Women of the Waiting Room Takeover Guest Host Allaina Maria

Have you ever felt the deep yearning for divine connection or pondered the intricate dance between identity, faith, and the human spirit? Our latest episode takes you on an explorative journey where these elements merge in a symphony of prayer, purpose, and the therapeutic power of storytelling. We immerse in conversation about seeking soulmates, embracing both our strengths and vulnerabilities, and the enduring quest for genuine connections that bolster our personal growth.

Venturing into the heartfelt terrains of forgiveness and the cathartic release found in writing, "Mountains" unfolds as a narrative steeped in emotional challenges and the path to healing. The power of community shines through as we discuss "The Women of the Waiting Room Anthology," a project that underscores the strength found in shared faith. The episode also serves as a beacon for aspiring authors, offering sage advice on navigating the publishing world with authenticity and the support of a nurturing network.

We cap off this soul-stirring escapade with the dynamic Allaina Maria, a veritable wellspring of creativity, who gives us a sneak peek into her upcoming artistic ventures, including a promising foray into screenwriting. Drawing the episode to a close, we join voices in a praise and worship session, a collective act of joy and reverence that resonates with the vibrancy of a Basquiat masterpiece. Join us, as this episode promises to leave you inspired, uplifted, and enriched.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:13

They question when no man, that ain't no fit for me.

Speaker 1: 0:17

Do you pray, cause I pray? You want kids, I want eight. Are you faithful? Oh wait, tell me, can you send a ring? You a king, I'm a queen. We require certain things, and that's what I pray for. So that's what I wait for.

Speaker 1: 0:39

Dear God, come when you're sinning, I'm gon' be ready. Dear God, you do this for me. I won't forget it. Sinning, I'm gonna be ready. Dear God, you do this for me, I won't forget it. My heart, I've been through so much and I just wanna feel your love for once. And, dear God, I hope he's happy Already here, but if you're sinning I know he is, I know he will. Dear God, that's what I pray for. So that's what I wait for, and I vow to be everything you need Share my life with you, on the right, with you, and I promise to support all your dreams. But I gotta know that you were made for me.

Speaker 1: 1:23

Do you pray, cause I pray? You want kids, I want eight. Are you faithful? Always Tell me, can you send a ring? You a king, I'm a queen. We require certain things, and that's what I pray for. So that's what I wait for, that's what I pray for. That's what I wait, waiting for. That's what I'm waiting for, dear God. I'm waiting for you to send me. That's what I'm waiting for. That's what I'm waiting for, dear God. I'm waiting for you to send me. I won't be ready. Dear God, you do this for me. I won't forget it. My heart has been through so much and I just wanna feel true love for once. And, dear God, I hope he's happy, already healed. He's kissing me. I know he is. I know he will. Dear God, dear God, that's what I pray for, so that's what I wait for.

Speaker 2: 2:38

In the name of Jesus, we thank you so much for this day that we've never seen before. Thank you for this new month. Thank you for life, health, strength, the use of our limbs, god those things we take for granted. We're so grateful and appreciative. We thank you now for genuine connections and friendship. We thank you for beautiful conversations and camaraderie among ladies and men who are working on their crafts and becoming better versions of themselves. God, we ask you, in the name of Jesus, that you would touch this broadcast. Let every word that is said be edifying, uplifting, building your kingdom for your glory. We ask that you cancel any glitches, any issues, right now. In your name, oh God, we thank you in advance for the victory that you'll get from this conversation, and it's in your name we pray. Amen, amen, amen. I am excited about this question anyway because, just in case someone just logged on, they may not know who is Jacqueline Cox.

Speaker 3: 3:42

Jacqueline Cox is a woman of God, a child of God. I am a motivator, I am determined, I am loved, I am loving, I'm nurturing, I am creative, I'm talented, I'm beautiful. I'm torn, I'm broken, I'm fixed, I'm healed, I'm hurt, I am emotional. I am a poet, a writer, a lover of music. I am a mother, a wife, a sister, a friend. I'm loyal to default. I am learning, I'm growing. I am learning, I'm growing, I am smart.

Speaker 2: 4:51

I'm Jacqueline Cox that you, again, just was able to just say it without hesitation, without apology. It's okay to own who you are. We were beautifully and wonderfully made and we are always taught. You got to be so meek and humble and in the background, but it's okay to be bold and say I am beautiful, I am me, I am an author, everything that you are and you own it. I often say I refuse to give the grave any of my potential and I love that you're more than just one dimensional. There's so many sides of you and that's a beautiful thing, because when this life is over, it's over. We transition over to the other side, but while we're here, let's make the best of the time that we have. So what is your why? What is your why when it comes to the things that you're doing with the Bucer author? What is your why? Who are you trying to reach? What is your goal? What is your why? My goal is to be better than I was yesterday.

Speaker 3: 6:04

My goal is to, when I leave this earthly realm and I make it to the gate, I just make it up there. I just want to be, at least be at the gate, at least make it that far, at least be at the gate, at least make it that far. My why is when God asked me what did you do with what I gave you? I can tell him I left no crumbs. I can tell him I did everything you asked me to do, to the best of my ability. I did everything that I was supposed to do on this earth and I left a legacy for my children to follow. I left a legacy for generations to come to follow, to look and say you know what? My, my mom, my grandma, my great grandma, she did this and and it shows, and it's documented, and it's because, once it's all over the world wide web, it ain't going nowhere. And I want my kids and anybody that comes after me to look and say it's nothing that I'm disgraced about, it's nothing that shamed me about my mom and whatever shamed her. She wrote about it, she was transparent about it, she owned it, she lived in her truth and she was not apolog, wrote about it, she was transparent about it, she owned it, she lived in her truth and she was not apologizing for it.

