosis that threatened to
derail her. These experiences honed Grace's extraordinary ability to
guide others through their own transformational journeys.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
I'm Cynthia James, and this network is about changing lives,
one woman at a time.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Hello, Welcome to Women Awakening.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
I'm your host, Cynthia James, and I have the distinct
honor of introducing you to fabulous women.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Actually, I think they're spectacular. I think this is the.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
Time for women emerging on the planet, and I think
that each one of the women I interview is someone
who said, I know what I've come here to do.
I'm going to step into it boldly and bravely. And
not only that, but I'm going to show others how
to do the exact same thing.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
You know.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
We are up every week on iTunes, iHeart Speaker, Amazon
Video YouTube. You look for Women Awakening with Cynthia James, subscribe,
share the videos. What I want you to know is
that every woman, there's been close to two hundred and
fifty women that I've interviewed now, every woman is here
(01:14):
to help you, invite you to your greater yet to be,
to step into your power and bring your light to
the planet. I really believe that the feminine energy is
needed drastically in this moment. So let me introduce you
to my guest. Her name is Grace Redmond. She's an entrepreneur,
(01:34):
a success coach, a speaker, and an author. She's a
charismatic entrepreneur and she helps people. She guides entrepreneurs and
high performers to shatter their self imposed glass ceilings and
elevate their success. She blends practical and holistic principles, and
(01:55):
she empowers her clients to harness their talents, unlock their
the more potential, and transform both their professional and their
personal lives.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
I love it.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
She has a book.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
She's a best selling author of the book Can I
Live Dare to Go From Fucked Up To Fabulous? And
she's the host of Real Talk with Grace Redmond podcast.
Grace's influence extends far beyond one on one coaching. With
over twenty five years as a successful entrepreneur in the
competitive San Francisco Bay Area, she has coached and mentored
(02:28):
thousands of professionals through her staffing film firm.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
Grace. Thank you. I'm so glad you're here.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
Oh Cynthia, thank you so much for having me. I
was really looking forward to joining you. I love your
energy and what you're doing, so thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
Well, I want to start by how you grew up.
You probably didn't just come on the planet to be
an entrepreneur or teach entrepreneurs. So how did you grow up?
Speaker 3 (02:54):
Well, I was the oldest of five children, and I
I had a lot of responsibility at a young age,
So I guess I had an entrepreneurial role, you know,
right away. And I remember when before I was even
ten years old, I would gather my siblings and my
(03:16):
cousins and the neighborhood kids and we had a purple
rug in our downstairs room, and I wanted to really
play teacher, but they never wanted to, you know, come
and pay. They're like, we don't want to do this,
like we want to play atara, you want to play
hide and seek. So, you know, I had to step
into a leadership role as you know, a very young child.
(03:37):
And I do come from an entrepreneurial family, and I
never dreamt about being an entrepreneur until I graduated from
college and realized that I wanted to have the flexibility
and autonomy to raise my family. And I also didn't
want to have a cap on my income. If I'm
being transparent, I hello, I.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
Think that's I think that's pretty good. Actually, So.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
How did you move into beginning to support others to
step into their power?
Speaker 3 (04:15):
And you can probably relate to this. Even as a
young girl, you know, fifteen, sixteen years old, I started
reading self development books and so I ended up being
the person even my mom would come to me for advice.
So I ended up being the person that my community
came to for advice, to listen to them, to hold
(04:38):
space for them. And so I believe it was just
something that was innate in me. And so then moving
into you know, staffing, you're helping people every day with
their livelihood and you're coaching them, and so I just
I'm sure, like yourself, I have this desire to help
(04:59):
and and just thank goodness, Like in the staff and
you're helping people and the coaching, you're helping people. So
for me, helping others just was something natural that came
to me from you know, a young age.
Speaker 1 (05:13):
Yeah, well, it's kind of clear to me that just
by being in your presence that you have this energy
of being a servant leader.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
I want to just talk.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
A little bit about your work. When I was looking
at it's things that came across my desk. It's said,
talk about the three seeds of success.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
What is that?
Speaker 3 (05:36):
Yes, there's I've realized there's so many seeds, but the
three top three seeds for me is having conviction in
your vision of your future self personally and professionally. Like
you have to have unwavering conviction in that vision, and
then you need the commitment and consistency to the action
(05:56):
that's going to get you to that vision. So just
having that conviction being committed and consistent, and being committed
and consistent and taking action. It doesn't mean you have to,
you know, be hustling and grinding twenty four to seven
and when we're trying to really break that myth, but
just being consistent and committed to the actions you take
(06:17):
to step into that future self that you have in
your heart.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
Yeah, that's beautiful.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
And I want to talk about the conviction of the vision,
you know, because a lot of people have goals. I
want to get to hear. But what's the importance of
having a clear vision that you will not be.
Speaker 3 (06:37):
Moved well without that clear vision, So let me go back.
Having conviction in the vision, Yes, is very important. However,
what I've learned is oftentimes I might not know exactly
what the vision is, but just having conviction and knowing
that you're open to more and better and that you're
(07:00):
open to how you get there and you're open to
how it looks like. So can I ask you a question?
Speaker 2 (07:06):
Absolutely so for.
Speaker 3 (07:08):
You, Cynthia James, is the life that you've created even
better than you ever imagined?
Speaker 2 (07:14):
One hundred percent? There you go, hundred percent.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
I mean, I knew that I wanted to be a teacher.
