Episode Transcript
[00:00:07] You gotta be bold. This story gotta be told own your fierceness gon and glow this the Sonja Empowers Show.
[00:00:13] Stay on gold like a lion who on the prowl Sonja Sells help you get it. We doing it and doing it now.
[00:00:29] Hey, Empower disruptors. Welcome back to the Sonja Empowers Show, where I ignite your online business and help you own your fierceness. Embrace your unique beauty, talents, and strengths. Rise above fear and step into your destiny as you build empires and shatter expectations together.
[00:00:51] Have you ever felt like you're constantly striving for the next big thing, always chasing that elusive finish line?
[00:01:00] Well, today we're taking a step back to celebrate your journey, not just the destination.
[00:01:07] We're going to explore the incredible power of small wins, those seemingly insignificant victories that often get overlooked because it's these small triumphs that fuel our motivation, build our resilience, and ultimately lead to our greatest achievements.
[00:01:30] So, the power of small wins.
[00:01:34] Let's look deeper into the reasons why celebrating small wins is such a powerful tool for personal and professional growth.
[00:01:44] One boost motivation.
[00:01:48] Every small win, no matter how insignificant it may seem, triggers a release of dopamine in our brains.
[00:01:57] Now, this neurotransmitter is responsible for feelings of pleasure and reward.
[00:02:04] By acknowledging and celebrating these small victories, we're essentially rewarding ourselves, which in turn motivates us to continue striving for more.
[00:02:17] 2. Enhances perseverance.
[00:02:20] The path to success is rarely a straight line, y'all. In the beginning, it looks like a pot of spaghetti. Messy.
[00:02:29] It's often filled with obstacles, setbacks, and challenges.
[00:02:35] Can anybody relate?
[00:02:37] But when we focus on our small wins, we're reminded of our progress and capabilities.
[00:02:45] This positive reinforcement real. This positive reinforcement, it helps us stay persistent and overcome adversity.
[00:02:55] As I mentioned before, and you will hear me say it time and time again, you have to become your biggest cheerleader. And one of the ways that you do this is you have to do what I call a life in review, you know, and celebrate those small wins. What worked?
[00:03:15] What did you achieve? You know, we focus so much on what we didn't achieve, which sometimes causes us to overlook those small wins.
[00:03:28] So embrace that messy pot of spaghetti and just know that as long as you keep moving, you are making progress. Okay.
[00:03:42] 3. It cultivates a growth mindset.
[00:03:47] A growth mindset is the belief that abilities and intelligence can be developed through dedication and hard work. By celebrating small wins, we are reinforcing this belief. We're acknowledging that every step, no matter how small, is a step forward. You have to see that you are growing. You have to embrace the growing pains. You have to tell yourself like, this is short term discomfort for long term comfort. I tell myself that all the time. I tell myself that throughout the years when things got really, really, really difficult and I didn't know if I was going to make it, and I kept telling myself that, keep moving forward, keep moving forward, keep moving.
[00:04:43] The minute that you stop moving and you get comfortable in no motion, that's when you're going to revert. That's when you're going to find yourself meditating over and over again about what didn't work, what obstacles got in your way, what challenges you're facing tomorrow or have to face next week.
[00:05:07] So embrace the growth mindset.
[00:05:12] I promise you, it may feel like you're putting in so much work, hard, laborious work right now, but if you stay with it five years from now, it's not going to be how it was today. It's just not. It may be a different type of work, a different type of area you need to focus in, but the things that appears to be challenging right now, whether it's technology, learning a new skill, you know, adjusting to your newfound hat as a CEO, I promise you that whatever it is, it's not gonna be as hard five years from now. Even myself, the things that I'm growing into right now, whenever I look back five years from now, I'm like, you know what?
[00:06:13] I let that, I almost let that defeat me. And even when I look back on my journey that started actually way back in, I think, like 2008, I have grown so much. I couldn't tell you anything about technology. I didn't know how to create my own website using a drag and drop template. But now I could create basic websites and I know enough about WordPress to maintain my own WordPress site. And I've grown in creating social media graphics. And here it is, I'm doing a podcast. You could have never told me in a million years back in 2008 that one day I would be creating audio to help people. You couldn't, you couldn't tell me that back then, but I'm doing it now. And so you have to have that growth mindset, you know, no matter what.
[00:07:17] And lastly, it strengthens team cohesion.
