81. Come Out of Hiding with Dr. Raymona Lawrence

Welcome to Disrupting Burnout - a podcast where we beat burnout so that you can love your career again! Whether you’re pursuing a degree, working at a job you don't like, or taking small steps toward your goals, every step can intentionally lead you to where you want to be. 

 This week on Disrupting Burnout, I’m joined by another Woman Who Defines Disruption, Dr. Raymona H. Lawrence - a Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Strategist, Speaker, Coach, and Consultant for network marketers, small business owners, and solopreneurs. 

 Dr. Raymona turned her pain into purpose and acknowledged every step in her journey as necessary and significant. In this episode, Dr. Lawrence teaches us how to communicate, plan and identify the disruption assigned to us, so that we can come out of hiding and unlock doors of opportunities that can impact and bless people all over the world. 

 It’s Time To Disrupt Burnout:

 03:10 - It Starts With a Dream

10:20 - Come Out Of Hiding

16:00 - Turning Pain Into Purpose

20:40 - Continue Your Story 

30:00 - Communicate, Plan & Identify The Disruption

Come Out of Hiding Takeaways
●      “Why are you worried about these people when you speak to God everyday.” - Dr. Raymona H. Lawrence

●      “I knew that if I didn’t get uncomfortable and move, then I wasn’t going to fulfill my purpose.” - Dr. Raymona H. Lawrence

●      “You have to identify the disruption that is assigned to you.” - Dr. Raymona H. Lawrence

●      “Challenge broken systems that keep people from reaching their highest potential.” - Dr. Raymona H. Lawrence

●      “I don’t do a lot of different things, I engage diverse communities in a lot of different ways.” - Dr. Raymona H. Lawrence 

Connect With Dr. Lawrence
Instagram: @drraymonahlawrence | https://www.instagram.com/drraymonahlawrence/

Inclusive Networker Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/5xkxCCXHCrmg4xsez9uHg9?si=85ebb10d30304e5e

Website: https://sked.link/drraymonahlawrence  

Connect with Dr. PBJ
●               To connect with Dr. PBJ, go topatricebucknerjackson.com

●               Follow Dr. PBJ on IG@drpatricebucknerjackson for#aspoonfulofpbj.

●               Need a dynamic transformational speaker?  Dr. PBJ is ready to serve.  Check outDr. PBJ Speaks | https://www.patricebucknerjackson.com/speaking