I knew that I wanted to be a speaker and
an author. I knew those things, but I didn't know
what I didn't know, and so I had to find
a mentor someone and went through a leadership program to
really learn how to run a business. Because before I
had worked in corporate America and different companies, and I
(07:39):
had helped other people build their businesses. I didn't know
what does it take for me to build mine?
Speaker 3 (07:45):
Beautiful? And you know, I was thinking about this the
other day. Building my staffing firm. I've been doing the
staffing for twenty six years, in the coaching for ten years.
I had plenty of mentors from when I started the
coaching side of the business. I mean I work with
you know, two to four mentors at a time for
the coaching business. However, the staffing business, I went at
(08:07):
it alone. I did have a couple of mentors. However,
I the other day, I'm like, oh my gosh, Grace,
you really didn't have community to support you growing the
staffing side of the business. And you know that gave
me a tremendous sense of you know confidence. I'm like, Okay, well,
I really am resilient because we do need community and
(08:29):
we do need mentors to help us along the way.
The way I did it in the staffing is I
learned from I failed so much, and I learned from
my mistakes. Whereas the blessing now on the coaching side
of the business, like yourself, I have incredible mentors and
coaches who are helping me grow my coaching and speaking business.
And my goodness, it feels amazing to have those mentors.
(08:52):
And I love being the mentor to other entrepreneurs.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
We need that hundred percent. Community is everything.
Speaker 1 (08:59):
It really is is can you talk about tell me
about the staffing business at work and who comes to
you for staffing.
Speaker 3 (09:08):
So the staffing business has been just such an incredible,
incredible gift that I've been you know, able to step
into it, and I've been helping candidates, meaning individuals who
are either in between work or looking for new opportunities,
find their next opportunity, take the next step in their career.
(09:31):
And then I help the you know, local companies identify
that talent. So I'm working with clients who are looking
to hire professionals and I'm working with the professionals who
are looking for new opportunities. And in both those you know, dynamics,
there's a tremendous amount of coaching and mentoring that takes place.
(09:52):
And that's a piece that I loved about the business,
and it's very you know, you'd really need to be
a servant leader in this industry because it has a
seventy five percent turnover rate. And when I stepped back
and I said, you know, I want to be a
servant leader and really focused on nurturing the relationships. That
was how I was able to grow the business and
(10:13):
make it through five economic downturns and the pandemic. Because
I focused on servant leadership and building the relationships. Yeah,
I think it's so important, and especially today, you know,
the people that I work with, because I work with leaders,
it's like they want to be in partnership or collaboration
(10:37):
with people that don't just align with the product that
they're bringing, but have the same values and what I
operate in the same way.
Speaker 2 (10:47):
Are you finding out as well? How?
Speaker 3 (10:49):
Absolutely? Absolutely? I love the book The go Giver because
it really, you know, hones in on the values and
when you're showing up with integrity and your values, you're
going to align with the right vendors, clients, you know, people,
your team, So it's really important. And energy is important
(11:11):
because people can feel the energy of someone's someone who's ingenuous.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
Yes, absolutely, well, you know I mean that. I love
that your company has been around for so long. I
really want to talk about how do you support people
to have confidence even when there's adversity and there's challenges
because there's a lot going on on our planet right.
Speaker 3 (11:35):
Oh yes, girl, Like, how what do.
Speaker 1 (11:39):
You coach them to do so that they can stay
in the center and achieve their goals.
Speaker 3 (11:45):
That's such a great question and really my main goal
first thing is, you know, let's help you unlock your
inner piece. And the way we begin to do that is,
you know, what are the stories you're telling yourself and
what are the things that are triggering you and stressing
you out, because what I'm finding is that most of
(12:07):
us are in a heightened state of stress majority of
the time and fight or flight, and when we're in
that place, it's very hard for us to uh, I
find attract opportunities and possibilities and be creative to grow
our businesses. So the first step we take is, Okay,
let's help you regulate your nervous system, manage your state,
(12:30):
to help you unlock that inner piece, because then you
will be more able to manage the storms and really
soar into that next level of success. And we all
there's so many storms happening outside of us. Within us,
there's so much chaos that we're experiencing right now, and
(12:52):
then the most important thing is really learning how to
go within, manage your state, regulate your nervous system, so
then from there you can bring in the tools to
help you soar through these storms because they're not going
not that we're not going to have better times. We are. However,
there are always storms in life.
Speaker 2 (13:13):
One hundred percent.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
And the thing that you're just going to be in
a bliss bubble, I'm thinking no, because you've got to
learn how to navigate life, and I think it's it's
it's one of the things that I see some of
the younger people on the planet struggling with because they
haven't been given the tools.
Speaker 2 (13:31):
Yeah, how to navigate?
Speaker 3 (13:32):
Yes, yes, I want to talk about their book.
Speaker 2 (13:35):
Yes, I love this title. Okay, can I live? Okay?
Speaker 3 (13:39):
Can I live?
Speaker 2 (13:41):
Yes? Well? Can you? And how do you go from
fed up to fabulous?
Speaker 1 (13:46):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (13:46):
My god, yes you can? You can? And I share
the story. When I was nineteen years old, I was
really going through a very challenging time and thank God
that I had the intuitive sense to seek professional help.
So in secret, I started going to a therapist too.
I saw on and off for twenty five years, and
so ten years ago when I started coaching side of
(14:08):
the business, and I reached out to her and said,
you know, I'm going to start a coaching side of
the business. She said, I really need to be transparent
with you. I never thought that you're going to make it.
And I said, oh my gosh, you know, I hope
you're not offended. I said, I'm not offended at all.