[00:07:22] Now, in a team setting, celebrating small wins foster a positive and supportive work environment. It creates a sense of shared purpose. When team members feel appreciated and recognized, they're more likely to be engaged, motivated and productive. Now, you may be saying, sonia, I'm just Now, starting out, I'm not even thinking about a team. I'm not thinking about employees, I'm not thinking about anything. What I'm telling you is that somewhere along your journey you're going to have to start thinking about it. It may not be where you ever have quote unquote employees, but you may have team members. It may be where you're contracting out different aspects of your business operations so that you can be more productive. So you're going to have interactions with people. And sometimes those individuals, they do such a great job that you're like, you know what? I really need to have them on a part time basis. You know, it may still be on a contract part time basis, but you see the value in them. And even though that they are not considered employees, they are still a part of your team. And it's still important for you to have that supportive and positive work environment. Because believe me, I'm self employed, so I've contracted with individuals plenty of times. And if I don't feel like I'm a part of the team, if I feel invisible, if I don't feel supported, then more than likely I'm going to end our relationship. If the contract was for three months and they want to renew it, and I'm seeing like three months or six months or whatever it is, I mean, it's just a negative work environment, I'm not going to stay with it. You know, there's no amount of money that can sell me out on my piece. That's part of being an empowered disruptor. I'm not at that place mentally where I feel as though, okay, just because someone is throwing money in front of me that I have to take this, you know, this contract, I'm not in that place no more. Because I've learned through my own experiences that having the desperation mindset, this desperate mindset actually keeps you in poverty. It keeps you in lack, you know, it'll keep you just chasing your dream. Why? Because you're filling your pipeline up with the wrong type of people just for the sake of, oh, I gotta pay a bill. Well, that same bill probably is going to come in the next 30 days. You know, that's just life. And so you wasted 30 days or three months literally stressing and probably, you know, in a depressed depressive mode or mindset by having, you know, this negative work environment or working around negative people.
[00:10:25] So what did you really accomplish? You know, so what I found out is in my own personal life and I'm getting off topic, but someone needs to Hear this. When I was first starting out as an entrepreneur, you know, self employed, I mean, just wet behind the ears. I mean, I'm just, just green.
[00:10:43] You, you're so excited. Like, you have this drive to just want to get that first client, make that first sale.
[00:10:52] And when you're in a lean cash flow season where you're like, oh my gosh, I'm behind on my bills, or you got forced in a, in a situation such as you got laid off and you have to make, you know, maneuver, and you're like, okay, I'm gonna try this entrepreneurial journey, whatever the case may be, you know, it may be crunch time because of a lean cash flow season.
[00:11:15] And in my experience when I was like that, I, number one, didn't know all the red flags of a bad client to work with. You know, and sometimes when we come off desperate, don't think that potential client don't pick that up. They could pick if you're not. They can, they can pick up if you're not confident in your abilities. They can smell anubia mile away, you know, and those individuals who do not walk in integrity, they will try to take advantage of that.
[00:11:50] And, and they'll start trying to get you to compromise. And that's where we run into the whole thing of creating healthy boundaries, which will be a topic for another day. But they all begin to test the waters with you.
[00:12:06] And what will happen was you'll begin to compromise on your core values and you will begin to feel obligated. And then that relationship becomes very weighty to the point that you wake up one day and you don't recognize the person in the mirror. You're like, I gotta do this for the money.
[00:12:27] Until you stop doing it just for the money and get back to your original vision.
[00:12:34] Until you get back to your first love. Whatever that passion was, whatever was the drive that made you say that you're going to go all out and create this extraordinary business that can change the lives of people.
[00:12:50] And what you'll find out is that, number one, you'll start digging deeper to find ways that aligns up with your vision, your core values, what you stand for, and how you desire to serve the people. You will find ways to where it's like, okay, if I do it this way, I can start generating income. You know, your, your mom would go into overtime not out of desperation, but out of determination. And then you'll find that once you don't have all that negative clutter and negative energy and toxic energy around you, you will Find that your creative juices will just begin to flow and you're like, oh, I was only thinking that I can make money doing it this way, but I also can branch out and create two other streams of income. Right.
[00:13:47] So my advice to you is, please don't take the desperation or the desperate mindset because it's not going to serve you in. In the end, it's going to create a lot of unnecessary headaches. And when you're ready and need the energy that's required to run a successful and sustainable online business, you're not going to have it. You're going to be burnt out because you did it for the wrong reasons.
[00:14:19] So with that being said, I'm very. I'm being very intentional. You know, some people, they want to get on the scene and. And just basically fake it, and I don't want to do that. You know, I've been in the game a long time. You know, am I a millionaire? No, not yet, but it's coming.
[00:14:39] With that said, I have great vision, and I'm determined that whether my company gets so big that I have to have employees or whether I'm just outsourcing and have team members on a contract basis, that I truly want to celebrate them.
[00:14:58] And so my focus is to create a team of underdogs.
[00:15:03] Why? Because I see so many talented individuals out there, and they are. They are becoming invisible, right? They. They are left being an unknown because they don't have the opportunity. They don't have a safe place and space to grow in. Okay?
