Creating Confidence with Heather Monahan - Amberly Lago on Building Resiliency with Grit & Grace Episode 93
Episode Date: February 9, 2021Amberly Lago is a master of grit, grace, and transformation. Today she comes on the show to share her story of how she hit rock bottom after a tragic accident. But she was able to hang on to a 1% chan...ce to get through it, grow through it, and she became better on the other side. Now she doesn’t just accept her injuries but rocks them every day. Join us to learn her 5 step PACER process to turn your life around, get inspired, and embrace true resiliency. About the Guest: Amberly Lago is a health and wellness coach, TEDx speaker, podcaster, and a leading expert in the field of resilience and transformation. She is the best-selling author of “True Grit and Grace” and empowers people around the world by sharing her story how she turned a tragedy into triumph. Through her book, coaching methods, and workshops she has curated unique tools to teach others how to tap into their superpower of resilience and persevere through any of life’s challenges. She offers hope and solutions for anyone (like her) living in chronic pain to live life to the fullest. Amberly has most recently been featured on NBC’s The Today Show, The Doctors, Hallmark, Good Morning Lalaland, contributed to magazines such as Shape, Fit Pregnancy, Health, Keynote Speaker Magazine and Disability Magazine. Finding Amberly Lago: Visit her website: https://amberlylago.com/ Read her book: True Grit and Grace Listen to her podcast: True Grit and Grace with Amberly Lago Twitter: @AmberlyLago Instagram: @amberlylagomotivation Facebook: @AmberlyLagoSpeaker Connect on LinkedIn: Amberly Lago Watch her TEDx Talk: The Pace of Pain Check out her Youtube channel Contact Amberly at 818-214-7378 and text “GRIT” for downloadable Goals, Grit & Grace Playbook To inquire about my coaching program opportunity visit https://mentorship.heathermonahan.com/ Review this podcast on Apple Podcast using this LINK and when you DM me the screen shot, I buy you my $299 video course as a thank you! My book Confidence Creator is available now! get it right HERE If you are looking for more tips you can download my free E-book at my website and thank you! https://heathermonahan.com *If you'd like to ask a question and be featured during the wrap up segment of Creating Confidence, contact Heather Monahan directly through her website and don’t forget to subscribe to the mailing list so you don’t skip a beat to all things Confidence Creating! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcript
Discussion (0)
This episode is brought to you by Taukaya Tree.
Talking about mental health isn't always easy.
Finding care should be.
Meet Taukaya Tree.
They offer virtual in-network psychiatry to treat the most common mental health conditions,
like depression, anxiety, OCD, and trauma.
Within a week, they can match you with a doctor who takes insurance and takes the time to
listen.
Get started at Taukaya Tree.com slash start.
That's T-A-L-K-I-A-T-R-Y.com slash start.
You know that fresh produce is the best produce.
That's why at Crogr, we invest in local farmers
to bring you seasonal picks that taste fresh from the farm good,
like sweet corn, refreshing watermelon, and juicy peaches.
So whether you're a delivery lover, a pick corn, refreshing watermelon, and juicy peaches.
So whether you're a delivery lover, a picker upper, or you shop in store, your local produce
always tastes 100% fresh.
Or you get a 100% refund guaranteed.
Kruger, fresh for everyone.
I'm on this journey with me.
Each week when you join me, you're going to chase down our goals.
Overcome adversity and set you up for better tomorrow.
That's a no-single day.
I'm ready for my close time.
Hi, and welcome back.
I'm so excited that you're back with me again today.
Thank you for being here.
My gosh, so there's a lot going on.
First of all, kind of just tell you that there is a soul cycle
that opened up here in Miami on top of a roof.
So you're outside, you're socially distanced.
It's safe, but you're still part of a tribe, a community, and it is so amazing.
I'm freaking out about it.
I just got back from class and I am so blown away.
It's interesting because of course we took for granted exercise classes and seeing people before.
But now it's amazing to just be near people and feel safe. It's just, wow, being outside, I feel really blessed to be in Miami.
I know so many people are dealing with freezing temperatures all around the country and snow, which if my son got a boat, we would be living somewhere where there's snow.
He's so over the hot weather, but I happen to prefer it.
So, um, vote for mom.
Mom gets the vote.
We stay in Miami.
So, if you're not in Miami, it is definitely a challenging
time right now for you.
I'm sure staying inside, please try to get outside
any way that you can.
It just gosh, it's so incredible going outside.
And if you can't get outside where you are,
come down to Miami.
There's tons of tourists here.
It's kind of insane actually.
But anyhow, oh my gosh, I don't even know where to start.
Okay, a couple of things.
So there's this thing in the publishing world
called author prerogative.
Now first of all, when I hear that,
all I can think about is Bobby Brown. It's my prerogative. Now first of all when I hear that all I can think about is Bobby Brown.
It's my prerogative. Remember that song? So my editor told me about it and I guess essentially
what it means is that listen, you partnered with your publisher minus Harper Cone's leadership
because they're experts. They're light years ahead of you, right? They've had thousands
of New York Times bestsellers. So you
partner with them for their expertise. However, there can be moments where you
run into things that you're saying, you know what, I need to go with my gut on
this one. So my editor was explaining to me because my publisher had kicked back
on a couple of things they wanted to change. Now, as you know, they cut 8,000
words from my book. Well, they they had me cut 8,000 words from my book. Well, they had me cut 8,000 words from my book.
And then they had flagged a couple of things.
They wanted to remove from the book.
And I was telling my editor, but I don't want to remove that.
He said, well, then it's your author-progative.
You don't have to.
So basically, you have to challenge them
and say, listen, this is really important to me.
Well, when she know I get an email about the cover,
and they were saying that they wanted just a basic cover
with just writing and no images.
And I was saying, no way, I want to be on the cover.
It's my book.
It's my stories.
It's my teachings.
Not only am I relatable, but I'm real.
It won't be right if I'm not on there.
But then there is this weird thing in the back of your head
that says, OK, they've written thousands of New York Times best sellers.
I haven't. Maybe I should defer to them. Maybe they know something that I don't know. And the one thing I will say,
Harper-Con's leadership is amazing. First of all, to work with. My team is
unbelievable. I love them. I can reach out to them anytime. They're totally real with me.
They're amazing. With that being said, we don't always agree 100%
on everything, right? I had chosen my title leapfrogging villains. They tested it. Data always wins,
data doesn't lie, and I totally agree with that. My title didn't win, and so I appreciate that they
do the extra work behind things, you know, right away. They didn't love my title,
but they didn't kibosh it until the data came back.
And what's funny is I decided to go on
to social media today to test the titles
and see what people thought and overcome your villains.
The one that Harper picked is winning.
And so it's kind of funny.
I just wanted to do my own little test
and they were right.
So data doesn't lie if you're not using data
in your business. Oh my
gosh, what a missed opportunity. It will direct you exactly where to go. So, you know, they were
thinking of having a cover that's just writing and I really wanted to, you know, be on the cover
and, you know, I have a personal brand with recognition. There's recognition around my name and image
and likeness. And I look at Rachel Hollis's book and I look at Marie Forleo and a lot of people, Jamie Kern Lima, her new book,
Believe It has her face right on the cover. So there's something to be said for when you have an
established personal brand having that likeness on the book. I also understand plenty of books do
really well without the image. And the image could be a hindrance. I get both sides, however, I really feel strongly about this.
And so this is where my editor said,
you drop the author prerogative, you tell them,
it's my prerogative.
Bobby Brown wins on this one.
So it's kind of funny because you have to cross-reference
your gut and your intuition versus the expertise
in years of experience and data
that they have behind their decisions.
And I spend a lot of time telling people this,
don't take direction from someone who hasn't been
where you're going.
