Women's Leadership Series

Women's Leadership Mindset Series featuring Akua Hinds

Akua Hinds

Business Marketer, Journalist & Performing Artist

Introduction

Hi Sojourners! There is power in a strong network of referral partners! Referral partners create direct pathways for us to meet amazing individuals that have the potential to change or enhance upon the trajectory of our lives and/or professions.


One of my former Women’s Leadership Mindset Series guests, Rushuana Beckles of Served With Creativity, connected me with this amazing Woman leader, Akua Hinds! Akua has a passion to help others narrow their focus in dating to acquire pure romance in their lives!

After our warm introduction; connecting on LinkedIn; scheduling a one-on-one and determining how we could partner or collaborate, I was compelled to invite her to share with us just how she serves the world around her!

For those of us that are on a journey to find love, you are going to LOVE Akua’s approach to dating! Check out her powerful message and special gift below!


~Teresa K. Page

How to Be Taken Seriously During Dating

One of the main reasons why people are unsatisfied with their love lives is they do not treat their love lives the way that a Chief Executive Officer treats a business. A business leader knows that she needs to be aware of what is happening in her company and respond quickly to business needs and trends. A business leader knows that she needs to develop a clear plan and follow the plan in order to achieve the business objectives that she wants to meet. Have you put together a plan of action on how to be in your ideal relationship?  If not, you might not ever find it. In order to be taken seriously when you are dating, you first need to take the process of finding the right person seriously. Being too casual about the way you approach your personal life will not help you to find the serious relationship that you crave.



A C.E.O. knows that she needs to show up in her company. When your car gets from point A to point B, it needs to be driven by you.  If you are not steering your car, it is going to stay in a parked position. How are you steering your love life?  This is a question that each person needs to ask themselves when they wonder aloud to themselves about why their love lives are not changing. We each play a role in every relationship that we are in. You are the common denominator of every relationship that you have. And, when you choose the person who will be the co-star in your love life, you are making choices that are based on your past experiences and your current hopes and beliefs.  Some seriously good things happen in your life when you take your life seriously. It is okay to have fun, but even fun moments should be approached with seriousness. Seriously! The first step towards transforming your love life and taking it seriously is to have a seriously soul-searching conversation with yourself and ask yourself what you want your life to look like.



A conversation with yourself about dating is one in which you need to be very aware of what is going on. Remember, your attitudes towards love are shaped by what you have been shown and taught. The main people who were responsible for teaching you about a loving relationship are your parents. If your parents did not do a fabulous job of demonstrating what a healthy relationship is, the good news is that you are not doomed to failure. You can still have a wonderful relationship with your future soulmate. When you were an infant, you did not know how even half of the things that you know now. But look at how far you have come, and you have come so far because you have been willing to learn what you need to know so that you can succeed. You can certainly learn how to be in a positive union if you want to be in one and take action steps to find the right person for you and build the best life for yourself.



Hiring a dating coach or a life coach to help you pursue your relationship goals is one of the best things that you can do. A coach will not solve your problems for you, but a coach can provide you with the tools to help you realize that you are capable of facing your problems and finding solutions that work best for you.  It is best to commit to working with your life coach on a regular basis, at least two to four times per month. However, if you are unable to work regularly with a life coach, seek out opportunities to take part in a coach’s group workshops, especially if relationships are their specialty.  Participating in coaching will help you to track your progress, realize what you want and need, set an action plan, and build skills. As well, your coach will provide you with much needed support.



The first step towards achieving your goals is to simply start. You must do things differently if you want a different result. Falling into the same negative relationship patterns that you repeated in the past will not help you to move forward into a new and more beneficial relationship pattern. Taking a leadership role in changing your life and being the type of person who you want to attract will be life-changing for you. You become like the five people who you spend the most time with. The person who you spend the most time with is yourself.  If you do not take your goals and dreams seriously, then no one else will. Block out all distractions that are keeping you from living the life you want with your ideal mate and do it right now.  Have that conversation with yourself about what you want and then, get started immediately on pursuing the path to taking yourself seriously and doing the things that you need to do.


Akua Hinds

Business Marketer, Journalist & Performing Artist

About Akua

Akua Hinds is a Canadian business marketer, journalist, and performing artist. She enjoys creating written and video content that educates and motivates her audience. Akua is the proud founder and owner of three dating websites and also has an independent business selling romance products. Please visit www.AkuaHinds.com and www.PurePassion.biz for more information.


As a special gift, use promo code SHOP10 for a 10% discount when your shop at Akua’s website!

To learn more about the Women’s Leadership Mindset Series, click the button below!

Women's Leadership Mindset Series featuring Luisa Molano

Luisa Molano

Certified Executive Coach, Speaker & Startup Business Advisor

Introduction

Hi Sojourners! Upon attending a virtual networking event not too long ago, I had the wonderful privilege of meeting my first guest blogger for the 2023 Women’s Leadership Mindset Series, Luisa Molano. After connecting on LinkedIn and scheduling a one-on-one to learn more about how we each serve the world, I was compelled to invite her to share with us how she serves organizational leaders and develops her leadership mindset for success.

