Ep. 8 Building Your Own Terms: Shea Harty on Fulfillment, Sponsorship, and Navigating Beyond the System

This week, Shea Harty shares her moving perspective on why female founders must create lives and businesses on their own terms, navigating beyond systems that don't resonate. After successfully climbing the traditional corporate ladder, she found that fulfillment was more important than success as defined by the system. We explore how this mindset shapes her work as a true sponsor for others and her mission to architect solutions for the systemic gaps she’s identified in her work.

Transcript

Speaker 2 0:00

Hi, and welcome to today's episode of the WeWin podcast powered by Accelerate Her Africa. WeWin stands for Women Elevating, Women Igniting, and Women Navigating. I'm your host, Lolita Ejiofor, and it's a pleasure to have you listening to us today. Our guest today is Shea Harty. Imagine a world where everyone, regardless of gender, race or background, has equal access to opportunities, resources, and power to shape their future. That is the mission of our incredible guest today. As a founder of the Empowerment Foundation, Shea is breaking barriers for immigrants, women in STEM, and underrepresented entrepreneurs, providing them with the tools, funding, and support they need to thrive. She's a dynamic speaker and an advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion. She also coaches female founders to push past limitations and build the business of their dreams. From corporate stages to one-to-one mentoring, Shea is on a relentless quest to level the playing field. So if you're ready to be inspired and maybe even join the movement, this conversation is for you. So let's dive in. Hi Shea. It's great to have you here with us today.

Speaker 1:41

And I'm really happy to be here.

Speaker 2 1:44

You shared a wonderful story from early in your career at Queen's Library when your manager chuckled and told you that you weren't a finance person, that you were a HR person. Can you take us back to that moment? What did he see in you that you hadn't seen in yourself? And how did it set the foundations for your journey?

Speaker 2:11

Most people don't ask me about that story. So it's nice to talk about it. I I really was gearing up to be in finance. Um, I went to, I'd moved to Washington, DC to do this management trainee program, selling mutual funds and insurances. That's where I met you. Thinking that I was gonna work on, you know, Wall Street, being a stockbroker and buying and selling. And when that didn't go forward, I wanted to still work in finance and working for this library. And I was just doing a part-time gig, but they were implementing SAP software into their to prepare for Y2K. That's how old I am. I was there for Y2K. And it turns out that I did have this skill. I didn't really see it. I just genuinely like people, and I genuinely like their story, and I tried to understand them, and I I like making the connection. And so I was talking between the programmers and the end users and trying to translate. Uh, they sent me to programming classes for SAP so that I could learn what the programmers were doing and also help them translate what we wanted from the end user perspective. I loved it, I loved doing it and I was good at it, but I really love making money. And that's a finance money. And when he told me that I was a people person, I wanted to go into finance or actually become a programmer. He said, No, you are good with people. This is this is your secret power. And I at first I was rather injured by it because I thought this person was blocking me from my goals and my dreams. And it took me a while to digest that he saw something more or he had saw something different that I was also good at. It took a while to get to that place, but eventually I did.

Speaker 2 4:14

Yeah. I imagine you're like most people who set out to go for finance because they want to make some money. Yeah. But even I could have told you you're a people person. So years later, you founded the Empowerment Foundation, born from a moment you said made it impossible to ignore how much talent is being wasted after meeting a highly qualified professional locked out of the job market. Tell us about that encounter. What was it about that specific story that became the catalyst for you to build an entire organization?