That's a big message of mine.
However, they've been where I'm going, right?
And they've been there thousands of times.
So it's sort of conflicting for me,
but it reminded me today.
I had dinner, I guess about a month ago now
with a good friend of mine, I hadn't seen her in a while.
She's a very, very famous author,
sold millions of copies of books, written numerous books,
all exceptionally successful,
holy cow, if this new book hits like she did,
let's just say this,
people, we are going to be moving ASAP. That's the plan. So anyhow, she's light years ahead of me.
She's literally like a decade ahead of me. And we were having this great dinner and talking,
and I'm not going to say her name because I didn't ask her if I could share a story. So I will
leave her name out of it. So she was saying, she's a new book coming out,
and she shared, the publisher doesn't really want me
to write it.
And I said, what are you talking about?
You're like, such a famous author.
You sell millions of, I don't understand.
And she explained to me, it's sort of the same thing
that I'm dealing with right now, that her publisher's so massive.
They have so much expertise. And they were essentially saying to her, we're going to have, you know,
quote unquote, ghost writer write it and you can edit it.
And she said, I was really conflicted about it because I didn't agree, however, they
have the data, you know, same thing that I'm thinking, right, they've been where we want
to go.
Maybe we should defer to them.
Wouldn't she know? It's so
interesting that how the universe works, she was really conflicted because she really wanted to
write it. And listen, this woman has proof that she should be the one to write it. And I, frankly,
was a little shocked. She didn't fight back and use the author prerogative, it's not prerogative.
And she didn't. And so I'm sitting there with her and I said, listen, you've got to kick back,
forget this. And she said, well, it's interesting.
You say that, yes, you're right.
I should have.
She said, but I didn't.
However, the ghost writer didn't hit deadline.
She said, so I just picked up the pen and I wrote the book.
And I sent it in.
And the publisher accepted it.
So it all worked out in the end.
However, she had herself in the same kind of situation
that I'm in. The
difference is she sold millions and millions and millions of books, super famous author, right?
And written multiple books. To me, it was so obvious when I looked at her that she should be the
one that write it and use her author's progative and fight back against them. However, when she was
in it and in the weeds in it, it wasn't so clear. So here's what I want to remind you today.
Your instinct and your intuition is your driving force.
That is your light.
That is your beacon, right?
And when you feel strongly about something, you've got to raise your hand.
And I feel strongly about being on the cover of my book. And I am really going to challenge my team at HarperCollins
to find a way to make this work. And who knows if it will be the image that I want or choose,
but I really am going to advocate for a cover that I feel good about with my likeness on the cover.
So there you have it. I don't know if I'm gonna use author-progative yet as my editor told me to drop,
but I will be listening to Bobby Brown
and Jamming out for sure as I make these decisions.
Okay, I will keep you updated
on what happens there.
Holy cow, it will be interesting.
So I'm excited today.
I've had a few friends on my show,
but this is a really fantastic person
that I met about a year and a half ago.
I was in LA out there for my podcast, and she had reached out to me on social media, and
asked if she could interview me for her new podcast, which was new a year and a half ago.
My podcast was pretty new back then too, probably very new back then about a year and a half
ago.
And I guess we both had just started our own podcast
funny to realize that.
Well anyhow, she came to my hotel.
She ended up coming to my hotel room,
hanging out with me.
She's so cool, such a wonderful person.
She and I have spoken at a lot of virtual events together.
And now we're doing our new TEDx's together.
At the same youth event, I'm super excited about that.
Again, just so crazy how things work out. So today, my guest is Amber Lee Lago. She is a health and wellness
coach, a TEDx speaker, a podcaster, and a leading expert in the field of resilience and
transformation. Oh my gosh, she's so true. She is the best-selling author of true grit
and grace, and she empowers people around the world by sharing her story, how she turned
a massive tragedy into a massive triumph.
Through her book, Coaching Methods and Workshop, she's curated unique tools to teach others
how to tap into their superpower of resilience and persevere through any of life's challenges.
She offers hope and solutions for anyone like her living with chronic pain.
To live to their fullest, Amber Lee has most recently been featured on NBC's
The Today Show, The Doctors, The Hallmark Channel.
Good morning, Lala Lian, contributed to the magazines
like Shape, Fit, Pregnancy, Health.
She's a keynote speaker and she is a total badass.
And my friend, so I'm super excited for you to meet her.
I'm gonna put all of her links to everything that she has
in the show notes. If you wanna check her out, I definitely recommend checking her out on social media. Her feed is
pure fire and we're gonna be right back in a minute and you're gonna get to meet her yourself. Hold tight.
And welcome back. I am so excited. It is not often that I have a guest on my show that I know in real life that is a friend of mine in real life. And Amberly, I am so excited that you're here with me today.
Oh my gosh. I am so happy to see you even if it is through zoom and I'm just so grateful to be here and honored to be on your show. So thank you so much for having me.
Oh my gosh. So we were just talking before we got on the show about when we first met, which now
that's two years ago, right? It's about two years ago that we met.
Almost two years ago. And you were actually one of my very first interviews for my podcast.
And I was so nervous because I was using some equipment that I had never worked with before.
And the, you know, I had read your book and I had been listening to your podcast.
And so I'd basically been stalking you.
Everything about you.
And I was like, oh my God, she said yes to be in on my show. And
I remember I was like, and you said yes to meeting a person. And I remember being so nervous,
like, is this equipment recording? Oh my gosh, if it's not recording, I'm just going to
die, but it did. And everybody still, I still get people that reach out to me today.
And they're like, oh my gosh, Heather Monahan is amazing. And I'm like, I know, I love her. So that's so funny. First of all, to your point about when
you're traveling with the recording, I had that recording kit, too. I still haven't, of course,
worked home now and on Zoom, unfortunately. But I remembered myself, too, that pressure of,
do I have this set upright is the volumes, right? I mean, when you're not practice
or you haven't done something a bunch of times
with technology that's new,
that can be so freaking intimidating.
So I completely get where you were coming from.
Oh yeah, and I'm like, you know,
most people maybe would start with like a small guest.
I'm like, nope, I want the biggest name out there.
I'm going for everyone on hand.
Oh my gosh.
Well, you know what's funny to me though,
is you're a very beautiful woman, obviously.
You're very successful.
You have a huge social media brand.
Your major social media influencer.
And so obviously, I betted you, of course,
before I went on your show or asked you to come to my hotel,
right?
So, you know, it's so funny that when I met you, of course, before I went on your show or asked you to come to my hotel, right? So we know it's so funny that when I met you and I could tell you were nervous and I
remember thinking to myself, oh my gosh, it's so interesting.
I wonder why, you know, those situations where, and it does make sense to me because of
the recording equipment.
I really, I completely get that, but it is funny for ourselves when we put ourselves
in certain situations, how even though we're confident in a lot of environments or situations,
suddenly we lose our confidence for a moment. Yeah, and I think that confidence comes and goes,
and it can get just knocked right out of you. And so figuring out ways to build your confidence backup again.
And I think one of the only ways that really,
the way that works for me is,
because I still get nervous about certain situations.
Yesterday, I was so nervous I had to record this video
and just staring at myself on the camera, you know.
The only way that I get more confident about doing those things
is if I just do it and I do it again and again until it becomes easier. And so I look back
at some situations where I've been nervous or intimidated and I'm like, you know, I'm
just, I just want to enjoy the journey more, you know, and just have fun and not take
myself too seriously. And my husband reminds me not to do that.
He reminds me to laugh at myself a lot.
But yeah, I was, I was nervous.
And I was like, oh, please let this record play.
And it was, you know, and that was so nice of you to like invite me
to your hotel to do it.
So thank you.
