Episode 245- Bonus Episode: Behind The Scenes Of My Experience On Good Morning America

Intro 0:01

T-minus 10 seconds. Welcome to the Journey To Launch Podcast with your host, Jamila Souffrant. As a money expert who walks her talk, she helps brave Journeyers like you get out of debt, save, invest and build real wealth. Join her on the Journey To Launch to financial freedom in five, four, three, two, one.

Unknown Speaker 0:30

Hey, Hey, Hey, Journeyers. All right, this is a special bonus episode for you, because one of the most amazing things in my professional career, so far, to date-- I feel like there's gonna be a lot more of these moments, but so far-- has been me appearing, most recently on Good Morning America. So if you actually follow me on social media, on Instagram, @journetolaunch or @jamilasouffrant on Instagram, or Twitter, or Facebook, or LinkedIn, or basically anywhere, or if you're especially if you're on my newsletter, then you know this already, hopefully, because I've been talking about it since it happened. And if not, maybe you just listen to me here on the podcast, I just wanted to record something really quickly for you guys telling you and sharing this moment, like more of the behind the scenes, more of how this came to be. And some lessons that I've learned, I'm learning and hopefully that you can also apply to your journey, whatever it may be. So to back up just a little bit, if you are totally new to this episode, or this podcast, this is not what a typical episode is like.

Unknown Speaker 1:34

Again, I'm just recording this because I thought I couldn't not really talk more about this. And this is like the best way I get to express myself, through the podcast. Alright, so let's step back a little bit. On Friday, December 3, I was on Good Morning America. In the studio, live. And there was so much build up and things that attributed to this moment, which I want to talk about. But I want to say a quote that has been one of my favorite mantras. And honestly, I don't like wake up saying mantras. You know, I don't... I'm not one of those people who says mantras often, but like, I will hear quotes and see things and almost just internalize them. Embody them, where I don't have to really say it that much. But once I read it or see it, it's like, "Oh, that's it." And so one of my favorite quotes, which I recently posted on my Instagram was, or is, "Speak what you seek until you see what you say." I'm gonna say that one more time. "Speak what you seek, until you see what you say." And the reason I love that quote, is because I really truly believe that everything we want in life, our wildest dreams, and maybe they're not that wild, because I really believe if you have a thought that means it's possible. It's, it's your future self, almost telling you that this is a more of a memory like this could be your memory if you have a dream or an idea, because why would you think of it if it couldn't be done? And so there are some things happening in my life right now where I couldn't have imagined that it would be happening, like I didn't really have specific goals to be on Good Morning America, or to necessarily, do some of the things that I'm doing. I mean, I have general ideas of where I want to head with my life and with my business, but not as specific all the time. But what I do, do is I know that everything is possible, and anything is possible, even when I'm doubting myself. Even when I'm unsure of the end result, I still really believe that our mindset matters, our habits matter, because sometimes we get opportunities, and you won't really know, or be able to prepare for them well in advance. You literally can get a call today, whether that is an opportunity for a job, or maybe you're entrepreneur and it's like a media opportunity, or even just maybe a date, if you're dating, like it's just one of those things where preparation takes place before you know you have the opportunity. Because while you're preparing, then that means that things are opening up for you. And that's kind of how I feel about this Good Morning America thing. It's because I feel like I've been preparing for this my whole life, in a way, without knowing that this would be it. And so when I say this quote, "Speak what you seek until you see what you say," it's important to think in a way and speak in a way, that aligns with where you want to go. And we all have negative self talk. But it's really important when you catch yourself doing that to bring it back to what you want out of life, not what you don't want and focus on what you want and say what you want, not what you don't want. Alright, let's get to the behind the scenes of Good Morning America.

