S3EP7-Why Its Never the Right Time to Start a Business with Kendra Cole

Being a mom is already a full-time job. Between the never-ending laundry pile, the pick-ups and drop-offs, and the unexpected ear infections, it's hard to find the time to focus on anything else, let alone your own dreams and aspirations. But here's the thing: there will never be a "perfect" time to start your business or go after your dreams. Life will always throw curveballs and create obstacles along the way. But that doesn't mean you should give up before you even start! That is why in this week's guest episode, we are talking to Kendra Cole about why It’s never the right time to start your business or go after your dreams. 

Kendra Cole is the Co-founder and CEO of The CryptoMom App, a black-owned and woman-run platform dedicated to bridging the crypto gender gap by making cryptocurrency more accessible and digestible to women and moms. Through their products, Kendra and her husband and Co-Founder, Lord, hope to empower the next generation of female investors and change-makers to attain financial freedom, one bitcoin at a time.

Throughout the episode, we will be exploring the following key points in relation to this topic:

• {02:37} Why Kendra thinks it's never the right time to start a business and how she overcame her hesitations
• {03:33} Kendra's journey and the pivotal moment that led her to start The CryptoMom App
• {06:25} How to silence self-doubt and navigate the waters of male-dominated fields like cryptocurrency
• {09:56} Kendra's inspiration: the story of how her mother's journey as a strong woman inspired her to chase her dreams, no matter the circumstance
• {15:41} Kendra's invaluable advice for moms who may feel that they need the perfect timing to start their business and to take that first step

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Sign up for the waitlist at www.thecryptomom.app and follow us for timely crypto tips at @thecryptomomapp across all social platforms

Connect with Kendra:

IG - @thecryptomomapp
TikTok-@thecryptomomapp
Facebook- @thecryptomomapp

Ways to Work With Gianna:

Interested in learning more about the Energetically Aligned Content Co-Creation System? Head to https://www.giannadiggs.com/eacc for more information.

You can also watch a demo or book a FREE Voxer call here.

Connect With Gianna Online:

• Gianna's Website- https://www.giannadiggs.com
• Follow Gianna on Instagram- @giannadiggs_
• Follow the show's Instagram- @themompreneurmindsetpodcast
• Follow Gianna's Facebook Page: Gianna Diggs

Transcript

Gianna Diggs: 0:05

You are listening to the Mompreneur Mindset Podcast, a show that empowers you to create a business that's authentically yours. Say goodbye to stressful days, juggling multiple priorities, and feeling like you're never enough. I'm your host, Gianna Diggs, a certified Mindset coach and business guide for women and mom entrepreneurs. I'm here to empower, guide, and align you with the tools and the mindset needed to build a thriving business that's true to your purpose. In each episode, we'll explore strategies, tips, and success stories designed to help you rise above your obstacles and level up your entrepreneur game. So whether you're a first time entrepreneur or a seats and professional, grab a cup of tea. Some quiet time away from the kids, and let's dive into the preneur mindset together. Are you ready? Let's get into today's episode. Welcome back to the mompreneur mindset podcast. So I am thrilled for today's episode. We have a guest on the show. Her name is Kendra Cole. And we're going to be talking about why it's never the right time to start your business and go after your dreams. So a little bit about Kendra. She is the co-founder and CEO of the crypto mom app, an innovative platform that's poised to transform the world of cryptocurrency for women and moms. As a black female entrepreneur in the tech world, Kendra is on a mission to level the playing field and ensure that women have a seat at the table when it comes to digital investing. And with her husband and co-founder Lord by her side, Kendra is leading the charge to close the crypto gender gap and empower the next generation of female investors. Through their user-friendly tools and resources the crypto mom app is making it easier than ever for women to navigate the world of digital currency and attain financial freedom one bitcoin at a time so without further ado let's get into the interview Hi Kendra. Welcome to the show.

Kendra Cole: 2:08

Hi. Thank you for having me. Hi.

