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Navigating Change and Success: Insights from an Air Force Veteran Businesswoman · Mrs. PIE

• 0:15
  Speaker 1: fearfulstlichecom.
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: All right, we made it y'all.
• 0:45
  Speaker 1: There is summer's going on behind the scenes.
• 0:48
  Speaker 1: I'm just glad we made it so.
• 0:50
  Speaker 1: Hello Tracy, how are you?
• 0:54
  Speaker 2: I am well.
• 0:55
  Speaker 2: I am well.
• 0:55
  Speaker 2: How are you?
• 0:58
  Speaker 1: I am good.
• 0:59
  Speaker 1: So let me kick this off all fancy like, because I've been waiting for this interview for so long and I'm just excited.
• 1:07
  Speaker 1: So Tracy is a remarkable business woman.
• 1:11
  Speaker 1: She's an Air Force veteran, she's past president and now board member of the League of Women Voters of Georgia.
• 1:18
  Speaker 1: She has a crazy, incredible background Just really want those people that you just want to dig in, to know how she's doing what she's doing and you know, I think, I think, tracy, your story is going to really help to inspire a lot of women, whether they're business owners or they're just looking to, you know, figure out how to kind of move into the next steps of their career.
• 1:39
  Speaker 1: So, before we get even further, I just want to.
• 1:42
  Speaker 1: I love to give people their flowers and I try to let people know, like when I bring, I'm bringing cream of the crop here, okay.
• 1:48
  Speaker 1: So, tracy, I am so honored that you know that you're joining us and, for all of y'all who are watching, we're on multiple channels, so Facebook and Twitter and LinkedIn and YouTube when else did I miss?
• 2:02
  Speaker 1: And definitely the folks that are on Paradex TV live.
• 2:06
  Speaker 1: There are 6.4 million strong.
• 2:08
  Speaker 1: That's an amazing community there.
• 2:10
  Speaker 1: So everybody, wherever you are, make sure that you like and love this video so that we can get more eyeballs and people to get to meet Tracy.
• 2:19
  Speaker 1: And also we'll launch the audio podcast on wherever folks get their podcasts at the end of this week.
• 2:27
  Speaker 1: So wherever y'all get your podcasts, you'll find out more.
• 2:33
  Speaker 1: But with that, I'm just grateful that you're here and I actually I was thinking about how we met, because we met on a group on Facebook, a group on Facebook, right, and so this is where a lot of, a lot of people miss, you know, they miss the opportunities to.
• 2:50
  Speaker 1: You know the oh hello, hello, dump and Ground podcast.
• 2:53
  Speaker 1: So this is another business podcast.
• 2:55
  Speaker 1: That's already.
• 2:56
  Speaker 1: So now you got folks in the stands, hello, but honestly, it's a great way for people to participate and just collaborate and meet new people.
• 3:06
  Speaker 1: So I say that, to say it, because a lot of people are missing those chances to, you know, just to kind of step out of your own circle.
• 3:14
  Speaker 1: So can you tell us a little bit about you know, a little bit about who you are and what you do, and then we go get into your business.
• 3:24
  Speaker 2: So I think that I came out of the womb the womb Shelley like this.
• 3:32
  Speaker 2: You know the answer.
• 3:33
  Speaker 2: I woke up like this I was in middle school and high school very involved in civic engagement and that has carried through my entire life, and I love sports.
• 3:50
  Speaker 2: So I've always just found comfort, and, you know, motivation in being a well-rounded person.
• 4:00
  Speaker 2: So I used to in high school go to Kiwanis Club meetings with my assistant principal.
• 4:09
  Speaker 2: Wow, so I really have that fever for community service, that love, that passion for community service.
• 4:18
  Speaker 2: So I am, and some things have changed since we first talked, since we first connected.
• 4:29
  Speaker 2: So I now work back at the airport for the city of Atlanta Department of Aviation as a senior facilities project manager and asset manager, senior asset manager.
• 4:43
  Speaker 2: So that is a passion.
• 4:45
  Speaker 2: That is a passion of mine.
• 4:46
  Speaker 2: I've worked at the airport.
• 4:50
  Speaker 2: This will be now going into my seventh year.
• 4:53
  Speaker 2: I live in Atlanta, that is, hartsville, jackson, atlanta International Airport, where I work In my civic life.
• 5:02
  Speaker 2: I am now a board member for the League of Women Voters of the United States.
• 5:10
  Speaker 1: Wow, that's.
• 5:12
  Speaker 2: I served at the local.
• 5:15
  Speaker 2: I served at the local level on the board for Atlanta, fulton County.
