Welcome to the Why Not Today podcast where we celebrate courage, determination, and the
power of saying, Why Not Today?
I'm your host, Leslie Kane, and in each episode we dive into inspiring stories of individuals
who have taken bold steps, face their fears, and embrace the possibility of today.
From entrepreneurs to artists, dreamers to doers, we explore the moments when you say,
enough waiting, why not today?
Let me as we uncover the heartwarming, the audacious, and the transformative, whether
it's pursuing a lifelong passion, overcoming obstacles, or simply choosing joy.
Our guests share their journeys and inspire us all.
I started this podcast in honor of my father, Patrick Kane, who often said, Why Not Today?
And remember, you're just one decision away from changing your life.
And today we're doing something kind of different.
So my guest is Belinda Jackson-Farrier, and she has been a guest on the podcast before,
and she is the host of the Leadership Tea podcast.
And I met Belinda at a networking million cups event and immediately connected, and
we have gotten together several times and seen you at different things, and so admire
you and what you're doing with your podcast.
And so with the third anniversary, I was trying to think outside the box, and somebody had
recommended this, and I was like, Belinda is a perfect person, to have somebody interview
me.
So the episode, if you listened to the prior episode, I talked about the journey of the
podcast, where we started, the story behind it, where we're going, and not only the podcast,
but the Why Not Today movement and everything else I'm doing.
And so Belinda, I have given her free reign to ask me questions and interview me, and
probably going to make me uncomfortable because she's also a coach, so she's going to coach
me through this.
So who knows what's going to happen, and as you know, we do not edit the Why Not Today
podcast, so you're going to get this raw and real time.
And so Belinda, I'm so grateful for you doing this, and I know your world is rocking right
now with everything.
I know you've been in the government space, and so lots going on, so I appreciate your
time and taking the time and helping me with this.
And let's start with what courage means to you, and then, or maybe just a little bit
of who you are, because I always like to do that, and what courage means to you.
Yeah, I'm happy to reintroduce myself to your audience.
Like I said, my name is Belinda, and I am a former US diplomat.
I'm a former executive in the tech space, and now I'm an entrepreneur who is really
committed to helping people find clarity on their career and leadership journey.
You know, I'm also a resident of Northern Virginia.
I'm a mom, I'm a wife, and I'm a person who's really committed to helping my community.
In response to your question about empathy, or rather courage, I would offer that, for
me courage right now is empathy.
It is this idea that it takes a lot of bravery to be kind and to put yourself in someone
else's place.
There's a lot out there in social media, or just in the culture in general, that really
makes it seem exciting and interesting and different to be tough on people, and to be
judgmental and mean.
And so I think that it takes courage to stand up and see yourself in someone else's shoes.
Yeah, and you know, often say that, you know, people are doing the best they can, and who
knows where their beliefs came from and where they came from, and that's what they believe.
And so who is it for us to judge and not be kind?
Because there's a lot of unkindness going on.
I agree.
Well, look, why don't we dive right in?
Okay.
I'm ready.
I'm really excited to learn more about the Why Not Today movement and where you hope
to see the movement go.
So I think my first question is, when you think about where, you know, it's December
31st, 2025.
Where do you see the Why Not Today movement at that moment?
Good question.
So ultimately, you know, my thoughts and my intention with the movement is to be able to
give people courage to one, live your life.
Like we are not promised tomorrow, and I'm forever hearing stories of losing people and
life happening, and we don't know what's going to happen, to be courageous and to pursue
those dreams.
And so if I'm going to bed New Year's Eve on 2025, I really hope that I've impacted
lots of people and made a difference in people's lives and that people are telling me stories
of, oh, when we talked and you gave me that push to do this or help me grow, that I've
impacted people's lives and their stories.
And this has nothing to do about pursuing a dream.
That one of my guests at one of my luncheons wanted to get a tattoo, and she's wanted to
get one for a long time.
And she is Jewish and with everything going on in the world, it's very upsetting to her.
And so her tattoo wanted to be something to symbolize that.
So after the luncheon, there was a tattoo parlor right walking distance, and she walked over
to make an appointment.
