SPEAKER_00 0:00

Are you a leader that wants to know how to influence their people positively? A leader that wants to understand how to get their people's buy-in. Maybe you're a female that wants to understand how you can rise in your career. Rise as a woman. Rise and be noticed at work for the great work you're doing. If you said yes to any of these, this podcast is for you. Hey there, Maureen Cherna here, founder of the MindSight Academy, neurocoach to executives, leaders, entrepreneurs, and a neuroleadership trainer using insights from neuroscience to help you deliver results by learning to work smarter, be in control of your brain, manage yours and others' emotions, change behaviors, flourish and exceed expectations. Welcome back to another episode of Lead to Excel Podcast. I am so thrilled to be with you today because we have a special guest. But before we get into that, remember to subscribe to this podcast wherever you listen to it. Because it will help other people find it and give them the opportunity to understand how they can rewire their own brain to enable them to achieve their goals. So without wasting any more time, grab your cup of coffee or your drink or whatever that might be. Put your feet up and listen in. I am absolutely excited today. I have a really special guest with us. And today we are going to be looking at some key points that leaders need to know. Something that will truly help you to be more effective as a leader. So my special guest today is Dr. Paulette Evans. Paulette, I am so pleased to have you on Lead to Excel podcast with us. Thank you so much for coming.

SPEAKER_01 2:08

Thank you. I'm very excited to be here.

SPEAKER_00 2:12

So, Paulette, I'm going to introduce you briefly and then I'll let you kind of um introduce yourself in more detail. So um, Dr. Paulette Evans lives in Raleigh, North Carolina. Yeah, in North Carolina, and she's the vice president, enterprise portfolio management office at Cardinal Innovations Healthcare. In this role, she oversees the portfolio management team who are tasked with implementing all programs, projects, and initiatives within the strategic plan. So, Paulette, can you tell us what this means? What do you do?

SPEAKER_01 2:53

Yes. So I have a fabulous team of project managers and business analysts who are tasked with overseeing, or I guess not overseeing, but more overseeing, yeah, overseeing the projects that are part of the strategic plan for Cardinal Innovation Self-Care. They worked fabulously. I mean, they are a magnificent team. I've never seen a stronger team of project managers and business analysts in my entire career. So they do a lot of the heavy lifting, and I just give them guidance and help them solve any issues that pop up and continue to make sure they understand how important they are to the bottom line, to the final plan, to everything that's happening with the organization. And I've been doing this for about six weeks and I thoroughly enjoy it.

SPEAKER_00 3:45

Wow. So congratulations again on this new role. That is amazing. Congratulations. So can we just go back a bit? Can you tell us how you got into this field and what you trained us and how you got to where you are today?

SPEAKER_01 4:03

Yeah, so I guess as a child, I will tell you, I took one of those uh career finder assessments when I was in high school. And it popped up with two things. It says, I'm going to either be an engineer or a litigator. And so I was like, okay, that makes sense, given my personality. And so I attended Clemson University and I majored in electrical engineering with a minor in mathematical sciences. And so I am a natural-born uh problem solver. Like I'm just, that's just at my core. I'm always looking for a better way to do things, a more efficient way to do things. And I am just obsessed with solving any issues that pop up. And that's at work, at home, everywhere in between. Like I just can't turn it off. And so I got into project management upon graduation, graduating from Clemson, and I fell in love with it immediately. It's not something that popped up or came about during my training to become an engineer. Uh, we we did a lot of theory, a lot of application, lab work, all these things, a lot of hands-on training. But nothing ever said, okay, you can use all these skills and go into the project management field. And so when that presented itself when I was working at General Electric, or I started at General Electric as a project manager, I was like, this is really interesting. And I just fell in love with it. I was like, I can utilize everything I've learned in addition to my personal strengths and make some really big things happen. And that's what I've done this entire time. So I'm about 20 years into my career, and I have in every kind of situation, I have been tasked with problem solving or managing a project or overseeing people who need to manage a project. So it's it's just been it's just been what I've I've done always and what I've loved always. And so it really is that whole thing where they say if you do what you love, you never work a day in your life. It's it's that kind of situation. I literally have been blessed to been able to do the things that I am passionate about and get paid to do them. So it's it's really been amazing.

