Latest / Ready Set Collaborate with Wanda Pearson / Fostering Sisterhood and Success: The League of Girlfriends' Impact on Professional Networking and Beyond with Angie Sims
Transcript
- 0:02Speaker 1: Welcome, welcome, welcome to Ready Set.
- 0:05Speaker 1: Collaborate with Wanda Pearson.
- 0:07Speaker 1: I am on episode nine and I am so excited to have my girlfriend, angie Sims, who is with me, and it's just a pleasure because Angie was one of the ones.
- 0:19Speaker 1: Actually, I was in Chicago, andrea, I remember, and you called me and said you want to be part of the League of Girlfriends.
- 0:24Speaker 2: I said what is that?
- 0:27Speaker 1: And that was five years ago.
- 0:28Speaker 1: So I'm so excited to have you on the Ready Set Collaborate podcast episode nine.
- 0:36Speaker 1: You see I'm getting up there, episode nine Wow, yeah, yeah, yeah.
- 0:40Speaker 1: So it's something that between you and Edelene, you always told me you need to create your own brand and I created it.
- 0:47Speaker 1: So the help of my girlfriends to help me, to coach me, to do the things that I'm doing now, I just can't tell you how blessed I am to have you as my girlfriend, have you in my life.
- 0:58Speaker 1: It's also writing a book.
- 1:00Speaker 1: You know I wrote three books.
- 1:02Speaker 1: I didn't realize it was.
- 1:03Speaker 1: Every year I'm writing a book, two collaborations, and they're my own books.
- 1:06Speaker 1: So thank you, thank you for always being there with me, coaching me and telling me what's the best way to do it.
- 1:11Speaker 1: And the thing I like about you, angie, is that the honesty.
- 1:15Speaker 1: Tell me if you tell me what's you know, it's for being honest.
- 1:18Speaker 1: But listen, let me tell you a little bit about my girlfriend, angie, and her actually top of gun talk, why it's called Sisterhood Synergy, league of Girlfriends.
- 1:28Speaker 1: But Angie is an expert rainmaker yes, she is and key influencer who ability to elevate women makes her a game changer.
- 1:35Speaker 1: Angie uses her superior expertise to help professional women reach their greatest potential by discovering and implementing focus driven success tools.
- 1:45Speaker 1: A five time wow self published author, angie is most proud of the 17 women that she coached to become first time published authors In 2016,.
- 1:55Speaker 1: She answered assignments to create an organization that connects business women at their souls.
- 2:00Speaker 1: The League of Girlfriends now has nearly 600 members.
- 2:04Speaker 1: Wow nationally because every woman needs a girlfriend.
- 2:07Speaker 1: Yes, they do.
- 2:07Speaker 1: Her assignment, angie creates sustainable connections, leadership and professional development skills and top tier events for professional women of all backgrounds to accelerate you from confusion, clarity and from your purpose to your profits.
- 2:22Speaker 1: Welcome, welcome, angie, and we're not going to be on here long only about 20 minutes but I want you to tell me.
- 2:28Speaker 1: Tell me about you, angie.
- 2:30Speaker 1: Tell me about what you're about, how you created that League of Girlfriends and all the other ones that you have.
- 2:35Speaker 2: Yeah well, thank you so much for having me on your platform.
- 2:38Speaker 2: I love you, darin.
- 2:39Speaker 2: I'm so proud of all the two of you accomplished and I do remember when we first met one of them was at Elmerese restaurant and you had just left IBM not long before that and you were trying to figure out should you stay and be an I?
- 2:53Speaker 2: Should you network?
- 2:54Speaker 2: What should you do?
- 2:55Speaker 2: And I was like wonder, whatever you do, you have to create your own brand, because I believe when you're playing musical chairs and the music sucks, you got to have your own seat to sit in right, something that people recognize, just as yours.
- 3:09Speaker 2: And when I found that League of Girlfriends over seven years ago, I wasn't thinking of a branding.
- 3:15Speaker 2: I wasn't thinking, matter of fact, I wasn't even thinking about Girlfriends, quite honestly, because had it been up to me, I never would have done that.
- 3:22Speaker 2: The League of Girlfriends was assigned to me.
- 3:23Speaker 2: I was basically waking up at the middle of the night and woke up one Saturday morning and was urged by God to go and build a website.
