S9E4 - From Job Loss to Entrepreneurship: A Journey of Self-Discovery and Empowerment; Community, Motherhood, and Building a Business!! #ShitHappens

What if you could transform a sudden job loss into an opportunity for self-discovery and entrepreneurship? That's exactly what we explore in our latest episode, as we recount our journey from the corporate world to the vibrant landscapes of Jamaica, where personal healing and a new voice acting career began to flourish. With the pandemic as a backdrop, these life transitions were marked by unexpected challenges and opportunities, including the intricacies of navigating cultural traditions and making the bold decision to relocate. This episode is a testament to resilience and aligning one's life with personal values and dreams.

Join us as Rokhaya share's insights into building a business from the ground up, including the pivotal moments that shaped the path toward podcast editing and coaching. From initially resisting the role of a virtual assistant to ultimately finding  passion in helping wellness coaches thrive, we discuss the significance of self-belief and pricing oneself appropriately in business. Discover how community connections, referrals, and the shared experiences of motherhood have played an instrumental role in the professional growth. We also reflect on the powerful lessons learned from missteps and the importance of mindset shifts when balancing personal and entrepreneurial pursuits.

We're thrilled to being panelists AGAIN at the upcoming 6th Afros and Audio Festival in Baltimore, MD... an event teeming with opportunities for Black indie podcast creators. This gathering promises a weekend filled with panels, workshops, and networking events that celebrates the art of storytelling and community building. As we prepare for this vibrant festival, we extend an invitation to join us in this transformative experience, emphasizing the power of sharing empowering stories to foster genuine relationships and personal growth. Secure your tickets and engage with industry leaders at afrosandaudio.com... Use code PS24AFAU for 10% OFF.

Find her everywhere by "Rokhaya.Flow" 

Chapters

• 0:00 Podcasting Journey to Self-Discovery
• 9:31 Navigating a Career Transition Amidst Chaos
• 15:14 Navigating Life Transitions Amidst Chaos
• 23:34 Building a Business Through Self-Belief
• 30:30 Pricing Yourself in Business Growth
• 35:59 Power of Referrals in Business
• 44:01 Motherhood and Entrepreneurship Balancing Act
• 49:56 Empowering Stories and Community Building
• 56:42 Black Podcast Festival

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

And for me it was amazing. I was like, wow, such an intimate place and platform to just, you know, talk about yourself, and it's not like out there where everybody can listen to it, but most likely you'll be found by people you know that can relate to you. So for me, I just fell in love with podcasters. So I started making sure all my friends were podcasters and when I also invested myself again, I took a coaching course at the end of 2020. So that was all. Before I even was pregnant, I was now introduced to the world of healing, which again was such an eye opener for me because, I have to say, relocating to Jamaica for me was really, at the end of the day, a healing journey, because I really was faced with my hey shit talkers.

Speaker 2: 1:28

Guess what? This is another shit happens episode with my girl, rokaya. Rokaya and I met last year at the fifth Afrozenalgia festival, where we were actually in a mental health panel together, and this year for for the 6th Afros and Audios Festival, we are in another panel together, just like Raph from the last episode, voices of African Diaspora, telling our stories through podcasting. So here's a shit-happening episode we did together earlier this year, bringing it to you because this weekend we will be together live on stage at the sixth afros and audios festival, baltimore maryland. Catch us live, baby. So, uh, we are gonna have an incredible conversation right now with an incredible beautiful one of the most soulful person I've got to meet. I met her last year, we were on a panel together and she's just beautiful. Like it's incredible. Hey, paula.

Speaker 1: 2:34

I heard your, I heard your, you know your, your housekeeping about showing up. I was there. I was there, but the backstage of StreamYard is so awesome so I was like checking my rap.

Speaker 2: 2:45

you know I was listening to music getting in the groove, but but yeah well since it's live, since it's live, you know, you know, blame the behind the scene because we're gonna blame it as a stream and stop making your your waiting area so cool for people to you know, I was thinking of my title for a good five minutes.

Speaker 1: 3:07

I'm like what should I put? What's my tomato? Oh my god. So it took a while, but yeah I mean that's important.

Speaker 2: 3:17

That's important, important shit to consider, because people are gonna watch you and they're gonna be like, who is this right? So your title that you're gonna put is very important. So I I feel you.

Speaker 1: 3:26

You know those are tough decisions you had to make right, but how did I do compared to the three guests before?

Speaker 2: 3:35

so this is what I want to know actually, um, the first one is just like you, but the the second one, of course, and he also gave me a message to deliver to you, of course, you know he's a Nigerian, so he came in before I came in, so and then he told me he went, and then he was like I was waiting for you for like 15 minutes. I was like, please stop, stop, stop.

Speaker 1: 4:00

I love you. That can only be white label, american Shout out to you.

Speaker 2: 4:04

Yeah, and he told me to tell you that. Remind her to reschedule.

Speaker 1: 4:11

Yes, yes, I will. I will After the game. I'm waiting for the game to finish because I know he's going to ask me some rubbish questions, so I can't talk to him during the game.

Speaker 2: 4:22

And when he gave me that message I was like, oh shit, he had also sent me his calendar to reschedule because he lost our recording. So I was writing the message and I'm like I'll make sure to tell her and I will also get my done. He was like, yeah, you need to get yours done too. I was like I got you, I got you, I got you.

Speaker 1: 4:40

Yeah, good reminder.

Speaker 2: 4:45

Let's book it same day. Okay, he has to deal with one of us in the morning and the other one in the afternoon.

Speaker 1: 4:50

He's going to have to reschedule. I just feel it. He's going to have to reschedule.

Speaker 2: 4:55

Both of these two people at the same time.

Speaker 1: 4:57

Oh, no One has to be napping, so it can't happen at the same time.

