The Female Founder Show
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The Female Founder Show
Ep. 3: Barbara Majeski's Journey from Cancer Survivor to Media Maven
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Barbara Majeski joins Bridget Fitzpatrick on the Female Founder Show to share her extraordinary journey of resilience and authenticity. What would you do if you faced late-stage cancer and a tumultuous divorce simultaneously? Barbara reveals how she navigated these life-altering challenges with grace and determination, embracing her "second act" with renewed vigor. She opens up about the conscious decision to live authentically, free from the weight of others' opinions, and how this choice has transformed her personal and professional life.
Learn the art of leveraging media exposure to elevate your brand from Barbara's firsthand experiences on shows like the Today Show. She breaks down the importance of persistence, understanding your audience, and the strategic use of social media. Barbara underscores that true success isn't about perfection but about showing up and giving your best effort. She also highlights the immense value of media training and the unique credibility that comes from TV appearances, all while emphasizing the role of gratitude and service in achieving lasting success.
Finally, Barbara discusses the transformative power of gratitude and maintaining a positive attitude even amid adversity. She shares deeply personal anecdotes about her cancer diagnosis and how it reshaped her outlook on life's challenges. Barbara encourages us to stay true to our core values, use adversity to build resilience, and embrace imperfections. This heartfelt conversation is peppered with insights on thriving through adversity, leading with empathy, and living a perfectly imperfect life. Don’t miss out on this inspiring episode that promises to leave you motivated and ready to take on your own challenges with newfound perspective.
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Thriving Through Adversity
Speaker 1This is the Female Founder Show with host and entrepreneur Bridget Fitzpatrick , exclusively on ASBN .
Speaker 2Hello everyone and welcome to the Female Founder Show . Today's guest is an incredible force in the field of lifestyle expertise , a renowned TV personality , keynote speaker and the founder of the More Life Collective . You may have seen her on the Today Show , good Day New York , new York Live Fox Friends and so many others . Today we welcome Barbara Majewski , who , in the midst of adversity , doesn't just survive , she thrives . Join us today as we uncover what fuels her during the toughest of times , exploring the significance of staying positive and motivated in a world where these virtues can truly redefine our experiences . Please give a warm welcome to Barbara Majewski . Barbara , thank you so much for joining us today and thanks for having me . Bridget . I'm excited Good Me too . Now you've gone through some experiences , some tough ones , that would have caused many to give up . Not only did you not give up , with you know , going through those challenges , they really shaped your approach to success and resilience . Can you talk to us about that time and how you had the courage to turn things around ?
Speaker 3Absolutely Cause . You know , and thank you again for having me on the show and and when we go through anything . So , for anybody that doesn't know , I was diagnosed with a late stage cancer in 2015 , did my treatments in 2016 . And simultaneously , right before my diagnosis , my marriage crumbled in a dumpster fire blaze of glory . So , as I was , you know , battling for my life , I'm also kind of reconciling . You know , what is going to be my new normal if I survive , if I survive , what is my , what is my life going to look like ?
Speaker 3And you do , you get to these inflection points , as we all do , like there's nothing really truly unique about that . If you look at it from like a global scale . There's nothing really truly unique about that . If you look at it from like a global scale . We all go through adversity . It's whether we decide to grow bitter or we decide to grow better . That's within our jurisdiction .
Speaker 3I didn't . I didn't have any like authority over what happened to me my diagnosis or really even my husband not wanting to be married anymore but I could control how I responded to it , how I handled my treatments and then the next chapters of my life , and I had made a very , very conscious decision in the middle of my treatments that if I got another shot at life , I would no longer be beholden to the weight of other people's opinions , fear , doubt , like I would . Just , I just made this very conscientious decision that I would never play small again . And , um , that's really where you're meeting me today . It's just my second act and what it's been like and it's been uh , you know it's been funny at times , um , but it's been a tremendous , um , like rebirth . Second act , and that's where I'm at today .
Speaker 2I love it . It's so important that you were talking about , you know , not really caring what people think anymore and just kind of doing what you have to do and you know , really living authentically . And that's so important today , especially when we're talking about branding ourselves and our companies and all that's . There's so many different areas to do that , with social media and podcasts and things , so good for you . I think that that's a good message there to really come out and be authentic , not care what anybody thinks , because that's that's a . That struggle is real .
