Ep. 111 - Stop Making Excuses: How This Woman Built Her Empire at 40 | No BS

🎯 Ever catch yourself saying "I'll start my business when..."? Stop. Right. There.

Meet Christine Campbell Rapin, a powerhouse who launched her empire on a random Wednesday at 40 years old, while planning a wedding and becoming a bonus mom to two teenagers. No "perfect timing" BS here - just pure grit and determination to bet on herself.

In this no-holds-barred conversation, we dive deep into:

• Why doing it "for your kids" is actually holding you back
• The truth about that first $10K investment (and why it scared the hell out of her)
• How to stop waiting for permission to live YOUR life
• The real reason you're not betting on yourself (hint: it's not what you think)

Christine drops truth bombs about why your business needs to be like oxygen - non-negotiable and essential for YOUR survival. Whether you're thinking about starting a business or already in the trenches, this episode will light a fire under you to stop making excuses and start taking action.

Ready to connect with Christine? LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/christinecampbell1 Facebook: facebook.com/christine.l.campbell.3 Instagram: instagram.com/christine.campbell.rapin Pinterest: pinterest.com/227zvx0bw6319iyp0sihk8rjwk7df3

💥 This isn't just another business podcast episode - it's your wake-up call. Time to bet on yourself. Press play.

#WomenInBusiness #Entrepreneurship #BusinessMentor #NoBS #BusinessEmpire #BetOnYourself #BusinessSuccess

As always we ask you to comment, DM, whatever it takes to have a conversation to help you take the next step in your journey, reach out on any platform!

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DISCLOSURE: Awards and rankings by third parties are not indicative of future performance or client investment success. Past performance does not guarantee future results. All investment strategies carry profit/loss potential and cannot eliminate investment risks. Information discussed may not reflect current positions/recommendations. While believed accurate, Black Mammoth does not guarantee information accuracy. This broadcast is not a solicitation for securities transactions or personalized investment advice. Tax/estate planning information is general - consult professionals for specific situations. Full disclosures at www.blackmammoth.com.

Chapters

• 0:00 Intro & Christine's Story
• 3:41 The Wake-Up Call That Changed Everything
• 8:27 Why "Doing It For Your Kids" Is BS
• 14:50 The Truth About Betting On Yourself
• 20:58 Setting Unreachable Goals
• 27:16 Why You Can't Do It Alone
• 34:03 Final Nuggets of Wisdom

Transcript

Stoy Hall, CFP®: 0:00

New Year, New Us at No BS Wealth Podcast. This year, we are focused on women business owners. Women are minority business owners, exclusively. And for the main topic of, we've all had to go through something to be successful, that not every person has to go through, right? Women, they have their things. Obviously, being a black male, I have mine. And we really want to hit upon that. So the theme of this year will be that. No better guest than Christine Rappin, who also is yes, a female business owner, but also guess what she does. She helps us as business owners be repeatable and successful. So I think this is a two birds, one stone, one stone, two birds, whatever that saying goes. So without further ado, Christine, once you, uh, open up about you, your background a little bit, uh, in your business.

