The Tea of My 20's | If I Knew Then What I Know Now

This episode is for you if: 

•  You are in your 20's and trying to figure out your next direction
• There is a strong calling upon your life
• You have been dealing with resistance in life and are trying to figure out how to push through

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About The Empowered Era

The Empowered Era is a podcast centered on elevated conversations around faith, identity, purpose, and culture. It is the podcast that empowers you from within while dispelling isolation and giving you actionable steps to better yourself. Hosted by Elizabeth, known as The Elizabethan Era, each episode is designed to meet you where you are and push you toward who you are called to be. Season 2 is bigger rooms, deeper conversations, and a whole new level.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

You know how crazy this life experience has been.

SPEAKER_01 0:02

No, you have been going through all kinds of twists and turns.

SPEAKER_00 0:09

Let's get into it.

SPEAKER_01 0:10

Spill the tea. Let the people know. Tell the people about how you've been maintaining confidence in who God says you are while you've been facing criticism and rejection.

SPEAKER_00 0:20

Mmm, you want me to get straight into it. Okay, so wow. Hey guys, welcome to the Empowered Era podcast, brought to you by your host, Elizabeth, also known as Liz. And I'm really excited to have this conversation with you guys. I wanted to change it up, keep it real cozy, and do more of like a solo episode. I feel like I have a lot of conversations with some of you all online about like some advice or um lessons that I've learned along the way. And so I wanted to give y'all the T of my 20s, essentially. Like if I knew then what I know now, how I would have operated, what I would have done, what I would have thought, would I have even stepped my foot there? So let's get into it. Hold on. Hey girl.

SPEAKER_01 1:16

Hey, how are you doing?

SPEAKER_00 1:18

I'm actually in the middle of shooting an episode for the podcast.

SPEAKER_01 1:23

Ooh, are you about to catch them up on what life has been like in LA? Or like, what are you talking about?

SPEAKER_00 1:28

See, I just may. I just may. Let me actually let me keep you on speaker. Hold on.

SPEAKER_01 1:33

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 1:34

Okay, so you can hear me, right?

SPEAKER_01 1:37

Yes, I can hear you.

SPEAKER_00 1:39

Okay, yeah. You know how crazy this life experience has been.

SPEAKER_01 1:42

No, you have been going through all kinds of twists and turns.

SPEAKER_00 1:48

Let's get into it for real.

SPEAKER_01 1:50

Yes. Spill the tea. Let the people know. Tell the people about how you've been maintaining confidence and who God says you are while you've been facing criticism and rejection.

SPEAKER_00 2:00

Mmm, you want me to get straight into it.

