POSITIONED FOR INFLUENCE

What does it take to become a woman of influence in your community and beyond?

In this empowering episode of the WomenInPosition Podcast, Renee Lee sits down with Wanda Ewing, Stellar Award-winning radio personality, business leader, community advocate, and Founder & CEO of WE Management. Wanda shares powerful insights on leadership, faith, service, and the importance of positioning yourself to make a lasting impact.

As a woman who serves her community through leadership, board service, and ministry, Wanda's story is a testament to what is possible when purpose and influence come together.

✨ Be encouraged to lead boldly.
✨ Serve with purpose.
✨ Influence your community.
✨ Walk confidently in your calling.

Connect with Wanda Ewing

📚 Broken Made Whole
www.amazon.com
🌐 www.WandaDEwing.com

📚 Decluttered
www.amazon.com

🎙️ The Wanda Ewing Show
WNZN 89.1 FM Cleveland/Lorain, Ohio
🌐 www.wnzn.org
📱 Facebook Live: Wanda D Ewing
🕕 Monday through Friday | 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. EST

📸 Instagram: @wandaewing891

#WomenInPosition #ReneeLee #WandaEwing #PositionYourselfForInfluence #WomenLeaders #FaithAndLeadership #LeadershipDevelopment #WomenEmpowerment #CommunityLeadership #PodcastInterview

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:06

Well, hello everyone, and welcome to all my beautiful, brilliant sisters out there to women in position where we walk in purpose and live in destiny. And yeah, we do that on purpose, child. Everything we are positioned to be a blessing. We are positioned to pray to do a lot of things to change this world. And I know that today's guest will bless your life beyond belief. Trust me, she has been a blessing to me for over the years. And we met in high school, and I'm telling you, she's just such a beautiful joy to be around. Please welcome. Let me get my applause ready. Let me see if I can find my applause on here. Please get ready and welcome Dr. Wanda Yu. Hi. Hey, so I definitely call you Wanda Jean.

SPEAKER_01 1:01

Yes, and I call you Ting.

SPEAKER_02 1:03

You call me Ching, my nickname. I don't know how we came up with that, but I have no idea.

SPEAKER_01 1:11

But here we are, what 40 years later? Can you believe that? I can't believe it. I can't believe it. To God be the glory. Look where look how far the Lord has brought us. I'm so proud of us.

SPEAKER_02 1:26

Do you know? You know, you saying that uh reminded me of something. I was sometimes I go look at this picture of myself in the future. I see myself in the future. And uh with the help of chat and say if you let it. Come on. But girl, I I would tell myself, and even even when I just look in the mirror at myself, I say, I'm so proud of you. I'm so proud that you didn't stop, that you didn't quit. And um, and I'm so glad that what you're doing, how God has positioned you to be a woman of influence in so many arenas, you know. And um, I I got some stories I want to tell, but I want you to, I mean, because because you're you're you're an award winner, you you are an amazing um uh radio announcer, you have served people all over the world, you were speaker, you I mean, and your background is in chemistry and business, and like you know, you do all the things. And when you started in radio, I was like, but God wanted Gene. I was so super proud of you because I never, you know, you first of all, you have this brilliant mind. You were so super smart in high school, and um, and so when you got into chemistry, I said I can see her doing she's gonna be a famous researcher and chemist, you know. But but look at what the Lord has done. So, so just tell us give us some background information uh as a professional, high-achieving woman who's in position to influence so many people.