Speaker 4:54

To be honest, I didn't know that that was the catalyst until I looked back on all the things that transpired. I had an Airbnb when Airbnb was still kind of new, and I had someone working for me who was managing the Airbnb. And she spoke five languages, she had a degree, she had a master's, and for some reason she just couldn't get back into the job market. And she went from being the person that I first met who told me that she was just going to work with me temporarily, and then she was going to go back to her career and do what she was trained to do, being a psychologist. And somehow that wasn't working, it wasn't happening. A year went by, two years went by, uh, two and a half years, and one day she came to the door and she just looked beaten down. She just looked gray. She looked tired. I mean, she's a single mom. And she was on the verge of giving up. And I thought this can't be right. This isn't right. Even though I was training at that time, training to get my own coach certification. I thought someone other than me, since I knew her, should coach her. And I reached out to my network, and two people that knew me said, hey, from the response that you're getting in this uh group chat, why don't we do something together and put together a nonprofit? Because it's having a coach and having that help when you're unemployed, it's really hard because you don't know when you're going to get money again. You don't know what's going to happen. You don't put money back into yourself, especially if so much time has gone by. You've tried on your own. You kind of get lost in this thing, nothing works. And you start to not trust that things will get better again. So the whole point of the organization is not just that there's talent that's not being identified or being overlooked, but also the individual has forgotten who they are, that they can do, will do. They this is not their life. This is a moment in time in a bigger life that they have. And working together with them from an individual level, but also working with organizations to see how they can help. That's really what it's about.

Speaker 2 7:16

Wow, that's so profound. Your empathy is amazing. How you're able to think about how you could help this lady and transform that into a purpose. It's so beautiful. So something I've been thinking about a lot is the concept of sponsorship. It's when someone actively uses their capital or reputation to open a door for someone else. Looking back, who was a true sponsor for you? And what did it feel like when they took that active risk on your behalf?

Speaker 7:56

So I know that I've had people in my corner who have helped me out, helping me with my mission, basically. Helping me with a nonprofit, helping me go further. I don't know that I've had an active sponsor doing that for me, but I've had people who have talked to my clients for me, who have made an introduction for me. And I know that that is kind of part of the sponsorship, but what I think is real sponsorship is an ongoing relationship where they continue to open doors and I don't have to keep asking. That you already think of it, and I don't have to come to you. You understand what I'm doing. And the first thing that pops up when someone says something that's on my plate, when someone's talking about it, you immediately think to introduce me. I have people in my corner for sure. I'm not discounting that. I don't have what I would call a traditional sponsor who's advocating for me. And I think that is the difference between a sponsor or a mentor or someone else, someone actively advocating for me. But I definitely have people in my corner. I have people I can call on when I need help. I have people when I'm trying to do something that are there to brainstorm with me if I need it, my mentors and people who will make introductions if I ask.

Speaker 2 9:21

Okay.

Speaker 9:22

That's not what I find that I feel like there's a difference. Do you know what I mean?

Speaker 2 9:27

Yeah, I totally agree with you. There is a difference. You know, you have the people that will advise you and tell you what to do based on their own experiences and skills. But then there are some people who take that extra step to introduce you to people who can support you and give you practical steps that you can take to move to the next level. So, knowing that, how are you acting as a sponsor you wish you had in the career of these people you support?

Speaker 9:59

Yeah, because of the work I do where I'm helping people find jobs. Every once in a while, if you come to a workshop or event that I'm hosting and take the time to tell me your story, I take on the initiative to see if I can help you more personally. And then I'll meet with you, not just to mentor and talk to you, which is good, but I open up my network for you and I make introductions for you, and I make sure you're invited to places. And then I keep checking on you if you have gotten further. It doesn't quite end until you tell me I'm in a better place or I'm getting closer to my goal, or these things are happening, so I'm almost there. Then, you know, then I can kind of let go, and I won't call you every month, and I'll call you every quarter, and then you know, we'll see how it goes from there. But that's that's what I try to do for people. I really believe in the power of a network and not just a network of people who are just lists on names, but creating those relationships. And so when I do call on them, it's not a oh, Shea's calling again for something. It shouldn't be like that. Yeah. It should I'm trying to create relationships where I check in on you when I can, where I invite you to things that have nothing to do with work, where I meet you for coffee and we don't talk about work. I try to recreate it in that sense of creating relationships beyond just we can do something for each other. Because I, you know, you can hear in someone's voice when you're like, oh, hey Shea. I'm like, oh no, then I won't ask you. If you're giving me that vibe, it's not a good time. But you know, I I really want to make sure that I create relationships beyond just a list of names and numbers of people I can call on. Yeah, that's what I hope for.