Christine Campbell Rapin: 0:47

Yeah, thank you for having me. I'm super excited to change the world in 2025. Because you didn't finish doing it last year. And let's talk about that elephant in the room. I tell people really candidly, I did not set up one day to start a business. It was a really random Wednesday. I had a lot of things on my plan. And by Friday I could hear myself saying, it's the money. I don't have time, blah, blah, blah, blah. And I looked at myself in the mirror and went, who the hell are you that you would not bet on yourself? And put down the BS story and say, I can figure this out. And so in a heartbeat, I was like, I don't want to be the person I'm looking at full of excuses. And I sent a WhatsApp message and started a business on Friday. At the time, just to set the scene here, I had a full time job. I traveled 40 percent of the time across half the country. I was about to be married for the first time at 40. Yep. Single girl getting married for the first time at 40. To a man who has two teenage daughters, a dog, and for building a house. So like, this idea that I would have a ton of time to go do this wild thing for myself was probably the most, are you effing kidding me, moment. And I swan down to the kitchen and my husband, husband was making coffee, turns on the kettle for me to make tea, and I just had to be really casually. So I've just started a business. And he's like, I'm so, I'm sorry, what? Like, I didn't even know this was on the radar. We've never talked about it. And he's like, we're about to be married. I'm like, yeah, got that. Three months from now. He's like, we're supposed to have conversations about things like that as a married couple. And I was like, well, single girl. Uh, there's a rule book about getting married. I should get a copy of this and soon. Cause you know, I'm going to read every terms and condition in it. And he said, okay. Um, I said, truthfully, babe, it just didn't occur to me to ask you. And I want you to hear that. It did not occur to me to ask somebody else's permission to live my life, even in the context of a girl who was about to be married and becoming a bonus mom. And I answered him with the most honest response I could have given. And it will set you free. I'm doing this for me. And he's like, okay then, so what does it mean to us? And I was like, I'll commit one hour a day to building this because I need this as part of what my story is about all the things, the name change, the label change, all the expectations were changing. But this was something I wanted. I knew that I could make a difference and I was ready to bet on myself. And this was the most easiest declaration I could make. And he's like, All right, then you have my support if you need it. And I'm like, well, I didn't really need it, but thanks. And I will tell you so fast forward that first business on a really random Wednesday has now created a very successful business, but it wasn't a direct line and it wasn't rainbows and unicorns. And there were a lot of moments that I had to really ask myself, what do I want and what am I willing? To do to get it and that meant starting where I could, which was one hour a day and sometimes that was five minutes waiting for kids, you know, to come out from their job, 10 minutes standing in the lineup at Starbucks in a hotel lobby. Like, I just did not let the excuse be defining me. I said, if I want it, I have to be willing. And so my biggest thing to you as you start a new year is ask yourself, what do you want? And are you willing? To do what's required in order to get what you want, because you can't go the other way around. You can't just want it and think it's going to happen. You have to be willing to work for it. And nobody said it will be effortless, but there are some easier ways to do it. So I'm kind of advocating for do that. Cause there'll be enough times where life slaps you hard. You just don't need to think the hard things harder.

Stoy Hall, CFP®: 4:36

What do you think? From, cause it, I mean, you're, you were 40 when business started off of a WhatsApp text. What do you think led up to all of those years that this didn't occur? Why? Why didn't you start a business at 30 35 25 20 with this idea? What do you think had occurred previously in life to get you to that point?

Christine Campbell Rapin: 4:59

You know, it's interesting when I think back about what did I want to be when I grow up, the thing that I played the most was not Barbie. It was shopkeeper. And so I think that entrepreneurship was always a destination. I equipped myself with two degrees in the world of business. So I definitely thought I would become a business owner at some point. And truthfully, I kept saying, if I knew what I wanted, I would go do it because I get irritated with myself. And I was just busy acquiring the skills. And letting somebody else fund the ride. And what was interesting about that conversation on that random Wednesday is it was someone who reached out to me on LinkedIn, who I hadn't a friendship with, but I was an office colleague to who had worked with 10 years earlier. And she said to me, 10 years ago, you left the impression that one day you would start a business. And I'm like, really? I didn't think that was on my radar at all because I was thinking my greatest skill at that time was having champagne in my fridge, like I could afford that. And so like, and I was living in the UK, so let's be clear, it was a lot less expensive than it is to buy it here, but it didn't really sit front of my lens. And I think it was because I kept imagining there will be a time when it will be obvious it's the choice. And I think we can wait and wait and wait until someone says, you actually left all the clues all along. And I had to be in the moment when I was prepared to bet on myself. And to say I was ready and truthfully, I didn't think I was ready and I didn't think I would have the business I have now and it was opportunity and invitations that I was blindly willing to say yes, I'll go figure it out that got me to here because when I started my business now, I'm a business mentor, I help people build business empires. I never set out to do that. It never occurred to me that somebody would need that. I know how to make a billion dollars for other people, but didn't occur to me that small business would value that. Hello, seriously. I mean, it's remarkable how blind you are in your own value to that you bring to the marketplace. And it was when somebody said, I'll pay you to do that. And I was like, that's absurd. And I'm like, no, seriously, you have more in your brain than I, than I've spent time learning on my own. And it's painful. I'm like, it is painful. I'm watching you. It's painful. You're doing the hokey pokey, my friend. And it shifted. But I had to then say someone in my life who I really respect said, pay attention. And after I got that tough love, I thought, wow, I can figure this out and I can solve this. And that's also what I want you to hear. I left the clues. Somebody else was paying attention. It wasn't me. And I was invited into it to say, solve the problem. You could do it today. And you get to define success on this journey. Not anybody else. I said, I'm doing this for me. And he's like, okay, well, what does success look like? I'm it's one hour a day. I'm going to do this. You guys can go watch two episodes of friends. Cause that was what they were watching again and again and again. And I'm like, I'm going to go do this.