And he's like, well, I could do it now.
And she's like, you know, why not today?
So you know, so giving people, I really hope that I make a difference.
And it's the ripple effect that I'm making difference in people's lives to, to do the
courageous things and to start the business.
So the nonprofits are, you know, some people, why not today often say is getting out of bed.
Somebody else that I know bought some why not today merchandise to give to her daughter
who's in college and really struggling with depression and anxiety, just to give her the
encouragement, you know, to have a t-shirt and a cup to encourage her every morning to
keep going.
Wow.
It's really powerful.
As you think about where the movement takes people and how you get them there, what's something
that you feel like you need to change to kind of continue to have this momentum and, and
get people where they need to be through the why not today movement?
Yeah, I think really what I need to change is my, my why not today courage, you know,
to go back, you know, the shoemaker son doesn't have shoes.
I'm really good about encouraging other people, but for me, if I'm going to be vulnerable and
honest here, it's sharing what I can offer to help people that I do have strengths and
skills and superpowers in helping, not even helping.
I don't like that word supporting people to make the next step to give them some tactics
and tools.
Also, I have helped with some courses last year on helping people with systems and so
many things that I have learned in a 30 year Mary Kay career that I can then pass on, you
know, to put some systems in to get rid of some chaos in their life.
So, and to connect with the people that they need to, I think those are some of my superpowers
of being able to help people connect and teach people how to do that and the systems.
Um, because it just takes one person that can change everything.
And we're so worried about what other people are going to think that, but what if you could
make a difference?
No, that's, that's really passionate.
Like, so you have all of these superpowers, right?
And you are such a force in the community.
But I think it's hard for many of us to see that you too struggle to, you know, live the
very ethos of the movement.
Yeah.
I'm curious, what are you afraid of?
It's interesting.
You say that I had a discussion with somebody else and I brought this up.
She's like, you're not 100% confident.
I'm like, no, I think my fear is, it's just new and sharing.
And I think selling me as opposed to I have a career in selling tangible items, you know,
here's a lipstick that's $20.
So how do you put a value on what your strengths are?
And so being able to get the word out, it's so much easier to sell a t-shirt, sell, get
somebody to come to event, to gather people, to help other people that way.
And like helping other people's businesses is something I'm passionate about.
So my friend's restaurant, you know, help support her and to take a step back and like,
okay, what am I doing on a daily basis to really share the message?
And you know, people following me, they know I do an event, maybe they know I do a podcast,
hopefully, that I've been a Mary cake and something, but do they know all the other
things?
And it's interesting, there was one person I did coach last year and came to my course
and the reason what she came to my luncheon and I've known her and she knows my mom and
my family and she says she'd watch my career and listen to my mother brag about me and
knew my success.
She's like, if you can have success in this, you can help me.
Yes.
So yeah, I think it's the putting those things first instead of I say the low hanging fruit.
You know, it's easy to do all the little things and make it perfect, which is so against the
why not today message to instead of making the phone call, calling the person, reaching
out, sharing more content about what I can provide and help.
Yeah, yeah.
No, definitely.
What are building on that?
What are two or three things that you hope your listeners get out of the why not today
movement as they kind of build towards taking action on their truth and their that thing
that they're afraid of?
What's what are two or three takeaways that they should get from why not?
Well, I would say when people listen to podcasts, if they get hope and permission and maybe
a me too, you know, that they listen to somebody else's story and, you know, from everything
from starting businesses to I've had a couple of people that I have addiction issues, you
know, like listening to somebody and say, you know what, if they can do it, I can do
it.
And so giving people that hope and permission that they can do it too, that it's one, you
know, and, you know, I've got a successful business, you know, three years of podcasts
and I'm still doing things scared.
And I don't know about you.
You left a whole different career and you're probably doing things daily scared every day,
every day.
And so, you know, we're all doing it scared.
We don't all come perfectly figuring this out.
And, you know, it took me a long time to figure out how to do this podcast.
It was one, one week at a time.
And originally it was every other week.
So I'm like, okay, if I can master one little thing every couple of weeks.
I didn't even get a microphone till almost two years in.