SPEAKER_01 3:04

First of all, thank you so much for this invitation. I screamed when I saw the inbox that you wanted to uh bring me onto your podcast. I'm so proud of you. I'm so proud of what the Lord is doing to and through you, and I'm so godly proud to be here. And so thank you for the invitation. Um, we started wow, I met Ching Renee, and we were in high school. Teenagers, I mean, just bright-eyed and wishy-tailed, didn't know what life had in store for us. And um, I remembered uh Renee as an amazing singer. She she has to talk about myself. Let me just go and say this uh amazing singer. I remember the time she sang with BB and CC Wanders, honey, and that was that was the thing, okay? And we were all so excited about that. And listen, the Lord has done so much for for her and through her and to her, and I've watched, even though I've moved away, and you know, life takes you different directions, but we've been able to stay connected virtually, and once once God makes covenant, it never goes away, it doesn't matter. And like people say, I once had a friend, you don't you don't lose friends, you just found out they never were. And so, amen. Amen. Come on, amen. So uh starting out in in high school, my my um my major was chemistry, and I went on into I went to um junior college, then I finished up in uh finished up my undergrad studies. I I graduated from with school that no longer exists, Shelby State Community College, Memphis, Tennessee, with a with an associate's degree in chemistry, and then went on and I completed my undergrad in at Northwestern University in Chicago uh in business. And uh worked, I was working while finishing my undergrad at Northwestern's uh oncology cancer center. At the time it was Robert H. Lori Comprehensive Cancer Center, and that's where the chemistry part took me. And it took me into oncology because I lost my mom, Mother Nora Harris, uh to pancreatic cancer in 2001. Before, while she before she was diagnosed, I was working as a food chemist, and then I moved into uh I moved into the beverage industry, and so that's in research and development, and so I was a scientist one and two, and just doing my thing. But when uh mom was diagnosed with cancer, I learned with my chemistry degree self how much I did not know about the dis that about the disease. And there were questions that she had that I couldn't answer. And Renee, that broke my heart. And uh when she went on to be with the Lord, I said, I am going to research, go into cancer research so that I can help others help their families in ways that I couldn't help my mom. And to this day, I celebrate year, this is 2020, year 23 in cancer research. So in addition to be, I get I have my own small business, uh, I have a uh marketing and PR company management. I manage uh artists, uh those in music, those who are preaching, I have those who I manage their solely their their uh their calendars, whether it's preaching, singing, whatever that may be. And then I also have an arm under We Management, which stands for Wanda Hewing Management and real estate. I own some real estate, I have tenants, but I also have a loan signing business. So when uh folks are about to sign, sign for their brand new homes, I am there to walk them through their process signing their final paperwork. And I get to come, I get to be the first one to congratulate them when they purchase their own home. And I'm gonna tell you some of the most uh inspiring moments for me have been no disrespect, but just hear my heart, black women who are on their own doing their thing, and have made it with the help of the Holy Ghost, and they are buying purchasing their first home. I work, I also witnessed the Lord has blessed me to purchase. I mean, have cash deals just purchased outright. And I've been able to witness my sisters purchase cash. We're talking no debt, saints, no debt, okay, and so that has been some of the most reward, some of the most rewarding moments of of uh being a part of real estate. But then on the radio arm, uh I I moved from Chicago. I lived in Chicago and I moved to Chicago in 2015 to help start uh WNZN Power 89.1 FM. Now two times Stellar Award winning. Yes, I have two Stellar Awards on my mantle. Two. And so that is I serve as uh director of operations and uh also serve on uh as state representative, state man uh state president for the National Association of Gospel Radio. That is a shameless plug where everybody who's anybody in gospel, you need to be a part of that. There are some major things happening that you're gonna want to be a part of. So any we are n-a gr dot or g. Then I told y'all. Come on, girl, to testify. So I I also love to give back, I I serve on uh the boys and girls club. I serve as board of directors, one of the board of directors on the boys and girls club, I serve on as board of directors on uh the board of mental health. I was uh appointed by uh Governor Dewine, who is our current governor, and uh today as a I served a partial, but on today I learned just before this podcast started that the commissioners uh uh reappointed me for another four years. So we have more work to do. There is a thing as it relates to mental health, and it's not demonic, it is an illness, and it must be embraced by the church, and that's why I have been uh that's why I'm so committed to this, to so that the people, so that faith-based ministries will help embrace and understand mental health is a thing, mental health challenges are things, and it is our responsibility as kingdom ambassadors to help lead the change, be change agents in how folks look at the stigma of mental health, and so that we can help people, people are leaving here prematurely. Suicide is a real thing, and we can help turn it around, and that's why I fight that fight. I'm also us, I sit on the board of directors for the Bernie Mac Foundation. Uh many know that uh the king of comedy himself, Bernie Mac. Yes, I'm biased. I know there are others. I honor D. Harvey, said the entertainer, and DL Hugley, I honor them, but yes, I am biased, shamelessly. And uh and uh he he was battling sarkadosis, and so those are the things in the community that I work with and uh to ensure that folks know about, especially people of color and those who are marginalized. That can be a thing, and sometimes you cannot distinguish the symptoms before it's too late, and that's why I I go the Lord leads me to these places and spaces, and I am so honored that He uses me and put a great big bugle bull bugle horn in my hand so that I can make folks aware that there's a better way.

SPEAKER_02 11:40

Absolutely. Oh, so great, so great. And um, and it's it's so interesting and just a blessing, honestly, that um that you you have you're you're this professional career woman, and yet you have all you know this time, or you make the time.

SPEAKER_01 12:02

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 12:02

You make the time to serve in the way, and you serve through your businesses too. I always believe, you know, as a business owner too, as entrepreneur, you know, we serve through our businesses, of course, but to be able to serve the community and in those different ways is so um encouraging. And so, ladies, all my sisters out there, position yourself to serve, right? And and do have to have some type of way where you get back to the community and awareness, you know, you're talking about mental health. I think that's so true. You know, when we were growing up in the church, you know, it was just cast the devil out, you know. It really was, it was. And but let me tell you something I realized that that we can we can definitely speak against those things. It's like I am not going to go down this road. But I remember um even in my in my adult life after being diagnosed with something uh with a skin disease, I I could feel depression coming off. Yeah, yeah, like I said, I could feel it. And what and and the difference is is that when I don't give into it, but there are people who don't know what skills, they may not know the word of God, they may not know, and even with the word of God, some some things I still want to talk through. I said, I need to go to therapy, you know, because some things, yeah, we just need to talk through and and get it out. Yeah, get it out, get it out.

SPEAKER_01 13:31

Just like take our cars in every X amount of miles for preventive maintenance, yeah, oil, change it, get all the wind wiper fluids and winterizer. It's the same thing for us mentally. We deal with a lot, we deal with a lot, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 13:51

Absolutely, absolutely. And so that leads me to you, you're also an author, yes, and so it kind of made me flow into that. Um, tell us about your first book, your first book, and your second book, of course. But tell us about it.

SPEAKER_01 14:06

My first book is entitled Broken Made Whole. This is this is the book, it is available on Amazon right now, or you can go to my website, wanda dun.com, and you can purchase it. If you purchase it, if you purchase the book through my website, I get to sign it, I get to leave you a loving note, and then I get to ship it. But if you go straight through uh Amazon, which you can, uh, but it won't be, it won't, I won't get a chance to sign the book. But broken made holds success made manifest, activate the greatness within. And I need for someone who's most who's a very who's very critical of themselves. Many times we are our worst critic. There is greatness in you. There, I don't care what you say, I will argue you down when you say that there isn't. When you get through saying what you don't have, I'm gonna say, I hear what you say, that may be a fact, but the truth is there is greatness in you, and we and many times things that happen in our lives become, we allow actions or things that happen in our lives to become part of our identity, and that is not true. Things have happened, Lord knows. I mean, married to a pastor, doing worship, doing, doing ministry together. Next thing I know, I'm going through divorce court. But that was an that was an incident that that was a part of my life that had nothing to do with my identity. Love you, forgive you, go do life, and I'm gonna do mine. But you go through that healing process, let yourself feel what you feel, but allow God to do the work to the point when you heal, no disrespect, you look at yourself and say, How did I end up in that anyway? Come on, church. There's greatness in you. There's greatness, but when you go through certain valleys, when you go through certain valleys that we that we sometimes be like, I don't want to deal with this Lord, I don't want to go through this. But when He's refining us, He not only refines what we know needs to be dealt with, he also refines what we don't know that's that's thing that's lingering around in there that we didn't that we didn't even know existed. And when healing happens, you're a whole, you don't get partially healed. He makes you whole, nothing broken and nothing missed. Amen. Broken, made whole, and when even in the book, I say, I have no idea where where that man of God is, but I would say thank you. You thank you for the exit, because that was the that was an exodus, but it was also a renaissance, it was a big it was an ending and it was a beginning. Come on, thank you, hallelujah. Now I can say 11, 12, 13 years later, but back then it was painful, and and there was there was brokenness, but the Lord came in and healed, and the version of who I am, the daughter of God that I am today, I know would have never happened.