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Transcript

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If you're comfortable, but you know that you know that, you know, you're supposed to be doing something else, it is so important to listen to that voice. And to start to say, Okay, I don't know what's gonna happen, but I've got to move on Hey, friends, listen, y'all know, y'all know that I am giving you the goods in this Women Who Define Disruption series, I am bringing not just my friends, but powerful women. I'm talking about women who are impacting the world before you. And this is intentionally because I want you to know that you are a woman who impacts the world and you are a woman who defines disruption. And sometimes you just need to hear it. Sometimes you just need to be exposed. Sometimes you just need to hear somebody else's story for something that that fire to be said on the inside of you. And that's what I hope that's what I pray is happening for you. As you listen to this conversation and all of these conversations. I pray that there's a fire on the inside of you, like never before to do the thing, or the things that you were created to do. So today I am introducing you all and sharing with you, my good friend, Dr. Ramona Lawrence. Dr. Ramona is the creator and host of the Inclusive Networker podcast. She is a coach. She is a certified Diversity, Equity and Inclusion professional. She is a faculty member. She is a researcher. She is a wife. She is a mom, all things see every night says you can't do all the things. Well listen, I'm about to let you know that my sister, my friend does all of the things. And she has been such a good friend to me. Oh, welcome, Dr. Ramona. Welcome to the Disrupting Burnout Podcast. Oh, what an amazing introduction. Thank you so much. And you have truly truly been an inspiration, a friend, a leader, all that to me. And so I'm so very honored to be here with you today to just talk to you and to encourage these women. Oh, come on, ladies. Let's do it. Oh my God, listen, let me tell y'all something so that the Ramona is my dream partner like yours, okay. years, more than 10 years, we're sitting in each other's offices. When nobody knew our name, and we didn't have no special titles, each other's offices dreaming together, talking about our future together supporting each other. This woman singer sang at my wedding. This woman called my name when I crossed the stage to be hooded for my Doctorate. So I'm not playing around when I say this is my friend. Oh, this is my friend. Friend. Listen, I am so excited. And I want to get right in here. Please tell the people who you are. Oh my goodness. So like you said, I'm Ramona I'm Dr. Ramona Lawrence. I am Geordan and Gigi's mama, George's wife, I am God's girl, I'm a church. I mean, I am all of those things. But my job title is an associate professor of health policy and community health at Georgia Southern University. And so I do that I run my business, my I have an absolute heart for diversity, equity and inclusion. And so I have a business where I speak I coach I consult. And so, you know, those are the big things that I do. But, you know, it's a it's been a long journey, right? There. So, yes, I do that. And, you know, you're you're given me these accolades and saying, oh, there's all these different things that I do. But I'll tell you back when I was sitting in your office, and we were dreaming. I remember you telling me like, I remember having to speak one day. And you told me why are you worried about these people? When you speak to God every day? was like, wait, what? Yes. It's like those types. things those little what we call got wings, those things that happen over time are who I have been shaped and how I've been becoming over that time since we were back there dreaming when nobody knew our names. And so, you know, I started when, when we were dreaming, and nobody knew our names. I was in student affairs, or in just a staff, and I was a wellness program director for Georgia Southern and I was finishing up my Doctorate in Public Health, and really just starting to, you know, see the process of how do you make sure that you're able to continue in academia? Well, if I was a staff member, I knew that my research was going to die, right? Because I was super comfortable. I really love my job as a staff member, I really love my job as the wellness program director. But I knew that I was purposed to do Sickle Cell Research Come on. And how did I know that? Because I was born this way. Right? I was born with sickle cell disease. And so I knew some way somehow, that's what I was supposed to be doing. But you talk about disruption, right. And the disruption happened because it was something inside of me, that was telling me it's time for you to move. I was comfortable, I didn't have any reason to disrupt this process, right. But I knew that if I didn't get uncomfortable, and move that I wasn't gonna fulfill my purpose. So scared to death. Moving into a temporary Now this wasn't even a tell to people. See, ya see people that are just you know, at this, they're going in there being professors, you don't know how to get there. So I was going into a temporary assistant professor position, not knowing if I would have a job the next year, having to step out, leap out, fall out the box into that position, having a panic attack, because I'm like, I've got control over here, don't have control over there can't see what's coming. Don't know what's happening. Don't even know if I'll make money again, after. So I was scared. But I knew that disruption was happening. And that if I did stay, even though I was comfortable burn out would happen in that other job, because I was not fulfilling my purpose. I wasn't going to be doing what I was supposed to be doing. So that's one of the first things that I want to tell you ladies is that if you're comfortable, but