Unknown Speaker 4:34

So I was on Good Morning America on Friday talking about holiday tips. And what's funny is this Good Morning America segment, actually, I was supposed to be on it a few weeks ago. And I got an email from a Good Morning America producer and they wanted me to come on actually, on two segments, two separate days. And I was like, "Oh my gosh, of course." And so we had planned, or it was planned, to be on two specific days, and this was, you know, a couple of weeks out. And so I said to myself, "Alright, so let me you know, work with a producer to basically get the talking points together." So we were going back and forth. And I was like, you know, Since I'm going to be on TV, national TV, maybe I should get a stylist. And so I typically work with Elsa, and I will tag her in the show notes. And I tagged her in all my social media stuff, because Elsa is amazing. She helped me with my brand photoshoot last year. So if you like my cover art for the podcast, and anything that you see on my website, right now, the professional pictures, that was all styled by Elsa. And I remember, like, when it was like thinking to work with her for this, I said to myself, "Ah, this is a bit much, you know, like, I can probably find something in my closet. And you don't need-- you're doing a lot right now." But again, I like to be ready. I like to stay ready. And you just never know, right? And so I said to myself, "What does the Jamila-- if I'm operating from a place of excellence and from where I want to be in life, what would that Jamila do? That Jamila would may want to make sure she looks her best." And even though in my regular life, I look like, I'm not gonna say a mess, but, you know, I'm running around with three kids trying to go to the gym. I'm going to put some effort into how I look to go on Good Morning America. So I hired Elsa to help virtually style me.

Unknown Speaker 6:21

So we did a virtual styling session. We actually rushed to get the clothes delivered. So paid a little extra to get the clothes delivered, because at that point, it was like a week out. And then we had to do the virtual session. So I was really excited that this thing was happening. And so it was gonna happen, I believe in, before Thanksgiving. And I had the styling session. Literally, I had the the meeting with the producer that morning, like so we had the conversation, it was like, "This is what time the car is going to pick you up tomorrow. Here are the talking points, and we're good." Then I had my styling, my virtual styling session, with Elsa later on that afternoon, right before I went to go pick up my daughter. And so we were going through the clothes, and we identified about two outfits, the two outfits that I thought I would be wearing on the two separate segments that I would be going on.

Unknown Speaker 7:09

Literally-- I say literally a lot don't I? Before I hang up with Elsa, so we pick the outfits, wrapping it up, I get a call from the producer. And the producer is like, "I'm so sorry, but they are canceling the segment. They are, you know, it's not that it won't ever happen, but I just don't know when and I don't want to leave you on the hook." She was super nice about it. It wasn't her fault, because she's obviously dealing with things out of her control. You can tell she was also disappointed. But I like, literally just-- there goes that word again. I really had just finished styling, picking up this outfit. I was about to actually post about it on social media, like guys, you know, "I'm be a Good Morning America tomorrow," and I get this call. And so of course my first thought was to be like, "Oh my gosh," disappointed, but then I remembered-- I remembered that, listen, nothing happens in your life. And I believe in anyone's life, without a reason. And while I was disappointed that it wasn't going to happen. I was also a little relieved, I'm not gonna-- I'm not gonna lie, because I was nervous. I was scared to go on a stage like that. On Good Morning America live, in the studio. So part of me felt relief, I'm not gonna lie. But then part of me was disappointed. But I said to myself, "You know what, if this is meant to be for you, it will be." And I could have had the option, at that point, to return all the clothes and be like, you know, "Why spend this money?" And I don't know, if I'll ever wear them, you know, these clothes that I had picked out, or else I had helped me pick out. But I said, "No, let's not do that, because you don't know when they're gonna call you again and you want to be ready. " And now you are ready, you have the outfits that, if they call you last minute, you have them prepared. And you even know the talking points if they decided to stick with the segments you already decided on. You have that together, for the most part. So just keep them. This is not a loss, this is an investment. And this allows you, actually, to prepare more. And with that, I kind of just said, "All right next time." And then a week later after, I think, I forgot when I got the-- I think it was like a week out, again. I got the call or the text or email... I forgot which, how she communicated with me, from the producer. And she was like, "Well, they want to do this on December 3 now. Are you available?" And I'm like "Yes! I'm available." And again, this was a week out, so I was-- knowing that it was cancelled before and how just TV works and show business quote unquote works. I was excited, but I wasn't, you know, betting on it happening. I was like, "This can cancel again if they have something more important that they want to talk about on GMA that day. If something crazy happens in the news, they're probably going to push it out again. So, at least you're ready, but let's not get too crazy." And as the days passed on, and got closer to December 3rd, I was like "Okay, they're not canceling it and looks like this may happen."