Speaker 2 11:58

Yeah. I mean, you know, sponsorship is time consuming. It's you pouring yourself into others. So come on, if I'm gonna give you a call, you better be up for it, right? You specifically work with entrepreneurs who are one or three years into their business, noting that these are the most challenging years. Okay. So for these founders in that specific phase, what is the most common hurdle you see them face? And what is the first piece of your playbook you would give to them to overcome them?

Speaker 12:40

Um the first, the thing that I see most challenging that isn't talked about is the internal conversation that they're having. Can I do this? Is it am I gonna be successful? Is this the right way? A lot of the things that other people I see focus on are the marketing, your financials, all of that is still important. But if you don't believe that you can do this thing, then you're not gonna do it. No matter coaching, it doesn't matter how much the finances, it doesn't, you need to already visualize what the end is gonna be like before you get to the end. I think oftentimes we overlook that because we're looking, you want something that um that you can see, touch, and feel. And faith and trust is not something you can touch and feel. You have to have it internally. So, what I do with people then is uh going back to why they even started this thing, why did we be where did we start from? Because to lose your faith and trust, a couple of things have to happen. When you first start your business, you're like, oh my god, this is incredible. This is what I'm gonna do. I know I can do this, and this is the people I'm gonna help, and I'm gonna be successful. No one starts off with, I'm not gonna do good. Everyone starts off with, I got this. Somewhere along the line, either things don't go right, your mom tells you you're not gonna make it, your spouse is not supportive, there becomes a snowball effect, and you start to focus on the stuff that you can see, touch, and feel.

Speaker 2 14:10

Yeah.

Speaker 14:11

But if you don't also continue to hold on to why you're doing this, why this matters to you, what you believe in, why you believe in it, then you lose things. You don't trust your instincts. You listen to what other people tell you that this isn't their passion project. They didn't come up with this idea, they can't give you that. They know what they know, but you know something intrinsically inside of you that this is gonna work because you know it's gonna work, not because it's right on paper. The people who are truly successful in their business went against the grain. They did things quote unquote wrong. And that's why they're successful. Not because they followed what somebody said, you know, your target audience wants, and and what the way that you're supposed to market to people. That that's important. It's a knowing that sometimes we forget to not uh listen to. It's a knowing. I know this is gonna work.

Speaker 2 15:11

Yeah.

Speaker 15:12

Believing, a faith, a trust, whatever you want to call it.

Speaker 2 15:16

Right. I can totally get it because a lot of people are held back by what other people say, you know, family, friends, and they just stall on their ideas and they stop believing.

Speaker 15:30

Exactly. Exactly. And I think I want to believe that everyone has good intentions. They don't want to see you fail. They know what they know and they're trying to give you the information they have. Mom knows what she knows, and she doesn't want you to make a mistake. You know, your husband, boyfriend, wife, whatever, they know what they know, and they they want to make sure you're okay. But taking the leap into this is jumping off the cliff with a parachute that you haven't opened yet, and you don't know if it's gonna open. You just have to believe. Like God has got you. You just have to believe and just go with it.

Speaker 2 16:07

Yes, everyone has good intentions, or most people. One of your speaking topics is overcoming the pain of selling. Can you share a personal story about a time when that pain was real for you? A high-stake pitch or a partnership that failed spectacularly. And what did that failure teach you about the real meaning of sales?

Speaker 16:41

That's what the whole thing is about. The whole sales thing is everything that we learned in that program, the management trainee program. It was all about selling. I mean, she told us a lot of nonsense, but she also told us some nuggets, you know, fake it till you make it, which has some bad connotations, but it's a fact of believing before you see the results, right?

Speaker 2 17:05

Yeah.

