The Power of Self-Advocacy | Geralyn Gaines | S2 #1

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In this episode of Founder Fumbles, we sit down with Geralyn Gaines — Founder of Keeping It G, keynote speaker, HR consultant, professional coach, and corporate leader — to explore the power of self-advocacy, transformational leadership, and building a purpose-driven business while navigating a successful corporate career. 

From working at Ford Motor Company to empowering professionals through coaching and speaking engagements, Geralyn shares the lessons, challenges, and mindset shifts that helped shape her entrepreneurial journey. We dive into the realities of balancing a growing business with a demanding career, overcoming obstacles as a founder, and staying committed to your purpose even when things get tough. 

🔥 In this episode: 

The story behind Keeping It G What transformational speaking really means How Geralyn balances Ford Motor Company and entrepreneurship The biggest challenges she's faced as a founder Why self-advocacy is a critical leadership skill Lessons learned from building a purpose-driven business Daily habits and routines that keep her focused Advice for aspiring entrepreneurs and leaders What keeps her motivated during difficult seasons 

What's next for Geralyn and Keeping It G 

📖 Connect with Geralyn Gaines: 

🌐 Website: 

https://www.geralyngaines.com/ 

📸 Instagram:

 https://www.instagram.com/geralyngaineskeepingitg/ 

💼 LinkedIn:

 https://www.linkedin.com/in/geralyn-gaines/ 

🎙️ Podcast: Founder Fumbles Hosted by Dahmari Taplin 

🚀 Grab the Founder Fumbles Starter Kit: 

https://ff-starter-kit.sender.site/

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:28

Welcome to the Founder Funnels Podcast, where we go deep into real life entrepreneur struggles and comeback strategies. I'm your host, Damari Tapler. And today we have the founder of Keepin' It G, thought leader, keynote speaker, HR consultant, professional coach, board member of Founders Junior Council at the Detroit Institute of Arts. Ladies and gentlemen, we have Geraldine Gaines.

SPEAKER_00 0:53

Hi, everybody. Hi. Hey Damari.

SPEAKER_01 0:55

I did that. Yes, you did do that. I usually missed that part. No, I guess.

SPEAKER_00 1:00

You're killed at it.

SPEAKER_01 1:01

You're killed. All right. So um, yeah, this is episode one of season two. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 1:07

Feels good. Thanks for allowing me to be your first guest. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:12

So we met at Black Tech Saturday. We did. And um you were you were speaking on the stage. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 1:18

So what were you doing there? So I was hosting the launch stage for the Digital Empowerment Summit. So as you know, there were like multiple locations, but yeah, I was at the launch stage at the College for Creative Studies, hosting over the two days. How did you get connected? Yes. How did we get connected with Robert? So it's so it's so funny because I had a moment that morning, the second actually the day that I met you, so the second day, I had a moment that morning where everything was going wrong for me. It was, I broke my curling iron, my makeup artist canceled. I mean, it was just, it was, I lost my car keys, all these different things in January of this year when they had their um kickoff for the year. And it was just interesting because the day that I was going through all of that craziness on day two, I passed by Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church, where they have their January event, which just felt like God was like, oh, like after all this, you know, several months later at this point, this is where you got started. And that's when I first got exposure to Black Tech Saturdays, just attending the event. So I did that. I attended, um, they had a Rocket, uh, the CMO of Rocket Companies come and speak to everybody that attends Black Tech Saturdays. And then from there, I had one of their team members, the chief of staff, reach out to me and ask me if I'd be willing to host their Women's History Month event. And then since then I've been tapped in.

SPEAKER_01 2:31

That's crazy. Yeah. You know, um, you were just a part of this, they hired you, but I felt like you was running the whole show.

SPEAKER_00 2:38

No, they're not, they're very much around, they're right.

SPEAKER_01 2:42

They're right. Well, you got the build up. The reason why I thought that is because you are such a brilliant speaker. Thank you. Like you are such a wonderful speaker. Thank you. She speaks so well. Oh, thank you.

SPEAKER_00 2:54

Shout out to Ellen.

SPEAKER_01 2:56

I'm like, she does. She speaks wonderful. Thank you, it's my passion. I was not leaving that place without getting you um as to be a guest of my own. Thank you. Thank you. But that being said, you know, you become such a great speaker.