You know, exactly, right?
You have to take that first step.
You have to learn.
You have to, I was just telling someone today that it's the importance of being a C student
versus an A student, right?
A student wants to please people, knows the rules and never really fails and doesn't really
develop that resilience.
To see student learn so they can take risks and sometimes they get an A and sometimes
they get an F.
But they're still loved by their community.
They can still move forward and it will all be all right at the end.
So I'm trying to have that kind of mentality.
So I told them.
And I think two were more attracted to the story of the adversity.
The person that starts here and ends there and has nothing go wrong.
Yeah.
Can't relate.
And I was actually listening to another podcast of some of this very successful and she interviews
really high powered top people and she does, I don't know how often, maybe once a month,
a coaching call with somebody just starting, which I can relate to her.
And I often say, you know, back to the Mary Kay world, you know, I've been doing this
30 years and had great success, but a lot of people starting, they can't see from starting
to me, but they can see, okay, if one, you know, if somebody, they hear a story of somebody
that's been in for a year and had success or a month.
And so I think, you know, we got to fail to success and learn those lessons and keep trying
and don't quit.
Like somebody the other day said something about, you know, how many people in a small
business quit.
And that is not even a thought in my head that I would ever quit.
I may quit doing one part of it, you know, pivot a little better, adjust it, but, you
know, not, no, we're not going to quit.
We're going to keep trying and learning.
I like that C student analogy that's, yeah, and they're not failures, right?
They're opportunities.
So learning.
So in, within the movement, I know that you're doing a lot in terms of you are coaching people
individually, you're offering courses.
Like, what do you see as a future of helping people to create their new reality through
the why not today movement?
What will the future of this movement look like?
I think it's more group synergies and group work than the individual one to one coaching
because that's just a dialogue between two people.
And yes, I can bring things out and how, you know, we can help support the coaching, but
really I see the magic in a group, people supporting each other and helping.
I've started doing events called why not stay connect and sip and it is at a tea shop.
So you definitely need to come with your leadership tea.
And it's a small group and it's been six to eight people and we have tea and everybody
introduces themselves and what they could use support in and we just have a conversation
and it's so interesting.
The synergies like last month, everybody was around either having a business or having
a kid that as a friend of mine calls it complex kiddos that have either autism or, you know,
some learning disability.
I don't know what all the correct words are, but everybody kind of swam in that world last
month this month, which we just held today.
It was the healthcare.
You know, there was a functional nurse practitioner, somebody that is doing holistic financial planning,
somebody else is an exercise specialist.
You know, so it's just, it was just powerful just to see the conversations, the connections,
the support of each other.
So if I can do that and be able to touch many lives and see how the magic unfolds.
And I think that's one of the things the luncheon has done.
You know, watching the relationships grow out of that.
And like one month we had somebody who was an artist that had a local art show going
on in right near there and they all left a bunch of women left together and they went
and bought chocolate at the chocolate shop and then they went to watch the artist or went
to see her paintings.
Last month everybody left the luncheon and they all went and bought teas.
So to just see these relationships growing, I think is so powerful.
It's really interesting what I hear you saying is you're really harnessing the power of community.
Absolutely.
That is one of my...
And that's so necessary right now.
And I just keep hearing things about how people are so lonely.
And that's why I started the luncheon and that's why I do a lot of what I do, although I keep
saying I don't want to be an event planner, but I love gathering people.
I even did, had some friends come over for dinner last night.
We did it last year.
We were going to do it monthly and it ended up being annual.
We did it once last year.
But we just got together and everybody brought something and they got ready to leave and
it was 10 o'clock and I'm like, how did that happen?
And when we talked about, you know, everything and just filling each other's cups.
And I think that is something that I'm just passionate about is the community, the connections.
So figuring out how to support people with that and, you know, have a business that can
support me because it's really easy to give away all these services, which you're probably
figuring out as well.
No, but I think that's something that can be scaled and should be scaled.
Yes.
Right?
And building these micro communities where people really are there to help each other
with their resilience and their learning and their growth.
I mean, that's, like you said, something that we're all looking for right now.
