“Invest in yourself and that will invest in your business.” – Eleshia Harris

Being an entrepreneur is a full-time commitment. As an entrepreneur, you can’t expect everything to go smoothly all the time. In fact, there will be numerous challenges along the way.

Learning how to take care of your well-being, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and being able to balance work and life can be your formula for success. Entrepreneurship is not for everyone because it takes vision, commitment, and strategy to differentiate yourself from the rest of the pack without alienating your authentic self.

In Episode 308, I am joined by my friend, coach, and project manager, Eleshia Harris. She is a holistic business growth strategist, wellness coach, and the founder of Eleshia Lifestyle. We talk about her journey as a contract employee, how a health crisis made her step out of her comfort zone, and how she combined her passion and her skills to create a successful business.

Entrepreneurial growth requires a dose of courage, sustained effort, and some friendly encouragement and support. Listen to this episode and be inspired by Eleshia’s story of leaving her job to focus on the important things in life and learn why wellness is the first step toward thriving in business.

Thriving Points:

• When you give a company your all and they take you for granted, it’s time to either find a new job or actually, look at your own passions.
• My miscarriage was my calling to stop me from taking that permanent role, look after myself,  have my baby girl, and build my own brand.
• Start saving at least 5% or 10%, and work upwards so you’ll have some kind of safety net and then also change your mindset about the job that you’re doing.
• Plan out so you’ll have a strategy for your exit strategy.
• There’s no point in trying to build your business and your brand if you don’t have the time to do it.
• My mission is to make sure that I can help as many female business owners to recognize their potential, but also do it in a way that they look after their wellbeing.

Resources Mentioned:

• The Secret by Rhonda Byrne

Get to Know the Guest:

Eleshia Harris is a Holistic Business Growth Strategist and Wellness Coach who helps Female Business Owners get clear on their goals and desires and implement them without overwhelm and procrastination. She is also the founder of Eleshia Lifestyle and the podcast The Eleshia Show.

Connect with Eleshia:

• Podcast
• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook

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“Health is wealth” is not just a saying, it is a philosophy we should all live by. As an entrepreneur, your health is a valuable asset that supports your ability to work, think, and perform properly. By maintaining your well-being, you can perform at your best every day. Motivation, innovation, and success in business are rooted in your physical and mental health.

In this episode, Nikki is joined by a certified life coach, fitness trainer, best-selling author, motivational speaker, and serial entrepreneur – Tiffany Williams-Parra. Tiffany brings us along her journey from corporate human resources to pursuing her passion for wellness and fitness coaching.

They also discuss creating multiple revenue streams, the importance of business coaching, and why hydration and nutrition should be your top priority as an entrepreneur.

Tiffany is bringing together different wellness modalities, and ways of being healthy through her Phoenix Fitness Fanatics Magazine. Listen in and download Fitness is My Life App today to find the perfect balance of work and healthy well-being.

Thriving Points:

• The things that I promote are all things that help people be extremely healthy in all the aspects of physical, mental, spiritual, and financial fitness.
• The biggest challenge for any entrepreneur is learning how to balance it all. Balancing that human to human interaction, balancing relationships.
• People should not deprive themselves but just be more mindful.
• Have the intention to set your day right, do your body right,  make sure you have your nutrition,  and make sure you set yourself right.
• When you step back and look at it, be grateful for the things that you have so you can open yourself up to be able to receive more.
• Abundance can be many different things: health, joy, and people around you.

Other Resources mentioned:

• Fitness is My Life App
• Phoenix Fitness Fanatics Magazine: Elevating your Mind, Body, and Spirit
• Abundance Now: Amplify Your Life & Achieve Prosperity Today

Get to Know the Guest:

       Tiffany Williams-Parra is a certified life coach, fitness trainer, best-selling author, motivational speaker, and serial entrepreneur. Tiffany’s life-renewing journey began in 2008 when she found herself in bad health due to living an extremely unhealthy lifestyle. She invests time in creating a healthy lifestyle for not only herself and her family but enjoys teaching others how to do so as well.