Speaker 2: 5:03

He's lucky he doesn't do live, because I'd show up while you're there and be on the comments like oh yes, like dropping some shit, I know, I know you already.

Speaker 1: 5:13

I know you. Like we first met through email, we did with meet face to face.

Speaker 2: 5:17

They put us on an email thing for the panel and man, you, you're the one who was emailing the most, I think but, but yeah, but it's funny when, as soon as I saw you, I literally knew who you are because you were passing, I was in a class and I texted you. I was like I see you walking.

Speaker 1: 5:35

I remember that. I remember. Oh, my god, it was so good to meet you, though like I feel I've known you forever, even though we just met last year. But yeah, thank you for having me. It's so good to see you again. Thank you for coming.

Speaker 2: 5:47

So how have you been? Where are you right now?

Speaker 1: 5:49

I'm back in Canada. So I'm in Vancouver just above Washington State, so I'm about like two hours from Seattle or so, so back, in the cold.

Speaker 2: 5:59

What brought you back to Canada?

Speaker 1: 6:02

Voice acting. So remember, the writers were on strike for like almost the whole Hollywood thing was going down. So it's been a good slow two years for us voice actors, actors in general. So now they have reached an agreement. I got a few gigs but short story is that I never made it to the gig. So I missed it because Air Canada the airline, the best and oldest airline in Canada decided to cancel my flight because there was like a snowstorm at the time I was coming. So I'm just here doing my thing and working and, of course, once you get in the system, there's this whole thing that you have to be here about 183 days so I can make money from here, the whole, the whole shebang.

Speaker 2: 6:50

So I'm here, so are you there with your family or is your family in?

Speaker 1: 6:55

no, my son, my husband, everybody's in Jamaica, so I decided to come by myself.

Speaker 1: 7:01

It's so much easier that way, because before that yeah, last year was kind of hectic couldn't find a daycare for the boy and I'm trying to like find this and get things done and it's hard, like with the winter and all that. So this I just decided this year to come by myself and then I'll just do back and forth half of the year, though I'm yeah, I'm gonna be in Jamaica because you get more done, because you don't have to worry about who's going to watch over my baby, especially when you get last minute meetings or all that.

Speaker 1: 7:32

Yes, like this. You know, listen at this, so calm. I don't have to be like, yes, play with this or make those movements, turn off the camera. Turn on the camera. Yeah, that's most of my building. You know the drill.

Speaker 2: 7:55

Of course. So thank you for coming on today, and there was something specifically I wanted to talk to you about, because you went on a transition in your life. You lost your corporate job in 2019 and you were in the middle of trying to figure out pursuing your, your passion and paying bills. And and most of us who kind of me, you know most people don't like to admit it, but I admit it so that people can know I'm broke and I'm looking for opportunities so you can bring all your money to me, because closed mouths don't get fed. You know just saying so.

Speaker 2: 8:32

When you are living like, when you don't have the safety net right and you're living paycheck to paycheck, but you also hate your job, you really want to quit because you have your passion, you have the idea, but it also needs money. The bills need to be paid right. So what gave you that push? Oh, how did you end up saying you know what? Fuck it. I'm gonna bet on myself and we're gonna figure it out and take the leap, because you took the leap and you decided to go and pursue your passion and and fuck the corporate world. So let's talk about that journey and how we can inspire people like me to do the same well, I think it actually really happened.

Speaker 1: 9:12

Just like you said, I said fuck this, I'm betting on myself. And this is the best podcast to be really clear and to the point. I think two things really happened for me. I think we're all in this journey where we want to take the leap but we have all these excuses holding us back. For me, god made the decision because I was fired from my job. So I wasn't given a choice other than like hey, do you want to find a job again or do you want to bet on yourself? So for me, I always had an entrepreneurial mind, like in high school and university, I was always part of groups for business startups, starting your own thing. So it was always in the back of my mind. But of course, the nine to five was my excuse. So when I lost that, it was in a time I was already in a transition, meaning I was introduced to the world of voice acting. So my past corporate job I used to work on the train, so I would make announcement for people. So people really enjoyed my voice and everything. So somebody approached me and told me about, you know, the world of audio books and that's how I started kind of researching that. So just before I get fired I was already exploring that industry. So when you know, when I had no longer a job, I decided, hey, let me just give it more time, give it more effort. And this is how it chose me.

Speaker 1: 10:34

Now, as you said, it was not paying the bills, it was not keeping up with the lifestyle, because I lived in Toronto in a small little apartment downtown and I was never there because my job was always on the go. I would be in hotels mostly. I would just have time to go back home, do a little bit of laundry, make some food and go back on. So for me, in the back of my mind, I knew it made no sense. I never saw a future there. I never saw that I could raise a family or that I could buy that condo or that house. So really the narrative that just didn't match for me.

Speaker 1: 11:07

And I think the second thing was the pandemic, because for me one was the most life-changing thing ever was to be asked this question. So I was asked one. I don't know if it was a question I was asked, but one of the question I think the pandemic really reflect is that you have to realize what's the cost? What is it costing you to go make money? So a lot of people who got stuck at home and had to work from home realize oh my God, I don't have to pay for a bus pass anymore, oh I don't have to put gas in my car anymore, like I'm saving all this money by being home. Like, why would I ever go back?

Speaker 1: 11:43

So for me, I remember in my entrepreneurial journey, I really learned that we actually, you know, like it's costing us so much to go to work, like our mental health, our physical health, like being on the train, like there's this movement on the train where you're like I forget what they call it, if it's like frog leg or whatever but you literally walk like that even when you're off the train. So you're like walking like that. So all of us, we know we'll have hearing problems, we're going to have knee problems. So for me, yes, everything. And for me, what really changed everything is that when I got injured I got injured in 2017 on the train like somebody reversed their wheelchair on my tibia and almost like cracked it, and if they did, I would have had like to put some plates like on my hip for balance, but anyway, it didn't get to that.

