Latest / The Black Sheep Leadership Podcast / NEVER LET ONE HAND🤚FEED YOU Build Options Before You Need Them.

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NEVER LET ONE HAND🤚FEED YOU Build Options Before You Need Them. · The Black Sheep Leadership Podcast

• 0:36
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to the Black Sheep Leadership Podcast.
• 0:38
  SPEAKER_00: I'm Athena Renee, and this is where the underdogs, Misfits, and Black Sheep come to turn pain into power so that they could build a life by design and leave a legacy behind.
• 0:47
  SPEAKER_00: Now, if this is your first time tapping in, welcome home, family.
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_00: Pull up a chair.
• 0:52
  SPEAKER_00: I'm so glad you're here.
• 0:53
  SPEAKER_00: And if you're back again, welcome back, fan band.
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you for trusting me with your time.
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_00: I don't take that lightly.
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_00: Now let's do this quick vibe check.
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_00: Because if you're easily offended, sensitive, entitled, and waiting on somebody to come save you, or you're allergic to accountability, get your ass up out of here because this ain't your safe space.
• 1:11
  SPEAKER_00: Go ahead and tap out now.
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_00: But if you're ready to think bigger and move smarter and you refuse with a capital R, you refuse to live beneath your potential, stay locked in, okay?
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_00: Because by the end of this episode, you're going to walk away with something that you can execute immediately.
• 1:28
  SPEAKER_00: All right?
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_00: Now let's get to work.
• 1:31
  SPEAKER_00: Black Sheep, I want to welcome you to the Sunday reset.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_00: This is a special edition of the Black Sheep Leadership Podcast.
• 1:38
  SPEAKER_00: You know, Sundays have a way of making you think about life a little bit differently.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_00: The weekend is winding down, Monday is around the corner, and somewhere between relaxing and getting ready for another week, you start thinking about things that need to change.
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_00: And that's what I want these Sunday conversations to be about a chance to reset your mindset, get some fresh perspective, and walk into the next week with a little bit more clarity and a better strategy.
• 2:11
  SPEAKER_00: And today's conversation is an important one.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_00: Because if your entire financial life depends on one paycheck, one company, or one person saying yes, we need to talk, family.
• 2:24
  SPEAKER_00: And that's why today's briefing is called Never Let One Hand Feed You.
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_00: Let's unpack it.
• 2:31
  SPEAKER_00: Black sheep, let me ask you something.
• 2:33
  SPEAKER_00: If your paycheck stopped coming tomorrow, how long could you keep your life running?
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_00: Not your dream life, your real life, the rent, the groceries, the car, the lights, the insurance.
• 2:45
  SPEAKER_00: How long?
• 2:46
  SPEAKER_00: Now I'm not asking that question to scare you.
• 2:49
  SPEAKER_00: I'm asking because a lot of people are one phone call, one company reorgan or a decision or a manager, one lost contract away from a financial emergency.
• 3:01
  SPEAKER_00: And some of these people, they're good people.
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_00: They do their best, they come early, they stay late, and they're making good money.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_00: Some are making just enough, but they're making it work.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_00: And that's the part that nobody likes to talk about.
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_00: Because you can have a decent job andor a six-figure salary and still be financially vulnerable.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_00: Because the question isn't only how much money you make, it's also how much of your life depends on that money coming or to arrive exactly when you expect it.
• 3:33
  SPEAKER_00: How much of your life depends on that money that's coming from another hand?
• 3:37
  SPEAKER_00: And that's why we're having this conversation, okay?
• 3:40
  SPEAKER_00: Because it's time to think about building options before you need them.
• 3:45
  SPEAKER_00: All right.
• 3:45
  SPEAKER_00: Truth number one, family a good career is not the same as financial security.
• 3:51
  SPEAKER_00: Listen, family, I know this Sunday reset episode is a personal one because only you know what you have on your plate.
• 4:03
  SPEAKER_00: But if you are listening to this podcast andor you resonate with being a black sheep, I know there's been so many times where you have been helping people.
• 4:13
  SPEAKER_00: If you had a penny, you will split a penny with somebody.
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_00: You always trying to help people out, and you may have found yourself in scenarios where when it's time for you to need help, you didn't get the help you needed.
• 4:24
  SPEAKER_00: So you say, you know what?
• 4:25
  SPEAKER_00: I'm gonna build me a career, I'm gonna show up early, I'm gonna stay late, I'm gonna volunteer for all the activities and engage and I'm gonna do all these things, right?
• 4:35
  SPEAKER_00: But at some point in life, you may have gotten one of those phone calls, you may have gotten laid off.