SPEAKER_02 17:42

Yeah, that's so good. That's so good. I love that. Y'all need to get that book. Listen, um, and you know, that's one thing we we definitely have in common. I was married, um, you know, to someone, and he he became a minister, and then he eventually um became a pastor, and um, and I can tell you that um we've probably been divorced 16 years now, uh separating two years before I divorced, but I can tell you that I would not be doing what I'm doing now had I stayed in that. And and here's the thing, this is what I was talking to one of my friends, because I'm actually gonna write a book around um around that story because freedom came from me, you know, because I it's like I was I was in a space wonder. It was like, you know, and I when I'm with family or whatever, and and because every year the the leads would get together singing Thanksgiving and Christmas. But I can remember I remember going to those events with my with my two children, and and um and and they didn't know I was so sad, they had no idea how sad I was, they had no idea how you know my children made me happy, you know. I really I'm so grateful that God allowed me to have them. But when I tell you, I was such a broken person. And I even remember after being divorced, and I tell the story often, and I I mentioned this often that when I I joined a church and um and I remember sitting in the balcony and the choir was singing, and I was just you know really enjoying them, but I but then sadness came over me, and I asked the Lord, I said, Will you ever use me again? Like, will you ever use my voice again? And and when I heard him whisper so softly in my ear and say yes, it just it did some. I I was just in tears. And probably about a few months later, I ended up singing uh alabaster box for the communion portion of the service. And girl, what the look how he restored me was just amazing, and I was asked to do it, you know. I was I was so so shocked, I was nervous because it was my first time singing. You know, I got in the women's chorus because it was women's uh Sunday, and uh I joined the chorus, and the director um asked me, she said, Will you will you sing a solo during the communion? I was like, Oh no, you know, and then I decided I said, Okay, well, yeah, I'll I'll do it. She said, because you said she said you really should do it, and I did it. And I didn't know God was using her to give me space to show me that he was still with. I get I get so emotional when I talk about it because it was such it was such a it was the moment I was made whole. Yes, yes, I was made whole. I was I felt so restored in that moment because I did bring God, I I did give him my best. I was pouring my oil, and I was pouring my oil, and out of out of pain, out of all, out of sorrow, I was pouring my oil though. Yeah, and um, and so I I just I so agree with you that sometimes we go through these things and it's very hard. Yeah, you know, you said now 12, 13 years ago, that that was a hard place, you know, 16 years ago is hard for me, even during the just being in the marriage is hard for me, yeah, you know, yeah, and uh yeah, and I always knew I was going to leave when my children graduated high school, but it happened a little sooner than that, and that was cool too. But yeah, I always knew I was gonna leave because I it was just it was so much bondage for me. Absolutely, and God doesn't want us to be in bondage, he just doesn't, right? Yeah, tell us tell tell us about the declutter book.

SPEAKER_01 21:41

Absolutely. Decluttered is also is in is in ebook form uh on Amazon, and it is entitled Decluttered Letting Go of What Weighs You Down, and many times we try to carry people that God does. Not intend for us to carry to now to different levels because they have not put in the work. You have. And we struggle with the Lord and we try to bring people, and we are creating weight, we are creating weights that just was never meant to be. Say there's more that I want to do with this person. There's more that I believe I can pour into this person, or I believe that this should be this this season should be longer. When he has something else bigger, better, brighter in store for you. Keep moving. And so allow the Lord, allow the Holy Spirit to take you through that that process. Because even with after divorce, you still have to declutter. Because there's trauma. There's trauma because you have if we we're doing real talk. Because see, we've been on both sides. Listen. Yeah. And a lot of a lot of single women wonder why some married women have attitudes towards them. It has nothing to do with you, especially when you are a woman of God and a woman of purpose. A lot of times, women who are in broken marriages, yeah, that have ended, but they're still roommates under the same under the same roof, yeah. You're seeing the remnants of the brokenness that they're dealing with. And eventually, when they get tired enough of it, they will deal with it too. And that's why when so when you when you feel those attitudes, when you know you haven't done anything out of out of order or or out of the will of God towards her or her spot, don't take that personal. That is a sure telltale sign. And I'm helping those, those who are in uh who are in uh situations that you're you're married to a roommate when you're showing these attitudes, and you're thinking that you're getting someone in place and you're trying to make them seem like they're not spiritual. You're showing what my mom used to say many years ago. Your slip is showing because you are showing that there's brokenness in your own camp. And I'm not going to own what you're dealing with because I had to deal with my stuff, you're gonna have to deal with yours, and that's why it is important to declutter, allow the Lord not only to heal you but to also make you whole. That's two totally different processes, yeah, being healed and being made whole, because when you can be healed, but then once you're healed, many people, when they've gone through certain illnesses, you're healed, you've been released from the hospital, but now you got to go to rehab to be made whole. Yeah, amen. Same way in the spirit, it's the same way in the spirit, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 25:22

