Divas That Care Network

Purpose, Courage, And The Path Ahead

• Divas That Care Network • Season 15 • Episode 62

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0:00 | 17:25

Come and listen to our Host, Candace Gish, as she chats with today's guest, Dr. Nelva Lee, for our “End of Year, Beginning of Me” Podcast Series.
A powerfully themed mini-series helping women close the year with clarity and step into the next one with grounded self-love and vision.

Dr. Nelva Lee is the Founder and CEO of Concrete Build Financing and
MiTio Technologies, a Medical Interpreting and Translating Agency. Dr. Lee
was a Subject Matter Expert in the creation of the CMI exam for the NBCMI
and was respectively its first Chair.

Dr. Lee has over 20 years of experience in healthcare and over 10 years in
academia as an adjunct professor for various Universities. She was a
Governor Kemp appointed board member to the Department of Community
Health. She is the Vice Chairman of the board of the Henry County
Pregnancy Resource Center (Bridge Wellness South), and a former
Republican candidate for State Senate in District 17. Dr. Lee has authored
several Christian-based books including: “Stay and Fight” and “Be the
Super Hero of Your Story.”

Dr. Lee volunteers at Relevant, her local church, and the Joy FM as a
Prayer Partner. She was a Home-School Mom, Substitute Teacher for a
Christian School, and Vocational School Founder and CEO. She has been
married to her best friend Donnie for 25 years, and together they have 3
children.

https://www.youtube.com/@DrNelvaLee

https://x.com/CBLD2025

We explore purpose-driven leadership with Dr. Nelva Lee, from life under a dictatorship to entrepreneurship, school choice, and a run for Georgia superintendent. Practical tools for getting unstuck meet bold ideas on literacy, trade schools, and learning to face change with courage.

• founding a vocational school for medical interpreters and its impact on dignity and income
• why school choice matters for diverse learners, including homeschooling and Montessori
• tackling illiteracy by raising expectations and aligning environments to the child
• decision to run for Georgia superintendent and a vision for results that count
• resilience, faith, and finding purpose as daily practice
• an accessible take on crypto, inflation, and asset-backed tokens
• links to books, campaign, and channels for deeper learning

For more Divas That Care Network Episodes visit www.divasthatcare.com

SPEAKER_00:

It's Divas That Care Radio. Stories, strategies, and ideas to inspire positive change. Welcome to Divas That Care, a network of women committed to making our world a better place for everyone. This is a global movement for women, by women engaged in a collaborative effort to create a better world for future generations. To find out more about the movement, visit divas that care.com after the show. Right now, though, stay tuned for another jolt of inspiration.

SPEAKER_01:

Well, hello everyone, and welcome back to the Divas That Care. My name is Candice Gish. If this is your very first time tuning into us, the Divas That Care has been going now for about almost 16 years now. And we're listening to in over 30 countries around the world. And it's because of all of our amazing guests, our hosts, our tribe, I would like to say, around the world, that it's really been inspiring for us to continue to do this. So we're really happy when we are able to do a podcast. And we're even more excited when we have the opportunity to interview somebody new that hasn't been a part of our podcast in the past. So today I am very excited to be introducing Dr. Neville Lee to the DivaZachat Care. So welcome to the podcast.

SPEAKER_02:

Thank you for having me. How are you guys doing today?

SPEAKER_01:

Oh, everybody is doing great here. And oh my goodness, I am so excited. I've had the opportunity to kind of go through your YouTube, your podcast. And then I went to your ex channel and I was just like, oh my goodness, this is a lady that we got to get to know. So before we kind of dive into some of the questions I might have for you today, would you mind introducing yourself to our listeners today?