• 4:41
  SPEAKER_00: Your company may have done a cut, right?
• 4:45
  SPEAKER_00: And you look around and you say, I invested all of this time and money in this career, in this company, you got all of your evaluations, they said you were doing great.
• 4:57
  SPEAKER_00: So, how did it come to this?
• 4:59
  SPEAKER_00: Well, family, that's why we're talking today because we need to come out of allowing one hand to feed us, and a good career, just because you're good at a career or good on your job, is not the same thing as financial security.
• 5:13
  SPEAKER_00: Because you must remember they have to make sure that the company is financial secure, and it's if it's between your financial security and the companies, who do you think they're gonna pick?
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, well, first, before we just get deep into it, I want to make something very clear.
• 5:30
  SPEAKER_00: I love careers, it's so crazy, it's so weird sometimes because I actually do, and I know we have a lot of people that talk about entrepreneurs and all of these different things, but I personally love careers.
• 5:41
  SPEAKER_00: I love entrepreneurship as well.
• 5:44
  SPEAKER_00: But I love careers, I believe in building expertise, getting education, developing professional skills, and becoming valuable in the marketplace because it helps you in so many different areas of your life.
• 5:54
  SPEAKER_00: I truly believe that building a career helps you become better at entrepreneurship if that's what you want to do.
• 6:00
  SPEAKER_00: So there is absolutely nothing wrong with having a successful career.
• 6:03
  SPEAKER_00: In fact, a strong career can become one of your greatest tools you have for building wealth.
• 6:09
  SPEAKER_00: But here's the distinction: a good income and financial security are not the same thing.
• 6:16
  SPEAKER_00: See, you can make excellent money and spend nearly all of it, you can have a prestigious job with the office in the corner and you don't even have an emergency savings.
• 6:26
  SPEAKER_00: How can a beautiful or you can have a beautiful resume and still struggle to replace your income if your position disappears?
• 6:37
  SPEAKER_00: Do you understand that, family?
• 6:39
  SPEAKER_00: You can have some of the best resumes, you can have all the credentials, state of the art this and state of the art that.
• 7:22
  SPEAKER_00: Companies merged, departments get reorganized.
• 7:25
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes positions disappear even when the person doing the job has performed them well.
• 7:31
  SPEAKER_00: So when I say never let one hand feed you, I'm not saying don't trust your employer.
• 7:36
  SPEAKER_00: I'm saying don't confuse employment with guaranteed protection.
• 7:40
  SPEAKER_00: Those are two different things, all right?
• 7:42
  SPEAKER_00: Truth number two dependency changes how you make decisions.
• 7:48
  SPEAKER_00: Here's something else I want you to consider.
• 7:52
  SPEAKER_00: You may tolerate situations longer than you should when you depend completely on one source of income because it can affect how much freedom you feel that you have.
• 8:02
  SPEAKER_00: You may be afraid to negotiate, you may stay in a position you've outgrown because the idea of losing that paycheck is terrifying.
• 8:09
  SPEAKER_00: Now, I'm not telling anybody to quit their job just because they're frustrated.
• 8:12
  SPEAKER_00: Bills don't care about motivational speakers, speeches, and how you feel, and your mortgage company is not accepting I know my worth as a payment method, right?
• 8:20
  SPEAKER_00: You know that these companies they're not accepting that.
• 8:22
  SPEAKER_00: So let's use some common sense.
• 8:24
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes staying employed while you build your next option is the smartest decision that you can actually make.
• 8:30
  SPEAKER_00: But that's exactly why options matter.
• 8:33
  SPEAKER_00: Because when you have a savings, transferable skills, professional relationships, and other ways to make money or earn it, you may have more room to make thoughtful decisions or moves.
• 8:43
  SPEAKER_00: You don't have to jump at every opportunity out of fear.
• 8:46
  SPEAKER_00: You can compare your choices, you can negotiate with more confidence, you can take time to prepare.
• 8:52
  SPEAKER_00: Options don't guarantee freedom, but they can give you more room to move around.
• 8:56
  SPEAKER_00: And sometimes that room makes all the difference.
• 9:00
  SPEAKER_00: Here's truth number three.
• 9:02
  SPEAKER_00: All right, and this is a big one.
• 9:04
  SPEAKER_00: Your second income doesn't have to be a second job.
• 9:08
  SPEAKER_00: Now, here's where I want to challenge the way people think about making additional money.
• 9:12
  SPEAKER_00: When I say build another income stream, some people immediately imagine getting another job.
