1 00:00:06,280 --> 00:00:09,039 Speaker 1: All right, hey, hey, va fam, It's Mandy. I'm back 2 00:00:09,080 --> 00:00:12,920 Speaker 1: with another very special guest with Brown Ambition. Today we 3 00:00:13,039 --> 00:00:23,720 Speaker 1: have the amazing, incredible, intelligent, charismatic snowboarding, podcasting, writing, TED 4 00:00:23,800 --> 00:00:28,520 Speaker 1: talking queen Jody An Beury. Jody Anne is. As I 5 00:00:28,640 --> 00:00:31,040 Speaker 1: just said, I don't even there's not enough hyphens for 6 00:00:31,120 --> 00:00:33,960 Speaker 1: Jody Ann. But where I discovered Jody Anne was through 7 00:00:34,000 --> 00:00:37,000 Speaker 1: her incredible TED talk, which you can check out. We'll 8 00:00:37,040 --> 00:00:39,200 Speaker 1: put a link in the show notes called the Myth 9 00:00:39,280 --> 00:00:43,560 Speaker 1: of Bringing your full authentic self to work, And through 10 00:00:43,640 --> 00:00:46,240 Speaker 1: her work, Jody Anne says she is on a mission 11 00:00:46,280 --> 00:00:50,920 Speaker 1: to disrupt business as usual to achieve social change, and 12 00:00:50,960 --> 00:00:53,120 Speaker 1: she's doing that in a couple of different ways, and 13 00:00:53,479 --> 00:00:55,720 Speaker 1: especially in the way that she's approached her career. So 14 00:00:56,040 --> 00:00:58,920 Speaker 1: we're gonna talk to Jodyanne about the TED talk about 15 00:00:58,960 --> 00:01:02,320 Speaker 1: the myth of women bringing their full authentic self to work. 16 00:01:02,640 --> 00:01:06,440 Speaker 1: Also her podcast. She has an amazing podcast called Black Cancer, 17 00:01:06,840 --> 00:01:09,039 Speaker 1: which we're going to talk about where she explores the 18 00:01:09,120 --> 00:01:12,840 Speaker 1: lives of people of color through their cancer journeys. I 19 00:01:12,880 --> 00:01:16,560 Speaker 1: cannot wait to get into this conversation. So without further ado, 20 00:01:16,840 --> 00:01:19,200 Speaker 1: Hello Jody Ann, thanks for joining. 21 00:01:18,959 --> 00:01:21,640 Speaker 2: Va Oh my gosh, thank you so much for having me. 22 00:01:21,680 --> 00:01:23,040 Speaker 2: That was the best introduction ever. 23 00:01:23,400 --> 00:01:26,640 Speaker 1: Oh you're welcome. I want women and you know what. 24 00:01:26,680 --> 00:01:29,039 Speaker 1: I used to do it off air on my own, 25 00:01:29,480 --> 00:01:31,560 Speaker 1: but then I was like, I know it's uncomfortable to 26 00:01:31,600 --> 00:01:33,960 Speaker 1: hear your own bio, but I also want I'm like, here, 27 00:01:34,080 --> 00:01:36,280 Speaker 1: listen to your bio, you know, listen to what you 28 00:01:36,319 --> 00:01:39,280 Speaker 1: have done. So for those in the BA fam who 29 00:01:39,319 --> 00:01:42,200 Speaker 1: may not be aware of your work, where did you 30 00:01:42,200 --> 00:01:44,600 Speaker 1: get your start in your career and how did you 31 00:01:44,720 --> 00:01:46,640 Speaker 1: end up on that Ted Talk stage? Walk me through it? 32 00:01:46,680 --> 00:01:48,280 Speaker 2: So in nineteen eighty six. 33 00:01:48,360 --> 00:01:52,040 Speaker 1: Now, when two people love each other a lot. 34 00:01:52,240 --> 00:01:55,440 Speaker 2: Exactly exactly. There are two ways to think about this, Right, 35 00:01:56,000 --> 00:02:00,160 Speaker 2: Normally I would say, oh, I'm a classic millennial in them, 36 00:02:00,240 --> 00:02:03,040 Speaker 2: like on my sixth or seventh career at this point, right, 37 00:02:03,480 --> 00:02:05,720 Speaker 2: And then the other side of the coin is what 38 00:02:05,880 --> 00:02:09,840 Speaker 2: happens to your career path when you graduate college with 39 00:02:09,919 --> 00:02:12,400 Speaker 2: this promise of if you go to a fancy school, 40 00:02:12,520 --> 00:02:15,360 Speaker 2: you get a fancy job and live a fancy life. 41 00:02:16,120 --> 00:02:19,400 Speaker 2: In two thousand and eight, in the Great Recession, you 42 00:02:19,440 --> 00:02:22,680 Speaker 2: know what happens to your career path when you're just 43 00:02:22,800 --> 00:02:25,800 Speaker 2: trying to make do, and then what also happens to 44 00:02:25,800 --> 00:02:29,680 Speaker 2: your career path when you're a black woman in predominantly 45 00:02:29,680 --> 00:02:34,720 Speaker 2: white spaces, trying to carve out space for how you 46 00:02:34,800 --> 00:02:40,440 Speaker 2: work right, your authenticity, your values, your ambitions. And so 47 00:02:40,560 --> 00:02:43,440 Speaker 2: I think on that second half of it, between the 48 00:02:43,480 --> 00:02:46,160 Speaker 2: recession and what is it like to navigate work as 49 00:02:46,200 --> 00:02:50,520 Speaker 2: a black woman. Yeah, you'll see people changing jobs every 50 00:02:50,840 --> 00:02:54,320 Speaker 2: couple of years or changing industries every couple of years, 51 00:02:54,320 --> 00:02:57,480 Speaker 2: and so I think that this path of the topic 52 00:02:57,480 --> 00:03:02,160 Speaker 2: of my TED talk, authenticity, kind of always been on 53 00:03:02,240 --> 00:03:06,080 Speaker 2: that path in some shape or form, trying to understand 54 00:03:06,200 --> 00:03:10,000 Speaker 2: who I am in these spaces, who I am as 55 00:03:10,080 --> 00:03:13,480 Speaker 2: a person who's born in Jamaica but moved to the 56 00:03:13,600 --> 00:03:17,440 Speaker 2: US within my first year of life, navigating those two 57 00:03:17,480 --> 00:03:21,000 Speaker 2: cultures within blackness, navigating what it's like to try to 58 00:03:21,040 --> 00:03:24,560 Speaker 2: succeed and understand yourself in the context of predominantly white 59 00:03:24,560 --> 00:03:29,360 Speaker 2: institutions and predominantly white workspaces. I've always been trying to 60 00:03:29,480 --> 00:03:35,280 Speaker 2: understand what is truly my authentic core and what have 61 00:03:35,720 --> 00:03:38,560 Speaker 2: I had to adapt as part of who I am 62 00:03:38,760 --> 00:03:43,680 Speaker 2: in the process of code switching for now twenty plus 63 00:03:43,720 --> 00:03:46,600 Speaker 2: years of my life, right, and so I think I've 64 00:03:46,640 --> 00:03:51,360 Speaker 2: always kind of been building through my own experiences personally, 65 00:03:51,800 --> 00:03:56,360 Speaker 2: my professional path, and just my scholarship of kind of 66 00:03:56,480 --> 00:04:01,720 Speaker 2: authenticity in these types of contentious environment or environments that 67 00:04:01,840 --> 00:04:06,680 Speaker 2: have high stakes, because who you are in your authenticity 68 00:04:06,680 --> 00:04:11,080 Speaker 2: with your friendships isn't tied to your livelihood or your 69 00:04:11,160 --> 00:04:16,280 Speaker 2: health insurance. Yeah, so there's a lot of risk in 70 00:04:16,320 --> 00:04:20,080 Speaker 2: that space. So I think I've always been building content wise. 71 00:04:20,680 --> 00:04:23,800 Speaker 2: But as far as the ted stage, and I know 72 00:04:23,839 --> 00:04:26,599 Speaker 2: you talked about the podcast and to make that linkage here, 73 00:04:27,760 --> 00:04:30,360 Speaker 2: four years ago around this time I had my surgery. 74 00:04:30,560 --> 00:04:33,560 Speaker 2: I'm sure we'll get more into that. But as a 75 00:04:33,680 --> 00:04:39,760 Speaker 2: part of going through that process of the prediagnosis depression 76 00:04:39,760 --> 00:04:42,520 Speaker 2: that I was experiencing, the post diagnosis depression I was 77 00:04:42,560 --> 00:04:47,720 Speaker 2: experiencing just like how traumatic that health crisis was when 78 00:04:47,720 --> 00:04:50,320 Speaker 2: you're in a situation when you have to really grapple 79 00:04:50,360 --> 00:04:53,720 Speaker 2: with your own mortality. There was a period of time 80 00:04:54,360 --> 00:04:58,000 Speaker 2: that I couldn't see myself in the future, Like I 81 00:04:58,080 --> 00:05:00,640 Speaker 2: really just like, all right, let's just make it through 82 00:05:00,680 --> 00:05:03,279 Speaker 2: the end of today, maybe we make it tomorrow. But 83 00:05:03,360 --> 00:05:07,920 Speaker 2: I really could not see or imagine my life beyond 84 00:05:08,080 --> 00:05:11,320 Speaker 2: like the immediate crisis that I was in, and so 85 00:05:13,000 --> 00:05:15,960 Speaker 2: the moment that I had the thought that, oh, I'm 86 00:05:15,960 --> 00:05:20,839 Speaker 2: going to apply for TED ex Seattle became the moment 87 00:05:20,880 --> 00:05:24,960 Speaker 2: where I'm like, wait, are you seeing yourself in the future? 88 00:05:27,080 --> 00:05:29,160 Speaker 1: Yeah, do you see a vision? 89 00:05:29,400 --> 00:05:32,839 Speaker 2: Do you see a path for you know? Your life? 90 00:05:33,200 --> 00:05:37,440 Speaker 2: What you can contribute? And I think, most critically, what 91 00:05:37,560 --> 00:05:40,920 Speaker 2: I want to leave behind? What do I have to 92 00:05:41,000 --> 00:05:47,839 Speaker 2: say that can outlast me and kind of reach way 93 00:05:47,920 --> 00:05:50,600 Speaker 2: beyond I could in my little corner of the world. 94 00:05:50,640 --> 00:05:52,960 Speaker 2: And so that's kind of how I got to the 95 00:05:53,080 --> 00:05:57,000 Speaker 2: TED stage. Like both content wise, life experience wise, but 96 00:05:57,160 --> 00:06:02,159 Speaker 2: also what makes you take that LEADEP was this desire 97 00:06:02,360 --> 00:06:08,040 Speaker 2: to leave something behind. It's interesting because you think about 98 00:06:08,080 --> 00:06:11,000 Speaker 2: leaving things behind, but I don't think I really fully 99 00:06:11,040 --> 00:06:14,760 Speaker 2: grappled with or thought of what being on the TED 100 00:06:14,800 --> 00:06:17,800 Speaker 2: stage would create a head for me. 101 00:06:18,440 --> 00:06:22,040 Speaker 1: You know what do you mean by that? The opportunities 102 00:06:22,040 --> 00:06:24,159 Speaker 1: that came with it, the spotlight, the exposure. 