Unknown Speaker 10:00

Here's one of the other reasons why I felt like December 3rd was a very important date. So now I'm going to go back a little bit and trace my steps to this GMA appearance. So, in 2020, I was also on GMA, but GMA three. So, Good Morning, America has GMA three, which is the third hour of GMA. So the first two hours are GMA, Good Morning America. And that's what I went on this past Friday. Last year in 2020, I had the opportunity, which was amazing. Again, at that point, it was like the biggest segment I've been on, was GMA three. And guess what date that happened on?

Unknown Speaker 10:42

December 3rd, right? So I was on GMA three, December 3 on 2020. And it was virtual. I was in my house. And it was a different experience, because literally, like, I didn't really have to go anywhere. I used the dress I already had, and did my own makeup. But it was a really cool experience, very big for me at that point. So it was a big moment for me at that point. But even with that experience, that wasn't my original date that I was supposed to be on GMA three. They had scheduled me in November and pushed back to December 3rd, and then it happened on December 3, 2020. So when I got noticed that this potential segment would be on December 3, 2021, I said to myself, "Something's happening here." I mean, I feel like something's always happening and unfolding and working in my favor. But it just felt like I think this is really going to go down. And if I can even say again, why this December 3 date is important to me and my family is, my stepfather, his birthday was on December 3rd. He passed away in 2019. And he was definitely someone who loved watching what I was doing with Journey To Launch. He loved the news. Like this is one of those things, he would have been so excited, like, to actually, like, he would been like screaming on the streets, like, and telling everyone, his daughter was on Good Morning America three, and then Good Morning America. And so his birthday is on December 3rd. And so while he wasn't physically here to see me in 2020, or 2021, I believe he had everything to do with this happening for me. So once I knew that they had pushed it again to December 3rd, something in my heart, in my mind, in my spirit said, "This is probably going to happen, but let's still not get too excited." Fast forward. Now we are at December 2nd, I had the call with a producer again, we're going over everything, figuring out the pickup time for the car, because with COVID restrictions, I couldn't do any makeup in the studio. So we were just going over everything. And I was like --Well, we, I think, we spoke maybe, like, at 12 or one o'clock. And so I said to her, "Is this happening?" Like and you know, she can't really say or know, because anything could happen outside of her control. And she was like, "Yeah," she feels pretty confident that it is and she and I was like, well, by 6pm, this does not get canceled... what's the chances of it happening in the morning? And she's like, "Well, yeah, by 6pm If it's not canceled, it's probably most likely going to happen." And so with that, I was like all right, I feel confident to go for it and like step into that this moment is going to happen the next day. And with that takes a lot of coordination in my life to leave that early in the morning. So the time that the car is supposed to come to my house is around 6:30. I take my kids to school, so my husband typically leaves before the kids even get up. He gets to school pretty early. So I am like doing the all the morning stuff and pickup. So for me to leave early, like, it takes coordination, because then I need people to help me. It takes a village. I need the village to come step in. And so I was like, "Alright, let me line up and make sure everyone is still okay." Now lucky for me, I already still had my outfits that I kept from the last cancelled or pushback opportunity. And so I had that. Didn't have to worry about that. Luckily, also, the makeup artist that was going to do my makeup the last time, she had confirmed she was available. She doesn't live too far from me. Her name is Anna, by the way, and I'm gonna mention everyone's thing towards the end, so you guys can check her out, but, Anna I didn't look too far from me. And so she was like, "Look, I can make that happen. I'm very flexible." So I was like, "Alright. Got it." My sister Shaina. Shaina McGregor, she was like, "I can come by and spend the night," because I could have someone come with me. And I was like, "Well, maybe, you know, she can be my assistant for the morning." And so she came by that night and was available that night, to spend the night and then leave with me in the morning. Luckily, my husband's mom, my mother in law, was able basically to take the kids to school. What I'm trying to say is it for it for me to put this in place or to be able to do this. It took a few people to make this happen and but luckily everybody was ready and willing and able, even at the last minute, to kind, of step into place and, like, help me out. So Alright, now let's kind of get to the morning of. I knew I was going to have a very early morning.