- 3:34Speaker 2: I went to my computer and built a website, wasn't real sure what it was going to be.
- 3:38Speaker 2: I put bells and whistles and everything on it literally pushed away from my desk a few hours later and looked up at the computer and was like League of Girlfriends?
- 3:46Speaker 2: I was like whatever God and I just press publish.
- 3:50Speaker 2: See, most people would not press publish.
- 3:53Speaker 2: Most people go ask their cousins maybe mom, a sister, friend before they press publish.
- 3:58Speaker 2: They go pray on it.
- 3:59Speaker 2: Nothing wrong praying on it.
- 4:01Speaker 2: But I didn't need to do that because I had a direct line of message that I was told to do this.
- 4:06Speaker 2: I get in a lot of trouble by myself.
- 4:07Speaker 2: I sure don't want to have a direct line of message and not obey, which is why I press publish.
- 4:12Speaker 2: And now, excuse me, seven years later, we have over 600 girlfriends across the country in the League of Girlfriends, women that are just helping on supporting each other in life as well as in business.
- 4:24Speaker 2: Business stuff helps a lot.
- 4:26Speaker 2: Like you said, I have actually helped 18 women become first time Authors and I've written five books myself and through all of the camps and the coaching and all the stuff I do that all is Wonderful and it has this perfect place, the most important thing I know that we do here in League of Girlfriends to serve one another, so one that you know.
- 4:48Speaker 2: Right now my health is not at its top tier, but while I'm going through these health challenges, you know, most people are like well, I had girlfriends and I've outgrown them, or they've got divorces, or their children are the same age as my children are.
- 5:03Speaker 2: You know all different reasons why people, the girlfriends they have, you may not necessarily still have.
- 5:08Speaker 2: I'm going to tell you that in my time of need I have had more of my girlfriends at my doorstop Doorstep, excuse me, bringing me food, sitting with me, calling me, praying for me, and I'm telling you that it goes so far beyond business.
- 5:25Speaker 2: That is the real purpose and the reason why God had me start this Organization.
- 5:31Speaker 2: I've been placed into positive some people with no expectation to get anything back.
- 5:36Speaker 2: You know people think when I'm doing stuff for them, I'm helping them, I'm doing it for you, I'm really doing it to impress God.
- 5:42Speaker 2: Quite honestly, I love y'all, but I'm really doing it to impress God.
- 5:46Speaker 2: And he has turned, I think around and said well, I'm going to show you that these deposits, every single deposit you made, was worth it.
- 5:53Speaker 2: And these girlfriends have been showing up for me in a in a life way.
- 5:57Speaker 2: It's not business.
- 5:58Speaker 2: That's why one of our so-good is.
- 5:59Speaker 2: This is not business, is personal.
- 6:01Speaker 2: But you got to get personal to get to the business.
- 6:04Speaker 2: I haven't developed those personal, sustainable relationships.
- 6:07Speaker 2: What are you really doing?
- 6:09Speaker 2: It's not just about networking.
- 6:11Speaker 2: It's about building law, life long Friendships that will carry you through the rest of your days.
- 6:18Speaker 1: Absolutely, and I love that you said it all in a nutshell, because you know what, when God tells you to do something, you better do it because it's for purpose, you know.
- 6:25Speaker 1: So I appreciate you you sharing that.
- 6:27Speaker 1: But I want to ask you a question, some questions here.
- 6:30Speaker 1: How important do you think Networking is for collaboration and why?
- 6:36Speaker 2: oh, networking is absolutely important.
- 6:38Speaker 2: But see, networking people take that word networking.
- 6:41Speaker 2: They think I'm going to go somewhere through my business cards.
- 6:43Speaker 2: I'm going to hand out my cards, people are going to love me and they're going to call me and give me business.
- 6:48Speaker 2: That's not networking.
- 6:49Speaker 2: People have to change.
- 6:51Speaker 2: You have a mind ship.
- 6:52Speaker 2: Networking is building relationships, going to talk to somebody and asking them first how can I serve you?
- 6:58Speaker 2: It's about giving instead of just looking for what you can take.
- 7:02Speaker 2: It's about building relationships Even when you don't think there's any business if you're going to get out of it.
- 7:07Speaker 2: But network is.