• 5:21
  Speaker 2: The League of Women Voters of Atlanta, fulton County and the national board came and said, hey, we want to have the 2010 national convention here in Atlanta.
• 5:34
  Speaker 2: Will you host it?
• 5:35
  Speaker 2: And my board voted and said, yeah, well, we want to host it, but who's going to be the local arrangements chair?
• 5:45
  Speaker 2: Wow, well, guess who?
• 5:47
  Speaker 2: Everybody.
• 5:47
  Speaker 2: They looked at me and I was just crazy enough to do it, and so I was the local arrangements chair for the national convention in 2010.
• 5:58
  Speaker 2: I joined the league in 2002.
• 6:00
  Speaker 2: So I've been a member for over 20 years now.
• 6:03
  Speaker 2: And so, in that capacity, I worked with the state board because Atlanta couldn't host 800 members by themselves.
• 6:18
  Speaker 2: Well, we could have, but we wanted to bring other leagues, these other local leagues around the state, in on this endeavor to host the 600 leagues across the nation.
• 6:29
  Speaker 2: And so, after national convention, I reported out to the state board.
• 6:41
  Speaker 2: Everything went well.
• 6:42
  Speaker 2: Thanks for all the help.
• 6:44
  Speaker 2: All right, see you later.
• 6:46
  Speaker 2: Bye.
• 6:46
  Speaker 2: And I said, no wait, we want you to serve on the state board.
• 6:52
  Speaker 2: So I'm serving on the state board, and it didn't take long before I realized I couldn't do both and work and be married and and so I just focused on the state board.
• 7:05
  Speaker 2: From 2011 to last June, I served on the state state board and in and they had, and so nationally I served as a sure fellow, a national coach to the state of Minnesota they're leaving they had 40 local, 40 local leagues and I co coached the state of New York, the state of Florida.
• 7:36
  Speaker 2: So just the fundamentals of having and running and managing a league of women voters.
• 7:44
  Speaker 2: And so the league is focused on registering and educating voters on the process, the electoral process, and making sure that people understand their civic, civic rights and responsibilities, and fighting for our voting rights on all levels, in state legislatures as well as at the US Capitol.
• 8:07
  Speaker 2: So that's the league of women voters.
• 8:11
  Speaker 2: It's it's 103 years old, 103 year old organization where black women were not originally welcomed into the organization.
• 8:22
  Speaker 2: I was actually the first African, african American woman elected to president for the state of.
• 8:29
  Speaker 2: Georgia, sadly in 2017.
• 8:34
  Speaker 2: But I kept getting nominated to from 2017.
• 8:44
  Speaker 2: I kept getting nominated 2018 to serve on the national board and I thought, oh my gosh, no, I don't want that.
• 8:51
  Speaker 2: But something shifted.
• 8:54
  Speaker 2: You know, god always has to tell me.
• 8:57
  Speaker 2: I get asked to do something and I'm like, oh, no, I'm good in the background.
• 9:03
  Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah.
• 9:04
  Speaker 2: God, yes, other plans, I learn.
• 9:06
  Speaker 2: I have learned now he has other plans.
• 9:08
  Speaker 2: Yeah, sometimes it is great to be in the background, but he's given me a voice to speak and I've told him I will.
• 9:17
  Speaker 2: When he says speak, I will speak.
• 9:18
  Speaker 2: When he says go, I will go.
• 9:19
  Speaker 2: So I have to get my composure and tell myself you can do it, even if I don't think I could do it, and jump out and do it.
• 9:30
  Speaker 2: So that's.
• 9:32
  Speaker 1: that's really incredible, because I was thinking about, like, the impact that you're making.
• 9:38
  Speaker 1: So there's a couple of things here.
• 9:40
  Speaker 1: First off, the leadership skills, because a lot of times people use the term leader and they use it as a job type of my key.
• 9:49
  Speaker 1: I say this over and over again it's a skill, it's not a title, okay, but the the fact is that there are certain qualities and and skills that you have and you know from transitioning from what you were doing before into what you're doing now and I love how you're rolling off like the League of Women Voters, like this is this is a huge deal.
• 10:10
  Speaker 1: Y'all, this is a huge deal.
• 10:13
  Speaker 1: So I want to talk about what are some of the, what are some of the, the things that, or the lessons learned as you kind of had to shift into into this particular role for maybe what you were doing before and just thinking about.
• 10:26
  Speaker 1: I'm thinking about all the women who are too scared to make a decision or too scared to do something new, or they don't think they have the, you know the, the right leadership skills.
• 10:36
  Speaker 1: Wait, I have to drop this in the chat here.
