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because I became a mother.

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So when I became a mom, that sort of lifestyle

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just didn't fit into the vision I had for my family.

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And as soon as I became a mother,

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then I looked into being an entrepreneur

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because I felt like that allowed me more flexibility

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and freedom and creativity.

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But it's funny because I do use a lot of the skills

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and the strategies from advertising in the work

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that I do now in brand strategy for female entrepreneurs.

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Yeah, that's awesome.

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Good, I like that.

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What years was that, if you don't mind,

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when you were doing the advertising?

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So I'm like a dinosaur, I feel like.

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So I graduated college in 94

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and I went right into advertising.

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So I worked in advertising up until 2000 or 2001

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and my oldest son was born in 2002.

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So he is 21 right now, which is hard to believe.

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So I've been an entrepreneur for over two decades.

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Yeah, well, that's not fair.

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You look younger than me.

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Not fair at all.

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Okay, so I asked that context

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because the world of advertising has shifted so much

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in terms of the mediums and platforms.

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100%, I was just talking about this with someone

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who is my age.

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So it was like fair that we could talk about

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how media was billboards, radio, print and TV.

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And that was it.

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And that's what we worked on.

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And now you have this whole digital world

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with all these social media platforms.

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It's a totally different beast.

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It's interesting how things change.

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It is, it's interesting how the tactics

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or certain platforms can change.

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And it's so cool to me, the principles that stay the same,

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like the moments of truth.

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That book, for instance, being a classic

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for advertising marketing influence.

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So there are certain things that translate over

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and it is still interesting to me

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that the most dominant brands

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and the world ones who are succeeding,

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most of them are still on TV.

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Yeah. And still have radio ads

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and still understand the value of print

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and digital marketers hate to acknowledge that.

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But there's so much value to be had in lots of ways.

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I've got to ask three resources.

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If you were to give three resources

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to visionaries, entrepreneurs,

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it could be a book, it could be a movie, et cetera.

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What would they be?

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So I think one of the best books you should read

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as an entrepreneur is The Big Leap.

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I don't know if you've heard of it,

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but it talks about your four zones.

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You have zone of incompetence, zone of competence,

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zone of excellence and zone of genius.

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And as a branding person,

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I think you wanna tap into your zone of genius

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and bake that into your brand

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so that that brand can stand out,

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can have sustainability and can be really sharp and sticky.

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And so it's such a great book that teaches you

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sort of what you need to delegate

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or what you need to let go or what you need to shift.

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Because many of us are probably playing

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in that zone of excellence because it feels safe

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and it feels comfortable.

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But as we like pull the layers apart

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and really ask ourselves, like, what are we meant to do?

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And what is that zone of genius, that area of expertise?

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Hopefully you get to take the leap

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and get into that zone of genius.

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So that's a book that I have probably read

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three or four times just because I feel like

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it can keep revisiting it.

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Yeah.

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Another book that I love is Essentialism.

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I don't know if you've read that one.

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Don't ask me the authors because I can never remember,

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but it's such a great book because it talks about

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really getting focused as a brand, as a business,

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as a person and kind of stripping away all the things

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that don't really matter and only focusing

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on what does matter.

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And so again, as a branding person,

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especially someone who is a big proponent of,

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who believes in niching, the idea of being an essentialist

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and cutting through all the noise

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and going all in on a certain lane

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is sort of, is in alignment with a lot of the ways

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that I run my business and how I help my clients.

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And then I think if I had to pick a third one,

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again, as a branding person, Donald Miller,

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Story Brand was an amazing book where he talks about,

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storytelling and how to use that to build your brand

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and really kind of dumps it down for all of us

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to be better brand builders.

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And that is a book I've read multiple times as well.

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That's awesome.

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That Donald Miller doubled down yesterday's guest

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also brought him up as their resource.

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And I'm a fan too.

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I like what he's up to and it's fun to see twice in a row

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that happened even though I don't know.

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Are you connected to Scott Aaron?

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I gotta ask now.

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No, I don't even know who that is.

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Well, you'd probably be a fantastic guest as well

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on his podcast, Networking and Marketing Made Simple.

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So happy to put a shout out and a connection there.

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We're gonna go to the break.

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We'll be right back and dive into Malika's vision.

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All right, welcome in to Vision Pros Live.

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With Jackson Calame, I'm your show host.

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We'll be doing interviews for visionary entrepreneurs

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and guest leaders who are building

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fantastic visions out there.

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Hey, what's up and welcome in to another episode

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of Vision Pros Live.

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I'm your show host, Jackson Calame,

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founder and CEO of First Class Business.

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I'm excited to have Malika Malhotra on today.

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Malika has a brand about, well,

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really helping you build your brands.

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She's a brand strategist.

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She has a mentorship program as well.

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Specifically, she's helping ambitious women entrepreneurs

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who are ready to take their brand to the next level.

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And one of the big things that she really promotes

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and advocates for is niche and niching down.

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We're gonna talk about that at length as we talk.

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We're also gonna talk about growing the business faster

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with what she calls the bullseye brand method

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after we dive in about her vision.

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Now, before I bring on stage,

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we've also got some sponsors to talk about,

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people that we work with that we're excited to release to

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as more resources that you could turn to for help.

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So one is Melissa Gray with The Loss Spot.

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She also has an excellent episode.

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She came on our show, just like Malika's on.

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And we decided to work together at some very high levels.

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I can't talk about how deep those conversations

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are going right now, but they're about as deep

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as conversations get for businesses.

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She really shows that law doesn't have to be complicated.

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And I've spent many years working

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with so many different clients that didn't have

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proper legal counsel on board,

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that I was intrigued to put her on the show,

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even though I was a little nervous about,

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I don't know if I want an attorney personality

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talking about vision, but she's got a great personality.

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She's got great characteristics professionally as well

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in terms of what she can do for brands.

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And if I can help any of you avoid the $20,000

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trademark lawsuit that we had at Restaurant Connect,

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or any of you know what to do when you have a demand letter

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from a client or know what to do,

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when Apple patents your software,

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like they did our software at Restaurant Connect as well,

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then by all means, I'd love to see you guys connect.

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Just consider her.

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In terms of the legal counsel options

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that you have out there.

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In addition, there's Franklin Parker of Directional Advisors.

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Franklin Parker has worked in family home office environments

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and a family home office is basically the team

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that runs the finances and decisions for a billionaire.

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He's learned about finance at a really high level levels.

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I've never been a billionaire.

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I don't know a billionaire yet.

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Haven't had one interviewed on a show either.

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So it's really fun to be able to pick his brain

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and also see his book and get to know him.

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You can see his picture right now if you're watching.

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He also plays the guitar.

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He used to be in a band

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and he's got such a deep and rich personality.

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And I find that most financial advisors

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lack the type of depth of personality,

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really get what it is that you're up to.

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They'll ask the questions, the tactics,

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just to find out who you are

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because that's what they're trained to do.

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It's different when you meet Franklin.

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Like he is a legitimately amazing guy.

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In fact, we're going to lunch tomorrow.

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He's driving down and going to be in the area.

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So that'll be fun.

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Anyway, those are two amazing resources you can turn to.

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And I don't have my water bottle on me

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that I normally use for the segment,

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but the water project is near and dear to my heart.

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I will not go a day without promoting something like this

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to the world, helping people realize

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there's millions of people who have needs

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that we take for granted.

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I can go down to my kitchen and get water and a heartbeat.

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These kids, these families,

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these parents who are supposed to provide,

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they have to sometimes walk three to five miles

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in order to find a source of water

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that might not even be safe for their families.

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And we have the opportunity to do something about it.

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If you're not in a financial position

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to contribute to the water project,

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then all I ask is that you potentially share this

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with somebody, maybe you tag somebody who you thought of.

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Maybe you were inspired to think of a different cause

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that also needs attention.

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And if that's the case, do me a favor,

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drop that link in the comments

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so that we can take a look at it.

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And maybe we end up supporting the cause.

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Maybe I end up pulling it on Division Pros Live as well.

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And I appreciate you for jumping in and helping with me.

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Taylor Welch calls this clean energy.

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And if that's what you need for motivation,

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just know that when you give,

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when you do something good for others,

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it gives you that marathon energy

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that helps you feel that much better about your day.

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Same way as if you were to go on a walk

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or make sure you get your water intake, et cetera.

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So I'm gonna get off my holistic wellness topics

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and pedestal, I'm gonna bring Malika on

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and we're gonna dive right into her vision.

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Malika, thank you so much for being here today

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on Vision Pros Live.

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Yeah, thank you for having me, Jackson.

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I'm excited to be here.

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Absolutely.

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So the first question I have for you is,

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tell me, is to tell me about your vision.

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We wanna know what's your vision for those that you serve.

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Yeah, so that's a powerful question.

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So I think, you know, the vision that I have

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for the people that I serve,

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when I think about my clients,

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I think about my community,

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when I think about my family,

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I think it's, you know, make an impact

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to create a sense of belonging,

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to have deep connection, right?

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When I think about my legacy,

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that's what I want at the end of the day,

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to have like meaningful connection,

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to feel like I made a difference.

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Did I help someone think differently

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or did I inspire them to take action?

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Did I help support them in getting to their next best goal

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or to dream a little bit bigger?

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Those are kind of the big things that I think about

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when I think about the vision

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00:11:04,280 --> 00:11:06,600
or the legacy I wanna leave behind.

264
00:11:06,600 --> 00:11:07,440
It's amazing.

265
00:11:07,440 --> 00:11:09,960
Like it came out formulaic too,

266
00:11:09,960 --> 00:11:11,880
not in an authentic way, in a very authentic way.

267
00:11:11,880 --> 00:11:15,640
It's like, okay, impact, belonging and connection.

268
00:11:15,640 --> 00:11:17,000
And I was like, wow, it's like,

269
00:11:17,000 --> 00:11:19,320
there you go for somebody who wants to niche down.

270
00:11:19,320 --> 00:11:23,360
It's a good concept in and of itself.

271
00:11:23,360 --> 00:11:25,960
So moving to your vision,

272
00:11:25,960 --> 00:11:29,520
what is your vision for yourself on the horizon?

273
00:11:29,520 --> 00:11:34,520
Yeah, I think for myself is like continuous growth, right?