Speaker 3: 7:30

We use that word unapologetic so much it's become the new thing to say unapologetic I'm just unapologetic. But in all actuality, are you Like? Are you? Are you really living that truth? Are you really that transparent with what's really going on with you? Are you really owning who you are as a person? And if you are, what are you doing to fix those things? So me, I own everything about who I am.

Speaker 3: 8:04

I'm not apologizing for it, but what I will do is I will keep my faith in that word and what my pastor calls the Facebook, which is the Bible, my faith in that book, and I just let God guide me in the way that I am interpreting it, way that I am interpreting it. You know the way that I see him and I find peace in what he tells me through the word. That's my why. My why is, when I get up there, I want God to know that I used every drop of that oil. I didn't. I never left no stone unturned and I did what I was supposed to do with the time that he gave me.

Speaker 2: 8:48

That's awesome, that's beautiful. That needs to be expressed more because, like I was saying before people we're taught to dumb ourselves down so much but become everything that you can become. But that is a great segue into my next question. When you wrote the book Mountains, what was your primary emotion while you were writing that book? What were you feeling when you wrote that particular body of work?

Speaker 3: 9:20

You know what, with Mountains, I didn't have one emotion. Mountains was based on my life, that's my life. Everything in that book is what happened to me in my life for real. Only thing that's changed is the names of the people in the book, and you know that's you. You know to keep their identities, their privacy, protected. Um, however, it took me years of therapy to get through those things and so to go back and write it. I thought it was going to be easier than it really was, and it actually led me right back into therapy and deep counsel from my pastor and I. Actually, I had mental breakdowns writing that book. There was a lot of things that happened, a lot of triggering and trauma that I went through with writing that book, and I still didn't really unpack the way I feel like I could have. There was a lot for me to be able to write that book. So it was not just, it was a flux of emotions.

Speaker 2: 10:30

Gotcha. So you're saying it's more that you could have unpacked. Now do you think you would ever go back and do a part two or an addendum to that book? You haven't thought that far ahead. Or, you know, tell him more of your story book. You haven't thought that far ahead, or you, you know, tell it more of your story. You know what if?

Speaker 3: 10:48

for the people who have not purchased the book, when you do get the book and for the people who have purchased, they see it's an epilogue at the end and so it is a part two that's coming out, which actually goes uh, it retraces back to some things that I did not put in the book and so that is coming out. It's going to have to come out a little later, but it will. Hopefully. I want to say I want to have it done by the end of 2025. I do plan on coming out with volume two, or you know part two of it Now.

Speaker 3: 11:27

Have you found it easy to forgive the offenders, or is that still a struggle for you? You know what? For the offenders in my book, they have already been forgiven and God bless them. All the offenders that are in that book have passed away. They were forgiven by me face to face, long before they passed away. I've noticed that and I'm learning within maybe the last. I want to say well, I forgave my grandmother a long time ago.

Speaker 3: 11:56

So I want to say, within the past maybe 10 years, I've been learning that hurt people hurt people and we're so quick to just hold on to hatred and hurt and things like that when in the end, we only hurting ourselves by doing that. You never know what that person that hurt you may have went through and what their parents may have put them through. A lot of times we get there. We used to be kids and we used to have parents, and so did they. So you never know that. They're just probably on that hamster wheel. You know, going through that same cycle that their parents went through and they can only do what they know and that's learned behavior. So before you're an adult, you're a kid and as a kid you're taught. Whether it's visually being taught about what you're seeing, that's going on around you, or somebody is telling you to do these things, you are still being taught. You are in the learning process. So whatever anybody does to me, I always take it as somebody had to teach them. They had to learn it from somewhere.

Speaker 3: 13:08

So I try not to fault people too much. Now, I'm not saying that they get a pass from what they're doing. That's not what I'm saying. But what I'm saying is is that we have to learn to give people grace, because in that same breath that we hold known to what somebody did to us, we have done things, even though it may not in our eyes be as bad. You don't know what's bad compared. You know you don't know what, what's that bad? You know, in the eyes of the person that you're offending or that you did, it may be the worst thing in the world to them and all you did was curse them out. And it may be the thing that took the iceberg for them and sent them off. And you could be like, well, damn, all I did was curse them out. I can't believe she went and slit her wrist or whatever because I cursed her out. We have to be mindful. We always want to be forgiving, but we don't want to forgive. And I give you a scenario.

Speaker 3: 14:08

My son, who has ADHD, has a 504 plan at school. Right, well, at his school and he has straight A's. Well, they have to grade him on a curve because you know he has attention deficit disorder too, and so they have to. You know, if he's late turning in his work or it's not organized, they have to grade him on a curve. With that they got to give him grace. Well, he got straight A's. Then they went back and said, well, he turned in his work late. So they, you know all the days that he turned in his work late, just a couple of the teachers dropped his grade down to a C, but they did that three weeks after grades were already put in. And I said well, why did you guys wait? Well, we have so many kids, it was hard for us, so we were late doing it.