SPEAKER_01 2:03

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 2:04

Okay, so wow. As far as how I've been maintaining confidence with God while facing criticism, I would say it has been like a daily battle. Like it has been such a fight. Like this kind of dichotomy in a sense. I think maintaining the confidence has a lot to do with walking in who God already says that you are. Like I know who I was called to be, I know who I'm ordained to be, and I know to walk in that light everywhere I go. Light up the room, legit. Um, I've always had the scripture in Matthew 5.16, like from locker room in college to in my IG bio to on the sweatshirt sleeve of like my EON Co. brand. And I just try to carry that with me. Like, let your light shine before others so they'll see, you know, your goodness and glorify your father who's in heaven. The glory's not going to me, the glory's going to my God. And I feel like there was a moment when I didn't have peace or like full certainty in what was occurring, like what I was experiencing. And I was just like, okay, what is this? What is this? Like I felt like I had to be on my toes 24/7, legit. And so with that, I actually came back from a trip, went to church service. Um, I went to one LA, and Pastor Stephanie Ike was preaching. It was a 9 a.m. service. The usher took me to like the third row. I kid you not, I sat down and the woman next to me. I haven't shared this in podcasts or like really online format. Only like a few friends know. But the woman next to me, she was like, hey, I just want to pray for you and share with you what God just put on my heart. I have a message for you. I was like, okay. I've never met this woman, damn my life. And she was like, I want you to know that the enemy is watching you and trying to use your response against you. But you should walk in confidence and know that God has already gone before you. Legit, when she said that, I was like, confirmed. Literally dropped to my knees. And I was just praying. And she at the end was like, hey, like, did that resonate with you? Because sometimes when God gives me a word, I never know if it resonates with the other person. I said, this resonated exactly with me. I I cannot really put into words, but I've been experiencing that with my LA journey, with my new heights. Um, what do they say? Greater heights, bigger devils. Like, I've been experiencing just a deeper, a deeper experience of like, oh, I'm being tried. Oh, there's spiritual warfare. Oh, I really need to be guarded. Oh, I need to dig deep. Like, I really need to go to my quiet place. And it was very odd that all of this was happening, but of course it was happening behind the scenes and stuff. So having someone be able to share that with me spiritually, it really opened my eyes that, like, okay, this is confirmation that what I'm experiencing is not something I should gaslight myself to believe that I'm not experiencing it. Um, and so literally that following month, I started seeing fire. I started seeing fire. And then, of course, as we see going on at the beginning of January 2025, actual fire. Um, yeah, LA has been on fire for good reason and for bad reason. I've got to experience the good of it all, but I've also experienced some of the lows. And I think that's all a part of what my friend would say is like your LA arc, um, your LA journey and experience and like storyline. But just knowing that God had already called me, shown me, gave me a message, confirmed on how I should carry myself, that's how I was able to be like, okay, bet, I got this. Like, I'm just gonna walk with confidence. And then the other added like aspect to that that I would say was that every time I would encounter someone, they'd always be like, There's just this light about you. There's just this, wow, like I've never met someone who's like this, or like if I don't say anything about who I am or what it is I do, they're like, Oh my gosh, like, are you in management? Are you a creative director? Or like you just have this authority. And I really feel like that authority comes from God. So it has been a roller coaster, but I have been really riding that roller coaster. So I would say advice like flipping it onto others, drawn from my personal connect. When you feel something in the pit of your stomach, believe it, trust it, and always remember that any negative thought that is coming at you is not coming from God, it's coming from the enemy, and you're probably just being tested. Your faith is being tested, and they're trying to see if you're gonna break. And you never fold, never fold, always stand on it. So that's how I personally was able to walk with confidence, confidence, confidence, all of that. That's how I was able to walk with confidence. Donnie, you really took that out of me.

SPEAKER_01 7:26

Hey, I'm just here to give the people the tea. Okay, we try to pull the good stuff out today. We are so how has your faith helped you overcome self-doubt or imposter syndrome?

SPEAKER_00 7:38

My faith helping me overcome self-doubt or imposter syndrome. I would say my faith has been tested. I've definitely been in what felt like um like a Job season, but like also a reminder that like my God brought me here, so He's not gonna forsake me. Like the same God that has carried me to get me to this point. I'm literally sitting in answered prayers. Um, so through the highs and the lows, I'm just reminded how good my God is. Like the things I've been able to experience, I don't regret. I'm so glad that I experienced it because it has instilled a deeper level of resilience for me. When it comes to the self-doubt or the imposter syndrome, I would love to say that I've never experienced imposter syndrome. I would love to say that. It's so funny because I really be a one-of-one in the room. Like I'm the only person that looks like me, that thinks like me, that represents a certain community, a certain demographic, a certain gender. And it's like, I'm in the room, but I'm so new to it. And I'm aware of this. And I think that's that's the moment when it's like, oh, it's so new that you're looking around and you're like, oh my gosh, wow, this is so new, this is so new. How did I get here? How did I get here? And that's when I have to constantly remind myself, like, this may be a new experience, but you are actually not new to this, you've experienced this before. You've been able to walk in your light in these regards in the past, and now you're just doing it in Hollywood. Like now you're just doing it in a different industry, in an adjacent industry, I should say. If I've been in tech, media, entertainment, as far as I'm creating my own table for the media side, but I am pulling up a seat to a certain table on the tech side, God so had it for my LA experience to be instead of me just creating my own table. And what I mean by that is I've been on YouTube since 2017. I've been doing content creation for a very long time. I've been a content creator, um, a public speaker, a panelist, a keynote. I've already had the experiences of being flown out and speaking to communities or speaking to global tech companies while they're all gathering in their town halls, like coming together in New York, coming together in North Carolina, coming together in Europe to listen to this speaker speak. I've experienced great heights in my past to where I'm like, the shift is that you're now in a room where you had to create that table when it came to social media, and that's how you were in the eyes of media, and now you're in these spaces where you are pulling up a chair to the media rooms. I hope that makes sense. It's like before I created my own opportunity, now I'm in the heart of media and entertainment. So I don't have to only create my own. I can walk into rooms where everyone in the room is in the entertainment, the media, the music industry, but they're in their own siloed pockets. And now there's there's a new level of networking or cross-collaboration that's occurring. So I'm no longer the one of one or the unique. Now I'm in this room with really big fish. Now I'm in this room and I'm like, oh my gosh, these are some really big fish. And so I feel like that's when the imposter syndrome kicks. And that's when the like, oh Oz moments happen. But then you constantly have to remind yourself like, do you not know who you are? Maintain composure. Act like you've been here. Um, and also just remember who God has called you to be. The same way you've been able to walk in these other rooms, bring that same energy because that's what's inviting you into these spaces. I feel like a lot of the experiences I've had being in LA have been off of the lit, like it's it's been an invite based on personal brand, not necessarily the attachment of others. And I'm grateful for all the destiny helpers, but reminding myself that God opened the door and he's the one that cultivated this brand. Back to the Matthew 5.16. He's the one that's called me to greater heights. He's the reason I'm ordained and I'm in these rooms. He's the reason the next person has been in this industry for 10 years, and here I am, and we're at the same table. Or the next person has been in LA as a native, and here I am month one. Month one, like May? What? Imposter syndrome could have taken me out. The very first month I got there. I moved to LA May 1st of 2024, and I'm talking April 30th. UCLA invited me to come speak. This is before I even moved. I could have easily been like, what am I doing on this panel? But I had to remember who God had called me to be. This is not my first time speaking to a large group of individuals. It's not my first time speaking to a congregation. This is not my first time speaking to students. I've done this at my university, I've done this with global tech companies, I've done this in terms of being flown out. So now you happen to be based in LA, it makes sense that UCLA would hit you up. Now it's just a matter of your heart posture as you're speaking to the community, what you choose to share. And as you're networking with others and you're hearing their story and how they got to their heights, how you're able to relate and still bring value. I think remembering your value and your favor is what gets you in the room, will really help break down the thought process of imposter syndrome. So yeah, imposter syndrome will always come in ebbs and flows, but remembering who you were called to be is how my faith has been able to like stand against the test of times when imposter syndrome in doubt wants to come and remind me that, like, you know, you're new. And I'm like, but you know my God. So that's what I would say.