It actually speaks to the resilience of you know, us
(14:29):
as humans, as spirits, and so that's you know what.
I wrote the book about the steps that I took
to move from you know, dysfunction to living in a
healthier way emotionally, mentally, physically, spiritually, and financially. And so
that's what it's about, the steps that I took.
Speaker 1 (14:49):
Wow, well, can you share some of the steps with us,
you know, cause I know that there's women out there going,
oh my gosh. You know, I've been in therapy for
five years. I've been you know, I've been.
Speaker 2 (14:59):
Up down and I need some tools. So tell us
somebody you took.
Speaker 3 (15:07):
Well, one of the most powerful principles that I learned
was the most empowered person in the room is a
person who takes nothing personal. And I was like, whoa
wait a second, whoa hold on, let's back up. I
was talking to my professor. I'm like, wait, what do
you mean. He said, that's the most empowered person. You
(15:28):
don't take anything personal. Because I was raised in an
environment where you took everything personal. You internalized everything, you
were worried about what everyone said about you, and that
was exhausting, exhausting, and that holds you back. That's really
self sabotage. And it. Yes, I succeeded. However, the success
(15:49):
felt like a struggle. So the moment that I learned
that and he said, get curious, step back, what could
be going on with the other person, don't make it
about you And that was a game changer for me. Now,
it doesn't mean we don't take accountability for our part,
but if we're not taking everything personal and internalizing it,
(16:13):
that's a game changer. That's a big part of us
managing our state.
Speaker 1 (16:18):
Yeah, well, you know, and that's one of the four
agreements from John Don Miguel Louise. It's like, take nothing
personally and so you know, but that thing that you said,
that one word curiosity is actually a key because if
you become curious, you don't just assume that everything is
about you. That's right, Okay, tell me another one.
Speaker 3 (16:41):
Another one is I had to learn to choose me
and to begin to diminish the people pleasing tendencies that
I had. Yeah, you know, and because I was and
solid in my self worth and I didn't feel that
(17:04):
I was good enough. I was constantly trying to please others.
I was, you know, the yes person. I was trying
to make everyone happy, and we cannot make everyone happy.
That's not possible, because if a person isn't satisfied within themselves,
there's no nothing that we can do to satisfy them, right.
(17:27):
And so once I started to learn, okay, you know,
I need to cultivate and unlock my self worth and
really be grounded in my self worth, then all these
other pieces would, you know, unfold naturally, like I would
step out of the people pleasing tendencies. But choosing yourself
(17:47):
and disappointing others it's a hard thing to do, especially
as a people pleaser, because then you feel like you're
the bad guy.
Speaker 2 (17:54):
Right well, and selfish. You know. I wrote a book
called I Choose Me for.
Speaker 1 (17:59):
Women, Oh yes, well, and when I was researching, you know,
women were property to the early nineteen hundreds, and we
were expected to take care of everybody else. In fact,
we were told, if you don't put everybody first, your selfish.
Speaker 3 (18:13):
That's right.
Speaker 1 (18:14):
So and if you put everybody first, just like you said,
then you've got to make everybody happy, which is an impossibility.
And so my question for you is, what was the
point where you said no more?
Speaker 3 (18:31):
There were so many points. Okay, so there was one
point where I was struggling with my family again, and
you know that's what I, you know, went to therapy for,
because you know, I was struggling with my family with
this functional relationships. And so I went back to my
(18:52):
therapist and I said, oh my gosh, here we are again.
I'm dealing with the gas lighting and the manipulation. And
she looked at me and said, you know what, Race,
go home. I'm like what, she goes. I've been hearing
the same story for twenty something years. I don't even
know what to say to you. Go home. Come back
next week. I'll have an answer for you. Yeah. Right,
(19:16):
Oh okay, I'm at home. Oh sorry. So I went
back the next week and said, you have a decision
to make. Either you choose yourself and your family, meaning myself,
my husband, and my children, or the extended family. I said, well,
what about you know, the kids. You know, the young
kids in my family doesn't matter. Make a choice right now.
(19:40):
And so I had to make that. I'm getting emotional,
So I had to make that difficult choice, and I
chose myself, my husband, and my children. And I when
I went home to tell my husband, he said, it's
about time. And I said, oh my goodness, I didn't
know that he felt that way, and so estranging myself
from my family was very difficult. I felt very isolated. However,
(20:04):
it was one of the most incredibly healing decisions I
could have made for myself and my family.
Speaker 1 (20:12):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (20:12):
Well, first of all, bravo, thank you. You know it.
You know it isn't easy to choose self love.
Speaker 3 (20:23):
No, it's not when we've been conditioned, like you said,
to put everyone else first. However, there's a reason when
we get on that airplane flight, they tell you put
the oxygen mask on yourself before anyone else. How can
you give if you don't have anything to give? You
can't give from empty You cannot. So I want to
(20:43):
talk about harmony because here you've got two businesses. Yes,
you've got a husband, and you've got children, yes, and
you got you Yes.
Speaker 2 (20:55):
How are you creating harmony?
Speaker 3 (20:57):
Oh? My goodness, you know it is every single day.
I need to be very intentional and very discerning on
where and how I spend my time. And so this
might not sound very sexy, but I have a calendar,
and you know, each week everything is calendared out, and
(21:19):
I do calendar space for fun and play and reset.
That's a must, because what I'm also working on we
really need to bust the myth of the hustling grind. Now,
there's nothing wrong with hustling and grinding as long as
we integrate it with rest, reset, play, fun. And so
(21:41):
I live by the calendar. However, the calendar has pockets
of flow in it, and every day I make sure
I exercise and get out for a walk with the dog.