Speaker 1: 12:34

But I was like on disability and I had never been on disability. I never understood the whole system of, you know, being given a different job than a regular job as you recover, while insurance and corporate is just fighting to see who's going to pay you. So in the meanwhile I was left at least three or four months with no pay, trying to figure this thing out, not going to work anymore. I remember being in my apartment one Friday morning and I was like why is it so noisy here? And then I realized that I've never been home on a Friday, like because I was always working all these years and I used to work that job. I stayed at that job almost six years. Now you have to understand.

Speaker 1: 13:17

I started in a different city, in Winnipeg, and that was more seasonal. And then I moved to Toronto and kind of climb up the corporate ladder. But for me I realized at that time that, wow, this job is costing me my health, it's costing me my mental health, and when I was going through the hardest time of my life, they didn't even care. They were pretty much fighting if I was lying about this or not. And of course this is due to the fact that some people do use the system to their advantage and so on and so forth.

Speaker 1: 13:49

So for me, I think the pandemic was a big epiphany, because when I actually decided to relocate to Jamaica like from 2017 to 2020, I was just doing back and forth, but when I saw the whole chaos with, like you know because I remember like leaving Jamaica one day to back to Toronto and the whole airport was like wearing masks and it seems like it was the first day they required people to wear masks, so you would see all the people coming from like Caribbean countries, like with their kids not wearing no mask, and then you see all the people coming from Asia with mask on, trying to put mask on their children, and it was like chaos.

Speaker 1: 14:27

So I don't know if it was a sign or something, but I was already on my way to pack everything, store a few things, I was trying to lease my place, but that got complicated, so I decided to just let it go and relocate and I relocated on March 2nd 2020. So you can imagine, I think the pandemic hit like mid-March, so literally 10 days later, it was the end of the world. But I knew I made the right decision, because Toronto downtown became like a ghost town.

Speaker 1: 14:57

People were high-seated, and just so you moved to Jamaica just as the pandemic was like, literally just as it was, because March, that's when a lot of lockdown was starting to really be serious. Yes, like I was already in the plans because at the time, my parents were in Texas, san Antonio. So we got virtually married and I got married to my husband, really based on, you know, per respect to my parents, per respect to the tradition and culture Cause, of course, as an African girl, I wasn't leaving Canada to go live with a Jamaican yeah, but my parents never met. So we kind of did the whole traditional thing and we did it virtually. I know I lost a lot of friends, a lot of people due to that, because they probably thinking, oh, how did she get married? And she never told me. But people don't know what you're going through.

Speaker 1: 15:48

So November 2019 is when we got married, with the plans that I would come live there. But my plan was more like, instead of doing always the two weeks, one month, I wanted to go a good six months. So that was just the bare plan. So I was slowly working towards that from November to March. But January is really where I got the ding, ding, ding, like things are going crazy here like pack your things. All my friends still tell me like, wow you, you left right on time, like, did insider info or anything.

Speaker 2: 16:20

I was like no, you met my ex right he's in Toronto. You remember At the party?

Speaker 1: 16:39

Yes, I did meet him.

Speaker 2: 16:41

Boy. He was going through it during the pandemic. He had just gone, like literally had just moved there in january to decide to be closer to his kids and that shit oh, no, terrible.

Speaker 1: 16:56

So he moved from where to where, like before toronto. Oh wow, oh, that must have been a shock. That must have been a shock. That must have been a shock. Yeah, like I hear crazy things, because once I made that move, I ended up staying in Jamaica for almost three years. It's like the plan was six months and it ended up being almost three years.

Speaker 2: 17:18

That's a story in itself and because, also, it got to a point where, um, literally in canada, you couldn't travel unless you had the vaccine, like you couldn't come back in or you had to, uh, to isolate yourself at the hotel airport, which you, you pay for it yourself for a certain amount of days. So because so he would, he literally would sneak in and out, he would find ways, just because he didn't want to get vaccinated, and he was like I'm not fucking staying at the hotel and saying whatever money when I can go isolate in my own fucking place, like right, it was ridiculous.

Speaker 1: 18:00

You, you should have seen it at first. I was waiting it out. Then I got sick, like, let's say, around August, and then I ended up having to apply for a residency in Jamaica, because, if not, you have to like pay to extend and extend, because as a Canadian, you can stay there 90 days and then you can extend again for another 90 days. So for me, I got pregnant. So December 2020, I discovered I was going to become a mother.

Speaker 2: 18:27

So that was Yo, let's do it Girl.

Speaker 1: 18:44

I tell you, let's do it all before, let's do it now, because I always try to prepare for a zombie apocalypse, like if you see me at the gym. There was one reason I went to the gym is because I was like I don't want to be bitten because I run out of breath, because I can't run. So I was like no, no. So it was crazy because, as you said, the prime minister of Canada, trudeau, was like calling back all the Canadians early 2021. But I was sick.

Speaker 1: 19:17

I was sick the first five months of my pregnancy, so I couldn't leave. My doctor did not recommend that I fly over. So I was like, dealing with all this thing, like, am I going to have? The doctor did not recommend that I fly over. So I was like dealing with all this thing, like am I gonna have the baby here or am I gonna have the baby in Canada? But because I had left Canada for so long already, I was calling in to see you know if I would still be covered. So all this thing boiled down. And then, yes, trudeau just closed the borders and, it's funny, a lot of Canadians stayed in Jamaica. They didn't't really care. They're like, oh awesome, I can stay here longer.

Speaker 2: 19:51

There was some of my like because for some reason during the pandemic I met a lot of Canadians through clubhouse and social media, so I have a big online friends of Canada. And there was some who were chilling in Mexico. Everybody like all right, you can talk about everything.