• 10:39
  Speaker 1: Thank you for right there.
• 10:41
  Speaker 1: I am the Oprah I'm so proud for RayDecTV.
• 10:44
  Speaker 1: Hello y'all, but what is that?
• 10:46
  Speaker 2: what does?
• 10:47
  Speaker 1: that look like for you.
• 10:48
  Speaker 1: You know the fact that you had to transition and that you know the level of skills and confidence you know for you to be able to do the position that you're in right now National, national right.
• 11:02
  Speaker 2: That you, thank you.
• 11:03
  Speaker 2: That is an excellent question and that has been a journey, and that's something else I'll tell you about later that I'm working on.
• 11:10
  Speaker 2: You're gonna think I don't sleep, but I actually love sleep.
• 11:16
  Speaker 2: So, I did it, but I do, but I have had to.
• 11:22
  Speaker 2: So.
• 11:23
  Speaker 2: When I was a little girl, my mom and dad bought me a t-shirt red and the letters were sparkly.
• 11:30
  Speaker 2: Letters that said anything a boy can do, a girl can do better.
• 11:37
  Speaker 2: Now I'm not comparing genders, but that just kind of set the foundation for just me having confidence to do whatever I wanted to do and to not feel limited as a girl.
• 11:52
  Speaker 2: Right, I'm 51.
• 11:55
  Speaker 1: I'm 51 years old so you know I used to play baseball.
• 12:08
  Speaker 2: I was only.
• 12:09
  Speaker 2: I was one of only two girls on the baseball team and I played softball, play fastball.
• 12:15
  Speaker 2: So I quickly learned you know how to be tough physically, but you also have to be tough mentally.
• 12:23
  Speaker 2: And I just kept as I was telling you off camera before we started kept getting pushed into.
• 12:30
  Speaker 2: I would want to be back here, just fine, just happy, making things happen, running things in in the background, and kept getting pushed to the forefront to speak, to lead, to organize, to manage.
• 12:46
  Speaker 2: And I said why?
• 12:49
  Speaker 2: God?
• 12:49
  Speaker 2: Why you know we do win, god, we win.
• 12:53
  Speaker 2: Why I want, I'm happy back here, we need people back here, that's happy back here.
• 12:59
  Speaker 2: But, um, you said that's, that's not, that's not what I put in you.
• 13:03
  Speaker 2: So I set out to balance, be, I really wanted to focus on being in balance.
• 13:10
  Speaker 2: Be, okay, be happy with being in the background when that is the appropriate thing, that I need to be, the lane that I need to be in, but being happy and confident.
• 13:22
  Speaker 2: And you know, go, go, go when I need to, when I need to be up front.
• 13:27
  Speaker 2: So now I've learned to run to get the invitation or nomination or whatever it may be.
• 13:39
  Speaker 2: Um, take a moment and breathe, think on it.
• 13:42
  Speaker 2: I'll get back to you.
• 13:44
  Speaker 2: I'll let you know if it doesn't immediately ring in my spirit like you did.
• 13:48
  Speaker 2: Yeah, your invitation immediately rang it.
• 13:52
  Speaker 2: Just, oh my gosh, the connection was amazing with with you, but, um, um, so I just run it through the tester.
• 14:02
  Speaker 2: Is this something you want me to do, lord?
• 14:03
  Speaker 2: If so, I'm ready, let's do it.
• 14:05
  Speaker 2: Um, I have.
• 14:08
  Speaker 2: I used to sing in the choir and then I became a.
• 14:13
  Speaker 2: I love music so much I became a um in in my church choir a conductor right, a leader right yes.
• 14:23
  Speaker 2: I'm like director and I don't.
• 14:29
  Speaker 2: I did play the flute from the seventh grade.
• 14:33
  Speaker 2: My dad bought me a flute and so I did have a fundamental love of and understanding of music and notes and you know, composition of music.
• 14:46
  Speaker 2: But I was not trained to be a director, a musical director, um.
• 14:53
  Speaker 2: But I felt the calling and I followed it and I encouraged somebody who was actually musically trained to not be afraid to stand, to step up when that, when needed, when that opportunity presented itself.
• 15:10
  Speaker 2: So I've just learned these lessons and just being pushed in the spotlight along the way.
• 15:17
  Speaker 2: I love that I think that's the church at home in my civic life yeah, a professional life everywhere.
• 15:27
  Speaker 1: I love that.
• 15:27
  Speaker 1: I think that's one of the things that I think, one that when we first connected that there's, there's just some folks that just have I don't know, I guess it's we have a natural.
