Welcome to Pivot to Profit, the podcast, where personal growth meets business strategy. I'm your host, Tavier Wooling, and today I'm going to bust your bubble in a big way. Because somewhere along the line, many of us were taught a lie. We were taught that before we could pursue big opportunities, before we could be the lead, and even before we could build something of impact, we had to first check off a list of qualifications. You need the right degree. You need the perfect resume. You need years and years of experience. You need to look the part. You need to come from the right background. But let me tell you something very clearly. All of that was a bold-faced lie. What you actually need is audacity. The audacity to believe that you are the right person for the opportunity. The audacity to show up in rooms you were never invited to. The audacity to create opportunities when no one gives you one. And if you combine that audacity with grit, sacrifice, and obsession along with your goals, you can build a life and career most people only talk about. So today we're talking about the audacity advantage and how it can change everything about your career, your business, and your impact. So let's start here. Too many people get stuck waiting until they are qualified enough. They think, I need another degree, I need just five more years of experience, and I need to look a certain way. And don't forget, I need to come from the right circles. And listen, I'm going to be honest about something. At some point, presentation does matter. How you show up in the world will eventually become part of your brand. But in the beginning, that is not the barrier people think it is. The real barrier is hesitation. The real barrier is waiting for permission. The real barrier is believing that someone else has to validate you. And the reality is most of the people you admire didn't start because they were ready. They started because they were willing, willing to try, and willing to fail, and more importantly, willing to be seen. And willingness will take you further than any credential ever will. One of the biggest reasons I've been able to build the career invisibility I have today, it's really very simple. I had the audacity to be seen. That meant when I walked into rooms where people were willing to listen, I didn't stay quiet. I would listen to the room and identify ways I can insert a thought that would work with what was being said. Now, I didn't always have the knowledge I have now. When you listen, you can begin to pick up on pieces of information that resonate with you. And then you can add effective insight. But I learned early that visibility matters because if people don't see you, they can't remember you. And if they don't remember you, they can't recommend you. In addition to ensuring I was visible in the rooms I was in and adding insight based on my lived experience and my transferable skills, I decided early on that instead of waiting for opportunities, I started to create my own. I created events, I created programs, I created conversations, I built the spaces where I could be the person bringing people together. And when you do that, something powerful happens. You become the connector, you become the host, you become the person people associate with leadership and community. And eventually those same people begin to talk about you and rooms you're not in. They become your ambassadors. They say things like, you should talk to Tavier or Keisha or John or Edward. Totally need to connect with her. She's doing amazing work. And suddenly, doors start opening. Not because someone gave you permission, but because you created your own gravity. Here are a few examples of how I did this in my early days. Now you might be surprised to know this, but I was a Mary Kay consultant. Okay. Uh uh. Don't be rolling your eyes. Not too much. I knew I wanted to be known as the Mary Kay Lady, not just another Mary Kay Lady. So I hosted fun events that focused on empowering women. They were absolutely aesthetically pleasing. They were fun, they were themed, and it brought women together to just simply have a good time while amplifying their natural beauty. In these spaces, women felt seen and heard and beautiful. And as a result, of course, I made sales and I built a lawyer customer base. And what happened from there, people started to recommend. They would say things like, You have to talk to my Mary K lady. You have to talk to the only Mary Kay lady that matters. That's what you want. And when I no longer sold Mary Kay and I wanted to transition to a fully entrepreneurial position, I began hosting women's networking events throughout my community. And part of that meant focusing on connecting and engaging with women entrepreneurs so that I could build a community. Or when I launched the Black Girl's Guide to the Pivot, which not only was a podcast, but an online space that supported black women as they pivoted during the pandemic. That online community was 500 women. We had virtual summits, weekly lives, and of course the podcast. Women knew to tune in to that space. So here's a side note: these are just a few of the things I created that would later provide me with the experience, leverage, and expertise to elevate more in the current field that I'm in now. Never underestimate humble beginnings. You just need to learn how to leverage the early days to scale your impact. When you create your own opportunities, not only are you proclaiming that you have the audacity to be seen, you are rising up as a leader, developing new skills, and exercising your ability to double down on your own gifts and talent. So let me tell you something most people underestimate the World Rewards Initiative. But most people sit around waiting to be chosen. They wait for the job, they wait for the title. They wait for someone to say, you're ready. So let's jump into what I did differently and how I highly recommend you consider it as an option for you. When opportunities didn't come, I built them. If I wanted visibility, I created platforms such as the Black Girl's Guide to the Pivot and the Empower Her Movement. If I wanted influence, I built AB100's Women, a monthly networking group. If I wanted credibility, I created work that forced people to pay attention. I used my personal experience of feeling unseen when my son died to activate the call to action to ensure that those who had healthcare needs were seen, heard, and taken into consideration when it was time to select their treatment. Because of that and because of my work, my work influenced and contributed to four research studies. This is how entrepreneurs think. And even if you're not running in business, you still need to think this way as well. For example, when I started to bring people together for community conversations and initiatives, something interesting happened. People started associating my name with leadership. They started associating my name with solutions, and that's really good. They started associating my name with impact. And when that happens, your reputation begins working on your behalf. Your name starts traveling, your credibility starts growing. And that's how opportunity starts to compound. Here's a side note, because you know I love me a good side note. Building these platforms, conversations, and community and anything else takes time. It requires consistency, and you need to be in it for the long run. Nothing happens