That's non negotiable.
Speaker 2 (21:53):
I love it.
Speaker 1 (21:54):
Well, two things you said. The first one is last
thing you said, non negotiable. You have to have non negots, Yes,
because if you don't, people will push the boundaries and
be trying to get you to do stuff.
Speaker 2 (22:05):
Yes. But the other part that I really.
Speaker 1 (22:08):
Love is that I tell my clients the calendar is
for you too.
Speaker 2 (22:14):
It's not just but out there.
Speaker 1 (22:18):
And so I remember getting a job and it was
a pretty intense leadership role and my boss said, there's
only one thing I want to tell you. He said,
put your family and your vacations on the calendar before
anything else.
Speaker 3 (22:34):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (22:34):
What Yes, yes, he said, because if you don't, we
will find ways to fill your calendar for you.
Speaker 3 (22:42):
That's true. You know, I love that because I'm in
you know, so many incredible communities with you know, high performers,
and recently I realized, like, okay, Grace, like you're hustling
and grinding, you're not getting enough rest and reset. And
so I felt a little bit, I'm gonna be transparent.
I felt a tiny bit of shame, like coming into
(23:04):
these these communities of high performers and saying, hey, y'all,
you know I'm falling into my hustling grind. I haven't
rested and reset enough. I need to put myself and
my family first, Like I was being vulnerable, and that
may have been the first time where I mean you
talked like really high performers. All of them were like, yes,
right on, do it. Put your family first, put yourself first.
(23:28):
And once I stepped back and reset, Cynthia, I've been
more productive well one hundred percent.
Speaker 1 (23:33):
And something happened recently with someone that I was working with,
an amazing woman you know, had went into a company
and changed things around, and I mean it was making
a huge impact, and something happened in their family where
there was a huge diagnosis. And so the conversation was, Okay,
(24:01):
I love what I'm doing over here, but I have
to put this first and so the whole work we
did was how do we help her move through the
emotional states of the ceilings, but know that she hads
to choose the family because the work will be there,
but the family, yes, what need is needed in the moment.
Speaker 3 (24:24):
So yeah, and that's really my intention as I'm working
with you know, entrepreneurs and leaders to again, let's bust
the myth of the hustling grind because a lot of
us feel like if we're not hustling and grinding, we're
not good enough. We're going to lose our businesses, we're
going to lose our careers, and that's not true. And
I love what you said. You know, let's get the
(24:47):
leaders and executives and the management teams on board to
recognize that we're a whole person, because I believe that
we've been taught to compartmentalize our personal and professional lives,
which disconnects us and fragments us. And so if we can,
you know, support our teams and they're going to come
back and be even you know, more present for us.
Speaker 2 (25:11):
Yes, yes, Well, and here's the thing.
Speaker 1 (25:16):
If you do not take care of you, your body
will eventually sit you down.
Speaker 3 (25:21):
I mean it will and I've experienced that, you know,
I had to you know, or diagnosis a couple of
years ago, and it it will And that's what we
want to make an effort to avoid. Because so do
you either want to make time right now for the
rest and reset because if not, you know, the universe
is going to make you take the time and then
(25:41):
that takes longer to recover and to take the time.
So that's really again, working with leaders and entrepreneurs to
unlock their inner peace and their fierce confidence is about
choosing you, because then you can be more of an
impact for community, for your team, for your family.
Speaker 1 (26:05):
Yeah, well, I want to know how people find you
in your beautiful work.
Speaker 3 (26:11):
Thank you. You can find me at www dot Graceredman
dot com and there you'll find my links to social media.
You'll be able to reach out to me if you're
interested in doing a discovery call, and you'll also find
my podcast there. So everything isn't in one place.
Speaker 2 (26:31):
Beautiful, Thank you, Well I am.
Speaker 1 (26:34):
I asked the same last question of every guest.
Speaker 2 (26:38):
This show is called Women Awakening.
Speaker 1 (26:41):
What do you think is the most important thing about
women awakening on the planet in this moment?
Speaker 3 (26:48):
This may sound cliche, but it's going to be you know,
that self love and really grounding into your worth because
we were all created in the image of our creator,
and just connect to that power within yourself and I
know that's the answers. Like when we connect to ourselves
(27:08):
and that power greater than us and find that self love,
we can be so impactful to really help elevate the
collective because we are in a place of chaos right now,
so the world needs us to step into the love
for ourselves so we can be those people that shine
the light on this chaos.
Speaker 2 (27:31):
I couldn't agree with you more. Grace. Thank you, Thank
you for bringing.
Speaker 1 (27:35):
Your when I look at you and when I tap
into your energy, I think grace is the perfect name
for you.
Speaker 3 (27:44):
Thank you. I appreciate you so much.
Speaker 2 (27:46):
Thank you. I'm really grateful you were here today.
Speaker 3 (27:49):
Thank you for having me.
Speaker 2 (27:50):
I'm grateful, all right, ladies.
Speaker 1 (27:53):
I close this show the same way every time with
different words. You know, the moment, the moment you get
how important you are, how essential you are, how much
you matter, you will cease to give yourself away in
ways that do not supports your health and your well being.
Speaker 2 (28:16):
So you know, think about what Grace.
Speaker 1 (28:20):
Said, and really move forward to love yourself, take care
of you, and have non negotiables for your health and
well being. I love you and I'll see you next time.