SPEAKER_00 3:10

You know, it's so funny because I get this question a lot, and I genuinely believe it's my calling. Like I've had this voice, this deep voice, since I was three years old. So people have told me since I was little, you should be on podcasts, you should be on the radio, you should do the news. And I just was like, well, how do you even get into those type of careers, especially if you didn't study journalism? And I didn't study journalism, I studied sociology. And it wasn't until I was at my previous employer for almost nine years before I found my passion. I'm a very passionate person. So for me, I was like, oh, probably just retired in somebody's C-suite. But the last job I had at my previous employer, they put me on a stage for the first time. And it was just like, it was everything. We had 16 events that year, two-day long, um, how to treat guests like family events, 200 to 250 people every event. We hired keynote speakers, it's lights, camera action, all of that. And for the first and the first rehearsal, we were in our supplier's office, and I did my first run-through of the teleprompter, and it was just like, I was like, here you go. Like, this is exactly what you're supposed to be doing. Like, speaking is a career. I had no idea. It's a six billion dollar industry. And I saw how much money we were paying keynote speakers for those events, and I was like, oh, I can make this a career. And so I decided to pursue it. What is a keynote speaker exactly? Because it's so short. Yeah, it's a keynote speaker. So many, it usually, when you see a keynote speaker, they're sharing stories that help transform maybe your perspective or transform your life. And it is, I mean, just think about the events that you've gone to in the past. There's probably like somebody opening the event, something really motivating, and then somebody closing the event, and it's just like, you know, kind of ties everything together. But yeah, a keynote speaker is usually somebody who's a storyteller, shared their stories.

SPEAKER_01 4:47

Opens up the events, closes and kind of brings out the people and stuff like that too. Yes. Solid. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 4:52

I love that.

SPEAKER_01 4:53

I wish I could do something like that.

SPEAKER_00 4:54

You can, you're doing it right now. We're speaking.

SPEAKER_01 4:57

I'm still at work. I I'm, you know, the reason I brought you because I wanted to pick your brand. There you go. Because I feel like I feel like I'm just not good at it and I just have a lot of work to do. Everybody told me, like, don't worry about that stuff. But I know deep down that I got a lot of work to do. You know, so I would be in contact with you. Yeah. We're gonna keep touching all that good stuff.

SPEAKER_00 5:17

So um but it also takes a lot of practice too, Demurray. Like I naturally I'm I feel like I'm a great speaker, but it takes a lot of practice. It was funny because the first Black Tech Saturdays event I did, I came in the day before because I never like to be for it to be live. The first time I ever, the first time I ever delivered what I'm gonna say, I never want it to be when it's live. I'd like to come in the day before, maybe a couple hours before to practice. And I remember when their team members was clowning me a little bit. She's like, Jim, I can't believe you're if you're practicing. And I was like, well, I don't want to, my mess ups happen the first time when I'm on stage tomorrow in front of everybody else. And so they see my dedication, they see the practice that I put into it, and it's it's necessary. I never go on a stage just bra. Like it's always I've always put some time in. I've done reps, I've done it in front of my family. Yeah, I don't play around with practice. Okay. Yeah. So not Alan Iverson over here. You practice, practice. Practice, practice. Okay, yes.

SPEAKER_01 6:11

So um keeping it G. Yeah. Let's talk about that. First of all, that is the dopest thing. Because you don't even have to like throw it in, you don't even have to pretend like it. I mean, not pretend. You don't have to treat it as business name. Yeah. You know what I mean? Like, how is it like tell us about keeping it? How do you keep it in G? Like, you know what I mean? Like, anyway, tell us you always keeping a G. Yeah. But but tell us about the company, keeping it G your business.

SPEAKER_00 6:36

Yes, yes. So I want to define keeping a G for everyone. I think just because it is a cultural phrase, um, one way that I've defined it is staying real, staying grounded, and true to yourself while holding your values despite challenges. It also symbolizes integrity, resilience, and using your voice while empowering others to find and amplify their self-advocacy is such a staple in my life. Um, as an athlete, as a Division I athlete at a predominantly white institution, from my time as an activist at the University of Michigan to being somewhat of an activist in corporate America. That's how I decided to pursue self-advocacy because I see the power of it, especially when you bring a whole bunch of people together fighting for a specific cause, you can get things done. So I just saw a lot of success for me, but I also saw in corporate, in particular, so many people not moving on quickly in their career, and they're wondering, well, why did I get picked for this promotion or why did they think of me for you know this opportunity? And I was very methodical. I never, I never played around with my career. I was like, okay, I know exactly what job I want. So I'm gonna ask what jobs do I need to get there and what skills do I need to get there. And so I was always very intentional about having those collaborative conversations with my leaders about how do I get to where I want to go. So yeah, self-advocacy is just who I am, and I think it's something that it just yeah, lives deep within me.

SPEAKER_01 7:51

Yeah, yeah. So if someone was to go to keeping it, keeping a g, it has a website, right here. Yes, so JarilynGaines.com. Yeah, okay, okay, GeraldGaines.com. Yes. Okay, got you. So it's not keeping it g.com. Correct, correct. Geraldines at Gerlyn Gaines, keeping it G. That's my Instagram name. Okay, gotcha, gotcha. Okay, that's that was a little bit confusing for me. Thank you for coming. So I do get another question. Yeah, so uh transformational speech.