274
00:11:35,760 --> 00:11:38,340
I feel like I'm in midlife.

275
00:11:38,340 --> 00:11:41,220
I have been an entrepreneur for over two decades,

276
00:11:41,220 --> 00:11:43,880
but I wanna continue to be curious

277
00:11:43,880 --> 00:11:47,080
and I wanna continue to push beyond my boundaries

278
00:11:47,080 --> 00:11:52,080
and kind of live a really exciting and full life.

279
00:11:52,080 --> 00:11:57,080
I don't wanna, boredom to me is like,

280
00:11:57,280 --> 00:11:58,840
the worst thing that can happen, right?

281
00:11:58,840 --> 00:12:01,800
And so I just wanna keep pushing myself to just grow.

282
00:12:01,800 --> 00:12:04,020
And it doesn't have to be leaps and bounds, right?

283
00:12:04,020 --> 00:12:05,920
In even just small ways,

284
00:12:05,920 --> 00:12:08,740
but to always have that curiosity,

285
00:12:09,960 --> 00:12:11,600
I think that's part of my own vision.

286
00:12:11,600 --> 00:12:14,020
And that's what I try to teach my sons.

287
00:12:14,020 --> 00:12:16,120
And that's what I try to teach my clients

288
00:12:16,120 --> 00:12:17,320
is to lean into that,

289
00:12:17,320 --> 00:12:20,200
because I think that really helps you grow

290
00:12:20,200 --> 00:12:24,000
beyond the financial goals that you want

291
00:12:24,000 --> 00:12:25,360
or all those other things.

292
00:12:25,360 --> 00:12:26,300
Like those are important too,

293
00:12:26,300 --> 00:12:31,300
but like, can we kind of just lean into that self growth

294
00:12:31,440 --> 00:12:33,600
and just pushing beyond some boundaries

295
00:12:33,600 --> 00:12:35,520
and that's really important.

296
00:12:35,520 --> 00:12:36,340
I like that.

297
00:12:36,340 --> 00:12:39,540
I also, I really liked that you key in

298
00:12:39,540 --> 00:12:42,600
on the simple matters of growth too.

299
00:12:42,600 --> 00:12:44,920
It doesn't have to be a grandiose fireworks show

300
00:12:44,920 --> 00:12:47,320
at all times, but it could be simple.

301
00:12:47,320 --> 00:12:50,360
What are some of the simple growth areas

302
00:12:50,360 --> 00:12:52,320
that come to mind for you?

303
00:12:52,320 --> 00:12:54,200
Yeah, so small wins like today,

304
00:12:54,200 --> 00:12:55,560
being here with you, right?

305
00:12:55,560 --> 00:12:56,800
Meeting someone new.

306
00:12:56,800 --> 00:13:00,100
Pushing myself out of my comfort zone,

307
00:13:00,100 --> 00:13:03,140
showing up and sharing a little bit about my journey.

308
00:13:04,160 --> 00:13:07,640
Small win could be, getting outside and taking a walk

309
00:13:07,640 --> 00:13:09,360
instead of being glued to the screen.

310
00:13:09,360 --> 00:13:13,420
As entrepreneurs, it's easy just to just continue

311
00:13:13,420 --> 00:13:16,060
to work and work, but setting my some boundaries

312
00:13:16,060 --> 00:13:18,280
for myself so that I have a healthier lifestyle.

313
00:13:18,280 --> 00:13:21,400
Taking the dog for a walk, being outside with nature.

314
00:13:21,400 --> 00:13:24,580
Small win could be connecting with my parents or family

315
00:13:24,580 --> 00:13:27,680
that don't live close by so that I feel that again,

316
00:13:27,680 --> 00:13:31,360
sense of belonging and that network of people

317
00:13:31,360 --> 00:13:35,280
that I wanna support as well as be supported by.

318
00:13:35,280 --> 00:13:36,120
I love that.

319
00:13:36,120 --> 00:13:37,000
Thank you, that was a great list.

320
00:13:37,000 --> 00:13:37,840
You're fast.

321
00:13:39,240 --> 00:13:42,080
Those are a lot of little victories fast.

322
00:13:42,080 --> 00:13:44,640
The honeydew list grows fast in your house, huh?

323
00:13:44,640 --> 00:13:45,480
Yeah.

324
00:13:45,480 --> 00:13:46,500
It doesn't mind.

325
00:13:48,160 --> 00:13:49,840
I'm great at doing that too.

326
00:13:49,840 --> 00:13:54,320
You mentioned, being on the show as an example like that.

327
00:13:54,320 --> 00:13:56,360
I'm curious, how many live shows have you been on?

328
00:13:56,360 --> 00:13:57,860
Cause you seem like a natural.

329
00:13:58,720 --> 00:14:00,800
So I actually was on a podcast earlier today.

330
00:14:00,800 --> 00:14:01,840
I have two today.

331
00:14:01,840 --> 00:14:03,440
I have one this week.

332
00:14:03,440 --> 00:14:06,880
I don't do as many live shows like this format,

333
00:14:06,880 --> 00:14:09,080
but I have been on a handful of them.

334
00:14:09,080 --> 00:14:11,800
But it's funny, public speaking,

335
00:14:11,800 --> 00:14:13,700
if you asked me 15 years ago,

336
00:14:13,700 --> 00:14:15,600
I'd be scared to death to do it.

337
00:14:17,600 --> 00:14:20,360
15 years ago, I spent a lot of my time being a photographer.

338
00:14:20,360 --> 00:14:22,720
So being safe behind a camera

339
00:14:22,720 --> 00:14:27,100
and interacting with people one-on-one was easy,

340
00:14:27,100 --> 00:14:29,280
but to think about speaking on a platform

341
00:14:29,280 --> 00:14:30,520
or in front of a lot of people,

342
00:14:30,520 --> 00:14:32,560
I would be like, no way I can't do it.

343
00:14:32,560 --> 00:14:35,420
But you can do anything that you put your mind to

344
00:14:35,420 --> 00:14:36,720
and it's a muscle, right?

345
00:14:36,720 --> 00:14:37,960
That you have to keep flexing

346
00:14:37,960 --> 00:14:40,120
and you have to keep trying and keep pushing through.

347
00:14:40,120 --> 00:14:43,600
And sometimes you're gonna have really bad experiences

348
00:14:43,600 --> 00:14:44,600
and you'll learn from them

349
00:14:44,600 --> 00:14:46,200
and then the next one will be easier.

350
00:14:46,200 --> 00:14:48,980
And so being here with you today

351
00:14:48,980 --> 00:14:51,520
and talking about my journey and my vision,

352
00:14:51,520 --> 00:14:54,980
all these things that are not easy questions

353
00:14:54,980 --> 00:14:59,080
to answer on the fly, I think, but it's good.

354
00:14:59,080 --> 00:15:01,040
Again, it goes back to that self-growth

355
00:15:01,040 --> 00:15:02,660
and pushing through the boundaries

356
00:15:02,660 --> 00:15:05,320
and being curious of what this is gonna look like.

357
00:15:05,320 --> 00:15:07,720
How is this gonna unfold and being okay?

358
00:15:07,720 --> 00:15:08,920
It doesn't have to be perfect.

359
00:15:08,920 --> 00:15:10,760
It's gonna be okay.

360
00:15:10,760 --> 00:15:15,760
I love it, I hope other visionaries take courage from that.

361
00:15:16,680 --> 00:15:18,320
It's not easy to be on camera.

362
00:15:18,320 --> 00:15:20,840
It's not easy to go live.

363
00:15:20,840 --> 00:15:23,380
And there's so many people out there

364
00:15:23,380 --> 00:15:25,380
who I think want to share their story.

365
00:15:25,380 --> 00:15:29,040
And there's some internal aspects of like,

366
00:15:29,040 --> 00:15:30,440
man, I don't know,

367
00:15:30,440 --> 00:15:33,720
how do I get myself to jump into this cold pool?

368
00:15:33,720 --> 00:15:36,720
It's kind of a similar experience.

369
00:15:36,720 --> 00:15:41,600
Any practical words of encouragement

370
00:15:41,600 --> 00:15:44,080
to help any audience members listening in

371
00:15:44,080 --> 00:15:46,400
for doing just that, jumping into the pool.

372
00:15:46,400 --> 00:15:48,720
So know that it's gonna be tough

373
00:15:48,720 --> 00:15:50,480
the first time you jump in the pool,

374
00:15:50,480 --> 00:15:52,960
but try to prepare as much as you can, right?

375
00:15:52,960 --> 00:15:55,960
Practice, preparation, but not to the point

376
00:15:55,960 --> 00:15:57,040
where you feel robotic

377
00:15:57,040 --> 00:15:59,440
and you don't feel authentic to yourself.

378
00:15:59,440 --> 00:16:02,760
And then trust that you have the knowledge,

379
00:16:02,760 --> 00:16:05,720
you have the experience, you have the expertise

380
00:16:05,720 --> 00:16:08,960
that is valuable and worthy to be shared.

381
00:16:08,960 --> 00:16:12,200
It's really a mindset game and a confidence issue, right?

382
00:16:12,200 --> 00:16:14,040
So like know that you have it.

383
00:16:14,040 --> 00:16:17,640
And so it is a gift to be here with you

384
00:16:17,640 --> 00:16:19,520
and just having a conversation

385
00:16:19,520 --> 00:16:23,400
and taking detaching from some of that seriousness

386
00:16:23,400 --> 00:16:27,240
or the failure, the looming failure, like it's okay.

387
00:16:27,240 --> 00:16:28,920
Like just kind of go with the punches

388
00:16:28,920 --> 00:16:30,600
and learn from the experience.

389
00:16:30,600 --> 00:16:33,640
And every time you do it, you'll just get better and better.

390
00:16:33,640 --> 00:16:35,880
I love it, so those of you who are listening

391
00:16:35,880 --> 00:16:38,600
and we're gonna be diving into some advanced aspects

392
00:16:38,600 --> 00:16:40,480
of branding and growth as well.

393
00:16:40,480 --> 00:16:42,120
We're not just gonna keep it at the basic level.