• 15:37
  Speaker 1: I don't like to use the word charm, because it's not charm, we just have, we're just confident.
• 15:42
  Speaker 1: But it takes, it takes a while for you to To you know, to get to that point.
• 15:48
  Speaker 1: You know you had to learn some lessons along the way, and so I'm always curious when I talk to women who are very success.
• 15:56
  Speaker 1: You're very successful in what you do and you're also very successful in who you are meaning.
• 16:03
  Speaker 1: You own it, you know, you're not afraid and even though you know again, opportunities might show up where you have to Move forward because that's where you belong, that's what you're supposed to do.
• 16:14
  Speaker 1: You're not running away from those challenges.
• 16:18
  Speaker 1: And what?
• 16:19
  Speaker 1: What kind of advice would you give to women?
• 16:20
  Speaker 1: Because now I want to talk a little bit about what you're doing now and some of the other things you're doing, because this is one that was I tell people all the time.
• 16:28
  Speaker 1: You know, this is where you got to be careful.
• 16:30
  Speaker 1: There are some folks who are just Blessed to be able to spin multiple plates very well, and there's some people who are blessed to spin one plate very well.
• 16:38
  Speaker 1: We are multi plate spinners, okay.
• 16:42
  Speaker 1: So for those of y'all who are single plate spinners, just just listen to what we're sharing.
• 16:48
  Speaker 1: We're not encouraging, don't?
• 16:49
  Speaker 1: Don't be like us, okay, don't do what we're doing, but just be encouraged.
• 16:54
  Speaker 1: For those of you guys who are spinning multiple plates, this leaning a little bit closer, so talk a little bit about you know what else you're working on.
• 17:05
  Speaker 2: Excellent and and that was a great analogy to see the place, and in multiple places.
• 17:10
  Speaker 2: But One, one thing I, one thing I will say is Be very clear.
• 17:19
  Speaker 2: Get very clear if you're not, on who you are, what you know, what you like, um, and what your boundaries are in life in general.
• 17:32
  Speaker 2: Yes, we need that answer, but, uh, once you are, leave room Still for growth, for advancement, um, for change.
• 17:47
  Speaker 2: We just love change, don't we?
• 17:49
  Speaker 2: Oh yeah, change your perspective.
• 17:51
  Speaker 2: Perspective is everything, um, just be open to opportunities.
• 17:56
  Speaker 2: Uh, god may have for you.
• 17:59
  Speaker 2: Sometimes we're so closed off.
• 18:01
  Speaker 2: I only do this, um, and that's all, and I don't, you know, and, and you can really miss some awesome opportunities in life, um, being closed off.
• 18:13
  Speaker 2: So don't be afraid to leap, take that leap.
• 18:17
  Speaker 2: Every morning I almost every morning, I listen to motivational videos on youtube To get me going set my intention for the day, you know, keep my spirit up and I'm thinking about what I want to accomplish for the day, for the week, for the month, for the year.
• 18:37
  Speaker 2: I set my goals.
• 18:40
  Speaker 2: I revisit my goals.
• 18:41
  Speaker 2: I don't have a set time to revisit my goals, but I do revisit my goals because I want to see where I'm at.
• 18:48
  Speaker 2: I want to recalculate if I'm not advancing as quickly as I like, but I do have some goals that have spanned that I thought I would accomplish in that year.
• 18:57
  Speaker 2: That have spanned across two, three, four years.
• 19:01
  Speaker 2: Like I just accomplished a major goal that I have carried on my goal sheet since 2019.
• 19:11
  Speaker 2: So that's four years.
• 19:12
  Speaker 1: Oh, I need to know what it is.
• 19:13
  Speaker 1: I need to know.
• 19:16
  Speaker 2: I have been carrying Lose 50 pounds since 2019.
• 19:23
  Speaker 1: Wow.
• 19:23
  Speaker 2: And I weight myself this morning.
• 19:26
  Speaker 2: I am down 47 pounds.
• 19:31
  Speaker 2: Shelley, what 47 pounds.
• 19:34
  Speaker 1: That is huge, but congratulations.
• 19:37
  Speaker 2: Oh my gosh, that's awesome.
• 19:39
  Speaker 2: Thank you, that is so awesome.
• 19:41
  Speaker 1: I love that.
• 19:42
  Speaker 2: So you know.
• 19:44
  Speaker 2: So go for it.
• 19:46
  Speaker 2: I want to make sure I answered your question.
• 19:50
  Speaker 2: I know you asked me what would I tell a woman who is that multiple plate?
• 19:56
  Speaker 1: Yeah, whatever you would Thank you, thank you.