SPEAKER_01 14:16

Oh, that was good, friend. You go over there dropping the gyms, okay?

SPEAKER_00 14:21

A little so slight, so slight.

SPEAKER_01 14:23

You know, but let's turn up the heat just a little bit, just a little bit more, okay? We gotta give them a little more tea.

SPEAKER_00 14:29

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 14:29

Have you ever felt frustrated with where you were in life and how did you learn to trust the process? If so.

SPEAKER_00 14:36

I have definitely felt frustrated with where I was in life. And I'll talk a little bit about the past and then the current like LA season. Um, in the past, there have been times whether it be like work-related, um, friend-related, or dating related, or family situations that have caused for me to feel like, okay, I don't know what's going on. I'm getting a little frustrated. I I don't even know what to do. But one thing I know how to do is pivot. One thing I'm gonna do is pivot. Um, but learning as far as trusting the process, learning when God told you to pivot. I feel like there's a difference in running from a problem and pivoting because God is repositioning you. So there have for sure been times when I ran from the problem and I didn't want to be held accountable, and I've learned from those lessons. But I feel like the new Lizzie um has learned to fight through the problem. So instead of being like, okay, my hands are up, I'm gonna just uh uh, it's like, okay, nah, let me lock in. Like this is happening for a reason. Let me really lock in. Let me think of what all the possible scenarios look like A through Z. And then let me ask God which scenario He wants me to focus my attention on. Because what there's 26 letters in the alphabet, you can't be focusing your head on 26 letters. If you're pulled in 26 directions, you're going to be stagnant. You have to focus on what is in front of you and figure out if you're gonna go left, if you're gonna go right, if you're gonna go up, if you're gonna go down. So I would say, as far as like a personal story, I don't want to get a personal story as well.

SPEAKER_01 16:26

Uh huh. Give it to the people.