SPEAKER_02:

I would love to. So I'm Dr. Nelva Lee, and I have um a real passion for entrepreneurship, uh, but also a real passion for education. So a little bit about my background. Um, I was one of the first in my family to obtain a college degree. And I had made that decision back when I was a freshman in high school. I said, I'm gonna be one of the first to get a college degree. And I did that, you know, put myself through college uh working as a nurse's assistant uh and then as a psych tech assistant, and just kind of work my way up. And once I got my college degree, um, was able to then start working in healthcare administration, which is what I got my my degrees in. Uh, so my bachelor's, master's, and doctorate are all in healthcare administration. And then I also decided to start my own company. I I co-founded MTO's uh technologies, which trained bilingual individuals to become medical interpreters. And through that school, I saw countless individuals just earn their dignity and their purpose really in life. Um, and that has led me really to be a champion for education and especially trade schools, and it's just the power of what a trade and vocational school can do, just really transform someone's life. Um, and then on a personal level, you know, I'm a mother of three. I homeschooled my oldest, and he's on the spectrum, and I homeschooled him. Uh, and then my my youngest daughter, who we adopted from the um from the foster care system from Puerto Rico, we chose to uh uh train her through the Montessori. So I'm very much a school choice proponent. You know, every child can learn. You just have to find the learning environment that works best for them. And so that that kind of ties in a little bit of my of my background and my passion for education and entrepreneurship.

SPEAKER_01:

My gosh, I love it. And that really dives in or leads us into what our podcast series that we're doing right now is end of year, beginning of me. This theme is about helping women close the year with clarity and step into the new one with grounded self-love and vision. And you really have that vision. And I want to applaud you because I love that you had said that it's, you know, every child has the ability to learn. I and I think we need to find what suits them. Because not every child fits into a certain criteria. That thing that you had said about trade schools, I love that too, because I have four daughters, and actually um the two oldest kind of went into trades. You know, they decided to do something, they they are doing something that is not like a lot of people would envision them doing, and they're excelling in that. They're they're doing great. And I love it when people, you know, really promote different avenues of schooling and work and all that, because there is there's something for everybody. We all have these journeys, these extraordinary journeys, and we never know how women get to those points. And you started your journey on this, but now it's and would you mind sharing that with our listeners today?

SPEAKER_02:

For sure. So, as I mentioned, I have a passion for education, not just for my own children, but really for all children. And the fact that I started my own vocational school and and I saw really how that impacted people in such a positive way. I really I I live in Georgia, in the in the state of Georgia, and I want to see that same passion for learning and the passion and excitement for your for one's future for all of Georgia's students. And that is one of the reasons I'm running for superintendent of schools of the state of Georgia. And I'm as I mentioned, I think that every child is able to learn. There's no such thing as a child that is unable to learn, a child that can't read. Illiteracy is growing, but not it's not because of the children. It's really because we have bought into this idea that not not every child is capable. Uh, and so I I want to be able to dispel that. And I want to fight for our kids. I want to fight for their future. You know, Georgia ranks 38th in the nation, and I think that we can change that trajectory. Um, and it just takes leadership. And I'd like to be the one to take that mantle for sure.

SPEAKER_01:

Well, I'm applauding you right now, I'll be honest with you. I'm just so excited about that because the children are our future, and we need somebody to stand up and say that. And so I wish I was in Georgia and I'm not, but I want to applaud you and say this is fantastic. And I hope that all of our listeners who are in the area go out and check you out and find out more about what you're doing and support you because that's what we do. We love to support people and we love to support women that are wanting to make change in the world. So thank you so much. You were also mentioning before we had started the podcast here that you have wrote some books, and I would love to hear about them.