That's so good, that's so good. You said so much right there, and I ain't got my pen and taking notes like I normally do. I should have because I just wanted this to be such a great conversation between the two of us, and um, but you know, you um I can can I just go back in time for a minute? Sure, sure. Let's go. So we attended the same church for we did, we did, we did, and so y'all, I got to tell y'all about my and nobody else can call her one gene but me, but I think called you wanda gene too. Against your will, against your will. But wanda, you had as teenagers, you were in the choir. I I don't think I ever joined the choir there, but yeah, you you were so super anointed to dance in church, like to dance before the Lord, like the church would go it. You it would just take the church, you didn't know it was gonna hit you when it hit you, but you would just you had a beautiful dance. I was like, this must be what David did. Now David danced at his clothes, you kept your robe on, but you know what? But I I just remember, and one time I I remember getting a shout, girl, it was doing revival, and I was in an owl seat because they put some chairs out. Baby, my shoe went one way, it was it was terrible. I was like, this look pretty like one of the jeans. But um, but you you carried such an anointing. You just you had you always had a beautiful spirit, you always cared about people, yeah, and to see you doing what you do now, and even in your I can't wait to get your books um and read those because I I can tell that same spirit of caring for people. Yeah, and just like you said, the joy that you have of seeing black women, you know, getting their first home, there these sisters are here by themselves, you know, and that's that's something I'm currently working on. I I moved in with my uh into our family home, and uh when my dad got sick, me and my sister became caregivers. She was working full-time. I you know worked for myself, so I moved in and and I'm still here, and um, but this year I'm really looking forward to I'm in the saving process right now. Um to my own home, though. I'm really looking forward to it. And so when you say you're so, you know, you're so um proud to see us and that we can do it. I think that's the thing. It's like yeah, after all these things that we've gone through, like you know, when you hit 50, yeah, yeah, and we've we've hit that number, past it and passed it, you know, it's it's like when I think about people who say they're retired, whatever, it's like I I don't want to stop living. You know what I mean? You know, I don't I don't I really want to just live and enjoy my life, and when you when you're talking about you know the things you sitting on the boards and doing what you do, serving women and you know, through business and you know, helping artists and speakers, like that's that's living your life to the fullest. So, my my question to you is when did you make the decision that you were going to do everything because here's the thing that I do love too. I talked about this in another podcast that God, you know, Jeremiah 29, 11, yes, children of Israel are in captivity, but he tells them, but I know the thoughts and plans I have for you. Yes, they're good, they're not evil, it's expected in, expected hope. And and and I always think about the time that I was in bondage, even in my marriage, you know, or that that period of time, and how God already knew that there was gonna be a woman in position, he already knew there was gonna be a single sister saying, He already knew there was gonna be a WE management, he already knew there was gonna be a book or two or three or four. You know, he already knew that there was gonna be this real estate business, and and a lot of times because we don't see it when we're in the in the space of pain, yeah, yeah, that we we we we kind of give up. So, what what would you say to that person who's experiencing that?

SPEAKER_01 30:02

I would say you gotta keep moving. If you stop, I mean you you end up, and sometimes the Lord allows that window, sometimes He allows you to stop so that you can kind of deal with some things. Um and know this time is never wasted. Everything that you go through, even the things that don't seem as favorable, all things work together for your good because you love him and you're called according to his purpose. And that is not a cliche, that is actually the word of God. And let me say this, it's not gonna feel like it when you're in the heat of it. You're not gonna feel none of this that I'm saying. And most of it, if you're going through something and you're listening to me right now, you're probably gonna get an attitude with me. But I'm telling you, what at one point or another, you're gonna come back to this and you're gonna say, Wow, she was right. There is not one moment, even decisions that we say, man, I could have gone to the left versus the right, I went to the left, should have gone to the right. God was with you even when you went to the left, and maybe you should have gone to the right, but he still uses everything concerning his children to work for our good. Here's the and here's the here's the gotcha. If it just wasn't meant, he would have shut it down anyway. He allowed it for a reason. Come on, he allowed it for a reason, and that's why I want folks to not stop being so down, stop being so hard on yourself and know and understand that everything that has happened, favorable as well as unfavorable, is working. You're gonna be better for it. At least, at most, you're gonna be able to tell somebody else what not to do because of what you did or because of the way that you went. You can't you got to give yourself grace because you didn't know what you didn't know at the time. Yeah, yeah, we didn't know what you didn't know. We gotta give ourselves grace because you're putting so there's you're dealing with enough called life. Life will life, you're dealing with, and then when you put all this other added stress, you cannot be God's best, stressed out. You gotta declutter, you got to start with your mind, start with your confession. Even if you have to write down, I am the righteousness of God, I am a daughter of Christ, I will do all things through him because he is my strength. I am doing it because he is my joy. Even when I don't feel joyful, he is my joy. I will be better than what I am, I will be debt-free, I will make others debt free, I will teach others how to be their best selves. Why? Because it starts with a decision that I'm gonna do better. Yes, and you teach yourself to say what you want to see until you see what you're saying.

SPEAKER_02 33:09

Come on, that's it, that's it. I always say you gotta see it before you see it. You gotta see it before you see it, you gotta see it. You gotta see it in your mind, in your heart. You gotta you gotta stay, stay. I I I actually printed something out. I asked Chad to do. I love me and Chad is really good friends. I call Amen. And um, but I asked them to do a sketch for me of things, you know, and and I put my vision 2026, you know, people do vision boards, and uh, and it's really not just 2026, it's just the vision for my life. And I had it printed out as a poster size at FedEx, and it's on the wall um in my temporary room here here at the house. And um, and it's just like because if I can keep, just like I told you, you know, it's like I tell myself I'm so proud of you. And sometimes when I look at this picture that I had created, I was like, um, I hear her telling me, I'm so glad you didn't quit. Yes, I'm so glad you didn't quit. Yes, and that's like you said, that's the thing. We we when if we just don't quit and we do the work, the work of decluttering, yeah, the work, the work of writing it down, the work of affirming, you know, the work of speaking, the word of speaking what we want to see, so that we can, you know, we gotta say it so we can see it, and then we'll eventually actually see it.