SPEAKER_00 8:17

Yeah, what does that mean to you? A transformational speech, number one, it has to be authentic. Uh, it has to be something that you eat, sleep, live, breathe. I think when people see me and they know what I what work I do, they know I'm a self-advocacy bot leader because that's what I speak about consistently. And I mean, think about like people that you know that speak, or people that I know that speak on kindness, but that's not how they show up on social media. Right. Like that is not authentic, right? So I like to live self-advocacy. So it's something that is authentic to you. It also has to connect deeply with the audience. I wouldn't necessarily take the same speech that I would take to an executive leadership retreat to, you know, the youth in Pontiac or wherever, right? I think it'd have similar themes, but I would just tailor it to the audience. And also something that challenges limiting beliefs. So if you feel like you're too young to do something or too old, or you don't have the capacity, you don't have the confidence, if I can challenge your limiting beliefs based on the stories that I share and the success that I've had or the success I see in people that I coach, that would challenge your limiting beliefs. And you also have to be able to see yourself in the principles. So if I'm talking about confidence, communication, and relationships, which is which aren't the things that I speak about most pertinently, that is what I hope that you see based on the lessons that I share and the principles that I've shared, that you can envision this in your own life. And like what really transforms is when people take what you said, it resonates with them and it inspires them to act. So I never leave a speech or a workshop without saying, hey, like, you know, raise your hand about what's the next, what's the thing that you're gonna do right when you leave here that will help promote self-advocacy in your life? Because I want to see like what is that next step? That's how you transform is can people take what you say and can it inspire them to act?

SPEAKER_01 9:58

Right. So push them towards that next step pretty much. Correct. Um, so you also did something with uh with Ford. Yeah. Motor Company. Yeah. Um, what is she what was what did you do there? I wish you joke.

SPEAKER_00 10:10

I had like seven and a half jobs while I was at Ford in nine years. So the last job, which is where I found my my passion, was hosting those major events that I was speaking up. So wait, so just to be clear, yeah, you you don't work there. I don't work there anymore. Okay, okay, okay, okay, all right, go ahead. Yes, I don't work there anymore. I left uh Juneteenth of last year, and then I launched keeping a G a couple months later, September 19th. And yeah, I and I said I saw how much we're paid keynote speakers, and I'm like, wait, oh like here I am trying to achieve this number annually for my bonus, and this person came in for 60 minutes and just made my bonus, right? So I was like, okay, like I can do this. If he can do that, I can do this. And so yeah, I just I made it a thing. But I worked in global marketing and media, I worked in uh marketing sales and service, I did a lot of customer experience um work. That's one of my passions that made us is hospitality. Actually, I have a hospitality speaking of it coming up soon. Oh doubt.

SPEAKER_01 11:02

Yeah, I'm gonna I get my master's a hospitality manager.

unknown 11:05

Oh nice!

SPEAKER_00 11:06

Oh, I love it.

SPEAKER_01 11:07

I love it. I love it. So um you're also a consultant.

SPEAKER_00 11:11

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 11:12

Um, what about that?

SPEAKER_00 11:13

Yeah, so it's also interesting. I don't think I've ever spoken about this publicly, but um, when I decided to leave for it, I took a strategic risk. I always encourage people to take strategic risks because if I just would have jumped off the deep end, I'm like, I'm just gonna make speaking happen and just hope for the best, like I would be broke. So I'm like, I need consistent income. And I was applying to other corporate jobs for about 10 months while I was still working and nothing was landing, and decided to take a leave. And on that leave, I had a more serious conversation with my parents about joining the family business, something I really never considered. I didn't think it was something that would necessarily fit, but it's great because I get to speak all the time. I get to train people all the time, facilitate conversations. We get to go into clients, assess their cultures, and provide recommendations to implement and also, you know, figure out whether a sustainment strategy is like how are we implementing these changes, but also how can they last long term? So I love I love the work we do on a day-to-day basis, but that is my very solid stream of income every single month.

SPEAKER_01 12:13

Okay, yeah. Okay, so who's your who exactly is your like target market for your you know consulting? For consulting.

SPEAKER_00 12:20

So I actually do, I'm a subcontractor for my family business. My mom has a business, it's um JMG Connects. Okay. So all the clients that I would touch are through her business, but we do we have a lot of healthcare clients that we support, which is great because I think a lot of times we go to hospitals and don't necessarily, you know, you you're dreading going to the hospital because you could be there all day. You're sitting there waiting for the doctor, waiting for a room. And so we can get in there and figure out a way to improve that experience for patients. That's what we'll do. So yeah, that's how that's how we start.