you know that you know that you know, you're supposed to be doing something else. It is so important to listen to that voice. And to start to say, Okay, I don't know what's going to happen. But I've got to move. Right. I have got to move. Yeah, yeah. Let me say this, because I got to make sure that they hear these jewels that you're dropping today. Because we look at everybody else's store. And it looks like they got it all together. Right? Like we look at another woman, another person and say, Oh, I can't ever be Dr. Ramona, I can't ever be that to PBJ. Well, you're not supposed to first of all, you're the best you so you're not supposed to. But the other thing is, you don't know what it took. And so when we're talking about walking in purpose, you are going to have to get uncomfortable. You are going to Gay Hendricks talks about the zone of expertise and the zone of genius. And I believe that zone of expertise is that is the really dangerous space, right? Because you're in a space where you're really good. You are an excellent wellness director, excellent and loved it. Great job. And Georgia colleagues enjoyed the work. It was good. But it wasn't the genius. You could have done that until retirement and you would have gotten awards and accolades and Pat's on the back because you were really good at it. But just so knew that there was more. Yeah, I just wanted to call that out because I know that there are folks who listen to this podcast and you're really good at what you do and very comfortable and you could just chill right there. You can stay right there and people want you to stay there because you you being there helps them. It helps them stay comfortable too. But I want To disrupt that comfort, and encourage you to follow the fire, have no idea what's in store for you, if you are willing to as that remote to say fall out of that box. And let me let me add this, okay? So when we're, when we're talking about this, I'm calling this coming out of hiding, right? Because you good, you good, you good good at what you do it but you is time something is calling you out of hiding, right? Because the thing that's gonna put you up there, right on the big stage is what is trying to push you. And that is the first thing is the chaos of the inner me, right. So we always talk about the in the Mi e in E my, but the i n n e r me, right? The inner me is telling you, you are supposed to be doing something else it is time to move, it is time to break up the cycle that you're in, even if the cycle is good, and it feels comfortable, your inner me is gonna know. And so for me, the enemy was saying I'm calling you to something greater. And the My mind was saying, Well, I don't know if I can do greater. I don't know what greater means. I don't know, I don't have the skill set to be a professor. And I didn't. When I first became a professor, you all will not believe how confused I was, it is so much to the job. It is like you gotta learn all of these different pieces of things that you have to do. Everybody thinks we sit there, and we are waiting to go to class. And in great papers. That is not it, that we do a lot of research, service, teaching all of that. And I didn't know what I was doing. And so on top of going into a new job and not knowing where I was going, I didn't know how to do the job. And so that is is something that you have to get comfortable with. Because it's not that that let me take this out of it. And let me take it to you. It's not that you can't do something on the next level is that you have to build the habits to sustain that next level. So that's where the discomfort is. And you can do that everything we do in the beginning is new. And so when you get to a next level, people get frustrated, and they quit and they run back to the level that they were on before. And that is just because they have not built the skills to stay on that limit level the new habits to stay on that level. And so who do you need to become I keep using this word becoming? Who do you need to become to get on the next level? And then go to the next level? Oh, my goodness, Listen, I gotta put myself on mute, because I'm over here a morning. Let's let's continue. So you took on this temporary faculty position, right? Tell us more, because it didn't stop there. Yeah. So the next year. So I went through this temporary process, I had to learn a lot, I had to, you know, impress people figure out if I could even you know, get the job do the job. And I fell in love with it. I was like, Oh, this is what being a faculty member is is nothing like I expected. But I really do like it. And I see the potential for the research that I'm doing. And so I had to go into the process of, you know, actually solidifying the job. So that next year, I got the actual tenure track position, and begin to be an actual professor on the tenure track at the university. And so, again, though, even though I had gone through that year, other people didn't know what I didn't know what I was doing as far as the solidified research topic. And I didn't know how I fit in. Here's a key thing. I do sickle cell research, which is a medical condition in a College of Public Health. So I didn't fit with the medical people. I didn't fit with the public health. And I was trying to find my way and I'm like, am I really supposed to be doing this in this area? So I had to disrupt even the area of research that I was doing to be able to stay there. Now. I often say, Well, let me be like everybody else. I need to figure out what everybody else is doing so that I can fit in. I tried that it didn't work. I tried to be stuffy, like a professor and act like I just, you know, it didn't work. And I wanted to engage people, I wanted to say, okay, and do all of that stuff. And what I realized eventually is that that's what these teams needed. They needed somebody to do that. They needed somebody to disrupt things and start