Speaker 1: 20:06

It's like we're good Because imagine, like all the I'm not sure about the rest of the Caribbean island, but in Jamaica it was really quiet. If you booked a hotel, they would like upgrade you to the nicest room because there was literally three guests in the whole hotel. The beaches- Traveling around.

Speaker 2: 20:22

That time was the best time. Best time you get very good service because there's nobody, people are not overwhelmed, because it's not busy, it's not hectic Like bro.

Speaker 1: 20:33

Yeah, service. I don't know if you were getting the best service, because the servers were not getting enough tips anymore. And then there was a lot of curfews in Jamaica when the whole thing was happening, because they wanted to make sure nobody parties. So, like sometime on Friday you had to be home by 3 pm, so everybody would be running to grocery stores and just pack everything. But what was nice there there was no such thing as like, oh you have COVID, like don't approach me or people. People didn't really care. They're like really there's COVID Also. There's no COVID after curfew me or people. People didn't really care. They're like really there's covid also. There's no covid after curfew, but there's like people were making jokes out of it. Uh, of course, like not to make jokes, because I know a lot of people lost family members but that's the reality.

Speaker 2: 21:14

People were making jokes like there were a lot of covid jokes. There's some people until today make covid jokes like that's the reality of the world we live in and and to some extent in the beginning it was fucking funny because people were choosing how to access COVID. Like at work, everybody wants space, but then at night people are still crowded in one sitting because, oh, we want to have a party. So it was like, okay, y'all are making a mockery of this, like how are you?

Speaker 2: 21:44

going to tell me in the supermarket, five distance, when yesterday I saw you turning up in a small closed space and nobody had masks on or nothing.

Speaker 1: 21:52

Yeah, like in Canada. I remember in January, before everything they were saying oh, flu kills more people Like you don't have to wear a mask, and then all of a sudden they're forcing people to wear masks. So it made no sense whatsoever. And in Jamaica we till today, I don't think we had more than 200 deaths and not more than 5,000 cases, because the cases started going up when people would come from the US to Jamaica for funerals, so they're the ones who started bringing it.

Speaker 1: 22:22

But in Jamaica itself, there was not much going on and in that sense, and then when he reopened the Canada, the Canadian borders, I was like 37 weeks. So I was like almost due. So I was like there's no way I'm going back to Canada and at the same time, my parents were making a return because my dad also loses job in Texas, so they were making a return back to Canada and, of course, when you make a return, like paperwork and all that. So I was like I'm not going to go find a doctor now that I'm almost due. So this is how I ended up having the baby there August 2021.

Speaker 2: 23:00

and how did that transform your entrepreneur world? Because at that moment, you're also still pursuing your passion, right. And then you got pregnant, you had a baby and then. So how did that transformation come about?

Speaker 1: 23:15

well, the first transformation, I think, is that when I got stuck there for a while, I finally decided to invest in myself because I had a friend who was already kind of in the online world. I call it because, unless you understand it, you don't really know what people are doing online and how they make money. So she always told me about you know, oh, you should be a virtual assistant. I can see you do well in that and I would just research it in those years and I was like, oh, I don't want to do any admin work, I don't want to work for someone and like, do data entry or anything boring like that. But that year, after being like the first three months I had nothing to do. I would be complaining to my husband like, oh, I want to go to yoga, I don't have any routine, I'm bored out of my mind because I was used to the go, go, go, yeah. So when I invested in that course, I finally learned the basic of digital marketing and how to promote myself and how to you know just the simple things like how to send an invoice and a contract, you know how to you know take clients and so on and so forth. So that really gave me the basis and because it's a virtual assistant course. So when I did that, for me my experience at the time I was coming from a voiceover background, because that's what I had been doing in the year prior. So I decided to kind of position myself as a editor because you know, I was familiar with, you know, editing audio, sending self tape, because you have to audition a lot as a voice actor. So when I positioned myself as an editor, I started attracting a lot of podcasters. So that's how I really got introduced to the podcasting world and for me it was amazing. I was like, wow, such an intimate place and platform to just, you know, talk about yourself and it's not like out there where everybody can listen to it, but most likely you'll be found by people you know that can relate to you. So for me I just fell in love with podcasters. So I started making sure all my friends were podcasters and when I also invested myself again, I took a coaching course at the end of 2020. So that was all, before I even was pregnant.

Speaker 1: 25:33

I was now introduced to the world of healing, which again was such an eye opener for me because, I have to say, relocating to Jamaica for me was really, at the end of the day, a healing journey, because I really was faced with my own self, coming from the expression you know, wherever you go, here you are. So I had to face my negative thoughts. I had to face all these excuses that I had made up when I was in Canada to not pursue or to not bet on myself. So now I was really faced with my own nightmares, like okay, now you only have yourself. Like what are you going to do? So for me?

Speaker 1: 26:14

At first, of course I wanted to, like you know, invest locally, connect with the locals, but the pandemic made that really hard because we couldn't go anywhere with the locals. But the pandemic made that really hard because we couldn't go anywhere and my husband's family was very far from where we lived at the time. So this is what pushed me to just continue, kind of creating a community online. So the podcast community is what really started my journey. Now being an editor is not the best, because people are usually looking for the cheapest editor out there, because I was attracting mainly beginners. So I was like journey Now being an editor is not the best because people are usually looking for the cheapest editor out there because I was attracting mainly beginners. So I was like, okay, maybe I'm not good in editing, I'm going to move on to coaching. So that's when I started working with wellness coaches specifically that wanted to start their podcast or have started their podcast and they're kind of trying to align it with their business. So it's not like two different projects. So this is where I founded Rekia Flow.

Speaker 1: 27:10

And then when I became a mother I have to say pregnancy it's really my few clients that kept me going, but I never really created anything new. I was just focused on doing client work because I was so not inspired. When I was pregnant I felt really like blah. I think it's because I love food and I couldn't eat anything. So I wasn't myself. But once the baby came on, I just had a blast of energy. I started going on interviews and this is how I started, you know, going on conferences. So I just built from there.