[00:15:21] And so one day, it may be something that caused me to go viral or whatever, and then now I'm considered a top influencer or a mega influencer. But I would never forget that I used to be this underdog.
[00:15:37] And I never will forget how it made me feel when people knew I was. I had great talent, but yet, you know, I wasn't in that same income bracket as them and they belittled me. I'll never forget that. But also, I won't forget those clients who saw greatness in me and was like, man, we feel so bad because you are so talented beyond an executive assistant, and we have you trapped in this executive assistant title because they saw my value, they saw my worth, they saw my diverse skill set, and they celebrated me. And so I am telling you to remember that one day you're not going to be that unknown.
[00:16:25] You're going to be that fierce leader, and you're going to have to delegate and outsource and remember to create that supportive work. Environment.
[00:16:38] I shared with someone the other day that this person would be my choice once I'm ready to invest in a social media manager.
[00:16:47] And I didn't say that lightly.
[00:16:49] And I'm a person of my word. This person has proven themselves to me as being trustworthy and I began to share with that individual why they are my choice for 2025.
[00:17:04] And I remember reading the email in the response and that person was so taken back by my heartfelt email and me believing in them, which gave them a greater sense of purpose. I was like, this is what it is about.
[00:17:23] You know, I am for underdogs. Yes, you're gonna make mistakes, but guess what, Mega influences, they make mistakes all day, every day. They just have team members that make them look good so you don't see their mistakes stakes, you know, like a person just starting out. But my mission have expanded out to really being that advocate for the underdogs. And when I see talent, I don't want a person dream to remain a dream just because they are an unknown now.
[00:17:59] Because I promise you, if they stay with it, they won't be an unknown three years from now, five years from now.
[00:18:06] So with that being said, team members need to feel appreciated as well.
[00:18:13] I know that was a mouthful, but anytime something is placed within my spirit and is bubbling up to where it just saturates my heart, I know that someone needs to hear it besides myself. Because remember, we are all in this together. Okay?
[00:18:30] I'm just a channel being used to help ignite the fire in you so that your fire will burn on and not burn out. But I'm in it too. I'm an entrepreneur too. I have my highs and lows like everyone else. And I refuse to be fake. I want you to see my bloops, my blunders and my triumphs.
[00:18:54] So with that said, let's move on to the strategies for celebrating small wins. So here are a few practical strategies to help you and your team, our future team, celebrate small wins. One set regular check ins. Dedicate specific time slots, whether it's daily or weekly, to reflect on your accomplishments. This could be a brief morning ritual, virtual coffee chats, or a team meeting. Just make sure that you find creative ways to not have a boring team meeting.
[00:19:33] Being an executive assistant, I have sat on a lot of meetings and I know that you have to talk about the things that's important, but I'm telling you, when you have like three hour long meetings, hour and a half meetings and it's just boring, I promise you that you can see it on camera that people, people will just begin to just zone out. And I know sometimes it's like womp, womp, womp. It's just, I just lose focus. So please, you know, don't have these long drawn out meetings and not have like built in breaks or some kind of fun team building exercise. Do something but try to keep it lively so people can enjoy it and want to engage in them.
[00:20:21] 2. Create a visual tracker. So use a physical or digital tool to track your progress. This could be a simple checklist, a progress bar or a vision board. Visualizing your progress can be incredibly motivating. For myself, I have a vision board and I'm old fashioned. I don't have a digital vision board.
[00:20:41] I have a poster board. It's like a trifold poster board. And basically I had like old magazines. I went online and searched for visuals that aligned with my future visions and projects and I printed them out. I use Word documents such as. I know one of the things that was on my vision board or was a part of my vision was creating a podcast. So that's on my vision board. So it's all different types of way to stay motivated. You just have to make sure you look at your vision board on a regular basis.
[00:21:22] And if you're using a physical vision board, even I guess a digital one. But I know for me whenever I accomplish that thing, I always like put a little date by it so that I see that hey, I did this, you know.
[00:21:39] So with that said, let's move on to three. Number three, share your successes.
[00:21:47] Encourage open and honest communication within your team or future team. Share your personal and professional wins, no matter how small, and celebrate the successes of others. I'm telling you, sometimes you can have like a bad day or it's just you feeling bombed out. But the quickest way to give yourself a makeover is to celebrate the successes of others. Go out there and do a good deed and it doesn't take nothing but a little time to celebrate the successes of others. I do it all the time. It just comes natural to me. And people that I don't even know, people that give, that they don't even recognize me on social media. I don't know if they know me or not, but I'll go to their page and I may see that their event was successful and everything. And I'm cheering that person on because at the end of the day, you know, you never know if that individual may become a future, you know, JV partner, which is, that's a joint venture Partner, you never know. So celebrate the successes you of others. You may not have a team, but there's plenty of people on social media that. That post what they are doing, you know, and they're winning. So be a part of it.