I'm Cynthia James, and this network is about changing lives,
one woman at a time.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Hello, Welcome to Women Awakening.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
I'm your host, Cynthia James, and I have the distinct
honor of introducing you to fabulous women.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Actually, I think they're spectacular. I think this is the.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
Time for women emerging on the planet, and I think
that each one of the women I interview is someone
who said, I know what I've come here to do.
I'm going to step into it boldly and bravely. And
not only that, but I'm going to show others how
to do the exact same thing.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
You know.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
We are up every week on iTunes, iHeart Speaker, Amazon
Video YouTube. You look for Women Awakening with Cynthia James, subscribe,
share the videos. What I want you to know is
that every woman, there's been close to two hundred and
fifty women that I've interviewed now, every woman is here
(01:14):
to help you, invite you to your greater yet to be,
to step into your power and bring your light to
the planet. I really believe that the feminine energy is
needed drastically in this moment. So let me introduce you
to my guest. Her name is Grace Redmond. She's an entrepreneur,
(01:34):
a success coach, a speaker, and an author. She's a
charismatic entrepreneur and she helps people. She guides entrepreneurs and
high performers to shatter their self imposed glass ceilings and
elevate their success. She blends practical and holistic principles, and
(01:55):
she empowers her clients to harness their talents, unlock their
the more potential, and transform both their professional and their
personal lives.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
I love it.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
She has a book.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
She's a best selling author of the book Can I
Live Dare to Go From Fucked Up To Fabulous? And
she's the host of Real Talk with Grace Redmond podcast.
Grace's influence extends far beyond one on one coaching. With
over twenty five years as a successful entrepreneur in the
competitive San Francisco Bay Area, she has coached and mentored
(02:28):
thousands of professionals through her staffing film firm.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
Grace. Thank you. I'm so glad you're here.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
Oh Cynthia, thank you so much for having me. I
was really looking forward to joining you. I love your
energy and what you're doing, so thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
Well, I want to start by how you grew up.
You probably didn't just come on the planet to be
an entrepreneur or teach entrepreneurs. So how did you grow up?
Speaker 3 (02:54):
Well, I was the oldest of five children, and I
I had a lot of responsibility at a young age,
So I guess I had an entrepreneurial role, you know,
right away. And I remember when before I was even
ten years old, I would gather my siblings and my
(03:16):
cousins and the neighborhood kids and we had a purple
rug in our downstairs room, and I wanted to really
play teacher, but they never wanted to, you know, come
and pay. They're like, we don't want to do this,
like we want to play atara, you want to play
hide and seek. So, you know, I had to step
into a leadership role as you know, a very young child.
(03:37):
And I do come from an entrepreneurial family, and I
never dreamt about being an entrepreneur until I graduated from
college and realized that I wanted to have the flexibility
and autonomy to raise my family. And I also didn't
want to have a cap on my income. If I'm
being transparent, I hello, I.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
Think that's I think that's pretty good. Actually, So.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
How did you move into beginning to support others to
step into their power?
Speaker 3 (04:15):
And you can probably relate to this. Even as a
young girl, you know, fifteen, sixteen years old, I started
reading self development books and so I ended up being
the person even my mom would come to me for advice.
So I ended up being the person that my community
came to for advice, to listen to them, to hold
(04:38):
space for them. And so I believe it was just
something that was innate in me. And so then moving
into you know, staffing, you're helping people every day with
their livelihood and you're coaching them, and so I just
I'm sure, like yourself, I have this desire to help
(04:59):
and and just thank goodness, Like in the staff and
you're helping people and the coaching, you're helping people. So
for me, helping others just was something natural that came
to me from you know, a young age.
Speaker 1 (05:13):
Yeah, well, it's kind of clear to me that just
by being in your presence that you have this energy
of being a servant leader.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
I want to just talk.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
A little bit about your work. When I was looking
at it's things that came across my desk. It's said,
talk about the three seeds of success.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
What is that?
Speaker 3 (05:36):
Yes, there's I've realized there's so many seeds, but the
three top three seeds for me is having conviction in
your vision of your future self personally and professionally. Like
you have to have unwavering conviction in that vision, and
then you need the commitment and consistency to the action
(05:56):
that's going to get you to that vision. So just
having that conviction being committed and consistent, and being committed
and consistent and taking action. It doesn't mean you have to,
you know, be hustling and grinding twenty four to seven
and when we're trying to really break that myth, but
just being consistent and committed to the actions you take
(06:17):
to step into that future self that you have in
your heart.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
Yeah, that's beautiful.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
And I want to talk about the conviction of the vision,
you know, because a lot of people have goals. I
want to get to hear. But what's the importance of
having a clear vision that you will not be.
Speaker 3 (06:37):
Moved well without that clear vision, So let me go back.
Having conviction in the vision, Yes, is very important. However,
what I've learned is oftentimes I might not know exactly
what the vision is, but just having conviction and knowing
that you're open to more and better and that you're
(07:00):
open to how you get there and you're open to
how it looks like. So can I ask you a question?
Speaker 2 (07:06):
Absolutely so for.
Speaker 3 (07:08):
You, Cynthia James, is the life that you've created even
better than you ever imagined?
Speaker 2 (07:14):
One hundred percent? There you go, hundred percent.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
I mean, I knew that I wanted to be a teacher.
I knew that I wanted to be a speaker and
an author. I knew those things, but I didn't know
what I didn't know, and so I had to find
a mentor someone and went through a leadership program to
really learn how to run a business. Because before I
had worked in corporate America and different companies, and I
(07:39):
had helped other people build their businesses. I didn't know
what does it take for me to build mine?