103 00:06:24,920 --> 00:06:26,839 Speaker 2: Yeah, there are a lot of good things that come 104 00:06:26,880 --> 00:06:30,840 Speaker 2: with that. I will say taking that TED stage during 105 00:06:30,839 --> 00:06:34,680 Speaker 2: the pandemic it was in twenty twenty has radically transformed 106 00:06:34,680 --> 00:06:40,000 Speaker 2: the trajectory of my life just objectively but also as 107 00:06:40,040 --> 00:06:42,760 Speaker 2: I was trying to grapple with like who I was 108 00:06:43,240 --> 00:06:46,720 Speaker 2: with this, like planning for my life, Like why it 109 00:06:46,760 --> 00:06:48,760 Speaker 2: was so critical for me to even start having the 110 00:06:48,760 --> 00:06:52,000 Speaker 2: thought of TED. Once you reach and I'm sure you've 111 00:06:52,040 --> 00:06:55,400 Speaker 2: experienced this but I don't want to project, but you 112 00:06:55,480 --> 00:06:58,960 Speaker 2: get this public sense of who you are. You know, 113 00:06:59,000 --> 00:07:01,479 Speaker 2: who you are on social media, who you are on 114 00:07:01,560 --> 00:07:04,479 Speaker 2: the TED stage, what people think about you kind of 115 00:07:04,560 --> 00:07:08,960 Speaker 2: through these mediated platforms, and then who you actually are. 116 00:07:09,320 --> 00:07:12,520 Speaker 1: Let's talk about your health scare, not even a health scare, 117 00:07:12,600 --> 00:07:17,200 Speaker 1: your traumatic health event you were at, what happened? How 118 00:07:17,240 --> 00:07:20,559 Speaker 1: old were you because I mean this is I can't 119 00:07:20,600 --> 00:07:23,360 Speaker 1: even fathom being You were probably in your mid twenties. 120 00:07:24,080 --> 00:07:25,720 Speaker 2: No, it was thirty two when I got there. 121 00:07:25,800 --> 00:07:29,680 Speaker 1: Thirty two, early thirty Okay, so tell us. Yeah, so 122 00:07:29,680 --> 00:07:34,040 Speaker 1: so talk about this, this this experience, and how did 123 00:07:34,080 --> 00:07:36,360 Speaker 1: that sort of change your outlook on your career and everything. 124 00:07:37,280 --> 00:07:43,200 Speaker 2: Yeah. So I think I've been struggling with different health ailments, 125 00:07:43,400 --> 00:07:47,280 Speaker 2: very benign like ah, my elbow hurts, you know, like 126 00:07:47,640 --> 00:07:51,960 Speaker 2: my wrisk, like very very tiny, tiny things for about 127 00:07:52,000 --> 00:07:54,880 Speaker 2: three years, and so that took me in and out 128 00:07:54,880 --> 00:07:59,680 Speaker 2: of different doctors' offices doing MRIs and X rays and 129 00:08:00,600 --> 00:08:04,440 Speaker 2: trying braces and exercises and creams, and the work of 130 00:08:04,480 --> 00:08:09,400 Speaker 2: that is mentally exhausting, physically exhausting, and it's expensive. The 131 00:08:09,440 --> 00:08:13,200 Speaker 2: first MRI that I had cost four hundred dollars and 132 00:08:13,240 --> 00:08:16,120 Speaker 2: I have eld insurance. Okay, so it's like it was 133 00:08:16,240 --> 00:08:18,040 Speaker 2: just it was a lot, and I was getting very 134 00:08:18,200 --> 00:08:21,320 Speaker 2: tired of that, especially in a lot of these in 135 00:08:21,360 --> 00:08:26,800 Speaker 2: and out of new doctors' offices, being met with racism 136 00:08:27,080 --> 00:08:31,720 Speaker 2: and different bias, which shows up as I mean, are 137 00:08:31,760 --> 00:08:35,600 Speaker 2: you really in a lot of pain? I had one 138 00:08:35,640 --> 00:08:38,839 Speaker 2: doctor tell me that a lot of what I was 139 00:08:39,040 --> 00:08:44,000 Speaker 2: experiencing was a result of having a sedentary lifestyle, and 140 00:08:44,040 --> 00:08:47,239 Speaker 2: I'm like, well, how do you know that, because I snowboard, 141 00:08:47,320 --> 00:08:50,600 Speaker 2: I surf, I run, I lift weights. I was on 142 00:08:51,000 --> 00:08:54,719 Speaker 2: a competitive dragon boating team. So he's looking at me like, oh, 143 00:08:54,760 --> 00:08:57,040 Speaker 2: why didn't you tell me, Well, why did you assume 144 00:08:57,360 --> 00:08:59,840 Speaker 2: looking at me? I don't know if it was color, 145 00:08:59,880 --> 00:09:03,079 Speaker 2: my skin, shape of my body that you assumed that 146 00:09:03,120 --> 00:09:05,200 Speaker 2: I was sitting at home watch TV all day, which 147 00:09:05,240 --> 00:09:07,360 Speaker 2: is also fine for people who do that, not trying 148 00:09:07,360 --> 00:09:10,800 Speaker 2: to judge on people's lifestyles, right, And so just kind 149 00:09:10,840 --> 00:09:15,920 Speaker 2: of deal with like the back and forth of that 150 00:09:16,160 --> 00:09:20,720 Speaker 2: and the it was just draining. I cannot describe like 151 00:09:21,600 --> 00:09:24,320 Speaker 2: the level of pain, but you're just like it's whatever 152 00:09:24,559 --> 00:09:26,520 Speaker 2: you push through, you go to work. I still did 153 00:09:26,520 --> 00:09:30,240 Speaker 2: all my physical activities and I was hurting the whole time, 154 00:09:30,280 --> 00:09:33,120 Speaker 2: which is a whole other thing of why do we 155 00:09:33,160 --> 00:09:37,319 Speaker 2: normalize being in pain like that? Wasn't okay. At some 156 00:09:37,400 --> 00:09:39,680 Speaker 2: point I was describing all of this to my sister 157 00:09:40,120 --> 00:09:43,160 Speaker 2: and she just interrupted me and she's like, Joe, you 158 00:09:43,200 --> 00:09:47,160 Speaker 2: are not Serena Williams. And I'm like, first of all, 159 00:09:47,160 --> 00:09:48,880 Speaker 2: you don't have to comfort me like that. I know 160 00:09:49,040 --> 00:09:52,040 Speaker 2: that I know that I'm not Serena Williams, Like, what 161 00:09:52,120 --> 00:09:54,640 Speaker 2: is your point here? But the point she was making 162 00:09:54,760 --> 00:09:58,679 Speaker 2: was that I'm just a regular active person. You know, 163 00:09:58,800 --> 00:10:03,000 Speaker 2: Serena Williams isn't a elked athlete. Right, being a regular 164 00:10:03,080 --> 00:10:06,600 Speaker 2: active person should not create the amount of ailment that 165 00:10:06,640 --> 00:10:08,760 Speaker 2: I was having. Right that the fact that I was 166 00:10:08,800 --> 00:10:12,680 Speaker 2: in pain was not normal or should be warranted for 167 00:10:12,760 --> 00:10:15,280 Speaker 2: the types of activities that I was doing, because again, 168 00:10:15,320 --> 00:10:17,840 Speaker 2: it's not like I'm doing a lot, but I'm not 169 00:10:17,960 --> 00:10:22,520 Speaker 2: an elite level competitive greatest in the world athlete, and 170 00:10:22,600 --> 00:10:26,240 Speaker 2: so that kind of snapped to me that this is 171 00:10:26,280 --> 00:10:30,600 Speaker 2: actually not okay, and so I kind of grited down 172 00:10:30,880 --> 00:10:35,480 Speaker 2: barried it. I gave myself four months to do every 173 00:10:35,520 --> 00:10:39,920 Speaker 2: single test that they could do, unrelenting right, that I 174 00:10:39,920 --> 00:10:42,400 Speaker 2: would just give myself that amount to really do the 175 00:10:42,480 --> 00:10:47,080 Speaker 2: investigative work, which is itself a massive privilege to be 176 00:10:47,120 --> 00:10:49,480 Speaker 2: able to take the time off, to be able to 177 00:10:49,600 --> 00:10:52,640 Speaker 2: have the health insurance or the finances to cover that, 178 00:10:53,440 --> 00:10:57,959 Speaker 2: or even the mental capacity to invest in your health 179 00:10:57,960 --> 00:11:00,680 Speaker 2: in yourself that way. And so I was like, I 180 00:11:00,720 --> 00:11:02,560 Speaker 2: have all these things lined up for me. I'm just 181 00:11:02,600 --> 00:11:04,640 Speaker 2: going to commit for the next couple of months to 182 00:11:04,679 --> 00:11:07,680 Speaker 2: figure it out. Literally. The next test that I did, 183 00:11:08,040 --> 00:11:13,000 Speaker 2: which was an MRI my cervical spine, found a massive 184 00:11:13,360 --> 00:11:16,760 Speaker 2: tumor inside of my spinal cord. So the way it 185 00:11:16,840 --> 00:11:21,640 Speaker 2: was explained to me was if I did nothing, I 186 00:11:21,960 --> 00:11:26,000 Speaker 2: would be completely paralyzed from the neck down in a year, 187 00:11:26,200 --> 00:11:28,959 Speaker 2: So I should have surgery and should have it within 188 00:11:29,000 --> 00:11:31,280 Speaker 2: the week, which I pushed back because I was already 189 00:11:31,320 --> 00:11:34,440 Speaker 2: scheduled to go snowboarding in Europe. So I was like, yeah, 190 00:11:34,440 --> 00:11:36,160 Speaker 2: I'm going to Europe first, and then I'll be back 191 00:11:36,200 --> 00:11:36,599 Speaker 2: after that. 192 00:11:37,679 --> 00:11:44,559 Speaker 1: Wait. Wait, you were snowboarding, surfing, all this stuff and 193 00:11:44,600 --> 00:11:49,440 Speaker 1: you had a massive spinal tumor massive doing nothing would 194 00:11:49,440 --> 00:11:53,280 Speaker 1: have made you paralyzed. And you said, uh huh, I 195 00:11:53,320 --> 00:11:56,640 Speaker 1: hear you. But the flight is booked and the hotels 196 00:11:56,640 --> 00:12:02,240 Speaker 1: were bookly fundable. So br be you didn't tell your mom, 197 00:12:02,280 --> 00:12:03,400 Speaker 1: did you? 198 00:12:03,440 --> 00:12:03,640 Speaker 2: No? 199 00:12:03,760 --> 00:12:05,520 Speaker 1: Are you kidding? My mom never would have left me. 200 00:12:05,800 --> 00:12:07,880 Speaker 1: I was gonna say, Mama never knew that you were 201 00:12:07,880 --> 00:12:09,720 Speaker 1: getting on that flight with a smile to. 202 00:12:09,760 --> 00:12:13,559 Speaker 2: Were No, that was not information we were sharing the public. 