SPEAKER_00 16:32

So, what I would say as far as like a personal experience, when it comes to me being frustrated and when I ended up making those pivots, um, one, when it comes to my dating life, I know I really don't talk about my dating life with you guys. That's something that only friends and family and close friends know. But um in honor of me keeping it real with you all, I feel like God has shown me so much. Um, I've been able to date and experience amazing individuals. I have met great people, um, and I have been able to sharpen my discernment to figure out okay, is that a counterfeit? Is that a counterfeit? Is that a counterfeit? Oh my gosh, God, I feel like you're sending me the perfect person package, but there's something like, I don't know. And really just surrendering that, like, God, if you've already put in the work on me, I know that you will put in the work on who you have for me. As I've been in that season, God has shown me through all of the wonderful and beautiful friendships that I have in my life, that the same thing that they have been looking for, that they wrote down and made it plain, that they listed out, God did not skip a beat. God showed up for them and he was the center of that covenant. He is the center of that relationship. And I feel like I'm just so blessed to see the fact that God is in the neighborhood. Like, if God can do this for others, what more can he do for me? And even the fact that, like, I know what my gifts are. Out of my many talents and gifts, guys, one of my gifts is that I network really well and network just comes very natural to me. I know how to bring people together, I know how to connect the dots. If one person and another person should get together, I can do that. It feels like water. But the fact that God has used me to just be obedient and just like do things I do naturally without strategizing, to the point of how frustrated you may get in your own scenario, you won't even realize when God's using you as a destiny helper. The fact that I've been able to be a part of other people's stories where it's like, oh my gosh, I was just connecting the dots because, like, y'all are great people. I don't gatekeep the people in my life, so y'all should get to know each other. I wasn't thinking that I was playing Cupid, but to even see those blessings turn into something fruitful is a reminder to me that like God knows all of our hearts and God knows what we desire in the inner parts. So that's what I would say as far as like frustration and just laying it down. Like I said, I typically do not tap into my dating life with you all. Um, but I felt very led to share that and I'm just grateful to be able to encounter and experience and see what God has done in the lives of those around me, because that is a reminder for me that I'm not asking for too much. I was never asking for too much. And whether it means that God is preparing me just in a solo season and then he'll present my person, whether I've already encountered the person or I haven't encountered the person at his divine timing, it will happen. So that is definitely something that I have seen and experienced throughout my life and throughout my LA journey.

SPEAKER_01 19:58

Wow, look at you being all vulnerable.

SPEAKER_00 20:01

I can't believe I shared that.

SPEAKER_01 20:03

This was good, girl. So good. I'm proud of you. Well, my work here is done. I will talk to you later, girl.

SPEAKER_00 20:10

Well, thank you. I'm glad we were able to chat. And woo, what I will say, honestly, is that like when it comes to the big sister advice and like sharing personal stories or life lessons or what I what I know now, if I knew it then, um, I would definitely say like takeaways, trust in God, lean not on your own understanding and give it to him. Like when you lay it down, you surrender, you consult with him before you make a decision, you'll see him guiding you through all of it. And when you are being attacked, um whether it be for your character, whether it be for any facet of you, and you're losing confidence and you're losing trust and like, wait, but God said on this, so why is this happening? Always remember that you are literally a daughter or a son of the most high. So the same way you're going to encounter his glory and all the good, because on social media, we often, often like to only focus on the highlights. You're still going to encounter, and how would I say it? You're going to encounter the sufferings. That's something you're going to inherit as well. The same Jesus who they questioned, they crucified, if he was stainless and he was righteous, what more you who was born of sin? So I think that has just been like my reminder, and I want to help restore your faith if you're in a journey or a season where you feel like your faith is being tested or you're being questioned, and it's like one favor not fair, please stand on that. Two, do what you say and say what you're gonna do, stand on business. If you're gonna say something, don't fold and biblically don't turn into Lot's wife. That's something that my friends have been telling me personally. So I want to share that and encourage you if you don't know the Story, please go look it up. Go read it. But um, don't turn into Lot's wife, essentially meaning don't look back at the past. If God delivered you out of a season, don't stress your head trying to figure out who what's going on in the season. You've already lost all your minerals. You no longer have mineral, you just turn into a pillar of salt when you look back. Only look back to reflect to take you to the next, but don't look back and get so stuck that you now remain stagnant. Um, so yeah, that's what I would say are like the takeaways, the advice, like continue being yourself, continue shining your light, and know that the same way he was crucified, you're going to be crucified. Um, but just walk in your authenticity over everything. Above all, walk and stand true to who you are. I love y'all and thank you so much for tuning in to the Empowered Era Podcast. You know, you can find me on IG, TikTok, YouTube, of course, the Elizabethan Era, the Empowered Era podcast. And light up the comments. Let me know what y'all think about this solo episode. If maybe I should have a few more of them for us to continue these chats. Love you, girl. Love you guys. Bye.