394
00:16:42,120 --> 00:16:43,160
We are gonna dive pretty deep

395
00:16:43,160 --> 00:16:45,680
after we talked about some leadership dynamics.

396
00:16:45,680 --> 00:16:47,800
Before we do, some of the brands

397
00:16:47,800 --> 00:16:50,760
that Malika has worked with are L'Oreal,

398
00:16:50,760 --> 00:16:53,840
Oil Valet and Clorox.

399
00:16:53,840 --> 00:16:55,760
She's also been featured in the CEO Mom,

400
00:16:55,760 --> 00:16:57,880
New Jersey Family, Wall Street Journal

401
00:16:57,880 --> 00:16:59,200
and a lot of other places.

402
00:16:59,200 --> 00:17:03,280
So there's a depth here that we're gonna be diving into.

403
00:17:03,280 --> 00:17:04,800
One of the most important depths

404
00:17:04,800 --> 00:17:06,840
that I believe visionaries can learn from

405
00:17:06,840 --> 00:17:09,920
are the worst and best experiences in business.

406
00:17:09,920 --> 00:17:14,920
So what is your worst leadership experience ever?

407
00:17:14,920 --> 00:17:19,600
Yeah, so I mean, we all have areas, challenges,

408
00:17:19,600 --> 00:17:22,680
bad experiences and I think early on

409
00:17:22,680 --> 00:17:27,320
in my entrepreneurial journey as a mentor, as a coach,

410
00:17:27,320 --> 00:17:29,800
whatever you wanna call it, as a leader,

411
00:17:29,800 --> 00:17:33,560
trying to help my clients build a brand,

412
00:17:33,560 --> 00:17:35,760
I think in the beginning I took on anyone.

413
00:17:35,760 --> 00:17:37,200
I took anyone who came to me,

414
00:17:37,200 --> 00:17:38,880
even if they weren't the right fit,

415
00:17:38,880 --> 00:17:41,000
even if I felt like in my gut,

416
00:17:41,000 --> 00:17:43,080
they weren't going to be a great relationship

417
00:17:43,080 --> 00:17:45,960
in terms of a client mentor relationship.

418
00:17:45,960 --> 00:17:50,480
And I had someone in my group who questioned,

419
00:17:52,400 --> 00:17:54,560
even in the beginning, she had all these questions

420
00:17:54,560 --> 00:17:56,640
of the pricing and what do I get and all this.

421
00:17:56,640 --> 00:17:58,880
And I had that, I'm not sure she's a good fit,

422
00:17:58,880 --> 00:18:01,760
but it still enrolled her into the program.

423
00:18:01,760 --> 00:18:04,560
She never showed up, she didn't do the work,

424
00:18:05,720 --> 00:18:08,560
but yet she wanted the results.

425
00:18:08,560 --> 00:18:12,920
And she questioned my leadership and my expertise

426
00:18:12,920 --> 00:18:17,120
and really kind of rocked my confidence a little bit

427
00:18:17,120 --> 00:18:19,720
so that I felt like I wasn't a good leader.

428
00:18:19,720 --> 00:18:23,040
But then, after talking to my own coaches

429
00:18:23,040 --> 00:18:26,480
and kind of detaching the emotion out of that,

430
00:18:26,480 --> 00:18:30,760
I learned that we as coaches and mentors,

431
00:18:30,760 --> 00:18:32,200
we are not responsible really

432
00:18:32,200 --> 00:18:34,640
for the results of our clients.

433
00:18:34,640 --> 00:18:38,200
We have to empower them to get those results on their own.

434
00:18:38,200 --> 00:18:39,880
It is their business at the end of the day.

435
00:18:39,880 --> 00:18:42,760
I can give you the strategies, I can give you the tools,

436
00:18:42,760 --> 00:18:44,120
I can give you all the shortcuts,

437
00:18:44,120 --> 00:18:46,400
I can share with you what I have done,

438
00:18:46,400 --> 00:18:47,480
but at the end of the day,

439
00:18:47,480 --> 00:18:50,960
the only person that can do the work is you.

440
00:18:50,960 --> 00:18:53,080
And so learning from that,

441
00:18:53,080 --> 00:18:55,400
what I felt was like the worst leadership experience

442
00:18:55,400 --> 00:18:59,320
is I felt so badly that she was disappointed

443
00:18:59,320 --> 00:19:00,840
and she was having a hard time

444
00:19:00,840 --> 00:19:02,800
and she was saying all these things.

445
00:19:02,800 --> 00:19:05,280
I learned later that I had to be better

446
00:19:05,280 --> 00:19:09,600
at figuring out who the clients were that were a good fit.

447
00:19:09,600 --> 00:19:13,000
Did they meet the criteria to be able

448
00:19:13,000 --> 00:19:15,360
to go through the program and get the best results?

449
00:19:15,360 --> 00:19:16,760
And now I ask harder questions.

450
00:19:16,760 --> 00:19:20,000
Now I have certain criteria that they have to fulfill

451
00:19:20,000 --> 00:19:24,280
before they can even be considered or apply to my programs.

452
00:19:24,280 --> 00:19:26,160
And so I think sometimes you have to go through

453
00:19:26,160 --> 00:19:28,280
those bad leadership experiences

454
00:19:28,280 --> 00:19:32,440
before you can get to the better leadership experiences.

455
00:19:32,440 --> 00:19:34,440
I love that, way to own it first off,

456
00:19:34,440 --> 00:19:36,920
way to just look internally

457
00:19:36,920 --> 00:19:39,800
at what you could be doing better.

458
00:19:39,800 --> 00:19:41,080
I think a lot of us grow up

459
00:19:41,080 --> 00:19:45,080
without understanding healthy boundaries on relationships.

460
00:19:45,080 --> 00:19:49,560
And I went through a massive shift in my life

461
00:19:49,560 --> 00:19:52,520
for learning how to establish healthy boundaries

462
00:19:52,520 --> 00:19:55,320
and it changed the dynamics of who I was working with.

463
00:19:55,320 --> 00:19:57,800
So one quote I heard early on

464
00:19:57,800 --> 00:20:00,240
and before I really started making the shift

465
00:20:00,240 --> 00:20:03,400
was this small business development coach at UTSA

466
00:20:03,400 --> 00:20:05,840
was teaching a form and she said,

467
00:20:05,840 --> 00:20:09,960
when you sell a hammer, everything like a nail.

468
00:20:11,040 --> 00:20:12,440
And that hit me real deep.

469
00:20:12,440 --> 00:20:15,880
And I was like, man, okay, I do see this a lot in the market.

470
00:20:15,880 --> 00:20:16,720
I don't wanna be,

471
00:20:19,000 --> 00:20:20,480
oh, did we go out?

472
00:20:20,480 --> 00:20:21,880
Am I still here?

473
00:20:21,880 --> 00:20:22,720
I'm here, are you here?

474
00:20:22,720 --> 00:20:24,040
I had a technical difficulty.

475
00:20:24,040 --> 00:20:25,640
All right, we're back.

476
00:20:25,640 --> 00:20:29,240
So I guess the hammer came after my internet.

477
00:20:30,280 --> 00:20:33,680
And then of course, like you said, asking tougher questions.

478
00:20:33,680 --> 00:20:36,760
If you want to find great experts,

479
00:20:36,760 --> 00:20:39,080
find experts that ask you questions

480
00:20:39,080 --> 00:20:41,560
that make you feel uncomfortable,

481
00:20:41,560 --> 00:20:46,200
not questions that just validate the reality of what you want.

482
00:20:46,200 --> 00:20:48,600
And so we're not gonna reveal those questions today

483
00:20:48,600 --> 00:20:50,800
but if you work with Malika or you choose to talk to her

484
00:20:50,800 --> 00:20:52,720
and she starts asking you things

485
00:20:52,720 --> 00:20:54,240
that do make you uncomfortable,

486
00:20:54,240 --> 00:20:56,160
I'm not talking about manipulating your pressure

487
00:20:56,160 --> 00:20:57,920
and you're feeling dumb, that's different.

488
00:20:57,920 --> 00:20:59,760
That's a bro marketing tactic.

489
00:20:59,760 --> 00:21:02,920
I'm talking about asking questions that matter.

490
00:21:02,920 --> 00:21:05,520
And if you feel like you might be offended by the question,

491
00:21:05,520 --> 00:21:07,560
my advice to you visionary is to then ask,

492
00:21:07,560 --> 00:21:10,080
what is the purpose of this question?

493
00:21:10,080 --> 00:21:12,560
Or how does this question relate to helping me grow

494
00:21:12,560 --> 00:21:15,420
and be willing to explore the answer?

495
00:21:16,960 --> 00:21:20,200
Moving into best leadership experience.

496
00:21:20,200 --> 00:21:23,080
What is your best leadership experience ever?

497
00:21:23,080 --> 00:21:25,400
Yeah, so I think the best leadership experience

498
00:21:25,400 --> 00:21:30,400
that I've had recently is I led an in-person retreat,

499
00:21:30,560 --> 00:21:32,940
which was again, outside of my comfort zone

500
00:21:32,940 --> 00:21:36,280
to try to do all the logistics of like organizing

501
00:21:36,280 --> 00:21:40,520
a little mini conference here in my hometown of Maine

502
00:21:40,520 --> 00:21:42,760
and bringing in my clients.

503
00:21:42,760 --> 00:21:45,040
But having them all in person,

504
00:21:45,040 --> 00:21:48,040
feeling that energy of bringing people together

505
00:21:48,040 --> 00:21:49,680
and seeing their faces

506
00:21:49,680 --> 00:21:54,040
and being able to not only do trainings and teaching them,

507
00:21:54,040 --> 00:21:55,720
but making again, those connections

508
00:21:55,720 --> 00:21:57,660
and building that community.

509
00:21:57,660 --> 00:22:00,760
That kind of brought everything, all of my values,

510
00:22:00,760 --> 00:22:03,800
all of the things that I, my vision together

511
00:22:03,800 --> 00:22:07,680
in this one weekend and it was so powerful.

512
00:22:08,600 --> 00:22:11,200
And not only did women learn how to build their brands,

513
00:22:11,200 --> 00:22:12,240
it was beyond that.

514
00:22:12,240 --> 00:22:15,600
It was about feeling this sense of confidence

515
00:22:15,600 --> 00:22:19,120
and this sense of community.