SPEAKER_01 34:40

Amen. You know, I think that's so powerful. It's so it is it is. You have to put people in your circle. You can't be the you can't always be the smartest one in your circle. That circle is failing you. You have to be intentional, you have to get people, you have to go and and network and meet people who have been where you are and are where you want to be. And and I'm telling you, we talk of people, let me say this. We all have haters, let me say that. No one is perfect, but some people live, some people make a career out of making your your human your human frailties bigger than they are. We all have them. I want you to settle that in your spirit. Yeah, they're not going anywhere, and focus on your purpose. Yeah, people are going to speak against you, people are going to try to discredit you, people will slander and defame you, they will do it because deep down inside they see something in you that they want to be.

SPEAKER_02 36:00

Yeah, yeah, so true.

SPEAKER_01 36:03

Keep moving, you got to keep moving so that and and don't allow that to be the loudest voice that you hear. That's why you have to create the confessions and you have to write down the vision. You have to write, you have to do your vision board, whether it's virtually through a chat box, or through I do it old school. I give me a board with a marker, and every year I erase it, and we start all over again. You must you must have some idea of where it is that you want to be. You know what I'm saying? And the Lord has blessed. I was once not knowing how I was going to meet my mortgage till now I'm helping someone, I'm helping one of my tenants when they're when life is life, and I see myself in them and I give them grace, and it's still a business. That's why our business are our ministries. I know I can run it differently. I choose to run my business as a ministry, and my life is blessed because of it.

SPEAKER_02 37:10

Yeah, yeah. That's so good. That's so good. When you talk when you were talking about your old school, you just you rewrite it. I was thinking of how Jesus, um, it talks of how Jesus, you know, for the joy that was set before him, he endured the cross, yeah. And because he saw me and you being back in the right relationship with the father, and that's that's that was his whole purpose of coming, so that we could get back, so we could have this one-on-one relationship with God, the Father. And so when I when I think about that, it's like if he saw what would lie ahead because of what he of fulfilling the father's will, what he had to endure, the pain of that, that we too have some painful moments, but we have to keep keep the prize before us, keep that vision before us. Like, what is this ultimately going to do for me? And not just for me, what is it going to how is this going to position me to be a blessing to so many other people? Yes, and I believe that's what that at the end of the day, because I'm like you, you know, I believe my ministry is in the marketplace. Yeah, you know, leadership, people there's so many bad leaders, I think. So many people we have management positions, supervisor positions, directors, OC. Right, they don't know how to they don't know how to treat people. And so I'm working broken. They're broken, right? And that's the thing, a lot of times they they bring all that to work with them because that's part of who they are. And so I do believe that that part of you know the work that we do through our leadership uh development programs and training and coaching is uh helping people become better people overall. It's not not even not just in their work life, yeah, but just overall how this is going to bless them because they're they'll start caring about people, they'll know how to connect and not, you know. Because let me tell you something else too, because you're talking about black women. Um, I was at an event, my daughter has her brand, her business, be courageous. And um she had a meetup, yeah. And um one of one of the young ladies got, you know, she they were all sharing different things. And one one young lady who's in in the healthcare field has a black woman as a manager, and to hear her share how this woman was not helpful to her or supportive, and you know, like you know, she because she she wanted to learn how she could possibly move up and all this good stuff, yeah. And she was like, she was just so cold. And I have experienced that with other black women who are older than me that I'm thinking like they should be proud of me. And instead, they're they're tearing me down, and I don't understand that. I cried many a times in the bathroom at work, yeah. And so, and so it's like you know, we we have to do better when God blesses us in leadership. I always I always believe that you know, I'm in this position because he wants me to do something, open the door for somebody else, because I'm gonna do my work as unto the Lord because he's the one that rewards me, right? Right, but um, but have you have you um ever encountered that? Or you know, what would you say to the to the person? Because these were young women, because after she shared her story, other young women started sharing their story about you know being under the leadership of some black women who were just horrible at management, absolutely, because brokenness has no age limit.

SPEAKER_01 40:43

Oh brokenness have no age limit.

SPEAKER_02 40:48

Girl, I mean girl, I mean when I say girl, I don't think.

SPEAKER_01 40:56

Oh my god, people. I have people that I deal with right now. You know, for people like us that are people of purpose, we are change agents, we know exactly who we are, we know who God called us to be, and we are confident in who we are in Christ. We don't walk in pride, but we do walk in confidence. Yes, yes, people will people will take the stance because they cannot handle the weight of the anointing that's on your life. Oh my god, my god, my god, because they can't handle the weight of the anointing that's on the they will try to change the way other people see you. She's difficult, she's hard to work with. Uh-huh. But the real because a people, a person is not gonna walk up to you and say, Hi, my name is X, and I'm jealous of you.

SPEAKER_02 41:52

They're not gonna make that introduction, right?

SPEAKER_01 41:54

They're not gonna do that, they're not gonna do that, but what they will do is say, something about her, I don't like something about her. The spirit is telling me is off. That's jealousy, yeah. You broke sis, go heal, yeah, amen. And I will come back in 90 days, right?

SPEAKER_02 42:14

And I would tell you, Wanda, sometimes it is the ones who sound blessed and highly favored, and they can be so mean, absolutely, and I it just I I couldn't reconcile the two.