Well, thank you for being such a nice person. So it was such a pleasant surprise. So I remember we talk. We were talking about the speaking business. We were talking about brand opportunities.
And I remember that you were in a situation that I had been in previously where we both had been so, I don't want to say desperate, well wanting so bad to find success,
wanting so bad to share a message,
wanting to reach an audience
that we're doing so much for free.
And I know that you share with me
that you've actually flipped that now
and I'm so, so proud of you
because clearly you should have been charging
for a long time.
Yeah, well, you know, when my book first came out,
I had hardly any social media presence.
And my publisher was like, we don't do any marketing for you. If you want to sell this book,
it's up to you to do all the marketing. And so I had an Instagram account with I think like 412
followers. And it was like mostly people, you know, friends and family and it was pictures of my dog or, you know, my daughter.
And I thought, oh my goodness, I got hired, well, not paid, but booked, I should say, to go speak
at an event for Lorna Jane. And I remember they're like, well, here's your marketing materials.
And I was like, oh, wow, if I'm going to be serious about speaking in the book, I'm going to have to start marketing
myself. So I had a year between the time I got the book deal and the time that my book was coming out.
And so in that year, I grew my Instagram like 10,000 followers, which was great. Because then I
finally had the opportunity to do swipe ups through stories. But I was doing a lot of things for free.
I mean, anybody and everybody who would have me,
I was like, you want me to speak at that coffee shop?
I'll be there.
You want me to speak at that meeting or whatever it was.
I was like, yes, yes, yes.
And I had a publicist that was like, say yes to everything.
Say yes to every blog, every podcast interview.
And so I did. And it was very easy to kind of spread myself then.
And then we were talking before we started the interview about how you really helped me when we first met because I loved your, you know, well, you have like this, you do. Have this command presence as my husband likes to say,
this very commanding presence, it's the confidence.
And I love that.
To me, the woman who is confident herself,
because it's contagious, you're like,
oh, I can be like that too.
But you had said you were asking me about an opportunity
and the questions you were asking were getting more clarity and made more sense. Like, did it grow your brand? Did you
make money? Was it worth your time? And so I really started to think in those
terms, like, how is this going to benefit me? How's it going to be? Is it good
brand exposure? Is it going to fill my bank account? Is it going to fill my heart?
So if it doesn't do one of those things at least it going to fill my heart? So if it doesn't
do one of those things at least, then it's a no. Or if it doesn't align with my values,
because there's so many opportunities. And I feel like there's more now than ever, because
so many people are doing online conferences and events. And I feel like you could just speak
all day. And I do want to share hope and inspiration with people.
But it also, you have to make sure you're taking care of yourself
and not getting burnt out.
And so I think it's really good to ask those questions.
Did you find it hard at first saying no after you had gotten yourself
in a habit of saying yes, it sounds like it would be a tough transition?
It was a little hard at first. And then I feel like it's kind of empowering
because you feel like you're really putting you on your to-do list and you are
putting, you know, you're taking care of yourself and so at first it was really
hard but you know, I'm an overcoming people pleaser and it's like you can't make
everybody happy, it's impossible. And if you try then you're just going to be unhappy.
And so at first it was hard, but like I said it's an order to really be successful. I think
it's really important to get super clear with what your vision is. So you can make the next steps to make those goals become and those dreams become a reality.
Well, you have definitely done that. I mean, you have come so far from just starting your
podcast only, you know, just about two years ago to where you are today. What was the tipping
point that you can point to with your social media that you think allowed it to explode to where it is now.
My husband did not, my family was like,
didn't understand social media.
They hated it and they were like,
oh, they thought I was just goofing around on social media.
I'm like, no, this is a business for me.
This is serious to me.
I'm making connections and they saw the power of social media when I did my book tour
and every single book signing across the country sold out. Now, I didn't know people in Kentucky or
North Carolina. I have some family in Miami and I got, I had a book signing at Books and Books there in Miami.
Yes, Books and Books, I had mine there too.
I love that you did that.
You did, I love it there.
And I walked in and I had no idea there was gonna be
a podium set up and chairs set up and, you know,
famous politicians do book signings there and celebrities.
And so afterwards the guy came up and he said,
you sold out of books, he goes,
that is very rare.
He said, we have some celebrities and stuff
that they don't even sell out of books.
How did you do that?
And I said, it's the power of social media.
That was for me, spending hours.
I have to say when I first started on social media,
I would spend hours a day. I'm talking like four hours of my life a day.
I know that's crazy, and it sounds like a lot, but it is where, you know, for me, my hub is Instagram. And so I don't have a huge following. I mean, I guess everything in comparison, but I have like true engaged family.
I call them my Instagram family, you know?
And so throughout the, you know, book tour
and every city, I got to meet people in person
that I had met only on Instagram.
I actually booked my TEDx, my first TEDx on Instagram.
It was a curator that had been watching me on Instagram,
but she wasn't watching just what I posted.
She was watching how I was responding to people.
And so because of the way that I was responding to people,
she reached out to me through a DM.
And I thought it was a joke.
I'm like, seriously, this can't be real.
And I was like, okay, yeah, I'd love to do a TEDx with you. And I got
that I said, center my email. And I was like, oh my gosh, this is the real deal. It was for
TEDx Berkeley. It was huge. I got to speak on stage with Mel Robbins, Brandon Bershard,
Lewis House, and Jay Shetty, through a DM on Instagram. I had saw there was an event I reached out through
Instagram and I was like I love what you're doing with your thought leadership
and your positivity and this event you have coming up looks amazing. How can I be
of service? How can I jump in and be a part of this? Here's my phone number.
Well they called me and they said,
well, you know, as you can imagine,
we have it all booked up,
but if you promote our event,
we'll give you some free tickets.
And I said, hey, look,
I think your event is great.
I said, I'd love to promote it.
I said, but my Instagram,
my social media, I said,
they're like my family.
I was like, I don't wanna to just try to sell them something.
Unless I'm going to be there and be a part of it. So can I at least come and just sell books in the back of the room?
And like, well, we're not really selling anything, but let me get back to you. What was that push that they were looking for?
They said, yes, I got to go on stage. So, you know, a lot of times people think, oh, social media, all Instagram,
I feel like find out where your hub is, where you connect with people like, Heather, oh my
gosh, on LinkedIn, I see your post go viral. Like, it's crazy. I'm like, your a rock star.
And I'm like, my LinkedIn is not my main hub, but my Instagram is where, for some reason,
I don't know why. That's where I get the most DMs, most engagement. But I feel like wherever you
feel like you get your groove, like some people, that's TikTok. And I don't know if you're on TikTok,
but I mean, TikTok's amazing. But I feel like my time that's the best spin is on Instagram for me.
But now there's Clubhouse.
National security experts are warning our aging power grid is more vulnerable than ever.
January marked a third time at power station North Carolina was damaged by gunfire.
Authorities are saying the attack raises a new level of threat.
Authorities are now checking our grid for vulnerabilities.
They've identified nine key substations.
If these substations are attacked power could be knocked out from coast to coast for up
to 18 months.
Imagine a black outlasting, not days, but weeks or months, your life would be frozen right
in time right when the power goes out.
That's why having your own solar power is more important than ever.
With the Patriot Power Generator, you get a solar generator that doesn't install into
your house because it's portable. You can take it with you you get a solar generator that doesn't install into your house, because it's portable.
You can take it with you, even use it inside.
But it's powerful enough for your phones, medical devices, or even your fridge.
And right now, you can go to FordPatreots.com and use code Confidence to get 10% off your
first purchase on anything in the store, including the Patriot Power Generator.
You'll also get their famous guarantee for an entire year after your order. Plus, free shipping on orders over $97, and a portion of every sale is donated
to charities who support our veterans and their families. Just go to 4patriots.com and
use code confidence to get 10% off. That's 4patriots.com and use code confidence to get yours today.