516
00:22:19,120 --> 00:22:23,720
And making relationships and finding clients

517
00:22:23,720 --> 00:22:26,480
and collaborating on new ideas

518
00:22:26,480 --> 00:22:29,160
and just that creativity of all of it

519
00:22:29,160 --> 00:22:30,560
just was through the roof.

520
00:22:30,560 --> 00:22:33,280
And even though it was hard,

521
00:22:33,280 --> 00:22:36,380
it was so hard to be the leading person,

522
00:22:36,380 --> 00:22:37,800
the logistics and organizing

523
00:22:37,800 --> 00:22:40,600
and making sure everyone felt seen and heard.

524
00:22:40,600 --> 00:22:42,560
At the end of it, it was just,

525
00:22:42,560 --> 00:22:45,040
it was so amazing to say that I actually did it.

526
00:22:45,040 --> 00:22:48,800
I actually was able to not create the concept,

527
00:22:48,800 --> 00:22:53,320
but actually deliver and exceed people's expectations

528
00:22:53,320 --> 00:22:57,280
and have those moments go beyond the conference.

529
00:22:57,280 --> 00:22:59,480
So now I see them collaborating

530
00:22:59,480 --> 00:23:01,960
and becoming partners and referral partners

531
00:23:01,960 --> 00:23:03,840
and all this other beautiful stuff

532
00:23:03,840 --> 00:23:07,280
that is building their businesses and their brands.

533
00:23:07,280 --> 00:23:08,680
That is super cool.

534
00:23:08,680 --> 00:23:11,680
That is a great way to belong,

535
00:23:14,120 --> 00:23:16,640
to connect with individuals.

536
00:23:16,640 --> 00:23:18,440
And conferences, when you run them,

537
00:23:18,440 --> 00:23:22,200
there is not much of a better feeling

538
00:23:22,200 --> 00:23:25,800
than pulling off a great conference in terms of business.

539
00:23:25,800 --> 00:23:28,240
That is one of those experiences

540
00:23:28,240 --> 00:23:30,360
where if you haven't had that opportunity

541
00:23:30,360 --> 00:23:31,980
as a visionary to do that,

542
00:23:31,980 --> 00:23:34,040
then I would add that to your bucket list

543
00:23:34,040 --> 00:23:36,320
of things that you might consider doing

544
00:23:36,320 --> 00:23:39,280
and finding a way to facilitate a conference

545
00:23:39,280 --> 00:23:40,600
or an event or a mixer

546
00:23:40,600 --> 00:23:42,920
that allows those people to come together.

547
00:23:42,920 --> 00:23:46,240
And also make sure your camera studio equipment

548
00:23:46,240 --> 00:23:47,240
is set up too, right?

549
00:23:47,240 --> 00:23:49,160
You're capturing the nature of the event,

550
00:23:49,160 --> 00:23:51,680
the videos of how do people feel

551
00:23:51,680 --> 00:23:53,680
about working with the brand,

552
00:23:53,680 --> 00:23:56,840
as well as general pictures of camaraderie,

553
00:23:56,840 --> 00:23:57,880
people coming together.

554
00:23:57,880 --> 00:24:00,000
It's important to remember those memories

555
00:24:00,000 --> 00:24:02,600
and the photos and videos do a great way of doing that,

556
00:24:02,600 --> 00:24:04,920
but also promote your brand in the future.

557
00:24:04,920 --> 00:24:06,800
Any thoughts on that before we move on to the conference?

558
00:24:06,800 --> 00:24:08,320
Yes, 100%.

559
00:24:08,320 --> 00:24:10,940
I mean, first off, I would say post-pandemic,

560
00:24:10,940 --> 00:24:13,400
people are hungry for connection.

561
00:24:13,400 --> 00:24:16,080
So having that in-person opportunity

562
00:24:16,080 --> 00:24:17,440
kind of blew everyone's mind.

563
00:24:17,440 --> 00:24:21,880
They were just so open and ready to see people

564
00:24:21,880 --> 00:24:23,480
and touch people and hug people

565
00:24:23,480 --> 00:24:26,760
and sit at the same table together and share ideas.

566
00:24:26,760 --> 00:24:29,760
And then as a photographer, yes, 100%,

567
00:24:29,760 --> 00:24:31,440
you wanna capture those moments,

568
00:24:31,440 --> 00:24:33,680
either through photography or video,

569
00:24:33,680 --> 00:24:37,160
so that not only can you remember it as the organizer

570
00:24:37,160 --> 00:24:39,920
and share it with the people that were there,

571
00:24:39,920 --> 00:24:43,000
but it will just help you boost awareness

572
00:24:43,000 --> 00:24:45,820
and energy around your brand for future retreats

573
00:24:45,820 --> 00:24:48,240
or future programs or future launches.

574
00:24:49,240 --> 00:24:51,200
It is just great content to have

575
00:24:51,200 --> 00:24:52,840
that will help differentiate,

576
00:24:52,840 --> 00:24:54,680
I mean, going back to branding,

577
00:24:54,680 --> 00:24:56,840
help differentiate your brand

578
00:24:56,840 --> 00:24:59,760
when you have those marketing assets.

579
00:24:59,760 --> 00:25:00,580
It's huge.

580
00:25:00,580 --> 00:25:02,840
It's all about vision painting in that regard.

581
00:25:02,840 --> 00:25:04,160
That's one way I heard it,

582
00:25:04,160 --> 00:25:07,920
talked about Steven, I can't remember his last name,

583
00:25:07,920 --> 00:25:09,840
Broadway performer, also a business owner,

584
00:25:09,840 --> 00:25:12,780
but he talked about vision painting.

585
00:25:12,780 --> 00:25:14,760
And when he talked about it,

586
00:25:14,760 --> 00:25:17,960
it made me realize the company I was representing

587
00:25:17,960 --> 00:25:18,880
at the time was like, man,

588
00:25:18,880 --> 00:25:22,640
we really aren't paving the path forward mentally

589
00:25:22,640 --> 00:25:26,560
for people beyond the transaction, the immediate outcomes.

590
00:25:26,560 --> 00:25:29,400
We need to become better at talking about the future.

591
00:25:29,400 --> 00:25:32,320
One of the ways to do that is to showcase the past

592
00:25:32,320 --> 00:25:34,080
as clearly as possible,

593
00:25:34,080 --> 00:25:36,960
especially when you have great past experiences.

594
00:25:36,960 --> 00:25:38,400
So thank you for sharing that.

595
00:25:38,400 --> 00:25:41,400
Do you have footage of that event by chance?

596
00:25:41,400 --> 00:25:44,200
I do, I hired a photographer.

597
00:25:44,200 --> 00:25:46,440
I didn't wanna be responsible for taking those pictures

598
00:25:46,440 --> 00:25:48,920
because I was leading the event and speaking at the event.

599
00:25:48,920 --> 00:25:52,640
So I did hire a local photographer to take pictures

600
00:25:53,760 --> 00:25:54,880
for the two days.

601
00:25:54,880 --> 00:25:59,120
And so it's great to have those visuals and images

602
00:25:59,120 --> 00:26:01,160
and I use them often.

603
00:26:01,160 --> 00:26:03,880
I'd love to incorporate some into the landing page.

604
00:26:03,880 --> 00:26:06,640
That would be helpful for people who find the show later.

605
00:26:06,640 --> 00:26:08,000
So very good.

606
00:26:08,000 --> 00:26:09,680
The powerful lesson.

607
00:26:09,680 --> 00:26:13,200
So Malik, if this was the last chance you had

608
00:26:13,200 --> 00:26:15,400
to share a lesson with visionaries,

609
00:26:15,400 --> 00:26:17,000
what would the powerful lesson be

610
00:26:17,000 --> 00:26:19,560
that they can learn from your experience?

611
00:26:19,560 --> 00:26:21,680
So I think a powerful lesson

612
00:26:21,680 --> 00:26:23,480
that they can learn from my experience

613
00:26:23,480 --> 00:26:26,760
is going back to niching, right?

614
00:26:26,760 --> 00:26:28,160
So in my own business,

615
00:26:28,160 --> 00:26:31,760
there was a moment where I called it a junk drawer business

616
00:26:31,760 --> 00:26:33,680
because I was trying to do all the things

617
00:26:33,680 --> 00:26:36,160
and I was trying to serve all of the people.

618
00:26:36,160 --> 00:26:38,800
And it was probably more of a confidence issue

619
00:26:38,800 --> 00:26:42,480
because I wasn't ready to commit and go all in,

620
00:26:42,480 --> 00:26:46,000
but you hit a wall when you do that,

621
00:26:46,000 --> 00:26:48,600
when you're spread so thin, it's not sustainable.

622
00:26:48,600 --> 00:26:50,200
You get burned out.

623
00:26:50,200 --> 00:26:53,560
You also get really down on yourself as a brand

624
00:26:53,560 --> 00:26:56,560
because people aren't seeing you as an expert

625
00:26:56,560 --> 00:26:58,960
because you're doing so many things.

626
00:26:58,960 --> 00:27:02,440
And when my business started to sort of plateau

627
00:27:02,440 --> 00:27:03,880
and people would get confused

628
00:27:03,880 --> 00:27:07,360
because I was doing brand photography, family photography,

629
00:27:07,360 --> 00:27:09,920
I was doing headshots, a vision board event,

630
00:27:09,920 --> 00:27:11,240
like all of the things,

631
00:27:11,240 --> 00:27:13,200
really the junk drawer business,

632
00:27:14,240 --> 00:27:15,440
I kind of hit a low

633
00:27:15,440 --> 00:27:17,440
because I wanted to charge higher prices.

634
00:27:17,440 --> 00:27:20,520
I wanted to be revered as an expert and an authority,

635
00:27:20,520 --> 00:27:24,320
but what I was doing wasn't showing that.

636
00:27:24,320 --> 00:27:25,680
I was spread too thin.

637
00:27:25,680 --> 00:27:27,360
I was a Jane of all trades.

638
00:27:27,360 --> 00:27:30,440
And so a powerful lesson that I learned was

639
00:27:30,440 --> 00:27:33,200
you kind of have to go all in

640
00:27:33,200 --> 00:27:34,880
in what your zone of genius is,

641
00:27:34,880 --> 00:27:36,880
going back to the big leap, that book, right?