• 9:17
  SPEAKER_00: And family, listen, there's nothing wrong with that.
• 9:19
  SPEAKER_00: I absolutely understand it.
• 9:20
  SPEAKER_00: I've done it so many of my so many times in my life, just keeping things going and really with the mindset to make the money that I want to make.
• 9:28
  SPEAKER_00: And sometimes that's necessary.
• 9:30
  SPEAKER_00: There's nothing wrong with doing what you need to do.
• 9:32
  SPEAKER_00: But what if you could build something that doesn't require you to trade another hour of your life every time you make a sale?
• 9:39
  SPEAKER_00: What if you created something one time and improved it over time and made it available to people to purchase 24 hours a day?
• 9:47
  SPEAKER_00: It doesn't matter what time zone they're in.
• 9:50
  SPEAKER_00: It could be a digital guide, a template, a workbook, something useful that solves a specific problem.
• 9:56
  SPEAKER_00: Now, before the internet entrepreneurs start screaming about passive income, let me say this: there is work involved.
• 10:03
  SPEAKER_00: You have to create a product, you have to find people who need it, you have to market it, you may have to answer questions, make updates, and deal with the platform fees.
• 10:11
  SPEAKER_00: And there is no guarantee that people will buy it.
• 10:13
  SPEAKER_00: There are no guarantees, but there's still a difference between a product that can be sold repeatedly after you've made it one time, then continuing to wait or invest in your personal time for every transaction.
• 10:28
  SPEAKER_00: That's what I want you to explore.
• 10:30
  SPEAKER_00: Not because everybody needs to become a full-time entrepreneur, but because your knowledge may be more valuable than you're giving it credit for.
• 10:38
  SPEAKER_00: Let's take this from the let's just take this from a small perspective.
• 10:42
  SPEAKER_00: Let's just put it in the realms of$300 a week.
• 10:45
  SPEAKER_00: Let's say you create a small digital product.
• 10:47
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe it's$20, right?
• 10:48
  SPEAKER_00: A$20 report.
• 10:50
  SPEAKER_00: Um, it's a workbook that helps people solve a problem, or it could possibly be a template that will save somebody time.
• 10:56
  SPEAKER_00: And over time, you figured out how to generate$300 a week in sales.
• 11:01
  SPEAKER_00: Now, somebody might say,$300?
• 11:04
  SPEAKER_00: That's nothing.
• 11:05
  SPEAKER_00: That's not enough to change my life.
• 11:07
  SPEAKER_00: Really?
• 11:08
  SPEAKER_00: Well,$300 a week over 52 weeks is$15,600 of revenue.
• 11:14
  SPEAKER_00: Now, it's before taxes and fees and expenses, of course.
• 11:18
  SPEAKER_00: Is that guaranteed?
• 11:19
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely not.
• 11:20
  SPEAKER_00: And most products won't automatically sell themselves.
• 11:23
  SPEAKER_00: But let's say you manage to build something that produces a few hundred dollars a week consistently.
• 11:29
  SPEAKER_00: That could purchase your that could cover your groceries, that could help with insurance, it could help you build an emergency fund, it could give you breathing room during your career transition.
• 11:38
  SPEAKER_00: That's why I want people to stop disrespecting smaller opportunities because not every financial move has to turn into a million dollars.
• 11:45
  SPEAKER_00: It hasn't it doesn't have to help you become a millionaire.
• 11:48
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes the first goal is to simply make your life less fragile by depending on one hand to feed you.
• 11:55
  SPEAKER_00: See, small money can create big opportunities, small money can create breathing room, and small money is better than no money when you're waiting on somebody to say, I'll hire you.
• 12:05
  SPEAKER_00: And that's worth something.
• 12:07
  SPEAKER_00: Here's the flex.
• 12:10
  SPEAKER_00: Here is the key, the code.
• 12:12
  SPEAKER_00: Build the asset before you need the money.
• 12:15
  SPEAKER_00: Here's where people often make the mistake.
• 12:17
  SPEAKER_00: They wait until something goes wrong before they start looking for alternatives.
• 12:21
  SPEAKER_00: The job disappears, the client cancels a contract, the bills start piling up, and suddenly they're trying to create an entire business in 30 days.
• 12:29
  SPEAKER_00: Now, sometimes life forces you to move quickly.
• 12:33
  SPEAKER_00: I understand that.
• 12:34
  SPEAKER_00: But if you currently have a stable income, I want you to recognize the opportunity that's sitting right in front of you.
• 12:40
  SPEAKER_00: You have a chance right now to prepare before you're under pressure.