SPEAKER_01 42:24

Like, how can you be saying this, but yet you're treating people this way, absolutely, and absolutely, and all and I know we're talking about sisterhood and women in positions, but I'm gonna tell you every jazz every Jezebel spirit is not is not a female, yeah. There are men out here who are jealous of women just like another woman is jealous of a woman, yeah, and would do everything in their power to break down discredit and sabotage your journey, and you just have, and that's why it's so imperative. We cannot be without a prayer life, yeah, because some of the ones who the Lord will show us who are working against us will hurt your feelings because it'd be some of the ones that you have served the most, yeah. But you got to believe what you see and keep moving, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 43:25

My my bestie love, she would tell me, Ching, you ching, you just you think everybody's sweet, everybody sweet, okay. And she because you could see right through people and their vote and their intentions. Took me a while to get there. Absolutely. It really did because I always wanted to believe the good in everybody, like you know, and uh because that's what that's the way my heart is. And uh my daughter recently told me, she said, Mom, everybody does like you do. So, you know, and I I even had one of my co workers tell me that who was, you know. I was uh he was he worked under me, but whatever he I remember him saying, don't expect other people to treat, you know, to do as you would do because they're they're just not you. They're just not you and their intentions. Um, you you think their intentions are good for you, but they're not people will just be talking behind your back. Oh god, and you know, and and and the thing about what I but I I will say that this is what helps me in my professional career or has helped me in the past when I was working for companies, is that I didn't focus when I shifted my focus on really like okay, God, what do you want me to do while I'm here? What what product am I to make while I'm here? And how can I be a blessing? And when I understood that, I stopped worrying about what they thought about me, yeah. And I because I knew when my time was up, however, however, it ended, God would it was God was still in that too that all things work together. I have to remember that. Like that's that's that's the truth. Even when if a company I sign a contract with a company and then or it looks like we're gonna sign a contract and then they pull out, I'm like, okay, all things work together because they're not my source, God is my source, they're just a resource. Everything I was a resource because I go to the source, you know what I mean? Amen, amen.

SPEAKER_01 45:28

Amen. Amen. And you cannot expect yourself from others because it'll never it'll never happen, and and and sometimes the Lord will see that some opportunities will will claim that your success was because of them, and sometimes he just won't even allow it to happen, and you'll be like, Man, I could have used that. I could have used I was gonna buy my next property with that, but amen. Okay, that's it be the name of the Lord, Lord help me. I'm gonna forget what I'm saying because I'm not feeling very thankful right now. I wanted that contract.

SPEAKER_02 46:18

I got you, I got you, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 46:23

We're being honest today. That's the only way we can be helpful is being transferred.

SPEAKER_02 46:28

Amen. Yeah, and God will not let it happen. Amen.

SPEAKER_01 46:35

He will not share his glory, he won't, but anyone, and there even if it me, even if it means it cuts some of your coins, I'd be like, but God, I wanted those coins.

SPEAKER_02 46:46

Right, right, right. He got some cleaner coins for you. You know, because because you know, because sometimes people will, you know, you get you partnering with people or you do something, and then they want you to do something. I'm like, I don't know. And my my my ethics was challenged in a board meeting once, and I remember this this board member was you know very popular in our area, you know, you know, very prestigious, elite man. And um and I remember him saying something, and I I just told him, I said, Well, now if you want to do that, that's fine. I said, but personally, I will not do that because that goes against my personal ethics. Yeah, and uh, and I remember one of the largest attorney firms here in Memphis. Uh, he sat on the board too. He came up to me after the meeting and said, I'm so proud of you standing up for yourself.

SPEAKER_01 47:34

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 47:34

Like, because you at some point, I don't care what you got and and how you make, you know, because potentially he could have said, Okay, tell the president to fire me. But but I I trust in God. Like that was that that's the one thing I think I've always just taken through my life and through my career, just like what I do with my business. I trust in God, and I trust that God will bring me to the right connections, he will bring me to the right relationships, um, you know, that will be beneficial for both parties because as you said, in our businesses, this is ministry to us, and we we're serving people. And I I know I'm positioned to serve people in this way, and and I love it. I just love it, like you know, and bringing in good good stories and good encouragement from people, yeah. I mean, because you, you know, when I I looked at your bio and I was like, oh my god, like some of the things I just didn't know. I told you, I was like, I didn't know you could book girl. Yeah, and and to see where God, how God is just elevated and elevated, it's it's like he keeps taking you higher and higher. And yet this level of humility that you carry when you were a teenager, yes, shouting in the clock stand, on the front row, taking the church up, and um, that you still carry that. You still carry that.

SPEAKER_01 49:01

Yes, it and it's it's it is imperative to do so because that's where that's where God is. He said, He said, if I humble myself, he would exalt me, and it's just continue to do his business, do his will, and let him worry about all that other stuff. Now, sometimes this stuff hurts your feelings now. I'm not gonna even lie, you know. And let me say this success can be a lonely walk. Yes, the Lord will give you people who love you, he will give you a circle, he will give you a community, he will give you a tribe, but for most, for the most part, your walk is alone because many won't understand you, many won't really, you know, because they were not in the boardroom when God gave you your orders, when he gave you your assignment, they were not in there to understand what your assignment is, and your calling is yours, and it is on you because we're gonna stand before God alone and make an account of what we did, what we were supposed to do for him on this side of heaven.

SPEAKER_02 50:10

Yeah, so what would you what would you say to the woman though who's um you know hearing this conversation and yeah, and um is interesting, it is thinking about her next, especially the woman who's 40 or 50 or 60. Yeah, and she's thinking about what is my next step in life? How what do what what can I do? You know, because there are a lot of people I believe who really want to have their own thing as well. Yeah, and um and you know, share with them the the courage that it takes and um you know what they need to do and have and how should they posture themselves in their heart to do what they believe God has put in their heart to do.