Speaker 3So that struggle is never ending and it really is learning how to regulate that in your , in your space . I used to say , bridget , I'd be like I don't care what other people think , but the truth is we all care about what other people think . We care , we want to be accepted and recognized and we want to feel that we are giving and serving . So we do , but it's learning how to really modulate that need for other people's approval in our journey of living our very best life right .
Speaker 3I think that I'm always a work in progress and a masterpiece simultaneously . I'm like oh my God . I think so many people can resonate with that of like . But we can't say we don't care , but we just have to put it on a spectrum of how is that holding me back ? And I can't control how other people and that was my biggest breakthrough I was like I can't control the way other people perceive me . All I can control is how I handle me , my situation , and as long as if I'm living at the highest expression of me being authentically me , that's all I got . This is all I got . I'm really good at being me . Does that like ? Does that make sense ?
Speaker 2It totally makes sense and we love you for it . So and that brings me to my next question , you're often referred to as the curator of the good life . Now , what principles or habits do you believe are essential for achieving a balanced , fulfilling life ?
Speaker 3You know , I think balance is elusive .
Speaker 3I think , sometimes we're super hyper-focused on our kids as moms , you know . Then it comes at a compromise , like we can't be all things to all things all the time , but we can be . You know , it's like you can't have everything all at once , but you can have everything within its due time and recognizing that the pendulum is constantly going to swing . But I really like the moniker curator of the good life to me stands for living at really your highest expression of who you are and being authentic . And I have this great , had this great experience .
Speaker 3I spoke at 10X Ladies maybe two years ago and Gary Brekka spoke just before me and he asked the audience .
Speaker 3He said what is the emotion , like the energy that you can give out to most connect with other people and most where I was like love , like you've got to love , like la la la , and he was like no , like the highest the . The way to really connect with other people at that high expression and vibration is to be authentically you , when you are just operating at your best and who you are supposed to be , your ability to connect with other people is completely and utterly optimized . So , bridget , why I share that so often is so I spoke a day after him and all I kept saying I was like I'm just going to go out there and be me , like I'm so good at being me , and what ended up happening is I ended up by getting two standing ovations . I forgot what I was saying in the middle of my you know , 60 minute keynote , because that's me like forgetful , you know , and I laughed in the middle of it because I was like I forgot what I was saying . I like literally .
Speaker 3I have no idea what's next and I lost my place , but that was me being me and not trying to overcompensate for my being me and not trying to overcompensate for my . You know my , my shortcomings , but being authentically myself with my shortcomings . So , honestly , bridget , that's just one of the things that I you know when I'm sharing different aspects and living the good life . It's just , you know how do you live your best life ? Purpose , style , adventure , authenticity . Just be you . And so I'm trying to like , check all the boxes boxes of the social constructs that we've been led to believe is what it makes you a good person , or , you know , the best life like , whatever . So just be you and like I'll be me . You be you and we'd be twinning all over the place . I'll be me , you be you and we'd be twinning all over the place .
Speaker 2There you go . I love it because there's so much pressure , especially on females in business , to be a certain way and fit into a certain box . So I think that we're coming out of that and with your help , and talking to people on stages all the time like you do is huge . That's a great message to be spreading , especially right now .
Speaker 3Yeah , just do your best . You're not here to be the best , you're just here to give your best , and I think that sometimes is such a message that we all need to , you know , receive , because we're always comparing ourselves to other people .
Speaker 3And comparison is such a the thief of joy and when you can just say I'm going to give my best , I'm going to give my best and some days , bridget , we're going to show up right and we're going
Leveraging Media Exposure for Brand Growth
Speaker 3to give our best . I had this on the today show . This was maybe last spring . I had this really cute episode , like I curated all these things and I was like this is going to be so good . I had the cutest outfit . I checked every box for like and I remember and I just like felt so good about it .