Speaker 3: 15:01

Well, you don't want to give my child grace, but you expect me to give you grace when you're doing the same thing. You want grace for turning in your stuff late, but you don't want to give a 12-year-old grace. Now you understand where I'm coming from, and even as parents, our kids make mistakes and we want to jump down their throat. But if we make a mistake, we either don't want to apologize to our kids because, well, they'll do something wrong in the future, so I'm letting them know now, or they, the kids, I don't have to apologize to a kid. Well, yes, you do, because we have to teach our kids that, no matter who it is, if they're wrong they need to apologize. And then we have to also teach our kids to learn to give people grace. So, with the offenders in the book, I've learned to forgive all of them, and I have forgiven all of them. Every single one of the people that did anything wrong to me has passed away in that book the last five years.

Speaker 2: 16:06

Gotcha, wow, okay, so you said a lot of, made a lot of good points. One of the things I want to point out you were saying about giving grace life is a learning curve. We'll never be a master at life, because we go through the ebbs and flows of life. We're learning as we're growing. My taste buzz as a child is not the same as an adult, right? The things I enjoyed as a child I don't enjoy as an adult.

Speaker 2: 16:33

So, um, well, even the bible speaks about when I was a child, I did things as a child. When I came a man, I put away childish things. So we grow and we learn. The important thing is to learn from you, know and learn through and know. Make sure that we don't get stuck in this. That's just me. No, we can, we all can learn, even, like you said, with the child. We can apologize to a child when we're wrong. Um, actually, it's healthy, um, a healthy form of communication. So that that was, um, wonderful to hear. Now let's just transition really quickly to something that's coming up with a group of ladies, something really big that will be released soon, something that's coming, you know, with rainbows and butterflies and happiness.

Speaker 3: 17:20

There's a thing I believe there's an anthology or something I heard of. Am I losing my mind? Is there an anthology? Am I losing my?

Speaker 2: 17:27

mind. Is there an anthology? Is there a devotional attached to it or something along those lines, I think? Women of the Waiting Room oh God, that thing. Yes, I'm going to say that train is rolling, baby, oh my goodness. So share with me about the women of the rating of the anthology and the devotional. Take us into the mind of Jacqueline Cox. What happened? It got downloaded. Were you sitting in your car? How did this come about? You know what?

Speaker 3: 17:59

um, I've only been in the author realm and you know, as an author, a published author for a little over a year now, and in that time I've um published, uh, two solo projects of my own. I helped my children publish their books. I've, you know, assisted my husband with publishing. He has three that's already out and then he has three on the way and I participated in a wonderful anthology Message, and that anthology was truly, truly God-sent, was truly, truly godsend. After that experience I decided I would never do another anthology. It was just a lot, and so I was like, okay, no, I'm not going to do that, no more.

Speaker 3: 19:00

Well, I had this podcast, and my podcast, as you know, you've been a guest on it. It was always Listen Linda Presents the Women of the Waiting Room, and so you've been a guest. I've had a plethora of guests that come on and God said to me that's what I want you to do Now. I knew God was building me up for something, because when I started Listen Linda, I started on station here and I was just playing music, you know, and it was something for me to kind of just get by. I had just had my son, I was off work and I was, you know, he was a C-section baby. So I needed something to do, kind of past time, and I've always been a lover of music. So I had my own radio show and I took that and I turned it into a TV radio show and when that really wasn't working out for me, I didn't know what to do because I had a following at that time and people really wanted to hear what I had to say. But guests were also very intrigued and you know they like to come kick it with you girls. So we had a good time, a good kiki every time you come on. And so you know, I just you know I try to make it very fun, get people comfortable and, just you know, help them come out of their shell so they can get their audience to really understand who they are.

Speaker 3: 20:30

God put it on my heart one night and was like no, that's what you're going to do, you're going to do an anthology. And I was like no, I ain't. And he said, oh, yes, you are. And I was like I'm not doing nothing. I already said I wasn't going to do nothing. He said, no, you're not going to join one, you're going to create one. And when you have dominion over these things, you're able to create a better experience for other people than one that you may have had before. So I decided okay, I'm going to do it. And he said you're going to call it the women of the waiting room surgery, for your soul.

Speaker 3: 21:10

And I called Miss Laquita and we actually came up with the name because I said I want to be kind of like a reader's digest, right, I don't want to be in control of nobody's story. I don't want to tell people how they should write their chapters. I don't want to be, you know, micromanaging or you know. I just want I want people to do it, you know, and be free and do it. Write it the way you want to write it. As long as there's no grammar, no errors, you stick within the theme, I'm good.

Speaker 3: 21:45

And so I said now, how am I going to do this? He said go to your analytics, right? So first, six women are going to be the women that you choose. Well, the first six women were Laquita Parks, dr Velma Bagby. Six women were Laquita Parks, dr Velma Bagby, uh, carolyn Coleman, dr Audrey Ann, melanie Johnson and Teresa Dorsey. And when I called these women who also said they was done with anthologies, they all said we got you no problem, and whatever I needed they were there Hands down. So that's why I said it's not my vision, okay, that's why I don't like people to call me a visionary. You know, I'm not the visionary of this project. I can't take credit for something that God gave me, right? I can't take credit for that. So I give that glory to God, but I am the vessel that he used to bring forth this project.

Speaker 3: 22:55

So we get the anthology, everybody turned in their chapters and I get a call from Dr Velma. She said I think that you should do a devotional. I said what? But it made sense. I was like now, wait a minute. Now the reason why I cut y'all off at seven is because I didn't want to deal with a lot of people at one time. Now, don't get me wrong, I love dealing with people. I'm a people person, but not all in a group like that. It could be challenging for me, right? Because it's a lot of personalities in one room at one time and it could be overstimulating for me, you know, dealing with my condition that I have. So I said I don't know how I'm going to do it, but God going to get me through it.

