Woman Evolve with Sarah Jakes Roberts - Strategy of Resources w/ Arian Simone

Episode Date: April 13, 2022

W.E. sayin’ it loud from the church pews to the parking lot—HE ALWAYS PROVIDES! Chile, if that’s your testimony…give Him praise & gone press PLAY. Teaching listeners how to manage their resources with strategy is CEO & co-founder of the Fearless.Fund, our homie Arian Simone! She & SJR discussed finances, human resources, & taking risks...while Eve mentioned a thing or two ‘bout heaux tales. Sis, you serve THEE God who is more than enough! So, chin up, chest out as Arian invites you to exchange that scarcity mindset for abundant thinking! W.E. wanna know, what’s the most valuable resource in your life? Meet us in the comments, then email [e-mail] to be featured as a guest co-host or to ask ya girl SJR for advice! Sponsors alert—What does HelloFresh & Headspace have in common? Mindfulness meditation in the kitchen—throw down, Sis!

God can't bless you for tend to be or who you can care yourself to. He can only bless you and the lane that was created for you. I feel that for somebody. You don't need no itch, it's a unique boundary. So what? I don't need your lights, I don't need your elevation. All I need is a God fighting for me that's there for all things. All things, all things.

Try. When someone is buying property, location matters. This month we're talking about strategy. And me and my homegirls think resources matter. One of my homegirls is Aryan Simone. I don't think we could adequately talk about strategy or resources without Aryan. Do yourself a favor, do a quick little Google and see why my friend has been recognized by Entrepreneur Magazine

as one of the 100 women of impact. She is a pioneer in her field, grew a successful public relations and marketing firm with a portfolio of billion dollar corporate clients such as Sony, Walt Disney, Universal, and other Hollywood studios. But you know the best thing about Aryan is she is a homegirls to the T. You're going to love it.

I'm excited to dive into Aryan's passion for assisting women of color to have a credible seat at the table in the venture capital world and how she does it. Let's learn. What's your favorite song? Arian, you strike me as the type of person who people were like, you know what, I knew you were always gonna be this way from the time that you were a little girl. You seem to me to be just consistent through the seasons.

Like, I'm father in heaven, you seem like, like there was not this big old transformation, but that you have always been Aan Samona's we see today. I do believe people are who they are even in their youth. I really, I'm a strong believer. I mean, what it evolves to look like can be grander and greater, but at your core, yes, I've been a risk taker at my core. I had no clue that I was the kid with lemonade stance.

My mother reminded me the other day. She was just like, remember you asked for lemonade stance? You asked me for an investment. She said, you paid me back. It all was like, oh my gosh, I did it during like a yard sale that we had at the house. I was like, yes. So I know for me, I was

raising money as a seven year old for the UNCF and the NAACP. And I would like even out raise adults, you know, for like the local chapters and whatnot. And I would just take my parents, roller decks, and I'd go through even all the people at church and I'd collect. I'd like to say, Erin, you have to slow down. This is not normal. This is not normal. First of all, you're, and I would just collect your money. I would collect them, tell me, like, what is in your head? Like, what is in your mind that makes you bold enough

to think even at a young age, like, we're talking about adults who don't have this level of courage. And we always wish that we had that childhood courage, but even as a child, I don't know if we would have been this courageous to really think that what I'm going to ask you for it, and too, you're going to give it to me. You know, I think my mother had me start asking so young that I never had where the world wouldn't impose its fear upon

me. Because I started asking so young, I never feared that somebody would say no. You know? So I didn't start with that point. I remember of course, it's like three and four, we would be walking down the aisle at church to give our offerings. We started having an exchange with money

at a very young age. Some other office that is down with the one or five that we had to go give. I think that just stayed with us, just that practice. When it came time to fundraising, she put it on us versus the parent usually to go around ask their friends. She put it on us to do. That's what we had to do. How would you define like who you are

and what you do in the world? Oh my gosh. I'm a catalyst for people's dreams. I am a connector. I am an innovator and a motivator. I think that's just the best way to say it because my purpose has just shown up in different career sets and different through its trajectory, but it's still at its core that I am being used to help somebody's dreams,