If your business earns millions or tens of millions of revenue, stop what you're doing
and take a listen, because NetSuite by Oracle has just rolled out the best offer we've ever
seen.
NetSuite gives you the visibility control you need to make better decisions faster.
And for the first time in NetSuite's 22 years as the number one cloud financial system,
you can defer payments of a full net suite implementation for six months.
That's no payment, no interest for six months. And you can take advantage of this special financing
offer today. Net suite is number one because they give your business everything you need in real time,
all in one place to reduce manual processes, boost efficiency, build forecast, and increase
productivity across every department. Now listen, the importance of having all this information
in one place to make better decisions is unprecedented.
The offer net suite is giving you is unbelievable
and it's making it all possible for you to have it.
Now, 33,000 companies have already upgraded
to net suite gaining visibility and control
over their financials, inventory, HR, e-commerce, and more.
If you've been sizing netuite up to make the switch, then you know this deal is unprecedented.
No interest, no payments.
Take advantage of the special financing offer at NetSuite.com slash monahan.
NetSuite.com slash monahan to get the visibility and control you need to weather any storm.
NetSuite.com slash monahan.
And we saw each other thereuite.com slash monahan.
And we saw each other there today. This is so crazy. I know. I didn't know that's how you got your TEDx. That is amazing. And I love that you push back.
I'm so proud of you for doing that, right? You led with service. But then you push back when
they had the ask for you. And that's how you made it happen. My TEDx, and I know we were just talking,
we're doing the same TEDx this summer,
and I'm so freaking excited for that,
that it's gonna be amazing.
But for me, that was one of the scariest things I did.
What was your experience like giving your TEDx?
Oh my God, I was scared to death.
And I thought that when they asked me to do it,
I thought, because it was always on my bucket list,
I thought that would be awesome,
because it gives you credibility as a speaker
if you're asked to go do a TED talk.
And when I got the email and it was confirmed
and it was a done deal, I sat on my couch on like,
in a little ball like, oh my God, what am I gonna share?
The most important message of my life, what is that?
And I have 14 minutes to do it.
And then I got even more freaked out
because once the media was loaded on the website,
so they sent us a link, we're looking, and we're scrolling,
and my husband was like, wow, you realize you're the only person
that doesn't have a PhD, right?
And I was like, oh, thanks for rubbing it in.
Like, so I was like, why I had that imposter syndrome?
Like, who am I to go give this talk
in front of a bunch?
It was booked out.
They had 2,000 people and it was their 10th anniversary
at Berkeley. So it's one of the most prestigious TEDx stages. Because I know there's a lot of different TEDx stages and this was like the most
beautiful stage I've ever spoken on. It was like two balconies and bucket seats. It was beautiful, but I was really nervous, and it was one of my very first big talks.
You know, I had done like small presentations and talks, but I had never stood up, especially
on that infamous red circle in front of that many people before. And so I was practicing here
in my office like pacing back and forth, nervous for a solid month before I gave my talk.
But then when you do it, it's like,
oh, I did it.
Like, I'm so glad I did it.
And why are we glutton for punishment?
We're doing it again.
That is hilarious to me.
I know, and I thought to myself,
why did I say yes to that?
And I said yes, because it's for youth.
And I really want to impact youth,
because I wish that I had someone,
when I was younger, who would say, hey,
these are the things that my biggest mistakes,
and this is what I've learned from it,
so you don't have to do that.
And that was one of the main reasons I wrote my book too,
is so people could learn from all my failures and my mistakes because I don't want
anybody to ever hit rock bottom like I did. Will you share with us a little bit
about the book and about that story? You know, I've spent my entire life. I was a
professional dancer and athlete and fitness trainer and, you know, I ran track
and and was sponsored by Nike. So my whole life, I was a runner and active
and everything changed when I was hit by an SUV.
I was coming home from work on my motorcycle
and a car t-boned me and I was thrown 30 feet.
When I finally came to a stop,
my leg was completely shattered
and my femoral artery was severed.
But I really didn't know how it
was going to change my life. I had no idea just how serious it
was. And I started to realize it was more serious because
people weren't running up to me. They were one lady fainted.
Other people were walking slowly with like a horrified look
on their face. Because I just looked once, I looked down
once at my leg and I could see how it was broken into pieces
and I did not want to look at it again.
Well, I was rushed to the hospital
and they put me in induced coma
because I was literally dying on the table.
All my organs, everything was shutting down.
I'd lost so much blood.
I had gone into shock
and they couldn't control my pain.
So they put me in induced coma.
And when I woke up, they said, you have a 1% chance
of saving your leg.
We're so sorry, but we have to amputate.
It's basically a war wound.
And I thought, oh my gosh, one of the worst things you can hear
is a professional dancer, athlete, trainer.
I was doing fitness videos and modeling and doing the, you know,
vitamin labels and I was like, what do you mean you're going to cut my leg off and then all I could
focus on was the 1%. And so I chose that 1%, and I thought, oh, you said 1%, well that means
there's still a chance. So we need to find a doctor who will save it. And my husband, you know, they had wanted to amputate it while I was still in a coma and thank goodness he was like, nope, we are not going to amputate you.
I want her to wake up and let that be her decision. I want that hurt to be her decision. And so he started googling limb salvage because he's a lieutenant commander with the highway patrol and he was used to that kind
of terminology. He's seen a lot of accidents in his life. And so he's the Google limb salvage. He
found an amazing doctor at Cedars, but now getting me transferred was like, took an act of God because
it was, you know, I was on on life support and to get me from one hospital to another. Anyway, they got me transferred and it took 34 surgeries.
I held on to that 1% chance.
It was my glimmer of hope and surgery after surgery after surgery,
they were able to piece by piece, put my leg back together.
And it changed my life because it led me to where I am today. So I've had
people say, would you take it all back? And I really, even though I still live with constant
chronic pain from a nerve disease, I was diagnosed with, I wouldn't take it back because
I feel like pain has been one of my biggest teachers. And so that inspired me to write a book which I had so many nice
errors, you know, people like you write a book, you don't even have a college education. I didn't
even own a laptop at the time. I hand wrote my entire book, then bought a laptop, then took
a class at Apple because I didn't even know how to work a laptop or computer.
That's just not, I didn't run my business that way.
My business was all word of mouth.
And took a class and the guy at Apple was like,
oh my gosh, I have to stop and just say for a minute,
he goes, you know, I've never had anybody like you
that wasn't embarrassed to ask a bunch of questions,
because people think they're going to look dumb.
And I said, well, no, I'm not embarrassed. I said, I need to know how to do this. And
so I'm going to ask as many questions as I can so I can learn how to do it. I've got
a book in me. I need to get out to the world. And so, you know, I use naysayers or people
like, oh, you'll never do that. That is my fuel and my
motivation to prove to myself that I can do something. But I still think, you
know, I remember the look on my husband's face when he found out that a publisher
wanted my book. And he was like, are you kidding? Somebody wants you. Okay. And then
when I told him we're gonna go they want to interview me on the
Today Show. Megan Kelly wants to interview me. I think that's when he really was like, oh wow,
she's actually doing this. And I think that I saw the biggest growth when you asked me the question
before with the social media. Once I started getting TV shows like the Today Show and the Doctors and Hallmark
channel and Good Morning, Lala Land.
Because those things give you more credibility, so people go, oh, well, who is that?
Because there's just so many people, there's so many names out there.
So I think that that gave me some credibility, but I never really imagined
that it would take me to where I am now, where I would have the ability to connect with
so many amazing people. And I really get my joy and my strength to keep going, because it's not
easy living with chronic pain every day. It's not easy being an entrepreneur,
but what gives me my strength and my hope is when I know
that I can connect with somebody and share things
that I do to get through those difficult times
and they're like, you know what, you change my life
because of you I didn't give up,
because of you I've accepted all my scars to
or whatever it may be.
