Latest / Serious Lady Business / Human First: Why Relationships (Not Algorithms) Still Win in Business with Monique Sar

Transcript

Human First: Why Relationships (Not Algorithms) Still Win in Business with Monique Sar · Serious Lady Business

• Leslie Youngblood (00:00) Welcome back to Serious Lady Business. I'm Leslie Youngblood and today we are talking human first, why relationships, not algorithms, still win in business with Monique Saarr. Monique, welcome to Serious Lady Business. Monique Sar (00:14) Hi, thank you so much for having me. I'm super excited to be here. Leslie Youngblood (00:16) Yes, we are so excited to have you here to talk this really important topic with you. And you started in finance and found your way into marketing and talent. What did that transition teach you about building a career that actually fits? Monique Sar (00:31) Yeah, definitely everything is all about who you know and it's all about relationships because you know, coming from an immigrant family, right, like I was just taught you just have to like study really hard so you can get into a good college and then you have to work really hard so you can get a really good job. And I and then and what I found out in finance is that that wasn't enough, right? I ended up losing a promotion to a guy who looked like Justin Bieber because like I right I didn't understand that happy hour was part of the job. And so that was a really big lesson and I took it as like a gift. Leslie Youngblood (00:45) Right. No. Monique Sar (01:01) from the universe to just understand that like hey you actually have to like you know hang out and like get to know the peers that you're working with and and then it slowly started to like you know solidify itself where I learned that relationships are everything and that's been the biggest thing that I've carried with me in my career. Leslie Youngblood (01:02) Yeah yeah. Yeah, man, what a frustrating thing. And yet you took it in such a powerful way where it wasn't like, I mean, you surely were mad, which I would imagine we'd all be like, my God. But then to use that as fuel to realize, there's more to it than just clocking in and clocking out, like jobs, our relationships, as well as the work. So I think that is really important for anybody listening to like really like let sink in there. And and I think, you know, previously when we spoke, you know, you say you create your own luck. So then tell us like what that means and how you then learn from that experience to further create your own luck. Monique Sar (01:59) Yeah, a hundred percent. So this really comes back to just like, you know, I really had to step out of my comfort zone because I am an introvert by nature. And so even being here, it's like my hands are getting clammy, I'm getting super nervous. But a lot of it too, it's like you have to put yourself out there and you have to like, you know, do things that make you uncomfortable. And I my mom always said, You're an introvert doing an extrovert's job. I'm like, Yeah, basically. But you know, what did that do for me? It put me in the right place at the right time, and this is where I've always felt like you can create Leslie Youngblood (02:22) Yeah, Monique Sar (02:29) your own look, right? Like I love that everything is online and like we can connect like this and it's so cool because like now every like the world is like opened up to you. But I think there is still some magic about just like going to the places, shaking people's hands and actually like, you know, seeing people in real life. Leslie Youngblood (02:35) Mm. Yeah, definitely. I think that it's so funny because When I go on podcasts and the few times I've done it, like I get so nervous and I'm like, but you have your own podcast. You shouldn't be nervous. But it is, it's just those different types of things and it's almost and I feel like I read somewhere where it was like, don't think of it as nerves, think of it as excitement, right? And it's like those little like mind tricks that we can do because putting yourself in a new situation, learning something new, going after a new job or taking a new job, those are all things that when you think about are like, God, like, no. But it's so important and where the r the real growth happens and it you know, and I just think at the end of the day we all are human and to like remember that's a good thing to feel that way and that we're moving in the right direction and taking a step towards something that is new and exciting for us and can lead us to new places because what's the alternative? You just stay comfortable and then you never like do new things, you know? So I think that's Monique Sar (03:41) Yeah, a hundred percent. I feel like complacency and comfort is a very dangerous place to be. It feels good, but it can definitely be a really dangerous place. Leslie Youngblood (03:47) Yes. Yeah. It's why our our brains and our bodies d want to default to keeping us there, right? And it like makes us feel those things to try to like get us to go back to that equilibrium. And it's like you have to remember we have to outsmart our own subconscious and our own, you know, bodies sometimes. But that's where all like the great things come. And I think that's, you know, again, something that we