- 7:08Speaker 2: Networking is paramount.
- 7:10Speaker 2: That's how I built my business.
- 7:11Speaker 2: I went around and just met people and gave stuff away, gave my time away, gave my advice away, gave my experiences away.
- 7:19Speaker 2: Share it with people, things that would help them, and that's why I have so many girlfriends that are so loyal to League of girlfriends and to me, because I've given so much.
- 7:29Speaker 2: That's what networking is.
- 7:31Speaker 1: Yes, you are, and that was a.
- 7:32Speaker 1: That was a great answer and, going to go on from that, how can networking help individuals, organization, assess new opportunities for collaboration?
- 7:43Speaker 2: Yeah.
- 7:43Speaker 2: So that's the most important thing as you're talking to people, when you're out there networking and you're building relationships and you're giving stuff away, look for those opportunities of where you can support somebody in the area where they least would expect it.
- 7:55Speaker 2: So you may meet somebody that has a roofing company and you may have a legal shield business, for example, and you don't have to go in immediately and say, hey, you need to use my legal shield.
- 8:05Speaker 2: You find out things about them, find out things about their family Maybe their daughter is having a fundraiser and you contribute to the fundraiser.
- 8:13Speaker 2: Then you may not even hear from them, but you figure out what the opportunities are and what the needs are in their business as well as in their life, and you provide that support and then you build a relationship with them and then, before you know it, you will be a their go-to person for whatever that is that you are, because the more you do for people, they eventually will say what is it that you do?
- 8:33Speaker 2: And they're gonna look for opportunities to help you.
- 8:36Speaker 2: But it has to start off by you giving.
- 8:39Speaker 1: Yes, yes, I love that answer because that is so true.
- 8:41Speaker 1: It's about the relationship that you build and about the trust that you have with that person, and knowing.
- 8:48Speaker 1: You know, because we get referrals.
- 8:50Speaker 1: I remember Andy used to refer a lot People to me and then you became part of my team.
- 8:55Speaker 1: So I know so proud that you are part of my team and that the knowledge that you have to share with people.
- 9:02Speaker 1: But actually it's funny because it's all coming into nutrition, because all of my guests that I've had on so far said the same thing as far as the trust in the relationship.
- 9:12Speaker 1: So I appreciate that.
- 9:14Speaker 2: So tell me something.
- 9:15Speaker 2: Yeah, wanda, listen, the thing of it, it was so easy to refer to you because you were so passionate about what you were doing and I was giving referrals.
- 9:23Speaker 2: And when you have an organization as large as mine with so many women and they're pretty much all business owners, but you can't join everybody's business I have joined maybe two or three of my members' businesses and you are one of the two or three because I know how passionate you are and it just made natural sense.
- 9:39Speaker 2: And then, after I kept sending you all these referrals, I was like, okay, this don't make no sense, let me make some money off of this, let me go ahead on and join the business, and then I can help you more by bringing more people into the business, as well as still giving off some and I still give referrals.
- 9:54Speaker 1: Yeah, now I appreciate that.
- 9:56Speaker 1: Thank you so much for doing that.
- 9:58Speaker 1: But it's not just about the love that we have for each other, and that's what I said about network, just not about.
- 10:07Speaker 1: Networking is the relationships that you build with the person and the friendship, because when I said I had connections and I had Christine on earlier experience.
- 10:18Speaker 1: connection helped me to connect with you, to connect with Rerod, you know, connect with Mambes, all of those other different networking groups, but it was just something that now they call me the networking queen.
- 10:29Speaker 1: I mean, I didn't know that was a bit of bad, but it really did make a difference.
- 10:33Speaker 1: So, ken, let me ask you another question.
- 10:36Speaker 1: Can you provide some tips for effective communication and relationship building within professional networking?
- 10:43Speaker 2: Yeah, so effective communication is being open and being transparent.
- 10:47Speaker 2: The best person you could bring to the table is you and all of you Now, not all all of you, some of you.
- 10:53Speaker 2: You need to keep it home, you know, but the best thing you could do is be as genuine as possible and being open and sharing with people.
- 11:01Speaker 2: When you start that communication path and trying to determine what it is that you can give everybody, I believe is called to be a servant leader.