Speaker 17:06

And the whole sales thing, what I found out, and I don't know if you felt it when you were there, but it was about understanding what other people wanted and giving them what they wanted, not in a false way or lying to them, but does your product, the thing that you want to sell, does that solve a problem for them? Like, does it generally help them? And that's what I tap into, and that's what I try to teach other people to tap into. It's not about tricking anyone. If you can't help them, walk away. That's not the person for you, that's not your client. Don't try to force anyone into it. But if you have a great product and someone has a problem that your product can solve, that's what you sell. And the pain of it that I find a lot of people have is this fear of rejection, and especially with women, because in most dating cultures, the women don't get rejected. Men come to them. Most dating cultures are like that. So we have to kind of get over that, oh no, someone's gonna reject me. No, they're just saying that what you have for them is not for them, they don't see it. So either what you're saying to them doesn't match their needs, or your product really is not right for them. They're looking for something else. They might be saying one thing to you, but maybe you're not asking enough questions. Maybe the solution you're presenting is not the right solution that they're looking for. There's all so much more. To me, the the selling, before you even start selling, you need to understand what the issue is. Yeah, and there's so many ways, so many uh process, sales processes, and methodologies to use, but all of it goes back to understand what the problem is before you talk about fixing it. Get the person, your client, your potential customer to talk, talk, talk, talk, talk and listen. Actually listen. And again, that that really comes down to do you care about the people you want to help? And if you care, then you'll listen to what they need.

Speaker 2 19:07

Yes, I mean, empathy is so important when dealing with customers. But I also want to go back to what you said about women having self-doubt. What is wrong with us? There seems to be a lot of fear within us, this imposter syndrome, which keeps coming up. A lot of my guests have touched on it as well, that prevents us from moving forward and going for what we truly believe in.

Speaker 19:32

Yeah.

Speaker 2 19:33

You founded two incredible organizations. The Empowerment Foundation, which helps overlooked international professionals find their footing, while Wenovate was born because you saw a crisis of women leaving STEM and felt the need to do something about it. Tell us about these organizations and the problems you're solving.

Speaker 19:58

Well, we talked a little bit about empowerment already, people in the job market, international people, men and women, who are uh living in the Netherlands. For that organization, we focus on people living in the Netherlands. With Winnovate, we talk about women in general who are in science, technology, engineering, and math field and art as well. You can put that in there. But generally in environments that are male-dominated. You already talk a lot about the tech field because that seems to be on trend, it's very popular. But these same women are in medicine, sciences, and engineering roles, and they're not being seen, or the space is not being created for them to be who they are, which could be you know being a woman, being a mother, being, you know, all the things that come with that.

Speaker 1 20:56

Yeah.

Speaker 20:57

So what happened was I was uh it was during COVID, and I was I'd already was working with this organization that creates women in tech conferences, which was amazing. Just getting women together for a whole week of conferences, and it was just an amazing program that she had. And through that, I started being connected to more women and women in sciences, and I started seeing a lot of posts where there was a lot of sexual harassment that we don't talk, we don't talk about the sexual harassment in hospitals. This woman who was finishing up her studies and on to be a doctor, and the teacher had said, You're I'm not gonna make you Magnum cum laude, whatever the highest one is, because you don't socialize with us. Wow. You don't come to drinks with us, you don't you don't hang out with the boys. And she was shocked, but she was not surprised because when she did go out with them. The men would get very handsy. Their hands were on her back, on her leg, on her, just on her body for no reason. There's really no reason for her. And so she didn't grow. But it meant that this person was now blocking her career from moving forward because she didn't want to be harassed at the bar while they're all get drinking and getting drunk. So those things, those stories kept coming up, and I felt like we're actually missing again another space where we're missing talent, key talent, because of the way the environment is and the people who are in charge and the power that they hold. I didn't want to just talk about it. I always want to do something about it. I'm not really, I'm really more action-oriented. I want to be more solution-driven. So we we set up some conferences and some talks, and I talked to organizations and I'd do workshops when I could, whatever I could to get that conversation going. Like, how do we create spaces that are more inclusive? And how do you learn to listen when someone's saying, No, I don't like that.

Speaker 2 23:09

Yeah.