will forget, but another good reminder for all of us. And, you know, you work with talent, you work very closely with talent. What is something that that most people misunderstand about how talent should price themselves. Monique Sar (04:23) Yeah. So a big part of it, especially like if you're getting new into the space, right, like everybody thinks automatically like they're competing on price, like, I can do it for cheaper than this person, right? But that's not the case, right? Because especially like as you're like really wanting to command, like, you know, working with the bigger organizations and the bigger brands, like if they see you pricing yourself at a certain point, they it might give them the ick actually. It might actually deter them away from working with you. Because like they know that, you know, like people will pay dollars Leslie Youngblood (04:51) Mm. Monique Sar (04:54) For value, right? And so if you value yourself enough, you should be pricing at a certain a certain point. And so I always remind like the new talent that I'm working with. I'm like, you know, think about like Nike back in the day, before the world of influencer marketing, right? Before like the internet and Instagram, like they had to hire out a location, pay for the venue, pay for the videographer, photographer, hair, makeup, wardrobe, like all of these things that can make like you know, this that can make this shoot like you know cost a lot more, versus like you know, you Leslie Youngblood (05:23) Yeah. Monique Sar (05:24) just charging like I don't know if you're if you're charging like five hundred dollars or something for an activation or a post, right? Like you have to remember that you're doing all of the things where you know like if they had to do this like the way they they were doing it before, like they would be paying like five, six figures for these deals. Leslie Youngblood (05:34) Yes. Right, a hundred percent. And I think a lot of times women especially too can fall into a trap where we may undervalue ourselves. Why do you think that is Monique? And what do you coach, talent, and others that you know that you work with to stop doing that? Monique Sar (05:56) Yeah. And I I see that and I'm glad that you brought that up 'cause I see it especially the most with women. I feel like women are waiting for permission and they're waiting for the invitation. And I always let them know, I'm like, you know what, you've gotten this far, it is totally fine for you to make a mess and clean it later. Leslie Youngblood (06:00) Mm, mm, mm-hmm. Yeah. That's so true. What's the worst that can happen? And I would say, like, what's the worst that can happen? They say no, or like, sorry, you're too expensive. And I always like when I have had like young creatives come and like, well, what should I quote for that job? I'm like, what do you want for it? Like, what's worse? They say no. Like, because like you said, if you price yourself too low, you're gonna laugh at them or be like, mm-hmm. Like, okay. So it's like you it's can be tricky and can feel really like overwhelming to try to to find that. But I think also to And I would love to hear your take on this. Like with the internet and all the sharing that goes on, you can ask Chat GPT, what should I price myself? What are others pricing myself? And then add a little more onto that. Because I also feel like you should do a little bit more than you feel comfortable with. Easier said than done. I can like say this, right? But if it was like me in the that moment, I'd be like, ooh. so I would love to hear like how you address that and and work with Taylor and Creatives there, Monique. Monique Sar (07:09) Yeah, totally. I love that we're having this conversation because I feel like it must be had. and I'm a I'm a big fan of AI right now, so you can totally like use this prompt and just like go spar with it, but literally ask chat to like help you create like a menu of services, right? And so like as talent, then you can start thinking about like okay, a day appearance, one week appearance, usage rights, being able to like use your voiceover over things, right? Like start to build an entire menu of services because now this is gonna help you psychologically. Leslie Youngblood (07:11) Yeah. Yes. Mm. Monique Sar (07:39) logically raise your price because now you're like, okay, this is what I would charge for this one thing, just like a story post. But if they want like a story, a video, and a long form, now it's gonna give you a lot more confidence because now you have evidence that will help your mindset charge more. And so this has been the biggest, biggest shift that I've seen for my clients. Leslie Youngblood (07:40) Mm-hmm. Right. Right. Yeah, I know. I mean, it really is important because and you also have to think of it too, and I'm sure you have said this before as well, like you will also set the tone for others coming behind you, for other women, for other like minority creators, right? Like you have to go out there and do it, not just for you, but for the others coming behind you. Monique Sar (08:19) percent. Leslie Youngblood (08:20) Yeah, I love that. And then how do you coach somebody through not taking an opportunity because the money looks good? So now we kind of