Speaker 3I went on there and I think just Hoda asked me some question that I just wasn't , I was like but I didn't like , it just wasn't my best and I only share that because , although I went in to , I just wasn't , it just didn't land , and that's okay . Then I went and just did like one of my favorite segments with like as a fraction of the preparation , I literally picked my my Olivia Newton John outfit out like the night before and it was one of my best episodes . Outfit out like the night before and it was one of my best episodes . So you know , just keep showing up and giving your best and some days you're going to win and some days you're going to learn .
Speaker 2Exactly Great advice there . Now , your experience in media and TV has been extensive . Do you have any advice for those watching on what they can do to effectively leverage media exposure to help elevate their brand ?
Speaker 3And to get more media exposure and to leverage . I think there's like two spaces to really help , maybe , your audience . So , first of all , to get some more media exposure , to maybe get on the Today Show , inside Edition , fox and Friends . If you want to be like in news and politics , you've got to be persistent and you have to know what the audience wants . Like . Don't be like if you have a book and you want to get it on TV . You have to reverse engineer why the audience stop thinking about how great your book is and how great it would be to get exposure and to get on TV and I'd love that experience .
Speaker 3Stop making it about you and start making about the audience . So when you can pitch a producer and put the idea out , it's like this is so perfect , the timing of this for your audience . Pitch it so it meets the producer's needs . So that's number one . And be persistent , because producers get pitched left , right and center and if you just are persistent , I'm telling you it's like double Dutch . You ever play that game with the jump rope .
Speaker 3I don't know , I don't know , I don't know .
Speaker 3And sometimes you're just going to jump in and the rope's going to hit you in the face . Eventually you'll time it where that producer is like I got nothing that day and this person just keep , and they are there , you're a front of mind . It's like you're a front of mind , yeah . Then you take that piece of media and then you push it out on all sorts of social media platforms over and over again , meeting the needs again of that audience , not so much what your needs are and where I looked really cute in this frame Cause I'll can do . I can do that where I'm like oh , I love that angle , I look so cute in that angle . Nobody cares Like they only care about , like I'm only following you for , give me the tips and tricks for my holiday decor and stop worrying about . Well , I like that angle where I'm saying absolutely nothing .
Speaker 3So you got to always think about what your audience needs . Leverage that by pushing out on social media . The cool thing about television reason why I would definitely try to push to get on there is you have to be invited on TV , like all of us can be on all these platforms . Anybody can open a social media account , but you have to be invited on TV and that cachet is worth it , I think , for every brand that is out there is to try to get on television . But the last thing I'll say , because I'm saying a lot , the third thing is you got to get media trained before you get on television . But the last thing I'll say , cause I'm saying a lot , the third thing is you got to get media trained before you get on TV .
Speaker 2Good point , good point . Yeah , we have a lot of people that pitch us and you were talking about persistence and that definitely that's paid off here . So it's firsthand truth . Yeah .
Speaker 3Yeah , and find out what the you know who's the audience , what do they want , and meet their needs . So I I think it's really important .
Speaker 2Now you're constantly giving people great advice . Looking back on your journey , what advice or insight do you wish you would have received when you were starting out ?
Speaker 3Well , two things . Number one to my 20-year-old self . I would have been more appreciative of what I had , because what you appreciate appreciates . And I think that in my 20s I was so focused on what I didn't have that I don't think energetically I was attracting abundance into my life . So that's the advice I would give to like my 20 year old self is to focus on what I do have and gratitude , um , because that just is a higher form , a higher energy , and it is you vibrate at a higher level when you're like God . I have so many gifts in my life , I'm so gifted , I'm so lucky . I mean things just come to me . I would give that advice to anybody who's in their twenties just getting out there Don't focus on what you don't have . You will have it if you appreciate what you have .
Speaker 3And the other piece of advice I got from Oprah that I'm going to pass on , and I asked her . I said what advice would you give to somebody who aspired for your level of success ? And she said you can never . Success is just a byproduct . You can never aspire for somebody else's level of success . Success is strictly a byproduct of living in service , using your gifts to serve others .
Speaker 3So , bridget , when you think about somebody's brand and what they're trying to amplify and get out there and scale and grow , if you reverse engineer and think about how this can serve others , how is this going to improve their life ? How is it going to hit pain points ? Your marketing and your pitch really comes from a place of service and not I can't wait to scale and make money and be famous and be fabulous and whatever your goals . Your goals are a byproduct of living in service and I hope that lands , because it really is so true of like go out there and serve and the rest will fall into place Right Like my man , or just to me no , you are making a complete sense , and I love that you also were talking to your 20 year old self .