Speaker 3 (07:45):
Beautiful? And you know, I was thinking about this the
other day. Building my staffing firm. I've been doing the
staffing for twenty six years, in the coaching for ten years.
I had plenty of mentors from when I started the
coaching side of the business. I mean I work with
you know, two to four mentors at a time for
the coaching business. However, the staffing business, I went at
(08:07):
it alone. I did have a couple of mentors. However,
I the other day, I'm like, oh my gosh, Grace,
you really didn't have community to support you growing the
staffing side of the business. And you know that gave
me a tremendous sense of you know confidence. I'm like, Okay, well,
I really am resilient because we do need community and
(08:29):
we do need mentors to help us along the way.
The way I did it in the staffing is I
learned from I failed so much, and I learned from
my mistakes. Whereas the blessing now on the coaching side
of the business, like yourself, I have incredible mentors and
coaches who are helping me grow my coaching and speaking business.
And my goodness, it feels amazing to have those mentors.
(08:52):
And I love being the mentor to other entrepreneurs.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
We need that hundred percent. Community is everything.
Speaker 1 (08:59):
It really is is can you talk about tell me
about the staffing business at work and who comes to
you for staffing.
Speaker 3 (09:08):
So the staffing business has been just such an incredible,
incredible gift that I've been you know, able to step
into it, and I've been helping candidates, meaning individuals who
are either in between work or looking for new opportunities,
find their next opportunity, take the next step in their career.
(09:31):
And then I help the you know, local companies identify
that talent. So I'm working with clients who are looking
to hire professionals and I'm working with the professionals who
are looking for new opportunities. And in both those you know, dynamics,
there's a tremendous amount of coaching and mentoring that takes place.
(09:52):
And that's a piece that I loved about the business,
and it's very you know, you'd really need to be
a servant leader in this industry because it has a
seventy five percent turnover rate. And when I stepped back
and I said, you know, I want to be a
servant leader and really focused on nurturing the relationships. That
was how I was able to grow the business and
(10:13):
make it through five economic downturns and the pandemic. Because
I focused on servant leadership and building the relationships. Yeah,
I think it's so important, and especially today, you know,
the people that I work with, because I work with leaders,
it's like they want to be in partnership or collaboration
(10:37):
with people that don't just align with the product that
they're bringing, but have the same values and what I
operate in the same way.
Speaker 2 (10:47):
Are you finding out as well? How?
Speaker 3 (10:49):
Absolutely? Absolutely? I love the book The go Giver because
it really, you know, hones in on the values and
when you're showing up with integrity and your values, you're
going to align with the right vendors, clients, you know, people,
your team, So it's really important. And energy is important
(11:11):
because people can feel the energy of someone's someone who's ingenuous.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
Yes, absolutely, well, you know I mean that. I love
that your company has been around for so long. I
really want to talk about how do you support people
to have confidence even when there's adversity and there's challenges
because there's a lot going on on our planet right.
Speaker 3 (11:35):
Oh yes, girl, Like, how what do.
Speaker 1 (11:39):
You coach them to do so that they can stay
in the center and achieve their goals.
Speaker 3 (11:45):
That's such a great question and really my main goal
first thing is, you know, let's help you unlock your
inner piece. And the way we begin to do that is,
you know, what are the stories you're telling yourself and
what are the things that are triggering you and stressing
you out, because what I'm finding is that most of
(12:07):
us are in a heightened state of stress majority of
the time and fight or flight, and when we're in
that place, it's very hard for us to uh, I
find attract opportunities and possibilities and be creative to grow
our businesses. So the first step we take is, Okay,
let's help you regulate your nervous system, manage your state,
(12:30):
to help you unlock that inner piece, because then you
will be more able to manage the storms and really
soar into that next level of success. And we all
there's so many storms happening outside of us. Within us,
there's so much chaos that we're experiencing right now, and
(12:52):
then the most important thing is really learning how to
go within, manage your state, regulate your nervous system, so
then from there you can bring in the tools to
help you soar through these storms because they're not going
not that we're not going to have better times. We are. However,
there are always storms in life.
Speaker 2 (13:13):
One hundred percent.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
And the thing that you're just going to be in
a bliss bubble, I'm thinking no, because you've got to
learn how to navigate life, and I think it's it's
it's one of the things that I see some of
the younger people on the planet struggling with because they
haven't been given the tools.
Speaker 2 (13:31):
Yeah, how to navigate?
Speaker 3 (13:32):
Yes, yes, I want to talk about their book.
Speaker 2 (13:35):
Yes, I love this title. Okay, can I live? Okay?
Speaker 3 (13:39):
Can I live?
Speaker 2 (13:41):
Yes? Well? Can you? And how do you go from
fed up to fabulous?
Speaker 1 (13:46):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (13:46):
My god, yes you can? You can? And I share
the story. When I was nineteen years old, I was
really going through a very challenging time and thank God
that I had the intuitive sense to seek professional help.
So in secret, I started going to a therapist too.
I saw on and off for twenty five years, and
so ten years ago when I started coaching side of
(14:08):
the business, and I reached out to her and said,
you know, I'm going to start a coaching side of
the business. She said, I really need to be transparent
with you. I never thought that you're going to make it.
And I said, oh my gosh, you know, I hope
you're not offended. I said, I'm not offended at all.
It actually speaks to the resilience of you know, us
(14:29):
as humans, as spirits, and so that's you know what.