Tiffany believes that by pushing through adversity, you can reach any of your desired results. She has learned to conquer her challenges and has shown that if you want long-lasting changes in health and fitness, you must be committed to practicing healthy habits consistently.

Connect with Tiffany:

• Weight Release Strategy Call
• Email
• Instagram
• Facebook

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“Everything that happens to you is a reflection of what you believe about yourself.” – Iyanla Vanzant

To thrive means to grow vigorously or flourish. But what does thriving in business mean? Does your business have what it takes to be successful in the long run? Have you thought about the things you need to start doing as you move forward in your business?

Mindset and intention are two very important factors to consider when starting your business. From creating a business model and understanding the levers in your business to overcoming hurdles that can delay success, as entrepreneurs you have to be proactive in protecting and executing your vision.

In this episode, Nikki will share key takeaways from her presentation at the Signature CEO Conference, her thoughts on what thriving in business truly means, and the three key components that are essential to thriving in business.

Her experience of being a speaker and attendee at the Signature CEO Conference will provide helpful insights to help you determine what thriving in business means to you. Listen in for some valuable lessons that you can apply to your own enterprise.

Thriving Points:

• Understand the levers in your business that create predictable and sufficient income, and deploy them repeatedly and consistently.
• Work on your purpose and let your business support your life.
• Love the people you work with, whether it’s your clients, customers, employees, partners, or vendors.
• Having sufficient income doesn’t mean it’s just enough to cover your bills.  It’s actually whatever is needed in order to support the life that you want to build.
• Do what you’re passionate about but you also have to temper that with what you’re good at.
• As a business owner, you have the right, the opportunity to be in choice about who you engage within your business.

About the Show:

        Women Thriving in Business features candid unscripted conversations with entrepreneurs, business experts, authors, and academics aimed at contributing to business success. This weekly show provides interviews with business leaders who have built, grown, and are thriving in business. Nikki A. Rogers, host of the show, also discusses achievements, lessons learned, and advice for aspiring business owners to develop the mindset, strategies, and connections necessary to thrive in business. Whether you are just starting or you have been in business for decades, WTiB offers inspiration, strategies, and resources to help you THRIVE in business.

About the Host:

      Nikki is a strategist and transformation coach who believes life is too short not to do what you love. She is passionate about helping entrepreneurs build sustainable companies and supports business leaders in developing the mindset, strategy, and connections to create thriving businesses and build legacy wealth.

Nikki is the CEO of The Bladen Group and an alumna of North Carolina A&T State University and UNC-Chapel Hill.

Connect with Nikki:

• LinkedIn
• Instagram

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Change is an unavoidable fact of life and we get to choose whether to accept or resist it.

Organizations that can leverage technological innovations while effectively managing workplace dynamics have a competitive advantage. It is equally important to have organizational leaders who are committed to building a culture where everyone feels supported, and employees’ initiative, uniqueness, and enthusiasm are appreciated.

Join us in Episode 305, with guest Deborah Westphal, a business leader, consultant, and author as she shares her perspectives on an evolving leadership approach that views employees as individuals who deserve respect, power, and trust. Questions like: “What IS a humanist and what does human-centric leadership look like?”, “Why should organizations become more human-centric?”, “What does the ‘race to space’ mean for the rest of us?” will be answered.

Listen in as Nikki and Deborah discuss how you can align your professional and your personal life, and the tools, tactics, and techniques that you can use to embrace new leadership roles, and how Deborah built her career through global travel and industry exploration.

Thriving Points:

• The core of humanity is hopes, dreams, fears, and concerns that people have no matter where you live, your culture, or your experiences.
• To be a humanist is to be an advocate for people and realize that because it’s an energy that can be tapped into so many different things.
• Growth is scary, any kind of new experience is scary, but what you rely on is,  you know you’ve done this before.