to do the community engagement in sickle cell, they needed public health principles to be applied to this medical condition, because that's what was missing. Nobody was following the clinicians roles, because they didn't account for what happens the 90% of time that they're not a patient in a clinic. Right. So then the National Institutes of Health started saying, we have to do these community engaged approaches, because our work is not really being implemented in the actual people that need to do it. So all of a sudden, my work was essential to everything. Hold on, wait. Because guess what, who else could have done it? Okay. It had to be you. Listen, watch this. Now, I will say it okay about God. But yeah. Put that in me. Yes, no, God, you gotta get it. But it had to be you. Those years, Dr. Ramona, where you were growing up with pain crises. And you were growing up having to go to the hospital and to the doctor and endure your diagnoses. And my pastor talks about folks who turn their pain into purpose, you are the perfect example of a person who turns not just turned, because this is still a very real part of your life, who toggles turning ing pain into purpose. You you make this transition that was already scary, and reckless, and all the things right, you make this transition. And then after you make this transition, you notice that you're not like everybody else, and then trying to fit in and you realize that that doesn't fit. But now you see, it had to be you, with your story. With your experience with your approach with your community with your exposure. It had to be you to impact the NIH, the NIH needed you public health needed you sickle cell or research needed Dr. Ramona, Lawrence, and we serve a God who knew that from the day you took your first breath. Yeah, yeah. He knew that from the day you entered this world. And you journeying with him, you have discovered that we talk about discovering our brilliance, you do our and still because you ain't done yet. Still discovering brilliance that was put on the inside of you, by the Heavenly Father, to be you. To bring you, all of you, from your sister locks to your personality, to your skin color, to your personal experience, to bring all of you to this work that you've been called to do? Yeah, yeah. My goodness. Hey, friends, I'm just popping in to let you know that I have just a handful of openings on my calendar over the next three months for one on one coaching clients. If you are an accomplished woman who has found that you've lost your fire over time, if you have been successful doing all the things, but you just want to love your work. Again, if you're really good at what you do, but you know that there is more than you need to reach out. Go to connect with pbj.com Sign up for a connect call. We'll jump on real quick. I just need to make sure you're a good candidate for my coaching program. And if so we'll dig in together and I'll walk this journey with you. All right, y'all reach out connect with Pb de.com. I look forward to speaking with. Hello, my name is Patrice Cole. And I just want to say Dr. PBJ has truly impacted my life in a great one. I thank you for all the ideas and the inspiration And just the teaching and knowledge that you bring with him, she has a tremendous way of just speaking from her heart to your heart, I think she has disrupted the sub dysfunction in my life, for lack of a better word. So if you are in need of the disruption, go see Dr. P rejet. I'm so grateful that our lives and our paths have crossed, you have truly had an amazing impact on me and my mindset, and I am forever grateful. Thank you. Talk to us a little bit about like, what and you know, I don't understand all the technical terms, but helped me understand, because you took this role because you wanted to protect this research, and you knew you needed to do this research. How is your work with sickle cell and your research disrupting our world right now? Yeah, um, you know, typically, people do sickle cell research, and they do it on the medical part of it. And so what happens in the clinic, but we know that, as I was saying, before, there's only 10% of time when people are spending their life in a clinic, they have a whole world to navigate. And they go out into communities, and they want to have a regular life, just like everybody else. And so what I do is look at the community and community based organizations as a way to help people with sickle cell disease to navigate healthcare systems, their own individual Hill, how do they become great members of society that are able to contribute back not only to sickle cell disease, but to the world in general? And so my work just really uses the community and engaging people with sickle cell disease, as the unit of the focus of how do we move this disease for and by using or really working with people who actually have the disease or community based organizations that serve people and their families? Right? And so it's, it's a very different mindset, because people often think that patients don't know anything, right. They don't know as much as physicians, they aren't on the same decision making level as a physician. And so it's very frustrating. And we call people with sickle cell disease, including myself warriors. And why do we call the Warriors because it's constant, it's a constant, it feels like a constant war, of trying to get people to believe your pain, trying to get physicians to understand the things that you're going through. Trying to get physicians to understand and want to care for sickle cell disease in general, is difficult. And so how do we really empower individuals as well as communities to tackle issues that are related to sickle cell disease? So that's the work that I do. I love the way that you have amplified the voices of the people who are in the war. People who are boots on the ground who are living this every day, the