Speaker 23:10

That was really hard, period, to get that conversation going because a lot of people think that they want to help, but when we get to the helping part, when we get to the learning part of how to behave differently, that's a bigger challenge. I found out during while I was doing that.

Speaker 2 23:31

Sadly, sexual harassment in the workplace does a lot of damage to women's careers. And even in this day and age, there seems to be a lack of systemic support to prevent these from happening. So you find a lot of women avoiding certain circles, not progressing as they should, because they don't feel protected. They're left to have to navigate the systemic floor as it is, or leave. So, in the work you're doing for these organizations, what have you learned about the fundamental differences and barriers these two groups face? And what does it tell you about the kind of tailored support they each uniquely need to thrive?

Speaker 24:21

So, what do those two groups need? I don't want anyone to just survive. I'm talking about thriving here. I'm done with helping people survive. Of course. There's a lot of organizations helping people survive, and I'm very happy for them. My goal is to help you thrive, excel, exceed, surpass. That's the words I like to use.

Speaker 2 24:42

Come on.

Speaker 24:42

So the things that I see that is often missing is coaching, which is quite expensive. Or can be quite expensive. So we're able to offer it for free or discounted. That's a big part of it. The other thing I try to do for individuals is the networking. It's really in this world, it's really all about who you know.

Speaker 1 25:08

Right.

Speaker 25:08

And knowing the right people and getting them to either support you individually or support your long-term goals. Like, really that sponsorship is a big challenge to me. Sponsorship is really to even get into that level of support, you really have to invest in creating relationships with people. You have to put that in. And if you're an introvert, or if you're uncomfortable talking to people, or if you've ever had a moment where you've felt unsafe before, it's really hard to go back out there and give people a try again. So other things that we try to do to overcome that is creating those safe spaces where we can have conversations so we can start getting out of the survival mode. So you can think beyond just the paycheck and getting to a place where you give yourself permission to be successful beyond your wildest dreams. That's really the challenge, I think. How to keep doing that. And with each generation, with each group of people, you think it's just a copy-paste exercise. It's not. Everyone's different, everyone's had a different story, everyone's culture is different. You know, if you ever read up on culture, even if you're like, okay, I'm from Japan, yeah, but are you from the city or from the country? Are you from Tokyo or from somewhere else? Were you from a single family house? Were you both your parents married? Did you are your only child? I mean, all of that matters. So there's no, there's no ones, there's no copy-paste exercise for anybody. So it's always about tweaking things, listening, seeing if we can help them connect the dots, and seeing if we can create something that they can take forward. Because our other policy is we're not doing it for you. Our our policy is teaching someone to fish so they can fish for themselves, so that they get stuck again, they can figure it out themselves, so that they can maybe even help someone else. That's really our goal is not to give it to you, but to show you how to get it for yourself because we think that's far more empowering and more lasting results.

Speaker 2 27:23

It is, it is to provide the best form of support. It's really important that you are invested in these people because that way you can understand them, you understand the nuances, you understand all those bits that they're not saying, including the bits they are saying. But it would help you to provide the best solutions, the best type of training or coaching that you can give them so that they can build a future that's best for them. As you look at the next decade of your work, what role do you feel a responsibility to play in advocating for and helping to architect the solutions to the systemic gaps you have identified in your work?

Speaker 28:12

That's a good question. For the next decade, we already know that what we did before needs to change. We already know that we have to switch what we're doing. We're gonna be changing things up with empowerment, specifically with Winnavate. Not sure what we're gonna do yet. The challenge we have is that we thought that helping women getting funding was a key thing to do. We thought that was gonna be important. But actually, is it? Or is that what everyone tells us is important? That in order for your businesses to be successful, you have to get funding. You have to get money to keep growing. Yes, you need money to keep growing, but there are other solutions. And a lot of successful businesses bootstrapped their money, never asked for outside money. They grew with what they could grow with. They didn't try to quickly grow faster. They grew at a pace that was comfortable for them. So when we think about what we want to do in the future, it's because honestly, women and people of color get less than 5% of any funding that's going out there. So is that really a solution that we're trying to trying to force them to into a program that doesn't want them? So I'm more looking at instead of trying to play that game, what else could we be doing? And how can we do it differently? How can we support you? And there's a podcast called Founders that it's a really good podcast. This guy is looking back at previous founders and how they've become successful. And I I didn't really, I wasn't really sure about it because I thought it was going to be very male-oriented, but there was so much knowledge in there, so much that previous founders have done, where they never went public, they never asked, you know, went for and got investment capital. They were creative. The main thing they worked on was managing their costs.

