Support is Sexy

While other girls her age were spending their Saturdays roller skating and playing with friends , Keisha Carter spent her weekends with her mom going to antique jewelry shows. By the time she was in the second grade, the Chicago native was a lover of jewelry design, and even worked with a craftsman to recreate a piece that she still holds precious until this today.

Today, Keisha creates precious pieces for her clients as the founder and CEO of KZ Noel -- an Atlanta-based jewelry line that sells in fine boutiques around the country and major retailers such as Neiman Marcus. On this episode of the Support is Sexy podcast, Keisha talks about becoming aligned with your passion and listening to that inner voice, why -- when it comes to your goals -- you have to set the bar at its highest and how she plans to continue to shine and grow her business in the years ahead.

On this episode you'll learn

Why you must listen to your inner voice.Start within your inner circle.Her top tips for getting your designs in retailers.Why you should set your bar higher.What you need to know about trunk shows and why they are a key event for your business as a designer.How to get your brand in front of celebrities.The simple way you can have your products featured in a gifting suite during awards season.The importance of partnerships.How to know when it's time to bring in support.Why, if you're a designer, you should start an Instagram account for your brand NOW.Why "no" just means not right now.Subscribe to Support is Sexy podcast on iTunes or on Stitcher Radio!

Thank you for listening! And hey, if you love it, please click here to leave us a Rating & Review on iTunes!

Show notes, links, contacts and resources for this episode may be found at supportissexypodcast.com.

[Music: "Easy" by SPCZ]

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Wanona Satcher describes herself as a child who was thoughtful, "geeky," and one who never followed status quo. The Atlanta native thought dolls were ridiculous, eschewing them and using them as speed bumps within the neighborhoods she built while playing on her family's living room floor for hours -- fascinated by how things are built and designed. Today as founder of Rejuve, a charitable 501c organization focused on design and social good, Wanona advocates for designing meaningful spaces for communities, women, families, children and small businesses in innovative ways -- and is still committed to rejecting the status quo.

On this episode, Wanona discusses the power of architecture and design and its influence on our surroundings, the importance of designing spaces for "purposeful serendipity," how to build prosilient communities and how she's reaching out for funding support!

On this episode you'll learn:

How to create equity of spaces.Why she believes there are really are no new ideas.The difference between prosilient and resilient communities.The benefits and the bureaucracy of working with local government.How to know when it's time to walk away, and why it's important not to burn bridges.Why it's important for women to have side hustles.Why you MUST get rest and the power of meditation.How to "lean in" in your own way.Her top tips for fundraising.There's nothing sexier than saying "I don't know," and asking questions.How to recognize the right opportunities, and how to know when to say "no."Subscribe to Support is Sexy podcast on iTunes or on Stitcher Radio!

Thank you for listening! And hey, if you love it, please click here to leave us a Rating & Review on iTunes!

Show notes, links, contacts and resources for this episode may be found at supportissexypodcast.com

[Music: "Easy" by SPCZ]

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"Little April gets healed every time I engage in a conversation or action with a family of adoption or the community as an adult."

~April Dinwoodie

April Dinwoodie is the adoptive daughter of a loving family in Rhode Island, a family she says created a center of gravity for her, a safe space. While Dinwoodie, who now lives in Harlem, New York, is grateful for a home where she felt grounded, accepted and loved, she always felt pulled to discover more about herself. That pull has been with her since she was a child, growing up as a biracial girl with her within a white family. And that pull is with her still today, fueling her passion to be a voice for adoptive families, adopted and foster care children and children within transracial families as Chief Executive of the Donaldson Adoption Institute and the founder of several programs and organizations around adoption.

On this episode of the Support is Sexy podcast, April speaks about her personal journey of self discovery and navigating the world as an adoptee and as a Black woman, how her work in the adoption field began because she was solving a problem for herself in her journey to find her birth family, and how her passion for creating programs and spaces that support adoptive and foster and families has evolved into her purpose.

What you'll learn...

How growing up adopted pushed her to learn some coping mechanismsApril's advice of when to tell your child they are adopted.How she had to overcome the fear of "leaving home."How to create programs and opportunities that align with your personal experience, passion, purposeThe moment she began to shift from individual work to focusing on impact.The ways race, class and culture plays into adoption, foster care and women's reproductive health.How secrecy and shame play into the adoption process.What work she's doing today to preserve families and affect policy.What she wants people to know at transracial adoptions.How creating her podcast, Born in June, Raised in April has been cathartic for her and how she plans to grow moving forward.How self care is crucial to her.Resources for those on adoptions -- including movies and TV shows she recommends related to adoption.Subscribe to Support is Sexy podcast on iTunes or on Stitcher Radio!

Thank you for listening! And hey, if you love it, please click here to leave us a Rating & Review on iTunes!

Show notes, links, contacts and resources for this episode may be found at supportissexypodcast.com.