So that's just a little bit about my story,
but it sure has been a wild ride.
And I'm really grateful that it led me to you, Heather,
because for a long time, I had a friend of mine saying,
you gotta meet Heather Monahan.
You just gotta meet her.
And I was like, who is this Heather Monahan?
I'm like, oh, no wonder I had to meet her.
Because you are amazing.
And really you, oh my gosh, you can make me cry.
So many things that I want to reiterate that I just
took from what you said.
And for everyone listening right now,
there was a glimmer of hope.
One percent is a glimmer of hope.
And that's what you hung on to.
And I just, that's so powerful for today and for in the pandemic.
And you just getting out of flipping quarantine and LA and, you know,
hanging onto that glimmer is so inspiring and gives me so much hope.
So thank you.
Another thing that you mentioned that I really want to shine a light on.
You talked about owning your flaws.
Amber Lee, you don't own your flaws and it's not a
flaw at all, but I know what you're referring to your injuries. You rock them. You own them.
You showcase them and that to me, that is what draws me to your social. If you're not
falling Amber Lee on Instagram, you have got what is your handle on Instagram? Amber Lee
logo motivation. You have to go check out the feed because you make it cool to have an injury.
You make it like people want to applaud you to have the injury.
And I remember when I first started public speaking, I shared in the speech.
You know what? I have stinky feet. Yes, people I have stinky feet.
And people go crazy for it. I really do have stinky feet.
I don't love that I have stinky feet.
However, and this is hardly a comparison to you,
but I recognize that the more real people can understand
anyone is, the more you can relate, right?
Because we all have struggles.
We don't have the same one that you have, right?
But we all have challenges.
And it's about how we show up and react to it,
respond to it and or reframe it,
which you have done in a very powerful way.
It's just mind blowing to see what you've created.
The other thing that comes across very clearly to me,
your passion, your connection with your purpose,
your heart, and your passion,
and you speak about your heart a lot
and coming from your heart, not head,
which is important to you, isn't it?
Oh yeah, you know, I can get caught up in my head and one thing I've had to learn to do is
really instead of listen to myself, I have to talk to myself because I have this inner critic
that I'll be, I can be my own worst enemy, I can beat myself up and tell me how I'm not good enough
and who do you think you are and all those things. So I have really learned to talk to myself from the minute I wake up.
I think that one of the most powerful things we can do is shift our perspective on things.
And I mean, you know what, just this morning, you know, woke up and I was, I heard my husband snoring
and I was like, oh, God, God, just stop snoring.
And then I thought, no, what I need to say, thank you, God.
He's breathing.
Thank you, God.
We have, or whatever you want to say, universe spirit, who I have a higher power.
But it's all how we view things and we see things.
A lot of people may have seen the 1% is, well, there's 99%
chance. Those are the reasons I should give up. It's so important to really get clear about
what you're putting your focus on, especially now with everything that's going on, with the
pandemic and feeling like we're so locked up. I think it's especially important to focus on those
things. And for me, I try to stay out of my head and end to my heart because I can overthink things.
And I think that if we can get out of our head and just speak from our heart, you know, I might not
say things perfectly, it might not come out just right or, or I I but at least it's my truth and I think if we can just speak our truth
Then we're gonna connect to the right kinds of people
We're gonna we're gonna connect to our kind of people and that's what matters, you know
It's connecting to our people not trying to to say the right thing always or or or be like somebody else
But being it staying true to yourself. That's so powerful.
Oh, well, thank you.
And you know, it took me a long time to accept,
you know, you're saying you rock your flaws.
And it took me a long time to do that.
I was so ashamed.
I did not like, well, I hated myself.
I hated the way I looked.
I hated the pain.
I was so embarrassed of the way I looked. I hated the pain. I was so embarrassed of the way I looked.
And it's so freeing when you can let that go and just be an acceptance for
who you are, where you are, what you stand for. And it's so much easier. And then when I'll never
forget I posted my first TikTok video. And mainly because, you know, my youngest daughter was like, Mama, you're too old for TikTok.
You do not need to be on TikTok.
And I was like, Oh, and then I'm definitely going to be on TikTok.
So I like flipped the camera over.
And it was the first time I had put on tap shoes since my motorcycle accident.
She could see me struggling.
I was like trying to fit my deformed foot in the shoe
and she's like, mom, I don't know if that's going to work. I don't think your foot fits in there anymore.
And I was like, I am going to get my foot in this tap shoe. And so, turn the camera on. I did a
little tap dance. And I was like, I got emotional because I was like, this is the first time I've
danced tap danced. And that was like one of the biggest joys of my life.
That was what I loved doing, and so to be able to do it again, I posted it, and so many
people were commenting, and most of the things were good.
You know, and that video got close to 600,000 views on that TikTok video.
And let me tell you thousands of comments, and most of them were good, but sometimes
that negative one is what sticks like
Velcro. And we're like wired to remember the negative ones and it's like people can say one thing
and all these nice things. And there was a guy that was like, oh, can you please not post stuff like
that because it makes me want to throw up and I'm eating. And that was just like sticking with me. And then I was able to laugh
about it, but had I not really processed the feelings and gotten over the shame of how my leg looked,
that would have devastated me. That would have crushed me. I probably never would have posted
anything again. I probably would have never worn shorts again, ever.
So I think it's really important to really let those feelings rise up and deal with those feelings and process them.
So you can step into your power and own it.
So when somebody says something like that, you're just like, oh, yeah,
I know. Look at this leg, isn't it?
It's, look at this.
It's cool, right?
How I can move the calf muscle in the
front of my leg. It's like a crazy bar trick, you know? So you can start to like just, you
know, no matter what somebody says, you know who you are, you stand in your truth and it's
not going to like completely derail you.
Oh my gosh, I love that on shame takes all of its
and you've put it to work
I feel like that's what I
of living in fear of peop
shining a light on it and
to work for me. Very diff
I will tell you so power
the front with what those
separates you and frees you simultaneously.
Well, I love that you did a post recently about that.
I think I saw on LinkedIn where you were like shining
a light on a comment that you got about, you know,
you're, you're, you have a huge, I mean, such an honor
to be asked to teach at Harvard.
And somebody had made a comment about that.
And you're like, oh, we're going to shine a light on that.
And I think it's, is important because when I did a video
and I posted, there's a way on TikTok
where you can actually show someone's comment
and you can react to it.
So you can answer questions or comments.
And I didn't know way not to come down on the guy,
but to say to other people, look,
there's always gonna be naysayers out there.
There's always gonna be people that may disagree with you.
There's gonna be haters.
Don't let that discourage you.
You just keep being you and stay true to yourself.
But it was hard when I first got like my first haters.
And it's all how you look at it.
I remember I had just done the doctors TV show interview
and I was surprised that people that are in my CRPS community
were coming down on me.
They're like, you can't get out of pain from being mindful or using your mindset.
And I was like, no, you can't maybe get out of it.
I said, but you can get through it
and you can grow through it.
And I was like, oh my gosh, I told my husband, oh my gosh,
these people are like really, like haters
coming out of the woodwork and just a few,
but it was those few that wanted to be really loud.
And he was like, congratulations.
I am so happy for you.
It's about time you got some haters.
That's good.
That means you're getting your message out there.
And I thought of it as, yeah,
and it's gonna make you believe in your message even more
or question it.
And for me, it was like, I believe in my message.
I know that it can change people's lives.
If they just do these like five things every day,
they can be more resilient.
And so yeah, shine a light on the shame.
I love that.