Gianna Diggs: 2:11

So I'm excited for our discussion today because I feel it is a discussion about something that I think is very important for mom entrepreneurs. a lot of times we tend to make excuses for why we don't pursue our dreams, so I'm excited for us to talk about why it's never the right time to start your business or go after your dreams. So, I wanna know first, why do you think that it's never the right time to start a business? and. What was going on in your life when you started your business that makes you believe that?

Kendra Cole: 2:39

Yeah. So, um, I'm, first of all, I'm so excited to be here, talking to you about this because I think that this is a really important topic, for women and whether you're a stay-at-home mom or a working, career woman or a working mom like me. So first of all, I think that when I had my first child back in 2017, you know, you think you're always ready. I think anybody who has had children has always thought, you know, I'm gonna wait till the right time.

Gianna Diggs: 3:04

Mm-hmm.

Kendra Cole: 3:05

and. You know, some people get it right. I was not one of those people. So it, you know, when I had her, she was also born with, a medical condition. and so because of that, I think that dealing with her sickle cell disease and trying to work it was just, there was never a right time for anything. I think the thing about sickle cell disease that, is really challenging is, is that it can, you know, pain crises or complications to her disease can happen at any time. so I think that's one of the really big motivators for me, to seize the day and. Never take anything for, never take any day for granted at all.

Gianna Diggs: 3:43

Mm-hmm.

Kendra Cole: 3:44

So I think that's the first thing. Secondly, I wanna be an example for my children.

Gianna Diggs: 3:51

Mm-hmm.

Kendra Cole: 3:52

And that means pushing through. I. The hard times. That means, you know, standing up for what's right and I want them to see me doing the things that I'm passionate about that make me happy because in doing that, I'm a better mom to them. I'm a better, partner to my, my husband, and I'm a better friend to my girlfriends.

Gianna Diggs: 4:18

I love that you said that. And it's like, my body always reacts when someone says something good, so I just gotta chill. And I think the reason why I got the chill was because you, you touched on something that is really important, which is that, you know, one, your children get to see you doing something that, You know, when we think that, okay, my kids are, I have to wait till my kids are older, or you know, I have to wait until, um, you know, I get more money to start this thing, or I have to do this, I have to do that, I have to do that, right? Everything is, I have to do something or all the excuses come and we don't recognize that one. When we show our kids what we're doing, right, we're setting the example for them so that when they're older they're like, wow, I watched my mom. Do this thing even though it was hard and she pushed through and now she's in, that's an example. And then the second thing you touched on is that you just become a better. Person a better human, but a better parent, a better wife, a better mom. Right. And so I love that you, that you touched on those things.

Kendra Cole: 5:19

Yeah, absolutely. And I think it's just about like, a lot of times sometimes when we say that we're, we are gonna wait for something, maybe we're also speaking from a place of fear.

Gianna Diggs: 5:29

Mm-hmm.

Kendra Cole: 5:30

And so, you know, trying to learn how to push past that, that place of fear too.

Gianna Diggs: 5:37

Right. I think fear is the, is probably the biggest thing that, that I've seen as a mindset coach. But just in talking to people, it's just like, well, why? Why are you waiting? Oh, well because of this. And you know, most of the time it's the time with away from your kids. Because when you're starting a business like. There are certain areas in your life that you have to make a little bit of a sacrifice for.

Kendra Cole: 5:57

Totally.

Gianna Diggs: 5:57

So I do, I do believe that, fear is probably the number one thing why people don't do what they love.

Kendra Cole: 6:04

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Totally.

Gianna Diggs: 6:06

So your business is in a male dominated field that doesn't really cater to women probably at all.

Kendra Cole: 6:14

No.

Gianna Diggs: 6:15

So, did you ever have feelings of self-doubt? And if so, how do you overcome them and Pressed on to, you know, create this beautiful app that you've created?

Kendra Cole: 6:25

Yeah, I mean, first of all, I experience self-doubt every single day. I think that when you are going into an industry that is male dominated, not only is it male dominated, there's very few people of color. So I've got the double whammy of being a black woman in tech and specifically in crypto. So I think that. There's always going to be something that is standing in the way of what you want to achieve.

Gianna Diggs: 6:54

Mm-hmm.