Unknown Speaker 15:00

The car was supposed to come at 6:30. And the makeup, so Anna, makeup was going to get to my house around 4. I think, like 4:40, because you know, we want to be ready and all that. So I had a very early morning. Now what's funny is, me being Jamila, the night before, right I'm like already, like well, trying to get ready. Reviewing my notes about the talking points, because this segment, I'm talking about holiday saving tips, was going to be, like, a two minute segment and you have to hit all the points. So I was like, "Alright, let me just write out my points on a card, review them." And then as I'm looking at the card, I'm like, wait a second, guess what I forgot to do? My nails. Like my nails were not done, because I don't do my nails. I don't do my eyebrows. I don't do my nails. I don't do things like that. I don't know, just takes a lot of time. Just, like, I'm good. And I was like, "Well, you can't go on national TV with, like, no nails," especially because I knew that some of the things... there'll be props there for the, for the segment itself. Like there'd be the spinning props, and possibly I may need to turn them and if I'm turning them, then maybe the camera will go on my nails. I'm like, "Oh, no." Luckily, I was able to find nail polish that went with the vibe of my outfit. And I just did my nails. And they were done adequately. You know what it looked, I wouldn't have looked too close at them, because they were kind of like, eehhh, but it was good enough for TV. So, you know, did my nails, finally went to bed. My brain was, kind of, going in overdrive, and I did finally fall asleep. Wake up at around four, I think I did set the alarm for like 4:20, I think 4:20, honestly. Got into the shower. And then makeup came on time and started doing makeup. My sister was already here. And so she then came downstairs after a little bit. And now it was like time to go. So getting my makeup done. I already have my outfit or the at least the if you saw the pictures I had the turtleneck on. And the plan was we need to leave by 6:30.

Unknown Speaker 16:58

So then my kids also now have to wake up earlier, because my husband is dropping them to his mom's house, because he still needs to get to school on time, or he wants to still get to school on time. So with that, like, everyone starts to wake up in the house. And I'm still finishing up trying to get ready and leave. And I decided at that point, well, I'll just wear a regular pants. I'll change at the studio. And time is, like, winding down. The car gets here. And then of course, the kids are up. And then they expect me, because they're used to me, kind of, doing everything in the morning, at least in the week. And so, what happened, and this is a lesson that I'm going to talk about that I learned, was that I, kind of, got sidetracked, because instead of me focusing on, "You need to leave this house as soon as possible to get out the door to make sure you get to Good Morning America on time," I was trying to almost do both. Or I was getting ready, finishing up, and then one of my kids, "Oh, I need this." And instead of just letting my husband do it, which he is perfectly fine to do it. I'm stepping up and stepping in to a role at that point I should not have been doing, because it's, like, delaying my time to leave the house. Finally, everyone's leaving the house now. But instead of leaving at 630, we leave a little bit later. So it's more closer to 6:45. Which doesn't seem like a lot. But it is, because this is live TV. And my house is about, in traffic, in the morning, an hour away from the Good Morning America studio.

Unknown Speaker 18:21

So when I realized, like, "Wow, this actually cutting it really close," because I was supposed to get there pretty early, to review everything, to walk through the set, to get a COVID test. And when we got in the car, I asked the driver, like, "What time do you think we're gonna get there?" And he was like, "You know, maybe 7:50." And I said to myself, "Oh my God," because now we're in morning rush hour. And so my sister, Shaina, was with me in the car. And now I'm, kind of, freaking out, because I'm thinking if we get there like if we're lucky enough like there's no additional traffic. Is that enough time? Because I knew the segment was supposed to go live. I'm supposed to be going live and talking at 8:15. And I knew I had to get COVID tests. I knew I had all these things. So I, literally, at this point, and worrying and freaking out that I'm about to miss the biggest opportunity of my life. And for a moment I'm just like, like, my mind is freaking out. Luckily I had Shaina with me. She was calming me down.