like flip, let's look at it from that different perspective where, okay, they're gonna give you all this money and you've discovered maybe something about the company that maybe their values don't align with you, or maybe you get an opportunity that comes your way and you're like, would never wanna do that, or it doesn't feel right. Like, what do you do then, Monique? Monique Sar (08:45) Yeah, this comes up a lot, especially like, you know, you know, as you are making more content and you're like getting more visible and more seen. And you know, these brands will come at you with like something that looks really good and if if the cache looks really great, but you really have to think through like how did you get here in the first place? So take a step back and just like look back to see how far you've come. And everybody that has like taken the time to follow you, engage with your content, like put yourself in their shoes. What's it gonna feel like if you're promoting this brand that you don't align with, right? You're gonna lose so much trust. Leslie Youngblood (09:10) Yeah. Monique Sar (09:15) And that loss of trust can happen overnight and it's gonna take years to rebuild that reputation again. And so you have to think about it from their standpoint, right? It's like how's your audience gonna feel about this? Because they're gonna feel immediately like this is a cash grab, you're being inauthentic, you know, and you know, if you if this happens like overnight, right, and it takes years to rebuild this, it's like, is it really worth it at that point, you know? And what I have coached my clients on is like when these opportunities do come and it's so hard to say no. Right. but you're gonna feel really good when you do say no because let's say for example there is a brand that's maybe in the same vein or the same industry that you do want to work with that's kind of like you know competing with them, you can go back to that other brand and mention like you know, hey, I did get, you know, an offer from this brand, but I would actually really love to work with you guys and this is why. So that's like a really great way to like pivot that and you know try to land business that you actually want to work with. Leslie Youngblood (09:45) Mm. Yes, I love that strategy. That is so smart. And something I think that wouldn't come to mind for a lot of people is to use that as a springboard to get a connection and build a relationship with the brand you do wanna work with. Because I also think like they wanna out smart their competitors or they want like the people that maybe their competitors want or similar, you know, creators that are would be working with those brands or also know too like that that brand probably sucks because it's probably like an open, right, open secret in a lot of like spaces. And so to use that to open the door for yourself somewhere else. Just don't it's just like so simple. Like yes, you get this opportunity. Like no, I don't want to work there. But hey, like actually I can go and use this, just bring board me to, you know, a collaboration. With another opportunity. Just so simple, so smart, so applicable to what anybody listening can also do today and use in the future and keep in mind. So I love that so much. So and I and I love this topic because I think so many of us don't talk enough about money, negotiating for our worth, undervaluing ourselves, Monique. What is one negotiation mistake you see over and over again? Monique Sar (11:28) such a good question. I feel like the biggest negotiation mistake that I see is everybody just starts talking about themselves first. And they always talk about like, my gosh, I love your brand. I'm such a big fan. And it sounds very innocent, but what it actually does is that it takes away from the deal. So I'm all about like buyer psychology and human behavior. And I think what you should do instead, right, is you just start asking questions and make it all about them, right? You can say something in the beginning to like break the ice. Leslie Youngblood (11:37) No, yes. Monique Sar (11:58) Like, hey, I'm a big fan, but I would love to learn more about you and what's made you and your brand successful. And then just go into story mode and just get very curious and just make it all about them. This is gonna be the best thing that you can do in negotiation because what it does is that it gets people talking and it disarms them, right? And so then like naturally after they're done talking and they're like, you know, they're lit up because they're talking about something that they really you know are passionate about, naturally they're gonna come and ask you as well, like so tell me about you, and you know, and tell me about Leslie Youngblood (12:16) Yeah. Mm. Monique Sar (12:28) about how I can help you, right? And that just like makes the flow of the negotiation go so much smoothly. because now it's like more about the human element first. Leslie Youngblood (12:39) Yes, that is so smart. And somebody actually recently shared that with me when it came to pitching. I was in like a lightning rounds like type of like pitch situation and we had sat with our first not like investor, but like our first little like 50 minute lightning pitch. And like my partner