Speaker 2All those 20 year olds watching right now are 20 somethings . Great advice Cause I learned it later in life too , and had I known then I might have been a little farther along a little sooner . But not complaining , I'm very grateful for all that I have .
Speaker 1But great advice on both levels .
Speaker 3No , thank you , and it is
Navigating Adversity and Leading With Empathy
Speaker 3. I just think I was so fixated on everyone had more and I was just like , oh , what was me ? And I focused . I was just very negative and it really was when I was diagnosed with cancer that I really put that to bed , because I was struggling so hard in chemo and all I wanted , bridget , all I wanted was to be like in car line picking up my kids . I just wanted , I wanted the freedom that week to do whatever I wanted . I couldn't because I couldn't drive , I couldn't feel my fingers . I was really struggling and I realized how much I took for granted and I would .
Speaker 3I never changed Like . I never went back to that version of myself . And you can shift from that by by practicing gratitude and appreciation and looking at the things in a positive way of like . I get to sit in traffic , I get to pick up my daughter at school , I get to listen to this eighth grade choir that sounds like nails on a chalkboard . I get to do that and it really does shift your mindset , which ultimately brings your energy level up and when you're vibrating at a higher energy , you bring in more prosperity , abundance , happiness , you know , fulfillment , but it's all something that I've , I've I learned a little later , but it's never too late .
Speaker 2How do you handle those haters out there and still maintain that positive attitude ? Wow ?
Speaker 3That is a . That question is hitting so strong right now because I'm a little vocal in spaces that I had never been in before , because the climate is so . I've got a dog in the fight , I've got skin in the game . It's very difficult . That was very cute , dan , we saw you . Yes , good try .
Speaker 3And I talk about this all the time of how hard it is to not be liked and to not be everybody's cup of tea . And there's a great quote by Mae West and she says you can be the juiciest peach out there and not everybody's going to like peaches is going to like peaches . I have to always remind myself of that , because I do . We do have , we do have a need for acceptance and we do like to be validated . We can't dismiss that . That's not part of our human experience . But where I go to is am I in line , in alignment with what I value ? Am I in alignment with my highest core values ? Am I advocating for those who can't speak for themselves ? Am I using my gifts in service ? And you know what am I ? As long as what I am doing is answering to my higher self , long as what I am doing is answering to my higher self , I can deal with adversity and negatives .
Speaker 3The best thing about dealing with adversity is the only way you're going to be able to deal with adversity is to deal with adversity . What I mean by that is you're not going to build up calluses on your hands to be a bodybuilder or weightlifter unless you actually lift the weights . You can't watch somebody you know get strong and expect you to get the same calluses on your hands or build the same muscles . You have to build muscle by breaking it down and building those calluses , and that is really one of you know , something that you have to experience in order to move forward .
Speaker 3So I realized , with every person that has challenged me and maybe hit below the belt and hurt my feelings and made me feel bad , what they were actually doing wasn't breaking me as much as they were building me . To have the fortitude I need to stay true to my highest calling , to my highest level of service , I have to be formidable , I have to be unbreakable , I have to be able to stand tall in the pocket through adversity , and I didn't realize it until now . I'm in one of the biggest fights of my life , not physically , but more spiritually , and I'm talking about the conflict in the Middle East . I've got skin in that game and it's tough , everything that I have gone through to stand here today and advocate for the most vulnerable , to advocate for freedom for both sides of the conflict and be able to deal with what is the punches that are coming in . I am like Rocky at this point .
Speaker 2Well , keep it up . You're , you know you're doing a great job , and I think sometimes being true to yourself and doing the right thing isn't always the easiest thing . So a lot of times we just kind of okay , we're not going to do it because it's going to be difficult , and the fact that you're out there and you're doing it and you're sharing your voice is incredible .