SPEAKER_02:

I know some of a lot of books. Um, I see them as my written testimony. I'm a I'm a believer, and you know, the the Bible says, you know, overcome by the word of the Lamb and the Word of our testimonies. You know, the blood of the Lamb and the Word of our testimony. And so whenever I'm you know impacted by something that I was able to overcome, I love to put it in in writing so that others can learn from it as well. So I've written several books in that genre, you know, kind of a, you know, here's my story. Hopefully, hopefully you can learn from it. Uh, those are, you know, stay and fight for marriages. Uh, those are um be the superhero of your story, sort of like a resiliency book. I've written a book about my journey uh as a foster and adopted mother. Um, and that one is um, you know, uh I love I love the idea of just being able to overcome your challenges and being able to then share them with the world. Uh, but the what the book I believe that you're referring to is my business book uh on concrete uh builds. So I have a company that is in crypto. I do believe that crypto is the future. Uh really, did you know paper money really is going away? I think the massive inflation that the global inflation that we've been dealing with for the past few years has shown that. And so I do I do have my own crypto coin and um it's called CBLD. And so I wrote a book about just um why crypto is important and specifically crypto that is backed by real estate, which is what uh what ours is. So you can definitely check that out at concrete build.net.

SPEAKER_01:

That's exciting because I don't I hear people talking about it, but I don't know a lot about it. So I was like, you know what, let's let's chat a little bit about that here on the on the show, just so that people have an idea. I think it's important to know all aspects and to have an understanding. Um, I don't think that people need to be naive about what's happening in the world. And sometimes we have our blinders because we're scared. And if we're open to all possibilities and all knowledge, anything can happen. So this is wonderful. And I love that you're saying that you've wrote other books on that. And I I would love to dive into that maybe a lot more in the future. Maybe on a future podcast, we can kind of go through those because I love books that share stories and that will inspire people. Anything is possible. Our journeys are extraordinary, and I applaud you for all the things that you're doing. What other things would you love to share with us today?

SPEAKER_02:

A little bit about my my background, just kind of going further back. I am a um so I lived under the dictatorship of Noriega in Panama. And so when during that dictatorship, uh, everyone that was able to send their children away uh sent them away. And so I came to the US as a as a young teenager or teenager and was very much impacted by the wonder of the United States. I know that you have listeners from all across the world, and I think a lot of them will be able to understand that the United States is very special in the fact that votes and elections are free, um, that there's no such thing as a dictatorship, you know, uh the balance of power, we might complain about it, but it's there, you know, you have the judicial system, the the legislative, and the executive. Um, and when you're coming from a from a different setup than that, from a different uh reality, political reality, you appreciate it so much more. And so I have been very much involved, if you will, uh, or impacted positively by politics for most of my life because of that. Knowing how bad things can get, you know, and realizing that at any moment your friends and your family can disappear because of a dictatorship. It's not a great way to live. And so I have always been very much, I believe, uh, I've been called really to bring integrity into the political sphere, and I see it as a service, uh, but uh also as a thank you. Thank you to America for it's you know being just a beacon on the hill as far as what democracy is able to accomplish, you know. Uh and I think we need to continue to shine the light on that.

SPEAKER_01:

I love how you shared that because I think we take it for granted. A lot of people in North America and a lot of places in Europe, they take that kind of stuff for granted. And I wish they wouldn't because they don't realize how good we do have things, and we can make positive impact and positive change when we use our voices. So you're using your voice in a positive way, and I applaud you for that.

SPEAKER_02:

Thank you. Thank you. Your listeners can find out more about my campaign on drnelvalee.com. N-E-L-V-A-L-L-E-E dot com. Uh, for my YouTube is the same uh candle. So it's at YouTube at Dr. Nelvali. Uh so YouTube at Dr. Nelvali.

SPEAKER_01:

Excellent, thank you so much. Well, the question that I have right now is that you have lived an extraordinary life. You've seen a lot of things. Our program here is about inspiration, empowerment, and people go through different things in their life. What kind of advice would you give somebody that is, you know, maybe thinking of making a change in their life because they might be stuck? How could you help them with that?