Unknown Speaker 19:23

And we both, kind of, said, "You know what? We cannot control what time we get there. We're in the car. The driver is doing his best. He was awesome too. And let's just focus on going over your talking points." And I was like, "Yeah," so, for the rest of them right there. We just focused on my talking points. On the cards. And I kept redoing them and over and over with my sister in the car, because I knew when I got to the studio, there probably wouldn't be any time, if any, to go through it again. And the other thing that we did is because I actually was not wearing my full outfit in the car, because I thought I had more time. I like, at a light, ran out, got my full outfit, my jumper, it's this beautiful, pinkish jumper from the trunk and I literally change in the car. And that way, I could be just ready when I got out the vehicle to the studios. So in the car, reviewing the notes. Then I get a call from the producer. She's just like, "Oh, how far are you?" And I'm like, you know, at this point, we were closer to the studio. It does seem like we're getting there at least, as fast as we can. And so I was like, "You know, maybe we're like 10 minutes away." And she's like, "All right, we got to be ready to go." And so we literally pull ups in studio, it felt like... it was so surreal. It was so quick. Pull up to the studio. Someone opens the door, we get out and, like, there's this big door. There's like security and literally like, there it is. There's a lot of people. A lot of production, and the producer meets me and she's just like, "All right, we got our... we got to hurry up, we have, like, literally no time." So we run, or not run, but we walk very quickly, to the room that I was staying in... or that I would be staying with my sister. Um, they do the COVID test really quickly. And then, like, my-- I was like, they wanted me to fill out a form, a virtual form for the COVID test. So I was, like, gave it to my sister. I was like, "Can you just do this?" That's the last time I see Shaina. So she's now in the room, because they're like, "Alright, now we got to go downstairs." So we go, quickly downstairs. Shaina is upstairs in that room. I'm like, "All right, she'll figure out the form." And we are probably now, maybe it's maybe, eight o'clock. Now we're supposed to go live at 8:15. And I'm now with the producer. And she's just like, "We need to go over. I need to time you on your talking points for this." And I didn't mention, she had sent an email with an updated, like, script. Luckily, it was actually a shorter script. And so I did receive that in the car and reviewed in the car. So by the time we were reviewing it together, I kind of, had it down. But there was one moment where we were going through it. And literally again, it's like a movie, there's so many people walking around talking to her, because she's doing multiple things. And at one point, I had a question, in the middle of the script, and I'm like, "Um, can I do this? Or will this be there?" and she, she said it very nicely, but very firmly. She's like, "I need to know that you can get through this. So you need to do it just straight through." And it was like at that moment, like it was game on for me, because I was like, "Oh, I can do this. I'm gonna do this." And so we did it one more time together. She's like, if any, "I don't care if anyone interrupts me. Like, if someone stops me, you keep going, because we need to make sure we hit all these points in two minutes." And I'm like, "All right." And so I do my last run through with her, right outside the studio. And people are interrupting her, talking, trying to get things done. And I'm just like talking. And I'm remembering the points that I'm doing and it goes well and she's like, "Alright, that sounds good."

Unknown Speaker 22:44

By this point, I have not looked at myself at all, since getting out the car. I don't know what my outfit looks like. I know what it looks like, but it wasn't like I got to fix it in the mirror. I didn't get to fix my hair or makeup. Didn't get to put on any more additional lip gloss. It was like, game time. We walk into the studio which again-- very surreal. You're seeing-- all the, you know the anchor, Michael Strahand is there. Like, people are just, like, sitting down that you see on TV. And I'm just, like, "What!?" And I'm standing, you know, trying to be as-- not trying to cause any issues. Just want to stand in place. Might hit down a camera, or hit someone. I get miked up. Test 123. And they're like, "All right, you're going into position." And so, what's pretty cool is, you see behind the scenes of everyone, the anchors, and they're all-- they're all so calm. Like, they're on live TV, I guess, everyday. So it's not, I guess, they're able to handle this a lot bette, but it's like, okay, maybe there's a commercial break. And then they're going live in 20 seconds. And they're-- there seem cool as can be. And here I am standing in position and just like thinking to myself, "This is your one shot. Like, don't mess this up." And I wasn't, you know, honestly, at that point, I was not talking that, like, kind of, critical to myself, because I was just focused on getting it done. It was more like here you are. This is really surreal, but you're here for a reason. And one of the things I didn't mention was, in the car, it was so nice that she did this, but Shana, she had me go through a breathing exercise. 'Cuz she knows how, kind of, nervous I can get and how I was freaking out about the timing. And we went through a really quick breathing exercise and visualization. It took like a minute, but it was so helpful. And so when I was standing in, like, that spot, and it was literally, like, you have two minutes until you're live and you know, Cecilia is gonna come over. That was the anchor that helped me, well, the person who was talking to me when you see the segment. Here's where you stand and do this. And everyone, by the way, on production, on set, was amazing and super nice. And they were like, "Do you need anything?" and I'm like, "I'm good." And I got a couple of compliments on my outfit, like, they're like, "Oh this such a bright, nice outfit." I'm like, "Thanks." So I really felt comfortable, like, I didn't feel like, "Oh my gosh, this is, like, so everyone here looks mean." No, everyone was totally nice and welcoming.