SPEAKER_01 12:51

Let's get back to these uh oh. So um, all right, so now it's the founder fumble's time. Yes, founder. Some more difficult questions. Okay. What's been your biggest challenge as a founder? That's what I want to know.

SPEAKER_00 13:05

Biggest challenge as a founder, and I feel like a lot of folks watching this will be able to resonate with this. So advocacy is hard. I mean, that is something I do every single day, and that's what I believe in. But having to sell yourself constantly, that's a lot of work, right? Especially when I'm selling me, right? Like I'm not just selling a service or a product. Like I am the service, I am the product. So that can be very frustrating at times, especially when people don't necessarily see your value. But I would say I put a I place my own value upon myself. I don't let anybody else place a value on me. So also being able to walk away from opportunities. I've had to walk away from multiple opportunities in which I know the budget was there for that certain program, but they don't necessarily want to pay me maybe because I don't have a big name yet, or maybe they feel like, oh, that was a crazy price. Like I think we should charge that. But the price is the price. And just staying, sticking and staying firm to that is difficult, but it's so worth it. And not only will you respect yourself more, but other people will respect you too. So continually pushing, pushing, pushing for self-advocacy is the hardest thing that I do, but it is what I've dedicated my life to. So, how do you get past that? How do you recommend somebody else to get past that? How do I recommend you have to keep going? Like you have to continue to get up and build grit and resilience because you're going to face no's. I don't think anybody that is is horrible with rejection should ever go on on their own and start a business because you will face rejection every single day. So I would just encourage people to like really know what they're good at. I always emphasize how important it is to know your strengths. Because if you know your strengths, then you can speak about them clearly. You can assert your value more clear clearly, you know what you bring to the table. So just really hone in on what your gifts are and place the value on yourself on what you on what you're providing and don't let anybody else tell you what you should or you should not be charging.

SPEAKER_01 14:48

Yeah, that's that's tricky uh because a lot of people don't even know what their gift is. You know what I mean? I know. Um and I I might, I feel like I I could be one of those people. Yeah, because you know what I mean? Like, you know, my business helps people, you know, find co-founders. Yeah. And I also have this this podcast where I help entrepreneurs share their story. Yeah. But what am I doing? I'm helping entrepreneurs, like what where's what is my gift when it comes to that? You know what I mean? I know that I can connect people, I know that I bring uh entrepreneurs together, I help startup companies share those in honor and stuff. But if I if you could ask me like what exactly is my gift, I I couldn't like it like just one thing, you know. Um I know some things that I'm good at, yeah. Not even gonna say that, but I know some things that I'm good at, but you know, that's it's it's a little bit tricky.

SPEAKER_00 15:41

It definitely is. But I just I recommend like have you done any strength finder exercises before?

SPEAKER_01 15:46

Strength finder exercises. No.

SPEAKER_00 15:49

Okay, so one thing I talk about a lot is the um Clifton Strength Finder. It is, it cost like $50, but I took it in 2021 while I was still at my you know, at my previous employer, but then I took it again recently, and only three out of the five, so you know like a top five uh for the $50, but three out of the five strengths that I had have changed over four years. So number one for me was responsibility, number two was communication, three, belief, four, uh, woo, winning over others, and five was positivity. So finding strength finder exercises and other you know mechanisms in surface that can help you identify what your strengths are, that may help you align with, okay, like that actually does make me feel good. Because one thing that I have been talking about a lot this year is that my job does feel like a responsibility. And I am responsible to my audience to say things that are meaningful and that resonate, but also, you know, provide safety and psychological safety. That's really important. Like I never want to give my tools to somebody that would use them for harm, right? So I always have to be very mindful of what I'm saying and how I'm saying it. But it was just weird that that's been the word for me all year. And then to take the strength finder and find out that that was my number one strength for this year was just like, wow. That makes so much sense. I appreciate you for uh swearing you sharing that.

SPEAKER_01 17:06

Yeah, of course. I'm definitely gonna try a strength finder.

SPEAKER_00 17:10

I think it's just um it's Gallup is the company behind it, but it's the um Clifton Strength, Clifton.

SPEAKER_01 17:16

Okay, okay. Yeah, yeah. I'm gonna get that. I'm gonna make sure I get that from the Yes, I will.

SPEAKER_00 17:20

I will, I will. It's in the 100 question survey.

SPEAKER_01 17:23

So I'm gonna put that in the description too so everybody else can try it. Yes, highly recommend. Hopefully, you have like an affiliate link or something.

SPEAKER_00 17:31

Hey, uh Gallup, do you need somebody to talk about something strength? Let me know.