SPEAKER_02:

So um one of my favorite books is the um The Purpose uh Given Life by Rick Warren. Uh, it is especially if you get the 40-day one, so not just a little pamphlet, but there's a 40-day like exercise and workbook that you can go through. And um, it really will help you clarify what your purpose is. You know, one of my pastors would used to always say, you know, the two important uh days in your life is one, the day that you were born, and the second is the day that you discover your purpose. Everyone is here on earth for a purpose. We just have to discover it. Um, there's a there's a scripture in Ephesians that says, you know, we are God's handiwork, prepared for a good purpose, for a good work. And so we so the way to get unstuck is to stop trying to find a cookie cutter way to do your life. You know, you were born an original, don't die a copy. Everyone here has an original story, and we have to be bold and courageous enough to follow that story. And so, um, and I believe God whispers to us our purpose. Um, it requires courage, though, because sometimes your family, your friends, well-meaning people will discourage you from following your path. Your path may seem completely crazy to them. It also is scary because it's not a usual path. It might be a completely different path, but you have to have the courage to say, you know what, this is my path. This is what I believe I'm I'm here to do. And you have to boldly go for it. Now, I'm telling you right now, you're gonna have so much opposition, so many challenges on the way, but that makes a good story. That's that was one of the premise of my book, be the superhero of your story, is that challenges and opposition just goes to make a really good story. Good stories have have the hero, you know, overcoming challenges. And so you want to be the hero of your story.

SPEAKER_01:

Gosh, I'm just like grinning from ear to ear. Can you say that book again, the one that you you learn this from, just because I just want our listeners to check it out.

SPEAKER_02:

Be the superhero of your story in by Dr. Nel Balie. So you can find it on Amazon.

SPEAKER_01:

Excellent. Well, and I'm gonna be posting all of your books on our on this podcast because I really think that because we are in December also, people are always looking for some cool little gift ideas. And why not check out these books? Give them something that's going to inspire them for the new year, help them through 2026. You know, I always I hope that 2026 is gonna be a big, bright, shining light for a lot of people. I really believe that if we put the good intentions out there and we, you know, anything possible can happen. Oh my goodness, this has been a great call. I really love it. I love that you've been sharing that with us. Is there any other things you'd love to share with us today?

SPEAKER_02:

I just wanted to say thank you. Thank you, Candace, for this platform. Uh, I think that you are being used by God as well to shine the light. And I think that's that speaks volumes to your courage. And uh, so keep doing what you're doing. Thank you so much.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh, thank you. That means a lot to me. And you know what I understand. I understand that it's sometimes it's hard to do things different from what people expect or they want you to do. And it takes courage. And I've always believed that it's and that's one of the reasons we actually did start the podcast of the Divas that care is because we don't always have the people around us that support us, people that see what we are doing, and it's the ripple effect. If we can inspire one other person, the world can change. So thank you so much for being my amazing guest today on this podcast.

SPEAKER_02:

Thank you for having me. I enjoyed it.

SPEAKER_01:

It was so much fun. And to all of our amazing listeners out there around the world, I am going to be posting all of her amazing stuff that she's doing, all these social media. I think you guys got to go check her out. You know, this podcast series, the end of the year, beginning of me. It really is. You know, we we are closing a chapter in our lives, but it's not the end of our lives. It is just the beginning, and some amazing things are going to happen, you know, not just next year, but all over. You know, we the years to come. You know, just be okay with yourselves, be realize that you are amazing and everything that you are a part of God's plan. And I truly believe that with all my heart, and that everybody does have a purpose, like she was saying, and you can do it. You put your mind to anything, you be around the people and you inspire others, and the world will be a better place. So again, make sure that you check out all these podcasts that we are doing, part of this series. You will be inspired. I have I have listened to a lot of the other hosts and their shows already, and they have brought me to tears. So thank you so much to my amazing guests. And remember, all of you do something kind. Until next time, everyone.

SPEAKER_00:

Thanks for listening. This show was brought to you by Divas That Care. Connect with us on Facebook, on Instagram, and of course on divas that care.com, where you can subscribe to our newsletter so you don't miss a thing.