• 20:00
  Speaker 2: Thank you, but also you asked me about what I'm doing now.
• 20:05
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 20:08
  Speaker 2: Okay, then I told you I would share with you later.
• 20:14
  Speaker 2: I'm working on a book, really Working on a book, okay, and I am pursuing.
• 20:24
  Speaker 2: I'm pursuing a certification in coaching because I have learned so much and, like I said, I always want to be in the background doing stuff and I always get pushed to the foreground.
• 20:39
  Speaker 2: So I have been.
• 20:40
  Speaker 2: I have had the privilege of experiencing so many things across so many different, different genres Non-profit, you know, professional entrepreneurial started my own business because in my professional life I worked on a small business development program.
• 21:03
  Speaker 2: I had to help facilitate, just facilitate.
• 21:07
  Speaker 2: I didn't have to teach the classes, just facilitate the classes.
• 21:10
  Speaker 2: But, of course, in the process of doing that, I learned about, you know, getting incorporated, whether it's, you know, it's better to get the LLC, depending on what your business is and how to do business with a government entity contract management, marketing, writing your business plan, all of that.
• 21:29
  Speaker 2: And so I wanted to, I wanted to share that.
• 21:32
  Speaker 2: I wanted to share that.
• 21:33
  Speaker 2: So I started my little consulting business and I quickly learned that I am not the serialpreneur, I am not the entrepreneur, I, I love I actually love the 95.
• 21:48
  Speaker 2: I'm good with the nine to five.
• 21:52
  Speaker 1: And you got to know that.
• 21:53
  Speaker 1: That's why I said be clear, yeah.
• 21:55
  Speaker 2: Be clear about what you like and what you don't like, and but you got to take, you got to take chances to really know that too.
• 22:02
  Speaker 2: Yeah, so I'm proud of myself in 2013.
• 22:05
  Speaker 2: I started business management concepts because I wanted to share that and I actually helped.
• 22:10
  Speaker 2: I helped a lady establish her nonprofit.
• 22:14
  Speaker 2: I helped a lady take her business.
• 22:17
  Speaker 2: She she had a dance dance like Zumba.
• 22:24
  Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 22:26
  Speaker 2: Fiscal expression through dance moves, physical, Okay.
• 22:29
  Speaker 2: And her?
• 22:30
  Speaker 2: I sat down with her.
• 22:32
  Speaker 2: We mapped out her goals for her business.
• 22:34
  Speaker 2: She wanted to acquire a gym, a facility.
• 22:38
  Speaker 2: She wanted to get certified as a nutritionist.
• 22:41
  Speaker 2: So we mapped out a whole plan for her.
• 22:44
  Speaker 2: And do you know, God brings things full circle.
• 22:48
  Speaker 1: Oh yeah, there's a lot of veterans on this call right now in this chat, so I just want to make sure she gets her flowers there too, y'all Okay, she's a veteran, so shout out to the veterans in the chat and the one on this call.
• 23:02
  Speaker 1: Thank you.
• 23:03
  Speaker 2: Awesome Air Force.
• 23:04
  Speaker 2: Air Force is the best you know.
• 23:06
  Speaker 2: I just got picked up with the Air Force all day long, but anyways, I actually got to see her dream, that dream, that roadmap we created, come to fruition.
• 23:18
  Speaker 2: I rode past I live off of the street, on the same street as the facility that she purchased.
• 23:28
  Speaker 2: Or that she started leasing for the business.
• 23:31
  Speaker 2: Yes, yes, so, but I don't have the, I don't.
• 23:36
  Speaker 2: I like to have my nine to five and I like to do, I like to share my gift.
• 23:41
  Speaker 2: You know, in my side hustle, I'll say it like that I love that.
• 23:49
  Speaker 1: So that's another.
• 23:50
  Speaker 2: That's another thing right.
• 23:52
  Speaker 1: Yeah, and now you're growing that out.
• 23:53
  Speaker 1: So again, you know, for those of you all who are watching, we're talking about leadership skills.
• 23:59
  Speaker 1: Wait, so there's, there's, there's a mix of the services.
• 24:02
  Speaker 1: So now you're all going to have a fight, I think that would get us started, buddy.
• 24:08
  Speaker 1: We already claim Air Force because you know, for an Air Force family as well.
• 24:13
  Speaker 1: So sorry y'all, it is what it is, but we talk about, like you know, being able to.
• 24:19
  Speaker 1: You know, I think it's really just understanding your purpose.
• 24:23
  Speaker 1: You know what you're great at building your confidence and then trying to figure out.
• 24:30
  Speaker 1: You know.