Stoy Hall, CFP®: 8:00

I bet on myself. I finally bet, just bet on myself. Um, former athlete, like we bet on ourselves all the time. Even my wife who's becoming part of the business now, betting on herself has been the hardest transition from, we'll just say corporate to, to business ownership. What do you think in your mind was the toughest to finally say, I'm going to bet on myself.

Christine Campbell Rapin: 8:27

The biggest thing for me was when I made the First investment into my business. And I mean, not just like deciding I was going to do it, but like the first cash outlay to get help. And for me, I, I came equipped with business skills, so I do have a massive advantage in that side. But I also knew that if I kept going at the pace I was going at, I would be unrecognizable in five years. And I thought I'm just in this new marriage with these impressionable young teenage daughters that were very girly and I have an older brother. So I was not like, I am never going to give you makeup advice. I'm going to watch you. Why are you gluing your eyebrows? Like all of that is foreign for me. But what I realized was I had to bet on myself. And when I was realizing I would be unrecognizable, actually, you know, you know, the fable of kids where there's this crone in the woods that tries to like steal the kids. I'm like, Oh my God, that'll be me. I will be old, haggard, unrecognizable. And I thought, wow, I don't, these new people in my life don't deserve that. And so I've got to get there faster. So I made, I was making a decision to, to get some support and then the cost was about 10, 000 and just give context. It was 10, 000 and my husband was watching me get twisted about a decision. I didn't consult him, but he was watching me. He's like, what are you noodling on? Do you need, do you need somebody to talk that through with? And I was like, Again, single girl, right? Forgot I could ask that question and I said, I've got this opportunity and he's like, yeah, I'm like, I'm scared to do it and he's like, I don't really understand that statement from you, but why are you scared? Is it a money thing? And truthfully, it's not that that's not significant dollars is that I paid for education. I put myself through two schools. I paid for schooling for my children. And so it wasn't that there was a weird amount of money to be spending, but I was spending it on myself. And that meant if I was going to put the money on myself, I'd have to show up for myself as the priority. And that was hard. And he's like, what advice would you give? And I'm like, I believe in you. And he's like, why don't you do that for yourself? So I'm not here. You can make the decision, doing everything you want. And in a heartbeat, of course I have a credit card out and I invested on a credit card 10, 000. But I want you to hear that this thing was the thing that held me back. It was, when does it get to be my time? And I think a lot of women, especially if they're mothers, always put somebody else's needs first. But let me tell you this. It is up to you to breathe for yourself. You can't breathe for another human being. And if you are still breathing today, there's a reason. For that, it is up to you to solve the problem and to take the steps in the journey. And so breathing is actually really natural. You are, if you are pushed into a corner or you're in a scrappy environment, you will come out swinging, whether you thought you had it in you or not, you are going to fight for your air. And so I'm like, how about if your business was oxygen and a real sense of your own identity? In which case, say the things you would say to your best friend. I believe in you. We're smart enough to figure this out and it could get really bloody, but I'm not giving up because I'm still breathing. And when I look at every moment, the decisions get bigger, the risks get bigger. I don't get less scared. I just get more certain I can solve this because there's other smart people on the planet. I'm the only person here. And so that's really what made me lean forward was there will never be a certain bet as myself. And I get to put myself forward and women, I'm going to talk to you for a second. If I can, I'm going to go to business church now. It's easy for people to say, I will build this business for my children, or I'll build this business for somebody else, my spouse, my parents, for somebody else. And it sounds like a good idea. You are not responsible for saving anybody else. And if the world really wanted to be saved, it would save itself. We are highly capable people. The bigger thing, if you want to create impact to save yourself, get clear on what you want, show up and breathe oxygen into your dreams and say, I can figure this out. Nobody will get you a free ride. Nobody is expected to give you a free ride, but you can solve this. And so solve it. The biggest thing to ask yourself is what do I want and am I willing to have it? Because people say, you know, I'm doing this for my kids. And I'm like, I, I call BS. Your job when you had children was to give birth to them and after that you're are replaceable heartbreakingly true You play a very important role, but other people will support another human being in their journey of life So when people say I will do this for my children I said I don't agree with you because there is a client out there looking for you and you won't do that It's required to be found and if it was really about being found trust me you would do the things that are required Because, you know, if you look at the extreme of that, if you had a habit that needed to be fixed, it's amazing how much time you can solve that problem and how quickly you can solve it. So I want your business to be like oxygen for you because you are the spark of your business dream. But there are a lot of people like you and I here that can be fuel sources for you, but we'll never responsible for lighting the flame. So bet on yourself, get really clear that you get to do life for you. And that doesn't mean at the expense of someone else. Stop thinking so limited. It is an and story. I get to do this for myself and I get to be a great mother. I get to do this for myself and be a great wife. I get to do this for myself and be a great daughter. And I get to say to people, this is important for me for the next hour, so go find something else to do. Non negotiable because it matters to me.