Speaker 3: 23:42

Well, it made sense because when I came out with the anthology, I had an overflow of people like, how can I be a part? And you was one of them, girl. How can I be a part of this project? What do I got to do? Put me on, put me in coach. And I'm like, okay. Well, I knew that the cost to produce something this big was pricey. But God said, you know what, sow a seed. So I was able to come up with a reasonable price and negotiate with the publisher to be able to say, okay, you know what, half the things that the publisher would provide, I would just do myself, since I'm a creative anyway, to kind of knock some of those you know things down. And so we came up with the devotional and we came up with a price that everybody can afford so everybody can be able to tell their testimony on how God delivered them from the waiting room, from their own waiting rooms.

Speaker 3: 24:49

And when I say waiting rooms, that could be a plethora of things. It could be something that's been challenging for you or that is right now. You're in your waiting season. Right now You're waiting on God to deliver you from something. God has delivered you from something, or you may not feel like God will ever deliver you from something, so maybe you just want to write a letter to God.

Speaker 3: 25:11

You know, whatever it is that you're going through in your life, I want people to, from all over globally.

Speaker 3: 25:18

I'm already a global brand. God already put me there with the podcast, so I want to use this platform to reach more and more people and show them look, god took me me with all my flaws, everything that I've done in my life. He took me and he put me here and he delivered me. And if he could do it for me and the other 33 women in this anthology, it's a, it's a chance he could do it for you. Even if you don't believe, you just bring this book in your house, because if you got a friend that got faith, god will heal you based on your friend's faith, and I'm that friend the women in the waiting room we're that friend for you. So when you get this book, you know that you got 33 people who are cheering you on and that's all you will need. That and your Bible and your faith, and that's all you will need, and God will deliver you from that and then you will have a testimony.

Speaker 2: 26:22

Awesome, that's awesome. I think it's wonderful to have a group of women to come together and collaborate. That that's always a beautiful thing. So kudos to you for um taking the leap and believing god and trusting god to do what he instructed you to do, and I'm sure it's going to change many, many lives. Um, the purpose of testimonies is to, you know, encourage somebody else. Sometimes, when we go through, we're able to help others. So I'm believing that when people pick up that book, they'll be able to see themselves and realize I can be okay and I'll make it. On the other side, next question is a two part. How does it feel, being that you are relatively new to being an author and have accomplished so much in such a short span of time? How does it feel to have people coming to you, you know, for guidance, and what would be the one piece of advice you would give to an upcoming author?

Speaker 3: 27:22

I feel humbled that people even you know, consider me being so new, like a rookie. I get people coming up to me all the time, writers who have been writing for years, like you know. Hey, I need some coaching here and it's flattering, but it's also scary sometimes, to be honest with you, because I'm so new and, to be honest with you, I don't know how God is doing it. And so when people come and they say they need help, I have to use discernment, I have to pray on it and I have to let God lead me and lead my tongue in what I'm saying to them, because I don't want like to be oh, I did this, you know, on my own. God is doing everything and if you notice and anybody who knows me know, I give glory to God, honor to God, but I don't care. It could be the smallest thing, it could be. Mcdonald's approved my M&M's and Oreos.

Speaker 3: 28:27

You know, together in my McFlurry, because you know that's a no-no. They don't do that, so I might get you know and I'd be like, oh, thank the Lord. God, you know you're so good. You allowed these people to give me Oreos and M&M's at the same time in my McFlurry today. To God be the glory. Okay, I give honor, but I don't care what it is I'm if, I just know everything that that comes is a blessing. So it can be sometimes honest, overwhelming, sometimes, um, because I don't. You know, a wise person knows that they know nothing at all, right, so I say that, to say that I do my best. I do my best with what I have and give the best advice that I can. The one thing I would say to an up-and-comer author is trust your gut. I will say write it, no matter who gets mad about it. If they're a villain in your story, they should have treated you better and never let anyone tell you what you can and cannot write. Don't get with a publisher who tell you you can't do this or you shouldn't do that in your work, because it's yours and it's your creativity. Never let no one take the wheel. You keep dominion over your work and if a publisher don't like what you're writing in your book, then they're not the publisher for you. And another thing I will say just because you are a bestseller does not mean that you're a millionaire. Okay, you could be a bestseller. I can tell you right now you could be a bestseller and only sell eight books. It's people that purposely get in small categories so they can reach bestseller status fast. So it's not a question of how many books did you sell to make you a bestseller. It's not even a question of popularity, of how popular you are to become a bestseller. It's all about strategy. What categories did you put it in? How many people are in that category? When are you releasing? Are you releasing the same day as a popular or known celebrity? You have to check all those factors when you're trying to reach or if that's your goal to be a bestseller, because you could do that easy. You could do that easy.

Speaker 3: 31:04

Drop gems about your book, not just a book cover. I need excerpts. I want to know what the book is about. I might want to know. I want to read a page out of the book before I buy it, just to see if it's something I want to read, because I'm going to tell you right now people don't read. They do not read. They will buy your book because they are your friend or your family member and they will never crack their book open, not one time.

Speaker 3: 31:30

You have to engage with the audience. Get book trailers done, get visuals done People love visual book. Or you coming out with something, write an excerpt about the you know, give them a page out of the book, post it on your social media just to give them something a little bit. Or get a book trailer that kind of you know gives like the synopsis of what's going on in a book. So they could be like oh, this is like a movie, oh man, I can't wait to read that. And then they'll get it. Tell them, get it on Audible or get it, you know, get a ebook with their you know, whoever, whoever buys your book, get a free ebook. That way they can do the read out loud and get it.