SPEAKER_01 17:35

Uh so do you have a co-founder? Are you doing this all by yourself? Doing it all on my on my own. Yes. Okay, yes.

SPEAKER_00 17:41

So because my brand is me. So it's like how can I co-found me? Right, right. But you get your mom helping you, right? No, so her business is so I'm a subcontractor for her business in the HR consulting space. But I do do my own consulting with keeping in G. Okay. Um, but yeah, no, it is it's no co-founder, just keeping it G is me.

SPEAKER_01 17:59

So if you don't have a so what if you don't have a co-founder, what what do you do about those skills that you lack? And what skills do you lack? What skills do you lack, and what do you do about that?

SPEAKER_00 18:10

Yeah, it's it's funny. I always I always tell people I'm like, I know what I'm good at. So I always outsource a lot of the things that I I know that are not my strengths. Like I you have a wonderful setup here. I my videographer would be here. We were shooting, like it's not it's not my strength to set up a studio. And so I I definitely lack, um, I know at some point when my business gets bigger, systemizing systems, like I mean, uh operationalizing systems. So, you know, managing a CRM, managing my sales and my leads and things like that. Like, I've that's something I've never had to do. So I do lack those skills. However, I've been leveraging a lot of AI, but I also like ask somebody who's really great at sales to, you know, for their support, maybe have like a consulting fee, and I can, you know, talk to them for 30 minutes on how to, you know, generate leads and how to do cold calling and things like that. So I would say that sales and operationalizing my systems, those are those are definitely some skills that I lack, but I'll be working on this year. Okay. Yeah. So operations and sales.

SPEAKER_01 19:08

Yeah. So if you could have a business partner today, then it would be a salesperson or operations person?

SPEAKER_00 19:14

It would probably be just a general personal assistant. Um, I should say business assistant. I don't really need uh somebody in my personal life right now, but a business assistant that could help drive lead, like an all-encompass, a person that can do it all. A person that can do it all.

SPEAKER_01 19:29

Yeah, like basically just a co-founder, right?

SPEAKER_00 19:32

As a co-founder, I would say no, because I I just I would love to, I just can't see for me. It's like, okay, I can't necessarily have a co-founder of keeping a G. It's keeping a G is me. Like I just feel like as a person, I wouldn't have be able to like have any success. Your website is your name.

SPEAKER_01 19:48

Right. You know how that's so some no, it has to be a personal assistant. Correct. It can't just be someone who has the same passion as you. Because I get that.

SPEAKER_00 19:58

Yeah, because it's my message. I can't teach somebody a co-founder, okay, hey, co-founder, like this is my message. Go out and you know, be great. Like, I not like my I can't like longer live to say the exact thing that I want to say. So no, it is me and solo. And that's one thing I didn't even realize either, Demari. Like, because when I first started on my own, I was like, oh, it'll just be me, you know, 30 years down the line. And then I realized that my business was getting bigger. I'm like, oh, at some point I'll have a team of people, right? So that is one thing that I feel like I didn't think about as much. I'm just thinking, oh, like it'll just be my solo preneurship, it's just me out here, but it at some point I'm gonna have to have a full-blown yeah, which is exciting.

SPEAKER_01 20:32

Yeah, right, right. So their first team member is going to be a salesperson. Yeah, definitely a salesperson.

SPEAKER_00 20:37

Yeah, somebody who knows how to manage a CRM.

SPEAKER_01 20:40

Dope, dope. Uh yeah, people don't want to do it, have them manage a CRM. Not at all. Like, I my first business partner, uh, he just wanted to be the co-founder, but we couldn't find out. He had the skills to run a CRM. So, you know, my mentor basically told me, like, you know, have him uh take control of one of your uh, you know, something from your text that you know. I was like, hey, do you wanna uh ask him? I was like, hey, do you wanna try to run HubSpot? Yes, you know what I mean? And he was just like, Yeah, I'll look into it. Yeah. A week later, he was like, Man, I think uh I don't think I want to do this anymore. He quit on it just because I asked him to run HubSpot. Wow. He didn't want to do anything anymore. And I was just like, one little thing. But it was okay. He was starting to whatever. Yes. Uh yeah, things were changing.

SPEAKER_00 21:28

Yes, yes. But finding the experts, I'll find an expert in a in a CRM and they can just they can run it. Yeah, yeah, exactly. I would just like to show up and and do the show. Yeah, yeah. Now that back end operational, that's not my strength, and I hope to help to get there.

SPEAKER_01 21:43

But so this is another question. Um, I know you probably haven't, but or you know you probably have too, but have you ever like questioned your your purpose, like as a you know, as a speaker or you know, what's your whole business? Have you ever questioned your purpose?