• 24:30
  Speaker 1: Then, how do I, how does my gift show up?
• 24:33
  Speaker 1: Here we go, marines here we go.
• 24:38
  Speaker 1: Marines, right, so you know how you, how you show up with your gift.
• 24:42
  Speaker 1: So how does that, how does that play out for you?
• 24:45
  Speaker 1: Because, again, a lot of times, people see folks like you who are very successful, right, and they see the tail end of the story, but they don't understand the journey that it took to get here.
• 24:56
  Speaker 1: It's not.
• 24:56
  Speaker 1: It's not this, it is not that simple, but what kind of advice or counsel would you give for folks who are just on that journey?
• 25:07
  Speaker 2: That is such a great question, shelley.
• 25:10
  Speaker 2: So as I grew and learned right, I said, ok, I got, I have.
• 25:16
  Speaker 2: I have certain gifts, I have passions, but what's my purpose?
• 25:22
  Speaker 2: So very spiritual Anything.
• 25:27
  Speaker 2: You hear me say I'm going to the Lord with it.
• 25:28
  Speaker 2: Oh yeah, I almost see anything in my life, I'm going to the Lord.
• 25:32
  Speaker 2: So what did you create me for?
• 25:33
  Speaker 2: I spent some time.
• 25:36
  Speaker 2: What did you create me for, lord?
• 25:38
  Speaker 2: And I want to.
• 25:42
  Speaker 2: I said I want to be very clear.
• 25:43
  Speaker 2: I want to be very clear and I want to operate in that.
• 25:47
  Speaker 2: I understand I can have a nine to five, I can share my gifts, but am I operating in my purpose?
• 25:57
  Speaker 2: I got, I got all kinds of passions I ride a motorcycle, I like to crochet Okay, I have all kinds of passions, but but what did you create me for?
• 26:06
  Speaker 2: And I feel that God created me to encourage and educate people.
• 26:13
  Speaker 2: So this venture, my newest venture under construction, is kind of the culmination in the coming together of all of that I I launched.
• 26:27
  Speaker 2: So I've been perfecting my professional skills, right Business, and I set a goal 20 to 20 years ago.
• 26:38
  Speaker 2: I said, okay, I'm working below where I should be.
• 26:42
  Speaker 2: I want to be, I want to advance in the corporate ladder and I and I want my six figure salary.
• 26:51
  Speaker 2: And I spent six months just grinding, grinding, grinding, looking, looking, looking for that opportunity.
• 26:59
  Speaker 2: That is how I left the airport before I left the airport.
• 27:03
  Speaker 2: That is how I left the airport before through with another company.
• 27:12
  Speaker 2: I got an and I prayed for certain things and those things manifested.
• 27:19
  Speaker 2: That opportunity came, yep, but it wasn't the six figure salary, but I prayed it will be a fortune, a fortune 500 company, and that I would get an opportunity from a fortune 500 company.
• 27:33
  Speaker 2: It would be a hybrid job position because I was tired of driving all over Atlanta and all of that.
• 27:41
  Speaker 2: All of that and it was an awesome project and it ended earlier than it was supposed to and I was unemployed, shelley, for seven months.
• 27:53
  Speaker 2: Wow, awful, but it was great.
• 27:58
  Speaker 2: Actually, it was a blessing.
• 27:59
  Speaker 2: It was a blessing because that is how I was able to lose focus in and lose that weight and rest and heal.
• 28:08
  Speaker 2: I had a problem with my knee.
• 28:10
  Speaker 2: It was, it was a blessing.
• 28:12
  Speaker 2: It was a blessing.
• 28:13
  Speaker 2: It was hard financially, but it was a blessing.
• 28:16
  Speaker 2: But guess what?
• 28:18
  Speaker 2: My new job.
• 28:20
  Speaker 2: My boss loves me, I love my boss, my background is appreciated and it's a six figure job.
• 28:30
  Speaker 1: Oh my God, that is awesome, that is awesome.
• 28:34
  Speaker 2: I got a couple of bumps and bruises.
• 28:36
  Speaker 2: But yeah, god is, he is so faithful, he is so faithful.
• 28:40
  Speaker 2: But all of this, I want to share all of this with people who need encouragement, people who need direction, people who are looking for you know the next thing, or how to hone in on the purpose, or how to take the skills that they do have and put them to use.
• 28:58
  Speaker 2: Or maybe you want to start a business and you don't know where to start.
• 29:01
  Speaker 2: I want to share that, so that's what I'm looking at doing now.
• 29:07
  Speaker 1: So when can folks get access to you through your business?