[Music: "Easy" by SPCZ]

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On this episode I share what I'm calling the 4 c's of Momentum. What I've learned about momentum, what it means, how we get there and what to do when we get there.

The 4 c's are:

Commitment

Consistency

Courage

Continue.

Have a listen and let me know what you think about momentum, how it's working for you, how you plan to get it going and what you're doing to keep it going!

Subscribe to Support is Sexy podcast on iTunes or on Stitcher Radio!

Show notes, links, contacts and resources for this episode may be found at supportissexypodcast.com.

[Music: "Easy" by SPCZ]

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"Count it all joy, my [sisters], when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." -- James 1:1-4

Whether Christian or not, religious or not, you can likely find inspiration in this scripture from the English Standard version of the Bible -- especially if you're an entrepreneur.

You have undoubtedly faced many trials along the way to creating the business of your dreams. (And if you haven't yet, I would argue that you're not playing big enough -- but that's a whole other episode.) And even with those trails, whether it's because you're crazy or you have crazy faith (or a little bit of both!), you keep going, and you somehow find the joy in it.

This week, I was reminded by the inspiring, fascinating women entrepreneurs that I had the pleasure of interviewing to remember to count it all joy -- no matter the circumstance, challenge, upset or disappointment. It will pass, and it will only make you stronger, a better woman and a better entrepreneur. I didn't realize how much I needed to hear that message until it came to me throughout this week's string of interviews. (Thank you, Universe.)

And thank you to Carrie Sheffield, Carmen Daniels Jones, Shantrelle P. Lewis and Wendy Wollner (who actually said "Add laughter to your to-do list") for those beautiful reminders.

And for you, no matter what you're going through, whatever the challenge, no matter how fast and sometimes furious they seem to come, remember: Count it all joy. This is only PART of your journey. Your job? Keep going.

With joy,

Elayne

Subscribe to Support is Sexy podcast on iTunes or on Stitcher Radio!

Thank you for listening! And hey, if you love it, please click here to leave us a Rating & Review on iTunes!

Show notes, links, contacts and resources for this episode may be found at supportissexypodcast.com

[Music: "Easy" by SPCZ]

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Wendy Wollner has always been loud and loving. Yes, it's possible to be both. As one of few women CEOs whenever she's in the room negotiating with Fortune 500 companies on behalf of her corporate training business, Balancing Life's Issues, Wendy has learned over the past three decades of being an entrepreneur that "For me to be taken seriously, I learned I had to be a little loud."

Another thing that the Westchester, New York, native says is possible: Work-life balance. In fact, it was her pursuit of work-life balance as a divorced mom of three 30 years ago that led her down the path of discovering this possibility and creating a company that teaches these skills and many more to corporations around the globe -- covering 300 topics and conducting more than 15,000 sessions per year.

On this episode of the Support is Sexy podcast, Wendy offers plenty of tips for how women entrepreneurs can achieve balance in their own lives, what it means to develop your emotional IQ (especially when it comes to understanding your own emotions), how to embrace healthy conflicts and how to live out loud even when others are telling you to be quiet.

On this episode you'll learn:

What it's like to the only woman CEO in the room.Wendy's personal definition of mindfulness.How to find balance between drive and ambition and being compassionate.How to handle it when people tell you to "tone it down."How to process feedback.How to fight fairly and have healthy conflict.Is work-life balance truly attainable?5 buckets of contentment.How to come to terms with the poor decisions and mistakes we've made.Tips to pitch your company for corporate training.The importance of laughter.Why emotional intelligence is important and helps your find balance.Why sucking it up sucks.Knowing the differences between the emotions your feeling: sad, despondent, fear, anxiety, overwhelm...The trouble with multitasking.How to do resolutions right, and know that it's not always about focusing on what's "wrong."How to positively leverage your emotions.Top 3 tips for finding balance and managing stress.Why rest is a gamechanger and "crushing it" is a think of the past..Why the idea that you don't have enough time is a convenient excuse.

Subscribe to Support is Sexy podcast on iTunes or on Stitcher Radio!

Thank you for listening! And hey, if you love it, please click here to leave us a Rating & Review on iTunes!

Show notes, links, contacts and resources for this episode may be found at supportissexypodcast.com.

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Shantrelle P. Lewis has always been a woman of vision. From the time she was a little girl growing up in her beloved New Orleans -- assertive, ambitious, clear that she could do anything -- Shantrelle was calling in the law of attraction, placing posters of the college she wanted to go to on her wall (she went), later, the kind of man she wanted to meet (she married him last November) and the bestselling book she wanted to write (it's scheduled for release this April).