Stoy Hall, CFP®: 14:24

Yeah, I just got the chills with that because It's so freeing to do something for yourself. Now, inherently, that is, that is a very selfish thing to do. If we, um, and I might be the most selfless person there is. My wife will say that in my former business partners will also say that and kudos to them, but when you, when you start to recognize that you are the important right. Yeah, you might say you're doing it for your children, but that's, that's just an excuse. It's convenient. For you not to really know who you are and what, I'm just doing it for them. Now, if you want to leave a legacy because of what you're doing and it leaves something behind, fantastic. But you can't just say, hey, that's the only reason I'm in this thing for it. Because then you're going to shortcut. You're not going to be as attentive. You're not going to give as much energy and it's truly not going to be successful because it's not about. It's you and you need to know who you are. What is one, maybe a few, of course, cause I'm sure you have a hundred different tools, a hundred different stories, but what is something that someone can do to sit down, take a couple of deep breaths and say, I'm worthy enough of my own love.

Christine Campbell Rapin: 15:46

Well, let's just talk about worth for a second, because worth is not about your experience of worth. Worth just is. I mean, you beat the odds. Think about how many millions of sperm cells had to get here, God had to create you. You, you, when you are innately worthy, your experience of how you have lived worth all kinds of grayscale on that, that journey, but you get to decide which direction you're facing. And I think you're like, you're the driver in the driver's seat of your life. A lot of things happen to you. Sure. How you navigate them up to you. So look at the difference between a windshield and how much bigger it is than the rear view mirror. You are not defined by how you look backwards. You're defined by the view that you see ahead. And so when you are questioning your worth, it's circular logic to think you're going to find it talking to yourself. Because all you will see is what you know, which is the rear view mirror. And so I think that is why it's important to find other people and truly, here's a golden nugget. Your business will be built on strangers. Go find a stranger to see you as you are in this moment without your story. Because you don't have to tell your story. And truthfully, the story you don't want to tell will honestly make the biggest difference to your life. And when I tell people when they're questioning this, and when people come to, you know, figure out what I do to businesses and how I help them, I said, I am not betting on your business idea. I know how to build a business. That's just my track record. That's my rear view mirror. What I'm doing is I'm betting on you, and I'm betting on my ability to breathe belief into you so that you can borrow my belief until you can hold it on your own. And then you can navigate decision making and you can navigate decision making. getting clearer as you move. When people say to me, they don't know what they want. And that's a really easy cop out. Like it, I'm building this for somebody else. You actually do know what you want. You're scared to say it. And that is not the same thing. And so, play the game that you play with your children, which is imagine if. Imagine if I showed up to my potential. Imagine if I took the risk to bet on myself, which is such a small risk, seriously. You're biologically wired to keep alive. Trust the science. And trust the faith. And ask yourself, I'm not asking you to figure out how to do it, because there's a lot of people that will help you with the how. How comes after once you've gotten clear on the what. And so when I have people come into my space, the first thing they said is, I don't know what I want. And I'm like, BS, I could have a 30 minute conversation with you and tell you what you're saying. And they're like, huh, that's what I want. And I'm like, okay, well now what are you going to do about that? And that's often why we avoid the question. What do you want? Because the moment you know, you feel obligated to start to move and that sometimes means you limp in circles and go round and round. But there's also why some people will hit you with a 2x4. Life will hit you with a 