you know, expand and manifest. Whether it was my PR and marketing company or now that it is, there's a venture capitalist running a fund. I'm still a change agent in that space, so I know that that's one of the reasons why I'm here. What is the most valuable resource that exists in the earth? Because all of those things that you mentioned to me speak to your ability to see resources properly, whether they are human resources, financial resources, relational resources. It seemed like you're able to see them properly. But what do you think is the most valuable resource in the earth? When you first asked that question to me just now, the first word that came to my mind

was just time. The time is our most valuable resource. So when you come across an opportunity, we don't get to choose the moments that God says, I'm going to bless you with this and bless you with that. We just have the free will if we're going to choose to show up or not. Wow. And I would just say time. I would definitely say that. So it's on us and our responsibility that we seize the moments that we seize the encounters, you know, that we've been blessed with. So it's on us and our responsibility that we seize the moments that we seize the encounters, you know, that we've been blessed with.

So it sounds like you've always been bold and courageous, but can you remember the first time you did something that even was like outside of character for you? Like that was even bold for me. That was out of character for me. Okay, I got to think of something. I was like, well, did I just do that? Um, I'm pretty sure I've had probably a few of those moments where I've probably approached people that I thought were probably like, so huge or bigger than life type people.

And I'm like, well, okay, like I remember walking up to Jay-Z just having a conversation. This is like young 20s. And then it hit me after like, you know, we just said that. So I think I've probably had those moments on a few occasions. Other meeting, another day, I went in with a certain number in my mind and I was like, Aryan just throw it out and double it and see what happens mind and I was like, Aryan, just throw it out and double it

and see what happens. And I was like, oh, wonderful. So yeah, I do take risk on top of wherever my, I guess you would say regular risk taking would be. Okay, so I think taking risk, I think I feel like that puts it a bit lightly because on one hand, like people are like taking risk all of the time, but our returns on those risks

don't look like Aryan Simone's return on those risks. I mean, you are doing big time deals, huge. Your partners, I mean, they, any corporation you can think of, Aryane's partners rival that list. How is it possible that your risk-taking turned into this revolution? What did you do? What were the, how?

How did you do this? I guess it does go back to even my youth. I'm glad my mother did start us off, for a young just asking. And we were never afraid to even my youth. I'm going to let my mother did start a software young just asking and we were never afraid to ask for money. Now there is a power of naivete and I think that's what was working in my youth which was working for me even in my adult. So I wasn't aware of a lot of the disparities and a lot of the statistics as far as like

black female, like fund managers. I just go and ask. I was just bold enough to ask and because I asked I received, but yeah. Even in a meeting today, I was just like, okay, I don't think I'm talking to the right person. Oh, I'm like, I have a ask and I got to make sure this ask gets met.

And she was just like, well, how high are you trying to go? She does not know. I will find the board of directors. To get this asked met, we have to have a conversation. So I think it's a lot. I do know the fund was that I had no clue where we were encountering the level of I don't want to say scrutiny but I guess I can say that like there's very few female whether it's white or black fund fund managers. I didn't know I was entering at

such a great I guess you'll say what they were called barrier to entry in the market like I had no clue and because because I didn't know, I just went for everything. And it turned out well for us. But yeah, I'll say the power of naivety, really. So as a fund manager, you expect for people to approach you with a strategy for a business or an idea. And then your goal is to then fund it. Can you talk to me a little bit? I think, is that was that an accurate description of what you do? First of all, let me do my homework.

For everybody listening, the easiest example to give you is Shark Tank. So, that's what a venture capitalist is. You come and you say, Hey, I'm asking for $500,000 in exchange for 10% equity of my business. And we have a discussion. It's cash for ownership. We say, Hey, we're willing to offer you this for this percentage of ownership of your business or willing to offer you that. So that's pretty much how all of this looks at looks similar to shark tank from a high level. Now, there's a lot of paperwork, a lot of stuff going on behind the scenes, but that's what it is from a high level. That's our investment vehicle. And then on our foundation vehicle, we

deploy grants, we have education programs, we have a lot of activations in the market, to just make sure that our community and people of color are being just educated about what we're doing. Okay. Okay. That's a really mouthful. No, no, remind me to tell you about something outside of the podcast that I think would be of interest to you. But I wanted to ask that question because there's someone who's watching or listening right now and they're thinking to

themselves, I have an idea, I don't have the resources. What is it that you look for in an idea? So if this is shark tank, what do I need to make sure is a part of my presentation that will get me one step closer to the resources I need to fund the dream? I'll say this, if you approach any investor, you need to have a good brand story, interaction in the marketplace. I was just on a meeting with my mentor prior to the podcast, and we were going over, like, just all the key indicators that we as investors look for.