Speaker 1: 27:40

So once the baby was a bit older, I started doing on interviews and this is how I started going on conferences. So I just built from there. So once the baby was a bit older, I started doing more interviews like these and then last year like he's two. Now I just took the leap of faith again to have some time for myself, because sometimes you kind of get lost in trying to please everybody and be everything for everybody. So I had to kind of step back and say, hey, it's mommy time, I've started a business and I have to keep going. Because I was very thankful I have to say that I had built that before becoming a mother, so I never had to call in sick at work, I never had to like take a maternity leave or anything like that. I had my business. So I was just focusing on my clients and then I'm building from there. So we're about what? Three years almost four years in business now.

Speaker 2: 28:34

Out of curiosity, right, because I think people always have this thing okay, I'm going to build, but how do I get my first client? Is the pricing right? How do I negotiate? So how did you go about that with your first client, like, how did you structure that to where yours now became comfortable with? I'm pretty sure right now you have also four years. You've already upped your price, because four years that's a lot of growth by you and a lot of you know, because every year we are growing in what we are doing. So of course our prices are going to increase because my knowledge has gone up, baby, you know, and the more and the more awards you win, the more conferences you're talking on, that's your price going up, that's your resume being filled. So that's that's credibility over there, and with credibility you can price it. So how did you when you started out, did you structure the pricing and getting that first client, versus how you do it right now?

Speaker 1: 29:36

That's a really good question and I think it goes back to investing in yourself, because I think we all start with we don't really believe in ourselves. We all start with the imposter syndrome and have all these little talks trying to, you know, sabotage our own self. So I think the first first thing, one minute.

Speaker 2: 29:56

I still, I still can't believe y'all allowed me to moderate that panel. I, when I could even believe in myself, I had no experience you were the best person to do it, paula.

Speaker 1: 30:11

Sometimes it's just your calling. We see it in you. You volunteered a bit reluctant but we're like, yeah, you're doing it. That's why I even asked the question again. I'm like so, paula, you're still doing this because I'm like none of us, we're not going to do it. We're not going to do it. I even ask the question again. I'm like so, paula, you're still doing this because I'm like none of us, you're not going to do it. You're not going to do it. It was great. You just have a, a flair to you know, set the tone, make everybody feel comfortable. And after that I was like yo, I just like put my bag on.

Speaker 2: 30:44

I'm like talking shit. I didn't even know I was at a panel at some point. I thought it was my living it lucky, felt like we were back in our zoom meetings, like just four or five talking so but but continue.

Speaker 1: 30:51

Sorry about that, no no, we're talking shit, so it's all good. But going back to the, you know how I tried to attract my first client and set up myself. As I I said, the first thing is that if you know you don't believe in yourself, then you're going to have to replace that by investing in yourself. And what I mean by that is either by having a coach that's going to be behind you, that will keep you accountable, and who's going to give you the structure. Because I think that's what stops most people, because at first I would apply like I would go research virtual assistant and apply for it, and I would see people like hire virtual assistant, like in foreign countries, and only pay them like $10 an hour. So this is where I learned the journey, really, of pricing yourself. The journey of growing your business is understanding your worth. Until you understand your worth, you will never be able to price right. Because even if somebody did all the structure for you and tells you, oh yeah, like I remember my coaching program said, charge at least $500 a month at least, but if you don't believe in yourself, if you don't feel that you're worth that, you won't be able to make the ask. So I think it's very important to do that inventory of, like, what are my skills, what are my strengths. So for me, luckily, because I've been in the entrepreneurial kind of world, I know how to pitch a little bit. I know you know how to put myself out there.

Speaker 1: 32:21

Some people are afraid to even just go in a Zoom meeting. So if you can't even make a Zoom meeting, you'll struggle, because online there's this whole thing of trust, credibility, and you can only set that by actually connecting with people. And for me, social media was very, very, how can I say? I was afraid of it because I felt every time I went on it, like I always say, some cousin from Africa will be calling me for money, like man, she's balling, like what's happening, but I'm like, no, that's like one day in my life and it was just a good day. So I posted. But when I learned about digital marketing and how you should be only speaking to one person for me, my people became podcasters. So then I wasn't afraid to put myself out there, I wasn't afraid to do the ask because I knew I was solving a specific problem.

Speaker 1: 33:11

So when you grow into the journey and you know your worth and you know, you know you're relating to people, people are relating to your story. Then you're able to go out there and attract the clients. At first it's really just like deciding hey, like for me, I decided, oh, I'm going to talk to wellness coaches, and then I was attracting something completely different. So I had to like, rearrange, rearrange my message. But this is what's great, though, like I find, sometimes you put yourself out there and now people like are attracted to me because I live in Jamaica.

Speaker 1: 33:46

But at first that story wasn't complete. So I say, hey, I'm going to help you relocate, I'm going to help you do that. No, I just had relocated. So the story makes more sense as you grow into it. So I would really say it's about one invest in yourself. If you still don't believe in your skills, invest in your skills so you can gain that credibility and that trust. And then, lastly, know your worth and you should triple whatever you think your worth is and make sure you always do a reassessment every year, like for me, every three months. I increase my price there's no say about that because I know I'm upgrading my skills in ti sans, in ti sans words, you stand on business, okay.

Speaker 2: 34:38

So when you're shit out of curiosity right, because most of us when we start shit, you know we are so we want that we're so excited about getting that first client and sometimes we end up with the wrong client or we end up in a wrong investment. So how long did it take you? Because I think we are. We are so in a rush. Instead of actually waiting for the right client, we end up getting into stupid shit. So how long did it take you when you started your business until you got your first client?