203 00:12:14,880 --> 00:12:15,640 Speaker 1: Oh my god. 204 00:12:15,840 --> 00:12:18,720 Speaker 2: So this was going through my head because he told 205 00:12:18,720 --> 00:12:23,840 Speaker 2: me that the surgery itself carried the same risks, right, 206 00:12:24,800 --> 00:12:28,120 Speaker 2: that the surgery itself could paralyze me if it. 207 00:12:28,120 --> 00:12:30,040 Speaker 1: Was something with you when you were getting this news. 208 00:12:30,559 --> 00:12:35,520 Speaker 2: No, So I'm like, Okay, if that's what I'm facing, 209 00:12:35,600 --> 00:12:39,400 Speaker 2: If I'm facing potential complete paralysis from the neck down 210 00:12:40,080 --> 00:12:45,520 Speaker 2: this week, I'm going to Europe right because it could 211 00:12:45,559 --> 00:12:49,320 Speaker 2: be the last time I was ever able to travel 212 00:12:49,400 --> 00:12:54,440 Speaker 2: independently or to snowboard and to like have that experience. 213 00:12:54,840 --> 00:12:56,600 Speaker 2: I didn't know what was ahead of me, and so 214 00:12:57,280 --> 00:12:59,400 Speaker 2: I start bargaining. I'm like, can I push it back 215 00:12:59,400 --> 00:13:02,400 Speaker 2: a month, and he's like, you have a ticking time 216 00:13:02,440 --> 00:13:05,959 Speaker 2: bomb in your neck. I cannot make you better than 217 00:13:06,000 --> 00:13:08,960 Speaker 2: you are from when you go into surgery, and so 218 00:13:09,200 --> 00:13:12,040 Speaker 2: you could be compromising. You know the best thing that 219 00:13:12,080 --> 00:13:14,360 Speaker 2: you have going for you right now, which is the 220 00:13:14,400 --> 00:13:17,400 Speaker 2: fact that you're healthy right like you have a lot 221 00:13:17,400 --> 00:13:19,920 Speaker 2: of mobility. He actually said to me that when he 222 00:13:19,960 --> 00:13:23,880 Speaker 2: saw my scans, he didn't he didn't expect someone who 223 00:13:23,920 --> 00:13:27,360 Speaker 2: could walk to come into his office, like that's that's 224 00:13:27,400 --> 00:13:31,080 Speaker 2: where we were. And so after the deliberation, I was like, 225 00:13:31,200 --> 00:13:34,080 Speaker 2: I have to go to Europe, like I have to 226 00:13:34,120 --> 00:13:37,240 Speaker 2: do this trip like this to be my last opportunity 227 00:13:37,320 --> 00:13:40,400 Speaker 2: for anything like this. And so kind of went through 228 00:13:40,400 --> 00:13:45,280 Speaker 2: that whole process, had the surgery, had a lot of rehab. 229 00:13:45,200 --> 00:13:49,120 Speaker 1: You go to Europe. Had an amazing trip. I hope. 230 00:13:49,360 --> 00:13:53,520 Speaker 2: It was phenomenal, the best snowboarding on my life. 231 00:13:54,320 --> 00:13:57,640 Speaker 1: The powder was fresh. I don't know snowboarding technology, but 232 00:13:57,840 --> 00:14:00,560 Speaker 1: I mean terminology, but there was snow when you boarded it. 233 00:14:00,600 --> 00:14:03,280 Speaker 2: Okay, there was snow and I boarded it. It was 234 00:14:03,040 --> 00:14:05,600 Speaker 2: it was It was great. I mean I cried for 235 00:14:05,679 --> 00:14:09,320 Speaker 2: a lot of it, just trying to like really take 236 00:14:09,400 --> 00:14:12,760 Speaker 2: it in so I didn't know. I didn't know. I 237 00:14:12,760 --> 00:14:16,760 Speaker 2: didn't know if I could die. You know, surgeries are serious, right, 238 00:14:17,320 --> 00:14:19,200 Speaker 2: I didn't know if I would be paralyzed. I didn't 239 00:14:19,240 --> 00:14:22,560 Speaker 2: know anything. You know, my family and I my sisters 240 00:14:22,600 --> 00:14:28,080 Speaker 2: in military. They planned that if I ended up severely 241 00:14:28,480 --> 00:14:33,280 Speaker 2: like paralyzed, that she would adopt me as her child 242 00:14:33,360 --> 00:14:35,560 Speaker 2: so I can get health insurance through the military and 243 00:14:35,560 --> 00:14:37,640 Speaker 2: I wouldn't have to bankrupt my entire family for the 244 00:14:37,640 --> 00:14:40,160 Speaker 2: rest of my life, you know. Like so there were 245 00:14:40,200 --> 00:14:46,280 Speaker 2: a lot of what ifs ahead, and I just needed 246 00:14:46,320 --> 00:14:49,320 Speaker 2: to focus on there. Now I'm going to Europe, I'm 247 00:14:49,320 --> 00:14:53,000 Speaker 2: gonna have surgery. We'll see what happens after that. When 248 00:14:53,000 --> 00:14:55,040 Speaker 2: I came back to work from that. And one thing 249 00:14:55,040 --> 00:14:57,120 Speaker 2: I you know at the intersections with work here that 250 00:14:57,160 --> 00:15:00,280 Speaker 2: I want to emphasize is that when do you have 251 00:15:00,320 --> 00:15:02,960 Speaker 2: a health crisis, or someone in your household or someone 252 00:15:03,000 --> 00:15:06,720 Speaker 2: that you take care of has a major health crisis, 253 00:15:07,520 --> 00:15:13,080 Speaker 2: you have to decide what is likely an inevitability that 254 00:15:13,200 --> 00:15:17,680 Speaker 2: you have to tell somebody at work, And not all 255 00:15:17,720 --> 00:15:24,560 Speaker 2: workplaces know how to handle the real humanness that comes 256 00:15:24,640 --> 00:15:31,760 Speaker 2: with when a health crisis is in play. Whatever meetings 257 00:15:31,960 --> 00:15:39,120 Speaker 2: I had, whatever deadlines I was working on did not matter. 258 00:15:39,360 --> 00:15:42,720 Speaker 2: As soon as I got that news, And thankfully where 259 00:15:42,760 --> 00:15:45,280 Speaker 2: I was working at the time, they're like, you do 260 00:15:45,320 --> 00:15:48,840 Speaker 2: what you have to do, all the paperwork, all the PTO, 261 00:15:49,080 --> 00:15:52,120 Speaker 2: all the disability whatever, we will handle that on the 262 00:15:52,160 --> 00:15:55,800 Speaker 2: back end. I did not have to worry about anything 263 00:15:55,840 --> 00:15:59,240 Speaker 2: when it came to my job. In fact, after surgery, 264 00:15:59,640 --> 00:16:03,680 Speaker 2: I was disability leave for four months, and they created 265 00:16:03,680 --> 00:16:09,320 Speaker 2: a policy at my organization. This is a very small organization, nonprofit, 266 00:16:09,840 --> 00:16:13,760 Speaker 2: so I don't even know if those large companies do this, 267 00:16:14,360 --> 00:16:18,200 Speaker 2: but they created a policy where you could donate your 268 00:16:18,240 --> 00:16:21,560 Speaker 2: PTO to someone else. And so in the creation of 269 00:16:21,640 --> 00:16:25,840 Speaker 2: that policy, I was able to extend my leave an 270 00:16:25,880 --> 00:16:28,760 Speaker 2: additional month because I was still I mean, I couldn't 271 00:16:28,760 --> 00:16:31,720 Speaker 2: even type after surgery, right, I had to relearn how 272 00:16:31,760 --> 00:16:35,040 Speaker 2: to do everything that I could extend my leave and 273 00:16:35,120 --> 00:16:39,680 Speaker 2: still get my full paycheck. It was probably the greatest 274 00:16:40,040 --> 00:16:44,200 Speaker 2: gift to not have to worry about my livelihood, how 275 00:16:44,240 --> 00:16:45,840 Speaker 2: I was going to be paying for all these bills, 276 00:16:46,960 --> 00:16:49,080 Speaker 2: what I would have to do work wise. They took 277 00:16:49,240 --> 00:16:53,000 Speaker 2: every single thing off my plane. Not everybody has that experience, 278 00:16:53,520 --> 00:16:56,600 Speaker 2: even when it's you who've been diagnosed with cancer or 279 00:16:56,640 --> 00:16:59,680 Speaker 2: you have this. We're seeing this now with COVID, how 280 00:17:00,040 --> 00:17:03,880 Speaker 2: sensitive companies are with giving space for that or understanding 281 00:17:04,359 --> 00:17:08,199 Speaker 2: the role of caregivers. You know, my sister's job was 282 00:17:08,480 --> 00:17:11,160 Speaker 2: very supportive of her because she was the one who 283 00:17:11,280 --> 00:17:14,119 Speaker 2: was primarily caring for me after I got discharged, And 284 00:17:14,200 --> 00:17:17,080 Speaker 2: so I just wanted to emphasize that because if we 285 00:17:17,119 --> 00:17:20,119 Speaker 2: talk about this in authenticity language like this is genuinely 286 00:17:20,200 --> 00:17:22,240 Speaker 2: what I was dealing with, what I was going through, 287 00:17:22,840 --> 00:17:26,800 Speaker 2: and my work environment had the ability to hold that 288 00:17:28,240 --> 00:17:31,360 Speaker 2: to support me as I was trying to like fright 289 00:17:31,440 --> 00:17:34,200 Speaker 2: for my life. Right, Not all places have that. It's 290 00:17:34,280 --> 00:17:36,320 Speaker 2: like are you going to be well or are you 291 00:17:36,320 --> 00:17:38,680 Speaker 2: going to work here? And we prefer that you work 292 00:17:38,720 --> 00:17:42,679 Speaker 2: here regardless of what physical, mental, or emotional damage that 293 00:17:42,720 --> 00:17:45,720 Speaker 2: does to you. I think, you know, just to land 294 00:17:45,760 --> 00:17:49,479 Speaker 2: the plane here. But after going through that experience, it 295 00:17:49,520 --> 00:17:56,399 Speaker 2: became very clear to me that difference between like how 296 00:17:56,480 --> 00:17:58,879 Speaker 2: different my experience could have been if I was working 297 00:17:58,920 --> 00:18:03,040 Speaker 2: somewhere else, And so that division of what is me 298 00:18:03,240 --> 00:18:06,640 Speaker 2: and what is this