So those are like the two things you're going to get somebody's attention with. We look for how strong is your team? We look for your product, like how good is the product? What is it solving? We look at your brand story, we look at your attraction in the marketplace. So those are our four indicators that we pretty much say, Hey, we can take a meeting or not take a meeting.

Those those are things that's going to get you in the room. Now of course, what's going to keep you in the room is that everything else is in order to. What is everything else? Your money. If you if we're like, Oh gosh, we invest this money and they're just about to go splurged is their cash burn rate is going to be horrible. Luckily in the women of color space, I will say this, the profile of our entrepreneurs are bootstrapping women, their savvy women, their creative women. We make something out of nothing type women. So we don't have to worry about that as much as others.

Making sure in the diligence process that you don't have any loss to against you. Meaning like, it would take 10% ownership of your company or we end up in the loss to the supply. Right. Right. So we have to go through that in the diligence process. And later, that on Shark Tank 2,

it's just what you don't see on TV. They have to do that later to Dr. Raleighal diligence. But yeah, that's what that pretty much looks like. And those are the things that I would tell anybody to make sure they had an order. So are you? If they're not ordered, I'll say this stuff.

OK. You have a program called Get Venture Ready. It's a center of our foundation. And we have educated now over 1,000 women of color founders on how to be prepared for investors So if you feel that you're not it is completely free. We have corporations that underwrite it You will be in a 12-week program You will learn about your product market fit your corporate governance just everything you need in order for investors

We were we were wanting to and willing to prepare you because we knew in our community It wasn't just a lack of access to capital, it was a lack of access to the education. Erin, I am just like blown away hearing you speak, because when I first met you, you were not adventure capitalist, and hearing you speak, it's like you were born, well, I guess you were born

when your mother already proved that to us. Like, you're not blowing your own mind right now. Like sister just stood up here with her hand underneath her chin just like when I talked to MasterCard in American Express, we talked about this all the time. Like, what, like, come on now. Yes.

I am snapping to you. Oh, thank you. Thank you, thank you. Yes, everybody, listen, we were young. So you know, we just applied something. Honey, and the changes that we have made. Thank you. My God.

Oh my God, my God. Oh goodness. This month, we're talking about just having revolutionary strategy for different areas of our life. And this week for you, we are talking about having revolutionary strategy for resources, for the resources that are available to us. How important has team been for you as a resource?

And how do you qualify people who are there seasonally versus people who you can tell are going to build with you for the long term? Ooh, Lord, this is loaded. This is loaded. My team is the reason why we are where we're at, though. And we have been blessed to have great team members. We even have one, actually two, that worked for us for free, for over year, before they were employed by the company, because they just believe that much in the vision. And this wasn't just anybody working for free, because anybody can just show up to work for free.

This is like six figure level people that are coming to work for free. They're like, hey, I'll make this sacrifice because I see what this is. Seasonal versus long term. You want me to break it down because I can? No, I know the difference. I definitely know the difference. I'm not at this stage of my life. This is me personally, not even professionally. I'm not going to try to hold on. This isn't me personally, not even professionally. I'm not going to try to hold on to something that

God has moved on from. Like I'm just out of that space. I'm not about to do it. I'm not about to fight Lord. Like I'm not doing that. So if that person is to be removed, I am somewhat sensitive from a spiritual standpoint in nature that oh God's moving them.