Unknown Speaker 25:00

And then it was like, "After whether, you're on." And they were just like, "Just talk and do what you need to do," right? And I'm like, "Alright, let's do it." And countdown was on. And I did it. I did it. I posted the full segment on my Instagram, Facebook, so you can see it there. It's also on GMA on goodmorningamerica.com. And so you'll get to see what the full, final segment looked like, but it went so fast. This, I think, it came out to be two minutes and 30 seconds. And I'm, like, "You have to hit these points." And I know, like, it's funny, even though it was so nervous to do it. I told everyone about it. So I feel like okay, "Everyone that I know is watching me, hopefully, and cheering me on." And then there's countless other people who don't know me, but this is your moment. And I just went with it. Finished the segment. They, everyone was like, "You did great!" Left. So basically now, we're leaving the studio. I go into the room. I see Shaina. And I'm like, "Ah, it's done!"

Unknown Speaker 26:01

And I was, like, "Shaina, did you see the segment?" and she was in the room the whole time. There was a TV in the room, but she didn't-- she didn't even see the TV, because she's also probably coming off of, like, the high that, you know, we were on of just like, getting there on time, and all that was happening. So she actually did not see the segment in the room. And I was just like, "Alright, but, it's done. And it went well, because that's what people are saying." And I'm just like, "Okay. Awesome." So, oh my gosh. It was such an experience. It happened so fast. To think that all the build up to two minutes. Like, was that, is, kind of, insane. So then, just really quickly as I wrap up the experience, my Good Morning America 2021 experience, we were there. And I was like, "Well, let's take some pictures. Let's take some pictures and some videos." So we took some pictures and some videos. And then we went to the bathroom, went to the bathroom. And this, I think I might have to save for the next round of, I don't know, a story to tell, because I do think that this next part of the story is going to be very pivotable... Pivotalable. A very important part of what I do in the future, but in the bathroom, I met someone, who at the time I didn't know who she was, she was just... I was still so excited. Like everyone. I was just like, "Hi, you know, hey!" She was super nice. And it turns out to be she was very she was she's somebody that has a lot of influence at Good Morning America. And I'm just so glad that I-- being me. And this is how I think with everyone, I don't care who you are, I'm always going to talk and be nice. And you know, she said, "You did a great job. This is exactly what we wanted it to be." And I'm like, "That's amazing, you know, call me any time." And again, it was very, it was it was great meeting her in the bathroom, because that didn't have to happen. Like, like what are the chances are that I meet someone at her level, who was actually, she said, she's the one... she saw my article in The Cut. I had an article in The Cut/New York Mag. She saw the article, she liked it and she said, "Let's have her on the show." So the fact that I met this woman, like, who's the one that got me on the show initially in the bathroom and then, not even knowing that was her, but just, like, talking and, and learning more about her, she's learning more about me. It was surreal. And we-- so Shaina and I we, essentially, getting our stuff together. We leave the bathroom now, at this point. We are leaving now and waiting for the elevator. You know, we go into the, I guess, there's a break room where we, you know, get a little coffee and something to eat really quickly. But we're leaving. And as we're waiting for the elevator, I see Michael Strahan pass by, he's just like, "You did a really good job." I'm like, "Thank you."