patients, the parents of the patients, the people who love them, and you have given them access, right, so they don't normally have a seat at the table. When this kind of research is being done when these decisions are being made when the medical community is deciding how they're going to treat folks who deal with sickle cell. They don't normally have a seat at the table. But because you have a seat. Because you have a seat, they sit with you. Yeah, and that is such an important point. Because often people are like, Well, I'm good. I'm so I'm going on, you know, my life is great. And I could have very well said that. Yeah, sure. I do fine. with sickle cell. Everything's good for me, but it's not good for people in general. And I am so blessed to have the education and the knowledge as a researcher, but also to have the disease. Most researchers have no clue what a sickle cell crisis feels like. And that is something that people often I heard their Jake's Robert say that bruise Hills Yo kill serpents, right? So sickle cell seems like a bruised heel. But for me, I have turned it to where I understand you can't come here and tell me, this person with sickle cell disease is you know, not being truthful or that this is not really the case or that no people with sickle cell aren't discriminated against because me what my doctoral degree and everything, I still experience those things. And so I am going to fight, I'm going to advocate and I'm going to be sure that everybody with sickle cell disease moves forward in this life, and they thrive. And so that is what is so critical for women who are here, and they're thinking about, Oh, I have this issue, I have this thing that seems like it's holding me back. nosis, turn it around and use it and say, Okay, this happened to me, but I'm using it to move forward to make sure that somebody else who was in that same situation is able to thrive. And so, you know, it really just expands you enlarge my territory, that's not just about resource. When you when you when your territory isn't large, sometimes it's got to be some land broke up. Some stuff got to be cut down, to enlarge your territory, right. And so that's the things that we we get held back by that stuff. And we keep looking back and and say this happened to me. And then we tell the story and say, well, this happened to me. And it's, it's, it's fun, that we are using things as part of our story. But when it holds you in that piece of the book, and you don't want to go to the next chapter, that's the issue because the book is still there. The chapters are there. But if you don't keep reading, you never get to the end. So you can't reach out to over and over and over. You can ruminate on chapter two, because it's trying to move you to the next part of chapter three. So key, no one in the story. Don't get stuck on one part of the story. And so, yeah, that's what I think about when I think about okay, gosh, I have sickle cell disease. I hate it. But what does it do it to move me to the next part of the story? Yes, that's in the story. Yeah, it's gotta go somewhere else, though. I can't stay there. Listen, this thing is so good to me, it is so good to me. Because I want folks to know, it's not being insensitive to your struggle to your trouble to try. God knows it's not Aymond. Because you you have that trial, you can decide how to use it. You can decide how to use it, not just for you, but for other people. And as you were saying that, that the remainder of my my mind went back to those times in my office, when you were working through your doctorate, I was working through my doctorate, you didn't know at that point that you would be sitting with the top medical professionals in this country concerning sickle cell, you had no idea. But all you knew at that point is God told you to get that degree. And there's often qualifiers necessary steps that we need to take and they seem insignificant. Why am I getting this degree? Why am I in this this particular position? This is not where I want to be? Why am I working at this place? Why is this happening? I want you to know that every step is necessary. Every step is necessary. Because that doctorate became keys in your hand that gave you access to sit in the seats, you have always been powerful. You have always been intelligent, you have always had sickle cell disease, those things are not new. But getting that doctorate gave you a key to unlock a door. Well, all of that could be used not just to impact and bless your life, but to bless people all over the world. So you got to you gotta honor the steps, whatever step you are in, right now. You got to honor the steps. And so I've got to ask you this, Dr. Ramona, because, you know, I talked about how you call my name at my graduation, but I also remember you were pregnant with Jordan at that time. Yes. He's so in tune with everything with the degrees and the professional title. In the business in the research, you are a wife, you are a mom. And so many people think, well, since I'm this, and I can't be that, or since I'm a professor, then I gotta stay on these career tracks that people have created. I can't do those things because I do this thing. Like, talk to the people just a little bit about how can you do all the things that you do right now? Yeah, I think I don't, I can't say and I'm gonna be honest with you. I don't think I always get it. Right. Right. And so we are all, you know, trying to do all the things and it's not easy. So a lot of times we try to paint this picture like, Oh, I just am the greatest wife, my house is always clean. I have no. My husband, I'm always happy that I'm doing this work either, right. And so let's get honest. And so what I have to do is, and let me let me rephrase that, because he's super supportive. But I'm, like, focused, super focused. And so I really have to think about, okay, how do I communicate with my family. And