[00:23:08] All right? The next one is reward yourself and your team. So positive reinforcement can be a powerful tool. Reward yourself and your team for achieving milestones, no matter how small. This could be anything from a simple thank you, y'all, or a team member spotlight to a more tangible reward like a bonus or a day off. So, for example, me doing executive assistant work, in the past, I had got recognized in different ways. Like, I got recognized for being like, the top in the top 25% of VA performers. I have gotten interviewed on panels, I've eaten, even gotten spotlights, being a part of the spotlight, the monthly spotlight in the newsletters for VAs, virtual assistants, executive assistants.
[00:23:59] And you just never know. And that is an amazing feeling when you get that email, unexpected email, like, hey, I want to recognize you in the upcoming newsletter.
[00:24:09] Hey, we see how you're going out there and supporting others. Could we have you be a part of our panel? We feel like you have something to offer. Hey, we saw a video of you. Can we utilize that vil video for our training? So there's all different types of ways, right, that a person can be rewarded, but it does something for our confidence, and it did for me. And so with people telling me, you are rock star, you are a ninja, or whatever they was telling me, it's like, once I begin to see it, more and more people constantly giving me this positive reinforcement, or I'm getting these rewards in different ways. I'm like, okay, everybody can't be lying.
[00:24:57] And it wasn't me being boastful, but it was just like, you know what I am like, it. It caused me to own that fierceness, right? It caused me to own it and to know, like, I know that I am good at it. So I could easily step back into doing executive assistant work with my eyes closed, because I've owned it. I know I'm good at it. I know what I can bring to the table.
[00:25:23] And so whenever you reward yourself or others in that way, you're building up their confidence.
[00:25:32] It's all about spreading this own your fierceness. It's not just some cute saying. It's what I live by when I walk in a room of pe of people I really don't know. Or I may be nervous, you know, because I. I don't like big crowds.
[00:25:49] You would never know it because I roll my shoulders back and I own it. You know, if the spotlight is on me or if I have to speak, I'm gonna own that moment in time. I'm gonna own it, you know, because I have to step out of self is not about me. It's what I can bring to the table.
[00:26:08] And so with that said, just keep that in mind that positive reinforcement is a powerful tool Next Practice Gratitude Gratitude, journaling or meditation can help shift your focus to the positive aspects of your life, including your small wins. And lastly, I will say it again and you'll keep hearing me say it, saying it as long as you listen to this podcast Learn from Setbacks Even setbacks can be seen as opportunities for growth. Analyze what went wrong, learn from your mistakes and celebrate the lessons you gain. By incorporating these strategies into your routine, you can transform your mindset and approach to work. Remember, every small win is a stepping stone towards your ultimate goal.
[00:27:03] All right, so now you all know what time it is. It is time for those fab assignments. Yes, you have more than one this week. Your Fierce Action Breakthrough assignments is as follows. 1. Exercise number one the daily win Journal for the next week, dedicate a journal or a specific section in your planner to record your daily wins, no matter how small. This could be anything from completing a challenging task to simply having a positive interaction with someone in your network.
[00:27:41] Your Reflection Questions what did you learn about yourself from this exercise?
[00:27:47] How did focusing on small wins impact your overall mood and productivity?
[00:27:53] What strategies can you implement to continue celebrating small wins in the future?
[00:28:00] Exercise Number two the Gratitude Challenge from one week, take a few minutes each day to write down three things you're grateful for.
[00:28:10] These can be big or small, but they should be specific and genuine. Your Reflection questions How did this exercise impact your overall outlook on life?
[00:28:22] Did you notice any shifts in your mindset or behavior?
[00:28:26] How can you incorporate gratitude into your daily routine to boost your overall well being?
[00:28:32] And lastly, Exercise three the Vision Board Challenge Create a vision board that represents your long term goals. Include images, quotes, and affirmations that inspire you.
[00:28:49] Reflection Questions how does your vision board make you feel? What specific steps can you take to move closer to your goals?
[00:28:58] How can you use your vision board to celebrate your small wins along the way? Now if you are looking for some digital affirmations that you can print out and put on your board, you can easily visit chakeletdrapinspired.com that is C H A K E L E T D r a p inspired.com and I have various digital affirmations that you can use that will keep you focused, ignited, and the momentum going.
[00:29:38] So thank you for tuning into this episode of the Science Empower Show. If you enjoyed this episode, please like share and subscribe. We need to spread the empowerment, y'all. For more business empowerment resources, visit SonjaSells.com and for additional resources on personal growth and inspiration, Visit chakeletdrapinspired.com until next time, Empower Disruptors own your fierceness.