Kendra Cole: 6:54

And you can either let those challenges and let the fear stop you, or you can, uh, Find a way to help it motivate you.

Gianna Diggs: 7:04

Mm-hmm.

Kendra Cole: 7:05

And in creating the Crypto Mom App, which is what me and my partner are building, our entire mission is to support women in their wealth building journey of cryptocurrency and ultimately supporting them to find. Financial freedom, financial independence, and when you're doing something really hard, it's never going to be easy.

Gianna Diggs: 7:28

Mm-hmm.

Kendra Cole: 7:29

And so, That's a really big motivator for me is, that the more that I push through, and if, when we get this off the ground and we're providing, secure, safe, and inclusive tools for women, to learn about cryptocurrency and capitalize it as a part of their portfolios, the more that I push through, I'm also breaking down barriers for the next people who are coming in, and then they can do the same thing for the women who are following behind them as well.

Gianna Diggs: 7:59

Right. Oh, I love that. I gotta, I got another chili said you were breaking down barriers. Cuz I think that, um, that's the thing when you aren't waiting for the right time, like, I think that's, that's the connection that came in my brain was like, okay, you know, there's a purpose behind it and when you sit and you wait, you don't know how one, you're kind of stepping away from that purpose and you don't know. We never know who we are gonna inspire. Right? Like, I, I always laugh when I hear people say, well, I don't wanna be a role model. And it's like, you don't have a choice in this world. Like, somebody's gonna look up to you either, you know?

Kendra Cole: 8:37

Yeah.

Gianna Diggs: 8:37

And so it's like, and you know, people can do what they're gonna do. They can be who they're gonna be. I'm not saying you have to be the role model, but you just know that there is someone that's looking at what you're doing and they feel inspired by it.

Kendra Cole: 8:48

Yeah. And we gotta stick together too, especially black women. You know, we gotta stick together. Mm-hmm. And, you know, look out for each other.

Gianna Diggs: 8:57

Right. Right. so, in a previous conversation meeting you've had, and I've talked about this a lot, about, my mom having me at, at 17 and

Kendra Cole: 9:06

mm-hmm.

Gianna Diggs: 9:06

Watching her, obviously I don't remember, but I know, I know this to be true, right? That she graduated college, you know, I mean, she graduated high school on time with her class. She didn't drop out. She went straight to college. Right. And so she kind of instilled in me the thing that I always see from others that I don't see from others, which is that like having her children, having me at a young age did not stop her from her dreams.

Kendra Cole: 9:29

Hmm. Um,

Gianna Diggs: 9:30

Right. And so I

Kendra Cole: 9:31

Congratulations to her, by the way. That's amazing.

Gianna Diggs: 9:33

Right?

Kendra Cole: 9:34

That is an amazing feat.

Gianna Diggs: 9:36

And I think that's why I've always had this thing of like, you know, timing is gonna be what it's gonna be. And you know, ob obviously you have to work through it of like, it's a straight time. Like we all have those mindset things. But I will say that having that example helped me. So I wanted to know, was there someone in your life that inspired you to kind of go after your dreams or was that something you had to learn on your own?

Kendra Cole: 9:56

Absolutely. I'm the same as you. Same with my, it's my mother for sure.

Gianna Diggs: 9:59

Mm-hmm.

Kendra Cole: 10:00

My mom, when I was growing up, she was a single mom to me and, you know, she had a high school degree and, didn't have any college experience and she was a single mom and trying to raise me and she started out as a. On a, a operator at a telephone company and, you know, worked her way up to be a manager of a crisis, control of the crisis control center.

Gianna Diggs: 10:26

Mm-hmm.

Kendra Cole: 10:26

And so I think that when I see that there were lots of nights where I went with her to work and, that did my homework under the desk. And, a lot of weekends where there was nobody there but us. And for her. I know that she says that she's always felt this immense guilt, for that.

Gianna Diggs: 10:46

Mm-hmm.