642
00:27:36,880 --> 00:27:39,000
You have to do an assessment of your skills

643
00:27:39,000 --> 00:27:39,840
and your strengths.

644
00:27:39,840 --> 00:27:42,760
You really have to understand what you're really good at,

645
00:27:42,760 --> 00:27:45,160
what you love, what you're passionate about.

646
00:27:45,160 --> 00:27:46,800
You have to look at your clients

647
00:27:46,800 --> 00:27:49,080
and see what were the results that I got,

648
00:27:49,080 --> 00:27:51,360
the clients that I already have, right?

649
00:27:51,360 --> 00:27:55,200
And you need to then make some decisions for your business

650
00:27:55,200 --> 00:27:57,320
to commit to something

651
00:27:57,320 --> 00:27:59,320
that might feel a little bit more focused.

652
00:27:59,320 --> 00:28:04,320
It might feel a little bit more sticky and specific.

653
00:28:04,880 --> 00:28:06,240
And when I made that change

654
00:28:06,240 --> 00:28:07,960
from going from this Jane of all trades to saying,

655
00:28:07,960 --> 00:28:10,040
you know what, I am actually going to go all in.

656
00:28:10,040 --> 00:28:11,800
And at the time it was brand photography.

657
00:28:11,800 --> 00:28:12,800
I'm gonna go all in

658
00:28:12,800 --> 00:28:15,200
because I see the competition isn't doing it as much.

659
00:28:15,200 --> 00:28:16,840
I see a gap in the market.

660
00:28:16,840 --> 00:28:18,200
Even though I'm scared to death,

661
00:28:18,200 --> 00:28:21,040
even though I'm going to disappoint so many people

662
00:28:21,040 --> 00:28:22,000
because I'm gonna tell them

663
00:28:22,000 --> 00:28:24,360
I'm not their family photographer anymore,

664
00:28:24,360 --> 00:28:25,560
I'm still going to do this.

665
00:28:25,560 --> 00:28:27,440
And once I made that change,

666
00:28:27,440 --> 00:28:29,200
I was able to focus my marketing.

667
00:28:29,200 --> 00:28:31,320
I was able to focus my expertise.

668
00:28:31,320 --> 00:28:35,200
I was able to focus my audience who I was able to serve.

669
00:28:35,200 --> 00:28:37,880
And that was such a game changer for me.

670
00:28:37,880 --> 00:28:40,120
So the idea of niching your business,

671
00:28:40,120 --> 00:28:41,760
becoming a specialist,

672
00:28:41,760 --> 00:28:44,520
and going from being so broad and mainstream

673
00:28:44,520 --> 00:28:48,680
to now being something specific and powerful and potent,

674
00:28:48,680 --> 00:28:50,240
that changed my business

675
00:28:50,240 --> 00:28:52,080
so that I was starting to get tagged

676
00:28:52,080 --> 00:28:54,160
as the go-to brand photographer.

677
00:28:54,160 --> 00:28:55,360
Anytime that came up,

678
00:28:55,360 --> 00:28:57,160
brand photography for women in business,

679
00:28:57,160 --> 00:28:58,880
my name would come up.

680
00:28:58,880 --> 00:29:01,240
And it's not to say that that's what you're gonna do

681
00:29:01,240 --> 00:29:02,440
for the rest of your life

682
00:29:02,440 --> 00:29:04,000
because I'm a good example of that.

683
00:29:04,000 --> 00:29:08,400
I have pivoted from that and now I do brand strategy

684
00:29:08,400 --> 00:29:10,760
for female entrepreneurs.

685
00:29:10,760 --> 00:29:15,080
But it is scary to go smaller and more focused.

686
00:29:15,080 --> 00:29:18,440
But that to me has been a powerful lesson,

687
00:29:18,440 --> 00:29:20,480
has been a game changer for my business,

688
00:29:20,480 --> 00:29:22,960
has given me my life back in many ways

689
00:29:22,960 --> 00:29:25,920
because it's just much simpler.

690
00:29:25,920 --> 00:29:26,920
Yeah.

691
00:29:26,920 --> 00:29:28,560
There's a lot of virtue

692
00:29:28,560 --> 00:29:30,560
in what you were just talking about and sharing.

693
00:29:30,560 --> 00:29:35,440
There is an incredible amount of realities

694
00:29:35,440 --> 00:29:37,160
that matter for people in relation to that.

695
00:29:37,160 --> 00:29:41,840
And one, your story, for you, obviously that matters.

696
00:29:41,840 --> 00:29:45,000
Obviously that was the massive difference maker.

697
00:29:45,000 --> 00:29:47,600
I do wanna challenge on the opposite end of this too though

698
00:29:47,600 --> 00:29:50,840
because there's some vice mixed in with the virtue.

699
00:29:50,840 --> 00:29:54,600
And so again, from your perspective, your story, yes,

700
00:29:54,600 --> 00:29:56,680
but the projecting aspect,

701
00:29:56,680 --> 00:29:59,080
this may not be right for you visionaries.

702
00:29:59,080 --> 00:30:01,680
This may not be, and so I'll point out

703
00:30:01,680 --> 00:30:02,840
some of those elements

704
00:30:02,840 --> 00:30:06,280
because LeBron James was told to shut up and dribble.

705
00:30:07,760 --> 00:30:10,840
And that was told, go do your one thing,

706
00:30:10,840 --> 00:30:12,880
get out of politics, get out of philanthropy,

707
00:30:12,880 --> 00:30:15,880
stop doing everything that you're meant to do in the world.

708
00:30:15,880 --> 00:30:19,200
You're just a basketball player, shut up and dribble.

709
00:30:19,200 --> 00:30:22,280
That wasn't anybody's right to do, granted.

710
00:30:22,280 --> 00:30:23,360
It's okay, it happened.

711
00:30:24,440 --> 00:30:26,960
And then there's Richard Branson

712
00:30:26,960 --> 00:30:29,680
who's got 200 something plus businesses

713
00:30:29,680 --> 00:30:31,080
and you got Elon Musk.

714
00:30:31,080 --> 00:30:33,640
And so is it sustainable?

715
00:30:33,640 --> 00:30:35,280
I think it's very sustainable,

716
00:30:35,280 --> 00:30:37,680
but it depends on who it is, right?

717
00:30:37,680 --> 00:30:42,680
There was a time in my life where I was a full-time father

718
00:30:43,240 --> 00:30:44,880
of my three children,

719
00:30:44,880 --> 00:30:47,800
and it wasn't the time for me to launch podcasts, right?

720
00:30:47,800 --> 00:30:50,120
I needed to stay focused on certain niches.

721
00:30:50,120 --> 00:30:52,200
Plus I was still exploring who I was.

722
00:30:52,200 --> 00:30:55,240
So I'd also challenge too that there's, I love this quote,

723
00:30:55,240 --> 00:30:57,840
the Jack of all trades or Jane of all trades.

724
00:30:57,840 --> 00:31:02,080
The Jack of all trades is master of none,

725
00:31:02,080 --> 00:31:03,600
but the rest of the quote is,

726
00:31:03,600 --> 00:31:08,360
but oftentimes better than he who is great at one.

727
00:31:10,080 --> 00:31:12,520
And that's a little bit of a paraphrase,

728
00:31:12,520 --> 00:31:14,640
but that is the full extension of the quote.

729
00:31:14,640 --> 00:31:16,440
And again, I'm not saying like,

730
00:31:16,440 --> 00:31:18,240
hey, Malika is wrong on this.

731
00:31:18,240 --> 00:31:19,160
No, not at all.

732
00:31:19,160 --> 00:31:21,480
It was what was right for her, right?

733
00:31:21,480 --> 00:31:23,560
But if I have a medicine that cures me

734
00:31:23,560 --> 00:31:27,000
or I have a back surgery that might have helped me,

735
00:31:27,000 --> 00:31:29,680
that doesn't mean that when somebody else has a flu,

736
00:31:29,680 --> 00:31:32,520
that I say, hey, you gotta go get this back surgery, right?

737
00:31:32,520 --> 00:31:36,600
So there's opportunities to explore both sides.

738
00:31:36,600 --> 00:31:40,160
And when, you know, so if you're still exploring

739
00:31:40,160 --> 00:31:42,320
and you're still looking for those avenues

740
00:31:42,320 --> 00:31:46,120
or you feel called to do multiple things,

741
00:31:46,120 --> 00:31:48,600
just know that that's for you, right?

742
00:31:48,600 --> 00:31:52,680
You gotta focus on what you know is for your vision

743
00:31:52,680 --> 00:31:55,080
and on the flip side, if you're like,

744
00:31:55,080 --> 00:31:57,760
go Malika, you got this, you know, like that's exact.

745
00:31:57,760 --> 00:31:59,960
It's because you align with that concept

746
00:31:59,960 --> 00:32:00,800
and that's beautiful.

747
00:32:00,800 --> 00:32:03,360
Gary Keller, the one thing, right?

748
00:32:03,360 --> 00:32:05,240
That's his book, he's all about it.

749
00:32:05,240 --> 00:32:06,800
That's so cool.

750
00:32:06,800 --> 00:32:10,880
And so it's 100% virtuous.

751
00:32:10,880 --> 00:32:12,240
Give me further thoughts on that, Malika.

752
00:32:12,240 --> 00:32:13,960
Yeah, I mean, it's a strategy, right?

753
00:32:13,960 --> 00:32:15,120
It's a strategy.

754
00:32:15,120 --> 00:32:18,840
It's also, if it feels aligned with your values

755
00:32:18,840 --> 00:32:22,880
and who you are, then it's something to explore,

756
00:32:22,880 --> 00:32:23,760
just like you said.

757
00:32:23,760 --> 00:32:26,320
There are, you know, different seasons in your business,

758
00:32:26,320 --> 00:32:30,560
different lifestyles that it might not be applicable.

759
00:32:30,560 --> 00:32:33,840
For me, in my story, it was, I had done all the things

760
00:32:33,840 --> 00:32:37,720
and then I saw a big change in personal and professional

761
00:32:37,720 --> 00:32:39,120
when I did Niche Down.