Get to Know the Guest:

        Deborah Westphal is a business leader in future-focused strategy, consultant, and author of the book “Convergence: Technology, Business, and the Human-Centric Future”. In Convergence, she leverages more than 30 years of experience helping the world’s most innovative business and government leaders to challenge biases, ignite ideas, and build connections. She delivers this rich insight with an empathetic and thought-provoking writing style to chart a path for readers.

Throughout the book, personal stories and historical examples highlight convergences that span the globe, impacting everything from global supply chains to climate change, and reshaping the future of business, technology, and humanity everywhere.

Connect with Deborah:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• Twitter
• Email
  

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It’s okay to be afraid, but when is fear not helpful anymore?

In life, there are things that we encounter that might be too scary or a bit overwhelming. We are often scared of change, and we doubt our strength to try something new to the point that we no longer give ourselves the chance to discover our potential to grow. The good thing is we CAN do something about our fear – we can face it and grow stronger through the process.

As we overcome our fears, we are getting stronger mentally, emotionally, and sometimes physically, as well. We learn to stand up (figuratively and literally) during the times that we fail, and we learn from the lessons life teaches us. In episode 304, Nikki shares her experiences with stand-up paddleboarding (SUP) and how she practices the three C’s in her life.

Listen to how Nikki was able to embrace some really big moves in her business and in life using these three C’s. Also, check out all our past episodes from seasons 1 and 2, the first three episodes of season 3 here.

Keep Thriving!

Thriving Points:

• Sometimes you encounter delays as you are pursuing your goals and you just have to roll with the punches and be flexible.
• A guide, coach, or mentor is vital to help you learn the lay of the land, develop good habits and learn the basics.
• Courage is not about being fearless. It’s about having fear, feeling that fear, and taking that leap anyway.
• Life is about learning something new every day, even if it’s a small thing, and actually putting it into practice.

About the Show:

Women Thriving in Business features candid unscripted conversations with entrepreneurs, business experts, authors, and academics aimed at contributing to business success. This weekly show provides interviews with business leaders who have built, grown, and are thriving in business. Nikki A. Rogers, host of the show, also discusses achievements, lessons learned, and advice for aspiring business owners to develop the mindset, strategies, and connections necessary to thrive in business. Whether you are just starting or you have been in business for decades, WTiB offers inspiration, strategies, and resources to help you THRIVE in business.

About the Host:

       Nikki is a strategist and transformation coach who believes life is too short not to do what you love. She is passionate about helping entrepreneurs build sustainable companies and supports business leaders in developing the mindset, strategy, and connections to create thriving businesses and build legacy wealth.

Nikki is the CEO of The Bladen Group and an alumna of North Carolina A&T State University and UNC-Chapel Hill.

Connect with Nikki:

• LinkedIn
• Instagram

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Click HERE for the SHOW TRANSCRIPT.

Most of the time, we try to imagine ourselves being the person that we look up to. We admire these people and put them on a pedestal as if they are unreachable. But what makes them different? Remember they are not superheroes with superpowers, yet it is astounding what they are able to achieve in life.

It’s simple – they believe in themselves first.

It is exhilarating to think about that moment when we finally achieve our dreams. Yet we are terrified to step out of our comfort zone to attain them. We tend to stay inside our bubble because we feed our minds with negative thoughts. We always have that fear that we are not good enough, or that we may fail along the way.

But this is the perfect time for you to stop dreaming and make these things happen. Not tomorrow, not the next day – but NOW. In this episode, Nikki Rogers shares her journey on how she started as an entrepreneur and how a tragic life event – her mother’s death – served as the catalyst to actualize her dreams.

Although stepping out of your comfort zone is not easy, it is your first step in discovering your inner strength. You will never know unless you try. Don’t wait for a crisis or personal challenge to start doing what you aspire to do, just take the first step toward your goals.