Unknown Speaker 28:40

And I saw Cecilia again, she was like, "You did great!" I'm like, "Thanks." And we leave. We leave, we go back into the car, and I was like, "Oh, my goodness, like it's done. Like all that." In the car, we have our debrief, we're like, kind of, just still in awe about everything that happened. And I go home. I go home. And even though it's been a few days, I still kind of feel the energy from that day. And so I really before I go, I wanted to just share just that background, but then also some, like, lessons learned from that day at GMA, or just in general, what led up to it, and then hopefully, you can apply or learn something too. Okay, so here are just some things, some lessons, I felt like I learned.

Unknown Speaker 29:26

One was doing too much. That morning, I was doing too much. I had this opportunity that had been today, the biggest one of my career and for visibility, and it's almost like I still was falling into... which never goes away, right? But that mothering role, right? My kids are defaulting, or looking at me and I'm like, I should have just been like, "Listen, ask your Daddy." Or, "I can't do that right now." Right? Because, if I would have missed this, that would have been crazy if that was the reason why I would have missed this. So, I know for sure, the next time I get the chance like this, it's like, "I cannot talk to you," you know, I'm gonna do what I have to do to make sure you're taken care of and you're okay, but I'm not going to let guilt and/or my, this almost, overdoing, prevent this opportunity that will lift us all up, that will put me in a better position to give you more as your mom. So that wasn't me, like, you know, like, as parents, as mothers, especially, sometimes we do too much. We do too much. Our kids are more capable. Our partners are more capable of figuring out and doing it on their own. So that was one of my lessons.

Unknown Speaker 30:37

The other thing was focusing on what I could control. So I would say number one was stop doing too much. And number two was focus on what you can control. So in the car, at this point that we were going and I felt like oh my gosh, what if we get there too late? I could have focused on that and just sat there and been nervous and just been sitting in that fear. But instead, we decided we are going to practice. We're going to practice as much as we can, because in the event that we get there on time, you want to be prepared. And so there's so many things that are happening outside of our control. We have no control of how they will end up. So focusing on what you can control, in the event, because we're thinking sometimes about the worst case scenario, but in the event that the best case scenario happens, are you ready for that? Are you ready to take advantage of that? And I wanted to be ready. So for me, that was instead of focusing on getting there late and missing the segment, which would have been just, devastating, I'm going to focus on when I do get there, I'm going to be ready to show up and do what I have to do.

Unknown Speaker 31:40

And then I would say the other lessons that I learned was practice and let go. So I had been reviewing my talking points the night before and more loosely throughout the week. And in the car, I was, like, going over and over again. When I got to the studio, and I had a couple of times to run through everything with the producer. At some point, I had to let go. I had to trust that I knew what was going to happen, was going to happen. I had to trust that who I needed to be and show up on the camera, was going to be that person. And what I needed to say was going to be said. And there's a lot of times that we put so much pressure on ourselves to get it right. And sometimes it's, like, we already know what we need to do. If you did the work already, you know what you need to do. Just show up and do it. And I really felt when it was like, "Alright, it's on." I just showed up. I just did what I felt like was inside of me to do. And if I would have basically focused on every single word coming out my mouth, I would have tripped up on my words more, I would have been more nervous, it wouldn't have been great. And so, practice, do what you need to do to be prepared for the moment. But once your moment is here, trust that you have everything inside of you to show up fully as you are supposed to be.

Unknown Speaker 32:59

Then other thing is, enjoy the moment. enjoy the moment and not just the destination moment. That moment is cool, like, being on GMA was cool as hell, But it's the moments that lead up to that. GMA lasted two minutes, The moments that led up to that like, listen, it lasted a lifetime. I'm 38 years old, okay? If I can say my age. And I know I don't look it, but I am 38. And so, I almost want to say that I've been preparing for opportunities and moments like this my whole life. Before there was a Journey To Launch. Before I even knew about a podcast. What a podcast was. Like almost everything we do is leading up to this thing that we don't know about. Like there's this thing in our future that we're working towards. And so, we are in current moments of our lives that are preparing us for moments, other moments, bigger moments. And if we're only waiting for the final moment to enjoy it, it's gonna go quick, you're gonna maybe miss it even. And it's the moments where we don't know, we're unsure, we don't even know where we're going, or what we're doing. These are the moments that we have to lean into, and enjoy. And so as I now am, kind of, still journeying on my path, I do believe I have a lot more to accomplish and do. And so, it's enjoying the times in which I am sitting here in my room, recording this episode and still trying to figure out things in my business and things that in, next year ,won't be an issue are just leaning into the moments, because the final moment or the big moment is all good. But usually that last relief, like doesn't last very long. It's the moments that lead up to it.