Speaker 1: 35:10

I actually got my first client really quick. I had a first discovery call that went totally wrong. But that's because I never listened to the module of how to conduct a strategy call, so I never went there. So the teacher was like, so, did you listen to that module before? I was like, no, I didn't. So so I literally went into my first discovery call with this really known person on LinkedIn and I just tried to go through like a PowerPoint presentation. So I never listened to her, I never asked the right question.

Speaker 2: 35:44

You didn't have a conversation versus just going through it.

Speaker 1: 35:49

Not at all. I was like so stressed, I was just like trying to go through everything I had to say and at the end she was like, okay, well, thanks, it's terrible. But then my second client which I think really helped was a referral. That's when I found the power of referral, because during the course I kind of reached out to a few people that had podcasts and it was for a market research.

Speaker 1: 36:14

Because our teacher was like you know, you should go ask questions about, you know, when people hire VA in that industry, you know what they make them do, and so on. So I had already sent a few emails to a lot of people like, hey, are you hiring a VA? Or, if you do have one, what do they do for you? So some people never answered my email, which is okay. But some people took the time to tell me oh yeah, I have a VA, she does social media for me, she does graphic, she does show notes. So that's how I knew to position myself by gaining that information. And then one of them just reached out to me after I had reached out to her, like, oh, I actually have a client who wants to do, you know, video editing. Could you help her. And I was like, yes, and I can help her, like even if I have to go learn it right now, gonna help her. And then she, I think, because I was referred, the trust is already there.

Speaker 2: 37:07

Oh yeah, the credibility, because somebody already vetted you for, like, the person who referred you to them has already vetted you for her. So because if I come and tell you yo go hire Paula, she's dope as fuck Because you trust me and you believe me and you're like, oh man, I really need to go check out Paula, you know so that's exactly it.

Speaker 1: 37:30

So somebody already done the work for you.

Speaker 2: 37:32

You, now you can have an actual conversation during the presentation instead of being, and especially and especially when you have somebody in common, the conversation also becomes easy because you know somebody in common. So it's also becomes easy because you know somebody in common, so it's not going to be awkward conversation. Oh my God. So how did you know her? Oh, I know her.

Speaker 1: 37:51

Exactly, exactly, and that's when I understood community was key. And then this girl just said yes, and I think I froze when she said yes, like I didn't even know what to say next. I'm like what? Oh, you're gonna be a client you're like, this is happening. You're my first client oh my god, I remember opening the door. I remember opening the door and calling my husband and he's like what I got my first client.

Speaker 2: 38:28

So what did you spend the money on? Your first client? Did you go bougie out there or did you reinvest it? Because sometimes we get too excited on that first date. I'm taking myself to have some bigger steak and some margaritas. I'm taking myself to have some bigger steak and some margaritas.

Speaker 1: 38:47

I was lucky because at the time I was kind of living a simple life, like going to Jamaica. I wasn't spending that much money. I think I just reinvested it in my business. So I was trying to like. That's important yeah, I had a list of courses I wanted to take, so I just kept it on the side and it probably went somewhere in a coaching course of some sort, or yeah.

Speaker 2: 39:06

And just before people come for me. I don't mean you shouldn't celebrate your first client. I'm just saying sometimes we get too excited and spend the entire check on celebrating instead of also reinvesting back in the business so we can keep getting those clients.

Speaker 2: 39:21

And that's where some people fail clients and that's where some people fail and that's where other people continue prospering because they take that money and reinvest it back into their business yes but and I and I'm one of those who, whenever I get paid like I mean, we all know when payday comes you start looking at uber eats and she's like fuck those noodles in the fridge. You know, it happens, it's part of life, it happens. We are most of us are guilty about that. But I hope we change our mindset and also, like you know, yes put the rest back in them yes, I think, the.

Speaker 1: 39:58

I think if it was not in the pandemic time, that's what would have happened, because there's so much distraction and so much, but being in jamaica and it's like pandemic time, there was no distraction, so yeah you couldn't do shit, even if you wanted to.

Speaker 2: 40:13

The least you can do is other shit from amazon, which at that time amazon prime was also taking forever exactly, exactly.

Speaker 1: 40:23

So I reinvested, uh, in the business. But, yeah, I definitely recommend not to spend it all. Have like a certain percentage, you know, or have certain goals and when you reach a big goal then maybe you can spend that paycheck. But because it was my first client yeah, and I think because it was my first client and it's like deliverables I have to give her editing video and all that. I only ask for half of it first, and then, once I deliver everything, she paid the other half.

Speaker 2: 40:54

So that helps too, to kind of spread it out yeah, because you're like okay, this stuff came, we're gonna reinvest this because we still have work to do, and then when the other half comes, when I'm finished, I can kind of buy myself a lollipop. Good job, that was your first client.

Speaker 1: 41:12

Yeah, yes, exactly.

Speaker 2: 41:14

I don't know if you know producer Jamie, this incredible woman, and I've met her through Podfest. She's amazing, I actually had her yesterday on here and she has started a network called Power Moms Network and I feel like I'm letting you know because you're a mother and I want all the mothers to take advantage of it. It's like a supportive group for people with different creative words, different parts. Some of them have jobs, some of them are parts. Some of them have jobs. Some of them are creative, some of them are trying to figure out what they want, because most of them moms, are used to just the title of mom. They don't believe they can offer more or something. So it's always nice to have a community that is supportive, is there for you, so I think that would be also a nice community for you to join, you know.

Speaker 1: 42:05

Yes, definitely, I'll reach out to you for her contacts.