So and it's something that really makes why not today really special.
So we've had a few minutes to chat and connect.
But before I lose you in this conversation, I want to make sure that I've covered everything.
Is there anything that you wish we had talked about today, something you wish I'd asked
you?
Good question.
Maybe a question for you.
How do I, how do I reach more people outside my circle?
I think that's, I do have a big circle of influence and my luncheon probably for the
first six months, there was not one person that walked in that I did not know.
And we had over 200 people come to the luncheon last year.
And so that's, I think, one of my new, my new opportunity is figuring out how to get
rid, how to get out of go beyond my circle.
Yeah.
That makes sense.
I think that that's something that I'm also still learning.
I have found that, like you said, building these micro communities through organizations
and things has been helpful.
I've also found that speaking, it's slow and steady wins the race in terms of building
this community, right?
Like that.
It's about quality and that quantity.
People who are really committed will, will join and they will bring others.
When you are earnestly providing quality, providing what people want, they're going
to bring in their friends, like they're going to bring in their associates.
But another kind of tactical piece I have found to be useful is to find, to think about
where my ideal client, so to speak, right, or listener is likely kind of hanging out.
And so in one case for me, that's, that's LinkedIn is, is a space where my ideal listener
is, is at.
And so putting out my relevant, honest truth, especially as we kind of move through turbulent
times and things moving quickly to say, like, here are my views on how to lead your team
during, you know, change and turbulence or here's how to manage through layoffs or whatever,
because these things are happening now.
It's organically growing community.
So I think it's, it's really sitting back and it's taken me a while to find out where
my ideal client is hanging out, but it's finding that space and then meeting people where they
are.
Yeah.
And I haven't played as much in LinkedIn and that's probably a good place for me to be
as well.
I've kind of played in the Facebook world just because that's what I've known.
But I think LinkedIn is probably a good place.
The other thing that's kind of my background's finance.
So in my back and my head, I'm like, I am not a writer.
I, you know, when I see people put all these blogs and articles and stuff, I'm like, I
could never do that.
And I've been playing with AI more and I've got the thoughts and ideas and somebody said
the other day, it helps them get started.
And so somebody asked me to do a blog post and I was like, I don't want to do a blog.
She's like, put your course because I've got the outline of the course, which by the way,
when I put together the courses I have and put together materials and the handouts and
the, all the videos to go with it, it was so much fun and so easy for me.
And so I need to take the content of my courses and then put them into an AI to help generate
some ideas and then be able to, I think, find some kind of consistent with some things,
easy stuff like I do an inspirational post today, which I've done for years.
And I've got that figured out.
So it's figuring out the cadence of content.
Yeah, I agree.
There's a lot of noise out there.
There is and it's like shiny objects and it's like, okay, how can I most easily be able
to take this content and figure out a cadence and a schedule?
And I think for me to get out my message, my show my superpowers, because people are watching
and constantly have people say things like you're doing so much good, good things and
I see what you're doing and people are like, you got to know Leslie and people referring
to me all the referring people to me all the time, which I can't keep up with honestly.
But then it's taking it, I think.
So maybe it's building a team.
Say more.
What do you mean?
Maybe you need someone who can do the analytics on where your audience is and develop a strategy
or even outline some of the content, 30 days worth of content for you at a time.
Using something like Fiverr or a site like that, you can probably find someone at a relatively
reasonable rate to kind of help you with that.
And or it's as your people are being referred to you, it's maybe partnering with other people
within your movement, maybe doing kind of a train the trainer, training some other folks
in the why not today methodology and bringing them on board as I don't know, contractors,
employees, something so that it's not just you, right?
Yeah.
And others can carry the message as well.
Interesting thought.
I have talked to a couple of people and I had a call with two women that are not in this
area that love the idea of my luncheon.
They're like, can you teach us how to do it?
Because I've had other people ask about doing it.
But again, I don't want to be an event planner and I don't want to be running around the
world doing events.
So if I can teach people fractional event planner.
Yeah, kind of like social collectives.
Interesting.
Lots of ideas.