And I'm at peace with it it because I have known when he's had to move before the level of elevation that we've encountered. So I'm definitely more at at peace with that. What I'm seeing for long term is that people who are truly mission aligned and they're in alignment with the vision, these are the long term people. There will be indicators that they're not just qualified for the job, they're qualified for the mission, and there's the difference. So when you're interviewing people, there will be people who do look good on resume, who people can even interview well, and they're going to do great for a job description, but are they truly in alignment with the vision of where you're going, and not just where

you're at, and being willing to grow with you in those spaces. So that's where we see like a lot of our long-term people to where we know they they want to see this to be the billion dollar assets under management firm with all of these people funded. We see the people who are in alignment with the vision. I love that you say gods moving them. don't, that's not my immediate thought. It's like, that was so holy and spiritual. I feel like you need to be the pastor and I need to be the venture capitalist because that was so, I mean, I feel like,

okay, they're gonna have to go. You know what I mean? Like, this is just, this continues to show up, but I love the idea of if someone is no longer a fit for you, it means that they're no longer a fit for that portion of their destiny either. And so God is moving them somewhere where they will be better aligned as well. Oh, I got someone to say, right, when you said destiny. Now, I don't know.

This is just me thinking or my philosophy or theory behind this because we have heard before that, you know, certain people are just not attached to your destiny. So I used to recently start reversing that okay, if certain people are not attached to your destiny, but me keeping these certain people around, I'm not delaying my destiny. So that's why I'm willing to just say, okay, because I'm up here intentionally delaying on where God has this going because I'm trying to keep somebody around who's not even supposed to be in that season. I don't have time for that. So I've been willing to just surrender that and it took a lot of time for me to get to this place

because I would be trying to fix something, and keep something. And now I'm just like at peace with it. I'm like, it's okay. I was gonna ask you, how do you determine that fine line between this person needs more training, than need more development? Maybe there are courses that can better help them versus,

you know, you're just not a good fit for this role that I have you in, and I feel like God is moving you. I'm using it now. It's stolen. I'm taking it. You have to be able to identify growth. If they are able to meet certain milestones

in certain markers, then this person can continue to grow in the area. And therefore, I have something now immeasurable to say you know what? In the past 30 days, they were able to make a shift and they were able to do this. So now I know they're growing in the upper trajectory that we need them to grow.

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Okay, we dabbed a bit in human resources. And that was, I got some nuggets for myself that I have written down, I own them. And you talked about time, though, being the most valuable resource. And time is something that is not necessarily tangible, but is ever present. And it makes me think about other resources that are necessary in order to build a business, to, you know, climb a ladder to do anything that requires you to show up in the world, like energy, like peace for us, our faith. Those are all resources that, to me, are underground.

Like you see the tree, you see the fruit, but the underground resources, it's the dirt and the nutrients and the water that has allowed this tree to sprout up and be who you are today. When we talk about those resources that you can't touch but that you feel and need, what are your practices to help you keep your tank full in those areas of rest of energy, creativity, strategy. How do you keep going? Well, peace for me is always a priority. Yeah.

It is. It's always a priority. As far as how do I keep going? How do I get rest? I've never been team no sleep. I've always probably got six, eight hours. I only pride it that like early, early 20s to where I was just working, working, working, I'm like, oh please, that is not healthy.

I, my father made me this like the small journal recently and it's this happy book and it's like do one thing every day that makes you happy. So I'm very intentional about my happiness. I am very big on what feeds me and when I feel depleted, because if I start feeling depleted, I break out my journal, all these notes, all this chicken scratch, and I start to see basically like where the blockage is. So a lot of it, I guess you would say,

is just self-work and development. I guess you would say, is just self work and development. I noticed recently I hadn't been dreaming. And I said, Arian, a lot of things are happening. You're being blessed by the areas, but when have you just taken the time out to just sit and just dream? And a friend of mine saying, well, what's blocking that? What time are you using? What's replacing it? What time are you using? What's replacing it with that time? And I said, oh gosh, I've been bingeing these couple shows. I know what's replacing it.

So I like, eased up there, went on nature walks and start and just got back to just dreaming. I said, you gotta remember this. So I'm intentional about what feeds me. Basically, whether it's a nature walk, whether it's seeing a waterfall, whether it's spending time with my family, I'm just very intentional about what feeds me. And I think that's just what keeps me sane. Just keeping the big things, the big things and keeping things in order. Like if I have a baby cousin with a birthday, that has not come before my venture capital meet. It just does. And it never ends.

