Episode Transcript
[00:00:07] You gotta be bold this story gotta be told own your fierceness gon and glow. This is Sonja Empowers Show.
[00:00:13] Stay on go like a lion who on the prowl Sonja Sells help you get it we doing it and doing it now.
[00:00:28] Hey, Empowered disruptors. Welcome back to the Sonja Empowers show, where I ignite your online business and help you own your fierceness.
[00:00:39] Embrace your unique beauty, talents and strengths. Rise above fear and step into your destiny as you build empires and shatter expectations together.
[00:00:54] What's up, you unstoppable forces of nature?
[00:00:58] Today we're cutting through the noise and getting real about the one thing every entrepreneur will face. The knockdown.
[00:01:07] Because, let's be blunt. Setbacks aren't a possibility.
[00:01:11] They're a guarantee of launch flops, a strategy belly flops. The market shifts and kicks you in the teeth.
[00:01:22] The game isn't about avoiding the hits. It's about what you do when you're on the mat. It's about resilience.
[00:01:30] This isn't about getting a pat on the back. It's about understanding that every punch you take, every stumble, every freaking failure is a blueprint for your next win. It's about building an internal fortress so strong nothing can break you.
[00:01:48] Let's dissect how to build that unbreakable entrepreneur backbone.
[00:01:55] Refrain the fallout. Failure is data first.
[00:01:59] Let's just ditch the pity party, okay? We are fierce, unstoppable, untamed women. Okay, so we don't have time for pity parties.
[00:02:11] We're all about making strategic moves.
[00:02:14] See, your mindset is your deadliest weapon or your biggest weakness. Okay?
[00:02:22] When something goes sideways, it's not a personal indictment. Stop taking it so personal.
[00:02:29] It's data.
[00:02:30] Pure, unadulterated information.
[00:02:34] Look, I get it. I used to think the problem was me. Honey child, what was I doing wrong? Why wasn't my audience resonating with me? Why won't they buy from me?
[00:02:47] And that mindset almost had me throwing in the towel for all the wrong reasons. Ready to walk away from my dreams for good, you may be saying, basanya, my launch failed. I put my heart, my soul, my energy into it.
[00:03:07] Sis, that's not a personal flaw. It's a market signal, A marketing campaign that bombed. Big whoop. That's intel on what doesn't resonate with your audience.
[00:03:22] Your first move at this, after a setback is the flip of the script.
[00:03:28] Stop calling it a failure.
[00:03:30] Call it a learning opportunity. Call it market research, Call it tuition paid for a masterclass and what not to do.
[00:03:39] This is analytical approach.
[00:03:42] And this analytical approach, it transforms what feels like a punch to the gut.
[00:03:50] It transforms that into a strategic advantage.
[00:03:55] Analyze, dissect, extract the lessons. Then you integrate and you escalate.
[00:04:04] What do I mean by escalate?
[00:04:06] I mean you don't just recover.
[00:04:09] You don't just return to baseline. You take those hard won lessons, you refine your approach, you amplify your efforts with newfound wisdom, and you go bigger and bolder than before.
[00:04:26] You turn the setbacks into the fuel for your next, more impactful move.
[00:04:31] Now that's escalation, the power pullback, reclaiming your edge.
[00:04:40] When the pressure mounts, the instinct is often to grind harder, push through the pain. But true resilience isn't just about relentless forward motion.
[00:04:52] It's about calculated retreats.
[00:04:54] I'm not talking about quitting. I'm talking about the strategic power pullback.
[00:05:01] This means knowing when to step back, when to recalibrate your internal systems. It's all about ensuring your physical and mental batteries are fully charged so you can meet the next challenge head on, not limping into the fight.
[00:05:19] Are you getting enough brutal restorative sleep?
[00:05:22] Are you moving your body to burn off the stress and ignite your energy?
[00:05:27] Are you fueling your brain with the right nutrients?
[00:05:31] Neglect these and you're fighting with one hand tied behind your back.
[00:05:36] This isn't self indulgence. It's self preservation. For maximum impact, celebrate the scars. Proof of battle.
[00:05:47] And finally, don't just bounce back. Celebrate the bounce, honey.
[00:05:52] Every setback you overcome, every challenge you face and conquer leaves a mark.
[00:05:58] Those are not wounds of defeat.
[00:06:01] They are scars of resilience.