- 11:09Speaker 2: It could be in a small way or it could be in a big way, but when you're connecting with people and you're trying to communicate, especially when it comes to building your business, the most thing you want to do is be as genuine and as honest as you can be, because all you have to, all people have to rely on, is how if they can trust you or not.
- 11:25Speaker 2: And if they trust you, they'll share their clients with you.
- 11:28Speaker 2: But if they don't trust you, what will happen is that they'll share their clients with you and not only will you lose the client, they will also lose their client because they share the untrustworthy person.
- 11:39Speaker 2: So communication is really really important, just to be as upfront and as transparent as possible.
- 11:47Speaker 1: Absolutely, absolutely, and that is that's great.
- 11:49Speaker 1: That is definitely one of the ways, because you have to trust in people and when you do refer somebody, you want to make sure that you trust them, Because now you're referring them to somebody else, because that's your reputation on the line, right?
- 12:00Speaker 2: Absolutely yeah.
- 12:02Speaker 1: Yeah, it's great, so let me ask you another question here.
- 12:05Speaker 1: So how has technology such as social media and online platforms influenced networking and collaboration?
- 12:12Speaker 2: Oh my goodness, this helped me tremendously.
- 12:14Speaker 2: So there are so many.
- 12:15Speaker 2: I've had so many Facebook best friends, some people that I've only met a few times, some people I have never met.
- 12:22Speaker 2: I have certain people that I'm on social media with and I've watched their path, watched how they're in their business and we've collaborated on things virtually, but these are people I've literally never met before, where we built this trust online just by appreciating each other's posts and watching things each other.
- 12:40Speaker 2: I've sent some of my members to other people's events and things like that, but that online tool, the ability to reach out to people that you may or may not ever meet and build a sustainable connection, has really been invaluable for me.
- 12:55Speaker 2: I mean, it's so funny.
- 12:56Speaker 2: There's this one girl that I knew on social media.
- 12:58Speaker 2: I had never met her in person, but I knew her on social media and we would just talk back and forth, we admired each other in business and we finally met up accidentally at an event and I was like, oh my God, I can't believe it's you.
- 13:12Speaker 2: She's like, oh my God, I can't believe it's you.
- 13:14Speaker 2: And we are like the best of buddies.
- 13:17Speaker 2: But, it's not something we get together all the time for tea or anything like that, but just that mutual respect for each other's businesses and sharing members and sharing events and stuff like that.
- 13:27Speaker 2: It's been incredible.
- 13:28Speaker 2: Social media is awesome for that.
- 13:31Speaker 1: Yeah, and you need it.
- 13:32Speaker 1: You need that social media.
- 13:33Speaker 1: But I'm going to wrap it up.
- 13:35Speaker 1: But I wanted to ask you when COVID happened, angie, I tell you what did you do?
- 13:40Speaker 1: You didn't leave your girlfriends out there, you threw a platform.
- 13:43Speaker 2: No, so it's so funny you say that because, again, nothing, I wanted to do nothing.
- 13:49Speaker 2: I thought out on my own that Friday my little son his name is Smooch.
- 13:53Speaker 2: A lot of people know him as Smooch, so the schools left a message on all of our recordings your kids can't come back to school on Monday because it's COVID.
- 14:01Speaker 2: We're going to figure out how they're going to learn, but don't send them to school on Monday.
- 14:05Speaker 2: So I was like all right, cool, christian knows I have to go to school, smooch doesn't have to go to school.
- 14:09Speaker 2: But that Saturday I woke up that morning again, just like with the website.
- 14:13Speaker 2: I woke up and I thought, oh my God, what are my girlfriends going to do?
- 14:17Speaker 2: Because my girlfriends lots of them go out to these meetings, whether it's XC meeting, once a month and they meet each other in person.
- 14:25Speaker 2: A lot of times they're meeting each other in person.
- 14:27Speaker 2: They're not doing business, but it's nice to get together with other girlfriends.
- 14:30Speaker 2: So, but I said, what are they going to do?
- 14:33Speaker 2: So that Saturday I sent a message out to all of my girlfriends saying hey, I'm creating a new system to help you guys, so jump on.
- 14:43Speaker 2: Sunday.
- 14:43Speaker 2: The next day I didn't even know the system was, I was just popping stuff hey, y'all, I have a new system, come online.
- 14:49Speaker 2: So lots of people signed on Sunday to see what this new thing was.