SPEAKER_00 21:58

No, never. Never question it. Yeah, I've never questioned it because I think when you know you have a calling on your life, it's not really something you can opt out of. Yeah. You know, and if if God is telling me this is exactly what I want you to do, and and that's and on stage is where I feel most at home and most natural, like it's not something I can really doubt. Like it it if I were doing anything else, it would be unnatural and inauthentic.

SPEAKER_01 22:22

And that is that is yeah, and it I felt this in my heart that you were going to say no. This is the first no that I really all the episodes. What? This is the very first no. And I was like, I'm gonna say no to this one.

SPEAKER_00 22:36

Yeah, it's a it's a no, it's a no, just because I I talked a little about responsibility. I genuinely do feel like it's my responsibility to do this work, and so it doesn't, it's nothing I question. It's hard, of course, like on the day-to-day, it's not the easiest thing. But like I said, anything else would be unnatural and not aligned and it's not aligned. I feel in I'm in alignment right now and I'm on stage. I'm in alignment, and so anything that is not that is not what I'm supposed to be doing. So no, I don't, I don't, I don't doubt it at all. It is beautiful.

SPEAKER_01 23:04

Thank you. I'm just happy. I'm happy that you are living in you know within your purpose.

SPEAKER_00 23:09

Thank you. Me too.

SPEAKER_01 23:10

You're using your your gift that God gave you to you're doing exactly what you're supposed to do in this world. Yeah, and it's going to grow. But you know, it's going to get more, you're gonna get more stuff. But that's that's a that's truly a blessing.

SPEAKER_00 23:22

Thank you. I don't it is, I I thank God for it every single day, and I hope that everyone finds what I have right now. I hope everyone finds their passion and gets to live it and make a living off of it because it is it's changed my life completely.

SPEAKER_01 23:36

And this is why I'm I'm even doing a podcast. Just I'm forcing myself to do this. Yeah, I love that. Yeah, I'm just forcing myself because honestly, like I I still don't feel like I'm a great speaker. You know, I'm still not great at editing. You know, uh, I didn't know how I was going to send up the studio. Yeah, and I just I just did a great job, y'all. I just do it every single day. Yeah, and people, you know, I don't feel like it's great, but people just keep bigging me up, like just keep doing it. Yes, I feel like, you know, I'm just gonna push the 500. Yes. That's um, I'm just gonna push the 500.

SPEAKER_00 24:10

500 episodes?

SPEAKER_01 24:11

500 episodes.

SPEAKER_00 24:12

You can, I mean, you can definitely do that. You can definitely do that. That's a great goal. That is a great goal, and I will say you are a great speaker. I think a lot of people don't understand either. Like, it's funny because I actually saw Angela speak for the first time in person yesterday at the Detroit Business Symposium. And people don't necessarily think of Angela Yee as a speaker like they would think of me as a speaker, because you don't necessarily see her online giving keynotes, but you hear her all the time on the radio, you see her Instagram and things, but she is a speaker, right? Like she even if she's different platforms, she is absolutely a speaker. So, I mean, you're a speaker of the city here talking to me. Yeah, but people don't even don't look at it the same. Like they think a speaker is inspirational.

SPEAKER_01 24:47

Yeah, yeah. I'm getting my rips in.

SPEAKER_00 24:49

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 24:50

This is what I'm trying to. My mom tell me I should try um uh hey, what do you what do you call those things where people, uh speakers, they're trying to they they get together in this little group and just practice. What do you call it?

SPEAKER_00 25:01

Is it like Toastmasters? Toastmaster, yeah. So many uh getting a Toastmasters. I've heard good things about Toastmasters. I I was in a speaker group that is the is dissolved now, but it's where I like learn the game of speaking. So I highly recommend groups like that. Um also like National Speakers Association, they have multiple chapters across, you know, all over the the US. So yeah, I think getting in a group is is also great. Yeah, I'm gonna do that for sure. Try to find a coach or something like that. Yes, a coach is like, hey, I you want to coach, I can I can coach.

SPEAKER_01 25:28

Let's do it. Let's do it. If you find any of those groups, yeah, just think about me. I will. I found one, just try this for you. Absolutely, I will. That'd be great. I absolutely appreciate it. Of course. Um, so what is the biggest lesson you've learned uh being a founder?