SPEAKER_01 50:55

Amen. First, don't expect a huge following, meaning don't expect know that the Lord has put something in your heart, and know that he is your source, as Ching said, and your only source. The word of God in 20 in Psalms 2023 said the Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing, meaning he is my source and he is my only source. Everything in my toolbox, all of my sources, all of my resources come from him, and he uses others to take you from one place to the next. And age, just take that out of your mind. Just take just completely take that out of your mind. It does not matter how old you are. If there's a desire that you have before the Lord, the word of God says the answer is yes and amen. Do your work, put in the work, do what it is, get your certifications, don't try to cut corners. Get your LLC, go to do it right, get your paper, wrap your stuff up in paper. Make sure your paper is right and tight. Make sure you have an accountant, thank you, Jesus, and make sure you have an attorney. Yeah, when you have those who can read the fine line and who can and who can uh give you uh uh an explanation on what the fine print means when you don't know that's what you need because a lot of folks out here getting caught up. Yeah, yeah, you can live your very best life no matter where you are in life. Keep going, keep going and watch God blow your mind, He will do it.

SPEAKER_02 52:34

Yeah, I love that you said just just remove the number, remove it, remove it. Absolutely, that's everything I'm doing today.

SPEAKER_01 52:43

I wanted to do 30 years ago.

SPEAKER_02 52:45

Listen, I was I was thinking about that yesterday. Oh you know, it's like so many things I wanted to accomplish in my 30s that I didn't get to do, and and how my desire has changed, you know. I often talk with talk about too that you know, I wanted as a kid growing up, we were teenagers. I you know, my whole thing was I wanted to be married and have a family. Like, because my mom was like she was happy with it. So I figured I'd be happy with it too, right? And um, but what I but what I what I realized was that you know, God had it, God does have his his plans for us, and like the things that I wanted, it's like I I knew I needed to dream another dream. Yeah, and I had to give myself permission, like Change, you you can dream another dream. Absolutely, you can dream another dream. And and and and so I just started asking God, you know, so there are things that I that I knew I had in my heart to do, and it's just like okay, okay, because I'm living part of my dream. When I created Sing Sister Sing, no Shane has plugged me because I see my shirt, sing Sister Singh. Anyway, yeah, you know, creating that, and wonder when you said don't worry about the numbers. Oh girl. The first insert we held was 2017, and we had about 25 people show. And I got all these women together, about six or seven women together with the scene, and um, and then I did the the show next the following year, 2018, we had over 400 something people show. Yeah, and it was and now and we partnered with MLK 50 events here at the National Civil Rights Museum. So we were an official event for the MLK MLK 50 year-long thing that they were celebrating. Yeah, more specifically during that time, uh that little uh few months of the period of time, and um it was amazing, and then I did it again in 2019, and I'm bringing it back. Um, my goal is to do it this year. We're gonna see, but um, but um, you know, it's just like dreaming another dream. I would have, you know, just doing that. And I got to live my dream. I got to sing my picture with some powerful women, and and then I got a chance to to sing with some some the next generation. I had a millennial, saying since the same millennial edition, and being able to talk to them, and you know, I ain't have to really, I didn't coach any of them because they're all you know just phenomenal in their own right. Absolutely amazing singers, you know. But to do something, I always just loved shows. I I always love putting on a quiet, like when I was in Priorise of Deliverance, I put on a uh musical. Yeah, and everybody else saw let me put on a musical. I just love doing that stuff, and so to dream another dream and be able to do that. And I think that that, you know, sometimes when we get to a certain age, I I just challenge you, sis, if you're listening to this, dream another dream because God's dream of time, He He's not He's not bound by time, but in our minds, we feel like, okay, well, I'm this age now, and you know, this can't happen for me, or I miss my window of time. You haven't missed anything. The Lord has has put it in your heart. I always say the Lord gives us the desires of our hearts so He so He can give it to us, literally, in our hands, we can experience it, live it, and enjoy it.

SPEAKER_01 56:15

And He will give it to you, He will He will give it to you, meaning nothing broken, nothing missing, debt free. You can own your home debt free. You can own your cars debt free, you can buy your cars cash, you can do that. You can women of God, women of purpose, you can and live your best life, yeah, amen. And you don't have to. I'm not against we I'm talking, I want to minister to single women. You don't have to be married in order to be financially successful or financially free or debt-free. You can walk, you can do life with you and Jesus, and your coins be okay. You can't coins be okay.

SPEAKER_02 57:10

Listen, yes, because financial freedom is a goal of mine and leaving something there, you know. Um our whole family works together, but you know, but to leave something for the next generation. Our parents left us a legacy of faith, and they were entrepreneurs, and and it's like, okay, now we gotta we gotta make sure we leave something really powerful for our children to absolutely, absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 57:36

Never I never had children, but I do have a great niece, and I was and I whenever I'm getting ready to do a loan, uh a loan signing or a real estate closing, whenever she comes from Tennessee to meet to to stay with me, sometime they'll stay with me three weeks a month or whatever, and she'll be like, T, I wanna I wanna help TT. She she has a spirit of I'm teaching her entrepreneurial, I'm teaching her that she can be an entrepreneur, she can be her own boss.

SPEAKER_02 58:04

Oh, yeah, yeah, amen. You can be your own boss, contract yourself out for other self-consult. Yes, you can be your own boss. And it's it's not it's and I will tell you, it's not it's not always easy, especially when you're starting out, you know, but it's possible, and you can you can you'll get you you'll get it. Like I just you'll get there, yeah. You'll get there. You will be consistent and you'll get there.