and I were like, it didn't really go so well. And his cousin was there who was on the other side and like has received pitches and he's like, here's what you need to do. Ask them questions. Like get them talking because they're gonna want they're gonna want you because they're gonna want Want to vibe with you and feel like you're somebody that they're gonna wanna work with, that they can trust, that they can like enjoy working with. And I was like, yeah. And we did it, and it was a totally different outcome and scenario with the second thing. And so whether you're using that in a pitch, in a pro potential you know, partner collaboration, in a job interview, like I think we cause not because we're, I mean, we're all like inherently selfish or like right, like self-regulated, self-like centered, but like we c are so self-conscious, I think, in those positions. And we are trying so hard to get the job, get the deal, get the the money and we forget that it's so basic and really comes down to asking the other person questions and getting them talking and connecting with them on that human level. I think that is just I'm sure that's something that you have seen time and time again too. Monique Sar (14:04) Yes, one hundred percent. It makes all the difference, you know, because I I I even think about it for myself. Like when I go to networking events where again I get all clammy 'cause I don't bel you I I feel like I don't belong there 'cause I'm like an intro introvert doing the extrovert's job, right? But like I've been tested that sometimes too, where I'm like, if I just go in talking the whole time, like that connection never leads anywhere. They're like, Okay, great, nice to meet you, you know. But then when I really get them talking, it sticks so much more and then you become so much more memorable because it's like something that you actually connected on. Leslie Youngblood (14:14) Mm-hmm. Sure. It's not Yes, you become magnetic. And then they're then they're really wanting to connect you with other people and like are going to think of you over somebody else when any type of opportunity arises. And it's that it's not hard to do that, right? Like at the end of the day, it's really like these really beautiful basic things. and and I you know, I say that it as like I'm not in a situation where I have to go and network with a thousand people in front of me or negotiate for something, but So somebody that's listening, that's never really done this before, how can they start advocating for themselves if they've never really done it before, Monique? Monique Sar (15:14) Yeah. I think a big part is going to networking events. I'm I'm all about like ripping the band-aid off right away because going to a networking event is gonna make you feel so uncomfortable. You're not gonna know anybody. You're gonna wanna just like hover around the drinks and the snacks area. but what I always encourage you to do is like don't feel like you have to go and meet everybody that's there, but there and there's like free meetups that you can do. Like there's that meetup app, right, where you can just go and just test this out. And I would just encourage you to just walk away with three meaningful conversations. And so meaningful being Leslie Youngblood (15:20) Yeah Yeah we're Yes. Mm-hmm. Mm. Monique Sar (15:44) being that you actually connect, there's ways that you can support each other or at least like, you know, stay in touch as far as like, you know, expanding your professional networks. But when you go in with the intention that you're just trying to meet three people, I think that makes it a lot easier for you to just like just get your feet wet and just get started in this world. Because at the end of the day, you know, when you're ready to take it to the next level, then I would recommend like looking up trade shows and conferences and events that can take it to the next level because Leslie Youngblood (15:58) Yeah. Monique Sar (16:14) Online is great, but there's a lot of magic to happen, you know, just being human and, you know, doing that face to face as well. Leslie Youngblood (16:21) Yeah, I think that's such great advice. And yeah, you don't just start with a big conference. Like you said, you can start with a local meetup in your in your the city that you live in, or like a group, you know, whether it's a women's group or a professionals group or something in your industry, there's or book club, right? Or even like if you're a mom, like the PTA, like that's can be like a very scary world too, right? And they're like, but it just doesn't have to start with something business oriented that's like you're like start somewhere that's even Outside of that business, like a mom's place, they like meet up with like kids or what have you. And that will just get you feeling more confident and like understand, like, it's just three people. Like, that's all I have to do. And and I always love these types of conversations too, like with the money negotiating and like people connections, because I think that you share my sentiment of like. AI and technology, and we are, you know, it's all like the rage, and it's like, you know, literally the thing right now. But I think at the core, what I like so much about AI is it reminds you