• 12:44
  SPEAKER_00: You can start learning a new skill right now.
• 12:46
  SPEAKER_00: Start building your savings.
• 12:48
  SPEAKER_00: You can research another career path, test a simple product, you can develop professional relationships outside your current employer.
• 12:54
  SPEAKER_00: You can do it without immediately depending on that new opportunity to pay your bills.
• 12:58
  SPEAKER_00: That gives you room to learn.
• 13:00
  SPEAKER_00: Because building something new usually takes longer than people expect.
• 13:04
  SPEAKER_00: And if the first attempt doesn't work, you need enough stability to try again or change direction.
• 13:10
  SPEAKER_00: Now, listen, don't build another financial trap.
• 13:13
  SPEAKER_00: I just want to warn you about that because not every second income stream is a good idea.
• 13:19
  SPEAKER_00: Some opportunities, family, they require more money than you can actually afford to spend.
• 13:23
  SPEAKER_00: Some take so much time that they damage your health or your main source of income because it took so much time.
• 13:28
  SPEAKER_00: And some people spend thousands of dollars trying to build a side business before they've even proven anybody wants what they're selling.
• 13:35
  SPEAKER_00: They haven't even proved it.
• 13:37
  SPEAKER_00: Don't do that, family.
• 13:39
  SPEAKER_00: Start with the smallest reasonable test.
• 13:42
  SPEAKER_00: If you want to sell a digital guy, don't spend six months designing an entire online academy before you even sold one guy.
• 13:51
  SPEAKER_00: If you want to offer a service, a meal prep service in a certain area, a catering service, whatever it is, a dog grooming service, see whether people are willing to pay for a smaller version of it first.
• 14:03
  SPEAKER_00: Do something small first.
• 14:05
  SPEAKER_00: If you want to change careers, research the actual opportunities before paying for an expensive credential.
• 14:11
  SPEAKER_00: That's not being negative, that's being strategic.
• 14:15
  SPEAKER_00: Test the opportunity before you bet your livelihood on it.
• 14:18
  SPEAKER_00: I see it so many times, family where people they will come up with an idea and they're all gung-ho about it, and they're like, you know what, I'm gonna quit my job and do this thing.
• 14:27
  SPEAKER_00: I left a job and had$50,000 and still went through all the money.
• 14:31
  SPEAKER_00: So when I say test out the opportunity before you bet your livelihood on it, and please remember you don't need seven income streams just because somebody on social media said rich people have seven different ways they're getting paid.
• 14:44
  SPEAKER_00: Listen, you need a financial strategy that fits your life.
• 14:48
  SPEAKER_00: For some people, that starts with a savings account.
• 14:51
  SPEAKER_00: For others, it's developing a skill that can be used across different industries, and for somebody else, it is it's building a small product that can be sold over and over and over again after they created the first time.
• 15:02
  SPEAKER_00: But that's it's different people, different starting points, and same objective.
• 15:07
  SPEAKER_00: Reduce unnecessary dependency.
• 15:09
  SPEAKER_00: That's what it's about.
• 15:10
  SPEAKER_00: Reducing unnecessary dependency.
• 15:12
  SPEAKER_00: The real power family is all about having choices, it's all about having options.
• 15:18
  SPEAKER_00: Okay?
• 15:19
  SPEAKER_00: This isn't about just making extra money, it's about what options can do for you and your peace of mind.
• 15:27
  SPEAKER_00: Imagine knowing that if your company changed their mind about you or direction, decided to close down or relocate, you had some savings and a marketable skill.
• 15:34
  SPEAKER_00: Imagine having a small product bringing in revenue while you're searching for your next opportunity.
• 15:39
  SPEAKER_00: Imagine being able to evaluate a job offer without feeling like you just had to accept the first thing that came your way.
• 15:45
  SPEAKER_00: None of those situations guarantees an easy life, but they can give you a stronger position.
• 15:50
  SPEAKER_00: And that's what strategic people do.
• 15:53
  SPEAKER_00: Right?
• 15:53
  SPEAKER_00: You're not trying to control everything because you know you can't.
• 15:56
  SPEAKER_00: Being better prepared for what they can't control.
• 15:59
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, that's what we want to do.
• 16:01
  SPEAKER_00: We want to be better prepared for what we can't control.
• 16:04
  SPEAKER_00: We're not trying to control everything.
• 16:08
  SPEAKER_00: Now, let me give you these three black sheep action moves.
• 16:12
  SPEAKER_00: Move number one check your dependency.
• 16:15
  SPEAKER_00: Ask yourself if my main source of income stopped tomorrow, what would I have to work with?