Speaker 3: 32:18

You know, and and and listen to the book while they're driving in the car is ways to get people engaged in your stories and know that your friends and your family is not your customer, that's not your audience. They're your supporters. But it's a difference between having supporters and then having an audience. So you have to know your audience, and that one I was on Cyrus. I was listening to him when he said the same thing and that's something that I've always said, but I want to second that and give credit to Cyrus Webb on Amazon. Uh, he's an Amazon influencer who also said this, I think about a week or two ago, and I was like absolutely, people get that confused.

Speaker 3: 33:08

Your family love you, your friends love you. They are your support system, so they're going to buy your book. But if they don't buy your book, you have to remember look at who you're asking to buy your book. The person who didn't even graduate high school, who rob and peter to pay paul, or who you ain't never seen crack open a book? That's not their forte, that's not their cup of tea. So when your family and friends don't buy your book, it don't mean that they don't support you. That's just not. They jig, maybe they don't like to read, and that's okay. That's why, before your book was coming out, you should have been leaving excerpts. You should have been on platforms like this. You should have been leaving excerpts. You should have been on platforms like this. You should have been reading excerpts of your book targeting the audience that you want to attract, to sell your books. You have to put the work in.

Speaker 2: 34:02

You said a mouthful, a lot of work. I hope if any beginning authors record this snapshot, it take a picture, type it out, write it down all platforms, all podcast platforms, this time of month. Yes, swallow that word and, and, and, and, digest it and live it now I gave y'all a hundred dollars worth of worth of100 worth of bestseller strategy.

Speaker 3: 34:33

right now, I just gave y'all a free consultation with me, a free strategy session that I charged $100 for. So record it.

Speaker 2: 34:44

Well, no, anything worth having is worth fighting for. And if it's truly your passion and your dream, your goals, to do this, you got to put in the work. I always say when I'm motivational speaking I would be an irresponsible speaker to just say you can do it.

Speaker 3: 34:57

And not tell you that, but it's going to cost you something you got to put in the work. You have to invest in yourself and I will tell you something else.

Speaker 3: 35:06

Y'all out here, y'all writing these books. I really need to say this Now, linda coming out. Listen, linda, I'm going to tell y'all this right now Please do not expect to write a book if you do not want to advertise it and then expect it to make money. Don't, nobody know who you are. Nobody knows who you are out of the 20 mile radius that you live in. How do you expect to sell books and make money? I'm talking about the people doing it for the money and not for the message. You know, how do you expect to make money If you write under a pen name and you don't have no social media and you don't want to invest.

Speaker 3: 35:56

You don't want to pay for marketing. You want to come on a platform like mine, or you want to come on a platform like Elena's and you don't want to pay for marketing. You don't want to pay for promotion. You don't want to, because that's marketing and promotion. I'm on 40 platforms worldwide. I'm in 14 different countries. 14 now, okay, it was 10. There's 14 different countries now who are listening in to my show as soon as I make it global and I put it out on all podcasts. I'm on 40 platforms, 14 countries. You know how many people are going to be listening to that excerpt. You might read, or you know, and so we're supposed to take this time and do it for you, for free, because you're who.

Speaker 3: 36:43

I'm going to tell you something that Ayanna said that I will always remember because it struck me in my heart. I don't mind doing things for free if it aligns with my brand or it touches my heart, okay, I don't mind doing it for free, I'm not saying that. But if it takes me away from my kids, my family, my time is valuable. I am valuable. I value myself, my time, but I also value the oil that God has given me Now.

Speaker 3: 37:20

I am a surviving lupus, thyroid cancer, fibromyalgia, cancer fibromyalgia, ptsd, depression, usher syndrome okay, and I'm doing all of this with style and grace, okay, but I can no longer, right now, work a nine to five. That's why everything that I do now is virtual. Well, now I'm a paid writer for pay the host and a paid contributor writer for pod stars magazine, but congratulations, thank you so much. But what I'm saying is is that everything, everything that god has given me to work with right now, is oil for me to use, to be able to provide. Okay, and not just for myself, for my family. And if you go to work every single day, elena, and they tell you, okay, well, you know what we feel like today and tomorrow, you don't have to get paid because you know. We just feel like we don't want to pay you. You can be like well, you can forget this, I'm not working for free, absolutely.

Speaker 3: 38:35

You value your time as value. What you bring in, you're an asset. And if somebody is an asset to you in any aspect, whether it's even if they you can at least barter with them, do something, you know, I scratch your back, elena, you scratch mine. It don't always have to be money, but show somebody that they are appreciated, because the moment you start taking people for granted and taking their gifts for granted and then they walk out of your life and never return and turn the lights off on what y'all did have, just don't drag them, don't bury them because you took advantage of that person. You have to be mindful of the connections that you make, because what you may deem unvaluable you won't realize until it's not there for you. No more, absolutely, I would say uh, connections is it's currency.

Speaker 2: 39:31

Right, when you connect with people, you want to make sure you're investing your time you're wisely. Um, because some some connections what you say about friends and family. They're not gonna help you get where you want to go.

Speaker 3: 39:43

They're gonna support you no, but they ain't gonna read it. That look, all my whole family bought my book and I'm gonna tell you right now, if they cracked it open and read it, I'd have been in a fight because I told everything. But they bought it. But I know they didn't read it. You know, I know they didn't read it because there's some stuff in that book. I spilled some tea in mountains, babe. I told you, I spilled some tea in mountains. About everybody caught astray.