2x4. Pay attention. Because I, you know, I joke, you know, people this morning, somebody was saying to me, you know, your confidence is awe inspiring. I said, that confidence comes from I have often thrown grenades, I have often sold out a landmine, I have always been willing and I'm as willing today to stand on another for fighting for what I believe in, which is what I want to know my time here mattered, to not waste the gift I was given and to know that I've had to pick myself up in a totally new subset. today. And when I've had the moment where everything is pulled out from under me, and it has on this journey, let me reassure you, I have my dad in my voice, which says to me, at the end of the day, only, you know, in your maker, whether you showed up in your values today, and you get to choose your values. That's your human right. And if you did, Great. You'll sleep easy. And if you did not, you hope you're blessed with another day and tomorrow you get to choose to show up. So whenever I've had to take my lumps and say, I'm scared to go after what I want, I'm scared to articulate it. Who am I to dream so big? The most common thing clients say to me after they hire me is who am I to dream so big? And my answer is universally the same. Let me introduce you to the person in the mirror. Her name is X. This is her big dream. She's not certain how she will become it, but I can help you figure that out. Borrow my confidence. Until you're able to carry it yourself and keep moving and say, it's non negotiable to do something that I want now, not someday now. And it doesn't mean that you throw everything out. I started one hour a day. I mean, my business is obviously not one hour a day now, but I started where I could. Cause I was compelled to start and I was committed to not stopping and said, I don't want to be the old hag in the woods, but I definitely know quitting isn't an option because every time I start to think about quitting, I get hit by the two by four and I'm reminded, pay attention, right? Get back on track, brush off the tears, eat some chocolate and say, there's a bigger reason. How do I show up today and be prepared to show up because you're teaching other people the habits. It's how they engage with you. And so, yes, you know, it's easy to say, I'll gift my things for my kids. I'll do things for my husband. I'll do things. The biggest gift I can give them is living my life vibrantly. The lessons I've gifted my immediate family have not been because they believe in my business dream. They have, don't even understand it. They don't need to. They don't need to. They're not my clients. And my husband caught me on this. I have to say one, one breaks. It's pretty important. I had a vision board and I've always had one. What do I want? That's my gliding North of the day. I show up. How do I want to serve today? I use it as an, as a visual anchor to my day. My husband could hear me talking to somebody who I was in this time and space in my business where I was saying I was doing it for other people. And particularly I have a husband who doesn't have great health and we can't wait till we're 90 to have a life. We have to have it now. We have to make the memories now and my parents are old and we're aging quickly and our lives get hijacked a lot for medical emergencies. That's the age I'm in. And my teenage daughters are like, life is hard. Oh my God. Now we're early twenties. Um, you mean I just have to work for a living? Like this sucks. There's a lot of dynamics in my world and my husband could hear me and he's like, I just need to check you because I heard you say you do this for us. And I will tell you that if you look at that vision board, 5 percent of it's us and that's not a judgment. But how you show up, who you show up is because you want to show up that way. We support you and admire how you do that, but don't for a nanosecond think you do it for us. And it was a very humbling, uncomfortable moment because it's so much more socially acceptable to say, I'm doing this for other people. But I will tell you, every business owner I know, every human who lives a living legacy does so because they said, I need to own my own self. That's all you're obligated to do. Put down the expectations and set your own expectations for self. And the thing about expectations, if you are not falling short of them on occasion, they're not high enough.