Speaker 3So keep doing it , that's such a great concept , though , because doing what's right and doing what's easy are very rarely on the same path . Easy are very rarely on the same path . And she constantly going is this the right thing to do ? Is this where I feel I am expected to live in this lifetime ? And why am I here ? Why have been confronted with this ? Why can't I just ignore it , like I just want to ? You know , I don't want to be part of this conflict , but yet I am . And here I am . So I'm learning a lot , and I feel like I can only put my head down on the pillow and rest comfortably when I know that I've done my part to use my gifts to serve others , to be in service .
Speaker 2So it's not easy , bridget , but I hope that lands of like you got to build it Totally , yes , absolutely , very , very well said , and I think that it's great advice for a lot of people watching right now . So thank you .
Speaker 3Yes , of course , and I will say this it's on the flip side . My children are watching . So I have three kids 18 , 20 and a 12 year old . My 20 year old , who's in college , is definitely like watching some of the things I have to battle in the political arena so hard to watch people be mean to you , but I'm showing him . That can't stop me from advocacy and for truth and to you know , play a role here and I'm teaching him , like you know , sticks and stones may break my bones . Words will never hurt me . I can't , I , I'm okay , I'm still me , even if people are being mean to me . Um , I'm going to be okay . So I hope I'm teaching him fortitude to get in the gym , build muscles , build calluses , and you're not , it's not going to kill you , it's going to make you stronger . I'm pretty strong at this point .
Speaker 2Yeah , yeah , and great life lessons that you're teaching your children and those watching . So that's great .
Speaker 3Yeah , no , thank you , I appreciate it watching , so that's great .
Speaker 2Yeah , no , thank you , I appreciate it . Now , do you think there are certain characteristics that women need to be a leader ?
Speaker 3Oh , absolutely . I think leadership is really most optimized when you are looking out for everyone else's best interest , when you think like , what is in this person's best interest , how can I help them ? And when I began thinking along those lines . So I used to run sales teams in my 20s . That's when I lived in Atlanta and when I really had the shift . So I'd always be like I've got to make money , I've got to make money and I'd had sales teams and it was like hit the goals , hit the goals , hit the goals . And when I shifted I had this huge shift and it changed the trajectory of my business . So it is really powerful and it's something you read about and how to win friends and influence people .
Speaker 3But when I this is when I really put it in action and I was managing the sales team and I really liked one of my top sales reps , but he had just started rolling donuts and in sales that's zero , like going out in the field doing nothing . But I didn't want to say anything Cause I was like I don't want him to quit and I really . He was just and I'm still friends with him to this day and he just had his third child . Um , I didn't want him to quit . I liked his energy in the office . I was like , oh , I'll just let him get away with it . And I had this day of reckoning where I was like , oh my God , now everybody else thinks they can go out and , like I don't know , sleep in their car . And instead of thinking like , wow , now everybody's doing zeros and now this just office is going to pot , now I'm making no money .
Speaker 3And I took it in a different direction because I didn't want to lose him . But I cared so much about him that I said to myself what's in George's best interest ? And I brought him into the office . I sat him down and I was like I don't think this is for you . So , instead of like it being about me , I really thought about . I was like I don't think this business is in your best interest and I don't think because you're not performing and it's not , you're not able to , you're not gonna be able to pay your rent at the end of the month and you're not going to be able to pay your rent at the end of the month . And I had this really deep conversation with him of like maybe you need to pursue other endeavors . So , instead of being about me and my sales office , it became about him and what was in his best interest . The conversation ended up flipping and he was like , oh my God , I don't want to lose my job and I love .
Speaker 3But what I learned in that moment was , when I cared more about them than I cared about myself , all of a sudden production went up throughout the entire . I started looking at money . My team started scaling . I ended up taking on more clients . The place became box . I had to move out of that office location because it became so , because people , like , just loved working there . Of course they did , because I was helping them and in the process I ended up doing better . Again , success is a byproduct of helping others . So if you can stop , you can shift the script . So , yes , that to me is leadership helping others optimize how is it in their best interest . So that was a long story .
Speaker 2No , that was great . I don't know if that happened before your advice from Oprah , but it seems like you may have been taking that kind of advice or using that practice long before she gave you the advice , or maybe it was around the same time , but it's the same thing you were helping other people , which , in turn , helped you .