Speaker 2: 40:14

Okay.

Speaker 3: 40:15

Everybody caught astray in mountains. You know, and all my friends and people who knew me back then, who friends with the people that are deceased or family members of the people who are deceased, that were on me, they all bought the book. But I know they didn't open it. But they bought it because the love and respect for me and supporting me. But so if they saying, yeah, I bought the book, well, did you read it? No, I didn't read it, don't get upset with them. Be grateful that they bought the book and even if they don't buy the book, ask them to just share it on their page. And if they don't want to do that, god bless their ministry. Find your group, find your audience, find your support system. Absolutely Every woman is in a different state.

Speaker 2: 41:03

Far and wide support system. I always say no one owes you anything, no. So when you start to become an author or whatever you're doing, you get mad at people. They don't owe you anything. It would be nice. It would be a nice curve.

Speaker 3: 41:18

And stop curbing that term. Gatekeeper. Let's please throw it away these people have. Look, let me tell y'all something Nobody owes you. They don't have to. I don't have to drop these gems that I'm dropping today. I don't have to put nobody on and help nobody get nowhere. That's the god in me, okay.

Speaker 3: 41:38

But let's be clear. Just like it took me time to learn things, it took elena time to learn things. If we decide not today, I don't want to tell you, or somebody don't want to tell you, or somebody don't want to tell you you can't get mad at them. It might took them 10 years to learn that craft and you want them to give it to you in 30 minutes. How was that fair? Just go take a class, get a YouTube. I had to learn everything about podcasting from YouTube University. Nobody, I reached out. They don't want to help me do nothing. Do you hear me? They never shared a post. They help me do nothing. Do you hear me? They never shared a post. They never did nothing. Do you hear me? They did not do nothing. I had to start over from scratch, didn't teach me nothing. But when I did it and god put me on a global platform now, oh yeah, we see your value. Now you can come back. No, thank you.

Speaker 2: 42:29

No thank you no thank you Look.

Speaker 3: 42:33

Pray to God. If it's something that you really really want, I don't care what it is. If it's something you really want to do, you're really passionate about it. Pray to God, get in that waiting room, get in your war room. Pray to God and ask God for wisdom, ask God for knowledge. Ask God to gift you with the things that you may feel you lack, the skills that you may feel like you don't have. Pray to God. Tell him to give you the clarity and the wisdom to be able to find that information somewhere. Or start attending networking sessions, whether it's virtual conferences, whatever it is. Invest that into yourself.

Speaker 3: 43:12

All the time and energy that we spend thinking about statuses to put about why people don't support us, and looking for memes on Facebook for hours and hours because we so mad that people don't support us, we need to find the best one to throw some shade. That time that you are researching what to post on Facebook, you could be researching your craft. You could be putting that heart, all of that, into what you are doing. You could be attending virtual summits, virtual conferences, workshops. There's so much stuff out here that you could do. You could be talking to somebody like me who's going to say you know what? I got a Rolodex of people I can put you with. I have no problem sharing my Rolodex, but what I do have is constant calls about it. Book me, please. I can give you everything you need. If you book me, get a strategy session with me. I got you, but my time got to be worth something. You know what I'm saying, elena. At least help a sister or something.

Speaker 2: 44:20

I hear you, I hear you. I understand when you put a lot of time into building your craft. You just can't give everything away for free.

Speaker 3: 44:29

It's okay to be helpful? No, you cannot. You can be helpful for free. It's okay to be helpful, you can be, and it's okay to give it away. It's okay, but you have to discern who you give it to. You have to discern who you give that gift to.

Speaker 3: 44:42

Everybody is not deserving. Some people may be in a chest asthma season. Well, god is chest has in them. So we can't be superhero and keep saving people from that tail whooping that god is trying to get them right now. And if we keep saving people and they don't learn a lesson, then they become entitled, they become clingy and they become abusive, as far as narcissistic, and you know, you know it could be mentally draining on you and that we do not have. They're taking everything from you until they feel like it's nothing left.

Speaker 3: 45:28

That's a leech. I ain't never seen nobody pet a leech and put a leash on them and say this is my new pet, uh-uh. No, some people come just to distract you. So you may be trying to get your work done and you will get that same person, elena, calling you a hundred times. You get what I'm saying and you'll be like no, a minute, I'm trying to get this done. So you have to have discernment on who you open that door for, who you allow into your space, and let god tell you if that's the right person or not. And you may have to sit back a few months and just watch how that person move first to get a sense of who that person is.

Speaker 3: 46:15

But don't be so quick to jump and don't be so quick to take every opportunity or every dollar, because some people have you riding on a hamster wheel and you'll be thinking you taking off and you running on what they call them things at the gym. Elena, help me out. A treadmill, a treadmill. You be running on a treadmill, baby you be getting off that thing and they move nowhere. Yeah, taking you climbing up that mountain.

Speaker 2: 46:45

Yeah, the spirit of retirement is really a real thing, that people feel you owe them something. But what I I'm not saying help is not good, but one thing I've learned in my journey I appreciate the journey more because I put in the work. I put in the work and put the time in, and it also taught me discipline. There are some times when I was so tired but I didn't want to do it, and that discipline stood up strong when I was weak you know I wasn't. Everything was, oh, I'm so excited Sometimes that joy isn't enough.