Stoy Hall, CFP®: 23:18

Dive deeper into that, right? Um, from, from an athlete perspective, we always set goals that were damn near unachievable, right? I'm going to jump 35 inches. I am five, 10 and a half, 230 pounds. I really don't have a right jumping 35 inches, but I reached 31. One. Which is at that point, it was like six inches higher than I ever had before. Talk us through more about that specific, always have a goal that is really unreachable, but that's where you're jumping.

Christine Campbell Rapin: 23:52

Yeah, there's a lot to be said for the rear view mirror versus the front dash. The thing you always do is you set your goals based on past successes. You're living for your limits instead of living to your capabilities. And I'm not saying set a dream that is so unachievable that you are not prepared to take action. This isn't a wish. I mean, go toss your penny into a fountain. That's not what I'm talking about here. I'm talking about imagine if it was bigger than you can conceive today. Because there's somebody else that has achieved something bigger than you can conceive today. There is evidence around you that it is possible. So you may be thinking, it might not be possible for me. That's not the question I was asking. When I'm talking about your standard, I said, that standard is who do you aspire to be? And then choose to be it. And when you're going towards a goal that feels really uncomfortable, that is what living feels like. It's vibrant, it's electric, it's scary as all get out, and it's how you know you're alive. So wake up and be alive. That's what I think so many people sleepwalk through their lives and said, like, it's uncomfortable. Let's be clear. And it's messy and it's sticky. It's just like having toddlers. Like it is not the same. What's important though, is that you're like, I'm not falling in love with the result. I'm falling in love with the habits of rising to my potential, which means in the case of athletes, you know, you put in the reps, you said, I'm going to do what great people who got to that did, and I'm going to learn from the models that are out there and I'm going to challenge myself to keep getting up and to strengthening the muscles to stretch beyond what I ever knew I could do if I looked only at my past limits. And so one of the things why I think it's so important to work with business mentors is that you haven't been where you want to go. Why are you possibly berating yourself for not having the knowledge? It's absurd. And so people come into my world and said, I've built a lot of businesses, but every day I'll be like, wow, that was unexpected, but I can solve that. And I put in the reps so that when it gets to be game day, you just run the play. You're like, I know what to anticipate and I can plan for everything I think might contingently go wrong. And I'm going to do that so that I have this inner confidence around, I can solve this. But the one thing I'm 100 percent sure of is that I can borrow belief. I can build belief and I can choose to believe. So what do you choose to believe? And if you don't have great supporters around you, and I know a lot of people don't, and there's a lot of people who will poo poo your dreams and think you're crazy. You know what? Get into different rooms, because the biggest way you will stretch beyond your rear view mirror is by being in spaces where everyone says, okay, cool. Let's go do that. And you're like, wait, wait, they're like, you're allowed to be scared. Like, I think half my life I said, I think of it, the swan analogy, right? On the surface, the swan is elegant and got it together and the feathers are all in place and underneath the surface, they are paddling fricking hard to get across that pond. That is real life. Beware of thinking the journey is easy and saying, I'm prepared to put in the effort to get where I want to go.