how important human connection is and how we can't be replaced, and those interpersonal relationships cannot be replaced. And so I would love for you to share why you think that human connection is becoming more important, not less, even in this rising age of technology and AI, Monique. Monique Sar (17:41) hundred percent. And you know, like don't get me wrong, like I love AI right now. Claude and I are in a really good relationship, so spent a lot of time together. but it's so important right now because I I've even had like a lot of our talent, like a lot of like brands will reach out or even like these studios will reach out where it's like, Hey, we would love to help you turn yourself into an avatar, right? And this is like all the rage that I'm seeing in the talent space right now. Like there are studios that will like book you for like a two day shoot, each day is like four hours. Leslie Youngblood (17:47) Yeah. Love Claw. Yeah, yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Monique Sar (18:11) And they get you from all the angles, they do all the things to get your voice to make a real avatar, right? But when we watch this back, it's still not quite there. And I feel like people will sense that as well. Like people still want people, right? but you know, it's still important to like stay with it. however, in this time, like I believe that you know your writing and your voice are still going to be like the things that you know AI can't necessarily replace just yet. And taking it to the human level because now that there's a lot. Leslie Youngblood (18:23) Yeah. Yeah. Monique Sar (18:41) Of like AI that can help you with like finding leads and doing a lot of outreach and outbound. But if you can take it one step further where it's like, yeah, use AI to help you get the appointments, but then take it to a phone call, right? I know a lot of people like you know, this is my hot take, and a lot people might like hate me for like you know doing a lot of these yeah, yeah. So it is my hot take though. But if like you know, I know some people will call these like empty-handed meetings and they could be a waste of time, but I really do think it's like bringing it back to being human first, right? It's like, what is social media actually for? Social media is Leslie Youngblood (18:45) Mm-hmm. Well I love it. Ooh, yes. It's here. Yeah. Monique Sar (19:11) For you to be social, right? And so, like, if you're not doing anything with these connections and really taking it to that next level, then you know, this is where I do feel like some of our talent like gets burnt out, right? Of just like posting all of the time, right? And it feels very performative and it feels very inauthentic. And it's it's because you aren't like taking it to that next level and being social. So that's how I would use AI, like definitely use it to help with a lot of these things. but when you take it to that next level, you get on the phone call when you know you're you're pitching or you know, if you're trying Leslie Youngblood (19:13) Yeah. Mm. Yeah. Okay. Monique Sar (19:41) to land that next deal, it goes so much farther than just trying to do everything over email. Leslie Youngblood (19:46) my goodness, a th a million billion percent. And I totally agree. And I think that with all like the AI, and it's so awesome. Like I agree with like I love AI. I think it's amazing. I don't think it's going anywhere. I know it has its negatives, like anything and anything new, but I just it's just mind blowing to me what it allows you to do. And but then of course you have the slop that comes with it, right? And like people pushing out bad stuff. And then I think, okay. That's going to make you as an individual more important than ever if you're still able to use it, but then still bring in that human element. Because like you said, people are smart. People can tell if like you're just, I don't know, if it's an avatar, even though it's like these like super high-tech avatars, like people still want to connect with people and want to feel that human connection. And I'm sure you are like me where you get Clearly like bad AI emails, like outreach emails, like in your inbox every day or in your LinkedIn. And I'm just like like right, like it makes me so like annoyed. But when I get something that's actually like a true person, like wrote it or feels more authentic as a real person, I'm like, wow, that's amazing. And so I feel like it's giving you know, we have to look at things for the opportunity that it gives us, even in the face of like all the negatives or you know, the the ways that we're offloading a lot of the things. And so I just think, yeah, that human first element isn't going anywhere. If anything, it's becoming more important than ever. And I just think that's that's really cool. And yeah, I don't know. I feel like we could like talk a lot about that, but I would love to pivot a little bit, which you know, a little bit, but it kind of comes down to that authenticity like angle. And whether you are a per a professional, whether you are a brand, whether you're a creator, like authenticity is so important. important. Like you said, like somebody will be able to tell if you're n if you just took something for a paycheck. But where do you see brands and even individuals and creators getting it wrong when it comes to authenticity, Monique? Monique Sar (21:53) Yeah, so I feel like authenticity is this big word that we throw around all the time, right? And I always like to think it it's about getting real and raw as like it's like right now, like the sun's going down a little bit and like it's getting a little dark here, so it's like So the lighting's getting off, but it's like I'm I'm in Denver at the moment, so yeah, so it's getting cloudy, but we need we need the rain. It's been a very dry this summer, so Leslie Youngblood (22:06) Where are you located? Where are you? In Denver? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, Monique Sar (22:16) But anyways, like coming back to that, right? Like that's that's very authentic, right? I'm just glad you know about that too. But it's like, Leslie Youngblood (22:16) Jim. Mm-hmm. Monique Sar (22:22) a big thing that I see is that a lot of talent think they have to go like all in on like being too real, right? And I think that that can also be a little bit of a mistake a little bit, just because like you don't necessarily have to like unleash your entire like, you know, all of your childhood traumas and all of these things, right? Like you don't have to do that, right? I feel like being authentic just means that you stand for something and you're okay with like sharing that side about you right and so like that's one so for me for example right I'm okay sharing that like I'm an introvert and I feel very like nervous and unpolished about these things right but for for some talent right it it might mean that like maybe maybe you are the woman that stands for other women that you know haven't gotten a lot of these like big opportunities and things like that right it's like you have to choose that lane and then be able to share those stories that are coming out as far as like you know things that had happened to you in that. And then you're able to choose like what are the things that are off limits. Like, okay, I don't want to share anything about my family or my friendships, right? Like I'm only, you know, gonna share stories about like my work life, right? And that could be like your lane. But then when you choose that you you go all in in the storytelling piece. So that's my that's my stance on the authenticity piece. I think it's a little bit of a reverse. Leslie Youngblood (23:23) Mm. Right. Well and I think it it it Can be used as such a buzzword and like be authentic, be authentic. And you're like, I feel like I am being authentic, or like whatever, or like we think we have to change to be authentic or to fit the mold of like what we think our authentic selves is. And then you wonder why your content's not landing, or you know, you're not like resonating with an audience and you're like a brand, right? It's because you're trying too hard to like be authentic. And it's like this is something I just like realized recently. I'm like, Authenticity and it's hard, but it's like because you think, like, because I have to share all of this, and then I have to do all these things. Like, no, it's you get to choose, you know, what lanes you want to be in, what pieces of your authentic self you want to share. Like, you shouldn't share all of your authentic self, right? I mean, that would probably be bad for your mental health, no matter what position you are in and or what industry you're in. But that's like a great thing to keep in mind: is like choose one piece, like one facet of you. You get to choose and like I think that's really cool. And again it feels so much more it feels relieving to think about it too. Like it doesn't mean I have to put my entire life out like on TikTok or or you know in Substack. It's like I can choose one lane and that's what I really want to like speak to and be authentic about or this is what our brand stands for and we're really gonna go like focus on this and like it it's so it's just I think so simple and we allow ourselves to get so caught up in it. And so I love That you, you know, shared that and have that perspective because I'm sure you have seen proof positive how effective that is when it's really done that way. Monique Sar (25:20) A hundred percent. It's it's great because like I think it helps you from a positioning standpoint as well because now you become the go to person known for that lane that you chose. Leslie Youngblood (25:25) Yeah. Yeah. my goodness. Right. And that's what everybody wants. You want to be known for one something or one thing. And so to kind of reverse engineer that for yourself and just start sharing like those little bits about your life. I just think again it sounds so simple. But you know, like putting yourself out there like that. can still be even like in that one small lane can feel very scary. You know, how did you like decide to do that for yourself and like what lane and like to to share and and what to keep for yourself, Monique? Monique Sar (26:00) Yeah, a hundred percent. So I think a big part is, you know, my whole my whole identity about being like an introvert, doing an extrovert's job. And so I really lean into that because like even like showing up and you know being here on this podcast as well, super grateful