Episode Transcript
[00:00:07] You gotta be bold. This story gotta be told on your fierceness gon and glow this the 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.
[00:00:30] Hello, empowered disruptors. Welcome to the Sonja Empowers Show. I am your host, Sonja Sells, business empowerment growth strategist. I am beyond excited to kick off this podcast, y'all. I can't wait to share my heart and my soul with you in every episode. Now, today, we're starting off with a bang. A personal look into my world. You'll discover the driving force behind my passion for empowering you.
[00:01:01] Now, you may know me as a business empowerment growth strategist, but today I'm simply Sonja Sells, a Texas girl with a story. A story that wasn't always easy.
[00:01:15] From a young age, I faced adversity, like many of you. Abuse, poverty, and bullying were constant companions.
[00:01:26] Low self-worth and doubt became familiar feelings, even depression.
[00:01:33] Yet I held on to the belief that life had a greater purpose for me. Like, I couldn't go through life believing this is as good as it gets. I'm like, life can't be. This is as good as it gets. Filled with depression and drama and dark moments, only to experience many breaks of happiness and joy and then go right back into those dark moments. You know, the doubt, the unbelief, the self worth, the low self esteem, the questioning myself, the being in identity crisis, all of those things. I kept saying, it has to be more to life than this.
[00:02:17] So I just kept holding on to. To the belief that life had a greater purpose for me.
[00:02:26] And so as life kept going, I pursued my education by becoming a respiratory therapist. And I experienced both triumphs and setbacks. And I really thought that was interesting because here I am growing up in this small country town, having less than 7,000 people, and, you know, it's like my high school, you know, year is like junior year. And, you know, people start asking you those questions, you know, have you thought about what you want to do with your future and what you want to do with your life? And so it was four main areas that I would hear just people in my local town talk about that you should do. Number one, it was, you need to go to the military.
[00:03:18] Number two, it was, you need to go to college.
[00:03:23] And for me in particular, people was telling me, I need to go to college and I need to become a nurse, because there was the job security and being a nurse.
[00:03:36] Third, it was, well, if you're not going to go to College, then you need to go and get a job at one of the local refineries because it's good money in that field.
[00:03:50] And lastly, it was like, okay, if you're not going to work at the refinery, you know, you're not going to go to college, you're not going to go to a military, then you need to go work at one of the prisons, the neighboring city.
[00:04:05] And so those were the four areas that I would hear time and time again. And so of course I eventually went to college and finished college. And it took me forever to get that two year degree. And it should have been my design that this was really not like my ultimate destination.
[00:04:24] But I got my degree as a respiratory therapist and I experience great moments and then I experienced some setbacks as well. And I remember thinking, this supposed to be my quote unquote career working 12 to 16 hour shifts, you know, graveyards as that. You know, I had great colleagues, but then I was surrounded by people who were negative as well and they were unhappy and they would have their private talks with me, girl, do something else. You know, this is, this just wears your body out, you know, I'm sick of it. I'm like, why are you still doing it? And then they would tell me, well, it's a paycheck.
[00:05:06] And I just felt like in life, like I have this one life and I don't want to just do something just for a paycheck. Like I want to have passion behind it, like I want to enjoy it. Yeah, I know there, there's going to be times where I just want to stay in bed or binge on my favorite streaming show. But overall, I really want to enjoy what I'm doing in life.
[00:05:31] And so with that said, I knew that I wasn't going to be a respiratory therapist for the rest of my life, even though the work was very fulfilling.
[00:05:42] Fast forward marriage and divorce further shaped my journey. You know, it forced me to confront my fears and my insecurities. I got married. My first marriage was in 2014, and it was very toxic, to say the least.
[00:06:05] I will share more of that story later. But to sum it up, I was emotionally abused and by the time I filed for divorce in 2018, I was in an identity crisis like I never had been in before. I didn't know who I was.
[00:06:22] I had allowed that individual to totally damaged me, damage me mentally, emotionally. And I had to literally dig my way out of the trenches with the help of God and with the help of my support group to where I wasn't. I Wouldn't become damaged goods forever.
[00:06:44] And it took a lot of healing, spiritual counseling, but I made it out of the trenches and I triumphed in that situation.
[00:06:57] And so here it is. I'm confronting my fears and my insecurities from this toxic marriage. And during the marriage, like in 2017 when we were separated, but I knew in my heart support that it was over in just a matter of time. I was like, you know what?
[00:07:17] I haven't been living at all, you know, in this marriage. And I have placed my deep rooted heart, desires and dreams on the back burner out of fear.
[00:07:30] Because early on I remember him telling me, you have two to three years to start that business and make money. And if it doesn't make money, I'm a divorce. You.
[00:07:43] So no pressure there, right?
[00:07:47] But in 2017, even though I was feeling so low, I really couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel, I took a leap of faith because I always wanted to work from home doing admin work. And so in 2017, when I took that leap of faith, I started working from home as an executive assistant for high powered entrepreneurs, including a $21 billion pharmaceutical company.
[00:08:17] This experience ignited my passion for helping others. I was like, oh my gosh, this has become real. And I remember the first time I was asking someone some advice and they were like, yeah, you can do it this particular way because you're self employed. And I was like, I am. I'm no longer an employee.