762
00:32:40,120 --> 00:32:43,920
And because it worked for me, it's something that I use

763
00:32:43,920 --> 00:32:46,960
as a strategy for clients in my communities

764
00:32:46,960 --> 00:32:49,320
if they're ready for that.

765
00:32:49,320 --> 00:32:50,280
Correct.

766
00:32:50,280 --> 00:32:51,120
I love it.

767
00:32:51,120 --> 00:32:54,680
There's, again, there's elements too of like the virtue.

768
00:32:54,680 --> 00:32:57,040
Can we leverage the virtue in the process

769
00:32:57,040 --> 00:32:59,360
of realizing like, okay, you know,

770
00:32:59,360 --> 00:33:01,800
am I overextending myself in certain aspects?

771
00:33:01,800 --> 00:33:05,400
You know, can I look at what things I can eliminate,

772
00:33:05,400 --> 00:33:08,200
Pareto's law principle-wise 80-20 rule, right?

773
00:33:08,200 --> 00:33:10,440
There's a lot of elements that are super important

774
00:33:10,440 --> 00:33:12,000
for all of us to consider,

775
00:33:12,000 --> 00:33:15,360
regardless of how big our vineyard is,

776
00:33:15,360 --> 00:33:17,000
or, you know, if we're looking at farming,

777
00:33:17,000 --> 00:33:19,760
like how many different types of livestock we have,

778
00:33:19,760 --> 00:33:21,680
perhaps there's all sorts of realities,

779
00:33:21,680 --> 00:33:25,320
or does it make sense to just have a chicken coop, right?

780
00:33:25,320 --> 00:33:27,080
Because I got other things going on in my life.

781
00:33:27,080 --> 00:33:28,800
Lots of realities there.

782
00:33:28,800 --> 00:33:31,400
The next thing that we wanna talk about

783
00:33:31,400 --> 00:33:34,960
is growing businesses faster and this bullseye branding.

784
00:33:34,960 --> 00:33:36,200
So I'll let you talk about that.

785
00:33:36,200 --> 00:33:37,600
We're gonna share some elements from your brand.

786
00:33:37,600 --> 00:33:41,400
They may not be exactly that, but let's dive right in.

787
00:33:41,400 --> 00:33:42,880
Where do you wanna start, Malika?

788
00:33:42,880 --> 00:33:44,400
Yeah, so this is kind of an extension

789
00:33:44,400 --> 00:33:45,920
of the conversation we're having, right?

790
00:33:45,920 --> 00:33:48,200
Having a niche brand, having a bullseye brand,

791
00:33:48,200 --> 00:33:50,920
that's sort of my terminology for that.

792
00:33:50,920 --> 00:33:53,960
Bullseye brand is one that is very sharp and focused.

793
00:33:53,960 --> 00:33:57,760
So you know exactly what that brand is good at,

794
00:33:57,760 --> 00:33:59,880
you know exactly who they serve,

795
00:33:59,880 --> 00:34:03,400
you know exactly what their superpower is,

796
00:34:03,400 --> 00:34:07,320
and what kind of solution or methodology they provide.

797
00:34:07,320 --> 00:34:08,760
Those are sort of the four steps

798
00:34:08,760 --> 00:34:11,400
that I have coined for a bullseye brand.

799
00:34:11,400 --> 00:34:14,680
You wanna be specialized, you wanna be specific,

800
00:34:14,680 --> 00:34:18,560
you wanna stand out, and you wanna have a certain solution.

801
00:34:18,560 --> 00:34:20,840
And so when you have this bullseye brand,

802
00:34:20,840 --> 00:34:24,000
it just allows you not to worry so much

803
00:34:24,000 --> 00:34:27,440
about the competition because you have differentiated

804
00:34:27,440 --> 00:34:31,560
yourself and pulled yourself out of that bloody red ocean

805
00:34:31,560 --> 00:34:34,800
and have swam into more of a blue ocean

806
00:34:34,800 --> 00:34:38,640
where you are being known for something specific

807
00:34:38,640 --> 00:34:40,240
for your specialization.

808
00:34:40,240 --> 00:34:43,360
And it means, in my opinion,

809
00:34:43,360 --> 00:34:45,760
that the marketing becomes very clear

810
00:34:45,760 --> 00:34:48,680
and very simple and very easy because you're speaking,

811
00:34:48,680 --> 00:34:51,440
like it's like a love letter to that person

812
00:34:51,440 --> 00:34:54,760
that you're meant to serve versus different markets,

813
00:34:54,760 --> 00:34:58,080
different audiences with different offers

814
00:34:58,080 --> 00:34:59,840
and different expertise.

815
00:34:59,840 --> 00:35:03,440
From my experience in my story, doing all of those things,

816
00:35:03,440 --> 00:35:07,160
having children's photography, headshot photography,

817
00:35:07,160 --> 00:35:11,560
brand photography, brand strategy, I got burned out.

818
00:35:11,560 --> 00:35:14,720
It was hard to sustain all those different messages

819
00:35:14,720 --> 00:35:16,680
and it just caused a lot of confusion

820
00:35:16,680 --> 00:35:18,880
and a confused mind never buys.

821
00:35:18,880 --> 00:35:20,520
Right, love that quote.

822
00:35:20,520 --> 00:35:23,560
And the reality is I'm not a target.

823
00:35:23,560 --> 00:35:28,200
I'm a solopreneur with limited resources, with limited time.

824
00:35:28,200 --> 00:35:30,960
And so if I wanna optimize and maximize

825
00:35:30,960 --> 00:35:34,240
and still have time for my family, then for me,

826
00:35:34,240 --> 00:35:36,560
the strategy of niching down and becoming

827
00:35:36,560 --> 00:35:41,000
such a powerful and potent single-minded brand works.

828
00:35:41,000 --> 00:35:43,320
And it works for a lot of my clients too.

829
00:35:43,320 --> 00:35:45,200
Because that way that all of your marketing

830
00:35:45,200 --> 00:35:46,640
is much more targeted.

831
00:35:46,640 --> 00:35:50,040
It allows for pricing power because now you're a specialist

832
00:35:50,040 --> 00:35:51,680
and you can raise your prices.

833
00:35:51,680 --> 00:35:53,280
So you're making more revenue.

834
00:35:53,280 --> 00:35:55,120
So there are just a lot of benefits

835
00:35:55,120 --> 00:35:57,480
for building that bullseye brand.

836
00:35:57,480 --> 00:35:59,760
Does it mean that you can't serve anyone

837
00:35:59,760 --> 00:36:01,280
outside of the bullseye?

838
00:36:01,280 --> 00:36:04,600
No, just like a bullseye that has the rings,

839
00:36:04,600 --> 00:36:06,760
your bullseye is who you wanna serve.

840
00:36:06,760 --> 00:36:08,200
Your message is for that person,

841
00:36:08,200 --> 00:36:10,680
but you might still attract other people

842
00:36:10,680 --> 00:36:11,640
and all the other rings.

843
00:36:11,640 --> 00:36:12,960
Maybe they like your vibe.

844
00:36:12,960 --> 00:36:16,720
Maybe they are a strong referral.

845
00:36:16,720 --> 00:36:18,040
And then it becomes your choice

846
00:36:18,040 --> 00:36:20,440
if you wanna work with them or not.

847
00:36:20,440 --> 00:36:21,280
Very good.

848
00:36:22,200 --> 00:36:25,120
Are you a single income household

849
00:36:25,120 --> 00:36:27,160
or a dual income household?

850
00:36:27,160 --> 00:36:29,520
I am a dual income household.

851
00:36:29,520 --> 00:36:31,280
Okay, fair.

852
00:36:31,280 --> 00:36:36,000
And I love this because there are lots of people

853
00:36:36,000 --> 00:36:37,920
who come through First Class Business

854
00:36:37,920 --> 00:36:39,680
and through our show and programs

855
00:36:39,680 --> 00:36:42,080
that have that solerepreneur,

856
00:36:42,080 --> 00:36:44,000
I don't wanna call it mentality,

857
00:36:44,000 --> 00:36:46,640
like that reality, that's what they want.

858
00:36:46,640 --> 00:36:48,600
That's what they're going to grow.

859
00:36:48,600 --> 00:36:50,360
I have nothing wrong with that.

860
00:36:50,360 --> 00:36:52,360
I don't think there's anything wrong with that.

861
00:36:52,360 --> 00:36:53,520
I don't know how to do it.

862
00:36:54,440 --> 00:36:55,880
That's not my expertise.

863
00:36:55,880 --> 00:36:57,560
But therein lies also the opportunity

864
00:36:57,560 --> 00:36:59,480
for a strategic partnership.

865
00:36:59,480 --> 00:37:00,800
Therein lies an opportunity for me to say,

866
00:37:00,800 --> 00:37:02,880
you know what, I don't do that.

867
00:37:02,880 --> 00:37:04,360
That's not how I do things.

868
00:37:04,360 --> 00:37:06,000
But I know Malika does.

869
00:37:06,840 --> 00:37:08,880
And so she's somebody that I would recommend

870
00:37:08,880 --> 00:37:09,720
to check it out.

871
00:37:09,720 --> 00:37:10,560
Why?

872
00:37:10,560 --> 00:37:12,920
Because I do see the veracity of your branding.

873
00:37:12,920 --> 00:37:14,280
It's very easy for me to see your brand

874
00:37:14,280 --> 00:37:16,280
and see your depth and say, wow,

875
00:37:16,280 --> 00:37:17,400
she's carved something out here.

876
00:37:17,400 --> 00:37:18,240
This is cool.

877
00:37:19,640 --> 00:37:20,600
This is deep.

878
00:37:22,640 --> 00:37:25,360
And easy, I don't like the word easy personally,

879
00:37:25,360 --> 00:37:26,880
but from a marketing standpoint,

880
00:37:26,880 --> 00:37:28,920
there's so many different things

881
00:37:28,920 --> 00:37:32,120
that have to go into brand development and growth.

882
00:37:32,120 --> 00:37:35,880
It's like taking a recipe book of 300 recipes.

883
00:37:35,880 --> 00:37:38,960
But the key for delivery is you have to be able

884
00:37:38,960 --> 00:37:41,720
to cook those recipes all together at the right time

885
00:37:41,720 --> 00:37:44,160
and asking about the right temperature to the right people.