In accepting the invitation, Luisa took a courageous step by sharing the eulogy she delivered to celebrate the life of her grandmother who has recently passed away at the age of 95 years young.

With Mother’s Day approaching, many of us will be reminded of our beloved matriarchs that has gone on before us. For those of us that may still struggle with their absence, take solace in the the lessons Luisa has learned on her journey between Love and Loss.

~Teresa K. Page

Lessons At The Intersection of Love and Loss

The inevitability of loss is undeniable - both professionally and personally.

Whether it's a financial opportunity that slipped away, the loss of a client, or even a business goal that missed the mark...

...loss is a part of life - but it doesn't ever have to define us. 

In the end, what does define us?

Is it what we did or didn't do or who we were?

Last Sunday, I laid my grandmother to rest.

And below is the eulogy I shared in front of nearly 50 friends and family in attendance.


A Legacy of Love  

“I was watching a movie the other day, and in one of the scenes, the actor said, “we are meant to lose the ones we love. How else are we supposed to know how much they meant to us?”

That was the same day my aunt asked me to speak to you.

I sat with those words, to be quite honest, unsure of what to say today. 

Because how do you summarize 95 years of life into a few minutes?

You don’t. You can’t.

So my words here are not an attempt to talk about her. They are a humble attempt to describe her legacy.

What makes a woman great?

What makes a woman memorable?

Is it the things she did or didn’t do? 

Or, is it who she was?

My grandmother loved fiercely, spoke bluntly, lived bravely, and laughed contagiously.

In 2020 I decided to call my grandmother every Saturday when I learned she wasn’t leaving her house as a safety precaution against COVID.

Each week, we’d talk about society, health, how she met my grandpa, what she loved to do as a teen, growing up in Colombia, and of course, the news and COVID.

She always had a lot to say about life, but towards the end, she became a woman of few words, so what she said, she really meant. 

In all those conversations, one stood out from all the others. 

I had asked her to tell me one thing that drove her crazy about my grandpa.

Almost immediately, She replied, “Nothing. I loved everything about him. He was the perfect man for me.”

My grandparents were together for almost 59 years when my grandpa passed away.

That’s 21,535 days. 

I don’t need a fortuneteller to tell me that surely, at least once in their relationship, something he said or did drove her crazy.

But that’s not something she chose to to bring to her mind.

Love is all she chose. 

Because her message was love. 

Her life was her message.

That is a legacy. 

That is my grandmother. 

That is who I celebrate today. 

Thank you, grandma, for teaching me what true love is."

Every situation can empower us, if we choose.

The next time you come up to a loss, feel the feels if needed, and look for the lesson. It's always there.

And, if you haven't called your grandma to say 'hello,' maybe do that, too.

Luisa Molano

Certified Executive Coach, Speaker & Startup Business Advisor

LESSONS AT THE INTERSECTION OF LOVE AND LOSS

About LUISA

Luisa Fernanda Molano, is a certified executive coach, speaker, startup business advisor and purpose-driven Latina who works with founders and entrepreneurs who crave a life of abundance and fulfillment. Those she serves want to synchronize their ambitions with their inner essence. Luisa empowers them to align their goals with their soul and boldly move towards the transformation they seek.

She has more than 19 years of professional experience in Human Resources, Managed Mental Health and Law across multiple industries with both Fortune 200 and 500 companies. She has also worked with

founders and startups since 2017 and has mentored entrepreneurs in various accelerators and incubator programs. Most recently, she became the founding member of a tech startup blending artificial intelligence technologies to create a better world for humanity.

Her work is anchored in the belief that we can achieve the extraordinary and truly have peace of mind when we can take radical responsibility for our inner life experience and cultivate deep self-awareness to fuel our purpose and mission. When we truly see who we are being, we can design the life we most desire with ease. I masterfully work across the dimensions of the practical and the possible.

Contact LUISA

Website: https://www.luisamolano.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luisafmolano/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luisamolano.tgob/

Email: luisa@luisamolano.com

Women's Leadership Mindset Series featuring Rushauna Beckles

Rushauna Beckles

Content Marketing Strategist

Served with Creativity

Introduction

Hi Sojourners! I had the wonderful privilege of meeting this month’s Women’s Leadership Mindset guest, Ms. Rushauna Beckles, at a recent virtual networking event! After scheduling a one-on-one to learn more about how we each serve the world, I was compelled to ask her to share with all of us:

  • How she started her new business and “giveback movement”

  • Tips to enhance our leadership mindset

  • How attain our dream career or business and so much more!

Check our interview below and be sure to follow Rushauna to learn more about her expertise in content marketing!

~Teresa K. Page

About Rushauna

Q: Tell us about yourself?

A: My name is Rushauna Beckles and I am a chocolate loving content and marketing consultant. I was born in Guyana and moved to Canada at the age of 9 years old. I am a graduate of the Early Childhood Educator program.

