Being the Blueprint: Creating Space, Leading Boldly, and Building Legacy with Yasmeen Duncan

Yasmeen Duncan is a seasoned HR executive with over 20 years of experience and a two-time entrepreneur. She is the Founder and Principal of Duncan Workforce Solutions, a workforce advisory firm that supports growth-stage organizations and public sector agencies with strategic people and workforce solutions.

She is also the Founder of Sisterhood Society for Women of Color (SSWOC), an organization dedicated to equipping Black women with the tactical, psychological, and emotional resources needed to thrive personally and professionally.

Yasmeen’s entrepreneurial philosophy centers on accountability to mission. As a founder, she believes leadership requires more than completing tasks—it requires embodying the vision. By living the message she champions, she strives to be both a resource and an example for the women she serves.

In this episode, we talked about:

•  Hearing the whispers of her legacy 
•  Building an organization around being the blueprint, especially when you are the only one in the room 
•  Fostering a resilient mind from childhood into adulthood 
•  The importance of being anchored and confident 
•  The internal work required for growth 
•  The sustained fire within her 
•  What it looked like to take a break 
•  Negotiating exit packages 
•  What she has learned through entrepreneurship 

Connect with Yasmeen:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yasmeenduncan 

Instagram: @heysis_society 

Website: https://sisterhoodsocietywoc.org

Website: https://www.duncanworkforcesolutions.com

Email: yasmeen@duncanworkforcesolutions.com

Transcript

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SPEAKER_00 1:16

Good day and welcome to another episode of our podcast, Begin Build Plos on your Business Journey. Today we are with us Yasmin Duncan. She's a seasoned HR executive with over 20 years of experience and a two-time entrepreneur. She is the founder and principal of Duncan Workforce Solutions, a workforce advisory firm that supports growth stage organizations and public sector agencies with strategic people and workforce solutions. She is also the founder of Sisterhood Society for Women of Color, an organization dedicated to equipping Black women with the tactical, psychological, and emotional resources needed to thrive personally and professionally. Yasmin's entrepreneurial philosophy centers on accountability to mission. As a founder, she believes leadership requires more than completing tasks, it requires embodying the vision. By leaving the message she champions, she strives to be both a resource and an example for the women she serves. Thank you so much for joining us, Yasmin. How are you doing? I'm doing well. Thank you so much for having me.

SPEAKER_01 2:34

I'm looking forward to this conversation.

SPEAKER_00 2:36

Same here. I'm so happy that I got to meet you at that event in the city. Yes. I want to shout out Christina Bryan. She has the most amazing events. I meet the most amazing people too. Her event was definitely awesome. I can't wait to the next one. Yes. And you know what's interesting? We found out we actually lived in the same neighborhood. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 2:59

Like seven people. And I'm because usually people are like, where? Where is that? So to literally meet you along with six other women who live in the area was just so funny. But I'm so happy to get connected.

SPEAKER_00 3:13

Yes, yes. I'm so glad for this community, and I'm glad that we're, you know, keeping in touch and you know, doing this episode. Yes. So let's get started. Let's get to learn a little bit more about you. We always ask our guests to give us two words: one that describes you now, and one you would have used to describe yourself as a child.

SPEAKER_01 3:35

I love this question. As a child, I would say childlike wonder. Not one word, but it's that, or if I had to boil that down, definitely wonder. I had very strong imagination as a child. You know, I had an imagination that was fostered in my home to know nothing was outside of me, nothing was outside of my reach. There was nothing that I wasn't capable of accomplishing, accomplishing, attaining, having, no matter what I had to endure. You know, so it built like a very relentless spirit in me. I think now as an adult, definitely sustained fire. I am very passionate about women, women of color, people taking stepping into agency, women stepping agency, men stepping in agency, knowing the power of choice and that you can create the life that you desire to live and have the kind of relationships that you desire to have. Do fulfilling things. You can live a fulfilling life. The end of every week, it shouldn't be this, like, oh, I made it. And and I mean, listen, do you feel like that? Yeah, that that can definitely be a common feeling. But should it be? You know, those are things that I challenge. Should it be? You know, did we have all the intentions that we should have had, could have had, should have made with our time, with how we move in the world.

SPEAKER_00 5:04

Thanks so much for sharing that with us. I really love that. And um, if you were to travel somewhere today, where would that be? Jamaica. Ooh, that came out so quickly.