SPEAKER_00 25:42

Always have a contract, y'all. Always, always have a contract, even if it is something that is a volunteer opportunity, or you know, you met somebody and you met them on a handshake. Like we didn't have a contract today for podcasts, but if there's like money on the line or it's it's a you know a massive platform or whatever, I mean you're gonna get to a massive, a massive platform in season two. Um I look forward to episode five under when you're way bigger. Um, it is so it's so important. I had a couple, actually, one client in particular that I felt like really took advantage of me because it was like a call for speakers. One of my friends, like, hey, you should apply for this. And they asked me for way more than I feel like I signed up for. It was it was a great exposure for me, but I felt like they were asking me to have too many meetings and um post like, hey, can you just post on this day? And it's like, no, I can't just post on this day because I'm posting something else for an event that's happening sooner. Like it's so it's just always have a contract and it's just to protect yourself and your own boundaries. I also, another thing you talked about, Toastmasters and and things. It's important to take advice from people, but apply the nuggets that work best for you.

SPEAKER_01 26:49

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 26:50

You have to take every single thing that somebody says and be like, oh, I gotta do exactly what this person said because they're killing it. Big Sean says it perfectly. He said, um, when I start, when I start comparing my purpose to someone else's, it's no longer my purpose. So if I'm trying to do exactly what my speaker friend is doing, like then it's no longer what I'm supposed to be doing, right? So take advice from people that are really doing it and killing the game, but also just take the nuggets away that apply apply to you because it's you, it has to resonate with you. You have to go come rule with the products that you're putting on, the services that you're providing.

SPEAKER_01 27:22

Yeah, you can't. Nobody can tell you like you can't give me your plastic. I can't speak like you. Exactly. You know, I have to take one little thing from you and use it for me. Because I can't my whole my I got my own life, and you guys are all like just like we're all two separate worlds. Like it just won't work. Exactly. Exactly. Uh yeah, that's that's that's stuff. Um, so where did you learn this from? Where did I learn speaking? No, no. Where did you learn um, you know, the the tip that you just okay?

SPEAKER_00 27:51

So it generally from people giving me advice and just knowing to add and if you all people will tell you exactly how to do things that they will never do. Like, do you ever feel like that? Somebody be like, oh, tomorrow, you should have so-and-so on your podcast, or you should do it this way with people, I'm sure do that all the time, right? People don't have a podcast. Yes. Right, or would never have a podcast. What does that feel like to you?

SPEAKER_01 28:14

I don't even want to say it'd be kind of rude. But you know, um I I learned this years ago. It's just like, don't take advice from people that never get what they're trying to tell you what to do. Like if you never had a business, uh I'm like, sometimes I'm I'm I am extremely straightforward. And it has to be a business, and it's and it's bad. I'm like, sorry, but you have you ever even did this before yourself? Where did you get this information? Exactly. Exactly. Exactly. But I can't take this advice. Yes. I'm sorry. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 28:47

You never, you don't have, you have zero experience in this. Exactly. So I I learned not just from my own experience in building my practice. I mean, there's so many people that say, Oh, you should do this, or you should do this, or you should do this, whatever. And it's just like, yeah, I can only take as much advice as I can. I'll take the the advice that I have the nuggets that I feel like apply most to where I'm at or what I'm going to do, but I can't listen to everything and to everybody all the time. I I would I'd be going nowhere.

SPEAKER_01 29:13

Right.

SPEAKER_00 29:14

If you took in everybody's advice, it would be conflicting, complaining, all of that. Like I have to take what works for me. Right.

SPEAKER_01 29:20

And then, you know, it just didn't uh look like you know I have a mobile app company. Everybody is always saying you need to do this, you need to, but that stuff costs might a lot of people. Right. Yeah. For me to just try this thing that you think I should do, it's gonna cost me like four thousand dollars. Yeah, I can't just tweak my app for you. Right. You probably never even opened my app before. Is it downloaded? Have you seen it? Exactly. Somebody tell me, like, oh, that my app wasn't for them, or something like that. And she was like, Yeah, I looked into it, and it just doesn't seem like it's for me. And then we after in our conversation coming to sign off, she never even looked at it. But she was telling me these things like that I should change within the application. She never truly downloaded it. Right. And I didn't figure that out until deeper in our conversation. She's like, you know, you let me download it. I'm like, what are you even talking about?

SPEAKER_00 30:09

And people will diss you more when you're on your own. Like, I feel like I have gotten so many more. Um it a lot has been exposed since uh since I went on my own. People will stop supporting you. People will, I mean, start even liking your posts. That I mean, this the shared activity button on Instagram now, it's telling me all I need to know because there are some people that I felt like stopped supporting me when I launched my business. And now it's like, oh, I have the data right here. Like this person literally, you can see that where they stop liking my photos is when I, you know, launched my business and they they haven't engaged with it since. So it's important to just like be so solid within yourself that you don't necessarily need that external validation. Like for me, I care about what I think and I care about the people who are closest to me think. And I can't let um anybody that's hating on me or who would never take a bet on themselves affect, you know, what I got going on. So yeah, I'm just gonna keep pushing forward. And one thing that's exciting too is I'm realizing in my 30s that you can make new friends in your 30s. And yeah, you can leave people in your 20s and make new friends in your 30s, and people that you can choose because a lot of times I think people are friends with people for so long because oh, we grew up together or we lived around a corner from each other, whenever that is. And I'm all about having quality relationships and nothing less than that. Yeah. So sadly.