In need of motivation to activate that inner strength and inner CEO in you? Download Nikki’s free activation guide here.

Thriving Points:

• Life is just too short not to do what you love.
• Confidence is about trusting yourself.
• I realized that finding my mother’s business plan was actually a gift. It was what catalyzed me in order to take action on living out my dreams.

About the Show:

Women Thriving in Business features candid unscripted conversations with entrepreneurs, business experts, authors, and academics aimed at contributing to business success. This weekly show provides interviews with business leaders who have built, grown, and are thriving in business. Nikki A. Rogers, host of the show, also discusses achievements, lessons learned, and advice for aspiring business owners to develop the mindset, strategies, and connections necessary to thrive in business. Whether you are just starting or you have been in business for decades, WTiB offers inspiration, strategies, and resources to help you THRIVE in business.

About the Host:

       Nikki is a strategist and transformation coach who believes life is too short not to do what you love. She is passionate about helping entrepreneurs build sustainable companies and supports business leaders in developing the mindset, strategy, and connections to create thriving businesses and build legacy wealth.

Nikki is the CEO of The Bladen Group and an alumna of North Carolina A&T State University and UNC-Chapel Hill.

Connect with Nikki:

• LinkedIn
• Instagram

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Click HERE for the SHOW TRANSCRIPT.

“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.”
– Nelson Mandela

The call to fight and act extinguish racism is still an ongoing process, and we need more awareness and discussion about it if we want to open more opportunities to eliminate racial discrimination and injustice. And although we still have a long way to go, having an earnest desire to help can create a huge impact in the world we are living in.

In this episode, we are joined by Charlotte Caples, CEO and Racial Equity Strategist for Charlotte Caples Consulting, LLC and we will learn about her journey and experiences on racism and how she took the opportunity to start the change.

We’ll also discuss individual and institutional racism, the fight for racial equity, and what it means to be intentionally anti-racist.

Charlotte shares her unintentional, yet destined, transition to full-time entrepreneurship and how she had to build her business mindset to charge for her services and build a team to truly create a lasting impact. Her story will inspire you to step out of your comfort zone, speak up, and pursue your purpose.

Remember that by standing up for your beliefs and principles, having the best intention at heart, everything is possible.

Thriving Points:

• Doing individual therapy was going to take me a long time to fix what I knew was an organizational problem.
• Knowing my story, and knowing my experiences was what began my entrepreneurial journey.
• The moment you step outside of the functioning organizational culture, the white organizational culture of our systems and institutions, they will put you in your place. They will either promote you or they will fire you.
• Humanity is about seeing each other as human and treating each other as such but many people focus on seeing the humanity in black people because quite frankly, we were never treated as if we are humans.
• Trust your gut and be strategic about how you speak your truth, surround yourself with a network of people who are there to support you, and those who are also on their racial equity journey, who believe what you believe, and who are centered around anti-racist principles.

Get to Know the Guest:

         Charlotte Caples is the CEO and Racial Equity Strategist for Charlotte Caples Consulting, LLC where she helps leaders get over their fears of talking about racism, develop their voice about racial equity, own their power, and transform systems that negatively impact them. She believes that outcomes should not be predictable by race and that peace, power, and prosperity are everyone’s birthright.

Charlotte’s leadership development coaching system has helped more than 5000 leaders begin to live authentically, feel more confident, courageous, grounded, and purposeful about their journey to transform racism.

Connect with Charlotte:

• Website
• LinkedIn

A Team Dklutr Production

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An effective marketing strategy is essential to staying competitive in the marketplace. In addition to focusing on sales and exposure, it’s important to build trust between your brand and your customers. This is where public relations (PR) comes into play.

However, most people have a vague understanding of what public relations are and what it involves, as well as what benefits it provides to your business.

But how does it work? In business, PR is a tool that helps promote the brand’s credibility and builds relationships between companies and customers.