Speaker 2: 47:16

Discipline has to rise up and you continue to push through and produce what you're supposed to produce. But putting in the work for me is so important, it's so important and I just think it just makes makes you a bad, makes you appreciate everything you receive even the more because you put in the blood, the sweat, the tears, the late nights, the early mornings you know on the computer all night, you know pacing the room you're in the shower, idea come. You got to step out, grab a pencil, jot it down so you don't forget your idea, all of those things that comes with being a creative. A creative never sleeps.

Speaker 3: 47:52

A creative never sleeps. A creative never sleeps. But in being a creative I can truly say I never work. I never work as long as it's something that I enjoy doing, when it starts to get chaotic, and that's when you know this is not God. This is not God, and you know like, and that's where discernment comes in. But I do want to speak on what you just said real briefly, because I know you got to get to your next question. You put the work in. A lot of people want to see you float, but they don't want to see you sell. They don't want to pay for the ticket, but they want to run on the side of the train when it's taken off and hop on, or they want to wait until something gets popular before they congratulate you. Thank them anyway, but thank you before they congratulate you. Thank them anyway, but thank you, but no, thank you If that makes sense.

Speaker 2: 48:58

In this journey, you also have to develop thick skin. You can't always wear your feelings on your sleeve because you're just throwing the towel and don't want to do it if everything you do is based off of people and how they respond. That's why, in the beginning, what is your why? And you know your why you know it gives you that extra strength. I said when popeye, when he eats the spinach, I'm moving, you know, the tip of the shoulder made him feel better, but when he ate the spinach, it fortified him. So so you know, I just like to use that analogy. Now this is my actually I'm at my final question and I want to know if I were to see a painting in a museum describing you not a picture, a painting what would it look like? What would the textures be? What would be the colors?

Speaker 3: 49:47

Oh, that's a great question. Oh, that's a great question. Hi, you know what I would have to say. It would look like describing me today. It would be a mixture, or the texture would definitely be a few. It would be rocky, smooth and gloss, right. It would put you in the mind frame. I hope I'm saying his name right, because I always get it wrong, but Baswe, baswe, baswe Am.

Speaker 2: 50:44

I saying it right. I'm not familiar with his work, so I'm not sure.

Speaker 3: 50:50

Baswe, this is how you spell his name, so I don't know if I'm spelling it right, um, or am I saying it right, but I know how to spell it b-a-s-q-u-a-i-t. Ah, that's keith, yes, something of that sort. Um, I'm a lover of his work, um, so it would kind of put me in that mind frame, because I'm very, my energy is very high, um, I'm very vibrant, but I'm also built tough. So that's why I said kind of rocky, kind of rough, um, glossy, because I, just I, I'm vibrant, you know, I, um, I, I I'm polished, right, but also colorful, in the sense and as far as the colors, I would probably say maybe like a burgundy with pink, but also like a sandy, red, dusk type of color. Those would be my colors a warm color, yeah, maybe a little dark spots here and there for the days that I am down. Because I told you, I lost a lot of people that were really close to me, even though they were villains in my story at a time.

Speaker 3: 52:24

You know, they were all still very close to me, um, especially before they passed um, and they are no longer here. So you know, at times like May 3rd you know, tomorrow is my grandmother's birthday. She's no longer here. She died on the day of my son's birthday, his third birthday, jaden's third birthday so 10 years ago my dad passed away. His birthday is May 26th.

Speaker 3: 52:55

Okay, so you know my friend who betrayed me so many different times in the book, but she passed away at 30 years old due to. She left the hospital to bail her husband out of jail, um, and yeah, she was on dialysis and she left to go bail him out of jail. She sat there for four hours and on her way back to the hospital on the bus, she passed. Um. She was 30 years old.

Speaker 3: 53:30

Um, a lot of my uncles, um, just uh, my foster mom, my foster sister, um, who I was very, very close with my foster grandmother they all passed away, all of these people within the past five years within it, with exception of my grandmother and the biggest villain in my story, which was my uncle, who started the trauma, passed six months after my dad. So those dark spots would probably be the times when I get real down, when certain things come up, like Father's Day or my dad's birthday, or the day of their passing, or anniversary of their passing, or just milestones that my kids may take that they're not here to see you know. So yeah, which I'm sure, everybody has those things you know with people that they were really close to that's no longer here and they have those times, you know so.

Speaker 2: 54:36

Absolutely. You know we're a human being. You know we're entitled to every feeling and emotion. The Bible even speaks of it as a time to laugh, time to cry, time to mourn. You know it's a time for it, all you know and it's just, it's a part of life. It is definitely a part of life, and anybody that tell you they're always up, they're not telling you the truth, because life and flows absolutely always said watch that person with a smile.

Speaker 3: 55:03

um what he, Chucky, the Gremlins, Jigsaw, and it all had something in common they all wore smiles. So you have to be careful of the person. Everybody that wears a smile ain't good and everybody that don't smile ain't bad.

Speaker 2: 55:29

Absolutely, Absolutely, Absolutely. I agree. Well, listen, Linda. Ms Jacqueline, this has been an amazing opportunity to come on your platform and interview the interviewer. I just want to simply say to you thank you Publicly.

Speaker 2: 55:48

You're welcome to you, thank you publicly when I um met you. From day one you have been nothing but open. Kind to me, um, like you said, the word gatekeeper no, no, not at all. You have been a wonderful inspiration. I have been so proud to watch your journey um, all of the things that you're putting out, how you're able to gather women. Your posts are always so inspirational. You're never ashamed or abashed about the word of God. You stand true within yourself. You represent your family. You make sure that, with the same veracity, you promote yourself. Your children, their books, are given the same love. Your husband, his books, are given the same love.