I wrote the book about the steps that I took
to move from you know, dysfunction to living in a
healthier way emotionally, mentally, physically, spiritually, and financially. And so
that's what it's about, the steps that I took.
Speaker 1 (14:49):
Wow, well, can you share some of the steps with us,
you know, cause I know that there's women out there going,
oh my gosh. You know, I've been in therapy for
five years. I've been you know, I've been.
Speaker 2 (14:59):
Up down and I need some tools. So tell us
somebody you took.
Speaker 3 (15:07):
Well, one of the most powerful principles that I learned
was the most empowered person in the room is a
person who takes nothing personal. And I was like, whoa
wait a second, whoa hold on, let's back up. I
was talking to my professor. I'm like, wait, what do
you mean. He said, that's the most empowered person. You
(15:28):
don't take anything personal. Because I was raised in an
environment where you took everything personal. You internalized everything, you
were worried about what everyone said about you, and that
was exhausting, exhausting, and that holds you back. That's really
self sabotage. And it. Yes, I succeeded. However, the success
(15:49):
felt like a struggle. So the moment that I learned
that and he said, get curious, step back, what could
be going on with the other person, don't make it
about you And that was a game changer for me. Now,
it doesn't mean we don't take accountability for our part,
but if we're not taking everything personal and internalizing it,
(16:13):
that's a game changer. That's a big part of us
managing our state.
Speaker 1 (16:18):
Yeah, well, you know, and that's one of the four
agreements from John Don Miguel Louise. It's like, take nothing
personally and so you know, but that thing that you said,
that one word curiosity is actually a key because if
you become curious, you don't just assume that everything is
about you. That's right, Okay, tell me another one.
Speaker 3 (16:41):
Another one is I had to learn to choose me
and to begin to diminish the people pleasing tendencies that
I had. Yeah, you know, and because I was and
solid in my self worth and I didn't feel that
(17:04):
I was good enough. I was constantly trying to please others.
I was, you know, the yes person. I was trying
to make everyone happy, and we cannot make everyone happy.
That's not possible, because if a person isn't satisfied within themselves,
there's no nothing that we can do to satisfy them, right.
(17:27):
And so once I started to learn, okay, you know,
I need to cultivate and unlock my self worth and
really be grounded in my self worth, then all these
other pieces would, you know, unfold naturally, like I would
step out of the people pleasing tendencies. But choosing yourself
(17:47):
and disappointing others it's a hard thing to do, especially
as a people pleaser, because then you feel like you're
the bad guy.
Speaker 2 (17:54):
Right well, and selfish. You know. I wrote a book
called I Choose Me for.
Speaker 1 (17:59):
Women, Oh yes, well, and when I was researching, you know,
women were property to the early nineteen hundreds, and we
were expected to take care of everybody else. In fact,
we were told, if you don't put everybody first, your selfish.
Speaker 3 (18:13):
That's right.
Speaker 1 (18:14):
So and if you put everybody first, just like you said,
then you've got to make everybody happy, which is an impossibility.
And so my question for you is, what was the
point where you said no more?
Speaker 3 (18:31):
There were so many points. Okay, so there was one
point where I was struggling with my family again, and
you know that's what I, you know, went to therapy for,
because you know, I was struggling with my family with
this functional relationships. And so I went back to my
(18:52):
therapist and I said, oh my gosh, here we are again.
I'm dealing with the gas lighting and the manipulation. And
she looked at me and said, you know what, Race,
go home. I'm like what, she goes. I've been hearing
the same story for twenty something years. I don't even
know what to say to you. Go home. Come back
next week. I'll have an answer for you. Yeah. Right,
(19:16):
Oh okay, I'm at home. Oh sorry. So I went
back the next week and said, you have a decision
to make. Either you choose yourself and your family, meaning myself,
my husband, and my children, or the extended family. I said, well,
what about you know, the kids. You know, the young
kids in my family doesn't matter. Make a choice right now.
(19:40):
And so I had to make that. I'm getting emotional,
So I had to make that difficult choice, and I
chose myself, my husband, and my children. And I when
I went home to tell my husband, he said, it's
about time. And I said, oh my goodness, I didn't
know that he felt that way, and so estranging myself
from my family was very difficult. I felt very isolated. However,
(20:04):
it was one of the most incredibly healing decisions I
could have made for myself and my family.
Speaker 1 (20:12):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (20:12):
Well, first of all, bravo, thank you. You know it.
You know it isn't easy to choose self love.
Speaker 3 (20:23):
No, it's not when we've been conditioned, like you said,
to put everyone else first. However, there's a reason when
we get on that airplane flight, they tell you put
the oxygen mask on yourself before anyone else. How can
you give if you don't have anything to give? You
can't give from empty You cannot. So I want to
(20:43):
talk about harmony because here you've got two businesses. Yes,
you've got a husband, and you've got children, yes, and
you got you Yes.
Speaker 2 (20:55):
How are you creating harmony?
Speaker 3 (20:57):
Oh? My goodness, you know it is every single day.
I need to be very intentional and very discerning on
where and how I spend my time. And so this
might not sound very sexy, but I have a calendar,
and you know, each week everything is calendared out, and
(21:19):
I do calendar space for fun and play and reset.
That's a must, because what I'm also working on we
really need to bust the myth of the hustling grind. Now,
there's nothing wrong with hustling and grinding as long as
we integrate it with rest, reset, play, fun. And so
(21:41):
I live by the calendar. However, the calendar has pockets
of flow in it, and every day I make sure
I exercise and get out for a walk with the dog.
That's non negotiable.