So I am at that birthday party. I am showing up and full on everything. And I am cheering and just having me a good time. So the things that matter in life just need to matter. I'm kind of torn between asking this question because, okay, I'm going to like tell you my thought process. I feel like a lot of times people are like, you know, don't envy someone's life

because you don't know what's going on behind the scenes. And yet, I feel like you are such a genuine, authentic person and a accomplished person that it just feels like there are so many opportunities for women to feel like that's it, that's the life that I want. But this person has insecurities. They don't have as much confidence.

They don't feel as balanced. Maybe they are so aggressive and so motivated by the hustle that they can't allow themselves to sleep. Like, what do you think is the most challenging inner work that you had to overcome to show up in the fullness of who you are? is the most challenging inner work that you had to overcome to show up in the fullness of who you are, that maybe someone else can relate to. Most definitely, that was so sweet of you.

That's all I know. I'm having a human experience like everybody else. But what has helped me, and I'm definitely gonna answer that, but what has helped me is just more so living on purpose. And I think I shared that before, when your father gave his message, it was back in 2012, about living, you have to live on purpose because anything outside of that is called wasting time. And it just struck me.

Like it's that live on purpose series, it was a three sermon series, three Sundays, and it just stayed with me as far as it helped me with intentional living really. Things that I had to overcome, I would say, I was one of those people on the opposite side only because I had just seen so much fluctuation and money prior to now was the last book I did it based upon. People have more fear in being broke. They do faith in having abundance.

And I had to make go through that shift for myself. So with me seeing so many ups and downs, living out of car, parents in a divorce case, just I was going, oh, here Jesus. Having that whole fear of scarcity, that scarcity mindset, I had to definitely get rid of that, because it's just not healthy. And I do believe that poverty is probably like the biggest distraction and interference as it pertains to you living out your purpose, because when you got to think about the light bill, you, that, you're not even thinking about that.

Like, when you got to think, oh God, I got to eat, and I don't know where dinner's coming from, it's just, it's got to think, oh God, I got to eat. And I don't even know where dinner's coming from. It's just, it's way too distracting. So definitely different financial challenges early in life that I had to overcome. Definitely being at peace, like how I was saying, we're just letting people go. This was not just professionally, this is personally too.

You know, being at peace when God is moving people around and not if you're life and knowing, okay, this is okay. Trying to think of other stuff that's definitely, I go through probably a little bit of everything. Everybody else goes through that. No, I love what you said about scarcity. I want to break that down a little bit

because I think a lot of us live with that mindset. Even when we aren't living underneath the threat of poverty, I think that many people can be accomplished or on their way to accomplishment. And they still live with the fear of scarcity. Can you define what it means to live with that fear of scarcity? Yeah, that you have the opposite view, of course, of unlimited abundance. And you're thinking like there's a resource that's not going to show up for you in any area. Now, I can give you a few tips that are very tangible just to, I don't want to say trick

your mind, but keep your mind in the space of abundance is your refrigerator. You guys six kids, but your refrigerator needs to be full. And when your refrigerator is full, you're always thinking, Oh, I have more than enough. I'm not one that you'll walk up on me and I don't have cash in my wallet. I always have cash in my wallet, usually a spinning it or not, because I always want to be in the mind state of I have it. My pantry stays full. Just whatever visual things of abundance, you'd be surprised how far it will go for you on just your psyche and your thinking about there's always more than enough here for me.

Okay, so you're saying there's more than enough opportunity, even though I see one woman doing one. That is, I don't, I maybe, I think I struggled with this. Maybe that's why I feel so closely connected to it. I think because I felt like I was coming from behind growing up, just like trying to make up for the fact that I had more to carry than most people. As a mom at 14 years old, I had so much more weight on me. They're like going to school was going to cost more studying was going to cause more. I needed a babysitter.

I couldn't do it well. So I think I've always struggled with this idea of if someone gets there first, then there's no room for me. And coming to a place where I can really trust that there's room enough for everyone and that there like one person doesn't take away from something. I think that that's been one of the greatest areas of like transforming my mind that I've had to undergo. No, I can see that. I can, but I think everybody's had to do that in some form of fashion. I think everybody's had to do that in some form of fashion. Whether it was your journey or another journey, just I think everybody somehow has encountered that.