Stoy Hall, CFP®: 27:00

Now, selfishly in this next one, obviously our jobs and our businesses are to help us. That's what we do. different lanes, same objective. So selfishly, I'm going to say you cannot be successful alone. It's just not possible as a business owner to do everything alone and be successful. What do you say to that? When people are like it, they don't usually, they don't want to hire us because cost, yes, it's always out there, but they also don't want someone else to be raising their baby. They don't want their baby to be with someone else. How do you overcome that or help them overcome the fact that you can't do it alone and you need a team? Whether it's me or someone else.

Christine Campbell Rapin: 27:43

Yeah. Well, the first thing I want you to realize that you are never alone. There's 8 billion people on this planet. Like, so this idea that I'm lonely is not the same as being alone. And it can be lonely on the journey. Let's talk about that for a sec. They can be lonely on the journey, but you are never alone. And if you were thinking about a business idea by its very nature, you will never be alone because for you to have a business, you have to have a client, which means automatically you're in a partnership, at least a partnership. Yeah. So you're by default not ever alone. And from there, so the idea will be, if you cannot bet on yourself, do not expect a partner to bet on you. I mean, trust break right out of the gate. The second piece of that is, even in a solopreneur business entity, You cannot have all the knowledge you need to create success. I had 25 years of business experience, and I will tell you, there's a whole lot I've learned in the last five years. I can do a webpage now, I can send out an email automation, and I had to learn all those things, and I was capable, and here's the thing I want to tell women. Women, we are not smarter when it comes to this. This is going to be so much a stereotype, but I will 100 percent back it by my own experience. When men say I, if they see a job, they have 30 percent of the skills, they apply for it. It's like, I 30 percent and I can figure the rest out. Women will look at that and say, I need 130 percent of that or I'm never going to put my ring in the game. Don't let your life walk you by because you won't bet on yourself. When you are in business, you will constantly Embrace something new. You can learn from somebody who's been before. And men, when they're like, I have a gap in business. Like today was having this conversation with the guy and he's like, I have had some success, but I feel like I'm short of my potential. And I don't know where to look. And you ask me questions that make me feel like I just get hit by a two by four. I'm like, you're welcome. And he's like, so I think I need to probably hire you because I know I don't know the questions that you know how to ask. And he moves really quickly. Tell me what it is. Tell me how I start. Tell me how much money I need to find. Women, on the other hand, are like, I was really successful over here, but now I can't be successful at anything else. And I won't put my risks out there. And so I hide everything and I struggle on my own and I isolate myself. That is a choice. Make another, you'll be happier because you're never alone. If you're going to be in the world of business, you're going to be in the world of people. And trust me, you will feel a lot less stress. Your temperature will go down 30 degrees and you will sleep better at night by going, wow, somebody else has been in the same monkey zoo that I am living in now. And that is not a game of comparison. That is not a game of let's complain ourselves in as a pastime. It's a real recognition of, wow, Huh. I feel seen. And to be successful in business, you have to first see yourself in the mirror. You have to recognize that you will never be alone. And there is no glory ladies, none. And thinking I have to solve this on my own. Why? In my case, I'm a faith believer. God gave you people to help you. And so you're listening to this podcast. There's sort of resources right here in front of you. He put them there right in front of you and you're going to go well, but you know, six months now I'm going to wish I'd paid attention. It's like, no problem. We'll still be here in six months. Will you? And I tell people, don't take the long road because you'll run out of runway. I think people run out of runway on their dreams. And the biggest regret in the grave graveyard, we've all heard the analogy, is the people whose dreams they never pursued. They kept their, they kept it safe. They kept it boring. And you know what? Life is meant to be vibrant. You should feel electric with the choices you make. And sometimes that means you get electrocuted. Yes, it does. But if you're still breathing, it's a lesson and a stepping stone. How amazing would it feel if you thought all the things I clustered in my life would serve a purpose? Because they do. They're going to be somebody else's evidence that you're not defined by the rear view mirror. That you're going to be defined by how you choose to define yourself and you choose to define yourself by saying, I bet on myself. And I'm smart enough to know that I can hold somebody else's hand and make this journey faster, smoother, probably more joyful, and way less lonely. And I think one of the most coolest people is my best friend. She's been my best friend since I was 15. Actually, I was probably irritating to her until she was, what, 18? But I met her when I was 15. And she, she is Just awesome. But she said to me when I was really young, 20 ish, you can be alone in a room full of people you know, and alone full of room full of strangers. That is a perspective. You are a human having a human experience. There's always somebody else you can reach to. And the coolest thing is when you get to be in community, you also get this incredible ability to reach back. Do that. We didn't get here by accident, and we certainly didn't get here solo, and you and I choose as business leaders to create platforms, create conversations, create invitations. This invitation is yours for the taking. Don't be defined by your past, don't be defined by your color, don't be defined by your limits. There are a lot of awesome people who will support you on that journey. If you don't know them yet, just have 100 percent certainty with my voice in your ear. They're out there. Get into different rooms.