But what Shantrelle has also been about, always, is loving Black people, Black history and Black culture, and the expression of that culture through art, style, writing, and most recently, business. As a curator, she has traveled the world with her Dandy Lion Project exhibit and anthropological studies, and as an entrepreneur she seamlessly intertwines her culture into the fabric of each venture, including Shoppe Black -- her partnership venture with her husband, Tony, which supports and highlights Black businesses, and William + James, her bow-tie line inspired by the great Black intellectuals W.E.B. DuBous and James Baldwin. On this episode of the Support is Sexy podcast, Shantrelle riffs on a long list of books, scholars and resources that you'll definitely want to dive into (see RESOURCES below) and talks about the importance of vision, of doing the work and of making joy a practice.

On this episode you'll learn:

How to be a woman of vision.The importance of vision boards and getting clear on how -- and why -- they workHow to incorporate your passion into your business.What it takes to be an entrepreneur.Why spirituality, love and joy take practice.How to break down your goals and tackle them.The importance of knowing what works for you and establishing best practices around that.The value of having an accountability partner.You're the average of the five people you spend the most time with, so you must get rid of people who don't believe in the possibilities.Why you have to "do you" and be authentic to your own vision and dreams.Subscribe to Support is Sexy podcast on iTunes or on Stitcher Radio!

Thank you for listening! And hey, if you love it, please click here to leave us a Rating & Review on iTunes!

Show notes, links, contacts and resources for this episode may be found at supportissexypodcast.com.

[Music: "Easy" by SPCZ]

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Carmen Jones learned very early about how painful stereotypes are. She and her family experienced racism as they moved into certain neighborhoods thanks to her father's corporate job with IBM, with children willing to play with her at school; but unwilling to have her visit their home. Her mom always encouraged she and her siblings to take the high road. When, at age 20, a terrible car accident caused Carmen to become a paraplegic, she went from a 5'10" student walking around the campus of Hampton University to being in a wheelchair and dependent on friends to, at times, carry her -- literally. This experience exposed Carmen to a whole new set of stereotypes to overcome: Disability. This time, she doesn't just take the high road, she has made it her business to educate others about people with disabilities, and to educate companies about the importance of marketing to and hiring individuals within the disability market.

As CEO of Solutions Marketing Group, Carmen's agency works to "position her clients to understand, penetrate and retain the disability market." On this episode of the Support is Sexy podcast, Carmen shares why she sees it as her personal mission to normalize disability, to bust down stereotypes and to educate companies so they know that when they hire someone with a disability, they could completely change the trajectory of that person't life in the best way. She also shares how the accident that caused her disability ended up being one of her most transformational moments.

On this episode you'll learn:

Importance of market research.How to utilize speaking engagements to your advantage.Why building relationships is the fuel of your business.The power of the disability market.The difference between accessibility and accommodations.Lessons she learned from her chair.Top three misconceptions about people with disability.How companies should consider the disability market -- it's bigger than you thinkSubscribe to Support is Sexy podcast on iTunes or on Stitcher Radio!

Thank you for listening! And hey, if you love it, please click here to leave us a Rating & Review on iTunes!

Show notes, links, contacts and resources for this episode may be found at supportissexypodcast.com.

[Music: "Easy" by SPCZ]

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Carrie Sheffield is a "musician brat" who grew up between here and there and went to 17 different public schools while traveling with her family, who were all musicians. So she knows how to adapt in ever-changing environments -- including changes that she initiated herself contrary to popular opinion, such as leaving the Mormon church after attending a Mormon college, deciding to become a political journalist rather than a stay-at-home mom, choosing not to support the president-elect during the campaign season, and launching her own media company bold.global, which has a mission of shifting the conversation around politics to one that is bi-partisan although Carrie is a strict conservative.

But one thing Carrie had to learn within the past year is that standing by your convictions isn't always convenient, especially for business. On this episode of the Support is Sexy podcast, Carrie speaks openly how she has evolved as the leader of her one-year-old startup, how she's shifting the vision for her business, how she is remaining committed to her principles and how self care and stoicism have changed her life.

On this episode you'll learn:

Why it's important to find your own voice.You have to know your audience.Your brand will evolve beyond your vision.The power of working with partners.How to approach potential partners.3 things she wishes she knew about startups.Don't be afraid to stand by your principles even when it's inconvenient.Don't sacrifice self-care.Be more adaptable, don't be attached to any particular partner or vision.What she learned about simplicity, patience and compassion.Why you have to be your number one supporter.

Subscribe to Support is Sexy podcast on iTunes or on Stitcher Radio!

Thank you for listening! And hey, if you love it, please click here to leave us a Rating & Review on iTunes!

Show notes, links, contacts and resources for this episode may be found at supportissexypodcast.com

[Music: "Time Flux" by Revolution Void]

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As we prepare to say good-bye to 2016 and head into the new year, I have two words for you: THANK YOU!

You are the epitome of sexy support, and I so appreciate you! In this episode I take a moment to share my gratitude with you, and to encourage you to create something sexy in 2017!

Again, thank you.

Happy New Year!

For more episodes of Support is Sexy, visit supportissexypodcast.com.

[Music: "Birds" by Tyler Twombly]

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