SPEAKER_01 5:17

Why'd you immediately let me tell you something? And maybe this was something that I manifested, but there were two places as a child that I would get like really, really excited about when they showed uh commercials. It's crazy because TV, you don't see any of these things anymore. But they would show commercials of Walt Disney World, come to Disney World, these family commercials. I was like, oh my god, I gotta go to Walt Disney World. And the other place was Jamaica, and there was this commercial come to Jamaica. The Lord. When I tell you, I would be like, I would get so excited jumping up and down the screen, and my mom was like, oh lord, here goes my favorite commercial. And of course, as soon as I turned 18, I got my passport. That was the first place I went. And I have to say, maybe it's because I wanted to go there so long for so long and finally to go. I never traveled somewhere where I stepped off the plane. As soon as we came through and I'm in the airport, I felt like I was home. I felt like I've been there a thousand places, a thousand times before. I remember waiting for the taxi. I just I felt like I like it wasn't the first time I've never traveled anywhere and felt at home. Like this is a good thing.

SPEAKER_00 6:34

I love that. I love that.

SPEAKER_01 6:36

I mean, I felt actually more home than here. So I could see me living in Jamaica one day, but listen, I may change my mind when I go to Africa. Because I have some friends who went to Africa and it's just life-changing. A good friend of mine just came back. Uh, we um caught up this week, so that's definitely on the bucket list.

SPEAKER_00 6:55

Thanks. Is there a um which country in particular are you thinking of? I was thinking of Ghana. Ghana. Okay. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 7:02

Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania.

SPEAKER_00 7:04

Okay. I do want to visit as well. So let me know when you're going, okay? Yes. All right. And if there is one book or movie you'd recommend, which would it be?

SPEAKER_01 7:17

The movie, well, the first that comes to mind, which I've actually had mentees of mine go watch this, is Molly's Game. And it was based on a true story of a woman named Molly who um was down on her luck, ended up getting a job as like a receptionist to someone who would run a gambling ring offline outside of work hours. And at first, you know, she's there helping him, but she saw how much money they were making. And then he started to tip her. Then it's like, huh, well, wow, I'm I'm bringing in some money, you know. Then they got into it. I don't want to tell the whole story. She ended up running her own ring, and you know, the story takes off. But she was in the Olympics. I mean, she's had like a really dynamic life, and I think there's so much to take from it as far as how you operate from a place of strategy, not reactiveness, not being, you know, hyper-emotional, but really being strategic in how you move, navigating politics and being having like a level of resolve and being grounded as you level up. I think that was a masterclass in a woman in her leadership, especially starting off in leadership and figuring out like what is my leadership style, how do I move, how do I operate? You know, when you're climbing the ranks, especially in corporate, that comes to mind, you know, as far as how do I establish my authenticity, how I sound, how I talk, what do I say, this level of overthinking. She moved through the world with such precision, even when she wasn't clear on what she was doing, you wouldn't know. There was such a confidence there. She also didn't mix business, she was snatched. This woman was pulled. She was, she came when she came to her poker game, she was collected, she was very together. But she ran it as a businesswoman. She didn't, she didn't mix get miss mixy to run her business and be successful. She held the line. There was a just a lot there, and it's a true story. Movie wasn't fabricated at all, but definitely a lot of gems to pull from.

SPEAKER_00 9:27

Okay. Wow. Now I have to go watch. Thanks for sharing that with us. Um, so talking about business women and you're a two-time entrepreneur. Tell us, um, based on your experience, what's one of the highest moments you've had in business so far?