- 14:53Speaker 2: But what I ended up doing?
- 14:55Speaker 2: I created a platform called Supergirlfriends and on Zoom I held basically a talk show every single day, twice a day, at 11 am, at 6 pm, because that's usually my girlfriends would be networking in person anyway and we went online virtually and we actually recorded 100 episodes of it.
- 15:12Speaker 2: The funny thing is that so many of my girlfriends had never, ever done a live video before and did not want to, and I think wonder you might have been one of them.
- 15:22Speaker 2: You know they were like.
- 15:23Speaker 2: People were like, well, I don't know if I'm ready.
- 15:25Speaker 2: I'm like, no, no, no, no, you're ready, I'll see you on Thursday.
- 15:27Speaker 2: I got time for that, but I tell you because they trusted me they did.
- 15:32Speaker 2: It is so many people's businesses continued and expanded.
- 15:36Speaker 2: Yeah, it's really.
- 15:37Speaker 2: It was really a mental health thing for me, because it's so easy to go into a shell and get depressed in a time like COVID when you can't touch people and be physically around them.
- 15:47Speaker 2: But it was an incredible opportunity for women to stay connected with one another.
- 15:52Speaker 2: Every episode had more than 100 views, every single episode.
- 15:56Speaker 1: Yeah, and we were running episode.
- 15:58Speaker 2: We put it on Facebook, everything.
- 16:00Speaker 2: I don't know how we figured it out, but I figured it out in a day and we had this platform that consistently ran every single day at 10 am, and I think it's 10, either 11 and six or 10 and six you had an afternoon, yeah, morning we did it, yeah, but it's a day, it's not.
- 16:17Speaker 1: It's actually on podcast, you know, and so it on podcast.
- 16:20Speaker 1: I think it's Supergirl Princess called yeah, yeah, supergirl, and for what was funny was that I had my podcast on it right at the minus and that that was yours.
- 16:31Speaker 2: I said oh my God, god works.
- 16:34Speaker 1: But that is too funny, but yeah, but we're winding down now, but I wanted to want you to tell me About you, about your business, what is your legacy, what would you like to leave with the, with the, you know viewers?
- 16:45Speaker 2: Yeah.
- 16:46Speaker 2: So, in addition to helping women find their true freedom through becoming a first time author and sharing their life stories that lead them into what they're doing for their businesses, I love coaching women.
- 16:58Speaker 2: I mean, it's been an incredible, awesome opportunity for me to lead so many women into their future, because once you've worked for corporate America, or even if you've been in a same job I even had a business until you've had my transformation stamp you don't realize how much more you can do and that God has already given you all the tools you need.
- 17:19Speaker 2: I just help people use those tools, line them up together and execute, because not even about do I have the gifts, do I know how to do this.
- 17:27Speaker 2: It's about how do I put one foot in front of the other, and I really am really blessed with being able to line things up for people in a very simple, sensible way that allows them to truly execute and get stuff done in a quick way.
- 17:42Speaker 2: You know I'm not this girl you're going to sit down with.
- 17:44Speaker 2: We're going to be coaching, for you know, two months before you figure it out.
- 17:48Speaker 2: Now, really, after our first session, you're going to have to pass the rest of it, it's just me showing you how to execute.
- 17:55Speaker 1: I don't waste a lot of time.
- 17:56Speaker 1: No, you don't.
- 17:57Speaker 1: No, you don't.
- 17:57Speaker 1: You just like getting me on Facebook Live?
- 18:00Speaker 1: I don't do no.
- 18:01Speaker 1: Facebook Live, everything else that I'm going to do.
- 18:02Speaker 1: God said, yes, you can, and they said, oh, yes, you can.
- 18:05Speaker 1: So I've done that and I really appreciate it.
- 18:08Speaker 2: Not only yes, you can, but yes, you will.
- 18:09Speaker 2: I'll see you on Thursday.
- 18:11Speaker 1: Absolutely.
- 18:12Speaker 1: I appreciate that and that is so true.
- 18:15Speaker 1: So you know, the best thing about having this platform is to be able to help each other.
- 18:21Speaker 1: And thank God for Zoom right, because if we didn't have Zoom, what would happen, you know.
- 18:27Speaker 1: So we great.