overnight. You are building your own brand. In a quality brand built right will last many years, even generations. In the world of social media and going viral, going viral doesn't always equate to results, such as financial increases or immediate access to all the things. So build intentionally and build strategically and always build something to outlast currently what's trending. Let's talk about the non-sexy part. The thing that no one wants to hear about. I know you don't want to hear it, but we gotta dive into it. Everybody wants success. Everybody wants the recognition, the title, the purses, the bag, the trips, whatever it is, we all want those things. Even if you don't want to tell other people, we still want those things. But what's less talked about, but is extremely essential to success, is sacrifice. So let's review the difference between surface level sacrifice and deep sacrifice. Surface level sacrifice, what people think sacrifice is, this is the version people talk about publicly because it sounds good and it feels productive, but it doesn't actually move the needle much. Surface level sacrifice looks like skipping a few social events, posting about being busy or grinding, grinding, but only when it's convenient. Doing tasks that feel productive but aren't strategic, staying in your comfort zone while calling it effort, saying I'm tired but not changing your habits. This kind of sacrifice is performative. It gives you the feeling of progress without requiring real change. And notice I said it gives you the feeling of progress. It's safe, it's controlled, it's why a lot of people stay stuck for years. So, real sacrifice, what actually changes your life, will look a little different. But first, it's uncomfortable and it's totally inconvenient and it often goes unseen. Real sacrifice looks like choosing discipline over comfort. Waking up early when you don't feel like it, working on your goals when no one is watching, following through when motivation is gone, and y'all, motivation will leave in the early stages. This is consistency, not bursts of effort. It will also look like letting go of who you used to be, outgrowing habits, environments, and even relationships. Saying no to things that used to define your identity, accepting that growth will change how people experience you. This one's emotional, and most people avoid it. Then your strategic isolation, which is only for a season. Spending less time socializing, protecting your focus, prioritizing your vision over constant connection. Let's keep it 100. You cannot build something meaningful and be available to everyone all the time. Real sacrifice will look like doing work that doesn't pay off immediately. Yeah, y'all. Building something with no guarantee, but showing up before recognition even arrives. You're investing your time, money, and energy without instant return. Do you know what it's like to spend money and knowing that this money's not gonna come back for like months and maybe even a year or two? This is where most people quit. Real sacrifice is being uncomfortable on purpose. And quite honestly, this is where impact begins to grow exponentially. Walking into rooms where you feel out of place, speaking when your voice shakes, taking risk where failure is visible. Growth requires exposure. Real sacrifice is going to include delayed gratification, choosing long-term success over short-term pleasure. Y'all. Reinvesting instead of spending. Y'all know I love to shop, but we gotta reinvest. Building instead of consuming. This is the difference between looking successful and becoming successful. The core difference between surface level sacrifice that protects your comfort. Real sacrifice disrupts your life. One keeps your identity intact, the other forces you to evolve. Another way to think about sacrifice is stop asking, what am I giving up? And start asking yourself, what version of myself do I need to become? And what does that version no longer do? Hopefully that question will encourage you to dig deep into real sacrifice. I want to share something that recently happened to me. I went to the Indian Wells tennis tournament. So excited. It's something I had wanted to do for years. So I purchased a sweet ticket. Now, listen, that ticket was not cheap. But what I didn't expect was the room I walked into. I was suddenly surrounded by people's whose normal lifestyle included private jets. Private jets, y'all. That's clearly not my life right now. We'll add it to the list. I do well for myself. I've worked extremely hard to build what I have, but this room was different. I was the only black person in the room, and I hadn't felt that level of intimidation in a long time. But in that moment, I reminded myself of something. I worked hard to be here. While I might not yet be in the same financial bracket as the people in that room, I know there was something for me to learn while there. So I did what I always do. I sat comfortably, I smiled, I enjoyed the experience, and when opportunities came up to speak, I engaged. But more importantly, I observed, I listened, I watched how people spoke and interact with each other. That let me know how they thought. Because sometimes this first step into a new level isn't speaking or doing something, it's studying the room. And there is something powerful about putting yourself in new environments. Your mind expands. You start realizing what's possible. Because until that moment, I had never been shoulder to shoulder with that level of wealth. I had been around successful people, but this was different. And once you experience environments like that, something shifts inside you. You catch a bug. Not the flu, but a good kind of bug. You start thinking, I want to understand how they think. I want to understand how they built their wealth. I want to understand how they operate effectively. And that curiosity becomes fuel because proximity changes perspective, and perspective changes ambition. So let me give you a few action steps you can take starting today. Practice audacity. Stop waiting for permission. You don't need it. Speak in rooms where your voice adds value. Apply for opportunities before you feel ready. Create your own platform. Don't wait for someone to give you a stage. You could start a podcast, host an event, or start a community. Visibility compounds. Make strategic sacrifices. Decide what your goal requires. Does it require more focus, earlier mornings, or less distractions? Then commit. Put yourself in bigger rooms. Attend events where people operate at a higher level than you, even if you're simply there just to observe. Because remember, observing and listening leads to exposure. Build your ambassador network. Treat people well and deliver value. Create experiences people remember. Be the talk of the town for all the right reasons. Because people who believe in you will say your names in rooms you haven't even entered into. So if you take nothing else from today's episode, remember this. You don't need perfect qualifications to begin. You need audacity. The audacity to show up, the audacity to create, the audacity to believe your ideas belong in the room. And when you combine, and when you combine audacity with discipline, sacrifice, and obsession with your goals, you won't just pivot your profit. This is Pivot to Profit where personal growth meets business strategy. I'm your host, Tavier Woolley, and I'll see you in the next episode.