SPEAKER_01 9:46

Oh, wow. By far, um, you know, we started, I was divinely inspired to start Sisterhood Society in fall of 2018. We launched January 2020 because of COVID and all the things in the world. We had to pivot online and to come in person and have our event with a partnership, a collegiate partnership with Pace University, and have it be a sold-out room, not a seat in the house. And have all of the people who have followed us throughout the years and stayed with us, even when we took our pause and took our break, come out, was just absolutely everything coupled with the women that I have been networking with. Once at that point, I was a global chief people officer at a global company. That was huge to have that level of support. It was like seeing all the things, you know. I remember my sister being there, and she's meeting people, you know, people just walking on to people. Hi, how do you know Yasmeen? How do you know Yasmeen? How'd you find out about sisterhood? And as I'm walking through the room, greeting people, um, passing by and hearing stories. Oh, I met her because she got me a job. She looked at my resume, she connected me with a recruiter. You know, she was my mentee at a point. She gave me feedback. She actually had me on a pip. I grew. I she challenged me higher. You know, I was able to hear the whispers of my legacy as I maintained the line and my authority and my authenticity and how I operate and who I am and how I move. It was also a highlight because I was the keynote. I'm like, we're gonna have an event. We need a keynote. I'm not, it was a given. I'm I'm the keynote. You know, I I it didn't even come into mind to have somebody else be the keynote for the event. You know, this was my time to really share the sustained fire within me of why I decided to do this movement, why I decided to build an organization around being a blueprint, being the only in the room. But what did I do about being the only? Was I intimidated by it? Was I overcome by it? Or did I find my stride and run my race and share my strategies with people I met along the way? You know, I I've come to experience a lot of things in the in the corporate run. And it's been interesting to and highly disappointing to meet people who look like me who I'm like, oh, you know, I meet another woman or a woman of color who director, VP, and asking, how did you get here? How do you know you want the tips of the trade? And you're kind of met with a cold shoulder, like, you know, I'm like, you know, do you mentor? No, I don't have time for that. Well, you'll figure it out. I have to climb the ropes, you have to do the same. There hasn't been that pay it forward, and I feel highly responsible and accountable. Not only because, okay, I'm the only I should do something. No, that I'm I'm accountable to this mission, I'm accountable to the movement and how I operate. How am I with women? Am I welcoming? Am I opening? Am I sharing resources? Am I being a resource? And that day was a reminder that I lived my message and it was on display.

SPEAKER_00 13:05

And that's the the highest height. Yes, and there were there was a lot of affirmation in that room, from what I can hear. So that's great. And then I'm glad that you have a different approach to some of you know, you did talk about some of the experience you had where people you don't lift as they climb. So I'm glad that you do differently. And um, in terms of one of the lowest moments you've had, or not so good moments, is there any that comes to mind?

SPEAKER_01 13:34

I would say earlier on in my career, being overlooked, being counted out, being assumed not to have the rigor for the task at hand, for just assume like I don't know if she could do that. You haven't tested the vehicle, you don't know. You know, you can't say that the car doesn't go up to six to 90 miles per hour if you haven't gotten a car, right? And those moments are disappointing, sure, but I've always found them to be fuel and gas for me.

SPEAKER_00 14:09

I hear that's sustained fire there again.

SPEAKER_01 14:11

I've always it's consistent, it's consistent and not to prove to anyone, you're counting me out. No, I can do this. No, for me, it was an opportunity to show myself what I'm capable of and how I can navigate and endure without scratch, without compromising my authenticity, without shrinking and rising to the occasion. Like, girl, look what you did. Note that. You have to be your own cheerleader.

SPEAKER_00 14:47

Yes, you do.

SPEAKER_01 14:48

You gotta be. Nobody's gonna do it.

SPEAKER_00 14:51

Nobody's coming to save you. I can see where the sisterhood came from. I can hear that passion, I can hear all the experiences that led to that. Um, so I can't wait to hear even more about that. Um, but you did um allude to what you did before. So can you tell us a little bit about what you did before entrepreneurship? Sure.

SPEAKER_01 15:13

So I was, and I have been, I say was, because you know, I always go back and forth in these moments, but I I do feel like my I had my career. You know, now it's pivoted to something else. But I I have been um in H NHR for 20 years. I worked in a myriad of different industries. Fashion beauty, retail startup, hospitality with hotels, union environment, so much fun. You name it, I have done it. Um tech as well, staffing agency, worked in a myriad of different industries. And every industry you add onto the tool belt, you have another tool to add to other plethora of diversity of things that you offer. What works in one environment won't work in others, you know, and I bring that into sisterhood and also my consultancy Duncan Workforce Solutions, bringing those tools, those resources, so that I can be an asset wherever I am planted and whoever I am assigned to help from a mentee, but mentor perspective, or being a coach at an organization, or being an HR strategist and workforce planning for organizations and government agencies.

SPEAKER_00 16:27

Okay, all right. And can you do you think you remember the first time you thought that you would actually start your own business? And well, business is for you.