SPEAKER_00 6:19

I can actually hear the passion in your voice. It really does come through. It really does. So let's talk about problem solving in terms of what you do, because one of the um key things or key issues a lot of um managers or project people have is being able to solve problems efficiently, actually when under pressure, and pressure has become a normal routine or the normal way of life, actually at work. So, how do you do this effectively? How do you do this efficiently under the kind of pressure that you work under?

SPEAKER_01 6:58

Yeah, and and one of my things is to not take anything personally. And I think once you remove that, the feelings and the personal attachment, then it becomes a lot easier to effectively lead and manage projects because project management is it's a methodology. There is no gray there, it's very black and white. And the best way to make sure you utilize all of the steps and all the tools is to make sure you're not taking anything personally. It is literally business. And so once you explain that to the people who are listening, the people on the project team, then you have a better chance of making sure you get everything right and you don't miss anything and the project runs smooth. Now, people, you know, that variable is always interesting because people bring feelings to everything, they have their behaviors, bad or good, they they show up how they want to show up. And the hardest thing to change is a person's behavior. I tell people that all the time. It's easy to manage projects, manage uh products, manage um you know, timelines, but to manage a person and and help them get over that hump, that the hump called change, it's always a struggle because people just don't want to change. And it's not a flaw or a fault, it's just human nature. You you like what you like, how you like it, when you like it. And when you're used to doing something, whether you've done it the same way for a week, for a month, or for a year, you don't want to change. I mean, it's just not your preference. And so the big part of project management is helping people understand that change is again, I'm not personally attacking the way you do anything. I'm not coming after you, I'm not saying you're at fault or anything like that. This is a change we have to make for the good of the business. And I need you to come along with me on this journey. And so helping people understand that, again, it's not personal for the project manager and it's not personal for the people being impacted. It has nothing to do with your performance as an individual. This is a change that has to happen for the greater good. And so helping people understand that up front, I spend a lot of time as a project manager. I spend a lot of time behind the scenes, I call it, where I'm literally meeting with people one-on-one, having these conversations, helping them get past the moment where they're upset about the change. And again, they're taking it personally and they're feeling personally attacked. I spend time with them to get them out of that space. So then by the time we get to the project kickoff meeting, everybody in the room is ready, they're on board, and they're excited about this change. And so that that may take a month, it may take two months. It takes a bit of time. But again, that behind the scenes work, it is very extremely important to the effectiveness and success of any project. And that's the thing. If you walk in there and you're like, okay, we're gonna have this kickoff meeting today, we're gonna start here and I'm gonna tell you all about this change. And the people in the room don't have a don't have time to digest it and prepare themselves for it, then the project will be doomed for failure. So I do a lot of this work offline, behind the scenes, just to help people understand and get ready for that change. And that way, when it's time to make it happen, they are ready and they are helping me make the change. So, yeah, so that's something I've I've done and I utilize that technique across the board. I mean, and again, I use it at work when I need to, in my volunteer life, everywhere. It's just one of those things that I've I've become, I've become accustomed to doing because it's so effective. And at the end of the day, I realize that people just want to be heard. They just want to, I mean, even if they're frustrated with the change or an idea that's coming down the pipeline, they just want to be able to voice their concerns and their frustration or their fears. And I listen and then I address said fears and frustrations and get them to a place where they can say, you know what, this change is going to be beneficial. So I am all for it.