organization, what is the environment, what 299 00:18:06,760 --> 00:18:10,240 Speaker 2: is the individual, and what is the institution? Right, so 300 00:18:10,320 --> 00:18:14,880 Speaker 2: that became super clear for me. But also, and I've 301 00:18:14,880 --> 00:18:16,399 Speaker 2: talked to a lot of people on the podcast to 302 00:18:16,560 --> 00:18:22,159 Speaker 2: go through this, but the capacity for bullshit is like 303 00:18:22,800 --> 00:18:26,439 Speaker 2: almost eliminated after you go through something like that, And 304 00:18:26,560 --> 00:18:30,920 Speaker 2: so my decision making after that was very clear. Right 305 00:18:31,119 --> 00:18:35,600 Speaker 2: at a job that I loved, it was absolute nonsense 306 00:18:35,640 --> 00:18:38,000 Speaker 2: to me, and I quit right. I wanted to kind 307 00:18:38,040 --> 00:18:41,159 Speaker 2: of create my life in this way. I'm not handwringing 308 00:18:41,240 --> 00:18:43,680 Speaker 2: and like I don't know what should I do? Should 309 00:18:43,680 --> 00:18:46,280 Speaker 2: I do this? Maybe I can wait? No, wait for what? 310 00:18:47,480 --> 00:18:50,000 Speaker 2: And so I still live my life that way with 311 00:18:50,080 --> 00:18:52,439 Speaker 2: people who want to plan stuff for me, like months 312 00:18:52,480 --> 00:18:55,640 Speaker 2: in advance or you know. I've had people ask me like, oh, 313 00:18:55,680 --> 00:18:58,400 Speaker 2: what are you working on or what goals do you have? 314 00:18:58,600 --> 00:19:01,400 Speaker 2: And I tell them the same thing, like I don't 315 00:19:01,400 --> 00:19:04,479 Speaker 2: plan my life more than two weeks out right, Like 316 00:19:04,600 --> 00:19:08,119 Speaker 2: I just because you don't know. And I think that 317 00:19:08,640 --> 00:19:12,080 Speaker 2: kind of trauma response also gives me a sense of 318 00:19:12,480 --> 00:19:17,800 Speaker 2: urgency and a way where I don't negotiate with what 319 00:19:17,880 --> 00:19:21,040 Speaker 2: keeps me healthy, what keeps me sane, and what keeps 320 00:19:21,080 --> 00:19:26,080 Speaker 2: me happy, like that's non negotiable, and so I always 321 00:19:26,080 --> 00:19:29,000 Speaker 2: try to take care of myself for clarity. 322 00:19:29,880 --> 00:19:31,760 Speaker 1: I mean what I mean it was trauma, but it 323 00:19:31,840 --> 00:19:35,439 Speaker 1: was like the positive the silver lining is that fast 324 00:19:35,480 --> 00:19:40,280 Speaker 1: track to clarity, fast tracked to being unbothered, oh, being 325 00:19:40,720 --> 00:19:44,280 Speaker 1: focused and understanding what's important. You know, when you say 326 00:19:44,320 --> 00:19:48,320 Speaker 1: you get stripped down to like family, your health, you 327 00:19:48,320 --> 00:19:51,800 Speaker 1: know what's in front of you. Nothing else matters. And 328 00:19:52,359 --> 00:19:57,160 Speaker 1: I am I don't want every Obviously, not everyone needs 329 00:19:57,160 --> 00:20:00,720 Speaker 1: a spinal tumor. I've swear don't let it be a 330 00:20:00,720 --> 00:20:03,520 Speaker 1: spinal tumor. The client that I was talking to this morning, 331 00:20:03,560 --> 00:20:05,720 Speaker 1: when I tell you and it's so serendipitous that I'm 332 00:20:05,720 --> 00:20:07,520 Speaker 1: sitting with you now because I think back to my 333 00:20:08,160 --> 00:20:10,600 Speaker 1: I hate the word client makes it sound so transactional. 334 00:20:10,640 --> 00:20:13,199 Speaker 1: But this woman who has been working with me for 335 00:20:13,200 --> 00:20:15,080 Speaker 1: a couple months now, and I looked at her and 336 00:20:15,119 --> 00:20:17,240 Speaker 1: I was like, you realize, I need you to act 337 00:20:17,280 --> 00:20:19,760 Speaker 1: more like your your house is on fire right now, 338 00:20:20,320 --> 00:20:23,120 Speaker 1: like you're having an emergency. We need to call nine 339 00:20:23,200 --> 00:20:27,320 Speaker 1: one one, and their responses. Quit the responses. It's time 340 00:20:27,359 --> 00:20:30,080 Speaker 1: for you to walk away and take six months off. 341 00:20:30,119 --> 00:20:33,479 Speaker 1: But and it was like she was waiting for something 342 00:20:33,560 --> 00:20:38,119 Speaker 1: big enough, the catastrophe, the tumor on a scan, you 343 00:20:38,119 --> 00:20:41,840 Speaker 1: know what I mean, And the fact that and it's 344 00:20:41,880 --> 00:20:45,080 Speaker 1: really difficult to kind of get people to a place 345 00:20:45,119 --> 00:20:47,040 Speaker 1: where they can see their own health and their own 346 00:20:47,080 --> 00:20:51,520 Speaker 1: well being as that emergency like it actually is in jeopardy. Wow, 347 00:20:51,640 --> 00:20:54,080 Speaker 1: All right, ba fam, let's take a quick break and 348 00:20:54,119 --> 00:20:58,119 Speaker 1: we'll be right back with more of my illuminating conversation 349 00:20:58,280 --> 00:21:03,760 Speaker 1: with Jody Ambery. This is brown and all right, ba fam, 350 00:21:03,880 --> 00:21:06,719 Speaker 1: we are back. Let's dive right back into my conversation 351 00:21:06,880 --> 00:21:13,120 Speaker 1: with Jody Ambery. The surgery, the physical rehabilitation. How long 352 00:21:13,160 --> 00:21:15,200 Speaker 1: did all of that take? You said it was four 353 00:21:15,240 --> 00:21:17,119 Speaker 1: months of recovery, five months. 354 00:21:17,800 --> 00:21:21,800 Speaker 2: Learning of not of not working. So I was in 355 00:21:21,880 --> 00:21:26,080 Speaker 2: hospital for about a month. And that's like can you walk? 356 00:21:26,600 --> 00:21:30,000 Speaker 2: Can you write? Can you pick up a really small 357 00:21:30,080 --> 00:21:32,080 Speaker 2: thing and put it to the other side of the 358 00:21:32,119 --> 00:21:36,719 Speaker 2: table like that? That process was so I don't want 359 00:21:36,720 --> 00:21:40,760 Speaker 2: to say humbling because it makes it sound like it 360 00:21:40,800 --> 00:21:43,760 Speaker 2: was a fun process. 361 00:21:43,760 --> 00:21:47,640 Speaker 1: No, humbling usually means it was hard as shit. And 362 00:21:47,680 --> 00:21:49,720 Speaker 1: I thought you were big, tough shit before and now 363 00:21:49,760 --> 00:21:51,520 Speaker 1: you need to pick up a pencil and. 364 00:21:51,440 --> 00:21:54,560 Speaker 2: It's kind of like, you know, like it's kind of 365 00:21:54,600 --> 00:21:57,520 Speaker 2: like that like inspiration porn that we do with people 366 00:21:57,600 --> 00:22:01,239 Speaker 2: who have disabilities. So you can have someone who has 367 00:22:01,280 --> 00:22:05,560 Speaker 2: a physical disability and they're just playing basketball, and then 368 00:22:05,640 --> 00:22:09,119 Speaker 2: all the comments will be like, now you have no 369 00:22:09,320 --> 00:22:12,760 Speaker 2: excuse to chase your dreams. And I'm like, here's a 370 00:22:12,840 --> 00:22:16,159 Speaker 2: kid who's just like playing basketball. No one asked you 371 00:22:16,600 --> 00:22:20,960 Speaker 2: to project like your shit onto that situation. And so 372 00:22:21,640 --> 00:22:23,960 Speaker 2: there's this sense of like, when you go through something 373 00:22:24,000 --> 00:22:27,720 Speaker 2: really difficult, that if you get on the quote unquote 374 00:22:27,760 --> 00:22:31,720 Speaker 2: other side of it, that the process itself was worth it. Right, 375 00:22:32,320 --> 00:22:36,400 Speaker 2: I would strongly prefer to not have had a spinal 376 00:22:36,480 --> 00:22:39,640 Speaker 2: tumor or to be currently living with a spinal cord 377 00:22:39,680 --> 00:22:44,880 Speaker 2: injury and all the disabilities and challenges and chronic pain 378 00:22:44,960 --> 00:22:47,199 Speaker 2: that come from that. Like, I would absolutely rather not 379 00:22:47,240 --> 00:22:49,560 Speaker 2: have gone through that. The experience when I was in 380 00:22:49,640 --> 00:22:55,800 Speaker 2: hospital was traumatizing and very very isolating. And this is 381 00:22:56,080 --> 00:22:59,280 Speaker 2: pre COVID, right, So I had people visiting me every day, 382 00:23:00,400 --> 00:23:04,159 Speaker 2: but it's really challenging. And I remember this one instance 383 00:23:04,440 --> 00:23:07,720 Speaker 2: where they took me to the bottom of a staircase 384 00:23:07,920 --> 00:23:10,399 Speaker 2: and she was like, all right, you know, for pta today, 385 00:23:10,440 --> 00:23:13,560 Speaker 2: we're gonna walk up the stairs. And I was so 386 00:23:14,080 --> 00:23:17,720 Speaker 2: irritated because I'm like, I'm that memorial Sloan kettering, like 387 00:23:17,760 --> 00:23:21,200 Speaker 2: this is like the creme de la crem of cancer 388 00:23:21,280 --> 00:23:25,359 Speaker 2: centers in the world, And what we're doing today is 389 00:23:25,440 --> 00:23:29,560 Speaker 2: walking up these dingy back staircase like give me the 390 00:23:29,960 --> 00:23:33,120 Speaker 2: bells and whistles, like I want cool equipment. So I'm 391 00:23:33,160 --> 00:23:35,520 Speaker 2: all high and mighty off myself, like this is what 392 00:23:35,560 --> 00:23:38,359 Speaker 2: we're doing, Like we're walking upstairs, and I stood at 393 00:23:38,400 --> 00:23:39,760 Speaker 2: the bottom of the stairs and I just kind of 394 00:23:39,800 --> 00:23:43,960 Speaker 2: looked up. I started crying because what's interesting about a 395 00:23:44,000 --> 00:23:47,280 Speaker 2: spinal cord injury is that there's nothing physically wrong with 396 00:23:47,320 --> 00:23:51,719 Speaker 2: my muscles, my legs, like my body functions. The problem 397 00:23:51,840 --> 