• 29:10
  Speaker 1: When are we, when are we looking?
• 29:12
  Speaker 1: When are we having the party?
• 29:18
  Speaker 2: Okay.
• 29:19
  Speaker 2: So see, now you're going to put me on your timeline.
• 29:22
  Speaker 2: I actually feel January in my spirit.
• 29:31
  Speaker 2: Okay, so I need to, I need to get busy mapping out my own road map.
• 29:36
  Speaker 2: I have just been working on the book I did, I put that time off, I had, I put it to good use.
• 29:46
  Speaker 2: I even grew a garden, shelley oh, my God, I'm talking about tomatoes, cucumbers, corn, watermelon I'm serious corn on the cob.
• 29:56
  Speaker 2: I had two corn stalks.
• 29:57
  Speaker 2: So, anyways, I tell you you, you have power beyond what you think, you can push, beyond what you think you can do.
• 30:16
  Speaker 2: You can learn.
• 30:17
  Speaker 2: Don't let anybody put you in a box.
• 30:21
  Speaker 2: You can do whatever it is you want to do.
• 30:25
  Speaker 2: Study what it is that you want to do.
• 30:27
  Speaker 2: Always be working on improving yourself.
• 30:33
  Speaker 2: Read I love to read.
• 30:34
  Speaker 2: I have an audibles account because the commute in Atlanta is real, the commute, the commuting.
• 30:41
  Speaker 2: So I've tried to make good use of my time, whatever I am doing.
• 30:47
  Speaker 2: Yes, sir, I try to make the best use of my time and whatever I'm doing.
• 30:52
  Speaker 2: So I listen to self-help book, self-help help books, health based books.
• 31:01
  Speaker 2: I'm listening to a book now called the Body Keeps the Score.
• 31:05
  Speaker 2: That I learned from a book club that I'm in talking about the actual what manifests in your body after trauma, because we all experience trauma at one point or another, some more severe than others, and it is amazing what happens in your body after trauma and during and after long after trauma.
• 31:31
  Speaker 2: So I've learned you need to heal, you need to heal and that takes time, it takes effort, it may take professional help and that is okay.
• 31:44
  Speaker 2: Exactly exactly After I lost my mom and I felt so much better, so much better.
• 31:53
  Speaker 2: So it's okay to fail, it is okay to lose.
• 31:59
  Speaker 2: You gotta win some.
• 32:02
  Speaker 2: You gotta lose some, it's okay, it is okay.
• 32:06
  Speaker 1: Oh my God, I love this so much, tracy, I'm actually so when's the book coming?
• 32:12
  Speaker 1: Now, again, I'm all in the business.
• 32:14
  Speaker 1: We need the book, we need the business and we need you to come back when you have both the book and the business, because I think this is gonna help a lot of people.
• 32:24
  Speaker 1: There's so many people who are in this boat where they're just trying to figure out what's next, or what's my purpose, or what should I do, or just looking for just encouragement right Cause we're all on a different path is just one of me and one of you and we're taking.
• 32:43
  Speaker 1: So anything that we can do to encourage people to, it's okay to fail, all of those things that you covered, I think would be so helpful for folks to get that.
• 32:54
  Speaker 1: So we're down to the wire and before you go, I definitely wanna call out Sergeant Mario Beale.
• 33:01
  Speaker 1: Sergeant.
• 33:02
  Speaker 1: Major because he's a huge supporter of me.
• 33:05
  Speaker 1: He's also in our Paradec family, but he's a huge supporter of you, tracy, and I just wanna make sure we're giving him his flowers too.
• 33:13
  Speaker 1: So thank you, sergeant Major, for supporting Tracy here tonight, and obviously everybody on Paradec.
• 33:19
  Speaker 1: Thank you, sergeant Major, thank you Dump and Ground and everybody on all the channels.
• 33:24
  Speaker 1: Y'all don't forget to like the video or love it on your way out.
• 33:27
  Speaker 1: Please don't make me beg.
• 33:29
  Speaker 1: Please do it, but what do you want?
• 33:33
  Speaker 1: My last question would be what do you wanna be remembered for?
• 33:41
  Speaker 2: That's to see that, listening to videos, listening to motivational speeches and reading the books, I remember one thing that resonated, a lot resonated with me.
• 33:54
  Speaker 2: But one thing that resonated with me was something that Les Brown said, and I don't know if he got it from someone else, but yeah.
• 34:05
  Speaker 2: He said you don't wanna get to the end of your life and let all your wonderful gifts that God has blessed you with die with you.
• 34:16
  Speaker 2: What is it that is in you that you are supposed to be sharing with others, that you're not sharing for whatever reason?