SPEAKER_00 11:13

Wow, that is that is amazing. I'm just here smiling away because honestly, you you really touched on so many points. You know, talking about change, you know, you you said it so rightly. The reason why people resist change is because the brain doesn't like uncertainty, doesn't like change because it's new, it's foreign to it, and that's why people resist. So what you're doing is absolutely amazing, and it's it's it's just that's why I was smiling so much because just being able to take that time and listen and talk to them and hear what their fears are and reassure them and get them on board. Yes, and and you said it could take a month, it could take two, and that's the key. It's really dealing with people as individuals, and that is what makes the difference. So, oh gosh, you know, you are the kind of manager that I would want to work with. That is just honestly, that is so amazing. So, you know, have you come across a situation whereby, you know, you've done all this, really put in the work, but you've really had people who um were resisting completely to come on board or were causing being it being really a disruptors. How do you deal with that? Or how did you deal with it?

SPEAKER_01 12:42

Yeah, there's there's always someone or a group, or you know, one or two that just refuse to accept the change. And in in that in those situations, I definitely hold them aside. Again, they have to be taken out of the group setting because it's one of those things where you know a bad apple spoils the bunch. I mean, that is very, very real. So once you have one person who is going to be that disruptor, who doesn't want to make the change, who refuses to accept the change, that that energy will start carrying over to other people in the in the room, other members on the team. And so for those people, I really do pull them aside and we have a very in-depth conversation. And again, this isn't something that pops up in the moment, like say in a kickoff meeting or two project meetings in. When I'm doing my offline work beforehand, I know who these people are. And I can tell by their energy, by what they're saying, their tone, everything. And so I will spend extra time with them because what I what I want to do is make sure they understand why this change needs to happen. And I also want to address all the things that they think are going to happen negatively, like the things that were there, like, you know, this change is going to cause this, this, this. So what I do is I literally write down or capture, I'll say, because I don't do a lot of paper and pen, I do everything on my computer. So I capture all of their issues, like literally one by one. Everything they say, well, I don't want to change because of this. And as they're talking and going through all this and ranting or venting, whatever you want to call it, I capture every single thing they say. And when they're done, I go through that list with them line by line. And I say, you know, you mentioned that you don't want to change because of this or it's going to cause this. In actuality, it's going to do all these other things. It's not going to cause that. So you don't have to worry about that. And so it's more or less reassuring them that what they're fearing and what they think is going to happen in a negative way isn't going to happen at all. And in those moments, if it's something I can't answer or assure them of, I tell them, you know what, I need to go and talk to someone else about this one thing you mentioned, but I will circle back to you within 24 hours with that answer. And so again, it's it's the crazy stories that we create in our minds when you don't know what the change is going to look like. Anything new, anything new to anybody. And again, it's not a fault, it's just it's just human nature. Anything new, you start creating these stories in your mind about what it's going to look like, what it's going to do, how it's going to disrupt your life, and how it's going to be the worst thing ever. And so what I do is pull that out of those people, the people that go into that deep spiral. I make sure they unload all of that on me. Because again, not taking it personally, I can take anything anyone dishes out. So I tell them speak freely. This is a safe space, speak honestly from your heart, from your mind. Just tell me everything you are thinking about this change and why you are so upset about it. And when they unload that, I take it on and again address every single thing that they are afraid of. And once I reassure them of all these things, they get to a better place in their mind about the change. And this is where I was saying earlier. It may take a month, it may take two, it may take three. Some people who are the big disruptors, it takes some time to kind of coax them and get them to a place where they say, you know what, I am excited about this change. And so again, that's that offline legwork that I do. That is just it's just become extremely effective. And so, yeah, so that's that's how I deal with the people who are truly the big disruptors. They they get a lot of time behind scenes and offline.

SPEAKER_00 17:11

You know what? This this is just so good because just take giving them that time. Yes, a lot of people say it's time consuming, but you know what? It's time consuming, but it will save you a lot of money in the end and save you a lot of stress as well in the end. Exactly. So just taking that time just makes such a difference. Um, you know, oh yeah. And also what you're doing in essence is get because all they're doing is it's most of the time that resistance is out of fear, a lot of times. So what you're doing is just reassuring them and really, you know, getting rid of all the all the resistance or fears that are holding them back from being able to change. Oh, so no, uh, that that's really amazing. That's really amazing. So, um, in terms of um, that's one of the things that really got me excited when I spoke to you in terms of being able to, you know, you said that you love problem solving, you love digging in. Talk to us about that. What you know, in your role, in terms of what you do, you can give us a case study, an example of you know, a problem that you had that you know you're able to really solve and how you do it, what does that look like?