886
00:37:44,160 --> 00:37:47,480
There's a lot of complexities and nuances that go with that.

887
00:37:47,480 --> 00:37:50,280
However, again, I can't deny the power of your formula

888
00:37:50,280 --> 00:37:51,200
and what you've built.

889
00:37:52,240 --> 00:37:54,720
It'd be like an algebra teacher telling a geometry teacher,

890
00:37:54,720 --> 00:37:56,760
like their stuff's wrong.

891
00:37:56,760 --> 00:37:59,280
Just because they have their own niche style.

892
00:37:59,280 --> 00:38:00,840
So I share all of that visionaries

893
00:38:00,840 --> 00:38:03,760
because if you're hearing this episode,

894
00:38:03,760 --> 00:38:07,360
and you feel aligned with the solopreneur route

895
00:38:07,360 --> 00:38:10,600
and what's there, like what I see from what Malik is doing

896
00:38:10,600 --> 00:38:15,600
is a lot of virtue compared to 99% of the vision

897
00:38:16,840 --> 00:38:18,640
of the solopreneur as I see.

898
00:38:18,640 --> 00:38:21,320
I don't see a lot of unicorns that can pull it off.

899
00:38:21,320 --> 00:38:24,120
That said, I don't look either, right?

900
00:38:24,120 --> 00:38:26,880
I have my lane, my focus on what I do

901
00:38:26,880 --> 00:38:29,240
so you don't always see what's outside of that.

902
00:38:29,240 --> 00:38:33,120
Two, in addition to that, we always have to take what I say

903
00:38:33,120 --> 00:38:35,600
and what Malika says, what all of us claim

904
00:38:35,600 --> 00:38:39,800
with a grain of salt because we're all private companies.

905
00:38:39,800 --> 00:38:42,800
So you can't actually see what the deals are,

906
00:38:42,800 --> 00:38:45,480
what goes on behind the scenes, how it all works.

907
00:38:45,480 --> 00:38:47,200
And that's part of your due diligence

908
00:38:47,200 --> 00:38:48,960
is check your references.

909
00:38:48,960 --> 00:38:50,920
I mean, I'll make sure that you do your due diligence

910
00:38:50,920 --> 00:38:53,840
and ask the uncomfortable questions in return

911
00:38:53,840 --> 00:38:57,280
for all the uncomfortable questions that we might ask you

912
00:38:57,280 --> 00:38:59,280
with what it is that we do.

913
00:38:59,280 --> 00:39:04,280
And so I don't know enough about Malika's brand

914
00:39:04,440 --> 00:39:07,200
to support it, but at the same time,

915
00:39:07,200 --> 00:39:10,400
all of your lighthouse, Malika, to the world

916
00:39:10,400 --> 00:39:11,920
that is shining brightly.

917
00:39:11,920 --> 00:39:13,440
And I love the way that you're going about it

918
00:39:13,440 --> 00:39:15,240
and doing it from what I've seen.

919
00:39:15,240 --> 00:39:16,800
Thank you.

920
00:39:16,800 --> 00:39:18,280
Yeah, absolutely.

921
00:39:18,280 --> 00:39:21,520
So for the rest of the time here,

922
00:39:21,520 --> 00:39:23,820
we've got about five minutes left.

923
00:39:23,820 --> 00:39:26,520
Is there any other aspects of branding?

924
00:39:26,520 --> 00:39:27,520
And you know what?

925
00:39:27,520 --> 00:39:29,280
The one thing I wanna hit on that too,

926
00:39:29,280 --> 00:39:31,920
is I see a lot of blog posts come out

927
00:39:31,920 --> 00:39:33,800
about this whole niche concept.

928
00:39:33,800 --> 00:39:37,880
And when they focus on it, they focus more

929
00:39:37,880 --> 00:39:40,720
on who is that target audience that you're niching

930
00:39:40,720 --> 00:39:42,140
and that ideal client.

931
00:39:42,140 --> 00:39:44,680
I love that you made it more holistic

932
00:39:44,680 --> 00:39:47,880
and that you're talking about, yes, the niche audience,

933
00:39:47,880 --> 00:39:49,760
but also you're referring to niching down

934
00:39:49,760 --> 00:39:52,520
in terms of focusing on what you're best at.

935
00:39:52,520 --> 00:39:54,720
Your spendization, yes.

936
00:39:54,720 --> 00:39:56,440
I think it's a combination.

937
00:39:56,440 --> 00:39:59,120
That's a reflection of the book, Strengths Finder 2.0.

938
00:39:59,120 --> 00:40:00,960
Yes, I love that.

939
00:40:00,960 --> 00:40:01,800
I love that.

940
00:40:01,800 --> 00:40:03,160
That's like, yeah, that makes perfect sense.

941
00:40:03,160 --> 00:40:05,680
Become great at something and maybe you can add to it

942
00:40:05,680 --> 00:40:08,400
as you go, but if people are getting lost

943
00:40:08,400 --> 00:40:11,120
with what you're great at, because you're too scatterbrained

944
00:40:11,120 --> 00:40:14,720
to focus on what matters to the person right in front

945
00:40:14,720 --> 00:40:17,640
of you, then yeah, you're definitely gonna struggle.

946
00:40:19,720 --> 00:40:20,640
Yeah, I agree.

947
00:40:20,640 --> 00:40:24,360
I think it's the whole idea of just trying

948
00:40:24,360 --> 00:40:26,960
to simplify your brand so that you can stand

949
00:40:26,960 --> 00:40:28,560
out from the noise.

950
00:40:28,560 --> 00:40:30,880
And if you're able to look at your skills

951
00:40:30,880 --> 00:40:32,920
and your strengths and really assess them

952
00:40:32,920 --> 00:40:35,160
and bake that into your brand and making sure

953
00:40:35,160 --> 00:40:38,780
that that is your area of specialization,

954
00:40:38,780 --> 00:40:43,120
instead of trying to be a brand that's really broad

955
00:40:43,120 --> 00:40:45,120
doing all the things that makes it harder

956
00:40:45,120 --> 00:40:48,200
for people to remember you or refer you.

957
00:40:48,200 --> 00:40:50,880
So many times I've had people in my network say,

958
00:40:50,880 --> 00:40:52,460
I'm a life coach for women.

959
00:40:53,560 --> 00:40:57,120
I have no idea who to send your way.

960
00:40:57,120 --> 00:41:01,200
But if they said, I'm a life coach for women

961
00:41:01,200 --> 00:41:05,640
and I specialize in strengthening their mindset

962
00:41:05,640 --> 00:41:08,080
in their emptiness years, when their children are off

963
00:41:08,080 --> 00:41:09,560
to college and they're trying to figure out

964
00:41:09,560 --> 00:41:13,200
what their next chapter is, then there's a picture

965
00:41:13,200 --> 00:41:15,080
in my mind that's being painted.

966
00:41:15,080 --> 00:41:20,080
And that niche is clearer to me so that I can then figure

967
00:41:20,400 --> 00:41:24,440
out who in my network I can refer to that person.

968
00:41:24,440 --> 00:41:27,120
So, you know, niching can be as broad

969
00:41:27,120 --> 00:41:29,360
or as small as you want, but really it is meant

970
00:41:29,360 --> 00:41:33,760
to define clearly who you are serving,

971
00:41:33,760 --> 00:41:36,840
what your specialization is, how are you different

972
00:41:36,840 --> 00:41:39,660
and how do you solve the problem, in my opinion,

973
00:41:39,660 --> 00:41:40,600
in my definition.

974
00:41:40,600 --> 00:41:41,440
Love it.

975
00:41:41,440 --> 00:41:45,000
And that will help you grow your business faster.

976
00:41:45,000 --> 00:41:47,580
We completely share the definition, by the way.

977
00:41:48,520 --> 00:41:49,360
Absolutely.

978
00:41:49,360 --> 00:41:53,600
We also share the value of the way that's articulated too.

979
00:41:53,600 --> 00:41:55,600
It's more so for me, it's actually my fight

980
00:41:55,600 --> 00:41:59,840
against the market and what the market tends to,

981
00:41:59,840 --> 00:42:01,560
you know, overgeneralize about.

982
00:42:01,560 --> 00:42:03,920
And it's the other opposite side too of like,

983
00:42:03,920 --> 00:42:06,920
well, you know, the very, I don't know

984
00:42:06,920 --> 00:42:08,960
if it's a spectrum thing for me or not,

985
00:42:08,960 --> 00:42:10,960
but like the whole, it's not sustainable.

986
00:42:10,960 --> 00:42:13,680
Like, well, wait, it is sustainable, you know,

987
00:42:13,680 --> 00:42:16,240
but there's different values, right?

988
00:42:16,240 --> 00:42:19,280
Instead of standing against, right,

989
00:42:19,280 --> 00:42:21,640
the alternative approach, I'm more like,

990
00:42:21,640 --> 00:42:23,000
well, no, it's actually both work.

991
00:42:23,000 --> 00:42:24,680
JK Rowling wrote a book on a napkin

992
00:42:24,680 --> 00:42:26,840
and she became a multi-billionaire, you know,

993
00:42:26,840 --> 00:42:30,440
but Elon Musk started with PayPal and lots of people

994
00:42:30,440 --> 00:42:32,240
and Google started with a lot of people too

995
00:42:32,240 --> 00:42:35,200
and they became some of the best companies in the world.

996
00:42:35,200 --> 00:42:37,980
So it's more just a harmonization of realizing

997
00:42:37,980 --> 00:42:41,400
that all of these concepts are very important

998
00:42:41,400 --> 00:42:45,160
for you as visionaries who are listening in to consider

999
00:42:45,160 --> 00:42:48,240
and say, you know what, I'm gonna read a book today

1000
00:42:48,240 --> 00:42:51,260
that is written from an angle I don't like

1001
00:42:51,260 --> 00:42:53,720
and see what I can learn from that book.

1002
00:42:53,720 --> 00:42:56,280
And that's kind of what I'm putting out there

1003
00:42:56,280 --> 00:42:57,280
for the audience.

1004
00:42:57,280 --> 00:42:58,840
So thank you for making space for that.

