What's Your Super Power? With Nadia Francois

In this episode, I talk with Nadia, and she shares her experience as a serial entrepreneur and a mother. She describes the events that led to her work and how God inspired her journey to help female businesses grow through her brand, "What's Your Super Power".

Episode Key points:

[00:05] Meet our guest, Nadia Francois.

[00:26] About Nadia's Super Power.

[01:26] Nadia's 'it might be me' moment. 

[05:55] When did you start helping women grow their businesses and brands? 

[13:50] About the "What's Your Super Power" brand.

[27:00] Discussing motherhood.

[36:50] Nadia's advice to budding entrepreneurs.

[40:35] How to contact Nadia.

 Resources Mentioned:

Connect: 

Find | NADIA FRANCOIS

Website: www.nadiafrancois.com / www.whatsuperpower.com 

Facebook: Nadia Francois

Find | IT MIGHT BE YOU

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Thanks for listening!

Transcript

Leah McIntosh: 0:00

Welcome to it might be you podcast. I'm your host, Leah McIntosh. I'm here to help you learn that on the other side of that pain and trauma is your transformation. There may be some limiting beliefs, negative emotions, and private struggles that have led you to having your it might be me moment. I'm here to help you learn to adapt, because we were created to be limitless. My hope is with each episode you feel more understood and willing to accept that although some of our past decisions landed us in a place of uncertainty, we're only one decision away from living our best lives. Now. Let's heal. Hey, everyone, welcome to another episode of it might be the night I have a special guest Nadia French law, CEO of what's your superpower brand? How are you today? I'm doing great. How are you doing? I am great. I'm so excited to get into this interview. Learn more about you. So with that being said, Would you like to share? What's your superpower?

Nadia Francios: 1:13

So I am Nadia Francoise. I am a hairstylist by trade for the last 16 years. And throughout that time, I've been known as a serial entrepreneur because I own several businesses, and also with business strategies when I help other female entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses. But the ultimate occupation I have right now is being the CEO of mature superpower TV in ethology where I am allowed to empower to make in educating so many female entrepreneurs. That is way and super excited to talk about today. It is beautiful now but it didn't start out that way.

Leah McIntosh: 2:02

Okay, and that's what I'm gonna ask you what was your it might be the moment that led you down the path that you're currently in.

Nadia Francios: 2:13

So the it might be the moment for my wife was that in 2008 when I was a married woman you were children. And then I faced divorce. And that was a big issue for me because of course we all want the American dream to be married with our kids and our house with the picket fence Of course. And then you know came crashing down in so the main point for me was raising the horses by myself. I'm an only child and I live in the south and it was just so terrifying for me to step in there I'm not a me and I don't know how to raise a boy You know, it was just all those heights and by the enemies of course it was just an eternity that didn't do it. And but something in me told me that I did not have to put up with what I was putting up within a marriage in order to raise successful children right in so guide carried me We must say carried I literally mean has carried me and my children. On that day. I was very very gruesome depression and it was very dark moments rebellion, you know, all the things that we go through in order to know that God has our back. And to come about it in a dark place, you can do what you got to do, you know, pretty much put my big girl panties on me and raise my kids. And in going through all that and finding myself getting some a word is what really made that transition in my life to where I was like, Okay, I'm gonna make this sacrifice for my children. I'm going to put aside all the jewelry, I'm going to put aside my feelings First of all, because that is what I will do very deep, deep in my feelings. As you know, taking it out on me and everyone that I encountered bear with the world, you know, in one day, my auntie, like I told you over here, so I was doing it on Monday. She was my uni counselor. And I was like, I don't need counseling. But in my mind, I was like, shoot me counseling. Because, you know, it's, it's really a lot to go through. You know, like, during that process, I found out that we go through a divorce. It's a grieving process that you have to go through in order to heal So there's still, you know that in different situations that you have to grow through in order to get to that point where you say, Okay, I'm just going to take the cards that were dealt, because some of it was meant to be in some of the Add water myself. So I have to pull it all together and do what I have to do for my kids because, you know, the same lifestyle that I'm trying to save the world. I could be a contributor to we don't make good decisions while we're in them in so that was my meme. I'll be down with my buddy get up all my good moment and do what I got to do. You know, get out of my feelings. Just be aware bowtie you made these kids even though it wasn't with who you think you were supposed to make them with. which ultimately, God makes no mistakes. So you know that that was my mindset. Dude, you got to do.