for the opportunity. But this is like not not anything that I would have done like ten years ago, right? And so 'cause I'm I feel like I've always been that person that's been much better like behind the scenes and helping to support like our clients that way. and so it felt very natural for me to Leslie Youngblood (26:08) Yeah. Yeah. Monique Sar (26:30) Be able to kind of lean into that. And it took a moment where I just had to like journal about this. Like, okay, like I first started with like what's totally off limits, right? Where I'm like, okay, I don't really want to talk about my family, I don't want to talk about my personal life. Like these are things that like I don't think is like super relevant, but where I find a lot of like passion is being able to help our clients with raising their rates and doing some of these things, right? So I kept it more along the vein of just like, okay, it's about like stepping into the light, right? Doing things that make you uncomfortable and Leslie Youngblood (26:38) You know how. Monique Sar (27:00) That just went perfectly in line with my identity being like the introvert doing the extrovert's job. Leslie Youngblood (27:06) yeah, I love that. What would you say to other women who know they should be more visible but may feel hesitant or uncomfortable, Monique? Monique Sar (27:15) Yeah, so I would say just do it. because if there is that little voice in your head or that gut feeling that is telling you, right, it's gonna keep telling you. And I I'm gonna go back to what I said. Like I see this so much with women that they're always waiting for the invitation or waiting for permission or waiting to have all of the stats to do it. but you can you can have all of those things along the way, right? As as long as you're like getting started, and that is the first thing. I always think about it like a sailboat and I use this analogy where like, you know, when the sailboat is like at Leslie Youngblood (27:36) Mm-hmm. Monique Sar (27:45) the port right. It takes a while for it to like get going. But once you have like that initial inertia, once you're like you got the wind in your sails, like you are moving, right? The hardest part is getting started. So if you can remember that this is just a mindset that's holding you back is of getting started, right? You have to be the one to just like, you know, rip off the band-aid today and just just get started. Leslie Youngblood (27:53) Mm-hmm. Yeah, I love it. You just gotta do it. It's like that easy and that hard. I think that spectacular, spectacular advice. Now, Monique, what is one piece of serious lady business advice you wish more women took seriously? Monique Sar (28:19) Such a great question. I think the biggest thing is not to care too much about what people think. And I know this is so much easier said than done, but this is the one thing I even think where if I could have told myself this like ten, fifteen years ago, right, we'd be so much farther along. 'Cause 'cause like you said, like we're we are so caught up in our heads thinking about what other people are thinking. And too often in life I feel like we're also trying to look good or to try to avoid looking bad when really like other people and especially women, like they're they're thinking of the exact same thing. Leslie Youngblood (28:35) Yeah. Yeah. Darma Monique Sar (28:50) Right. And so Leslie Youngblood (28:51) op too. Monique Sar (28:52) that that's the one where I feel like take that take that one very, very seriously. Leslie Youngblood (28:56) I love that. It's so so true. I don't know why we think that, but we do. But it's like, man, I just You know, like you look back like, I could have been so much further if I just started, like then. It's like, what was I so afraid of? And it's like hindsight, of course, is 2020, but you heard it here again, people, like, listen to Monique, take that jump and do it and just take that action. And I love the sailboat analogy. I think that is so fantastic too and important because yeah, body emotion stays in motion, but it's hard, like when you're at rest, it feels so monumental and like you're scaling Mount Everest, even if all you're trying to do is send an email. Or like do a TikTok, right? But you have to like those little things can really start compounding. And like you said, then once you're off, like you're off. I just love that. And just love this conversation, Monique. So much fantastic advice and insight that you shared with us today. And as we wrap up, I would love for you to share where our audience can follow up with you and connect with you outside of the podcast. Monique Sar (29:35) Exactly. Yeah, of course. So LinkedIn's always a great place. I'm always hanging out there. Or my Instagram, Moniquesar.boss, or my website, just moniqsar.com. Leslie Youngblood (30:06) Perfect. And we will also make sure to drop those links in the show notes for everybody. Monique, thank you so much for joining us to talk some serious lady business today. We appreciate you taking the time out of your busy schedule to join us. Monique Sar (30:17) Thank you so much for having me. This has been such an amazing conversation. I'm definitely really grateful for the opportunity. Leslie Youngblood (30:23) thank you so much.