Kendra Cole: 10:46

But I can tell her that what I remember is it being so cool to go to my mom's job after daycare and, you know, running through the halls and making up my own games or maybe popping into my mom's job on the weekends, but then we would go to bowling afterward. Um, and so, I don't necessarily remember, you know, to your point, I don't necessarily remember the things or the, the hard times or things like that. Like, I remember seeing my mom be an inspiration to me. I remember seeing a hardworking woman,, doing the damn thing. And I remember, just having a loving mom who always showed up to my activities and always, allowed me to explore the things that I was curious about and passionate about. So I think that if I had to pick a person who would hands down, be my mother.

Gianna Diggs: 11:39

Hmm. I love that you said that. About the things that you remember versus how your mom felt because

Kendra Cole: 11:45

mm-hmm.

Gianna Diggs: 11:46

I think that speaks to a point, of how we guilt ourselves into what we think we're doing when we don't actually know. Right. We don't.

Kendra Cole: 11:55

Mm-hmm.

Gianna Diggs: 11:55

You know, you remembered the fun times of it being kind of cool, right? When your mom felt guilty cuz she had you at work. Cuz it's like, we should be doing this and that. And I think. Going back to the point of pursuing dreams of, of it not being the right time, is that you don't necessarily know, like in your creation, right? We're gonna use the word in your creation of the thing that you love. How we can involve our kids, but how we can, you know, We don't have to feel guilty about the things that we're working on because there might be parts of that that the kids remember of like, that was fun. I got to help my mom design this thing and she asked my opinion, or whatever you're doing. Cuz the whole point of this is to really reframe that notion of like, It has to be perfect. Like that's why I wanted to do this type of episode because I hear it so often and I'm just like, no, it doesn't, it, you know, I'm working on the perfection of myself, but the timing of it doesn't have to be perfect.

Kendra Cole: 12:50

Yeah. And and actually even just when you were just talking about that, it made me think about my own mom guilt that I have.

Gianna Diggs: 12:56

Mm-hmm.

Kendra Cole: 12:57

And. You know, maybe it's possible that my kids don't even remember all the things that I feel guilty about either. So I think even just being able to have this moment of reflection as well

Gianna Diggs: 13:09

mm-hmm.

Kendra Cole: 13:10

To know that knowing that my mom was doing, felt like she was trying to do her best and do the best that she can, I know that I'm doing the best that I can and I hope that I turned out okay. Um, and I don't, you know, I don't remember those things as well, so I think that, You know, I really appreciate you even just bringing that up cuz it was, it was a nice moment of, self-reflection knowing that, and it makes me excited cuz like when we walk in and we have wins for the app, you know, the kids are like, go crypto mom. Woohoo. You know, they love it and they dance to it too. And, they make up their own dances and songs and stuff. So, you know, again, like. We're all just trying to do our best and

Gianna Diggs: 13:47

mm-hmm.

Kendra Cole: 13:47

You know, we're out here trying to create generational wealth for our families and Right. Um, I think that when we keep that in mind and, keep at the heart of why we're doing this and why this is important, that, the outcomes are always gonna be positive.

Gianna Diggs: 14:01

Right. And I love you say that your, your kids have their own dance, cuz that's what they're gonna remember.

Kendra Cole: 14:06

Yeah.

Gianna Diggs: 14:06

Right. They're gonna look back on it, you know, however many years from now and be like, yeah, whenever my mom, every time there was a win, like we, we celebrate it, right?

Kendra Cole: 14:14

Mm-hmm.

Gianna Diggs: 14:14

And that's teaching them how to celebrate their wins as well.

Kendra Cole: 14:17

Yes.

Gianna Diggs: 14:17

And I think if we release the guilt, Then we can kind of see the positives in

Kendra Cole: 14:23

totally

Gianna Diggs: 14:24

in what we're doing. And I know it's hard right? In any moment cuz my daughter just said this, this past weekend, you know, we, we just celebrated Thanksgiving, right? And, at the time of this recording and. And I was working on these emails for this workshop I am working on, and she's like, you don't play with me. And I'm like, we just play, like in your mind you're like, wait a second. We just did, we just did that. But

Kendra Cole: 14:46

mm-hmm.

Gianna Diggs: 14:46

I had to remember that one. She's not only child anymore, obviously she has her younger brother, but he can't play with her. He's four months. Right,

Kendra Cole: 14:52

right.