[00:06:04] They're proof you've been in the arena, taken hits and emerged stronger.
[00:06:12] Acknowledge your own strength. Look back at the times you thought you couldn't, but you did.
[00:06:18] That internal database of personal victories is your ammunition for future battles.
[00:06:24] Don't gloss over the tough times. Recognize them as the forge where your iron will was sharpened.
[00:06:33] This reinforces your capability and makes you fearless for the next curveball.
[00:06:38] Okay, I remember when I first started my entrepreneurial journey. It was honestly, I think way back in like 2008.
[00:06:48] And I didn't get serious until years later, honestly, like 2017.
[00:06:53] But I really got my taste of entrepreneurship in 2008. And I remember, you know, having some free sessions with a life coach and discovering my purpose, you know, and I, I knew I was a natural born coach. Like, I didn't, I didn't know it was a title for what one of my superpowers were back then, but I knew That I.
[00:07:22] People were drawn to me naturally.
[00:07:24] They would easily share with me, like, intimate details of their life, things that we're going through.
[00:07:32] And I will often hear people say, like, you know, I feel so much better after talking to you, man. You're such a great listener.
[00:07:39] I feel empowered. And I saw them taking action on what I was sharing with them to do and sharing just my personal stories, my personal experiences, experiences from other women who have been in those situations.
[00:07:56] And I wasn't even, like, practicing as a life coach. And so fast forward, here it is.
[00:08:03] I was trying to put myself out there as a life coach. I believe at the time it was a spiritual life coach. And I was trying to put together a website.
[00:08:13] Man, oh, man. Talking about wanting to throw in the towel, you know, I remember literally working graveyards and then staying up that morning in order to work on the website and off and on for eight hours.
[00:08:30] I kid you not. I was talking to Support, you know, to help me, you know. You know, like, physically picking up the phone to talk to support, to help me with the smallest of things.
[00:08:41] And it wasn't Even like a WordPress site back then.
[00:08:46] And I remember crying like, how am I ever going to, you know, do this, you know, start this whole business journey? And I can't even much put together a. A website. I have no clue what I'm doing. I have no technical knowledge.
[00:09:03] And I wanted to give up, but I didn't. And I remember, you know, once I talked to Support, and it's kind of like, hey, it's me again. I called in previously. I just remember, like, every time I accomplished a thing that I thought I couldn't, I felt like a million bucks, right? And then now fast forward, you know, I can, you know, buy WordPress template and, and put together my own website. And I could do the basics to get it up and running and to have a website presence, you know, online presence.
[00:09:39] And so I'm telling you this story because you can do it. Whatever your mind is telling you that you can't do, or you, like, I thought I couldn't do it. You can do it. It's just taken that first step and now once you accomplish that thing, it's like, okay, it get easier with time. The more you do it, okay, then you just get to the point where you can outsource the things that you don't like to do, right?
[00:10:08] So you really need to look, just look at the entrepreneur path and understand that it isn't a straight line to the top, It's a jagged Unpredictable climb.
[00:10:24] But for the fierce and the bold, every stumble is just a chance to recalibrate your climb and get an even stronger grip.
[00:10:36] Resilience isn't something you're born with.
[00:10:39] It's a muscle you develop. I believe you develop it with every single setback you face and conquer.
[00:10:46] You're not just surviving. You're building an empire that can withstand any storm.
[00:10:52] And I'll share another personal story. I believe it was 2008. It had nothing to do with entrepreneurship, but matter of fact, it was 2007, I believe.
[00:11:04] And I was dating this guy at the time that, who lived in the Seattle, Washington area and they have like beautiful like nature trails and stuff. And he took me on one of these nature walks and myself, right, I, I still remember the outfit I had on. I had on a white shirt, some blue jean capris, and then I had like these little flat tennis tennis shoes. And it was this beautiful scene, right, with like this little like waterfall type scene. And I was like, oh, I want to climb down there. Like I want to go down there and, and take a picture.
[00:11:42] And it was easy going down to take the picture.
[00:11:46] So we went down there, he took some pictures, and then here it is.
[00:11:51] I'm looking and I'm like, oh my gosh, how am I going to get back up to the top, you know, to where the trail is at? Because it seemed impossible, it was so steep looking.
[00:12:04] And of course you can tell that he's used to this. Like, this is his territory. So he has on the right, the right shoes. And I mean it was funny. He was like, he was just a climbing, you know, and I, I really do believe he thought I was right behind him.