Leah McIntosh: 6:03

Yeah, and that. Yeah, I understand what you mean by there's nothing like that good. Oh, Auntie will No, no, no, you know, you should be doing but you don't want to hear. So, how long after you started down that path? Did you start working with women to help them start developing their businesses and brands.

Nadia Francios: 6:41

So during that time, that was back when there was still dial up internet. So needless to say. Needless to say, I'm helping women, businesses, different things like that they can store for at least about but I mean, I helped people but he wasn't a business. You know, he was just like a PA me and I'll tell you what to do type of deal. But it started going paper in 2013. I opened a what honestly, I'd founded probably an organization called sisters of empowerment. And with sisters and empower me We are empowering the youth and, and the young adults. That was what we started with, you know, of course, when I see it, what we started with the women. It started in my beauty shop on a Friday night. Because women said no talking about kids are mean you know, word just being seen really, and getting us a Daiquiri and St. Mary laid it all out in the leaving feeling really refreshed. You know, like boo the next morning and texting each other my ad needs to be you know, in. So after doing that for you might, in realizing that it was really like a little sisterhood that we were forming, and went ahead and made it official made it a nonprofit organization for women to network. And just learning grow in there, we added the children because at that time, I had my four children. And most of the ladies that started the organization with me, had children as well. So it was right, we have to have our keys with us. You know, we don't have any other choice most of the time. And so the events and everything that we did, included the children. And as our children grew like we did competence pageants for girls and boys, we offer scholarships to high school seniors. And so we just continue to read tutor. And we've done a lot of different outreach programs with the kids. But as the kids started getting older and going on their way, it got more focused on them. And so we're still offering them a lot of the programs where the key is, but mainly just the COVID we have just been doing our scholarship program. Since we can repin really nice and do the things that we do. And with the women we just have always continue to meet whether it is zoom, whether it's over the phone, whether it's in our group text, we all just get together in DMV. When there is a need in the community for volunteers or donations or anything like it we come together in help different causes in our community. And so that is pretty much how I story coming together with different women in ebk When I made it the nonprofit, it became more widespread than just, you know, hometown. We started getting ladies from other cities in the state. And then of course, it grew, you know, growing from my state to now, across the, I want to say glow, because we do have people in Africa that supported the ladies that we work with out there. What about my blue blockers? in Nairobi? And so we have, you know, a pretty diverse network, and it just grown organically, you know, it was just really, and I know that it, put it all together, because it is the stain. All of the things that we have gone through system urging.

Leah McIntosh: 10:48

Yeah, cuz you're talking about eight years, the fact that the international level, that's a, that's a big deal, especially what's come in.

Nadia Francios: 11:00

Yeah, but the thing is, I know we have like this very strange relationship with COVID. But I'm gonna say that had this quarantine pandemic. Now coming out, some of the things that I'm doing currently, I probably would not have been pushed into. So I'm thankful, you know, just for those opportunities that happened over the pandemic, I'm not thankful for the novels, in the tragedies play, you know, some things happen for to push us out of our comfort zone to push us into new dimensions to elevate it. And also, most situations are only a part of the way you think about them with your mind. You know, what your mindset is, you think of it as a positive interaction being Hey, it's positive, if you think of it as a negative interaction, it's negative. So I think it's a mindset thing, but I really have really grown myself and, and the ability to push me into a virtual world, right, I have a digital footprint now that I didn't have that pains me, I was more of a, you know, like, I see, when I started a business, there was no internet, we had to learn to books, we had to learn to experience we had to learn through messing up, you know, in so now, it's just so much easier to gain the knowledge to gain the networking opportunity, even with the virtual experience is just amazing to me, like somebody like me, girl, just indulge in this virtual world now says, I have gotten past my fears of messing up and people seem to mean that. So I'll put together you know, you have your reservations, you have to get paid to breathe. I just have to say that it really.