00:23:55,760 Speaker 2: is is that the brain cannot get the information to 398 00:23:55,960 --> 00:23:59,040 Speaker 2: the rest of the body. And so when people use 399 00:23:59,119 --> 00:24:03,840 Speaker 2: paralysis as a figurative sense of speech, I'm like, you 400 00:24:03,920 --> 00:24:08,720 Speaker 2: have no idea what that experience is like to be 401 00:24:09,000 --> 00:24:14,640 Speaker 2: at the bottom of a staircase looking at it, wanting 402 00:24:14,720 --> 00:24:20,280 Speaker 2: to walk up, but your body is not moving, and 403 00:24:20,400 --> 00:24:25,400 Speaker 2: having to constantly send those signals over and over and 404 00:24:25,440 --> 00:24:28,800 Speaker 2: over again and hope that one of them gets through 405 00:24:28,960 --> 00:24:31,879 Speaker 2: and your leg moves, which I think actually sounds like 406 00:24:31,880 --> 00:24:33,399 Speaker 2: what you're talking about with your client where you're like, 407 00:24:33,440 --> 00:24:37,400 Speaker 2: you keep sending these signals like girl, quit your job, right, 408 00:24:37,600 --> 00:24:41,040 Speaker 2: like do something different, take some time off, and the 409 00:24:41,160 --> 00:24:47,320 Speaker 2: signals are not getting through, and so you keep sending 410 00:24:47,359 --> 00:24:49,600 Speaker 2: them and hoping that, like you can, you can take 411 00:24:49,600 --> 00:24:53,600 Speaker 2: the step. So I think I understand why people use it, 412 00:24:54,040 --> 00:24:58,879 Speaker 2: you know, figuratively, but the actual work of kind of 413 00:24:58,960 --> 00:25:03,320 Speaker 2: navigating through partial paralysis is I guess it's humbling. 414 00:25:03,800 --> 00:25:08,520 Speaker 1: I'll never I can't even fathom. I can't even fathom 415 00:25:08,560 --> 00:25:11,560 Speaker 1: what that. But thank you for thank you for even 416 00:25:11,600 --> 00:25:13,640 Speaker 1: taking the time to try to express that for those 417 00:25:13,680 --> 00:25:15,120 Speaker 1: of us who haven't felt that way. 418 00:25:15,400 --> 00:25:20,159 Speaker 2: Man, man, I just wish that people wouldn't have to 419 00:25:20,200 --> 00:25:24,040 Speaker 2: go through stuff like that to get that kick in 420 00:25:24,080 --> 00:25:27,480 Speaker 2: the butt to just create the life that you want 421 00:25:27,520 --> 00:25:33,280 Speaker 2: to create. Life is so fragile, and if you can't 422 00:25:33,320 --> 00:25:37,920 Speaker 2: walk away, even from the pandemic, from that, like like 423 00:25:38,040 --> 00:25:39,760 Speaker 2: I don't. I don't want people to have to go 424 00:25:39,840 --> 00:25:44,840 Speaker 2: through a crisis to start investing in themselves and to 425 00:25:44,960 --> 00:25:49,720 Speaker 2: spend their intellectual energy, you know, as we talk about 426 00:25:49,800 --> 00:25:53,080 Speaker 2: professional lives through something that like really matters to you 427 00:25:53,280 --> 00:25:57,080 Speaker 2: but also is getting you kind of what you want 428 00:25:57,119 --> 00:25:58,959 Speaker 2: out of that realm of your life. And so I'm 429 00:25:59,000 --> 00:26:01,359 Speaker 2: not saying that everyone has to do meaningful work. You 430 00:26:01,400 --> 00:26:05,560 Speaker 2: can make widgets. If those widgets give you, you know, 431 00:26:05,760 --> 00:26:10,040 Speaker 2: generational financial safety and that's important to you and that's 432 00:26:10,040 --> 00:26:14,720 Speaker 2: your goal, then great, right, But are you destroying yourself 433 00:26:14,840 --> 00:26:18,639 Speaker 2: regardless of what path you choose in that process? Like? 434 00:26:18,720 --> 00:26:21,199 Speaker 2: Are you unhappy? And so I just want people to 435 00:26:21,280 --> 00:26:27,800 Speaker 2: tap into, like what actually matters to you, what's actually 436 00:26:27,840 --> 00:26:32,639 Speaker 2: important to you? How can you achieve your goals without 437 00:26:33,040 --> 00:26:34,159 Speaker 2: eroding yourself? 438 00:26:35,720 --> 00:26:39,200 Speaker 1: I could not agree more. I think some people do 439 00:26:39,280 --> 00:26:44,800 Speaker 1: need the the the big seismic shock of an event. 440 00:26:45,400 --> 00:26:47,359 Speaker 1: I'm with you. I'm like, if the pandemic didn't do it, 441 00:26:47,359 --> 00:26:49,880 Speaker 1: then what the heck will? I mean? But some people 442 00:26:49,920 --> 00:26:52,520 Speaker 1: are really hard headed and not you know, they're gonna 443 00:26:52,560 --> 00:26:54,520 Speaker 1: people will learn on their own time. But I do 444 00:26:54,560 --> 00:26:57,119 Speaker 1: feel like younger generations, and I include ourselves in that. 445 00:26:57,200 --> 00:27:00,760 Speaker 1: I'm a millennial, and I think that we don't want it. 446 00:27:00,800 --> 00:27:04,959 Speaker 1: We understand the urgency of protecting happiness and well being. 447 00:27:05,600 --> 00:27:08,600 Speaker 1: And what I feel like the shift that I'm seeing 448 00:27:08,760 --> 00:27:13,320 Speaker 1: is we are collectively using our voices and even people 449 00:27:13,359 --> 00:27:15,800 Speaker 1: like you going on stages and talking about the importance 450 00:27:15,840 --> 00:27:19,520 Speaker 1: of us telling that and holding employers accountable and companies 451 00:27:19,560 --> 00:27:24,520 Speaker 1: and businesses accountable for breaking down their problems, breaking down 452 00:27:24,560 --> 00:27:28,920 Speaker 1: their systems and processes to better accommodate our new perspectives 453 00:27:28,920 --> 00:27:32,040 Speaker 1: and our you know what we value the most, which, 454 00:27:32,400 --> 00:27:36,920 Speaker 1: you know, which is love, family, wellness. You know, why 455 00:27:37,000 --> 00:27:39,240 Speaker 1: is it not okay for me as a mom, a 456 00:27:39,280 --> 00:27:44,160 Speaker 1: black woman, a mom, a working person. I even I'll 457 00:27:44,160 --> 00:27:47,639 Speaker 1: put myself out there and say that I judged my 458 00:27:47,800 --> 00:27:50,040 Speaker 1: own mom when she would tell me, I just want 459 00:27:50,080 --> 00:27:51,879 Speaker 1: to be a mom. I don't want to work. I 460 00:27:51,960 --> 00:27:53,240 Speaker 1: just want to be a mom. I had to work 461 00:27:53,240 --> 00:27:55,360 Speaker 1: because I had four kids, and you know, by myself. 462 00:27:56,040 --> 00:27:57,840 Speaker 1: And I'd be like, you just wanted to be a mom, 463 00:27:58,320 --> 00:28:02,359 Speaker 1: But like that is an which is the huge job. 464 00:28:02,880 --> 00:28:05,919 Speaker 1: It's a huge job, and it's also but I felt 465 00:28:06,440 --> 00:28:08,199 Speaker 1: for me if we're you know, I'm glad I got 466 00:28:08,200 --> 00:28:10,040 Speaker 1: over this really quickly. But it was like I had 467 00:28:10,040 --> 00:28:13,440 Speaker 1: this perception that like there was a glamorization of work 468 00:28:13,680 --> 00:28:16,160 Speaker 1: and working and being a part of a you know, 469 00:28:16,240 --> 00:28:18,720 Speaker 1: being a part of a company and doing the nine 470 00:28:18,720 --> 00:28:20,720 Speaker 1: to five, and that you know, the traditional image of 471 00:28:20,720 --> 00:28:22,600 Speaker 1: the working woman through the eighties I think we were 472 00:28:22,640 --> 00:28:25,399 Speaker 1: as eighties. I'm an eighties baby, and you kind of 473 00:28:25,440 --> 00:28:27,159 Speaker 1: see the women and you have to like act like 474 00:28:27,160 --> 00:28:30,360 Speaker 1: the man and be aggressive with your career, but at 475 00:28:30,359 --> 00:28:33,560 Speaker 1: what cost? So we're almost like we're the next level 476 00:28:33,560 --> 00:28:35,359 Speaker 1: of that. It's yes, we can have careers, but we 477 00:28:35,400 --> 00:28:37,920 Speaker 1: can have it on our own terms. And we don't 478 00:28:37,960 --> 00:28:41,000 Speaker 1: have to sacrifice our financial well being to have a job. 479 00:28:41,040 --> 00:28:43,800 Speaker 1: We shouldn't have to sacrifice our financial well being to 480 00:28:43,840 --> 00:28:47,600 Speaker 1: have work that is meaningful, that treats us well, takes 481 00:28:47,600 --> 00:28:50,080 Speaker 1: care of us, and lets us clock out when we 482 00:28:50,120 --> 00:28:52,000 Speaker 1: want to clock out and spend time with the kids 483 00:28:52,040 --> 00:28:55,360 Speaker 1: and have time for ourselves and all that beauty. So 484 00:28:55,400 --> 00:28:58,880 Speaker 1: for you and I, the way that we got there 485 00:28:59,120 --> 00:29:01,760 Speaker 1: was being our own boss. And I want to talk 486 00:29:01,800 --> 00:29:03,840 Speaker 1: to you about that transition for a lot of women, 487 00:29:03,920 --> 00:29:07,520 Speaker 1: and it is you know, I'm so happy that they 488 00:29:07,520 --> 00:29:11,360 Speaker 1: can find places in traditional, you know, nine to five 489 00:29:11,400 --> 00:29:14,000 Speaker 1: work where they are able to do that, feel safe, 490 00:29:14,200 --> 00:29:16,680 Speaker 1: be well paid. It exists, y'all who are listening. It exists. 491 00:29:16,680 --> 00:29:20,640 Speaker 1: I hope people it does. But in this particular chapter 492 00:29:20,880 --> 00:29:23,600 Speaker 1: in your life, you are on your own. So how 493 00:29:23,640 --> 00:29:26,880 Speaker 1: has that been, that transition into independence and how's it. 494 00:29:26,960 --> 00:29:27,640 Speaker 1: How's it going? 