Like, okay, is there enough space for me? Is there an opportunity for me? I think we've all experienced that at some point though. Like, I don't think that there's anybody who probably hasn't. Now, what does keep me, I guess you would say knowing that there's always space and always enough is I do keep it gratitude journal. So I'm able to see, you know, when the doors have opened up, I'm able to go back and look at it saying, okay, these doors opened up for you here. more doors will open up for you again. And just knowing that that will continue to happen.

That's so good because I think people struggle with this idea, especially if you have accomplished, you know, maybe more than those around you have, like, how do I keep believing that I'm going to continue to innovate, continue to trailblaze, can continue to break curses within my family. And I think that gratitude journal sounds like one of the key ways of doing that. Yeah, it's definitely has helped me. And it even ships my energy. Like, if I'm like in a motor and a fucking, I'm like, your energy is as happy as usual. You need to sit down and you need to just start writing out what you're grateful for. Oh, that's so good.

You know, what you were saying about abundance mentality and it's really trusting that there's enough it made me think of this moment during conference where Dr. Cynthia James was talking about this notion that there aren't any good men around. And she says that when you say that, that it is a charge against God, the true saying that God has no,

isn't that something? Isn't that a charge against God? Yes. You're right, because you're saying that he didn't make enough. Yes. Isn't that something? She got us right on together with that. To anger.

Yes. She never thought it was to anger. Oh my gosh, that, oh Lord, that is, that's heavy. Yeah. That's right. That is it right there. We just had. Oh, okay. Can I tell you this? Yeah. This is like telling me. So we just had a relationship discussion, a fearless discussion on relationships on dating marriage and the state of everything in 2022. And we used the clips from you and your husband on February 14th. Oh really? I've been through like a traditional sermon on that date.

It was like the discussion about relationships. So I had somebody cut it up. So we would insert you guys in the discussion. So you guys would talk about how you're talking about meeting people. Yes. Yes. And then we would have the audience chime in.

And then we would go back and forth between the clips and open up for discussion. It was awesome. So that's only the reason when you were talking about the men and having an abundance of great men, which I do believe are out there, especially just great black men. And hearing you say that I said, oh, I gotta tell her,

we were just using their teachings. You know what that is? I hearing you say that I said, oh, I gotta tell her, we were just using their teachings. You know what that is? A lot of people had a problem with us, well, at least with me saying that idea of like needing someone, they did not like that. They didn't receive me in the room. So let me tell you, and I didn't know it till one of the other panes

was like, and you see the reactions? Yeah. And I was like, I said, I didn't. He was like, though I agree with you, he said, the room was doing like this. I was like, oh, I said, I played it because she was saying something. And I've always said, people do need people.

If we didn't, God would not have us down here calling this thing. Yes. This is just, I was saying, I said, people need people, it just is what it is. And the reason why I wanted to hone in on it, because a lot of people on social media, especially the girls, I feel like they've gone left with the Women's Empowerment Movement,

to where it's like, oh, I don't need a man, go get your back type thing. And I'm like, wait, why is the man taking place of the money? You're right. Take a break. Can we have both of them? Can we have both resources, please? This is problematic. I was like, and I said, that's a human soul.

You're trying to replace with cash. So this whole thing is just problematic. And I said, you're speaking from a place of hurt. And that that your hurt isn't valid. It's just not a way to heal. So it went through this whole discussion about it. but I, you, when you just said that your reaction was like that, mine was too, and I didn't even know it. I was like, Oh, okay.

I kind of felt that same way with like the home movement, you know, where we went through this stage where we were like normalizing being a hoe. I was like, it's best because it was rooted in the idea of if you call me a hoe, I'm going to just own my ownness and I'm just be a hoe and the hoe is life. And I was like, is whole life? Is all life? Like, when that started, it was around 2011. And I said, what is this? I remember it. And I think that it's just our way of trying to take power back instead of acknowledging the wounds in the hurt that caused us to be in those circumstances

in the first place. We weigh off topic, but we talking how you doing. I'm sorry, I'm like, I know you probably got a whole script, because let me tell you, S.J.R has a production time. No, no. Okay, we're talking about strategy for resources, but I feel like that counts because we're talking about at the end of the day Like a strategy for our romance resources for I find We're just tying it all in together just help me hold this while I tie it together and strategy for the relationship That's what's happening That's what I got. Okay. We go, yes, we go get back on track. Strategy for resources.