[00:08:39] And even though it has had its highs and lows and there was no overnight success, and I'm still on this entrepreneurial journey, I wouldn't trade it for anything.
[00:08:52] I have never been so empowered in my life and so passionate about moving forward in this next stage of my entrepreneurial journey.
[00:09:03] And so now I'm dedicated to empowering emerging entrepreneurs and everyday women because I feel like I am that representation of an everyday woman. I. I didn't. I wasn't born into an ultra wealthy family. I had adversities and I've turned those into advantages. Now I've seen all those obstacles as opportunities to be that something different, to be that something more.
[00:09:32] And so now I help help individuals overcome life challenges and build online businesses.
[00:09:42] My goal with this weekly podcast is to inspire you to live a life of purpose, passion, and prosperity.
[00:09:51] With that said, there's going to be times where, you know, I use words and you're like, never heard that before or I've heard that before, but what does it mean? And so I want to break down some key Terms that you'll hear time and time again throughout these podcasts. Number one, empower. My one word is empower.
[00:10:14] I had the pleasure a few years ago, several years ago, I'm thinking maybe it's maybe about five years ago, maybe, give or take. But I invested in myself, Evan Carmichael.
[00:10:29] If you don't know who he is, just Google him. YouTube him. YouTube him. Like, he has amazing videos, but he came out with this book called Built to Serve. And it, it talks about your one word and stuff. And as I was going through some of the exercises, I for many years used the word empower.
[00:10:50] Right? Boy, it really solidified things for me. And my one word end up being empowered. And I'm like, oh my gosh. Like, this is what I've been saying for years, that I empower people. When people talk to me, whether it's on a personal level or professional level, they always say, I feel so empowered, you know, after talking into you, talking to you, or listening to you.
[00:11:15] And so it really is my one word. But what does that word mean? Because we have heard it time and time again to where some people are like, oh my gosh, it's just some trendy word, but it's much more to that word.
[00:11:31] So the definition of empower, at least one of the definitions, is to empower someone and give them authority and the power to do something. So to empower someone to give them authority and power to do something. Right.
[00:11:50] So if you've been waiting for permission to chase your dreams, consider this your official authorization.
[00:12:00] I am here to equip you with the tools and mindset you need to achieve greatness. And sometimes people need permission to step out and to just go for it.
[00:12:15] Oftentimes you will hear me start the show, or if you catch me on social media platforms, you may hear me say, hey, empowered disruptor. You know, and you're like, what? What is an empowered disruptor? I know what a disruptor is on the negative side of things. But what is an empowered disruptor?
[00:12:35] And so I need to put this disclaimer out there that I am a woman of faith. I'm rooted in Jesus Christ, unashamedly.
[00:12:43] I do not have a Christian based business. It just so happened that I am a lover of Jesus Christ and an entrepreneur.
[00:12:55] On March 6, 2024, God revealed a powerful vision to me. And I saw the words empowered disruptor flash before me.
[00:13:05] As I inquired, what is an empowered disruptor? I saw these words.
[00:13:12] One who has been set apart to empower and encourage others to reach their highest potential. In life without being bought or sold.
[00:13:26] Wow.
[00:13:28] I also saw that an empowered disruptor is one who disrupts your way of doing, being and thinking so one may break free from old patterns and behaviors.
[00:13:44] This divine message inspired me to empower and encourage, help others reach their full potential without compromise and disrupt the status quo.
[00:14:01] Meaning challenge conventional thinking and break free from limiting patterns.
[00:14:08] Because what I discovered on my own journey and what I have discovered by talking to countless of women is that oftentimes it's not that their business ideal is not good. It's not that, you know, they've started an online business, but they're not making consistent income. So something is wrong. No. Often times the reason why they are not experiencing the results that they desire is because there's some type of limiting belief, some type of limiting beh pattern, excuse me, that they need to break free from.
[00:14:48] And so I know that these women are empowered disruptors.
[00:14:54] They just need to see that and believe it.
[00:14:59] Next, as I stated, I am a business empowerment growth strategist. But what exactly does that mean in a nutshell? As a business empowerment growth strategist, I provide strategic guidance and practical tools to help you to help you build an empowered business. Meaning I help you develop a solid strategic framework for your online business. Because you need a framework. You don't need to be all over the place and continuing down that road of just trying to wing it at every stage. You need a solid framework to begin with and to build upon so that framework and your business will not only become successful, but evolve into something greater.
[00:15:48] Also, I help you overcome limiting beliefs. Meaning I help you to transform your mindset and behaviors to unlock your full potential.
[00:16:03] I am truly on a mission to empower others to turn their fear to fierceness.
[00:16:10] It is time to own your fierceness.
[00:16:16] Own your unique beauty, talents and strengths.
[00:16:20] Rise above fear.
[00:16:24] Rise above the fear that is keeping you small, that is keeping you at ground zero, that is keeping a dream, just a dream. Rise above fear and step into your destiny as an empowered disruptor.
[00:16:48] Now, if you like the sound of this, please subscribe to this podcast and check out the website Sonja Sells.com that's SONJA SELLS Also follow at Sonja Sells on Instagram to let me know how this has empowered you. Thanks so much and I will see you on the next episode. Own your fierceness.