495 00:29:29,360 --> 00:29:32,880 Speaker 2: It's going great. I mean to put it in context, 496 00:29:33,080 --> 00:29:39,000 Speaker 2: like if I didn't want to do anything revenue generating 497 00:29:39,080 --> 00:29:40,880 Speaker 2: for the rest of this calendar year, I do not 498 00:29:41,040 --> 00:29:44,120 Speaker 2: have to do that. And I think that's what Ali 499 00:29:44,200 --> 00:29:47,960 Speaker 2: Wong some extent of to what Ali Wang refers to 500 00:29:48,040 --> 00:29:50,360 Speaker 2: as like fuck you money, where you're just like, I'm good, 501 00:29:50,400 --> 00:29:54,719 Speaker 2: like I don't have to do anything. But I didn't 502 00:29:54,960 --> 00:29:58,080 Speaker 2: expect this from myself at all, And I feel like 503 00:29:58,120 --> 00:30:04,040 Speaker 2: I had a not traditional approach even to entrepreneurship. I 504 00:30:04,040 --> 00:30:08,360 Speaker 2: have tried the like forecasting and here are all my 505 00:30:08,600 --> 00:30:11,480 Speaker 2: marketing strategies and this and that, but that is it's 506 00:30:11,560 --> 00:30:15,719 Speaker 2: so not me and so not what I had the 507 00:30:15,880 --> 00:30:18,120 Speaker 2: energy for, where I'm just like, I just want to 508 00:30:18,120 --> 00:30:22,400 Speaker 2: do what I want to do, and so I call it. 509 00:30:22,960 --> 00:30:26,840 Speaker 2: If someone steals this, I'll be so pissed. Maybe I'm 510 00:30:26,840 --> 00:30:28,040 Speaker 2: not going to give it a name because it is 511 00:30:28,040 --> 00:30:32,280 Speaker 2: a cool name, but the strategy is basically the strategy 512 00:30:32,520 --> 00:30:36,920 Speaker 2: is to work as authentically as I can and as 513 00:30:36,960 --> 00:30:39,080 Speaker 2: publicly as I can. And so when I started in 514 00:30:39,160 --> 00:30:44,760 Speaker 2: twenty twenty, I wanted to have conversations about microaggressions in 515 00:30:44,800 --> 00:30:48,200 Speaker 2: the workplace. But again I wanted the audience to be us, 516 00:30:48,280 --> 00:30:50,560 Speaker 2: and so it was like a workshop for women of color. 517 00:30:50,720 --> 00:30:53,960 Speaker 2: We're going to talk about microaggressions, kind of what the 518 00:30:54,000 --> 00:30:57,120 Speaker 2: experiences are. And I was just trying to figure out 519 00:30:57,160 --> 00:31:00,719 Speaker 2: like what in that topic I actually cared about, and 520 00:31:00,760 --> 00:31:04,520 Speaker 2: so I just started doing it. It wasn't perfect, right, 521 00:31:04,680 --> 00:31:06,840 Speaker 2: It was probably a seventy percent, which is my rule, 522 00:31:06,880 --> 00:31:11,040 Speaker 2: Like if it's seventy percent good, If it's seventy percent there, 523 00:31:11,120 --> 00:31:15,000 Speaker 2: it's enough, right, which itself I think also for black 524 00:31:15,040 --> 00:31:18,800 Speaker 2: women is like wait, is it not perfect? Yeah? 525 00:31:19,120 --> 00:31:20,880 Speaker 1: No, but I love that done is better than perfect 526 00:31:20,920 --> 00:31:21,960 Speaker 1: sometimes exactly. 527 00:31:21,960 --> 00:31:25,240 Speaker 2: And it was like I'm going to learn publicly, which 528 00:31:25,360 --> 00:31:27,880 Speaker 2: we don't often feel like we get a chance to do, 529 00:31:27,960 --> 00:31:32,000 Speaker 2: and people create situations where we don't get a chance 530 00:31:32,080 --> 00:31:34,440 Speaker 2: to do that. Right, So it's like I'm going to 531 00:31:34,480 --> 00:31:38,040 Speaker 2: learn publicly. This is a low stake situation. I'm just 532 00:31:38,080 --> 00:31:39,920 Speaker 2: going to just put this stuff up on the internet. 533 00:31:39,960 --> 00:31:43,000 Speaker 2: I had no audience really before this and just started 534 00:31:43,000 --> 00:31:48,880 Speaker 2: doing them very regularly and from that built this huge audience, 535 00:31:48,920 --> 00:31:51,000 Speaker 2: like I would have three thousand people on the waiting 536 00:31:51,040 --> 00:31:54,120 Speaker 2: list and so kind of building off of that and 537 00:31:54,200 --> 00:31:56,560 Speaker 2: kind of crafting, like, Okay, what in this do I 538 00:31:56,640 --> 00:31:59,440 Speaker 2: care about? What else do I care about? I started 539 00:31:59,480 --> 00:32:02,600 Speaker 2: the Black Caad Answer podcast, which is not revenue generating 540 00:32:02,640 --> 00:32:05,520 Speaker 2: at all, and important for me to kind of keep 541 00:32:05,520 --> 00:32:09,400 Speaker 2: that as a passion project. And it just started kind 542 00:32:09,440 --> 00:32:12,600 Speaker 2: of doing. What I didn't expect is that people who 543 00:32:12,640 --> 00:32:18,080 Speaker 2: showed up in these places in my workshops workplaces, right, 544 00:32:19,040 --> 00:32:21,360 Speaker 2: I didn't plan this, and so they're like, hey, can 545 00:32:21,400 --> 00:32:23,120 Speaker 2: you do this for us? And can you do that? 546 00:32:23,200 --> 00:32:26,160 Speaker 2: And I'm like, wait what? And so in the beginning 547 00:32:26,160 --> 00:32:28,640 Speaker 2: of that, I had no idea what to charge. I 548 00:32:28,720 --> 00:32:32,600 Speaker 2: was just kind of I don't know, making things up, 549 00:32:32,640 --> 00:32:36,880 Speaker 2: talking to people. I would never charge something. Now somebody 550 00:32:36,920 --> 00:32:41,000 Speaker 2: now what I accepted two years ago, like. 551 00:32:40,320 --> 00:32:43,280 Speaker 1: As you shouldn't exactly as you shouldn't. The price has 552 00:32:43,320 --> 00:32:44,240 Speaker 1: gone up, and it's gone up. 553 00:32:44,280 --> 00:32:47,120 Speaker 2: Un So yesterday's price is not today's price. 554 00:32:47,280 --> 00:32:50,560 Speaker 1: I'm telling you this period paragraph say less. 555 00:32:50,920 --> 00:32:53,800 Speaker 2: And so that just really built up, and then some 556 00:32:53,840 --> 00:32:56,560 Speaker 2: writing opportunities came up and the Ted Talk went out, 557 00:32:56,640 --> 00:33:00,640 Speaker 2: and those two things really took off, which created the audience, 558 00:33:00,680 --> 00:33:04,200 Speaker 2: which generated the work, and which has led to other 559 00:33:04,240 --> 00:33:06,960 Speaker 2: opportunities that will be public saying that I can't talk 560 00:33:06,960 --> 00:33:10,440 Speaker 2: about yet, But I just allowed myself to really just 561 00:33:10,480 --> 00:33:14,160 Speaker 2: stay focused on the things that I cared about and 562 00:33:14,240 --> 00:33:17,440 Speaker 2: the things I had energy for. Now, what that came 563 00:33:17,600 --> 00:33:22,600 Speaker 2: with is saying no to clients who would not pay 564 00:33:22,680 --> 00:33:25,120 Speaker 2: me what I asked for, and this is when I 565 00:33:25,160 --> 00:33:28,680 Speaker 2: was not even charging that much, saying no to people 566 00:33:28,800 --> 00:33:32,760 Speaker 2: that I felt bad vibes from, Like there's a CEO 567 00:33:32,840 --> 00:33:35,880 Speaker 2: of a big company here in Seattle who made a 568 00:33:36,040 --> 00:33:39,840 Speaker 2: comment about my hair in a zoom meeting and I'm like, yeah, 569 00:33:39,840 --> 00:33:43,760 Speaker 2: this is not not the match and said no to 570 00:33:44,480 --> 00:33:49,160 Speaker 2: thousands of dollars because I didn't like the interaction. And 571 00:33:49,240 --> 00:33:52,760 Speaker 2: so I always try to center on what's giving me energy, 572 00:33:52,840 --> 00:33:55,760 Speaker 2: what's taking away my energy, and as much as I 573 00:33:55,840 --> 00:34:00,840 Speaker 2: can make decisions about what's given me energy. What's also 574 00:34:00,880 --> 00:34:03,360 Speaker 2: critical to this too is that I never wanted to 575 00:34:03,400 --> 00:34:07,520 Speaker 2: make decisions based on money, because if it was about 576 00:34:07,520 --> 00:34:10,200 Speaker 2: the money, then I could go work for somebody else. Right. 577 00:34:10,640 --> 00:34:14,120 Speaker 2: The whole point of working for myself was to give 578 00:34:15,080 --> 00:34:18,319 Speaker 2: you know, myself the level of agency to structure my 579 00:34:18,480 --> 00:34:21,319 Speaker 2: day the way I wanted and to do the types 580 00:34:21,360 --> 00:34:23,400 Speaker 2: of things that I could get excited about, and to 581 00:34:23,440 --> 00:34:24,920 Speaker 2: work with the type of people that I want to 582 00:34:24,960 --> 00:34:28,800 Speaker 2: work with, and so I love saying no to people, 583 00:34:28,840 --> 00:34:31,839 Speaker 2: and I've turned down a lot of people and that's 584 00:34:31,880 --> 00:34:34,919 Speaker 2: been an important part of my process. So the last 585 00:34:34,920 --> 00:34:38,040 Speaker 2: thing I'll say too, is that because I work in 586 00:34:38,960 --> 00:34:42,720 Speaker 2: what I'll call it such a self centering way, I 587 00:34:42,760 --> 00:34:49,759 Speaker 2: have never pitched work to anybody. I've not done a proposal. 588 00:34:49,960 --> 00:34:52,719 Speaker 2: I've not done like you know, the RFPs. I've not 589 00:34:52,840 --> 00:34:58,080 Speaker 2: emailed people cold with a deck or anything. I work publicly, 590 00:34:58,760 --> 00:35:01,200 Speaker 2: and I make sure that my website is up today 591 00:35:01,239 --> 00:35:03,759 Speaker 2: and people know how to find me, and so all 592 00:35:03,840 --> 00:35:10,040 Speaker 2: of my business is inbound. And I love that because 593 00:35:10,040 --> 00:35:13,799 Speaker 2: it changes the power dynamic. I'm actually deciding whether I 594 00:35:13,840 --> 00:35:16,720 Speaker 2: want to work with you instead of the other way around. 