Leah McIntosh: 13:02

Yeah. Like you said, COVID not a lot of people around, you know, and yeah, really embrace getting comfortable with being uncomfortable. Yeah, me like I had, I was pretty comfortable doing stuff online. But my mom, it might be the moment, one of several it might be the moments happened. 16 And after that, I just, I had a hard time showing back up online. And so even last year, I wasn't, I wasn't online. I just recently started to show up and be more active in building those connections back up. But it's hard. You know, it is a hard thing. You're trying to learn or trying to get over that fear and get it get out of your comfort zone. So I completely relate to what you were saying. So I really want to know about the superpower. Because

Nadia Francios: 14:29

very little interested. So what's your superpower? During all this stuff that I've told you about is four is raising my children as a single parent in raising businesses, because I call it raising my business because our businesses should be like our children. You have to nurture them, grow them, you know, put time and effort into their money into them just like you do. Children in so during that course, like I say it got me because I sacrifice I put down, on going out, I put down doing a lot of things that would have helped me personally as a, as a woman and as a business owner sometimes to make sure that no children will do. But during that time when I was lost, I'll say, in trying to find my way, God spoke to me and he told me to take care of my kids, I'm going to take care of you. And so I stood back there is that is why I made that sacrifice to be their mobile, you know, not just, you know, push them along and get them out of the way. But really, really, you know, put values and ethics integrity interview, tell them about that, and show them the way that they should live. In so in doing all the other people were congratulating me is still doing, you know, cuz you never stop being a mother. The kids just get older. But during that time, when they were younger, you know, people were like, Oh, my God, you're Superwoman, like even when I walked in churches have like, they're with all their kids really behind me, super frustrated, they not knowing that I really could be at home, but I'm being obedient. You know. They're like, you're Superwoman, oh, my God, you're so good. I got that so much. Over a period of time, too, it's stuck with me was like super Moody, no way. And my response may be, it's all you know, it's just out here just to him, the glory of God was paralyzed. Because I'm the you know, I didn't go into the next video, I just thought that I but mainly is because I decided the decision on me to raise my children for the kingdom. And getting all that I said when he is, like, I see it coming in contact with so many female entrepreneurs over the years, I always see it, like, we need to do a unity project, we need to do a unity project to show that there are some black women that can come together and work together EDP successful, you know, in that saying that there was not that that was not going on, or not happening anywhere. But for me, a black woman in the south with a lot of kids getting, you know, kind of top down on it sometimes and be lifted up, and sometimes in the county in the middle. And sometimes it was just, you know, you kind of don't have those role models to look at in some way. You're from Louisiana. We can do this, we can do this. I've been doing. Also through the organization, we always done women's empowerment events. And so that was another way that I connected and networked with a lot of these female entrepreneurs and community leaders. And so, one day we were traveling together, some of us were traveling together, and I brought it up, it was about four of us, ladies, we're going to support another lady. And I say y'all are going to do a good project. And to show the unity among like, females, you know, that we that we do any that we can to regulate each other that we already competition, that, you know, we can collaborate and make something great. And so they're like, Oh, yes, I was wonderful. And prior to that I had been in an anthology project, we were another group of ladies, it was more diverse. But that was a good project, they made me international bestseller, to an international best selling author, and so on. We can do these, you know, even if we don't get the best selling author stuff, or whatever, I'm not really interested in there. I want us to show the Unity then so that is how we came up with my what's your superpower in biology. And the anthology includes myself, the stories for myself and 10 other listings that have overcome adversity, in push through to parties using their God given superpower. in some regard, give me a superpower that is whatever he put in to overcome. Like whatever pushes you through those dark moments, whatever pushes you through those moments of uncertainty, those moments where we're like, should I do it should Or can do it, you know, sometimes we we, we question ourselves, sometimes we doubt our own abilities. But, you know, this book was to show that with God all things are possible, you know, you may not be really one time, you may not always be how we depicted or want it to be, but you did supposed to happen and we put our best foot forward is the head. So, that is how, what's your superpower in biology came down in so that was much that book was launched in October, when we push through the pandemic and continue to produce the book. And with that opportunity of producing the book came the opportunity of a series of TV series to go along with the book. And so I was like, Oh, my God, a TV series TV me, oh, Lord, what am I gonna do? You know, and I was very excited, but at the same time, like, I have a hard time doing. So you know, a TV show. And so but as a guy, this is you. It has to be you because of the way that it's happening. And going into prayer. And one month later, the same network that the TV show was aired on offered me the opportunity to have my own TV channel, which opens up the opportunity for me to bring about other minority content creators to the streaming world in so I was like, you are you are pushing me you are. So being pushed out of my comfort zone, like really so quickly. You know, I mean, I'm, I'm I work with, like I tell my friends with baby steps are good for me. I'm good with the baby step. But that was like, whew, you know? Now do your thing is so how coming out with the channel, we launched. I had my own show, of course, already streaming on the channel. From December when I accepted it, we launched with five additional minority shows in April. So now we have five shows one, what's your superpower TV channel. And they range from cooking shows to Black Girl Talk show a prayer of female prayer show we're Dr. Yeoh frames in teaches our women. Great, great things at the Bible. And we also have money artnet money every day TV, which is financial literacy show, along with me on my show, what's your team? What's your superpower TV, where I interview women who have overcome adversity or push through to their purpose, and they come on the show and tell us about it? Most or female entrepreneurs, so we get to introduce their business, you know, kind of the podcast community and I also started a podcast this year. Because I just got flooded with so much hottie recording for the show tells Mike I Kanye, you know, dispose of this content because everything is the TV quality. You know, that doesn't mean anything good content. That doesn't mean it doesn't have good messages, but it has to look right for TV pretty much. And so I was like, Oh my god, I can't scrap these people's interviews, we get so good at talking about myself to like, let's do a podcast. And then that way, they can still get their features. And it's also another outlet for women to come online and tell about their businesses learn about your businesses. And now we have the what's your superpower brand?