SPEAKER_01 16:37

When I was still in school pursuing my bachelor's, like I knew that wanted to be my angle. Like I knew for me, success. Listen, I don't care what your title is, I don't care if you're a CEO of a company. There is somebody else signing that that board you're employed to, right? That private equity firm you're employed to. You're still an employee, you're still at the mercy of the decisions of other people. You know, and it's a lot when it's all on you. I am learning as the day goes on. It's a lot on you, but I can create the environment that I desire to work in. I could work when I desire to work. I can take a break when I desire to take a break. I can take the summers off if that's what I want to do. I can schedule things around so I can do it. Last year, I took three months off. There was no PTO request. I was out from June till um the end of August, really like the first week of September. I was traveling, I was with my mom and my family, all up and down the California coast, different islands. I mean, the only thing I do was go to Africa. Okay. And that's great. I knew that I wanted to be able to be on my own schedule, but also be able to build out to the point where all the people that I've worked with, maybe not all, that's not realistic, but I'm just saying, the people that I know that are amazing, that are culture ads to organizations that haven't overlooked, haven't gotten opportunities, haven't gotten chances. What would it be like to be in a position to put them in position and have an organization that has a phenomenal culture and you have top talent at every level? That's the dream. That's the dream.

SPEAKER_00 18:22

Now you said something that intrigued me. You said you took three months off. Now, a lot of people do go into entrepreneurship to be able to do things like that, but it doesn't always work out because when I'm, you know, there's this thing they say about um you leave the job to another, like you're your worst boss sometimes, because you basically go into entrepreneurship, but you just created another job for yourself and you work even harder than you ever had before. So, how do you get to the point where you actually can take three months off and come back? Like what systems you put in place? How does that work? I want to know.

SPEAKER_01 18:57

I have to say, like, entrepreneurship is a hustle that I've never even, in all the hustles that I have, I've never encountered this level. It's like, did you really know what you were signing up for? And it definitely has its days. Um, I will say that once June hit the hustle of, because I work with government contracts, so writing proposals, right? Also looking at part-time contractual work, right? Because it's all about having income coming in, or even applying for jobs if you see something that you come across, even though you're doing entrepreneurship, but you're always thinking about another um revenue stream. I was tired. And I'm like, okay, well, what feasibly do I need to cut back on? What do I need not to do? Where do I go to get the most bang for my buck? And my, you know, sweetie was gonna join, my cat was gonna join us at some point because she cannot be away from me for a long period of time. It's even shocking that we were on this long and she hasn't jumped on. And what can I cut back on? You know, where can I go for more to go more places, more bang for your buck? And I said, Yeah, um, I need a break. And I'm a person that that definitely does prioritize my well-being. How do I feel? How am I feeling internally? Do I need to breathe? Do I need a moment? Do I need a walk? You know, do I need to take a step back? And I went from 20 years of HR, I mean, my first year as a CPO, I took one day off the entire year. I came into so many priorities of things I needed to get done. I'm sure my team was ready to like wreck me, you know, nine months in, like, if this woman, but we had a lot to get in place quickly because a lot was happening. And although I stayed working, I did not put that on my team. I let all my team take their vacations. So I did not take one because I filled in so they could be out and they could get their rest. So yeah, to go from 20 years back to back, barely taking vacation. I was a person to go on vacation with a laptop and at 6 a.m. and I'm wherever I am on vacation, and at 5 a.m. I'm checking my emails because I don't want to come back. You know, I was always in that work mode to leave getting to the top of the mountain as a CPO and then going straight into entrepreneurship. Girl, take your break. So that's what I did. So figure out where do you cut back? What do you cut back on? What do you do? Uh, where can you get more bang for your buck? If you are a lot of people, even in those this economy, are thinking of exiting. Negotiate that severance package, you know. That definitely helped me for sure. Also, to make that move.

SPEAKER_03 21:34

Yeah. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 22:29

So it sounds like there's a lot of intentionality there and a lot of planning because you know that's what your priority is. You know that's something you you want in this season of entrepreneurship. That's important that you're able to have that kind of flexibility. Um, so you plan around that, and that's how it works for you. If I understood that correctly. Yeah, absolutely. Okay. So let's go back a little bit. What about your childhood you think led you to where you are today? Oh, my mother.