SPEAKER_01 18:32

Yeah, so so for me, it's like I said, it's it's at it's at work, it's at home, and everywhere in between. Uh, problems are one of those things that you can't avoid. I mean, there's always going to be an issue or problem with something. For me, I can, and I guess this is what I call my superpower. I can look at any situation and see what's what's going wrong, see the faults, see the flaws, and figure out how to remove them. And so uh with gosh, with work, with with my volunteer life, it really is taking that 50,000-foot view of a situation and then honing in on where the issues are. So uh process mapping, that's something I use a lot. I am a fan of mapping on a process. This is how this starts, this is how it finishes, this is everything that happens in between. And so one of my key tools is a process map. Like, tell me how this works, tell me what happens with this every day. You this is something you do all the time. Tell me every step in this process. And as I map that out, then I look at it as a whole, and then I look at it piece by piece, step by step. And that helps me figure out where the gaps are, where the inefficiencies lie. And it's again, it's just one of those things that I'm really, really good at. And I explain it to people, it doesn't matter the industry, it doesn't matter the situation. It it really doesn't. I can look at any issue or process and see where the inefficiencies are and figure out a better way to do whatever it is you're doing. And so that to me is it's just one of those things to my core that I I've always loved, I've always had a passion for. And again, it's helpful that I can do it for my my organization, you know, for my business, for my volunteer life, for my family, for my friends. I mean, I I am it just never turns off. So I am that person that people typically call to walk through or discuss a situation at hand. And again, for me, it's all about the process. For me, everything has everything has a process. And so once I understand your process, I can definitely go in there and and again see how it works as a whole, but also drill down on the different steps and the intricacies that lie in in through in the whole process, like throughout the entire process, and figure out how to make it more effective, make it more efficient, and and just help, you know, help the personal organization out as a whole. So, so yeah, that is that's one of my that's my go-to for problem solving, the process mapping exercise.

SPEAKER_00 21:18

You know what? I I want to know more about the process mapping exercise because for the benefit of people that have never heard of it or don't even know what it is. I know you touched on it a bit. What does it look like? You know, kind of give us some nitty-gritty of what a process map looks like. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 21:37

Yeah. So a process map is a a graphical or I mean, I guess um it's a diagram, it's a visual, I'll I'll say it's it's an illustration. So again, a lot of people learn and understand things using pictures, not so much words, but a process map captures words and a diagram. Like it's the the it's the best of both worlds because it gives you both things. And it is it's the best way to lay out exactly how something happens. And so what I do when I'm building a process map is I'm I I treat it like an interview where I'm talking to the subject matter expert. This is the person who does this process every day. This is the person who lives it, breathes it, everything. And you always have to find that's the first step is find the right person to talk to to give you the information for the process. It doesn't help if you're talking to the senior level leader because he or she, they're not the ones doing this and living it every day. You have to talk to the person at Actually, it is in the weeds. They're the people who work on this situation or or this process every day. And so as I'm interviewing them, I am asking them, okay, what do you do? And they start with the beginning. You know, how does this start? What's the kickoff moment? And I capture that. And then a step by step, I just say, you know, then what do you do next? What do you do next? What do you do next? And the I think the most difficult part of creating the process map is when you're talking to somebody who lives it every day, to them it's just tasks. They they honestly most likely have never had to spell it out and say, this is step one, this is step two, this is step three. And so as I'm talking to them, I have to drill down and ask these follow-up questions. And you know, when you say this, what does that mean? Because I am capturing it and I'm going to lay it out in this beautiful graphic that shows everything. And I mean literally step by step. And so a lot of it, it's, I think it's beneficial for the subject matter expert because honestly, it shows you exactly what they do. Uh, because the the smallest task can have 10 different parts to it. And you don't know that because you don't live it. But the person living it has to experience this every day. So when I'm when I'm doing this exercise, it's very, very beneficial to the person who lives it. I think it's it's almost like refreshing when they say, you know what, I get tell this person all these things. And this is what I do. It looks really simple on the surface, but it has all these legs and all these layers. And so that is the biggest part of the process mapping process. And so once I get all of my information, I then go to Microsoft Visio, which is an application that Microsoft has in its umbrella. It is a beautiful uh place to just build these kind of process maps. And so I literally lay it out uh again on my computer. I do everything on my computer, and I send it back to the person when I'm finished. And I say, okay, take a look at this, like literally rake it across the goals. Just tell me if I missed something, if I misstated something, be extremely and brutally honest. Because again, once once I know what the current process is, then I can figure out how to make it more efficient. And so to me, that is what a process mapping exercise looks like. It helps me capture everything that I need to capture for a certain process from the person who lives it. And then once we agree on the current state, then we can focus on the future state. And that's where you know I bring in my expertise in terms of finding efficiencies, looking at the gaps, solving any issues and problems that have presented themselves. Uh, the the the best thing anybody can tell me is that we've done it this way forever. Because that that's that's my first note or sign that tells me, you know what, we need to bust this process apart and figure out how to do it better. And so the process mapping exercises is a key part of that.