Speaker 2: 42:08

Yeah, I'll send them to her. Shout out to producer Jamie she's doing incredible stuff because she was a single mom and she's big on podcasting. She has been editing and building a podcast network down in Florida and everything. So I feel I want all moms out there because you're all badass like mom to me, whether you are a mom and a wife or just a mom, but you're also still a friend, a daughter, uh, uh, you know you have your own stuff, like it takes a lot. So, yes, a community that's willing to help. And you know I love I've seen so much comes out of communities we belong in, especially when you pour into them and how much they pour back. And sometimes you go there thinking what's this shit gonna do for me? Like I'm just joining because Paula told me to come join, so I'm just gonna join so that she stops bugging me. But you'll be surprised that how much comes out of it, to the extent you're like, damn, why didn't I join sooner? So don't sleep on communities y'all. Yes.

Speaker 1: 43:08

Communities, everything, everything, everything. I commend that, I commend this message.

Speaker 2: 43:16

Speaking of motherhood and wife and all that. How do you, as an entrepreneur, a business owner, how do you balance?

Speaker 1: 43:26

oh man, I think it's more I juggle. I don't think there's any balance. Try to juggle it, you know, and then one drops, because I'm not a good juggler, and then the more things drops, you're just like man, whatever.

Speaker 2: 43:46

Fuck this shit whatever, fuck this shit, I still got, I still gotta go to the other one.

Speaker 1: 43:53

it's charming. As long you're still holding yourself, you're good. But but, but that's a really good question. I think I almost want to compare motherhood to the entrepreneurial journey. I think at first you have no idea what you're doing and then you realize that nobody else knows what they're doing. So then you feel a little bit better about yourself and in that journey, as you meet other people, as you say, as you build a community and you don't feel so lonely, then you're able through other people's stories. So I think for me, what really saved me is hearing other people's story that were going through the same thing as me.

Speaker 1: 44:34

One of the first podcasts that really changed everything for me shout out to Kristen Flourish and Foreign. She people pretty much you know started their business abroad. She's located in Spain. So when I listened to that podcast I was like, oh my God, so there is other woman doing what I'm doing. Cause for me.

Speaker 1: 44:55

As I said, it was never a choice. I never like had a budget and be like, oh, I'm going to go relocate here. No, it just happened to me. And then the rest of the journey. As I explained to you motherhood, I never planned to be a mother abroad.

Speaker 1: 45:08

So the balance is really, at the end, finding out that you have to take time for yourself, you have to be the priority, because at some point in motherhood you kind of lose sight of that. You think that the baby may be the priority or the husband may be the priority because the relationship is changing. But for me, I had to step back of all that in 2021, especially 2022. I had to realize that if I wanted my business to thrive and not be just a side hustle because that's what usually happens when you don't give it the importance or the space it needs I had to. Or the discipline yes, I would say that I'm still not really disciplined, but it's more. It's really like to commit to something small. Um, I remember Danielle, who was founder of a woman of color podcasters. Uh, really helped me see that, because for me I just oh, my God, that's with Podfest. Yes, I saw the picture. Guess what? I met her and I never took a picture. So I need to go to. We talk so much. We were talking and talking.

Speaker 2: 46:24

But it happens. It happens sometimes. Even us, coming back from Podfest, we're like, oh my God, we hanged out so much together and we didn't even have one picture. But when you're with somebody so much compared to when you just have a few minutes with somebody and you got to go you remember a picture. But when you know like, oh, I'm going to find her in the room, oh, we are having lunch together, it just slips away.

Speaker 1: 46:50

And then next thing you know, oh, she's gone. It's gone, so it's on my bucket list. Now I have to take a picture with Danielle, like I have to. So for her, she really nailed it down to committing to one activity.

Speaker 1: 46:58

So in 2022, it really light up for me that the only thing I had to focus on was to connect, like with people like you, like tell my story, so I would find my people. So I just started focusing on that, telling my story about Jamaica and everything, and people just started coming to me and those connection are genuine. It's not like I had to create a post to get followers, like my numbers are just going up because I really met the person, or we really connected on this platform or we met in this community. So when you discover that, you really discover that the best balance is to be balanced with your own self and making sure to check in with yourself. Like, what did I do for myself today? You know what did I do? Not even necessarily your business, because your business is not going to grow until you are growing yourself.

Speaker 1: 47:48

Yeah, so when I understood that, that's when I really made the step of like going to conferences. So I didn't feel bad anymore. I was almost like okay, daddy, it's daddy time. I remember my first conference was podcast movement and I left on my husband's birthday and I came the day after my son's birthday. So that was really clear. Like it's my time, I'm not celebrating one of your birthdays, I'm celebrating me.

Speaker 2: 48:17

I married you and I gave birth to you, so I deserve to celebrate me for doing the one on your birthday. But I love that and something you said right, oh my God, literally I just had it. But there was also another thing. Maybe that one will come back to me.

Speaker 2: 48:36

When you say that being a mother is like an entrepreneurial journey, it's funny because Jamie yesterday also said that as long as you're a mother, you already are a business owner, because all the qualities of being a mother is as a business, you have to negotiate with your kid, you learn to negotiate, you learn how to prioritize, you learn how to budget, you learn. So those are the same qualities that you put on your business. But so it's just um, and this is why I I love talking about mindset, switch and mindset like you just gotta switch that mindset of yours and look at it in the other side and you'll be like, oh wow, I am actually, I have the, the qualities to fucking run a business, to own something, because I'm, I'm running this kid right now definitely definitely like even the mindset of like I wasn't worried anymore after the baby to get clients.

Speaker 1: 49:29

I was like that's not even my priority. And now I'm lending all these podcasts, appearance and everything and I'm like I haven't even done no work. It's just a connection leads, another connection and leads, you know, and that makes it fun. It's no longer like I have to go sit in front of my computers and try to find a guest or, like, try to appear somewhere. So when it becomes natural, you'll see the growth is just amazing and I think that's where your kids are going to look up to.