Let's get into pace or in what are the steps
people need to take to turn their lives around.
Well, this is something quickly to overcome adversity.
Pain, it helps me, it helps me with depression.
It helps me be resilient so I can get through some challenges
every day, whether it's with pain or just this pandemic
and being the lunch lady with virtual school.
You should know what that means already.
That's the best kind of notification.
That's the sound of another sale on Shopify,
and the moment another business dream becomes a reality.
Shopify is a commerce platform,
revolutionizing millions of businesses worldwide.
Whether you're selling books or courses,
Shopify is simplifies selling online and in person
so you can focus on successfully growing your business.
Shopify covers every sales channel from in-person
POS system
to all-in-one e-commerce platforms.
It even lets you sell across social media marketplaces
like TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram.
Packed with industry leading tools ready to ignite your growth,
Shopify gives you complete control over your business
and your brand.
And thanks to 24-7 Help and Extensive Business Course Library,
Shopify is there to support your success every
step of the way. I love Shopify. What's been incredible for me about Shopify is how no matter
how big you want to grow, Shopify is there to empower you and give you the confidence
and control to revolutionize your business and take your business to the next level.
Now it's your turn. Get serious about selling and try Shopify today. This is Possibility powered by Shopify.
Sign up for a $1 per month trial period at Shopify.com slash monahen.
All lowercase.
Go to Shopify.com slash monahen to take your business to the next level today.
Shopify.com slash monahen.
See you have a business idea, but you're not sure what to do next.
Don't go into debt spending four plus years on a degree.
Listen to the Millionaire University podcast.
Learn how to run a successful business and graduate rich, not broke.
Trust me, you need to check out this podcast.
The Millionaire University podcast is hosted by Justin and Tara Williams,
who started their business from square one and now have years of valuable experience.
They hit lows and dug themselves out of debt,
and want to share the lessons they've learned
with aspiring entrepreneurs.
You don't need a degree to succeed.
Millionaire University will teach you everything you need to know.
From specifics like how to start a software business
without creating your own software,
to more broad topics,
like eight businesses
you can start tomorrow to make 10K a month.
In each episode, you'll get insights from entrepreneurs
and mentors who know what it takes to be successful.
So don't wait.
Now is the time to turn your business idea into a reality
by listening to the millionaire university podcast.
New episodes drop every Monday and Thursday.
Find the Millionaire University on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcast.
This episode is brought to you by Taukaya Tree. Talking about mental health isn't always easy.
Finding care should be. Meet Taukaya Tree. They offer virtual in-network psychiatry
to treat the most common mental health conditions,
like depression, anxiety, OCD, and trauma.
Within a week, they can match you with a doctor
who takes insurance and takes the time to listen.
Get started at taukaya tree.com slash start.
That's T-A-L-K-I-A-T-R-Y.com slash start.
This little lunch lady,
worst job ever, and we will have it.
I'm with you.
I know like trying to be creative
with the eating so I need something
quick like a I'm big on making
lists. I'm big on like mantras
and quick reminders.
And so there's a few things I do
every single day.
And if I'm not feeling my best,
it's because I've left one of these things out.
So first, pace or stands for perspective,
acceptance, community, endurance, and rest.
And perspective is, you know,
we can't always control what's going on in our world,
but we can control how we view it and how we react to it.
And for me, the quickest and easiest way to do that is to get in gratitude.
And I mean, really practice it and feel it. And so I start my day with gratitude. I say a prayer,
first thing before my feet hit the floor and get grateful. I write about gratitude in my journal.
There's something very healing about writing it and feeling it.
It's a way to process your feelings
and it's not always easy to be grateful
when you feel like you have a never ending to do list
or we're in a pandemic.
And so I think it's powerful to have an accountability partner
and so I have an accountability partner
that we write to each other every single day.
And by the way, I think it's powerful to have coaches, mentors, be a part of masterminds,
all those things, have somebody that you can connect with, you can be accountable, you
know, to because that's what's going to help you keep that positive perspective.
The next part of PASER is, and that was really hard for me. I did not want to accept that I was going to live a life with pain every day, you know, I was diagnosed with this disease, dubbed the suicide disease because it is ranked highest on the pain scale, and there's no cure.
I was doing everything in order not to look at that. And I think, you know, sometimes that comes across in our
relationships when we don't want to look at something that we're not happy with in a relationship
or a job.
And maybe we start eating too much or drinking too much or overwork or speed date or whatever
it is in order not to look at that big white elephant in the room.
And I think to really be resilient, you have to take a look at that big white elephant in the room. And I think to really be resilient,
you have to take a look at what is going on in your life
so you can make some, actually take some action steps
to make your life better.
And it's not always easy, but it's possible.
And I think that's possible with a community of people,
it makes it a little easier.
And that's the next part of Pacer community.
I used to try to do everything alone.
I was so for Lyent and I got this
and I realized when I was at my darkest place
that I didn't, I couldn't do it alone, I needed help.
I needed people.
And I, you know, luckily I have some,
some of my sobriety sisters,
because I went down
a dark road for a few years they're drinking.
I've got sobriety sisters who loved me until I could love myself.
I'm a part of a mastermind of entrepreneurs and some of the most successful thought leaders,
authors, and accomplished entrepreneurs.
And it's like we connect and with people who've already paved the way. And so you get that advice and collaboration.
So I think a community on social media, I love my social media tribe. So community is powerful. We can be unstoppable when we have a force of cheerleaders behind us. And so, because it takes a lot of endurance,
and that's the next part of Pacer.
And I think that's where your grit and your grace
really come into play.
And I think that's where I have to tap into,
okay, what is my why?
Why am I doing this?
And that gives me the motivation to keep going.
Along with daily habits,
I think it's really important to be disciplined
and some people don't like that D word,
but I think that discipline is what allows us
to have the freedom.
And then the last part of PASER is REST,
which if we really want to be resilient,
we have to strategically stop and allow for times
in our schedule to recover
because I could, I love what I do
and I could work 24, seven.
And I would look, oh my gosh, I forgot to eat.
I forgot to work out.
When am I spending time with my family,
like basic necessities that I have to schedule in.
So I think it's really important to shift it
from resting being a luxury to shift it from resting,
being a luxury to really be in a necessity, especially if you're dealing with chronic pain or anything like that. But if I am doing pacer throughout the day, then I know,
I will go down the list. Yesterday, I was like dying. I couldn't even see straight. And I was
supposed to record a podcast interview
and I was like, what is wrong with me?
And I went through Pacer and I was like,
well, I haven't rested.
I've been going nonstop for 12 hours straight
and just taking a 10 minute not nap,
I didn't fall asleep, but I laid down
then I felt like a new person.
And so I really hope that that helps anyone who's
listening who may be struggling with just their business or being, you know, a mom in the lunch
lady or if you have chronic pain, whatever you're struggling with that, that you can think of that
pace or tap into your superpower resilience. Because we all have it. It's just our ability to tap into it.
Oh, it's so helpful.
Thank you for sharing those tips, Amberly.
So I'm super curious to know,
and I know that recently you had an accident
with your daughter, and I'm interested to know
what is your relationship with accidents, death,
and fear around things that are so big since you've been right in the middle of
of such such a huge fear for most people. Well, you know, it's interesting because my husband says,
well, you just won't die because I've been in like three accidents where I've been hit by a car on my
bicycle, on my motorcycle, and then about six weeks ago,
my daughter and I were on our razors and got hit as we were going through a crosswalk.
And I thought when I got hit for the third time, we're getting more in the back of the ambulance.
And one of the, once I knew she was stable, you know, I didn't know if we hadn't done the cat
scan yet, more in the back of the ambulance. And it might seem kind of crazy to have this thought
while you're in the back of an ambulance.