Speaker 2: 56:28

I've seen you support countless, countless, countless women, and don't think it's not going unnoticed. You know, unfortunately, the higher you go, the more of a light that shines on you. Some people look at it and appreciate it, others look and hate. But I want to let you know that majority of the people on your side the few that aren't they're so loud it tends to drown out those of us who are truly rooting for you, but at the end of the day, you have a strong army of women and men that are truly, truly and really on your side, thankful for all of the wonderful things you've done. I could just say, just for me, advice, the questions that you've asked when I started this journey.

Speaker 2: 57:12

Come on my podcast. How's this going, elena, would you like to? Hey, I got this, just shoot an email, this is going on. Tag me in a Facebook post. It is so refreshing and wonderful to run into a woman who genuinely cares about people, not just shooting smoke. So I wanted to tell you, on your platform and for the world and all of your listeners when you tune in, you listen to a true woman of God, a true woman of integrity, a woman of her word, a woman of femininity, a woman of beauty, a woman of grace, and she is a person worth following and gleaning from by all of her books, matter of fact, by two or three I share with your neighbors. So again, thank you for this opportunity. I am so happy to have connected with you and I just wanted to make sure you know that I genuinely appreciate you and the world knows. Do you have any final thoughts before we close out this conversation tonight? Yes, I want you to tell people what you have coming up.

Speaker 3: 58:11

I want you to also tell people where they can find you, where they can purchase your books. And, uh, lead us into your song. Give us the title of the song so we can play that going out all right.

Speaker 2: 58:26

Well, yet again, I'm trying to give her love and she shoot it right back. I mean mean a hand that's open to give and receive. Thank you again. Well, again, I am Elena Maria. I am that across all platforms. Author Elena A-L-L-A-I-N-A Maria. My website is elenamariacom.

Speaker 2: 58:44

I am a 360 author writing across multiple genres, starting out with urban fiction. I have some children's early educational books, as well as a 10-part healing from journal series that I'm so excited I literally released it on the first um. I have a 10-part healing from journal series helping to jump start healing from multiple topics. 10 different topics, just a few healing from fear, healing from friendship, uh breakups. Healing from my ex there's one that's healing from me, healing from grief. It's 10 different topics. You know that everyone can find their place to begin to jump start the healing. Um. As well as I'm an urban fiction author with my debut novel, mariah, I'm also a screenwriter. That book, mariah, will be turning into a movie. We already started in the background um getting the work done. So again, elanamariecom, and thank you so much for the opportunity and the song. Um. I led a song with love and faith community church um on the album sing the song of the lord.

Speaker 3: 59:46

I'm so excited jacqueline's gonna play it, so right now we're gonna play worthy holyy Holy featuring Elena Washington with Lamar Simmons in Spirit and Truth. Yes, all right, thank you guys so much. I appreciate you, elena so so very much. I love you, I love everyone. This will be globally, on all platforms tomorrow at this time, at 7 pm, central Standard Time. You guys, it's been a pleasure and, elena, thank you again so much. I love you sister and I got you girl.

Speaker 2: 1:00:21

Yes, ma'am, and I got you right back.

Speaker 1: 1:00:33

Come on, let's celebrate God. Come on, let's celebrate God. Come on, let's celebrate God. And here's why Because he's worthy. Holy, he is worthy. Holy Our God is worthy. Holy, he is worthy. Holy Our God is worthy. Holy is.

Speaker 1: 1:01:11

Wave your hand, come on now. All of the mighty God's children wave your hand. Sing it again. All of the mighty God's children wave your hand. Yes, sir, now, all of the mighty God's children wave your hand. Here's why. Here's why. Here's why Because she's worthy. Holy, she is worthy. Holy Our God is worthy. Holy, she is worthy. Holy, our God is worthy. Holy she. Worthy. Holy our God is worthy. Holy we're here. Worthy. Holy our God is worthy. Holy we're here. Worthy, holy. All of the mighty God's children clap your hands. Come on now. All of the mighty God's children clap your hands. Sing it again now. All of the mighty God's children clap your hands One more time. Now, all of the mighty God's children grab your hands.

Speaker 1: 1:02:33

He is wise. He calls it worthy. Holy, he is worthy. Holy Our God is worthy. Holy, he is worthy. Holy Our God is worthy. Holy, he is worthy. Holy Our God is worthy. Holy, yes, he is worthy. Holy. I'm free. Praise the Lord, I'm free. Chains holding me. My soul is resting. It's just another blessing. Praise the Lord, hallelujah. Well, if you're free, come on by something and with it. Oh, by something and with it, oh, by something and with it, oh by something and with it, oh by something.

Speaker 2: 1:03:41

and mine, oh, my something is mine. I am free. Praise the Lord, I am free. Anybody free again tonight? No longer bound.

Speaker 1: 1:04:03

No more chains calling me. My soul is resting. It's just another blessing. Praise the Lord, hallelujah. Come on now. Buy something and wave it. Buy something and wave it. Buy something and wave it. Buy something and wave it. Buy something and wave it. Buy something and wave it.

Speaker 1: 1:04:32

Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh. Come on, let's give him the highest praise. Somebody, open your mouth and scream hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, we bless your name, hallelujah, we bless your name. Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, glory to you, hallelujah, we give you the praise. Hallelujah, we bless your name. Hallelujah, we give you the praise. Hall, we bless your name.

Speaker 1: 1:05:49

Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, Hallelujah.