Leah McIntosh: 24:43

Awesome, awesome. The fact that you have had so many amazing opportunities just within a short amount of time, like the TV stuff that is both my mind, you know to be here. If you did not have an opportunity you're comfortable. Just Yeah. Yeah. comfortable, comfortable. Yeah. So you just have to be that from here on out, because, you know, you never know what else might be coming around the corner.

Nadia Francios: 25:23

Right? Right. And that's the reality I've been, like, tried to adjust to i, you never know what God's been come with. So go ahead and make sure that you're ready. So it keeps me working, it keeps me you know, on my team, because I do have a team. I'm pretty much a one woman show or the public, but behind the scenes, I do have a team of wonderful, wonderful people that work with me to get all of this stuff done. And none of us or in the same areas, we are doing it all through telephone, you know, internet, email, whatever we have to do to get it done. And that's the amazing thing, because half of these platforms that I'm learning most of this stuff that I'm doing, I'm just winging it, but God is like, he is definitely guiding this mouse guiding my thoughts. And you know, like I said, I have learned to stay out of my feelings when I'm doing business I learned a long time ago, but it's been brought to me more regular down. Because, you know, we we when we're emotional beings anyways, so I have to keep that in mind when it comes to certain things in business because first of all, things are always going to go the way you think they're going to go when you plan for him to go. But you have to be able to be you know, flexible, you have to be that mindset, you know, just to be positive about everything in know that you have to change or do make some adjustments that is for the best in so that's just kind of what I am talking to, like you see here, keeping my discipline going. As far as my work ethic getting up, like I go to an office every day even do my work in being you know, still have the freedom of being an entrepreneur which is amazing because even though my children are big now they're grown one of them just graduated the day before yesterday. The third one and but you still have obligations, you still have things you have to do to keep them grounded to be a mother. And I just think that he has bought these opportunities in life to where I can still make the money that I need to make to take care of my household to you know, build the businesses and still also be present for my children that's what I've always wanted and he's made it where I can always do that if they're sick if they have a school program if they have an extracurricular activity if there's no other face there I am there and have been since they were five and six years ago in so that that's what is important to me. And I'm just thankful that I'm able to just continue that after all these years and all of the transitions that