But I was really like, okay, what am I learning from this?
What did I not learn from the other times that I need to learn?
And so that's my default is not why me,
why is this happening to me?
Because I feel like that gets you into that victim mindset.
But my default is, okay, what can I do next?
What's my next step?
What are my options? And what can I learn from it?
Because when you look at it from that perspective,
it gives you hope that, okay, well, there are still possibilities.
But if you're stuck in,
oh, again, I got hit by a car or whatever.
I mean, there is something to be said, like, I need to look both ways, but...
Oh, my gosh.
I had a friend that was like, you know, you should name your next book, look both ways. And it goes like, I'm kidding, I know it wasn't your fault,
but maybe look both ways.
And, but, you know, I think that we can either live our life
with fear of faith, we can't live, you can't be in fear.
I don't think you can be in fear of faith.
Yes, you can have moments of being fearful. You know,
I've got healthy fears too. Like I have a healthy fear of I don't ever want to go and hit my
rock bottom again. So there are things that I am scared to do that. So I'm like, I won't drink again
because it's a slippery slope. I was doing that to manage my pain because nothing else was working.
I was self-medicating.
So there are healthy fears,
but I think when you have faith,
there are no coincidences that things happen
for a reason people come into your life for a reason.
And sometimes you're put in situations
that are sometimes horrible.
And you wouldn't wish it on anybody,
but your survival story, there's a quote about,
your survival story might just be someone else's roadmap
to live or to get through a tough situation.
So I always ask, well, instead of why not me?
Maybe I can show somebody else who's struggling that they're going to be able to get through a situation.
Oh my gosh, Amber, that is so inspiring and just mind blowing. I can't even wrap my head around. I'm so proud of you.
Now, I know that you mentioned masterminds and I actually know you're launching your own mastermind. Can you tell us a little bit about that?
The difference between, you know, we can all be successful, but if you want to get from point A to point B,
I think it's so important to surround yourself
with great experts, leaders, mentors.
And that's why I originally got involved with the mastermind
because it's the difference between
getting someone's opinion versus getting counsel.
Like, for instance, if you want to write a book
and you're like telling your family
or your friends like I was
and they're like, good luck girl,
you're not gonna write a book, whatever,
they've never written a book.
So they of course would say those things
because they don't, they don't know
how to write a book maybe, you know?
So when I went to a guy who had already written 75
best-selling books, I get counsel and he says,
these are the next things to do to get from point A to point B.
So that's what the mastermind is all about.
It's about surrounding yourself with people
who are passionate, positive, who have written books,
who have been on big stages,
who have successful podcasts,
or people who have managed to, you know, their pain,
and they're doing things instead of giving up.
So it's really a hand-selected group of like-minded people
because you're working closely together,
and you get in the hot seat or the opportunity chair
where you get to declare who you are and what your goals are,
then we go around and everybody in the group gets to ask a clarifying question,
and then everybody in the group gets to offer their suggestions,
and you just say, thank you, and take notes, and you move on.
And so you're learning from everyone in the group,
and you're building these amazing relationships.
And I have to say I was inspired
to do my own mastermind because I was so booked with clients. You know, I've been coaching
for 23 years and I can't I'm booked with clients and I'm like, well, how can I still help people
and make an impact? And so I went and got certified as a mastermind consultant with a mastermind association. And I am so excited to launch this mastermind,
which will be launching in about one month.
I did one mastermind, which was just for chronic pain,
and this is going to be for entrepreneurs as well.
So I'm excited. Thanks for asking about it.
Because it's so powerful when you can connect with people
who are doing the same things. It's like they
speak the same language.
Your advice around not
taking direction from
people who haven't been
where you're going is my
favorite favorite thing
and one of the most
crippling things. And as
I always say, fire your
villains not saying they're
bad people, but people
that are holding you back
and surround yourself
with the people that are
lifting you up. And that's
exactly what a mastermind
allows for getting rid of the opinions that don't count
because they have no idea.
And that again, the people that can help you.
It's such a profound difference so that people can achieve their goals.
I'm so excited for you doing this.
Thank you.
I'm really excited about it.
It's something that I've been working on and planned out.
Now, my mastermind's a little bit different.
It comes with a 45 page workbook that I've spent,
okay, I've spent like a year on this workbook,
but I'm in my heart and soul in it
because I know that, you know, if you just had,
I've wasted thousands of dollars in so much time,
doing the wrong things or asking the wrong people
or just horrible and I don't want anybody
to have to go through what I went through,
even with a publishing process,
which is a whole other story.
But yeah, so if I can share those tips and tools
like the things that cost me the
most money and that can save somebody else money, then that's what it's all about. And I love
also that it's an opportunity to have guest speakers come in and share their expertise.
So it's not just about me getting up there. It's about the other people in the group and these amazing guests
that come in and drop their wisdom and knowledge in their experience.
Well, Amber, it's so clear that you are doing what you were born to do. Your passion comes
through so powerfully and so does your heart and just knowing you personally. I am so proud
of you and so grateful that you shared all of this with everyone.
Where can everybody find you and where can everyone find your podcast?
Please reach out to me.
You can text me and tell me you heard me on the show.
This is, and we were saying this before the recording, but this, I said, you are like my favorite
female podcast, your voices.
Maybe I should just say favorite podcast instead of
but there's so many but it's true I really admire all that you do so let me
know you heard me here you can text me at 818 2147378 or you can find me at
Amberley Logo Motivation my website there. I've got free downloadable gratitude journal and if you text
me the word grit, you can get your downloadable goals grit and grace workbook that will have the
PASER method in it. So grit to 818 214 7378 and yeah reach out and it's me texting so sometimes
it takes me a little bit just because I like to connect with everybody. Please reach out. And it's me texting. So sometimes it takes me a little bit, just because I like to connect with everybody.
Please reach out.
And thank you, Heather.
I just love you.
And I was so excited to get to talk to you.
And we're gonna have to talk about our next TED talk.
Coming up.
And I'm just, I know.
Thank you so much for having me on your show.
It's really truly an honor to get to share
with your audience.
Thank you for being here, much continued success,
and everyone we will be right back.
I ask you to try to find your passion.
I hope you've loved meeting Amberly as much as I love being
her friend and hanging out there.
She's such a breath of fresh air and she's a real deal.
There's a lot of women out there in the world
that you might meet that are beautiful
and look like they have it all together
and they're fake and not real and she's not.
She's so real, it's just the only way I can explain it
and she's just, she's such a good person.
So definitely check her out.
Okay, onto Q and A.
Hey Heather, I enjoy your podcast about boundaries today. I guess that was last week's podcast. So if you haven't heard it, go check her out. Okay, onto Q&A. Hey Heather, I enjoy your podcast about boundaries today.
I guess that was last week's podcast.
So if you haven't heard it, go check it out.
I have a question about what you would do
in a situation I encounter frequently.
I find myself having to pick up Slack for coworkers
or even other peers, maybe in group projects
that need to get done or whatever the case may be.
I know I have to pick up the Slack
or else my grade or job will be affected. Therefore, I just say okay. And I complete the task
myself. This takes away from personal time as extra stress. What would you say
or do in this situation? I heard you like to use these questions in your podcast
if you do keep this anonymous. Okay, you got it. So here's the thing, people will
treat you the way you teach them to.
This person is saying this happens in her life frequently.
She's allowing for it and she's teaching them to do it, right?
Here's a quick story.
13 years ago, my son was born 10 days after giving birth, the CEO that I
worked for called me and he said, Hey, I need you to jump on a plane and go
give a keynote speech for me at my alma mater.
I can't do it.
And I said, OK, I need you to jump on a plane and go give a keynote speech for me at my alma mater. I can't do it. And I said, okay, that's ridiculous.
