A strange at an expo changed my life
I dabbled with the idea of becoming an entrepreneur for years before I did it.
In my twenties, my family and I started a side hustle called Gavin Baked Goods. That fell apart when my sister and I realized that, no matter how much you think you know, you can't tell a black mama what to do.
(If you have a black mama, you know what I'm talking about. Also, love you Mom :))
From there, I considered creating a fashion blog, a food truck, a clothing truck, an online store, and a haircare line. Basically, I had a lot of ideas. Thankfully, one of those ideas led me to a natural products expo that changed my life.
I was sampling some vegan cheese, because one of the perks of attending an expo is trying out all the products, and I ended up in a deep conversation with a white British guy operating a vegan cheese booth.
It turned out that the man wasn't a vegan cheese monger but a life coach there supporting his client.
I had heard of life coaching before talking with him, but I'd never experienced it. It sounded so "new age" and weird then, so I was skeptical. Despite this, I was intrigued by our conversation. So, when he offered me a free session, I decided to try it.
I can trace a direct line from that chance meeting to the experiences in all areas of my life today. That first coaching conversation was the first time I felt heard and encouraged to go after the desires of my heart, even if they seemed impracticable or unattainable.
Through Woke Up Worthy, I aim to provide that experience for women of color with the critical added layers of seeing and understanding.
Unfortunately, traditional coaching models promote transformation and healing without reckoning with the harmful effects of racism, sexism, homophobia, and oppression on everyone. You can't see or understand someone if your response to that type of oppression is silence.
With this in mind, I've developed The Courage Practice, a signature coaching framework specifically for women of color that doesn't ignore the effects of oppression on our achievement but empowers women of color to continue moving toward their goals in a world that often bets against us.
The Courage Practice
The Courage Practice, Woke Up Worthy's new signature framework, has five phases:
01 Clarify The Real Goal
As women of color, we often limit ourselves to what we think is possible, not what we genuinely desire. Or we become so used to going after the practical that we're not sure what we want. This phase is about unearthing what you genuinely want, even if it seems unattainable, because naming it is the first step to claiming it.
02 Unhook Self-Worth From Outcome
We've been conditioned to link our worth to our achievements, but our successes or failures do not determine our value. Here, women of color learn to unhook self-worth from the outcome to open themselves to limitless possibilities without the fear of failure holding them back.
03 Understand Internalized Oppression
This phase involves recognizing and acknowledging how societal messages have shaped our beliefs and actions. Because we're told we must be twice as good to get half as far, we equate success with exhaustion, anxiety, and a frenzied pace. Here, we learn to decolonize success so we accomplish our goal with ease and grace.
04 Develop Your Elevated Action Plan
In this phase of the coaching process, we split our focus. One part is about creating a practical, actionable plan toward the goal. The other is about developing practices to nurture our inner strength so that we have the tools to support our outer journey.
05 Cultivate Fierce Friendships
Fierce friendships are a network of support where you can be unapologetically yourself. All of our hopes, fears, and dreams are welcomed without judgment or shame so that we feel sustained along the journey toward our goals. Fierce friends aren't just the wind beneath our wings, they are the caring force propelling them. In this phase of our work together, women of color learn how to cultivate them.
Let's Celebrate! The You Were Built For This Roadmap
In celebration of The Courage Practice, I'm offering free You Were Built For This! Roadmap calls once again.
I offered these calls in the summer to assist with my market research, and the Courage Practice framework is a direct result of that work.
If you are a woman of color (WOC) who feels stuck in the job you've been trained to do but wants to start getting paid for the work you are built for, you're invited to book a *free* call with me.
>> Click here to book your call!<<
There are 2 things I hear from WOC all the time. We want to:
Create generational wealth and
Make an impact for ourselves, our families, and our communities.
At the same time, we are exhausted from making the impossible possible without resources or support.
Imagine having the time and space to rest, dream, connect, and plan to create your desired wealth and impact. Well, that's what we will do on your You Were Built For This roadmap call.
Together, we will create a plan to use rest as the catalyst for your rebirth. Then, we will map out a strategy for you to leave your job and start your entrepreneurial journey in the next 6 to 18 months.
If you booked a roadmap session with me over the summer, this is your opportunity to get a check-in coaching session for free.
And if you have yet to experience coaching with me, I'd be honored to create a path to your dream goals with you.
Click here to book your call!<<
In power and solidarity,
Toya