1005
00:42:58,840 --> 00:43:01,480
It shows a great deal of your leadership.

1006
00:43:01,480 --> 00:43:04,600
And it surprises me that you're a solopreneur

1007
00:43:04,600 --> 00:43:09,480
because you also have amazing leadership skills.

1008
00:43:09,480 --> 00:43:13,320
And so it's like, wow, like, and I know your background,

1009
00:43:13,320 --> 00:43:15,600
you know, is how you gained a lot of that too,

1010
00:43:15,600 --> 00:43:19,800
but are you forever gonna be a solopreneur or curious?

1011
00:43:20,860 --> 00:43:22,880
Yes, I think that's a choice that I've made.

1012
00:43:22,880 --> 00:43:26,360
I mean, I have a team of, you know, virtual assistants

1013
00:43:26,360 --> 00:43:30,920
and things like that, but no one that is full time,

1014
00:43:30,920 --> 00:43:32,240
I am the face of my brand.

1015
00:43:32,240 --> 00:43:35,060
I deliver all of my services.

1016
00:43:35,060 --> 00:43:38,360
I don't have anyone else really on my team.

1017
00:43:38,360 --> 00:43:41,080
So when I say solopreneur, that's what I mean.

1018
00:43:41,080 --> 00:43:42,640
I mean, I have people in the back end

1019
00:43:42,640 --> 00:43:46,160
with operations and systems, but I don't,

1020
00:43:46,160 --> 00:43:49,740
I honestly don't have any desire to, you know,

1021
00:43:49,740 --> 00:43:52,560
hire junior coaches to be underneath me

1022
00:43:52,560 --> 00:43:55,540
to implement the bullseye branding formula.

1023
00:43:55,540 --> 00:43:57,080
Not interested.

1024
00:43:57,080 --> 00:43:57,920
Right.

1025
00:43:57,920 --> 00:44:00,000
I mean, it's a lifestyle that I have, I guess,

1026
00:44:00,000 --> 00:44:04,440
I have chosen for myself, personally and professionally.

1027
00:44:04,440 --> 00:44:08,520
How do you, I'm asking this innocently.

1028
00:44:09,520 --> 00:44:12,700
How do you feel that,

1029
00:44:14,920 --> 00:44:16,520
that comes across to a team?

1030
00:44:17,360 --> 00:44:19,320
You know, you have a team, you have virtual assistants,

1031
00:44:19,320 --> 00:44:24,320
you just said that, but to be, to claim solopreneurship

1032
00:44:25,220 --> 00:44:27,760
and to kind of claim you do, but don't have a team,

1033
00:44:28,760 --> 00:44:32,400
what are the alternative thoughts and perspectives

1034
00:44:32,400 --> 00:44:34,480
about that outside of what's like, I could say like,

1035
00:44:34,480 --> 00:44:35,840
oh, well, that means you don't care about your team.

1036
00:44:35,840 --> 00:44:36,840
That's not what you're saying.

1037
00:44:36,840 --> 00:44:38,640
No, 100%.

1038
00:44:38,640 --> 00:44:40,280
What's the other side of people seeing,

1039
00:44:40,280 --> 00:44:41,680
cause I know team members who would say like,

1040
00:44:41,680 --> 00:44:43,880
oh, screw that, I'm not working here anymore.

1041
00:44:43,880 --> 00:44:44,960
But that's a different,

1042
00:44:44,960 --> 00:44:47,160
that's a whole different level of toxicity.

1043
00:44:47,160 --> 00:44:48,000
Yeah.

1044
00:44:48,000 --> 00:44:48,840
And that's not what I mean.

1045
00:44:48,840 --> 00:44:51,360
I mean, the culture is what you're trying to talk about.

1046
00:44:51,360 --> 00:44:53,960
Like the culture I'm trying to create in my brand.

1047
00:44:53,960 --> 00:44:54,780
And so-

1048
00:44:54,780 --> 00:44:56,480
I'm curious how they feel.

1049
00:44:56,480 --> 00:44:59,760
I mean, I think they would kind of be in agreement with me

1050
00:44:59,760 --> 00:45:02,200
because they have other clients too.

1051
00:45:02,200 --> 00:45:03,760
They're all freelance, right?

1052
00:45:03,760 --> 00:45:07,400
And so I've worked with them for many, many years, like,

1053
00:45:07,400 --> 00:45:12,280
and I just see it as a solopreneur.

1054
00:45:12,280 --> 00:45:17,160
I have a team, but they are not forward facing in the brand.

1055
00:45:18,880 --> 00:45:21,040
So it's not like I have a,

1056
00:45:21,040 --> 00:45:24,280
I don't see it as like this company that I have.

1057
00:45:25,500 --> 00:45:30,500
So I guess it's how you define your business model, right?

1058
00:45:30,500 --> 00:45:32,700
So I see it as more, I'm a solopreneur.

1059
00:45:32,700 --> 00:45:34,140
I'm the face of the brand.

1060
00:45:34,140 --> 00:45:35,580
I'm the leader of the brand.

1061
00:45:35,580 --> 00:45:38,020
I have a team on the back end.

1062
00:45:38,020 --> 00:45:40,780
I try to promote a very open and welcoming

1063
00:45:40,780 --> 00:45:42,540
and collaborative culture, of course,

1064
00:45:42,540 --> 00:45:44,420
because I wouldn't be able to do what I do

1065
00:45:44,420 --> 00:45:46,300
without them by any means.

1066
00:45:46,300 --> 00:45:47,860
Oh no, sorry.

1067
00:45:47,860 --> 00:45:52,860
But I still do define my business as I am a solopreneur.

1068
00:45:54,140 --> 00:45:55,660
Okay. Well, that's fair.

1069
00:45:55,660 --> 00:45:59,500
I mean, it's so hard to define things.

1070
00:45:59,500 --> 00:46:02,580
Republican, Democrat, liberal,

1071
00:46:02,580 --> 00:46:06,580
that's the evolution of language on display.

1072
00:46:06,580 --> 00:46:07,420
Right?

1073
00:46:07,420 --> 00:46:10,100
And that's the nuance of like, okay,

1074
00:46:10,100 --> 00:46:12,820
we actually do really see eye to eye.

1075
00:46:12,820 --> 00:46:15,740
Do we take the time to figure each other out

1076
00:46:15,740 --> 00:46:18,500
and make the space for all concepts

1077
00:46:18,500 --> 00:46:20,100
that are virtuous to matter?

1078
00:46:20,100 --> 00:46:22,620
And so those of you who listened in today,

1079
00:46:22,620 --> 00:46:25,580
we very much love and appreciate the fact

1080
00:46:25,580 --> 00:46:26,940
that you're here supporting us.

1081
00:46:26,940 --> 00:46:28,540
We look forward to hearing from you

1082
00:46:28,540 --> 00:46:30,100
if you have comments or questions,

1083
00:46:30,100 --> 00:46:33,380
feel free to leave those in the platform of your choice.

1084
00:46:33,380 --> 00:46:34,500
On the landing page,

1085
00:46:34,500 --> 00:46:37,460
we'll also be putting action steps from Malika's brand,

1086
00:46:37,460 --> 00:46:39,460
materials that she gives us to help guide you

1087
00:46:39,460 --> 00:46:42,580
to that next step if you feel so inclined, of course.

1088
00:46:42,580 --> 00:46:44,780
Dive in, you know, the best thing that you can do

1089
00:46:44,780 --> 00:46:47,860
when you've heard an expert that you align with

1090
00:46:47,860 --> 00:46:49,860
is to reach out and connect with them.

1091
00:46:49,860 --> 00:46:53,020
That's especially with somebody who stands for

1092
00:46:53,020 --> 00:46:55,140
that principle of belonging.

1093
00:46:55,140 --> 00:46:57,060
You know, the people who are going to resonate

1094
00:46:57,060 --> 00:46:58,900
like all of you who are gonna resonate with Malika,

1095
00:46:58,900 --> 00:47:01,140
like she's gonna want you to belong

1096
00:47:01,140 --> 00:47:03,180
with her and the journey of growth.

1097
00:47:03,180 --> 00:47:06,540
So Malika, thank you so much for bringing your expertise

1098
00:47:06,540 --> 00:47:08,700
to the show and your support.

1099
00:47:08,700 --> 00:47:12,100
If anybody wants more information too on

1100
00:47:12,100 --> 00:47:15,500
building the brand faster and other elements, again,

1101
00:47:15,500 --> 00:47:18,500
I'm gonna invite Malika to give us as much information

1102
00:47:18,500 --> 00:47:21,820
as she can to help steer you towards the formulas

1103
00:47:21,820 --> 00:47:23,460
that she has, because you've been doing

1104
00:47:23,460 --> 00:47:25,380
some amazing things in life, Malika.

1105
00:47:25,380 --> 00:47:27,460
Thank you. Thank you for the hard questions

1106
00:47:27,460 --> 00:47:29,940
and for the conversation. I really appreciate it.

1107
00:47:29,940 --> 00:47:33,180
Absolutely. I've never been accused of easy questions.

1108
00:47:33,180 --> 00:47:34,940
So I appreciate you.

1109
00:47:34,940 --> 00:47:36,660
Vision Pros, have an excellent rest of your day

1110
00:47:36,660 --> 00:47:37,780
and we'll see you on the next episode.

1111
00:47:37,780 --> 00:47:38,900
Thank you for being here today.

1112
00:47:38,900 --> 00:47:41,420
I'm really happy that you tuned in to Vision Pros Live.

1113
00:47:41,420 --> 00:47:44,060
I'm looking forward to seeing your reactions

1114
00:47:44,060 --> 00:47:46,340
as these episodes continue to move forward.

1115
00:47:46,340 --> 00:47:48,060
This is gonna get more and more fun.

1116
00:47:48,060 --> 00:47:49,860
We'll have more and more engagement as well.

1117
00:47:49,860 --> 00:47:51,980
We'll invite people to participate in the show

1118
00:47:51,980 --> 00:47:53,940
and thank you for giving us your time.

1119
00:47:53,940 --> 00:47:56,300
And thank you for giving us your time and attention.

1120
00:47:56,300 --> 00:48:24,300
Have an excellent time building out your.