• 34:26
  Speaker 2: Don't let that happen.
• 34:29
  Speaker 2: He said it would be a shame if you let that happen.
• 34:32
  Speaker 2: So that is something that pushes me to make sure that I give all that I have to give all that.
• 34:47
  Speaker 2: I've learned all already.
• 34:48
  Speaker 2: We had the prayers about the purpose, right.
• 34:52
  Speaker 2: Why did you create me?
• 34:53
  Speaker 2: What did you create me to do?
• 34:55
  Speaker 2: And I do I made so.
• 34:59
  Speaker 2: One of the other, one of the videos I listened to, said what's your personal mission statement?
• 35:08
  Speaker 2: What is your personal mission statement?
• 35:12
  Speaker 2: So mine is to be the woman of God that he designed me to be.
• 35:18
  Speaker 2: That is, to fulfill my purpose, right, that he gave me, that he created me for.
• 35:24
  Speaker 2: And so if I feel, if I believe that my purpose is to encourage and educate others, then how am I doing that?
• 35:34
  Speaker 2: So I'm a project manager and asset manager professionally Great, great, and I can do it.
• 35:40
  Speaker 2: I can do some of that on the job.
• 35:44
  Speaker 2: I'm a national leader for the League of Women Voters of the United States.
• 35:50
  Speaker 2: So I do that, you know, in some capacity here and there actually train new leaders in the organization and seasoned leaders as well.
• 36:00
  Speaker 2: So that's great, but is that enough?
• 36:03
  Speaker 2: Is that all that he has for me?
• 36:05
  Speaker 2: So that's that's.
• 36:06
  Speaker 2: That's where.
• 36:07
  Speaker 2: That's kind of what's stewing for me now and I would I thank you for this opportunity, shelley, and I thank you for the invitation to come back after I launched the book and the business.
• 36:26
  Speaker 2: Oh, and I'm sorry I forgot about my venture with my husband.
• 36:29
  Speaker 2: Yes, my husband, yeah, my husband started a locked type professional, locked type professions.
• 36:38
  Speaker 2: So security business, full service security Keshia.
• 36:43
  Speaker 2: He is the certified weapons instructor.
• 36:48
  Speaker 2: He comes from 19 years of law enforcement and he's also certified in executive protection and security services, as well as security training and private investigation.
• 37:00
  Speaker 2: And, of course, I'm the business mind, so I'm CEO, he's the COO.
• 37:07
  Speaker 2: We actually got a contract to train 30, now this was this was several years ago 30 police security I believe there was some fire and some military men from Afghanistan.
• 37:30
  Speaker 2: Wow, they trained them on security and different, different things they trained them on here in the United States.
• 37:39
  Speaker 2: So it was a huge contract and it was a lot of.
• 37:42
  Speaker 2: It was a lot of work but a lot of fun, very rewarding.
• 37:45
  Speaker 2: They were so humble and so grateful to come here and get this, get that training Wow.
• 37:52
  Speaker 2: So yeah, a lot of.
• 37:54
  Speaker 2: I know I've been all over the place and I've traveled the world in the military station in England, hawaii and Virginia and I did intelligence.
• 38:07
  Speaker 2: So a lot of experiences and I'm just gonna share that she's like I've been everywhere done, everything, everywhere done everything just about.
• 38:16
  Speaker 1: I love that so much, but I'm so grateful, like I said, to just to have you come on and share, and I guess I, you know, I'm sure your, your story is actually gonna help encourage you.
• 38:28
  Speaker 1: Just never know.
• 38:28
  Speaker 1: I'm always curious about what happens when we leave, because most people watch our replays or listen to our download, download or something right.
• 38:37
  Speaker 1: But I'm always keenly aware that there is a life that's been touched when my guests come on and share their stories, because that's just how God works, that's just the way it is.
• 38:48
  Speaker 1: So, so, for whoever it is that's catching the replay whether you're watching the video or you, you're listening, so you're on the Amazon streets, audible streets or wherever, wherever you get your podcast, I hope this really reaches you and blesses you.
• 39:02
  Speaker 1: We're gonna hang out in the back room for a little bit while we tell these folks good night and thank you so much for doing this.
• 39:10
  Speaker 1: I was like I can't wait for her to get here.
• 39:12
  Speaker 1: Now.
• 39:13
  Speaker 1: I'm like, oh, I can't wait for her to come back.
• 39:17
  Speaker 2: Thank you, shelley.
• 39:19
  Speaker 2: Thank you, I hang out in the back room.
• 39:21
  Speaker 1: Good night everybody.