• 16:20
  SPEAKER_00: Look at your savings, your expenses, your skills, and other potential sources of income.
• 16:25
  SPEAKER_00: Don't guess, family.
• 16:26
  SPEAKER_00: Know your numbers.
• 16:28
  SPEAKER_00: Get the numbers.
• 16:29
  SPEAKER_00: I want to challenge you tonight.
• 16:30
  SPEAKER_00: If you catch this message tonight, whatever night you catch it on, know your numbers.
• 16:35
  SPEAKER_00: Get your numbers.
• 16:36
  SPEAKER_00: Okay?
• 16:37
  SPEAKER_00: Move number two.
• 16:38
  SPEAKER_00: Identify one second option.
• 16:40
  SPEAKER_00: What is one realistic way you can strengthen your financial uh position?
• 16:45
  SPEAKER_00: Is it a digital product?
• 16:46
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe it's a freelance skill.
• 16:48
  SPEAKER_00: Some of you know how to do beautiful gardens, you know how to cater, bake cakes, you know how to work out your personal trainer, you know how to teach a certain type of skill, a class, you know how to tutor.
• 16:59
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe it's prepaying for, maybe it's preparing for a better career.
• 17:02
  SPEAKER_00: Choose one option that fits your time, resources, and abilities.
• 17:07
  SPEAKER_00: Move number three, run a small test.
• 17:10
  SPEAKER_00: Don't spend a fortune family, don't even announce a business opportunity.
• 17:13
  SPEAKER_00: Create something useful, a small thing, and see whether people need the service that you're considering.
• 17:19
  SPEAKER_00: Get feedback and see what works.
• 17:22
  SPEAKER_00: Then decide whether it deserves more of your time and money.
• 17:25
  SPEAKER_00: Family, I want you to build a great career.
• 17:28
  SPEAKER_00: I really do.
• 17:29
  SPEAKER_00: I want you to earn well, I want you to enjoy the rewards of your hard work.
• 17:33
  SPEAKER_00: But I also want you to understand this: never allow one paycheck to become your entire financial strategy.
• 17:40
  SPEAKER_00: Never.
• 17:40
  SPEAKER_00: Your career can be the foundation, it just shouldn't be your only option.
• 17:44
  SPEAKER_00: All right?
• 17:45
  SPEAKER_00: Now listen, if you're ready to stop depending on one opportunity and start building a real plan for your next chapter, I've created a free masterclass to help you get started on that.
• 17:54
  SPEAKER_00: All right.
• 17:55
  SPEAKER_00: Inside, we'll get we'll work on getting clear about your directions, developing a strategy, and start action instead of sitting around waiting on a perfect politician and wishing things could change.
• 18:05
  SPEAKER_00: All right.
• 18:05
  SPEAKER_00: You can access the free masterclass in the um link in the show notes.
• 18:09
  SPEAKER_00: Family, the best time to build another option is before you need it.
• 18:13
  SPEAKER_00: The second best is right now.
• 18:15
  SPEAKER_00: You don't have time to become an overnight entrepreneur.
• 18:18
  SPEAKER_00: You don't even have to do that anyway.
• 18:20
  SPEAKER_00: You don't need to be to chase every opportunity.
• 18:22
  SPEAKER_00: You know, every time you look up, family, sometimes when you are open to new opportunities, every time you turn around, you got somebody coming at you about a new opportunity.
• 18:29
  SPEAKER_00: You don't need another opportunity, but you need to think about what happens if the one thing you're depending on changes.
• 18:36
  SPEAKER_00: Because life changes, market changes, company changes, and sometimes your circumstances change without your permission, and you didn't even do anything, family.
• 18:44
  SPEAKER_00: This is why we're talking about building options before you need them.
• 18:48
  SPEAKER_00: All right?
• 18:48
  SPEAKER_00: Now listen, fam, don't just hear today's lesson.
• 18:52
  SPEAKER_00: I want you to run the play.
• 18:54
  SPEAKER_00: Run the play.
• 18:55
  SPEAKER_00: You're too brilliant not to run the play, family.
• 18:57
  SPEAKER_00: You're too brilliant not to build options.
• 18:59
  SPEAKER_00: I don't care if it's a 10 page report.
• 19:01
  SPEAKER_00: You're too brilliant and you're too valuable.
• 19:03
  SPEAKER_00: All right.
• 19:04
  SPEAKER_00: So run the play because information is everywhere and execution is rare.
• 19:08
  SPEAKER_00: I'll see you in the next briefing.