Leah McIntosh: 28:38

yeah, that is especially with boys. I have three brothers and I'm the oldest so my youngest brother I'm 12 years older than so they are different breed I that's the only thing I really so I will say that what distantly you know my brothers are really really good men and I couldn't be prouder you know of how they turned out and I of course I have to give my parents that the that praise because they did a great job with with all five less so yeah, I get it and I know I set with boys as a whole different is involved. Oh, yeah. Yeah. And now being a I have a teenager in my house right now and it's a different three teenagers in the house three teenage boys. Earlier that I said some of the things I have to say out of my mouth, you know, after I think I've walked away feeling like I'm just a crazy person. But yeah, so you had to say it. And that's just the nature of a really a teenager. So yeah, it has been a growing experience for me because I don't have biological kids yet. And so this, this baby came into our lives, it has just completely changed both of us. And so we feel really blessed to have him. But like I said, we, you know, we came, we weren't quite prepared for the teenage eights that we get, but we know that he's in the right place, because mom and dad so you can be happier without things.

Nadia Francios: 31:18

Yes. Or Listen, you know, don't get me wrong, the kids are definitely being I started out, I was in a team. I started hacking two years old. So we still really haven't grown up. So I always say me and my kids grew up together. And you know, that our relationships so much stronger in so much more true theory? Because we, you know, we can talk about things right. Some stuff I really wish they wouldn't tell me. You know, it comes with the territory united. If you wanted to tell you a little bit united to say no, right. So, especially boy, this is running out. Okay. So like, Mara was this book mama's boy? So yeah, they are a joy, though, and I wouldn't trade him I really wouldn't even I wouldn't trade we have gone through we have. Because even though he has been a super struggling, you know, I'm not trying to gloss it over the single theory. Because it is very hard even to be able to keep it together. You know, even without a business. Boy, I must say that being a business owner in rearing children is rewarding because if you have no other choice, then the key is are your employees in putting wage I've had four big well, three good in one baby employee for the last 16 years. So I cannot complain about the they are the the setup and the cleanup crew for the non flashy. They are the headline, transportation company, they were the cleaning crew. Were the vehicles. Anything that I do they do like me, like, my son is now filling bottles for the haircare products. So everything that I do, whether they really like it or not, and I make them do it. But I still give them their own choices to really do the job or work in this, you know, to so they can see the ins and outs of both. And of course, most of them don't want to be in or should send their blood I'm sorry to let them know, it'll probably happen. We'll go ahead and let you you know, do your thing right now, while you're growing up. In the end, you'll see that entrepreneurship is definitely a good one.