SPEAKER_00 25:42

Wow. Wow. Thanks so much. That was quite a bit of detail there. But you know, one of the things that I really got from that was the fact that you start off by asking a lot of questions and really taking people step by step through what they do. And you're so right because because you're living it, you don't think about what you do. So you kind of just you're going with the flow. So just being able to stop and as well, and just think about okay, this is what I do then, this then, I love that. And even for people that you know, entrepreneurs that are listening to this, that is something you can do for yourselves as well. It's just take time when there are issues to stop and just map out what you're doing, taking it step by step, and you know, looking at what you're doing, even asking yourself the question or getting someone to ask you the question. And you know, this this is just amazing. I love, I love that, I love that. Even as you're saying it, I'm I'm just going that this just makes so much sense. Um, and it just helps break up because most times when when when problems occur, what actually causes the panic is the because of the enormity of what it looks like, but what you do is amazing because what you're doing is kind of breaking it up, and then and and that's the best way to then see where the problem is and then look for the solution for you know that problem. Well no, that that is absolutely fantastic. So I I just want I know we're getting to the end now, but I just wanted to touch on something else that you do because you said one of your passions is is really empowering women to be strong, which is a great passion of mine. So can you talk how do you, you know, how do you work with women? How do you do this? How do you really help, you know, empower women to be strong, to be self-reliant and successful in what they do?