[00:12:24] But I took the first step and it felt like I was going to slip. And I was like, mm, mm, I'm, I'm not so matter of fact, I don't think he was at the top at this time. Like he was still climbing and he looked back and I was like, I'm not, I'm not, I am not going to, I'm not moving. I'm. This is going to be my permanent home. I would mean fear set in. I mean, when that one foot almost slipped, I was like, this is it. And literally I just sat down like one like this little log or something and I was like, come get me. And I was calling out his name and he was not coming.
[00:13:06] And I was like, just sitting there like, like a two year old, seriously, like pouting. And then I was like, girl, what are you going to do?
[00:13:15] You know, I mean, are you going to sit here like for the rest of your life or are you going to take your time and you're going to climb back up to get to the top of that trail?
[00:13:26] And so I took my time. I told myself not to look down, and I took my time. I didn't look backwards. And before I knew it, I was at the top. And when I got to the very top, he was standing right there waiting for me. And I was like, I did it. I did it. And, you know, he was hugging me and everything and gave me a kiss and he was like, I knew you could do it. And he was like, but I had to tell you no. Like, you had to know that I wasn't an option. I knew that you can do it. I knew that you were just afraid, you were not in any danger and you had to work through that fear.
[00:14:04] And so I just wanted to share with you that story that you're going to have to work through some things being an entrepreneur, right? You're going to have to build those resilient muscles and you're going to truly have to understand that, you know, shifts happen in business, they just do.
[00:14:24] And it's not an indication that you are not created to do whatever it is that you're set out to do. You're like, I want to be a coach or I want to be a consultant.
[00:14:35] I want to start, you know, I want to start a graphic design business or T shirt business. I want to start making jewelry, whatever it is, I want to go out there and I want to be, you know, the next XYZ speaker, right?
[00:14:49] And you're gonna have to understand that, you know, you're gonna experience some no's. It may be a slow start for you, you know, don't get caught up with everything you see on social media and allow that to, you know, shape and mold your identity.
[00:15:10] It's like you have to be so focused on running your race and you have to truly understand and be one with your core identity.
[00:15:20] To where when you see that next entrepreneur, that next woman, that, that fierce woman out there, you know, handling business, jealousy doesn't creep in, or feeling inadequate, you know, doesn't creep in. But you are cheering her own, even if it's at a distance, because you know who you are, you know that, you know what you, that's you. You're just one step away. You're just one season away. And that is going to be you on the scene, transforming lives, you know, and so stay the course. If you truly know that you are called to be an entrepreneur. Stay the course.
[00:16:00] Build your empire unashamedly.
[00:16:04] So with that being said, it is time for your fab assignment. Yes, your fierce Action Breakthrough assignment.
[00:16:13] And that is your resilience blueprint.
[00:16:16] 1. Identify one past knockdown. Think of a specific setback you faced in your entrepreneurial journey that truly tested you.
[00:16:26] 2.
[00:16:27] Extract the data like no excuses.
[00:16:31] Analyze it coldly.
[00:16:33] What exactly went wrong?
[00:16:35] What was the real actionable lesson?
[00:16:39] Not what they did, but what you learned or could have done differently.
[00:16:46] 3.
[00:16:47] Implement one power pullback.
[00:16:50] For the next 72 hours, commit to one specific intentional act of strategic self care that recharges you a solid eight hours of sleep, a high intensity workout, a strict digital detox for an hour, whatever truly recharges your battery.
[00:17:10] 4.
[00:17:11] Acknowledge your grit. Write down or say out loud to yourself one sentence celebrating how you either overcame that past knockdown or what immense strength you showed just by getting back in the game.
[00:17:26] Cement that win in your mind.
[00:17:29] You got this.
[00:17:30] The path ahead is waiting for your imprint.
[00:17:35] Thank you for tuning in to this episode of the Sonja Empowers Show. I'd love to hear your feedback. Leave a review on your favorite podcast platform.
[00:17:45] Connect with me on social Media.
[00:17:47] If you enjoyed this episode, please like share and subscribe.
[00:17:51] For more business empowerment resources, visit SonjaSells.com and for additional resources on personal growth and inspiration, visit ChakeletDrapInspired.com. Until next time, Empowered Disruptors, Break free. Be fierce.