Speaker 3I think each time you hear it , bridget you've heard it before me , you've heard it in different ways and different days I think it all kind of stacks and compounds the more times you hear it and the more ways it comes at you and you experience it . It's this validation of okay , let me give and I will get , let me give more , like the go-giver book Got to read that one . It is so , it's so true . So , yeah , it's this validation of like I know this to be true , but sometimes in real life , I need it to be affirmed .
Speaker 1Love it , love it .
Speaker 2Now , you have accomplished so much already , but what's next ? Where do you see yourself in the next five to 10 years ?
Speaker 3Oh my God , I don't know so .
Speaker 2I'm writing a loaded question .
Speaker 3It's such a I'm like I could be anywhere . I could be running for president at this point because the country needs me , but I will never do that . You know , I think over the next five years I'm releasing a book . I was thinking about writing another book right after that , you know , growing up Schwartz which is this compilation of like the things I learned through adversity and building resilience , but I don't know . I think it's just a work in progress . I got another kid to get into college and I just want to continue over the next five years living out loud , trying new things and just doing my best .
Speaker 3And sometimes I think that what is kind of going through my motherboard right now , which is my brain ? I think what stops a lot of people from really going for it and ending up in the same place in five years or moving in another trajectory over five years , is , I think we're always afraid . We're afraid of embarrassing ourselves . We're afraid to put ourselves out . What are people going to think ? I'm just going to encourage more people to go out there and embarrass yourself , like , just go out there and do things . The truth is , most people aren't thinking about you anyway and they're going to judge you no matter what you're doing . So you might as well give them something to judge you about and leave it all out in the field , like , just leave it . And leave it all out in the field , like , just leave it , just leave it there , go , try , go write a book on television , go , you know , be a class , go , just do whatever you've aspired to do , or at least take the next step in the um and the pursuit of , and be okay with making mistakes , making an ass out of yourself . I will .
Speaker 3One of my biggest fears of going on TV was what if I go on TV and I forget what I'm saying or I mess up words . So I went on TV there he is again celebrity , um . So I went on . I did the you know , one of my segments on the today show and I tried to find the word Bridget . I was looking for sorcery , but my jersey couldn't get sorcery out . Jersey girl was like sorcery . So Hoda asked me she goes how does this smokeless fire pit work ? And I was like , oh , it's . Because I didn't know and I was trying to be cute and I was like it's sorcery , oh my God . That's not the right word and I couldn't .
Speaker 2It's sorcery , oh my God that's not the right word and I couldn't .
Speaker 3I was like sorcerer , sorcerer and I could , and you can see I still can't get it .
Speaker 2It's a tough one , but they invited you back time and time again . So sorcery it's a tough one .
Female Founder Show
Speaker 3Let's just not use that word again . It's the wizardry .
Speaker 2Wizardry , there you go .
Speaker 3There's just and you know , I think that is again like when I was speaking at one of the conferences . I just forgot what I was talking about and I , that is , if you spend enough time with me , that's like part of me , like , and I can't be ashamed of it , like I just have to own it and be like you are just a hot mess express sometimes , and if you are , that's okay . It almost like gives other people the permission to be a little messy . You know we're not perfect .
Speaker 2Right , and thank you for being so , so real about everything , because it's certainly helping . I know it's helping the audience , it's helping me . So you're a true inspiration and we really appreciate you sharing your story today and your advice and everything else . So thank you so much for everything and all you're doing . Hope to have you back again . Maybe we'll talk about that book .
Speaker 3Oh , absolutely , and we don't want to not acknowledge that Dan has been going in and out of the background .
Speaker 2Yes , yes , this is my perfectly perfect life , so if he wants to join you next time , we'll just have him . Have him sit with you .
Speaker 3Yes , we do have a great , a great love story , so that'd be great to talk about , too Awesome .
Speaker 2Well , thank you so much , barbara . We do appreciate it and , um , we wish y'all the best .
Speaker 3And thank you , bridget .
Speaker 1I appreciate it . Today was great . This is the Female Founder Show with host and entrepreneur Bridget Fitzpatrick , exclusively on ASBN . If you're a female founder and would like to help other female founders with your inspiring story , we would love to hear from you .