I'm a very creative, resilient individual who enjoys designing gift baskets and creating natural handmade soaps, wax melts, lotion bars and baking.

Q: What motivated you to start your business, Served with Creativity?

A: The pandemic. Lol. During the pandemic, I didn’t want to return to my daycare job, so I decided to utilize my creative skills, retail experience and my passion for assisting others to start my business. I began as a Virtual Assistant, pivoted to being a Content Marketing Strategist and in the current position as the CEO and Content and Marketing Consultant.

These developments came about because I learnt that a lot of business owners don't know the different types of content they need to create to attract their ideal clients. Also, they’re too busy overthinking their ideas and listening to coaches/mentors on where they should be showing up online. For example, some coaches love to tell business owners to market on Facebook and majority of the time they don't know anything about Facebook and may not even like it.

There are so many different ways to market a business that no one should feel stuck doing a strategy that they don’t like and isn’t working!

Q: What are Served with Creativity’s core values?

A: Our core values are creativity, kindness, and community.

Q: What problem does your services resolve?

A: We assist financial professionals to stop "winging it and throwing spaghetti at the walls to see what will stick when it comes to marketing their business. We also help them create a marketing strategy and plan that they can confidently execute on a consistent basis, and to hone in on the things that are working for them.

Q: For whom are your services designed?

A: My services are designed for financial professionals, coaches, mentors, money experts, educators, bookkeepers, etc.

Q: How do you improve upon the value of your services to stay relevant?

A: By regularly doing professional development (taking courses and training sessions).

Q: How do you establish trust with your team and clients?

A: We establish trust by getting to know the individuals and teams that we're working with such as their needs, goals, how they define success, how they want to be celebrated, etc. and doing what I say I’m going to do.

Q: How do you acquire and retain customers?

A: We acquire our customers through social media and network marketing and sharing with others our philosophy and how we can assist and develop strategies for their business. We retain customers through authentic relationship building, productivity and feedback/surveys.

Q: Share with us the most funny or intense “behind the scenes” adventure you have experienced while building your business or career.

A: Earlier this year, we hosted a free speed networking event and made the mistake of giving the participants the wrong time--an hour after the original time. Long story short, I missed my own event and a number of participants didn’t get to attend. When my team and I signed onto the platform, I saw that only two people attended.

Q: What kind of leader are you?

A: I am empathetic, transformational, participative, strategic and open-minded. I have the ability to create events that bring people together, be a resource and take the initiative to do things that bring about change and growth.

Q: How you have developed your leadership mindset.

A: I’ve always been someone who loves to assist others. I’ve developed my leadership mindset mainly through my work experience as an Early Childhood Educator and being a support to my colleagues. For instance, I took the initiative to create fundraising events to raise money for our daycare by making gift baskets and rallying my colleagues to bring items and buy tickets. I also created a Valentine’s Day morning surprise to show appreciation to parents and a secret Santa event to bring colleagues together.

Q: What tools/methods do you utilize to maintain or enhance your leadership mindset?

A: Attending workshops and summits. And reading books such as Atomic Habits by James Clear. This book is focused on mindset.

Q: How do you effect change within your sphere of influence?

A: I started a giveback movement in 2018 to support low-income communities with school supplies which evolved into giving groceries amongst other things. I believe it’s so important to give back! We don’t need to give hundreds of dollars to make an impact, it’s the little things that we do that can make the biggest difference in someone’s life. For example: a compliment, encouragement, giving someone some grocery items, buying bus tickets or even donating items that we're not using.

Q: How will future generations benefit from the work you are doing today?

A: I hope someone benefits from my story with the generational wealth I intend on building, as well as my giveback initiatives and the impact in assisting financial professionals to promote financial literacy.

Q: What tip, encouragement or resource would you give to someone that is considering turning their dream career or business into a reality?

A: To have confidence and belief in yourself because entrepreneurship is a rollercoaster of a journey and to have a plan! Having a plan is key because it will help you to stay focused on the steps that you need to be implementing.

My favorite quote that I created is, “Feelings will not pay your bills.” There’s going to be days where you don’t feel like getting up, calling, emailing potential leads, marketing your business, creating content and the list goes on. But it’s important to separate your feelings and FOCUS ON YOUR CLIENTS AND LEADS, BECAUSE IT’S NOT ABOUT YOU--IT’S ABOUT THEM!

Q: What tip, encouragement or resource would you give to someone that feels frustrated or stuck in their current career or business?

A: Take a break from your business, career and social media to rest, destress and do things that you have been neglecting such as your hobbies. Then reevaluate what you want, what’s been working, what's not working, who you need to be to be successful and the small steps that you need to take to achieve your goals. Ask for help and get support in areas that you are struggling whether it is mindset, accountability, productivity, marketing etc.

Rushauna Beckles

Content Marketing Strategist

Served with Creativity

Join Me On This Mile Of My Journey And Let’s Stay Connected!!