So I'm I'm going to have to have to listen to this podcast again with paper and pen and
take notes and and that's one of my superpowers and kryptonite is all my ideas.
No, it's good.
It's you know, but it's having all the ideas and I listened to a good podcast the other
day and talked about income streams and I need to listen to that again and pen and paper
and just get everything on in paper and like, OK, where are all the places?
Because ultimately the why not today movement, my big, harry audacious goal in I just feel
in the every ounce of my being that it's there is that why not today is a message similar
to life is good.
People are wearing the shirts and they're encouraging each other.
I mean, people are always quoting it back to me.
You know, why not today or I'm getting texts or people comment on social media stuff is
that we've got a movement that literally a movement that we're encouraging people to
try the scary thing like when they say, you know, it takes five seconds of courage to
do something.
Yeah, I would offer, you know, don't don't suppress the ideas, right?
Like, even if you're just carrying a small notebook around with you, that's just called
ideas, let them out and review them once a while and see if they can be integrated and
your overall strategic plan or like, you know, when and where it's so necessary because I
think if I were to reflect on where I am now versus where I thought I would be different,
right?
I've stayed agile, I've stayed adaptable, right?
I've absorbed some new ideas, but in a way that's very, I think intentional so that it's
not overwhelming.
I have, I also have a tendency to just be like shiny things, let's do it.
Yeah, I can have a leadership style that, you know, I kind of put my foot on the gas.
So I have to be very intentional about, okay, let me slow down.
Let me think.
Let me set this aside.
Let me stay rooted in the end vision of what I want.
Is this going to get me to that end vision?
Yeah.
Am I still reverse engineering?
Am I still rooted and what am I trying to solve for?
Right, that's a question we keep asking ourselves and everything.
All the time.
So look, it's really been an honor connecting with you today and celebrating, you know, the
anniversary of this podcast and its impact that it's had on so many people.
Yeah.
And who would have ever thought when I started is this crazy idea.
So the one question I usually ask people before we wrap this up is how would you encourage
somebody else to do something?
So I'm going to flip this on you.
How would you encourage me with my next steps or to reach my December 31st vision or goal?
I think your magic line to put on me.
Yes.
I think that there is power in writing down a vision.
There's a study I would have to go look it up that I learned about many years ago that
I think it was a Harvard Business School study where they had graduates write down their
goal for themselves 10 years in the future and then some didn't.
And everyone who wrote it down, almost all of them achieved it.
Right?
When I was working in Peru, there was someone I worked with who carried her goals in her
wallet.
And I would sometimes see her like standing in line for coffee at like a cafeteria, you
know, and she would, while she's standing in line, literally be looking in her wallet,
looking at her goals for the year.
Love that.
And so that's what I would offer to you is write down that vision of what December 31st
looks like and put in your wallet.
And when you're like...
Have you heard the Jim Carrey story?
Yeah.
With the check?
Do you know the Jim Carrey?
I think it's Jim Carrey.
Oh.
Yeah.
Pretty sure it's Jim Carrey.
But he wrote himself a check for $100,000 million, I don't know what it was, and kept
in his wallet with the date and like almost to the date of it, he got a contract for a
movie for that amount.
Look at that.
I'm going to do that tonight.
Yeah.
I used to do that with checks for Mary Kaye, top people's checks.
Just we'd write out their name and put our name in there.
Yeah.
I think those are things, you know, and what it keeps coming back to is all the things,
and when I presented it at Million Cups, a suggestion, all the things that I know and
I've taught people to do for 30 years, I just need to do myself with this business.
Do it.
Why not today?
So, well, thank you, Belinda, for doing this.
This was fun.
And as I said, I'm going to go back and take notes and yeah, put some things in place.
And thank you, everybody, for joining us today.
And thank you for joining us for three years.
It's crazy.
Over 100 episodes in three years, and we're starting this is episode one of season four.
So I'm excited for that.
So check out everything on Why Not Today on our new website, whynottodaymovement.com.
Feel free or please like, share, review the podcast, get some merch.
Let's share this message.
And remember, say why not today?
Just never know how your life is going to change.
So thanks, Belinda.
Thank you.
Congratulations.
Thank you.