Speaker 2 30:15

Right.

Speaker 30:16

Not trying to be too big too fast, paying attention to what's going on in the market, understanding what's happening, also understanding what's happening for you. Life could be happening. If you're especially if you're a woman, you could be getting married. Now there's a new person in your house. And let's face it, when it becomes husband and wife, or wife and wife, or have whatever combination, now other people's opinions kind of matter. It kind of matters. So everything with if you had a business before that, it matters what they're saying because you're now sharing a household. Those things take an impact, or having kids, or parents getting sick. I said it before, but it's really to create a program, it's more about helping individuals figure out what's gonna work for them in the right way. Beyond what everyone is, beyond the noise that's going on online and what people are pushing and someone else's agenda about what success is supposed to look like and what that's supposed to look like for you is so personal. Not everybody wants to work 50 hours a week. And why do we have to? I could work more than what I was doing. Just no, no, no. So the changes that we're looking at in general is about more individual and how to support people on their journey in their own way, yeah, and making sure that, yes, there's always gonna be noise, but helping you make sure that you stay on track with who you are, what you want to do, and maybe things need to shift, but that's okay. You're still going in the direction that you want to go through. And make it not a straight line, it's a zigzag, it's a curve. Sometimes you gotta go backwards, sometimes you go backwards to go forward 20 steps more. It's all part of the process. I think so many times, I think with age, I'm learning this. So many times you get stuck with uh, oh no, it's supposed to happen this way, and so-and-so did it this way, and and no, no, I've had to change my plans, and now everything, no, everything is going according to plan. It's just a little, a little squiggly line instead of a straight line.

Speaker 2 32:35

That's fascinating how you can convince people to find their own path for their own success.

Speaker 32:43

Yeah, and but on their own terms. On their own terms, not because they were playing somebody else's game. Because we don't, and we actually don't have to, and that's the thing we have to keep reminding ourselves. We don't have to play that game.

Speaker 2 32:58

Yeah, I that area that you've touched upon is really important for founders to realize they have options, they don't have to seek funding immediately, they can start by bootstrapping their ideas. Uh, you you mentioned being creative by managing costs, by growing organically, because life is life thing, right? You you you have to take into account your lifestyle that it fits with your vision and the work that you're doing. Okay, so um, knowing everything you know now, what is a single piece of advice you would give to a 25-year-old version of yourself?

Speaker 33:38

I hear people answer this question a lot.

Speaker 2 33:41

By the way, 25 years ago, that's not a long time for you, is it?

Speaker 33:44

No, it wasn't. Um, I hear people answer this question a lot. It's almost always the same. And I thought, when someone asks me that question, what am I gonna say? But honestly, it's the same as every people who have made it to the next couple of decades. You tell your 25-year-old self, it's okay. Keep going, don't give up, don't get distracted. You're okay. Don't stress over the nonsense, don't stress over what mommy says, don't stress over what daddy says, don't stress over what the boyfriend, girlfriend, whoever said. You're okay, keep going. What you have on your mind is good, keep going. And it's okay that you made a mistake or that it didn't work out. Keep going, keep going, keep going. I think I wouldn't change too much of what I did in the past because it's how I got here. Sure. And I'm I'm happy here. It's not maybe it's not perfect for someone else who's looking at it, but I'm happy with it. So I just want my 25-year-old Seth to, I'm not gonna give her any advice. Because what if she changes and messes it all up? God, all the hard work I've put in here, but um no, let's keep going.