You know, you all are the masters to me when it comes to strategy. I listen to you, I listen to your family, I listen to so many of you all when it comes to being strategic, being strategic. You guys have done phenomenal as far as your thought process is around strategy. Don't you think that your strategy, if you're like me, this is true, but I don't know. I feel like my strategy for my resources are changing. I feel like the moment that it makes sense in one season, it shifts and based on the vision or the goal, the strategy has to change. How often are you revisiting your strategy

for the different resources that exist within your ecosystem? Probably right now, almost I was more like six to 12 months before I would have said longer but the flow of my life is moving at a different pace now. Oh, I got one that's real good and practical and I'm like debating with God right now. Like Lord, do I got to share this? If he put it, you got to drop it. Yes, I know. It, but it's a little

heavy and oh, and it was heartbreaking it, because I don't want to, I'm not going to say the person's name. Yeah. But it was a read, something happened and one of my, I guess she was say wealthy white girlfriends,

she's saying, I got to take the fall for this. And I was just like, what, nobody's wrong. Why are you taking the fall for this. And I was just like, what, nobody's wrong. Why are you taking the fall for anything? And she was just like, because you can't. And what I knew at that moment was,

oh, the younger, new black girl on the scene that may not have the level of wealth that you have. If I take the hit, it's gonna be your harder hit than if you take the hit. And she said, so I said, okay, I get that. Then she went on to say, Erin, you're also at a place in your career in your life where you're gonna need people to advocate for you

versus you always being the advocate in the room and the person receiving, of course, the money. And I said, I get you, because I said, now you're speaking from a place of privilege but I do understand what you mean I told her that black women have not always had the privilege to separate our advocacy from our work Yeah, I said so I did have to advocate in the beginning to get the work I said, but I do know what you're saying she said yeah

She said because if you show up now at the level that you're at now and you advocate She said people will basically pay you to pay you off versus pay you to do business with you. She said, so how do you pay? She said, so how do you pay? Everybody else. She said, pay you to pay you all, wow. Instead of pay you to do business with you.

Yes. So, she was like, be mindful in that area. You want people to advocate for you, whereas you can just show up and do the work. And I was just like, oh, Lord, that's not saying, okay, I'm at another level. And you need to take, sit back, process this, re-strategize what this looks like now, raising capital. Because like right now, we're raising nine figures.

So it's like, we have to re-strat this. Would it look like at the $5 million level is not what it looked like later on? We got to eight. And it's not gonna look like as we're on this journey. And I'm like, I'm always having to be a better version of myself, a newer version of myself, to show up at this level for myself. So you were like restratigized.

I'm like, Lord, I feel like I'm restratigized every six months lately. But before I would say maybe two to three years. But now, yeah, because when she said that, she was definitely speaking the truth. But I had to digest it. And I'm like, you're going to have to come up now with a new strategy on how you're approaching this.

I can resonate with that every six months. I think even the nature of the pandemic, why many of all of us still knew, especially to consider that two of those years were spent in a pandemic. So we had our first event in 2018, it's 2022, that's four years out, and two of those years we spent in a pandemic. And I really felt like right when 2020 hit

that I was getting to a place where I could plan a year out, and then maybe two years out will do this, and then everything halted. And so now I'm kind of like back at the drawing board, trying to determine, you know, does this still work? Is the need still there? Has the need changed? And I know, honestly, I think that like I'm really trying

to, I was nervous when we had conference to end 2021 because I was like, I don't know if they're going to come. I don't know who's in the room. I don't know if this work still matters for this group of people after having gone through a pandemic. And so I'm learning to trust the call even in this new season of my life. And that's been that's been work. because community is needed even more because of the pandemic. So the work is definitely, the shift is, and I get what you're saying, like how do we show up in this work, going through the season,

but the need has probably increased if anything. Wow. One thing that's important to me is genuinely check in with those that I love. So how are you today? Really? Take a minute to think about it. If you're feeling overextended, tired, annoyed or just miff, it's time to connect with your feelings by starting your mental health journey with headspace.