Leah McIntosh: 34:15

Sure, because there's no cap, and there's no one there. Tell you what your worth is. And you sound so much like, like me, it sounds like you'd have your hand in a lot of different businesses and yeah, like I don't want to be kept. And I feel this, this promise to myself. When I was 21 I was working in the medical field and talking to some of the nurses that I work with. They were miserable. And they were saying don't don't continue going down this path because you'll just end up like me and 20 years and I decided the best thing for me at this point is, I'm not going to just stick with one industry, you know, I'm going to try different industries as I want. And ultimately, I ended up finding out there, my calling was to work with the special needs in that community and people that that's where I find the most joy and get the most out of out of all the businesses that I have had. No, yeah, you know, they learn. And I, I laugh because I combined my entrepreneurial spirit, honestly, because my great grandmother was a entrepreneur, and owned her own bed and breakfast and a couple other things sounds like Well, yes,

Nadia Francios: 36:02

it is like you can't really, because, you know, my dad was an entrepreneur. Back in the days when I was young, and until I really got older in 2d, and I didn't really, I kind of blacked that out, you know, in there. And I, you know, as you get older, you get deeper into it, and you meet more people when they ask you more questions. And, you know, and people ask me like, what, why? way? Literally, you know, my dad did this when I was in school, so he can come and pick me up, you know, stuff like that. And so, yeah, it will be. Yeah.

Leah McIntosh: 36:49

So with that being said, What piece of advice would you give moms right now that or, for that matter, anyone, not just limited to moms, but anyone that wants to go down the path of entrepreneurship, being that you know, started several businesses, and you have a lot of success going on right now.

Nadia Francios: 37:22

So I would tell anyone that is looking to go into entrepreneurship, or working for themselves, do your research. Do your research. Nowadays, that there is the World Wide Web, you know, there's so much information being there, he may not be as in depth as you need it to be. But it is enough information for you to make conscious decisions about your life and your business. And so I say, make sure you do your research. And on top of that research, get a mentor, that it's something that is something that has helped me. In the past, probably five or six years, I'm well known because I did get a mentor for my nonprofit. So for the last eight or nine years, I've worked with mentors to help me grow in business. And, you know, it's nothing my being able to text or call or email someone and say, how long did this or you know, is this a good idea or, you know, some type of them in the industry, and make sure that when you choose a mentor that you choose someone that industries is iffy, I have several different mentors in every area that I work in, I have a mentor, a mentor, in my beauty business, I have a mentor in my own. In my I also invest in crypto in for it. So I have a mentor in that. And I have a mentor in my office you you know so everything that I do in this is just from experience, right? I didn't start out like these I started out bumping my head a lot. So that is why this is my advice to new entrepreneurs. You know, you don't have to do that go through the mistakes that we went through. With this help get a mentor and sometimes you got to pay you know, don't be afraid to invest in your business and research that too. Right? Don't be willy nilly either. So, you know, like these really are going good research in getting you a mentor to help you through building a business.

Leah McIntosh: 40:00

are very valuable advice. I learned my lesson trying to go out yeah, it's it goes actually waste more money and time.

Nadia Francios: 40:11

Yes time is more valuable than money at this point in my way. So that is what you do and why is time that you should be putting into building your business rather than failing it you know?

Leah McIntosh: 40:32

So how can the listeners find you on social media?

Nadia Francios: 40:41

Very easy to find me on social media on Nadia, law on Facebook. Also, you can go to my website www dot nada, your friends, what are calm? There's a need to all my social media accounts, where I can also be found under what's your superpower in biology in what's your superpower with TV on all social media platforms? So you're looking for me? That is

Leah McIntosh: 41:15

awesome. Awesome. Well, I want to thank you for coming on and sharing your it might be me moment and how you broke through and made a success of yourself even while raising four boys does I know that that was a quite a journey.

Nadia Francios: 41:39

You learn very well. Thank you so much for having me. And I appreciate your time.

Leah McIntosh: 41:47

Thank you. Okay, guys. Well, I will talk to you on the next episode. Thanks. Thank you for listening to another episode of it might be you. Please tune in each Thursday for new releases. And make sure to subscribe, share and review. If you enjoyed this episode. You can find me on Instagram at Pier thinker Inc. and as always remember to allow yourself the space for grace and give yourself the gift of self forgiveness.