SPEAKER_01 27:47

So I tell people all the time, I I I people don't understand, I guess, how I do everything that I do. They're like, when do you sleep? Uh, because I am I'm so passionate about empowering women. I I have a full-time job, of course. I have my home life, and I I volunteer for I want to say six different nonprofits that focus on empowering women. And for me, six, six, yeah. And it's another thing. For me, I can't just be a member. So I have to be in a position where I'm leading. And so I am in leadership roles with all organizations as well. And it's it's again a passion of mine. So I tell people, whenever you whatever you want to do, if you are passionate about it, you will make time for it. And so that's the answer to that question. Please repeat that again. Repeat that again. You are passionate about it, you will make time for it. Yeah, that goes across the board. Uh, for me, I can't even entertain an organization if they don't have women at the forefront. Like I just can't even speak to me. And so, so for my organizations, they are all they all have the same mission, vision, you know, empowering women to be strong, to be capable. And so I was raised, my mom raised me to be very self-reliant. And it wasn't that, I mean, she, you know, she's married, of course. My dad is there, always has been there. They are about to celebrate 44 years of marriage. And so it's not that, and and I taught my husband this, I told him this when we first met and started dating. It's not that I need you here, I want you here, you know, and that should be a bigger thing. You should always want someone to want you, not need you. Yes, and so she taught me very early on to be self-reliant. You you can depend on yourself. And if again, if you can depend on somebody else, that's great, but always depend on yourself first. And so I always want women to be able to rely on themselves. If you want to bring in help or you have a mate, a spouse, a partner, whatever, that's fine. I mean, it's great to have a second set of eyes or hands, etc. But you always have to rely on yourself. And and that is something that I teach women often to be very self-reliant. And again, it's it's very much similar to how I approach any other situation, you know, talking to them and saying, okay, so why is it you think that you have to rely on this person? Or why is it you think that you you can't do this yourself? Tell me, explain to me why you think you can't do this. And again, I listen, they tell me all these things that again, all these stories they've built up in their mind. And I go through one by one and say, you know what, this this isn't an issue because of this. You know, literally last month you did these things. So why are you even focusing on that as an issue? Why is that still in your mind as something you can't do when you literally do it every day? And so I mean, it really is it comes on to a pep talk, I guess. But sometimes you sometimes women need to hear that, need to hear the encouragement, need to hear the the yes, I'm capable conversation coming at them from somebody else. I mean, for me, it's a it's an internal thing. I I I told someone this the other day that my my personal mantra, which again is is whatever you need to tell yourself or see or hear to motivate you to do what you do. For me, my personal mantra, literally every day I wake up and say, I am fabulous and I can do anything. And that's all I need because I'm I'm very, again, self-reliant. So I don't need anybody else to say it to me. I don't need to hear it from somebody on the television. I tell myself that, and then I get up and do everything that it is that I do. And so for some women who really can't say that those words to themselves, I say those words to them. And that's what helps them start seeing, you know what, I can do this. You know, I this isn't that difficult. This isn't an issue. This isn't something I have to worry about. I definitely can do this. I am capable, I am awesome, and I can make all these things happen in my life every day. So it really is just having that extra person when you need it to believe in you, to tell you what you need to hear, tell you all the things again that are true. I mean, I'm not making up anything. This is I'm not blowing smoke. This is not that. It's me looking at a woman and saying, you know what, she has all these qualities, she does all these things. She just needs somebody to tell her to make sure she realizes, you know what, I am awesome and I am fabulous, and I can do all these things. And so that's what I do.

SPEAKER_00 32:22

Wow, wow, wow, that's amazing. I love what you said, you know, in terms of my I want you here, I don't need you. And I think that is something that a lot of women need to just remember. We don't need anyone to validate us, you can do it that yourself, you know. And you know, what you said is so true. Just being able to tell a woman or remind her how awesome she is, how great she is, actually starts that rewiring process in the brain. That is um amazing. No, I really commend you for what you do, and I've got one well, two more questions. But one is you are the vice president, you know, enterprise portfolio management office at your organization. How what advice would you give to other women who are looking to really get up in their career to be able to reach the top? Like, you know, you have what advice can you give?