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sleep better or improve your focus, headspace is your everyday dose of mindfulness for real life. However you're feeling, try headspace.com slash woman evolve and get one month free of their entire mindfulness library. This is the best headspace offer available. So go to headspace.com slash woman evolve today. I've taken the creativity course with Andy

and it reminded me how limitless I am creatively when I am less stressed. Try it out for yourself at headspace.com slash woman evolve. Okay, friend, we have an advice question. Are you ready? Yes. Okay. I'm sorry.

We gonna see. Hey, Big sis, you want the long story, so I want to give you the most information I can. I'm 20 years old and I recently transferred from a community college to a university in Charlotte, North Carolina. I like to say my greatest trait is that I'm spirit-led and I only do what God has for me to do. Recently, I've been getting really stressed because I want to pursue my purpose and I don't feel like it's in college. I know I watched a few podcasts back where you said that having your own business set versus working at a regular job is harder because money is not always flowing like you want

to. However, honestly, I just want to step out on faith and start a ministry or a nonprofit that helps my generation. Become aware of how their mindsets can change their life, which leads to me stating that God has already given me a business name. What I'm really saying is I want to quit school and just do ministry and help young people or anyone who needs to hear that our past is not what makes us and that if we change our mindset and become rooted in God, our lives will change for the better. I honestly just don't like school. It's not fun for me. I have so much more joy with learning about the kingdom

from you, your husband, your dad, and et cetera. Also growing spiritually, I truly believe I'm chosen and I have so much more in me, but I don't want to choose the wrong thing or the wrong way. So with the advice you give me, can you also pray that I also choose the right thing? Please, and thanks.

I'll say this. The two things that stuck out to me is that she must not be in a major of theology, of something that's of her interest. So that's also the reason why she's trying to escape because she's not studying something she's interested in. So I would definitely encourage her to switch her major. But what I also heard was that that campus is her first ministry.

That's when I was getting in. Yeah, God has placed her in a position of so many people who do need to hear a good message is that is your testing ground. That is your ground, which you're gonna be able to get everything off the ground, that you even mentioned that is in your heart. I would start the organization right on campus,

I'd start the ministry right on campus, I'd start everything that has come to her right there, he's given her a built-in audience. Now, she may just need to change her major, so she can just stay interested enough in order to complete, but the audience is already built in. I would think the same thing.

And I think to also understand, especially for Gen Z, as they have mostly been raised with internet and social media, there are mental health implications that we haven't yet uncovered for Gen Z. And while understanding how they need to be rooted in God is going to be important, it's going to be equally as imperative to understand how their mental health has been changed or touched or challenged by the world that they're living in. So I wouldn't necessarily see school as opposition to ministry, but to Ariens Point, it's a unique opportunity for you to reach people who are already your age because when you come out of school, you would be surprised when you're working at Target or working at wherever you're going to work. Like, you're not

necessarily around people your age as frequently as when you're in a school environment. So, think about the challenges that that generation is going to face and how you can overcome it. Maybe you start studying social work to understand how the foster care system is working and how you can advocate for Gen Z or the upcoming generation that's gonna be experiencing those social work services or in need of those social work services. But yeah, I would definitely see if there's a way

that you can work them and maintain them. Cause if you hear me say all the time, I dropped out of college and it's probably like, I don't like living with this idea of a regret but I think I wish that I would have been focused enough to buckle down and continue to get my education. God calls all things to work together. I got two million kids to go back to school

so don't even tell me it's not too late. It's too many kids. I say you didn't have enough work you can get out of here. It's great. Somebody sent me the paper and I will walk across the stage. That's the only chance I have at this stage in my life.

But if you can, you can fast a doctor. Stick or rock to stick with it. Stick with it. I love you, friend. This was great. I love you too. Thank you so much. My girl, Arian, it was fun catching up with you

and learning from you as always, though. That's just 100. I'm always going to have a good time. Please keep doing the work that you're doing and inviting us along for the ride. We're always rooting for you. Delegation before we go and I'm sure you're already know what I'm about to say, but here we are, it's send us a one to two minute video to podcast at woman evolve.com letting me know why you should be my next co-host, the rest of the delegation and I need your perspective and we're looking forward to hearing from you. you