If you are curious about PR and how it can help grow your business, this episode is definitely for you. For this first episode of Season 3, my guest is Gigi Peterkin, the owner and founder of Amplify PR, a public relations firm that supports traditionally underrepresented entrepreneurs sharing their stories and finding opportunities through strategic media exposure.

Join us as we talk about how public relations, marketing, sales differ and complement each other, and why PR is so important to thriving in business. Gigi also shares her journey from corporate PR to business coaching to entrepreneurship on her own terms.

Thriving Points:

• My focus is representing these leaders who were really making huge contributions and a huge impact with their businesses and not being represented in the media and not having their stories told.
• When you get more specific, you actually can be more effective.
• Marketing to me is the conversation, sales is the invitation, and PR is the reputation.
• It’s all about networking and connections to help our clients really elevate and amplify their message and then manage their reputation.
• The ROI with PR is not (directly) tied to sales, it’s tied to the reputation that will eventually dot the line back to sales.

Get to Know the Guest:

        Gigi Peterkin is the owner of  AMPLIFY PR, a full-service boutique PR firm based in Philadelphia, PA that represents women entrepreneurs with stories of impact not being told in the media. She has built the business for 25+ years and counting, generating PR placements, building brand credibility, increasing trust, and helping entrepreneurs put more money in their pockets.

Gigi has worked in PR since her first job out of college, and since then she has been hooked. She’s an ambivert/excitement junkie who can spot trends and connect the right people at the right time. With these skills, she leaped up the ladder to VP of her own group at a prestigious PR firm by the time she was 40. From crafting stories, creating strategies, and generating PR opportunities, these are the intersection of her life’s work and her innate gifts & superpowers.

Connect with Gigi:

• Website
• Instagram
• Email

A Team Dklutr Production

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The entrepreneurial journey is a winding one and you sometimes arrive at a different destination or achieve a different result other than the one you planned when starting out. Business requires you to go through the learning process and experiment over and over again in order to overcome challenges, improve, and succeed.

This episode is the Season 2 finale and I wanted to share with you my experience in creating a homemade strawberry jam. This culinary project I took on this week has great relevance for us entrepreneurs and it taught me lessons in commitment, perseverance, and valuing process over results.

In the process of making jam, I realized that I was committed to achieving my vision despite not knowing exactly how it would happen. This adventure raised questions that are relevant to consider for business: What’s in season for you? What life outcomes do you desire? What goals do you have for your business? Determine the answers to these questions, assemble your resources, decide on an approach, and you’ll surely reap the sweet rewards.

Season 2 is a wrap! This has been an amazing season with wonderful guests and topics that are truly worth listening to. Please check out any missed episodes and we’ll see you in Season 3! Until then, keep thriving!

Thriving Points:

• Sometimes in business, you don’t always get the yield that you hope for, but you learn in the process.
• Identify what’s in season for you right now, and take advantage of that.
• Determine the ultimate outcome that you want to have and commit to the process.

About the Show:

         Women Thriving in Business features candid unscripted conversations with entrepreneurs, business experts, authors, and academics aimed at contributing to business success. This weekly show provides interviews with business leaders who have built, grown, and are thriving in business. Nikki A. Rogers, host of the show, also discusses achievements, lessons learned, and advice for aspiring business owners to develop the mindset, strategies, and connections necessary to thrive in business. Whether you are just starting or you have been in business for decades, WTiB offers inspiration, strategies, and resources to help you THRIVE in business.

About the Host:

        Nikki is a strategist and transformation coach who believes life is too short not to do what you love. She is passionate about helping entrepreneurs build sustainable companies and supports business leaders in developing the mindset, strategy, and connections to create thriving businesses and build legacy wealth.

Nikki is the CEO of The Bladen Group and an alumna of North Carolina A&T State University and UNC-Chapel Hill.

Connect with Nikki:

• LinkedIn
• Instagram

A Team Dklutr Production

Click HERE for the SHOW TRANSCRIPT.