Unknown Speaker 34:36

Okay, last thing I'd say about lessons or takeaways from this experience is, it's so important to have a support system. You know, I appreciate all of you that listen to this podcast. That follow me on social. That are a part of my, like, journey or family, like, I can't thank you enough for giving me energy and fuel to keep going, but it's also really important to have, like, in life, real people. Whether that-- is even just one person, right? Like, a village to help you, because, for me, having a village to be able to do some of the things I do is, like, key. And so for me, it's about leaning more into that village. Thanking them and appreciating them, but also for you to think about who is your village and how can you tell them that you appreciate them? How can you show up for them? And so I just want to thank my village, all of you for helping me out, whether it's my virtual Village, my podcast listener, village, and then my, like, in real life, family and friends village, that really help me do what I do. I really appreciate it.

Unknown Speaker 35:40

All right, so that was really-- I just want to do, like, a quick run through of GMA, and I wanted to just shout out people who were really pivotable in that day, so for my makeup was Anna and she, on Instagram, she's @ladyatplaysalon. So Anna, from @ady atplaysalon, she did my makeup. I want to shout out Elsa. So Elsa, the amazing stylist. So if you liked my look, that was all Elsa, because I would not have picked that out for myself. Her name on Instagram is @ElsaIsaac. So E L S A I S A A C. And then shout out my sister Shaina. Oh my gosh, for basically just being the voice of reason. For helping me calm down and my assistant for the day. She's @shaina.mcgregor on Instagram. I'll tag everyone in the show notes. Again, thank you so much. If you were able to see the segment, if you were rooting for me, I appreciate you. And I really do believe that we're just getting started, Journeyers. Who knows what's next!

Unknown Speaker 36:45

If you want to check out the episode shownotes, that's where you can get links to anything that's mentioned, find out more about our guests and even get a transcribed version of this episode that you can read, go to journeytolaunch.com or click the description of wherever you're listening to this episode. Now, you can also still grab your free Journeyer Jumpstart Guide by texting Launch to 233777 Or go to journeytolaunch.com/jumpstart.

Unknown Speaker 37:16

If you enjoyed the episode, as always, take a screenshot. I love when you are sharing that you're listening to the episode. Take a screenshot, share it on your social media, on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter @journeytolaunch and tag me, tag me so I know that you are listening. Share it on your main feed and tell me your takeaway Tell me one thing that you learned, that you didn't know before, or something that you are going to do going forward as a result of listening to this conversation. Don't forget, you can get the episode show notes for this episode by going to journeytolaunch.com, or click the description of wherever you're listening to this and you can still grab your Jumpstart Guide for free to help you on your journey to financial freedom by going to journeytolaunch.com/jumpstart. If you want to support me and the podcast and love the free content and information that you get here, here are four ways that you can support me in the show: One, make sure you're subscribed to the podcast wherever you listen, whether that's Apple Podcasts, that purple app on your phone, your Android device, YouTube, Spotify, wherever it is that you happen to listen, just subscribe so you are not missing an episode. And if you're happening to listen to this and Apple Podcasts, rate, review and subscribe there. I appreciate and read every single review. Number two, follow me on my social media accounts. I'm @journeytolaunch on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. And I love, love, love, interacting with Journeyers there. Three, support and check out the sponsors of this show. If you hear something that interests you. Sponsors are the main ways we keep the podcast lights on here. So, show them some love for supporting your girl. Four, and last but not least, share this episode this podcast with a friend or family member or co worker, so that we can spread the message of Journey to Launch. Alright, that's it until next week. Keep on journeying Journeyers.