Speaker 2 (21:53):
I love it.
Speaker 1 (21:54):
Well, two things you said. The first one is last
thing you said, non negotiable. You have to have non negots, Yes,
because if you don't, people will push the boundaries and
be trying to get you to do stuff.
Speaker 2 (22:05):
Yes. But the other part that I really.
Speaker 1 (22:08):
Love is that I tell my clients the calendar is
for you too.
Speaker 2 (22:14):
It's not just but out there.
Speaker 1 (22:18):
And so I remember getting a job and it was
a pretty intense leadership role and my boss said, there's
only one thing I want to tell you. He said,
put your family and your vacations on the calendar before
anything else.
Speaker 3 (22:34):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (22:34):
What Yes, yes, he said, because if you don't, we
will find ways to fill your calendar for you.
Speaker 3 (22:42):
That's true. You know, I love that because I'm in
you know, so many incredible communities with you know, high performers,
and recently I realized, like, okay, Grace, like you're hustling
and grinding, you're not getting enough rest and reset. And
so I felt a little bit, I'm gonna be transparent.
I felt a tiny bit of shame, like coming into
(23:04):
these these communities of high performers and saying, hey, y'all,
you know I'm falling into my hustling grind. I haven't
rested and reset enough. I need to put myself and
my family first, Like I was being vulnerable, and that
may have been the first time where I mean you
talked like really high performers. All of them were like, yes,
right on, do it. Put your family first, put yourself first.
(23:28):
And once I stepped back and reset, Cynthia, I've been
more productive well one hundred percent.
Speaker 1 (23:33):
And something happened recently with someone that I was working with,
an amazing woman you know, had went into a company
and changed things around, and I mean it was making
a huge impact, and something happened in their family where
there was a huge diagnosis. And so the conversation was, Okay,
(24:01):
I love what I'm doing over here, but I have
to put this first and so the whole work we
did was how do we help her move through the
emotional states of the ceilings, but know that she hads
to choose the family because the work will be there,
but the family, yes, what need is needed in the moment.
Speaker 3 (24:24):
So yeah, and that's really my intention as I'm working
with you know, entrepreneurs and leaders to again, let's bust
the myth of the hustling grind because a lot of
us feel like if we're not hustling and grinding, we're
not good enough. We're going to lose our businesses, we're
going to lose our careers, and that's not true. And
I love what you said. You know, let's get the
(24:47):
leaders and executives and the management teams on board to
recognize that we're a whole person, because I believe that
we've been taught to compartmentalize our personal and professional lives,
which disconnects us and fragments us. And so if we can,
you know, support our teams and they're going to come
back and be even you know, more present for us.
Speaker 2 (25:11):
Yes, yes, Well, and here's the thing.
Speaker 1 (25:16):
If you do not take care of you, your body
will eventually sit you down.
Speaker 3 (25:21):
I mean it will and I've experienced that, you know,
I had to you know, or diagnosis a couple of
years ago, and it it will And that's what we
want to make an effort to avoid. Because so do
you either want to make time right now for the
rest and reset because if not, you know, the universe
is going to make you take the time and then
(25:41):
that takes longer to recover and to take the time.
So that's really again, working with leaders and entrepreneurs to
unlock their inner peace and their fierce confidence is about
choosing you, because then you can be more of an
impact for community, for your team, for your family.
Speaker 1 (26:05):
Yeah, well, I want to know how people find you
in your beautiful work.
Speaker 3 (26:11):
Thank you. You can find me at www dot Graceredman
dot com and there you'll find my links to social media.
You'll be able to reach out to me if you're
interested in doing a discovery call, and you'll also find
my podcast there. So everything isn't in one place.
Speaker 2 (26:31):
Beautiful, Thank you, Well I am.
Speaker 1 (26:34):
I asked the same last question of every guest.
Speaker 2 (26:38):
This show is called Women Awakening.
Speaker 1 (26:41):
What do you think is the most important thing about
women awakening on the planet in this moment?
Speaker 3 (26:48):
This may sound cliche, but it's going to be you know,
that self love and really grounding into your worth because
we were all created in the image of our creator,
and just connect to that power within yourself and I
know that's the answers. Like when we connect to ourselves
(27:08):
and that power greater than us and find that self love,
we can be so impactful to really help elevate the
collective because we are in a place of chaos right now,
so the world needs us to step into the love
for ourselves so we can be those people that shine
the light on this chaos.
Speaker 2 (27:31):
I couldn't agree with you more. Grace. Thank you, Thank
you for bringing.
Speaker 1 (27:35):
Your when I look at you and when I tap
into your energy, I think grace is the perfect name
for you.
Speaker 3 (27:44):
Thank you. I appreciate you so much.
Speaker 2 (27:46):
Thank you. I'm really grateful you were here today.
Speaker 3 (27:49):
Thank you for having me.
Speaker 2 (27:50):
I'm grateful, all right, ladies.
Speaker 1 (27:53):
I close this show the same way every time with
different words. You know, the moment, the moment you get
how important you are, how essential you are, how much
you matter, you will cease to give yourself away in
ways that do not supports your health and your well being.
Speaker 2 (28:16):
So you know, think about what Grace.
Speaker 1 (28:20):
Said, and really move forward to love yourself, take care
of you, and have non negotiables for your health and
well being. I love you and I'll see you next time.
Popular Podcasts
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and current events with intelligence and humor. From the border crisis, to the madness of cancel culture and far-left missteps, Clay and Buck guide listeners through the latest headlines and hot topics with fun and entertaining conversations and opinions.