let them know that I was just working on a grant for the last two weeks, I submitted it last night. And I had an I was gone all last week, to site visits for grant I already have. So I'm going to site visits for grants, I already have my husband's home, working with the kids and getting them where they need to be. I'm out going to different states, my luggage is lost. I mean, you can't make this stuff up. All that's happening. And then, you know, trying to write this grant. And so when I come home, I'm like, Hey, y'all, I know I've been going for the whole week. But this grant is due Monday. So I've got to spend the entire weekend working on it. And so I had to communicate that to them, and just really let them know that this is something that's super important. And give them a endpoint. Yeah, yeah, that's good. I think that a lot of times, we're just working, working, working, doing things. First, we don't communicate what's happening. And we don't communicate, when it will end. And when we're able to get back. So I constantly say to them, this is what's happening. This is when it will end. And this is what I will do for you when it's done. Okay. And, and so that's, that's one of the the most important things, I think, is doing that process. I write things up on big sticky notes and say, This is what I'm going to be doing. Let me communicate this to you. And so, but I think, you know, if that balance, and it's also, you know, how do I learn to rest and be present? Right? So I've had to learn that, how do I get to the endpoint, and then give myself a reward, or a treat, or some type of relaxation without constantly being in go mode, because your family needs to know that you put them first and that you want them? You know, they see that you want to go, but they also want to see that you want them. And so I struggle with that. Because I'm so focused. But I remind myself, okay, how, how do I communicate? How do I make sure that they know when it is going to end? What I'm going to do next for them? And then how do I take time for myself so that I can relax and move back into mom wife mode instead of being in beast mode, Professor mode, you know, hustle mode this whole time, right? And so that's kind of the process that I go through. I'm glad you said that because for accomplished women like us, for driven women like us, it's important for us to recognize that we have to intentionally plan or stop right? Like I can I if there's a project or if there's a deadline, I can work all night. I can work for days straight when I have a goal I can get at it at that is my natural bend. Yes, natural bend is to get after it get in accomplish the thing. In that I have to recognize that not only does my family need me, but I need naming. I mean, so I have to intentionally look at my calendar and say Okay, this week, I gotta hit it like, I know. So that means next week or this weekend, blocked out, no appointments, no podcast interviews, I have to shut down. But if I don't plan that, yeah, it won't be until I'm in the midst of overwhelm feeling like I'm drowning it before I recognize, okay, wait a minute, I haven't stopped in two months. Because that's my natural bend. Right. So I love I love that communicating and making it plain for them. Because that also causes you to make it plain for you. Then the other thing that I will share is get some help. Mm hmm. Yeah, yes. A support system. Yes. Let me not leave that out. Because that's the thing that people often don't see, too. They think you're doing everything by yourself. My mom helps me so much she picks up the kids from school yesterday, I called or, Hey, I got this grant, do I cannot stop for two hours and be in car line, please help me, I do grocery pickup every single time. I don't ever go in the grocery store and get groceries. Because I it's not something that I need to be spending time on. That is not my zone of genius. It's no reason for me to spend time doing that, you know, and so if anything, I don't ever got a PBJ put together the graphics on a PowerPoint ever. Come on, I put the white word, the black words on the white thing and send it to a virtual assistant and say design this for me, I will never do that because I have got to spend time doing things that I am called to be doing. And so that is the another thing that I have to tell the ladies is that you have to identify the disruption that is assigned to you Come on. People need a lot of things need to be disrupted, but you don't need to disrupt it. You don't need to go in and turn the tables over right in the temple, every every temple, you got to figure out what you disrupt it put yourself in you know way in that place of disruption. And then that thing won't be so heavy for you, is so heavy for us because we're trying to disrupt everything. And it's not it's not a that disruption is not assigned to us. And so really identify what that is, and then put your whole heart into disrupting it. And I tell when I'm doing diversity, equity and inclusion where people are often like, Oh, I'm supposed to be the one going out March. And that's what I'm supposed to do all of this activism. I'm like, No, that might not be your disruption. Some people are, they're better at that they need to do that. I disrupt things often by with my research, right? I disrupt things by by being a speaker, I don't necessarily go out and hold signs all the time, right? So you have to identify your mode of disruption and your place of disruption, and then it'll it'll be better for you. Oh, that's so good. It's so good. All right. I'm not gonna hold you too long. But you have to talk to us about this agency that you created. And you know, your dei work. Where was that birthed from? What does it look like? What do you do? Please talk to us, because on top of all the things, you got the nerve. So please tell us more. Listen, if I'm in anything, I think I was born just shaking