SPEAKER_01 22:58

Like, don't even have to think about it. I had the mission, I'll start here. The mission for Sisterhood Society of what we do, what we provide. We say that we provide the tactical, emotional, and psychological needs for women of color to thrive. That's the mission. And again, sisterhood is built off of me as being like the blueprint. That's what my mother did for me. My mother created an environment that fostered a very resilient mind that got me to learn how to critically think early, critically think about the woman I wanted to become, how I wanted to live, where I wanted to live, what I wanted to do, how much money I want to make. She fostered an environment that let me know. And again, did I connect all these dots then? No. You're talking about her having helping me critically think in a second grade. I'm not putting the dots together. But of course, as I grow older, wow, I have these conversations with her now. You were teaching me agency. Did you realize that? And when I explain it and break it down how I understand it, she's like, huh. No. I didn't, I didn't think about it all like that. It was intentional but unintentional at the same time. But yeah, she taught me agency for a very early age. I have the power to choose. I'll do you one better. I have the power to become. Who do you want to be? What do you want to accomplish? So much so that my value, what fosters my value is not based on what I acquire in degrees or accolades or titles or status or compensation. My worth and my value is what's done internally. And I say this often. Um I've gotten into deep conversations with different people about it. Take all this stuff away. Would I be less confident? No, because I'm clear. Self-clarity is everything. My energy, my personality, my vivaciousness, knowing my my stroke of genius, which is being an activator, getting people to see what they do not see in themselves, what they're unaware that they're capable of, or what they're aware. This is do you know that this is a strength for you? Like, do you you're really your people assessment is is really good. You think so? Yeah, that's discernment. You have a very discerning eye. Lean into that. Don't second guess your decisions because clearly you you you're connecting to something. Lean into that intuition, it's gonna guide you. It's important. James Baldwin. He said, people that you love are gonna make you aware of the things that you don't see. And do I love everybody? No. But as a leader, do I feel accountable to do that, to activate, to leave people with, even if it's a mere conversation of FYI, do you know what you can have? People leaving a firm, people leaving, asking themselves questions about possibility. Yes, I feel accountable to that. I think about we met at a networking event. We had this, it feels like a long car ride. It didn't feel long because the conversation was so rich. But that was a rich conversation. That was a conversation of affirmation. What's possible? Do you know how you navigate? This is what you do. Yeah, I I I have to.

SPEAKER_00 26:24

Have to. Talking about that, that that reminds me of, you know, exit strategies. Um, because I think we touched on that in the car as well. And you did mention earlier that people in this environment, people are probably thinking of exiting, or people are being laid off. So there are negotiations that can happen, at least around the exits. Is that something you want to touch on, considering the environment we're in?

SPEAKER_01 26:49

As far as like people thinking about leaving their jobs, how they should go about that?

SPEAKER_00 26:53

Yeah, just the environment that we're in and maybe how even maybe like people who probably work with you, how that could help them as they navigate this climate?

SPEAKER_01 27:04

Absolutely. I think the angle that I'll take is how how people reach out to me or when. You know, in this climate, people definitely reach out to me if they are feeling targeted at work. This is happening, this doesn't feel right, but I can't really put a name to it. Can I run this by you? Do you have, you know, can I take a 30-minute consultation or severance negotiations? I'm not a lawyer, I've always directed you to an attorney, right? But having an HR person that can be an ear to is this the right thing to negotiate, right? Not being a person who is leading you from getting a cut of what you're getting is a different perspective. So that's how I support people there. And also people wanting to, we this is a very tough climate. Um, it's interesting. I've had conversations with about three people in the last week where like, I want to leave my job. Like, why? Talking about age, it's it's all like a two-sided coin. I believe in agency, I believe in the power of choice, at the same time telling someone, hang on to your job. You don't know when you're gonna get another one. Is that really taking agency? That feels like really clinging to the bottom of the barrel, right? I get it, but we need to be practical. Right now, to date, up until today, there are 650,000 black women that are laid off that cannot find work at every level. Something is to be said about that and can't find work. Is now the time to leave? And if you leave, what do you do? So I'm gonna add on another layer of complication that's like triple double talking. Well, what about if I'm at the end of my rope? Like I rather struggle than endure what I'm doing from a well-being perspective. This is impacting my mental health. I have anxiety, etc. What is your plan? As women, we are going to feel. I think the goal, you know, we have all these conversations about femininity. Get in your feminine power. Proverbs 31 woman, she was planful. She was a strategic woman. She owned businesses, she ran the beach and everything in it. It's one thing to feel. The goal is not to be overcome. What is your plan? Absolutely. What is the plan? You know, I'd like to do a future self-exercise. What do you envision? What do you want? Where do you want to be at the end of the year? What do you want to have? What are you willing to give up? What are you willing to let go of? Oh, and can we really get to the good stuff? Can we really dig in? What are you willing to forego in your identity to become who you need to be, to have the rest, to have the peace, to have the well-being. You know, if I learn anything in entrepreneurship, it is the challenge of identity. There's so much hustle. You know, people talk about the hustle, you work more in entrepreneur, you work more nine to five, probably like nine to nine, eight to midnight in entrepreneurship than you do in a job. That's true, but it's not all hustle. There is the emotional text, there's the mental text, there's a spiritual text. All of that is on the internal. You need to become an entrepreneurship. That's how you succeed. Where's your mindset? You gotta be grounded. You got to be grounded, and there are days, there have been days. Let's be very clear. I'm like, get me back, I will take a nine to five tomorrow for the right opportunity. And you tie your rope because something that comes to mind is what if it was just two more weeks from now, but I gave up and I was about to get a contract. I'm not talking about from an employer, I'm talking about like a government contract. Like I could just like relax for a few years. Because I know people who have done it, who it's happened to, like, and I'm about to give up now. So that's gas in the tank. Have go in your affirmation box. Sometimes I go on LinkedIn, I read my recommendations. I have the cards, I always leave a job with a plethora of all birthday cards, appreciation cards, thank you cards, promotion cards, all the things. I keep those throughout the years. I have it in my house. I look at that. You need to find, and I spoke about this on another podcast, find your gems to be fuel for you, to keep going. Hustle ain't it. Hustle's gonna have that tire, the tire metal to the cement. Thank you for sharing that.