SPEAKER_01 58:29

Trust God. And people will watch you. People are watching. I know we're getting close with time. People will watch you. Once I was in Israel, uh-huh, and there was a woman of God. I had posted my pictures and just showing how how blessed I was in in Israel. And when I got back to the States, she said, I'm gonna go to I need I want you to give me a date. We're going to lunch. And she said, The Lord has put you on my I am so proud of you. And that woman, the Lord gave her to sow a $10,000 seed into my life. Wow. Don't be ashamed of what God is doing. I use social media as a as a point to testify of his goodness, to share what the Lord is doing. And you never know. The Lord may drop in someone's heart to finance your next business venture. Come on, come on. Someone, someone will say, I'm gonna, I'm gonna, I'm gonna be an anonymous donor, but I'm gonna write the seven-figure, eight-figure check. I've seen it happen.

SPEAKER_02 59:39

Yeah, your faith.

SPEAKER_01 59:41

It is your you send your you give your faith an assignment, yes, and say don't come back until you come back with the manifestation.

SPEAKER_02 59:50

Come on, come on, Wanda Jane. Listen, can I but I will I will tell you this too that like that's that's one of my heart's desires. Yeah, um, I have I have a a program that I called When It's Women in Position the Collective, and my summer cohort will be starting soon. And I told the first cohort though, um, the Marvel cohort, I said, listen, you know, we're in 2027, we're gonna buy a house for a single mom. Amen. And you know, and and I just and we're gonna pay for it in cash. Amen. And uh and and that's because I believe that God will position me financially to do that, to sew. And I said, so wouldn't it be great for us as a group of women to do that? And so with every collective, I just believe that God will bless them so financially that they will then take take a seed and sow it into somebody else's life. You know, you know, we used to want people to um in the church, you know how they slip you something, you know, they be saying, shake and slip you. Slip something in your hand. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And so, but that that has been such a desire for me. And um, and and I want to that that's I know God is is positioning me to do that. Amen. So just just know that you can be the one to write the ten thousand dollar check, and you can be the one to write write the seven, eight figure dollar check, and it's good, and it's good to wire it, it's good. Wide wire on over. I I thank God for clients that that will say to me, um, you know, you tell them, okay, you've had the conversations and all of that, and then they tell you, okay, send me the invoice for a five-figure contract. Like, I just I love that. Like, send me the invoice, like absolutely. So pray for the kind of clients you want. Amen.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:41

Yeah, and God will please, He will please. And don't be afraid when it comes because sometimes fear, fear of failure is the same as fear of success. Don't be don't be afraid. And if you if you are afraid, feel the fear, but do it afraid.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:57

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I've done a lot of things scared. I just I just feel it. I'm like, well, my first Sing Sister Sing event, I did it scared, but I did it. You did the first recording I did, we are family. I I was scared, but I did it. You know, like God is not gonna give me anything that I will not do, I will do it, and at least I can say, Lord, I did it. And I'm gonna let I'm gonna let you bless it. And if you give me all the things I need to get, I know you're gonna make it grow, Lord. And with it and it's in its time too. And so we just need to be consistent in our faith and hold fast to the to the to the uh you know to the promises of God.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:36

Amen.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:38

They're real, they're true.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:39

Amen. Yeah, thank you so much.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:42

Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:42

Thank you for having me. Thank you so much. I pray that I was a blessing.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:46

I just want to. Oh, yeah, of course. Absolutely, absolute blessing. And I'm I was sitting here thinking that when you were talking, I was like, you know, when I host another live event, I think I'm gonna have to just get her to come down here and speak. I can tell you you're a well of knowledge, a well of joy that I think that um that our audience, when I've posted live events, the audience audiences that I've been uh been able to speak to, I think they would enjoy. I know you'd be a blessing. I can't wait to deliver it. Yes. Well, thank you so much. Any parting words of wisdom that you like to leave? And and I think the uh question I was gonna ask, well, I think we've already kind of talked about positioning. Um, yes, how will you talk tell someone to position themselves to be used of God and be submitted and move forward in their lives?

SPEAKER_01 1:03:46

Many times the Lord will already have in your heart what it is, and He does it with what you're passionate about, what what you your usually what your hobbies are, um, whether it's reading, uh singing, serving, serving at a pantry. So many times those are the very things that the Lord is putting in your heart to take to that next level. You may be serving the homeless or so serving at a pantry, but he may want you to buy a warehouse, to store, or or or to break to broker deals where you're helping multiple families who are needing assistance. Just stay, just just keep your ear keen to the word of God, but you can't do that without a prayer life. You gotta have a prayer life. Everything starts with prayer. Meet him early, and he will you will find him, and he will meet you, and he will have a very, very nice goodie bag with a lot of goodies ready for you.

SPEAKER_02 1:04:53

I love it. You you sound just like your mother when you said that. I just saw her all in you, and you just did that. Yeah, uh, this has been such a blessing. Thank you so much, friends. I love you, and and just promise me that when you do come here that you'll be there in August. I'll be there in the office. Okay, well, I just need I need you to go somewhere where you can shout so I can just watch you dance. At the drop of a dime, eh? I love it, I love it. She's listening to y'all. I this is I I wish there were videos and stuff I could show. Like she you can get delivered watching Wanda dance because she's so anointed. I promise you that much. So anyway, thank you, sis. I love you. Listen, I love you. Listen, y'all, thank you. I listen, y'all, y'all just um make sure that the in the show notes you'll see the links to her books, and again, go to her website and buy her books so that she can sign it for you and put a great love note in there for you. Encouragement, and um, I just want to encourage you all to know that when God positions you with influences for his glory, and the thing about doing things for God's glory, we get to benefit. He he does not leave you out of the blessing, he does not leave you out, he blesses you so, and remember because of the covenant that we have, that's that's why he's given us the ability to get well, to establish this covenant. God wants to position you with wealth in your hands and with the word of God in your mouth to make a difference in the marketplace, in your life, in your family, with your friends. God wants to do that for you. So continue to walk in purpose and live in destiny. And until next time, y'all be good, okay? I love y'all. Bye bye. Thanks, Wanda.