- 18:28Speaker 1: That's when we pivoted.
- 18:29Speaker 1: We pivoted to other things that we can do and still help girlfriends.
- 18:32Speaker 1: But I talked about Christine, remember she had another platform and she said God, I forgot about that.
- 18:38Speaker 1: I'm going to be, back again.
- 18:40Speaker 1: So, you know, just helping girlfriends and also I'm going to have some men on here too but just being able to network and called network.
- 18:49Speaker 1: You know how much are you with networking, so how can people and I truly appreciate you.
- 18:56Speaker 1: I know you have any health issues, but I am so blessed to have you on here because you was at the top of my list girl, but I didn't want to.
- 19:04Speaker 2: you know, I didn't want to bother you with this, but you said I understand, understand, but I wanted to make sure you got your series straight, girl, you know.
- 19:11Speaker 1: I got you, so thank you, baby.
- 19:12Speaker 1: I appreciate it.
- 19:13Speaker 1: So tell people how they can get in touch with you.
- 19:17Speaker 2: Well, you can reach out to us.
- 19:18Speaker 2: Our website is league of girlfriendscom and if you want to leave on our contact page, leave us a message.
- 19:24Speaker 2: We'll be happy to reach back out to you.
- 19:26Speaker 2: We're looking for girlfriends all the time.
- 19:28Speaker 2: You don't necessarily have to have a business, but if you do have a business, we'll help you to elevate that.
- 19:32Speaker 2: We have a retreat coming up in July of 2024 and Fort Lauderdale, this incredible resort, where you're going to have spas on the beach and stuff so.
- 19:42Speaker 2: But we've got all types of social events, all types of retreats and all types of learning to help you develop your business.
- 19:49Speaker 2: So just reach out to legalgirlfriendscom.
- 19:52Speaker 1: That's awesome.
- 19:53Speaker 1: That's awesome and I appreciate that, Angie, because she has she has a wealth of knowledge and the coaching and you have a masterclass, don't you?
- 20:01Speaker 2: I do.
- 20:02Speaker 2: I have a masterclass that I usually give out for free, and the masterclass is a combination of our leadership academy.
- 20:08Speaker 2: Our leadership academy is the pinnacle of learning for your business.
- 20:12Speaker 2: It teaches you everything from what your definiteness and purpose should be to where you're leaving money on the table, to what's the actual structure of your business and what fees are you charging.
- 20:22Speaker 2: Are you charging the right amount?
- 20:24Speaker 2: Do you know who your true avatar is?
- 20:26Speaker 2: And our masterclass leads you into our leadership academy, which is an eight week session of learned events in a group or either in one on one.
- 20:34Speaker 2: That really helps you to catapult your business into being structured how you want it, getting the money you want to get, and how to talk, to communicate to customers, to get them close, to deal.
- 20:46Speaker 1: Awesome, awesome.
- 20:47Speaker 1: That is awesome because I tell you she has a wealth of knowledge to help you with that, because I wouldn't be where I am today if it wasn't for Angie that pushed me.
- 20:58Speaker 1: Thank you, and also, it's all God as far as you know, he used you as a vehicle to push me.
- 21:09Speaker 1: But thank you, angie, so much for being on our show ready to collaborate.
- 21:13Speaker 1: I truly appreciate you and I'm definitely going to have you back on again in another series.
- 21:18Speaker 1: But you got so much wealth of knowledge Not just girlfriends, but other things that I would like to interview on.
- 21:25Speaker 2: Of course.
- 21:26Speaker 2: Thank you, wanda, this has been a pleasure.
- 21:28Speaker 1: Oh, absolutely, absolutely Well.
- 21:30Speaker 1: Thank you so much for listening in on our podcast episode nine.
- 21:36Speaker 1: I had to keep up with the numbers here.
- 21:39Speaker 1: Episode nine You're the set collaborate, so our next one will be episode 10.
- 21:44Speaker 1: So every week we're dropping these episodes with such knowledge, with the ladies that I'm having on the on the show, and please listen to us, please follow, please share, and you would definitely get to listen to each one of us expertise that we have.
- 22:01Speaker 1: And thank you again, angie.
- 22:03Speaker 1: Oh, you're welcome.
- 22:05Speaker 1: Thanks again.
- 22:06Speaker 1: Okay, bye, bye.