Speaker 1: 49:56

They can say, oh, my mom, you know, pursued her dreams. She pursued her goal because, looking at my own parents and our, you know, just our ancestors in general, they sacrificed so much of themselves and thank you. I always say I think I saw it in a t-shirt we are our ancestor wildest dreams because they wanted to be us and we get to be their dream. So, hey, who am I to not continue that? Who am I to not tell my children, hey, be yourself, become yourself. I think if I just stay home, I become just very resentful because I'm like I'm doing all this and these people are not seeing my worth, so it always go back again. Don't lose sight of your worth. If you don't lose sight of your worth, you know that you're worth more than just being a mother or just a wife or just a daughter. We are so many different things and I love how she put it together. It's very much like entrepreneurial journey, because it's all about growth.

Speaker 2: 50:59

Yeah, she created this, this community, so that the mothers, those who are feeling like I'm just a mom no, you're more than just a mom to to get inspired, to get motivated to, to motivated to figure some shit out. But I remembered what I was also going to say. It was when you say your story brings your community. I always tell people that's why I say podcasting served my mental health, because I started sharing my story and it started giving me the communities that I needed, the support that I needed, and also I keep on telling people your story matters, like your story. It does matter because somebody out there is waiting to hear, so they can connect with you and those connections become so genuine, more than the connections that you've actually had in your life for the longest time. It's amazing how the podcasting world, the friendships I've created that have gone from just being podcasting to personal, to deeper, and these are people who I just met in the last four years. They are bringing so much more to me than actually the people who have known all my life. But it's also one thing people say oh, how come I don't see that in my community? So just because you're in a community doesn't mean you just have to be in a community, you have to show up. Show up in every of those shit, even support those shit. Don't ask to be to, to, to be like I. I don't want to come and be like yo. Can you support me? No see, I'm doing my shit, just support and and it gets seen because I do all this shit and I didn't know that people were watching or people were seeing.

Speaker 2: 52:34

I went to PortFest, I got awarded Community Hero Award and I'm like, and I didn't, I wasn't even doing it for the award, I was just giving back to a community that's giving me so much. But people see you, people see your growth. This podcast was so emotional but my head got so big because of how many people were coming up to me after my presentation, after my MC, after my work, just to remind me, to give me the assurance that we don't get, because when we do this job trust me, people are so sucky at giving reviews or feedback we really need to pull them out of it giving reviews or feedback, like we really need to pull them out of you. So when we hear that we get that assurance, it, it fuels us to continue moving and doing what we love doing so, shout out, to shout out to everybody out there who, especially when you refer somebody, I like somebody who comes to me and be like, oh um, paula, told me to come, to come meet with you because you are this and this.

Speaker 2: 53:28

Refine people to people. It's such a beautiful thing. It's another way of supporting. If I know I can't afford your services, that's fine. What I can do is I can share them, I can tell people about them, I can send people to you. That's other forms of support. People assume that support always has to be. I have to, your course, I have to come to your event. No, we're not financial, we are not, you know, not everybody is there. But there's more to support than financial support yes, I'm so proud of you.

Speaker 1: 54:01

By the way, congratulations again. I'm so sad I missed podfest. I was busy like trying to come back here but next year don't miss it.

Speaker 2: 54:09

Next year don't miss it next year.

Speaker 1: 54:12

I'd love that.

Speaker 2: 54:12

I'd love that definitely now we are coming to the end of this. Uh, before we go, please let the people know um, leave, leave them with wise words or advice on betting on themselves and just going after their passion, and then also let the people know where they can find you. You can say right now is a place for you to sell yourself and sell your business, what you do, how they can find you.

Speaker 1: 54:41

Yes, definitely. Well, word of wisdom I would say to end this is that whatever plan you have, god have a better plan for you. So the leap of faith is really having that faith in yourself that you already have all the skills and I'm sure you hear that a lot, but it's true in the sense that they might not be matured skills or, you know, developed skills, but they're there, like your mission has been already put in you. Now you have to do the work to put it out there, Because even just in this, mentioning the story, as you said, it's because I shared my story with Afrin Audio that we were put in the same panel and that we were able to meet today.

Speaker 1: 55:26

If I had never shared that story, I don't think we've had ever meet, or at least there would have been a big delay. So I really understand now that we used to say I think I saw a nice post about that we used to say, hey, share your story in the safe platform. But I think it's really about finding a sacred platform, cause I tried to tell my story in the time I was the most hurt and I realized that the audience I shared it with was not my community. As you said, you really have to find that sacred place and that's how we founded Rekia Flow, where we help really people align their narrative with their business and their podcast so they can gain visibility and really create that raving fan community. So you can find me on Instagram, any platform, twitter, linkedin and TikTok under Rekhayaflow and it was a pleasure, as usual, to meet you, paula, and I hope to see you because I'm not going to miss Afro in audio.

Speaker 2: 56:31

Me neither. That's already a new tradition, so I'm looking forward to that.

Speaker 3: 56:42

This October 18th to the 20th. Don't miss the go-to event experience for aspiring new and seasoned black indie podcast creators and audio professionals. Now, spanning three action-packed days, the sixth annual Afros and Audio Podcast Festival in Baltimore, maryland, will be a weekend of panels, workshops and networking designed to elevate your podcasting game. Join us at the Reginald F Lewis Museum and book your discounted room at True by Hilton Baltimore Harbor East. The festival jumps off with a live show and kickoff party on Friday, followed by a weekend of networking, learning and celebration. You'll get to engage with industry leaders through educational tracks and awards evening and close out with pivotal discussions on Sunday. Afros and Audio is where the Black podcast community unites to forge stronger connections and gain valuable insights. We'll see you in October. Secure your spot for an unforgettable experience. Visit afrosandaudiocom to secure your ticket today.

Speaker 2: 57:38

So go support, go, show up, go show up, go get involved in your communities, and if you don't have a community in your city, start one. You need to start. So thank you all for hanging out with us. That shit happens where shit always happens Shit, shit, shit, shit happens, shit happens, shit happens, shit happens, shit happens, it happens.