SPEAKER_00 31:26

Oh wow. That that's a that was a lot to take in. So thank you. And um can you at this time maybe tell us a little bit about more about Sisterhood? Sisterhood Society for Women of Color.

SPEAKER_01 31:40

Sure. Um, so you have our foundation story. We have some events coming up this year, potential partnerships. I'm just waiting for the green light, so stay tuned. Um, definitely want to have some resource giving when it comes to the job market. And that would be like the the main event for this year. You know, we go to a lot of events, we watch panels of people talking about their entrepreneurship journey, how they're how they're doing their thing. We mingle, maybe we do, maybe we don't. Mingle with people or make people we get put on a nice outfit for the day and we go home. But are you leaving with actionable things to get you out of the rut where you are? Like somebody, maybe you haven't gotten a job because your resume isn't formatted correctly. Maybe you don't know how to present yourself on paper and in person. Maybe you want to elevate to the next role, you're not sure what's holding you back. Really having an event where we can talk through from an internal space, get the therapy perspective, talk to a branding person and get that perspective, talk to an executive level leader, understand what you need to do, what is absent, and actually we'll have a hands-on workshop where you come in and you're leaving with like red pen. This is what you need to not do and change. We really want to provide resources this year. Um, we are also looking for schools to partner with because we have a partnership with Georgia State University, which that was our collegiate partner for last year to this year. And we're looking to extend more collegiate partnerships. So we're having conversations with schools now to see who is the next to add to our roster.

SPEAKER_00 33:20

I love hearing that. Oh my goodness. And we'll definitely be keeping um out, we'll be looking out for updates, especially I hear events. I love a good event. I will look out for those. And um, in terms of success, can you tell us what success means to you?