595 00:35:17,480 --> 00:35:21,279 Speaker 2: And that level of power is a level that a 596 00:35:21,360 --> 00:35:25,680 Speaker 2: power I've never experienced in my career before. And you know, 597 00:35:25,719 --> 00:35:29,520 Speaker 2: spinal cord injury aside, I've never been as mentally or 598 00:35:29,520 --> 00:35:34,240 Speaker 2: physically healthy than I've ever been. And that that's the point, 599 00:35:34,360 --> 00:35:34,640 Speaker 2: you know. 600 00:35:35,600 --> 00:35:38,759 Speaker 1: So you can snowboard whenever the damn hell you want 601 00:35:38,760 --> 00:35:43,960 Speaker 1: a snowboard every Wednesday. Every Wednesday. Where do I live? 602 00:35:43,640 --> 00:35:46,719 Speaker 2: I live? I live in Seattle. I snowboard at Steven's 603 00:35:46,719 --> 00:35:48,480 Speaker 2: for people who know it's like an hour and a 604 00:35:48,520 --> 00:35:51,319 Speaker 2: half away from here. I snowboard on Wednesdays so there 605 00:35:51,320 --> 00:35:55,680 Speaker 2: are no crowds. I do not take business meetings before 606 00:35:55,880 --> 00:35:59,960 Speaker 2: one pm, with rare exception like this podcast. 607 00:36:01,400 --> 00:36:02,879 Speaker 1: I donna say, what time is it over there? 608 00:36:03,120 --> 00:36:06,160 Speaker 2: I know, girl, when your team was like nine o'clock, 609 00:36:06,200 --> 00:36:09,120 Speaker 2: I was like nine o'clock. I'm still doing yoga at nine. 610 00:36:10,480 --> 00:36:12,360 Speaker 2: I have a three hour morning. 611 00:36:12,440 --> 00:36:14,600 Speaker 1: I'm walking in the park at nine. So I appreciate you, 612 00:36:14,800 --> 00:36:16,680 Speaker 1: thank you, thank you for the time. 613 00:36:17,320 --> 00:36:20,840 Speaker 2: Yeah. So I have a three hour morning routine and 614 00:36:21,080 --> 00:36:24,560 Speaker 2: you know most of my work day yesterday I ran 615 00:36:24,600 --> 00:36:28,759 Speaker 2: eleven miles right. So that's the type of lifestyle that 616 00:36:28,800 --> 00:36:30,319 Speaker 2: I want. And to be able to have that type 617 00:36:30,320 --> 00:36:36,440 Speaker 2: of lifestyle and also be financially healthy is something that 618 00:36:36,520 --> 00:36:39,200 Speaker 2: I did not think would be possible. It's a thing 619 00:36:39,200 --> 00:36:44,280 Speaker 2: that you hope for. But I mean, I'm very happy 620 00:36:44,360 --> 00:36:44,759 Speaker 2: right now. 621 00:36:45,680 --> 00:36:49,880 Speaker 1: I am so happy talking to you because for anyone 622 00:36:49,920 --> 00:36:51,960 Speaker 1: who's listening, I'm just going to sum up a couple 623 00:36:52,040 --> 00:36:54,759 Speaker 1: of things that I'm hearing. I'm hearing one, it is possible, 624 00:36:54,840 --> 00:37:00,440 Speaker 1: like you are. This is when we like we glamorize 625 00:37:00,480 --> 00:37:04,440 Speaker 1: black women grinding and hustle culture and all that. But 626 00:37:05,200 --> 00:37:07,120 Speaker 1: we need more examples. And I'm so glad that you 627 00:37:07,200 --> 00:37:11,520 Speaker 1: share yourself with us because we need more examples of this, 628 00:37:11,680 --> 00:37:13,680 Speaker 1: more women doing whatever the hell they want to do 629 00:37:13,719 --> 00:37:15,640 Speaker 1: and showing that, yeah, my bills are paid and I'm 630 00:37:15,640 --> 00:37:18,160 Speaker 1: doing what I want to do, so now what And 631 00:37:18,239 --> 00:37:20,960 Speaker 1: on top of that, what you said that I work 632 00:37:21,040 --> 00:37:24,120 Speaker 1: so hard. I have a group coaching program and one 633 00:37:24,200 --> 00:37:26,960 Speaker 1: of my favorite things to talk about is one of 634 00:37:26,960 --> 00:37:28,960 Speaker 1: the scariest for the women that I work with, which 635 00:37:29,000 --> 00:37:33,120 Speaker 1: is your brand. It is and it's using your voice 636 00:37:33,400 --> 00:37:36,719 Speaker 1: and standing in your point of view and speaking and 637 00:37:36,840 --> 00:37:40,320 Speaker 1: sharing and showing people what it is that you're doing 638 00:37:40,560 --> 00:37:43,279 Speaker 1: and not being afraid of that, you know, not being 639 00:37:43,320 --> 00:37:46,439 Speaker 1: afraid of creating your own platform and sharing and how 640 00:37:46,480 --> 00:37:49,520 Speaker 1: much power there is when you tell people. As soon 641 00:37:49,560 --> 00:37:52,240 Speaker 1: as I started actually opening my mouth a lot more 642 00:37:52,880 --> 00:37:56,480 Speaker 1: and sharing my opinions, your audience will find you. And 643 00:37:56,520 --> 00:38:00,919 Speaker 1: those opportunities, Babe, when you said all those inbound requests, yes, 644 00:38:01,000 --> 00:38:03,600 Speaker 1: that can that will happen in your career. You know, 645 00:38:03,640 --> 00:38:05,799 Speaker 1: even if you're nine to five, it'll be recruiters reaching out, 646 00:38:05,800 --> 00:38:08,560 Speaker 1: it'll be hiring managers. You know, if they if you 647 00:38:08,560 --> 00:38:11,440 Speaker 1: don't open the front door and you know, say come 648 00:38:11,520 --> 00:38:13,480 Speaker 1: on in, how are they going to know that you're there? 649 00:38:13,520 --> 00:38:16,680 Speaker 1: And I think that's such a I'm so happy and 650 00:38:17,160 --> 00:38:18,920 Speaker 1: to hear that, to hear you say that there was 651 00:38:19,040 --> 00:38:23,000 Speaker 1: power in you being more public, you know, with the 652 00:38:23,040 --> 00:38:26,200 Speaker 1: work that you're doing and not waiting around for the permission. 653 00:38:27,040 --> 00:38:29,000 Speaker 1: Event Bright is free Bright. 654 00:38:29,440 --> 00:38:31,120 Speaker 2: That's literally what I said. I said that event by 655 00:38:31,280 --> 00:38:34,520 Speaker 2: is free. I have a computer and I have Zoom, 656 00:38:34,719 --> 00:38:39,800 Speaker 2: so let's make it happen. And just starting to build 657 00:38:39,920 --> 00:38:43,360 Speaker 2: like super small, like I started this newsletter and the 658 00:38:43,520 --> 00:38:47,600 Speaker 2: I had four people on the list, four and I 659 00:38:47,680 --> 00:38:51,240 Speaker 2: knew all of them all right, and myself in yourself, 660 00:38:51,280 --> 00:38:54,239 Speaker 2: yeah I got it myself included, right, So really three 661 00:38:54,280 --> 00:38:57,120 Speaker 2: other people and I just I'm just going to keep 662 00:38:57,160 --> 00:38:59,839 Speaker 2: at it. I'm going to keep at it. And now 663 00:38:59,840 --> 00:39:02,640 Speaker 2: the like over thirteen thousand people on this list, right, 664 00:39:03,360 --> 00:39:07,600 Speaker 2: And so what was important for me is I set 665 00:39:07,840 --> 00:39:12,279 Speaker 2: process goals. I do not set outcome goals. And the 666 00:39:12,400 --> 00:39:15,680 Speaker 2: times where I have tried to set outcome goals is 667 00:39:15,680 --> 00:39:18,680 Speaker 2: when I've stopped doing the work. And so what I 668 00:39:18,719 --> 00:39:20,840 Speaker 2: mean by that is this. When I had the podcast, 669 00:39:21,520 --> 00:39:25,640 Speaker 2: my goal was not how many listeners I would get, 670 00:39:25,800 --> 00:39:29,000 Speaker 2: you know, what type of outlets would talk about the podcast? Like, 671 00:39:29,760 --> 00:39:32,040 Speaker 2: none of those things, right, Those are all kind of 672 00:39:32,040 --> 00:39:36,279 Speaker 2: like outcome goals. My one marker of success for Black 673 00:39:36,320 --> 00:39:39,960 Speaker 2: Cancer when I started was if I said that the 674 00:39:40,000 --> 00:39:43,320 Speaker 2: season starts on April first, Did you start the season 675 00:39:43,360 --> 00:39:47,120 Speaker 2: on April first? If I set the schedule that I 676 00:39:47,120 --> 00:39:50,919 Speaker 2: would release an episode every single Monday, did I release 677 00:39:50,960 --> 00:39:57,120 Speaker 2: an episode every single Monday? That's it? And if that happened, 678 00:39:57,840 --> 00:39:59,120 Speaker 2: that was successful. 679 00:40:00,160 --> 00:40:06,160 Speaker 1: A Men's Sister consistency from one podcast to another. Brown ambition. 680 00:40:06,600 --> 00:40:08,400 Speaker 1: The best thing Tip and I did from the jump 681 00:40:08,560 --> 00:40:10,880 Speaker 1: was and we will publish on at the time it 682 00:40:10,920 --> 00:40:13,839 Speaker 1: was Tuesday, and we met and we did our tape. 683 00:40:13,920 --> 00:40:16,480 Speaker 1: It was about scheduling the time and making it a 684 00:40:16,520 --> 00:40:19,360 Speaker 1: consistent habit, and then your audience begins to trust you 685 00:40:20,000 --> 00:40:22,000 Speaker 1: and you show up for them. And it may take 686 00:40:22,040 --> 00:40:25,200 Speaker 1: you years and you know and all that, But as 687 00:40:25,200 --> 00:40:28,520 Speaker 1: a personal trainer, I feel like you probably understand better 688 00:40:28,560 --> 00:40:31,400 Speaker 1: than anyone that a lot of people know the steps 689 00:40:31,400 --> 00:40:35,360 Speaker 1: it takes, but they won't. It's it's the differentiating factor 690 00:40:35,400 --> 00:40:37,839 Speaker 1: between who actually takes those steps and who shows up, 691 00:40:38,680 --> 00:40:41,200 Speaker 1: who shows up, and it's not convenient. Mm hmm, it's 692 00:40:41,360 --> 00:40:41,920 Speaker 1: very different. 693 00:40:42,600 --> 00:40:45,120 Speaker 2: This is I learned this from personal training and also 694 00:40:45,440 --> 00:40:49,239 Speaker 2: with my public health degree, right and I will And 695 00:40:49,239 --> 00:40:51,240 Speaker 2: this is hard to say someone who speaks and writes. 