things up. And so when I asked my first business was network marketing, and so in that business, I saw that not everybody was getting to the top of the company, and that a lot of people of color, there were no people of color there and a lot of companies and so for me, it's not okay, Ramon, just work hard to get there yourself. I'm like, There's something wrong with the system here. Because if you can tell me a company was around for 40 years, and they're still not a woman of color at the top of that company. There's something wrong, and you cannot tell me that no woman of color work hard enough. Come on, in that time period. No black woman, let's be specific. Okay. So for me, it's like okay, yes, I'm in this business. I'm working. But when I see a disruption that needs to happen, then I'm like, Okay, if it looks like it's up to me, because no, everybody else is afraid or either they don't have time to do this. And this is my passion and so So, as I saw that I started to look across companies. And I saw this is happening not only in the company that I'm in, but in lots of different companies. And so I developed that and Ramona H. Lawrence coaching LLC to do speaking to coaching, and consulting for companies, for individuals to really challenge broken systems that keep people from reaching their highest potential. That is my motto for my business. That is what I do. And so I really work and I have this acronym war. Because what people have an issue with is they're afraid often to speak out. So we can't even disrupt something if you can't even speak about it. So it's like, how do I empower you to speak? And then we're looking at roar, recruitment, onboarding, what is your accountability for diversity, equity and inclusion in your business with the A? And they are? How do you retain people? Because we know that in diversity, equity and inclusion, you can, there's a saying that we do and it's, you can go out and recruit all 31 flavors, but don't get mad if they melt and you don't have a freezer. So what is that, that you don't have the systems in place to be able to maintain? The different flavors, if you didn't get them, if you went and recruited the whole world, you if you don't have the freezer, they're going to they're not going to make it in your business. And that's what's happening across these companies across these teams. And we're missing up in communities and communities of color, have so much buying power, that if you're not able to go out into those communities in a few years, you're gonna be way behind. So it's so important for us to develop these inclusive marketing and sales systems is inclusive leadership in not only network marketing, but in any business so that we can really be prepared for what's happening in the future. So my thing and my business is, let's just shake this up. Now, we need to go ahead and start to make some change here. And so that's what I do. That's my speaking, coaching and consulting with diversity, equity and inclusion. And I do strategy for those businesses. So I love it. I love it. I love it. I love it. And I love how sometimes we think I do this, I do this, I do that I do that. But it's all connected. Yes. It's all connected. It's the same purpose. You express that purpose in different ways. You express it with your family, you express it with your students, through your research and people in communities, you express it through your business, but it is the same purpose. Perfect. You You said I shake, shaking things up since the day I was born. Yeah, and what you said is so true. Because people are like, how do you do it all? How do you do it all? And I'm like, I don't do a lot of different things I do. I engage diverse communities in a lot of different ways. So I do one thing I engage diverse community. So if you're talking about my teaching, that's what I do. I engage students, if you're talking about my research, I engage diverse communities. If you talk about my diversity, equity, inclusion business, I engage diverse community. So it looks to you like I'm doing a lot of different things, but I have that one threat and I just say I do it so many different ways, right? I can do it a million ways. But it's all coming back to that. And so when you're like I gotta get all these different skill sets. I really don't have to have a million different skill sets. I just don't know how to engage people and I gotta know how to change it in a new context when I get there. That's it. That is how you discover your brilliance right there. That is how you discover your brilliance that the Ramona This has been so good. This has been so good. Thank you fishing with this community. And I know I know we have set some purpose on fire today. I'm so excited about what's going to come forward. Please tell the people how to connect with you how to hear more from you. Because I know they are ready to follow subscribe do all that yeah, so if you can just do one easy thing go to Instagram follow me and then you can listen to the inclusive networker podcast over there on Instagram, click my link in my bio and you can see different tools that I have and everything so just go follow me. Ramona H Lawrence on Instagram. I will connect with you there and then we can take it wherever you'd like to go but we're gonna disrupt some stuff this year. Ladies it is time it is time and it is Stop are you to come out of hiding the roar it's tough I love it. I love it. I love it. Listen, I pray and I hope that you got exactly what you needed today. I know you did. And I know you know somebody else who needs to hear this message. So if you would help us by sharing it, help your friend help your sister, help your neighbor, encourage them to listen to this so they can be set on fire as well to do the thing that they were created to do and as always my friend you know, you are powerful, you are significant and you are loved. Love always PBCA via