SPEAKER_01 31:26

Thank you. Yeah. So, uh, what advice would you give uh new entrepreneurs today? Yeah. What's some what's some advice that you would give a new entrepreneur? Somebody new started a business.

SPEAKER_00 31:39

Like, yeah, what would what would you tell them? You have to know your value. People will place a value on you every day of the week. Know your value, know what you bring to the table. Because if you let people put a price on you, like that's the price. Right? So if I, like I said, I've walked away from multiple opportunities where I'm like, I know they have the budget, they just don't want to pay me, then I'm willing to walk away. Like, there's no, not every bag is a good bag. Not all, not all money is good money. And so be willing to walk away from opportunities that don't align with your brand, or maybe your audience isn't necessarily there. It is, yeah, it's critical to know your worth and also put up, put your own price on it. A lot of people are like, well, I don't know what I would charge for this. And I'm like, well, what would you charge? One shot GPT. What is the going rate? Like, how much, how much do you feel like you are worth based on your experience, your expertise, your just any, any your your knowledge, your education, whatever that is, you have to put up, you have to value yourself and you know be able to, that also needs to have a price. Like people ask you, like, I know exactly if somebody asked me to speak today what my fee is, I can tell you off the top of my head, right? But you need to be able to do that about your business too. Like, let's say you have some sort of coaching services, like coaching services I have, I know exactly how much I charge per hour. I charge that amount of money per hour because I only want to work with people that are serious and it has to be worth it for me. So just always, because yeah, people will try to, I mean, I'm sure people have to pick my brain for free all the time, and I'm not doing that too often before because I'm like, oh, this is coaching. So if you're picking my brain all the time, like this is this is coaching. So know your value and know your price. And the price is the price. Yep. The price is the price, don't over it.

SPEAKER_01 33:18

That's sad.

SPEAKER_00 33:19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 33:20

Thank you. I love all that stuff. So if if this year went well, if next year it goes perfect for you, what does that look like?

SPEAKER_00 33:27

When next year it goes perfectly. When next year it goes perfectly when next year when it goes perfect, when it when it goes perfectly for me, it looks like I'm speaking four times a month at my full feet. I am work does not feel like work. I'm traveling globally. I have clients that I have repeat business and I'm speaking to my target audiences. I mean, I speak to everyone, but I speak at a lot of women's conferences. I speak to women, underrepresenting groups, and emerging leaders. So if I'm like bouncing around maybe on the HBCU tour and I'm speaking to all the HBCUs or speaking to the black student unions at PWIs, like that would be everything. So for me, it is it is that, but also launching some new content. A lot of the content everyone has seen from 2025 have been a lot of event recaps. So look forward to more. I'm calling it G, Keep It and G, and um maybe even a podcast. Yes. Keep it in G podcast. Wow, that would be fire. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 34:24

So is that all the new stuff we got coming?

SPEAKER_00 34:26

Because that was my next blessing. What new stuff do you have coming out? I also have a new topic coming out, you all. I'm very excited to share with you. I'll launch it in 2026. But one thing that a lot of speakers do is, you know, they speak on multiple topics. So I'm creating a new topic. It is aligned with self-advocacy, but um, it is a little bit of a different lane, but it's all underneath uh keeping a G umbrella. So yeah, stay tuned for some new content via different mediums and yeah, a new topic. That is dope. And I'm looking forward to.

SPEAKER_01 34:55

Yes, thank you. You have to be on my podcast. I will. Yes, I will. With Bowser. Good. Um, but yeah, so uh that's all of my questions that I have for you today. This I did not want this episode to be. I was just like, man, just keep ready to get more questions. But yeah, so I thank you so much for being here. Thank you. Let everybody know like where they can find you serious serious socials, websites, baranca stuff.

SPEAKER_00 35:22

Yeah, right there. Yes, everyone, you can reach me at jeralyngames.com and also on Instagram at jerilyngames keeping in G. Same thing on threads. I'm loving threads. And if you want to connect with me on LinkedIn, it is LinkedIn.com slash Jerilyn Dash Gains. So hope to see you all and meet you all soon.

SPEAKER_01 35:38

Yeah, thank you so much, everybody, for joining this episode of Finder Fumbles. Uh, if Jarlin inspires you in any way, shape, or form, please go check out her her website, her socials, all that good stuff. And please do not forget to like, subscribe, comment, and share this video. Thank you so much again for watching it, and until next time, peace