696 00:40:51,560 --> 00:40:56,880 Speaker 2: I think there is an asterisk there. But foundationally, information 697 00:40:57,040 --> 00:41:02,400 Speaker 2: is not enough to change your behavior. It's not information 698 00:41:02,800 --> 00:41:05,560 Speaker 2: is not enough to change your behavior. And so you 699 00:41:05,640 --> 00:41:11,240 Speaker 2: can know anything, right mind you, I'm trying to lose 700 00:41:11,400 --> 00:41:14,480 Speaker 2: all my post surgery weight right now. There's nothing to 701 00:41:14,520 --> 00:41:17,719 Speaker 2: do with how I feel about how I look and 702 00:41:17,840 --> 00:41:24,600 Speaker 2: all about trying to like feel good about like my 703 00:41:24,800 --> 00:41:30,440 Speaker 2: body in a like a very grounded way. So not 704 00:41:30,560 --> 00:41:33,279 Speaker 2: about aesthetics for the folks out there, like why trying 705 00:41:33,320 --> 00:41:35,239 Speaker 2: this weight? Girl? You look great? I know it look great, 706 00:41:35,560 --> 00:41:37,920 Speaker 2: But this is what I'm working on, right So I'm 707 00:41:37,960 --> 00:41:40,600 Speaker 2: trying to lose all my post surgery weight. And the 708 00:41:40,640 --> 00:41:42,640 Speaker 2: thing that I kept going back to is like, you 709 00:41:42,719 --> 00:41:48,040 Speaker 2: have a degree in this. Yeah, you have done this 710 00:41:48,080 --> 00:41:50,920 Speaker 2: for other people, You've done this for yourself, and you 711 00:41:51,000 --> 00:41:54,920 Speaker 2: have studied this. I have all the information that I 712 00:41:55,160 --> 00:41:59,440 Speaker 2: need to meet my fitness goals, and I've been trying 713 00:41:59,640 --> 00:42:03,120 Speaker 2: to meet these fitness goals for four years, right, and 714 00:42:03,200 --> 00:42:09,040 Speaker 2: so what supports you in taking the action? Right? Hey, 715 00:42:09,840 --> 00:42:12,239 Speaker 2: you don't weigh the same that you did two years ago, 716 00:42:12,360 --> 00:42:17,640 Speaker 2: so you need new clothes. Stop suffocating yourself with things 717 00:42:17,640 --> 00:42:21,920 Speaker 2: that do not fit, that make you feel uncomfortable, So 718 00:42:21,960 --> 00:42:25,840 Speaker 2: then you don't do the physical activity right, sign up 719 00:42:25,880 --> 00:42:28,799 Speaker 2: for the gym membership, go to the park. Here are 720 00:42:28,880 --> 00:42:33,400 Speaker 2: all the actual environmental things that supports me in making 721 00:42:33,400 --> 00:42:37,000 Speaker 2: this happen. What accountability can I set up? And so 722 00:42:37,440 --> 00:42:43,320 Speaker 2: having the information is never enough. It's about what structures 723 00:42:43,320 --> 00:42:45,640 Speaker 2: you have in place. And we see this with our workplaces. 724 00:42:46,200 --> 00:42:48,759 Speaker 2: Most of our workplaces, if you look on our websites, 725 00:42:48,880 --> 00:42:51,920 Speaker 2: on the websites of where you work, knows that diversity 726 00:42:51,920 --> 00:42:55,680 Speaker 2: acting inclusion is important. They know that paying women the 727 00:42:55,719 --> 00:43:02,279 Speaker 2: same as men is important. They understand that diversity is key. 728 00:43:02,360 --> 00:43:06,879 Speaker 2: They have all the information, right, do they act on 729 00:43:07,080 --> 00:43:07,840 Speaker 2: such information? 730 00:43:08,760 --> 00:43:13,880 Speaker 1: Yeah? No, right, no, yep. They tell you to leave 731 00:43:13,960 --> 00:43:17,160 Speaker 1: the call or leave the room exactly, get it? Oh yeah, 732 00:43:17,160 --> 00:43:19,160 Speaker 1: that's important. What's for lunch? 733 00:43:19,760 --> 00:43:21,839 Speaker 2: Exactly exactly? I know you talked to her cheek about 734 00:43:21,840 --> 00:43:25,800 Speaker 2: imparksis syndrome, right, like all our workplaces talk about in 735 00:43:25,920 --> 00:43:28,960 Speaker 2: parks of syndrome and it's holding women back and blase 736 00:43:29,080 --> 00:43:33,120 Speaker 2: blah cool. But have you changed your work culture to 737 00:43:33,120 --> 00:43:36,720 Speaker 2: not trigger my imposter syndrome? Are you still interrupting me, Bob? 738 00:43:36,960 --> 00:43:40,560 Speaker 2: Every time I have something to say? You know? Are 739 00:43:40,560 --> 00:43:42,719 Speaker 2: you still asking me to take the notes when I'm 740 00:43:42,760 --> 00:43:46,920 Speaker 2: actually there to leave the meeting? So you say that 741 00:43:47,040 --> 00:43:49,839 Speaker 2: you know this thing, you say that you value this thing, 742 00:43:50,000 --> 00:43:53,240 Speaker 2: you say that this thing is important. But what's actually 743 00:43:53,400 --> 00:43:59,480 Speaker 2: happening infrastructurally to make those changes come to bear? And 744 00:43:59,520 --> 00:44:03,919 Speaker 2: I think we've see that in entrepreneurship as well. There's 745 00:44:03,960 --> 00:44:06,640 Speaker 2: the things that you want to do and the things 746 00:44:06,640 --> 00:44:09,120 Speaker 2: that you do, So what are you doing? 747 00:44:10,040 --> 00:44:11,640 Speaker 1: I'm so glad that you pointed that out, and I 748 00:44:11,680 --> 00:44:14,319 Speaker 1: wish we had more time to talk more. From one 749 00:44:14,440 --> 00:44:17,960 Speaker 1: entrepreneur to another, I see you on so many levels, 750 00:44:18,000 --> 00:44:22,799 Speaker 1: and thank goodness that you're healthy and that you made 751 00:44:22,840 --> 00:44:25,759 Speaker 1: it through the other side of that. I'm so grateful, 752 00:44:26,480 --> 00:44:30,399 Speaker 1: and I'm grateful to you for taking that experience and 753 00:44:31,360 --> 00:44:33,799 Speaker 1: not letting it, if anything, letting it turbo charge you 754 00:44:33,840 --> 00:44:37,080 Speaker 1: forward because your work is so important, and I'm so 755 00:44:37,880 --> 00:44:40,680 Speaker 1: honored that you have shared your time and your voice 756 00:44:40,760 --> 00:44:45,200 Speaker 1: at this early early Friday hour with our audience, I 757 00:44:45,280 --> 00:44:47,360 Speaker 1: know that they will feel seen in your work. So 758 00:44:47,400 --> 00:44:50,160 Speaker 1: if you guys want to learn more about Jodyanne, check 759 00:44:50,160 --> 00:44:52,320 Speaker 1: out her website. We'll have a link to the notes. 760 00:44:52,640 --> 00:44:55,000 Speaker 1: Check her out on ig jodian Where's is the website? 761 00:44:55,000 --> 00:44:57,600 Speaker 1: The best place for people to to find out more 762 00:44:57,640 --> 00:45:00,080 Speaker 1: about your work? That's Jodyanbeury dot com. 763 00:45:00,120 --> 00:45:06,239 Speaker 2: Yep, Jodianebeury dot com and Jodynnbury on Instagram. Jodyanne underscore 764 00:45:06,320 --> 00:45:08,880 Speaker 2: be on Twitter, but I never do anything on Twitter, 765 00:45:08,920 --> 00:45:11,320 Speaker 2: so that won't be an exciting place for you. 766 00:45:11,440 --> 00:45:14,560 Speaker 1: Name Zi's Are you doing any TikTok dances? 767 00:45:14,760 --> 00:45:15,640 Speaker 2: No? No. 768 00:45:16,040 --> 00:45:16,680 Speaker 1: I asked my. 769 00:45:16,680 --> 00:45:19,040 Speaker 2: Niece to teach me a TikTok dance and she looked 770 00:45:19,080 --> 00:45:23,840 Speaker 2: at me and was like, Auntie, No, you know what's. 771 00:45:23,680 --> 00:45:25,000 Speaker 1: Great about to You don't have to learn how to 772 00:45:25,040 --> 00:45:29,600 Speaker 1: do dances. Just be yourself. People they love authenticity. Authenticity. Well, 773 00:45:29,680 --> 00:45:30,319 Speaker 1: I will say this. 774 00:45:30,480 --> 00:45:34,040 Speaker 2: I heard this for like to support entrepreneurs, like pick 775 00:45:34,120 --> 00:45:37,840 Speaker 2: two social media platforms and like double down and so 776 00:45:38,200 --> 00:45:40,840 Speaker 2: I'm on Instagram and LinkedIn or my primary one so 777 00:45:41,200 --> 00:45:42,239 Speaker 2: y'all can find me there. 778 00:45:42,840 --> 00:45:45,680 Speaker 1: I love that. Yes, just focus, just fine, just pick 779 00:45:45,719 --> 00:45:48,319 Speaker 1: one and focus. People are always like, it's so overwhelming, Well, 780 00:45:48,320 --> 00:45:51,439 Speaker 1: don't let it be, don't pick one and focus. Well, 781 00:45:51,520 --> 00:45:53,279 Speaker 1: I can't wait to find out more. I feel like 782 00:45:53,280 --> 00:45:55,719 Speaker 1: you've got some exciting things. Whenever someone teases something that's 783 00:45:55,760 --> 00:45:58,080 Speaker 1: going to happen, I'm like, is it Shondaland is it? 784 00:45:58,239 --> 00:46:00,440 Speaker 1: You know? Are you going to have a Netflix reason? 785 00:46:00,480 --> 00:46:02,120 Speaker 1: My head goes to Shonda. I don't know why. 786 00:46:02,160 --> 00:46:10,240 Speaker 2: I just feel like, from your lips to the universe, Yeah, Sean, whatever, Netflix, listen. 787 00:46:10,440 --> 00:46:12,480 Speaker 1: If Shonda listened to BA, that would be I know 788 00:46:12,560 --> 00:46:14,839 Speaker 1: I'd made it then, Stacy Abrams was a good way 789 00:46:14,840 --> 00:46:16,600 Speaker 1: to start the year. Now, I just got to keep going. 790 00:46:16,680 --> 00:46:22,000 Speaker 1: And you are an incredible just woman, person, human being. 791 00:46:22,040 --> 00:46:24,799 Speaker 1: Thank you so much, Jodian for joining Brown Ambition. We 792 00:46:24,880 --> 00:46:26,759 Speaker 1: will have links to all of your incredible work in 793 00:46:26,800 --> 00:46:29,479 Speaker 1: the show notes and I cannot wait to see where 794 00:46:29,520 --> 00:46:31,879 Speaker 1: you go next. My friend, my new friend in my head. 795 00:46:32,239 --> 00:46:34,400 Speaker 2: Thank you. No, the friendship, the friendship is here. You 796 00:46:34,480 --> 00:46:35,200 Speaker 2: heard it here first.