Speaker 2 35:04

Yeah, that's a great response. I mean, you don't want to change what you were doing at 25 because that's led you to what you're doing today, and you've grown and you've changed and you transform, so you shouldn't change anything. For the people listening like you who want to play a role in building a more equitable world, what advice do you give to them?

Speaker 35:28

I'm a little jaded. I'm a little jaded sometimes, and I think it's noble and really, really inspiring people who go into a space of trying to build equitable, fair, inclusive spaces for others. I also see the other side that it is uh it's um it's an uphill battle.

Speaker 2 35:54

Yeah.

Speaker 35:55

And I often question, like, what are we doing this for? Because they don't want us in there anyway. What am I trying to fight to get into the club? They don't want me in there, I can go to another club. Like what? Like, why? If anyone who's doing that work, don't let it burn you out. And there's a there's a time to stop, pivot, and it's okay. Somebody else is picking up the mantle, and also figure out what your space is in that space. What is it that you're truly contributing to? Because if you're contributing to the patriarch and you don't know it, revisit what you're doing. Because it's all it's all there's so many layers to it. Once you get into it, you're like, oh, oh my god, oh my god, yes. Like, oh no, I'm no, no, this is not what what I thought I was doing. I thought I was doing something else. This is wrong. So just just just question and question and question things, right? Make it make sense.

Speaker 2 36:59

Yeah, I think what you've really touched on for me is a lot of us founders, we allow the system's definition of virtue to guide us. We lose our focus on what we actually intend to do and what we stand for because we're looking for funding, we're looking for affirmation, we're looking for validation, and then we lose our way. And you're absolutely right. If it's not working, pivot. But you have to know who you are, what you stand for, and what you're giving to the world as your impact. I just have one more question for you. What role does your spirituality play in grounding you in your work?

Speaker 37:49

Definitely. I aim to always go with my spirituality with God, with uh the messages He she sends to me, she sends to me. Um, the times that I have not have always steered me in the wrong direction because I'm listening to someone else's logic, someone else's practical thinking, and then I do it, and I'm like, oh my, I knew I wasn't supposed to do that. I knew the other direction was right, and I didn't listen. I I didn't listen. So, you know, this comes with age and practice. It's not that all the noise is bad, but you really have to filter. Yeah, not every message is is designed for you to change what you're doing. Some messages are to remind you that you're on the right path, and some messages are to see, are you sure this is the path? Let me let me throw something at you. And to see how determined or how much trust you have in what you're doing. I hate to say it's test. I think of it more like, are you sure? Because if this is not what you want to do, let's go do something else. Are you sure? Let's I'm checking in with you. I'm gonna throw this out here, see what you think. Are you sure this is what you want to do? If not, let's do something else. Let's change. And then that's a question for yourself to say, uh, I am sure I do believe on going forward. And if you don't, that's okay. Another opportunity will come down the line. But there are definitely times where, like, uh, I should have listened to my, I should have listened to my inner voice, I should have listened to my God, my spirit, my guardian angels, those people who are telling me to go left. But yeah, I I try to do it more and more and more, and I think, I've got, I'm hope I'm getting better at it every day. Definitely, it's a work in progress.

Speaker 2 39:56

And we always work with the lessons that we've learned to ensure that we're better, we get better and better as we progress in life. Shea, I just want to say it's been a pleasure having you here with us today. I thank you very much, and I wish you well.

Speaker 40:17

Thank you for having me. It was fun having this conversation, and I really enjoyed it.

Speaker 2 40:25

Wow, that was our guest, Shea Harty. I hope you found today's episode engaging and insightful. When we pour ourselves into others, we want them to thrive and grow with the right support systems, particularly when it leads to a more equitable and impactful society. And this is for you founders. You have options. Remember, you need to build your own space on your own terms. You can find ways to fund your business without giving up your values or your core message. Remember who you are. Ask questions. Do your research, and if necessary, stop and pivot and start the process again. It's never too late. I would like to thank you once again for listening to the WeWin podcast powered by Accelerate Her Africa. Do enjoy the rest of your day, and we look forward to having you on our next episode. Bye.