SPEAKER_01 33:26

So I I tell women to be be themselves, like show up authentically and unapologetically as yourself, because what you're bringing to the table is something that is either missing or the company doesn't know they need it. So they either know they need it or they don't know they need it. But what you do, and this is part of that, again, knowing yourself and believing in yourself, you know what you're good at. Everybody, everybody just has to take a moment to stop and say, you know what, I'm good at these, you know, three things. If you're an expert at those three things, then you flaunt those things extremely hard. You show up every time you walk into a room, you make sure people know that you're amazing at these things. And and that's the same way you approach any kind of job search or advancement in your career. Same thing. You show up at the company, you show up in your resume, you show up in your application, and you definitely show up in the interview, showcasing the things that you are amazing at. Those areas of expertise, you make sure they are aware of them, you make sure they understand that there is only one you. And that's what I said. There's only one Paula. So you I do all these things. And so I tell women, make sure you are you are bragging about the things that you do well because no one else is going to shine a light on it. So you have to do that again, do that for yourself and and not be afraid of doing it. Because again, it's not, it's not a bad thing to showcase what you do really well. If you don't showcase it, no one knows that you do it well. And so for me, it's been my career has been extremely rewarding. Uh, I've always had a had the opportunities show up for me when I haven't been looking for them. So I so I can say that. And I think that just may be God doing his work. And and I don't question anything that he's doing. So I just I show up where I'm supposed to be and I do the things I'm supposed to do, and and people have noticed, organizations have noticed, and they've come to me, you know, requesting that I be part of their organization. And when I show up, I bring them all me, 100%. I don't, I don't, I don't sugarcoat anything when it comes to me and my personality. And I want that again in the resume, the application, the interview. Because when I show up on day one at the office, you're gonna get exactly what I told you you were gonna get. And so I do encourage women to be themselves and to always show up as themselves in any situation. And another thing we we don't do, we'll look at a job description, and if we don't meet 100% of the requirements, we won't apply. We won't even entertain it. We're like, oh my God, I don't do that one thing, so I can't apply. And men, on the other hand, I mean, they may meet 50% of the job requirements. Now, like, I'm applying, I know I'm gonna be great at this. And so I also tell women if you don't meet every single requirement, that's okay. Because no one person can do everything. For me, there's there's certain things I don't do well. And the things I do well, I knock them out of the park for sure. But I always make sure I have somebody either in the room, on my team, or peer who can pick up on the things that I don't do well. Because if he or she does that one thing well or two things well, then we're great. We're a package deal. That means I can do all these other things well, and then I have somebody there helping me with the other things that I don't do well, and that's okay. But but for women, it's it's at least applying. Like just don't take it off the list because you don't meet one or two things in the requirement list. Because you can bring all these other things to the table and you can find somebody who can fill in those couple gaps that you have.

SPEAKER_00 37:05

Gosh, that is that is that is a lot. That was loaded. That was loaded. I was just scribbling away here. You know, show up, flaunt those things that you are amazing at. Oh, I just love that. Be yourself. Oh, thank you so much, Paulette. You really showed up today, you really did, and I I am so honored to really have you on this podcast. And you know, that last bit of advice for women, honestly, any lady playing this or even man that has you have wife, you have sisters, you have friends, exactly, you know, they need to listen to this because we may we need to really show up in everything we do, and not waiting for for to tick all the boxes in an advance before you apply. But you know, with what you have, you go there boldly and really show up confidently and show what you what you can do. And and it's it's so true. We you know, we need to rise up. Every woman needs to sit up, we need to believe in ourselves. And you know, what my mantra is I am limitless. There is nothing that I can do. As long as I, you know, and you talked a lot today about you know, when you're passionate about something, you you know, you do it irrespective of time or hours. You're you're involuntarily in six, you know, six organizations. Meanwhile, you've got a full-time job, but a lot of times you have people who complain, oh, I don't have time. You make you find the time when you enjoy what you do. Um so thank you so much. So finally, I just want you to give you have given so much anyway, but just one last word of advice or word of wisdom for our listeners today. Um, and then we'll we'll round this up.

SPEAKER_01 39:09

Oh, so my my amazing women, again, like you said, hopefully some men are listening for the women in their lives as well. But my amazing, awesome, fabulous, successful, oh, just just amazing women out there listening. I need all of you to know, even when someone does not accept you, appreciate you, understand you, or love you, never stop being authentically and unapologetically you. You you are enough, you are capable, you can do any and everything that you want to do. And and I I really hope that my words have helped you see that and understand it and realize it and embrace it. So, so yeah, that that's my final thought.

SPEAKER_00 39:55

Be authentically, unapologetically you. Wow, I love that. Be authentically, unapologetically you, and we're going to end this podcast on that note. Thank you, thank you, thank you so much, Paulette. It's really been an honor to have you on. Thank you so much.

SPEAKER_01 40:17

Thank you so much. Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 40:21

Okay, three things before we finish today. Have you subscribed to this podcast? If you haven't, make sure you click that subscribe button wherever you listen to this podcast. Because once you subscribe, you will not miss an episode. And as usual, if you have a topic you would love me to speak about or bring a guest on, do let me know by leaving a review. Finally, do have a fantastic week and remember that you are limitless. So I look forward to seeing you in our next episode. Bye for now.