SPEAKER_01 33:36

What success means to me peace and ease and alignment. To have peace in your mind, how your life is functioning. When I think of my friendships, they feel fruitful, they're peaceful. There's no drama, no what does that mean? Shade. There's nothing going on. We pour in, I pour out, they pour in. We're pictures for each other. You know, when I have ease, sure, there's gonna be a challenge that you're working on. Ease doesn't mean I think that life or you you get to a season where there's nothing going on. There's gonna be things going on, sure. But you're navigating, you're not freezing like stuck and unsure, you're not having anxiety, you're you're you're confident. You know, it's I almost I think of an I think in analogy. So I almost think of like boat is at sail and sea. You're not fighting against the wave, you found your sail, you're just moving forward, regardless of how the waves start to roll. It it doesn't keep you from moving forward in your path. Just having that ease. Things there will be challenges, but things don't feel hard. And above all, alignment, the relationships that I have in my life are I'm aligned with these people. I'm aligned with the people that are my friends, my tribe. I'm aligned with my professional community that I have, those I've chosen to have in my professional community. You know, when you're not in alignment, it doesn't have to be chaos, it's closure because you got clear that this person isn't going into the season. You know, you have to recognize when it's time to get off the boat. It can be hurtful and hard to close doors that you had all the plans for. Like we're gonna do this, we're gonna do that person is not in this chapter. That's the season is up, and that's okay. And that's okay, right? So, yeah, having full alignment, having ease, and having peace. Having a peace of mind is priceless. You don't really know until you don't have it. That that to me is success. And what is interesting about those three things, peace, ease, and alignment. People think like, oh, I'm successful when I'm making this money. I didn't say nothing about that. Because the people could have all the money in the world and had have those three things. I think success for me is very much so internal. My second part to that answer is the why. Has your why been fulfilled? When your why is fulfilled, that's when you're successful. My why was making my mother proud. Like, my I talk about, I mean, anyone who knows me, my mom is gonna come about, my mom, my mom, my mom. And I've done that six times around the sun. It's not that I am going to become successful. I am successful. She knows that every every sacrifice, every dream that she has ever had in her heart for me has been realized. And she likes me as a person, as a woman. She enjoys me. There's many people who have kids, but you don't like like the spirit of your child and how they are. You don't like them, but you love them because they're your child. My mother likes me. She likes me, she loves me. It's great. I did what I was supposed to do, and I will honor her to the end of time. That's my that's my thank you to her.

SPEAKER_00 37:12

I love that. Thanks so much for sharing all of that with us. You've been dropping gems. I can say that. I wish I could sing because I'll just be singing a song right now. Um, this conversation has made me very, very happy. And I'm just really glad that you spent this time with us. If there is one thing you'd like to leave with our audience, just one quick thing, what would that be?

SPEAKER_01 37:34

Find out who you are and never let that person go. Life is gonna throw so much at you, whether you're trying to do entrepreneurship, whether you're at work dealing with a in a toxic environment, toxic boss, whether you are in complicated uh relationships, friendships, personal relationships, you have to be grounded and know who you are. You have to be centered. It's so important to be anchored, right? That no one can tell you who you are except your maker. And you be swayed. You start second-guessing yourself. You need to be confident in how you move in the world. And confidence comes with being aware and informed. And you can only be confident in yourself when you are clear on who you are and who you are not, what you bring, what's your stroke of genius, is what you don't do too well, but need to improve. I think knowing who you are is like an anchor of life, it's vital.

SPEAKER_00 38:33

Yeah, and we do see that confidence. We see it, we feel it. I know you're very, very confident, and I love that. Um, so what's the best way that people can reach out to you?

SPEAKER_01 38:46

Yes, LinkedIn DMs. I'm always here for LinkedIn Message. Um, I'm also uh also um my email, so Yasbeen at Duncan Workforce Solutions. That is my other business, my HR Workforce Advisory email.

SPEAKER_00 39:05

We're at the end, but I just want to say when you talk about your mom, your relationship with your mom, when I see the confidence that comes through, I I feel like it's everything I want for my daughter and myself. The the relationship that you have and just the way you present to the world. Like that's how I see my Sierra being. So thank you so much.

SPEAKER_01 39:26

Thank you. You are so welcome. Mom, moms are like the heart of life, I promise you. And I always encourage people who have kids, ask them these questions. My mom was asking, my mom would tell me in the second grade when I got home from school. We still talk about the second grade, third grade, fourth grade, fifth grade. I remember all she was like, So, what do you want to do? What do you want to do? You gotta know, yes, me, you gotta know what you want to do, who you want, the woman you want to be, where you want to live, how you want to live. So we would keep going through those questions all the time. This was a regular conversation, every grade.

SPEAKER_00 40:00

So so you knew you you knew it. There was no way you not know it.

SPEAKER_01 40:04

Yeah, I never deviated. I ultimately I started off with an archaeologist, I wanted to be an archaeologist. I gave that up because how how do you do that? And where I'm from, listen, it's not even it's so far out of the park. Then I went through social work for a while, psychologist for a while, but I ended up in HR. Um, but what does social workers and psychologists do? They help people. What do I do? I help people. My mom didn't even my mom was giving me a North Star that I was always working towards, even when I didn't realize it.

SPEAKER_00 40:35

Yeah, I love that. I love that. Thank you so much, Yasmin. And I feel like there will be a part two. I can't I love having those conversations with you. So I let me know. Yes, I hope we get on here again soon. Thank you so much and have a good day. You too.