Stoy Hall, CFP®: 33:43

And ultimately, not everyone, there's not one person on this earth that is 100 percent has their shit together. 100%! Oh

Christine Campbell Rapin: 33:52

yeah, hot mess,

Stoy Hall, CFP®: 33:52

work

Christine Campbell Rapin: 33:53

in progress.

Stoy Hall, CFP®: 33:53

It's just a fact, right? Yep,

Christine Campbell Rapin: 33:57

and just when we think we've got it together, whoa, there's another whole level. Yep, absolutely. Well,

Stoy Hall, CFP®: 34:03

as we wrap this up, um, we always wrap it up in two ways. One being, what is one nugget at the end of this that you want to give to others? that they can take this next step after listening to this podcast and reach out or whatever they're on their journey to take that next step. What is one item you want to leave them with?

Christine Campbell Rapin: 34:21

I'm going to remind you, you get to choose what you want to do. Okay. Like you need permission, write yourself a permission slip, but it is 100 percent not a selfish decision at all to say, this feels like my heartbeat. So I want to let it keep beating. And so I want you to be slowing yourself down to start to say, What's the whisper that I know has always been there? Because there are, it's clues. I mean, there are clues. You don't always see them. Ask around if you've got people around you who've known you for a while. I left this clue ten years ago in London, England, but I didn't even know I left and she changed my life. She was in it for six weeks and then gone. I haven't talked to her since. She was a spark. I had paid attention. I accepted the invitation, but everything you want is on the other side of fear. If you want to move anything, you want to be a great role model. You want to create cash and have the stress that you're currently living under as a limit go away. The only thing that will transition you is you betting on you. And we, the two of us are betting on you right now.

Stoy Hall, CFP®: 35:35

As we ended one, appreciate you, your time, everything that you do for it, but ultimately listeners, please reach out to us comments. DM us, email us, whatever you need to do to help you on this next step, do it because we're here for you. We care more about you than we do anything else when it comes to money. Just reach out. There is always a resource. There's always an avenue to meet you where you're at to get you to go forward. So thank you so much. Obviously we can go a lot deeper and we're going to have you on again naturally, but I really do appreciate all that you do and the experience you're giving and really. Ultimately, everyone needs to have a you, right? Obviously, you can't be just you. There's more of you out there, but I am so glad to have you on and cannot wait to see what 2025 does specifically for those people that listen to this.

Christine Campbell Rapin: 36:29

Well, and I want to say 1 final thing, because now it's just on my heart to do that. And it was around this idea of betting on yourself and having the courage to hold a vision. Just a little longer than you're currently holding it because it's coming and going and sometimes it's like if I won the lottery I would do this. All I'm gonna say is hold it a little longer. Things are moving you cannot see. You just got to stay at the table. And if the table doesn't serve you get up and find a new one. And if you can't find one you want it's because you're meant to create one. Hold it a little longer, my friends.

Stoy Hall, CFP®: 37:06

Hold it longer. Mic drop.

Christine Campbell Rapin: 37:10

That's all she has. That's all I got. Thank you.

Black Mammoth: 37:27

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