Okay, here's what I would do differently today.
I say, oh my gosh, so great to hear your voice.
Did you not hear?
I just had a baby.
Hang on, I'm gonna go ahead and email and text you
the pictures over.
Call me back once you get them
and let's talk about how cute my kid is.
Oh, by the way, I'm sure there's someone on the team
that would be better suited to make a flight right now,
and that's definitely not me.
Right, that was easy.
Okay, now if you haven't just had a baby,
but you have no business in taking all the work on
what it should be divided and equally spread.
The first thing that I would say in that situation,
I use this in any difficult situation
that you don't wanna be.
You don't want to create additional conflict,
but you need to call someone out.
I always say this.
I'm confused.
Okay, that's non-confrontational.
However, we've got a problem, right?
I've got a question.
Hang on, I'm confused.
When we started working together on this project,
I was doing a third of the work,
you were doing a third, Bobby Joe's doing a third.
I've completed my task, Bobby Joe's completed theirs, and you have not been able to get
yours done.
As you know, you're responsible for that portion.
If we hand this in, which is two thirds of the work done, everyone is going to suffer.
Where are you stuck that you're not able to produce this or get it done?
You've got to kick back in a non-confrontational way to remind people of expectations and
take it a step back even further.
Are you setting clear expectations on the front end of work projects, of school projects,
to say, guys, let's get clarity here.
And let's assign some deadlines and some responsibilities.
And let's go ahead and put it in writing.
Okay, here's what we've agreed to.
A week before the project is due, everyone will have their part done so that everyone can
review the other parts.
You're responsible for A, you're responsible for B, I'm responsible for C. We meet together
and reconvene in 10 days and we all come prepared to the meeting.
Here's what that will entail.
Here's the deadlines, here's the responsibilities and I'll follow up with an email.
The more specific you are with people, the more you're going to be able to hold them accountable.
Get agreement and buy in from everyone on the front end,
set those expectations clearly, and then those boundaries are really easy to hold,
because everything was in writing.
I'm confused, how could you not have your portion of the work done here?
That doesn't make any sense.
So definitely have to kick back there, and if it's happened frequently,
it's because you're teaching people to treat you that way, pump the brakes and stop.
And PS, you should totally check out my confidence video course.
Go to my website.
You'll see the link I offered a special deal this week on it.
Use code clubhouse and check out you get $200 off it.
And it's just $99, but that's definitely going to help you.
Okay. Hey, Heather, I just listened to you on clubhouse.
Oh, I was on clubhouse all week.
I have your book since it came out and I love it.
I wrote you a review to all. Thank you so much. I'm finally trying to get my book published.
And the question is about PR. Did you hire a firm to help you? Any advice would be appreciated.
Listen, of course you want to hire a PR firm if you can, but it's a financial commitment,
right? It's a big investment and some of the companies are very expensive. So if you can,
go all in.
I also used an element through the publishing company that I worked with scribe.
They have some options there that are a little less expensive.
But if you have a community that you've already built on social media through an email list,
you also want to leverage that opportunity.
You want to pitch yourself to go on podcasts, to go on shows, to get as much exposure as
you can.
Seth Gooden was super smart about this.
He did podcast guessing for months
before his book came out.
However, he would tell you, as he told me,
you cannot drop this episode until,
I think it was October 4th to October 10th.
That's it, that's your window.
And so he had hundreds of podcasts episodes come out right when his book dropped.
So he didn't need a PR firm necessarily for that. He just had to put a lot of time and work in.
So financially, if you can make the investment, of course, go all in and hire a PR firm.
If finances are too tight and you don't have those resources, do the hustle. Put the time and
pitch yourself for everything and anything you can and get everyone to agree to allow that you know
a tight window around right when your book drops to come out. Okay, hey Heather, I'm writing a book all I ever hear about is
I have to know someone in the industry to get published. I'm not sure what steps you took to get published. Okay, first of all to get
published you can self-published you can just upload to Amazon. You don't need to overthink it. When I self-published, I hired scribe media,
which I highly recommend, go to their site,
check it out, or I'll put a link in the show notes,
and it's all a cart.
You can pick the services you need or don't need,
and it takes zero time.
I mean, it happens so fast,
so people try to make it really intimidating,
scribe for me, really simplified it,
and it was a great experience.
That was my first book.
Now my second book, which is coming out November,
I went and pitched an agent first,
then I pitched her 14 times on 14 different book proposals.
Finally, on the 15 times she said yes,
then she went out and pitched 10 or 15 publishing houses during the pandemic.
We got back a few yeses, we met with the different teams, we decided on going with Harper
Collins leadership.
That whole process as well as writing the book, this is the big difference, right?
When I self-published, I wrote the book and self-published all within five to seven
months.
It was the book was out under a year, far under a year.
It was very fast, the traditional way of which I'm going. Now, it'll be almost a year and a half two-year process.
It really depends if you want speed to market, self-publish. If you are really hooked on this idea
of wanting to be with a publisher, you've got to find an agent, start pitching yourself to
different agents out there and get ready for your book not to be out for a couple of years.
I hope that helps. I hope this episode helps. If it did, please leave me a rating and review.
Hit subscribe and I need you to get these episodes every week. And if you could, please promote it
on social media. When you tag me, I always repost and retag. And I can't wait to see you next week.
I'll be creating confidence. Hope you will be too. I decided to change that diamond.
And the right bell out.
I couldn't be more insane than the bird.
What you're getting here is starting to learn
and growing.
And inevitably something will happen.
No one succeeds alone.
You don't stop and look around once in a while.
You can miss it.
I'm on this journey with me.
This episode is brought to you by the YAP Media Podcast Network. I'm Holla Taha, CEO of the award-winning digital media empire YAP Media, and host of
YAP Young & Profiting Podcast, a number one entrepreneurship and self-improvement podcast
where you can listen, learn, and profit.
On Young & Profiting Podcast, I interview the brightest minds in the world and I turn
their wisdom into actionable advice that you can use in your daily life.
Each week we dive into a new topic like the art of side hustles, how to level up your
influence and persuasion and goal setting.
I interview A-List guests on Young & Profiting.
I've got the best guests.
Like the world's number one negotiation expert, Chris Voss, Shark, Damon
John, serial entrepreneur, Alex and Leila Hermosi, and even movie stars like Matthew McConaughey.
There's absolutely no fluff on my podcast, and that's on purpose. Every episode is jam
packed with advice that's gonna push your life forward. I do my research, I get straight
to the point, and I take things really seriously.
Which is why I'm known as the podcast princess, and how I became one of the top podcasters
in the world in less than five years.
Young and profiting podcast is for all ages.
Don't let the name fool you, it's an advanced show.
As long as you want to learn and level up, you will be forever young.
So join podcast royalty and subscribe to Young and Profiting Podcast.
Or yeah, like it's often called by my app fam on Apple Spotify
Cast Box or wherever you listen to your podcast.
Can I get a woo-woo-woo?
I'm Lacey Green and I'm a super trainer at Body.
That's B-O-D-I dot com.
And you know what's missing from the entire fitness industry?
A program for beginners only.
Not anymore.
I've created a program called For Beginners Only,
and it is for everybody and everybody.
It's a three week program only on body.
The world's first health esteem platform.
That means it's a place for you to work on loving who you are right now
as you work on who you are becoming.
I'll ease you into exercise with low impact cardio strength,
core and mobility workouts that will
help you feel great as soon as you get started.
I hope you build your foundation and show you how simple it can be to make a change just
by showing up.
It's for beginners only because I want you to know you can do it and I want you to get
results.
Let's find a joy and drop the judgment.
And woo woo now you can try for beginners only with your free trial of body.
So there's no reason not to get started.
Go to body.com today.
That's body with an i.com.