Gianna Diggs: 14:53

And so she just wanted me to. Put things aside to play with her. And so I told her like, okay, let me mommy finish this and then we'll do something else. And I think speaking back to the point of your mom, her guilt probably was like, okay, now we're gonna go bowling after because like you sat at work with me all day. And so, but she doesn't realize that she gave you the double whammy of fun cuz you had fun at her job.

Kendra Cole: 15:13

Yep.

Gianna Diggs: 15:13

And then she took you to do something else. But I think that we probably try to tack on that extra thing because we feel guilty. So that's kind what that made me think of. So what would you tell a mom entrepreneur who is listening to this and they still feel like, you know, that they should wait, that timing has to be perfect to start their business. What's that one piece of advice or many pieces of advice, however many you wanna give, that you would just, tell them to, to kind of consider?

Kendra Cole: 15:41

I would say if you can swing it, Get you some dependable childcare. Childcare is so expensive. It's hard to find consistent childcare, that you can depend on, but if you can find it, Do it. I think that's the only way that, I've been able to continue on with my career. It's the only way that I can travel for whether we're doing pitch competitions or anything like that. It's the only way that I can, build this. It's the only way that I can work late. And the other thing I would say is that if you have it, rely on your family. Rely on your network, rely on your village. Because the times that I can't be there for bedtime, I'm fortunate enough to have my mom be there for bedtime with my kids. Or, you know, my partner and I switch off days where, he's doing dinner in bed with the kids and then. He does that for the week or you know, or the whatever. So I think it's fine, dependable, reliable childcare and. Rely on your village. Those are the two things.

Gianna Diggs: 16:47

I love that. I love that you said that. Cause I think we often, as moms, we try to be superwomen.

Kendra Cole: 16:51

Mm-hmm.

Gianna Diggs: 16:51

And we think we can do it all. And this, I have my mother-in-law. My mom lives a, a couple of states away, but I have my mom-in-law who she, I love her because, she has the kids right now as I'm recording this podcast, And, you know, she helps with my son when I need to work on something and

Kendra Cole: 17:06

absolutely.

Gianna Diggs: 17:07

I was resistant to that at first.

Kendra Cole: 17:09

Yeah.

Gianna Diggs: 17:09

Because it was like, I don't want that to be a reflection of me. Right. Like how I'm a mom, you know, I don't need, but I had to sit back and say, you know what, if you wanna, if you wanna really press forward and move this business forward, you need to rely on people who are here who don't mind it. Cause they get to spend time with the kids.

Kendra Cole: 17:24

Yep.

Gianna Diggs: 17:24

So, I love that you said, I love your answer.

Kendra Cole: 17:27

Thank you.

Gianna Diggs: 17:27

So before we wrap up, can you tell the audience where they can find you online, where they can find your app?

Kendra Cole: 17:35

Yeah, so we are building the Crypto Mom app. We are gonna be, it's the premier destination for all things crypto, for women and by women. Follow us on social media at the crypto mom app, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook. And you can go to our website, the cryptomom.app, to sign up for our wait list to stay up to date on all of the latest updates. And we also, distribute really fun stuff like newsletters, education, and really we're just kind of creating a, an inclusive community for women to learn about crypto, capitalize on crypto, and incorporate it into your wealth building journey. All right, Kendra,

Gianna Diggs: 18:11

thank you so much for being here.

Kendra Cole: 18:13

Yes. Thank you so much. I loved having this, and thank you, and looking forward to connecting online.

Gianna Diggs: 18:20

Yes, thank you. Thank you for tuning into today's episode of the Preneur Mindset Podcast. I truly hope that our conversation has inspired and motivated you to take charge of your entrepreneurial journey. If you found today's episode valuable, please take a moment and, and subscribe and leave us a review on your preferred podcast platform. Your support means the world to me, and it's vital for helping me to reach more entrepreneurs like you and empower our growing community to thrive. Until next time. Keep pushing boundaries. Never settle. And remember, the world is waiting for your unique gifts that only you can offer. See you in the next episode.